Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Headphone Review

[solderdude]

The HD490Pro has for me to much bass, which sounds dull and muddy and not clear. No chrytal clear most describe.
Soundstage yes it has sure, but not as most reviews I saw/read. Not near what I expect.
Imaging, any headphone should do this so the 490pro does.

Have you tried the cloth (mixer) pads ?

 

[Chota]

Have you tried the cloth (mixer) pads ?

Yes.
Stupid question: and what should happend? Magic?
The cloth pads are not very comfy sorry.
Start to sweat after minutes and they are sratchy at my ears.
They are same thickness ( right word?) maybe 0.5 mm less then the original ones.

Never understand the magic behind the different pads, except they are more then half thicker or thinner, so the headphone is nearer to you ears.
I tried with my other headphones Deconis suede, leather fake leather etc. what really matters was the distance and how comfy they are

Do I have to believe?

Could you explain what should happend?

 

[solderdude]

Stupid question: and what should happend? Magic?

a different tonal balance and comfort.

The cloth pads are not very comfy sorry.

No need to apologize I did not make them. I merely asked if you tried them which was not clear from your post.
I found the producer pads (that are mounted) also too bassy/muddy but not with the mixer pads (which were too forward to me).
Whether or not this headphone is perceived to be lacking in clarity depends on many factors.

Start to sweat after minutes and they are sratchy at my ears.

Then these pads are not right for you.

They are same thickness ( right word?) maybe 0.5 mm less then the original ones.

Yep and have different materials being used and a different amount of 'intentional leakage'.

Never understand the magic behind the different pads, except they are more then half thicker or thinner, so the headphone is nearer to you ears.

I tried with my other headphones Deconis suede, leather fake leather etc. what really matters was the distance and how comfy they are

That is only one aspect of pads and how they differ (acoustically as well as comfort wise)

Do I have to believe?

In what ?

Could you explain what should happend?

Obviously the HD490 pro is not for you. That's what happened.

Don't be that disgruntled person that tried something and didn't like it.

Some like the sound of a certain headphone, others don't.
Some find a headphone comfortable others don't.
Some find a headphone to be a bargain, others think it is overpriced junk.

That's life...

 

[Chota]

@solderdude


no I am not

"Don't be that disgruntled person that tried something and didn't like it."

I tried to understand all the good reviews and maybe what happend to me.
I start reading this threat from beginning (should have done this before trying the headphones) and use the EQ settings.
That changed it in more than half the right sound for me. Thats awesome what EQ can do.

I like how lightweight the headphone is, with velours I can wear them all the evening, the oval are much better then the round ones I have.

I spend as much money I need to spend to have fun and enjoy. When the headphone cost half of my salary or a salary and makes me happy from the first second, so it is.


Its a journey for all of us.

 

[solderdude]

I tried to understand all the good reviews and maybe what happend to me.

Consider that personal taste and having certain references (other headphones with coloration you have gotten used to) is what happens to anyone trying out a headphone one found good reviews about.
Most of the reviews on any product are 'more than positive' which brings expectations that may not be met.

The HD490pro is a good headphone ... not good enough for me not to return it but possibly good enough to buy one secondhand if the price is right.

 

[Robbo99999]

@solderdude


no I am not


I tried to understand all the good reviews and maybe what happend to me.
I start reading this threat from beginning (should have done this before trying the headphones) and use the EQ settings.
That changed it in more than half the right sound for me. Thats awesome what EQ can do.

I like how lightweight the headphone is, with velours I can wear them all the evening, the oval are much better then the round ones I have.

I spend as much money I need to spend to have fun and enjoy. When the headphone cost half of my salary or a salary and makes me happy from the first second, so it is.


Its a journey for all of us.

You said you tried EQ and it's way better with EQ - that's the right thing to do, you can make them sound totally different & potentially totally correct when using EQ. If you EQ'd them to Harman Curve and you liked it, then you probably like the general sound of the Harman Curve - if that's the case then you've already won because you like the sound now. Another option is to buy less expensive headphones and EQ them to Harman Curve. It's important to realise though that if you as a user buy a load of different headphones and then EQ them to Harman Curve then they won't all sound exactly the same - they'll average out clustered around the Harman tonality to greater and lesser degrees and they'll be some fine-grained differences in specific areas of the frequency response that can make them sound different (particularly in high treble & low bass, but sometimes in other areas too).

