Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Headphone Review

[Jarick]

I just picked up a pair of these, looking for something a bit different than my HD600 that I use most of the time.

They almost seem like the opposite headphone. The HD600 has a mostly flat response that seems fairly intimate and smooth with kind of a nasal boost in the midrange and light bass. The HD490 (producer pads) has a noticeably bigger and punchier bass (not sub bass though) and a more open and clear sound that's more airy in the upper highs but with a dip in the midrange that makes voices all sound stuffy.

Outside the frequency response the 490 is way more engaging to listen to than the 600 because of the punchier bass and airy treble. It's definitely more of a consumer friendly curve. But I am hearing details or highlights that are very opposite of the 600, so it's not a bad thing.

I also have a 560S and I don't like those at all. They don't sound all that similar to the 490 honestly, the 490 has a more punchy and present low end, much less harsh and fatiguing in the upper mids, and generally sounds a lot cleaner. The 560 also feels really cheap and is pretty uncomfortable.

The 490 are noticeably more comfortable than the 600 as well, they feel lighter with less clamp and less pressure on the top of the head. The 600 isn't uncomfortable but the 490 is very comfortable.

Tried the mixing pads but swapped back to the producer pretty quickly. The mixing pads neutered the bass, didn't help with the stuffy upper mids, and felt scratchy and uncomfortable.

I did try the Sonarworks correction and I don't like it at 100%, just like most Sonarworks it neuters the sound too much. But at 50% mix it actually sounds nice, flattening the bass overall and bringing back some of the midrange that's missing. I like that more than the 600 with 50% Sonarworks.

Not sure yet if I'll keep them but early impressions are good. I also had my eye on the Beyer DT 900 Pro X but I like Sennheiser quite a bit. The Neumann NDH30 are intriguing as well but I have a hard time spending that much money on headphones that may or may not be a marginal improvement over the 600.

 

[Bizznesssox]

Ok, granted, might be all true. But if you have one of them, you basically don't need the other.

I am entering this much later, but I needed to say that this is not true. I think both of these differentiate themselves quite a bit. The 490 bass extension is significant compared to the 650 and definitely changes the experience if you enjoy any music with deeper bass. The other big difference is watching films, as the more expansive soundstage allows for a much more engaging watch! The HD650 still takes the cake in midrange, but the 490 isn't subpar by any means. The comfort, bass response, and minimal power requirements make it the easy-to-go-to choice in most scenarios. The comfort needs to be emphasized!

 

[madwolfa]

Honestly, HD650 became almost irrelevant in my mind, because it was mostly designed to somewhat alleviate the HD600 "issues" that some people had with them (a bit too "forward" and "lean" sound signature, unforgiving to poorly mastered recordings). To my ears, HD650 is just a "dull" version of HD600 with slightly more low-end bloom, whereas HD490 PRO retains HD600 "crispness", while adding superior bass and actually decent soundstage. HD600 is still a king of midrange/vocals, but for me, as an overall package, HD490 PRO is an easy winner. My HD600 has been collecting dust for a while after nearly 2 decades.

 

[Jarick]

Honestly, HD650 became almost irrelevant in my mind, because it was mostly designed to somewhat alleviate the HD600 "issues" that some people had with them (a bit too "forward" and "lean" sound signature, unforgiving to poorly mastered recordings). To my ears, HD650 is just a "dull" version of HD600 with slightly more low-end bloom, whereas HD490 PRO retains HD600 "crispness", while adding superior bass and actually decent soundstage. HD600 is still a king of midrange/vocals, but for me, as an overall package, HD490 PRO is an easy winner. My HD600 has been collecting dust for a while after nearly 2 decades.

I found the two (600 and 650) to be extremely similar once you add in the same fresh pads. Just a tiny bit of difference in low and high end, not worth having both (although of course I have both). The 490 is very noticeably different sounding, plus a lot more comfortable. I do think the 600 is still outstanding for pure midrange detail and analysis though, but I'd guess most people will prefer the 490 overall.