EDIT: if you've already returned the HD490 then instead you could buy HD560s when it's on sale next which is quite often on Amazon, and you can get them for like £119, and you indeed may find them on sale in your country too. They sound good at stock without EQ, but if you use EQ with the HD560s then I recommend you use the one in the following post:

New version of Sennheiser HD 560S (!)

Hey again! I used the AutoEQ import tool available in EqualizerAPO w/ the Peace UI - looks like it is quite jank. Here is attempt #2! I hope I got this right this time! Should I move your settings to the front bands (1, 2, 3), or leave oratory1990's settings as bands 1-10? Does that make a...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Joachim Herbert]

If you like a headphone or not also depends on what you are coming from, i.e. what kind of sound you are used to/like. There are people that love the Koss Porta pro.

 

[Robbo99999]

If you like a headphone or not also depends on what you are coming from, i.e. what kind of sound you are used to/like. There are people that love the Koss Porta pro.

I think people's ears are very flexible to different headphones, probably more so than different speakers, so people are probably more able to get to used to crazy headphones than crazy speakers, and maybe there's a reason for that in "the science", maybe it's related to "the room" and the fact you know what sounds right & natural in your own room but headphones create their own room so it's harder to recognise crazy sound, anyway I'm not sure about that aspect. Either way, I know that even though I can get used to different headphones to some extent (brain burn-in & same aforementioned) it doesn't mean I can't get a better experience using a different & better measuring headphone - I can. You don't have to "tolerate", you can "liberate".

 

[Chota]

EDIT: if you've already returned the HD490 then instead you could buy HD560s when it's on sale next which is quite often on Amazon, and you can get them for like £119, and you indeed may find them on sale in your country too. They sound good at stock without EQ, but if you use EQ with the HD560s then I recommend you use the one in the following post:

New version of Sennheiser HD 560S (!)

Hey again! I used the AutoEQ import tool available in EqualizerAPO w/ the Peace UI - looks like it is quite jank. Here is attempt #2! I hope I got this right this time! Should I move your settings to the front bands (1, 2, 3), or leave oratory1990's settings as bands 1-10? Does that make a...

www.audiosciencereview.com

I can return them in 20 days so some time to listen and test.
The HD560S is around 120€ so bit less then in UK. I can go to a shop near me and try them there most others are in a shop 100km away. but maybe I should try it there

And today the MMX330pro arrived, but with EQ my DT900 Pro X sound a bit better for me.
Also the DT 1990 Pro MK2 came today. First impression, ok sounds similar like my DT900 Pro X but overall better, with EQ yes much better.
Compared to the HD 490 pro I would say the 1990 Pro MK 2 sound better fuller richer to me. but more expensive :-( and the clamp uff my head lol the 490Pro is so comfy to wear.

So learned that comfy is an important ascpect not ot underestimate when you wear it over 3-4 hours.

 

[Robbo99999]

I can return them in 20 days so some time to listen and test.
The HD560S is around 120€ so bit less then in UK. I can go to a shop near me and try them there most others are in a shop 100km away. but maybe I should try it there

And today the MMX330pro arrived, but with EQ my DT900 Pro X sound a bit better for me.
Also the DT 1990 Pro MK2 came today. First impression, ok sounds similar like my DT900 Pro X but overall better, with EQ yes much better.
Compared to the HD 490 pro I would say the 1990 Pro MK 2 sound better fuller richer to me. but more expensive :-( and the clamp uff my head lol the 490Pro is so comfy to wear.

So learned that comfy is an important ascpect not ot underestimate when you wear it over 3-4 hours.

I suppose you could try them in a shop, but it could be noisy there and you might not be so relaxed and attentive, and you might not be able to choose the music that you'd usually use to test your headphones, and if you don't take your own playback gear (think DAC/amp) then you don't know what influence the shop's equipment is having on the headphone & your experience. It's probably a lot lot easier to accurately assess a headphone in the comfort of your own home - you can always send them back if you don't like them (thinking Amazon).

 

[taotone]

I suppose you could try them in a shop, but it could be noisy there and you might not be so relaxed and attentive, and you might not be able to choose the music that you'd usually use to test your headphones, and if you don't take your own playback gear (think DAC/amp) then you don't know what influence the shop's equipment is having on the headphone & your experience. It's probably a lot lot easier to accurately assess a headphone in the comfort of your own home - you can always send them back if you don't like them (thinking Amazon).

Agreed, headphones are far easier to test at home than speakers, etc. simply because of portability.

Some dealers though do have quiet listening areas where you can test, but may not have the headphones you want. Canjam not ideal esp. with open backs.

Amazon ftw in this general scenario.

 

[Hal Rockwell]

no data?

The data hereafter is scanned so the presented scores are only (probably good) approximations


Here are some thoughts about the EQ.
Please report your findings, positive or negative!

Notes about the EQ design:

• The average L/R is used to calculate the score.
• The resolution is 12 points per octave interpolated from the raw data (provided by @amirm)
• A Genetic Algorithm is used to optimize the EQ.
• The EQ Score is designed to MAXIMIZE the Score WHILE fitting the Harman target curve (and other constrains) with a fixed complexity.
  This will avoid weird results if one only optimizes for the Score, start your journey here or there.
  There is a presentation by S. Olive here.
  It will probably flatten the Error regression doing so, the tonal balance should be therefore more neutral.
• The EQs are starting point and may require tuning (certainly at LF and maybe at HF).
• The range around and above 10kHz is usually not EQed unless smooth enough to do so.
• I am using PEQ (PK) as from my experience the definition is more consistent across different DSP/platform implementations than shelves.
• With some HP/amp combo, the boosts and preamp gain (loss of Dynamic range) need to be carefully considered to avoid issues with, amongst other things, too low a Max SPL or damaging your device. You have beed warned.
• Not all units of the same product are made equal. The EQ is based on the measurements of a single unit. YMMV with regard to the very unit you are trying this EQ on.
• I sometimes use variations of the Harman curve for some reasons. See rational here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...pro-review-headphone.28244/page-5#post-989169
• https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...pro-review-headphone.28244/page-6#post-992119
• NOTE: the score then calculated is not comparable to the scores derived from the default Harman target curve if not otherwise noted.

not stellar L/R match.
I have generated one EQ, the APO config file is attached.


Score no EQ: 73.5
Score Amirm: 82.5
Score with EQ: 93.7

Sennheiser HD490 Pro APO Score EQ Flat@HF 96000Hz
April222024-114004

Preamp: -6.6 dB

Filter 1: ON PK Fc 20.06 Hz Gain 6.57 dB Q 0.77
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 229.31 Hz Gain -1.81 dB Q 0.77
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 1063.51 Hz Gain -1.13 dB Q 2.27
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 2237.26 Hz Gain 5.23 dB Q 1.13
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 4481.88 Hz Gain -3.09 dB Q 4.32
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 6534.79 Hz Gain -10.84 dB Q 3.44
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 7307.89 Hz Gain 7.77 dB Q 2.02

View attachment 365188

What pads were used in the development of this EQ profile?

 

[staticV3]

What pads were used in the development of this EQ profile?

The velours producer pads.

You can find Harman presets for both pads here: https://www.reddit.com/r/oratory1990/wiki/index/list_of_presets/

 

[The_ENDrew]

So, at this point, there are only two pairs of headphones worth buying – the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro and the Audeze LCD-X. I’m listening through an RME BabyFace, and surprisingly, the Line6 Helix also delivers an excellent performance – didn’t expect it to have such a great built-in headphone amp! Paired with Waves CLA NX and some master EQ, it’s a game changer.
When it comes to price-to-performance ratio, the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro is just top of the top – the low end is out of this world! If you don’t have the option to work in an actual studio (not just a regular apartment), where you can monitor at a proper 95dB across the full spectrum, then forget about getting studio monitors for your home setup – you’re just fooling yourself!
The headphones I mentioned, combined with Waves’ spatial processing, are the way to go. No matter how much people hype Realphones, it just doesn’t stand a chance against Waves CLA NX – it’s like comparing a Kemper to everything else. Ten years ago, we couldn’t even dream of mixing in headphones like we do now, as if we were on $10K studio monitors!
I’ve tried Waves CLA NX and Realphones back in the day on HD600, DT770, DT990, and I realized someone was definitely bullshitting us. But after getting the Sennheiser HD 490 last summer and the Audeze LCD-X a month ago, it’s crystal clear – plugin makers chasing profits are shooting themselves in the foot. You can’t just get “pro-level” results on any random pair of headphones.
The truth is, 98% of headphones don’t have the dynamic range or SPL handling to fully unlock what these spatial plugins can do. It’s the same as when Kemper released their special full-range speaker for their profiles – you need the right gear to get the full experience.
Anyway, those who get it, get it!

 

[KosherButcher]

So, at this point, there are only two pairs of headphones worth buying – the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro and the Audeze LCD-X. I’m listening through an RME BabyFace, and surprisingly, the Line6 Helix also delivers an excellent performance – didn’t expect it to have such a great built-in headphone amp! Paired with Waves CLA NX and some master EQ, it’s a game changer.
When it comes to price-to-performance ratio, the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro is just top of the top – the low end is out of this world! If you don’t have the option to work in an actual studio (not just a regular apartment), where you can monitor at a proper 95dB across the full spectrum, then forget about getting studio monitors for your home setup – you’re just fooling yourself!
The headphones I mentioned, combined with Waves’ spatial processing, are the way to go. No matter how much people hype Realphones, it just doesn’t stand a chance against Waves CLA NX – it’s like comparing a Kemper to everything else. Ten years ago, we couldn’t even dream of mixing in headphones like we do now, as if we were on $10K studio monitors!
I’ve tried Waves CLA NX and Realphones back in the day on HD600, DT770, DT990, and I realized someone was definitely bullshitting us. But after getting the Sennheiser HD 490 last summer and the Audeze LCD-X a month ago, it’s crystal clear – plugin makers chasing profits are shooting themselves in the foot. You can’t just get “pro-level” results on any random pair of headphones.
The truth is, 98% of headphones don’t have the dynamic range or SPL handling to fully unlock what these spatial plugins can do. It’s the same as when Kemper released their special full-range speaker for their profiles – you need the right gear to get the full experience.
Anyway, those who get it, get it!

When was the last time you tried Realphones? It’s gotten significantly better in the past year. Also, I think APL Virtuoso is actually the best of all the correction/room/speaker simulators out there.

 

[The_ENDrew]

When was the last time you tried Realphones? It’s gotten significantly better in the past year. Also, I think APL Virtuoso is actually the best of all the correction/room/speaker simulators out there.

I have Realphones set up right now, and I’ve compared them directly. To my ears, Waves CLA NX does a better job—maybe because I personally like the impulse response of CLA’s studio with Ocean Way monitors!

 

[solderdude]

So learned that comfy is an important ascpect not ot underestimate when you wear it over 3-4 hours.

Yep, one can EQ the sound (up to a point) and in most cases adjust the clamping force of a headphone (in most cases)

 

[audiofromaustria]

I own HD490 Pro plus, heard with both pads. Later I buy HD600 and HD650. Now I hear with HD650 mostly!
From comfort the HD490 Pro mixing pads are the best!

 

[Phorize]

Sooo. Happy HD 6xx owner here, using oratory's EQ settings I like the idea of a slightly nicer built set with a good carry case. I would EQ the 490. Question is whethe there is any reason to think I would end up with a regression, something the same, or better.

 

[Robbo99999]

Sooo. Happy HD 6xx owner here, using oratory's EQ settings I like the idea of a slightly nicer built set with a good carry case. I would EQ the 490. Question is whethe there is any reason to think I would end up with a regression, something the same, or better.

I thought you had HD560s?? That should do it, albeit ok, the build quality is not it's main attraction, but it doesn't feel cheap, but it is all plastic. (and you can buy a carry case anyway right). EDIT: ok if build quality impression & pure aesthetics are what you're after then I'm giving you the wrong advice.