 

[Ngower]

Bought these for work/gaming/casual music. Wondering if folks have a recommendation for an amp/DAC that can work between my Mac, PC, and PS5/Switch 2? Looking at Fosi V5/7 and fiio k11

 

[staticV3]

Bought these for work/gaming/casual music. Wondering if folks have a recommendation for an amp/DAC that can work between my Mac, PC, and PS5/Switch 2? Looking at Fosi V5/7 and fiio k11

Mac/PC/PS5/Switch2 all connected at once? Or are you willing to unplug/replug when switching sources?

 

[Ngower]

Mac/PC/PS5/Switch2 all connected at once? Or are you willing to unplug/replug when switching sources?

Sorry, Mac/PC will be on my desktop, PS5/Switch 2 will be in my LR, so separate use cases.

 

[panther]

Anyone aware of aftermarket pads. I tend to like the feel of fenstrated sheepskin or similar but I haven’t found anything for the HD 490.

 

[d00]

I bought these headphones. Besides them, I also have HD600 and 770 Pro X. They play really cool. In my opinion, it is more pleasant to listen to every day than the HD600. Personally, I have HD600 connected to MacBook when working with sound as open headphones and 770 Pro X as closed for recording. HD490 Pro will be for listening to music from other sources, including the phone via DAC.

I don't know why Amir evaluates them so poorly, because they play really pleasantly. Even without EQ.

 

[solderdude]

I don't know why Amir evaluates them so poorly, because they play really pleasantly. Even without EQ.

Because they don't comply to the Harman target.
It is either too 'warm' or too 'bass-shy'.
Whether one likes them or not with either of the pads is personal.

The HD 550/560S is tonally between the HD 490 PRO with the different pads and is 'tonally' the best compromise.
Comfort goes to the HD 490 PRO followed by HD550 followed by HD 560S/HD 400 PRO.

I liked it but not enough to keep it as the HD550 is the better compromise.

 

[d00]

Because they don't comply to the Harman target.
It is either too 'warm' or too 'bass-shy'.
Whether one likes them or not with either of the pads is personal.

The HD 550/560S is tonally between the HD 490 PRO with the different pads and is 'tonally' the best compromise.
Comfort goes to the HD 490 PRO followed by HD550 followed by HD 560S/HD 400 PRO.

I liked it but not enough to keep it as the HD550 is the better compromise.

It's too personal. Not everyone likes Harman tuning. The 490 Pro has two pads. Greater versatility. I'm not saying they're the best, but when I listen to them compared to HD600, I have a wow effect. And yet HD600 is a classic in music studios. They are very popular. I read that the HD 490 Pro have a wider scene than the 550 or 560S. Does this mean that HD600 also suck on ASR?

 

[solderdude]

I read that the HD 490 Pro have a wider scene than the 550 or 560S.

Not everyone hears soundstage the same. I wouldn't put too much trust in those remarks.

HD 490 pro with cloth pads is perceived a bit wider because of the upper mid emphasis.
HD550 is similar to HD 490 with velour pads but not as bloated/warm.

Does this mean that HD600 also suck on ASR?

????

 

[testp]

theres a new kid in town, sennheiser HDB 630, ive read good things, will see...maybe, thought im so used to in-ears

 

[Somafunk]

theres a new kid in town, sennheiser HDB 630

Bluetooth so not exactly relevant or a brother to the HD490, it’s more akin to second cousin

 

[testp]

Bluetooth so not exactly relevant or a brother to the HD490, it’s more akin to second cousin

it has wire option as well, can't remember what type of connection though, analog or digital

 

[d00OU]

I’ve been using the HD560S for a while and recently picked up the HD490 Pro.

The first thing that stood out to me was the bass. The HD490 Pro has noticeably better low-end performance than the HD560S. This made me wonder whether there might be some measurement-related factors at play, especially since measurements from other reviewers seem to show the same trend.

Comfort is also clearly better on the HD490 Pro. The ear pads designed to accommodate glasses are especially well done. Build quality and overall design feel more refined, the mini-XLR connector seems more robust, and distortion is lower as well.

From a listening perspective, the HD490 Pro sounds a bit more open and natural in terms of soundstage, with better clarity overall. It also has less treble emphasis compared to the HD560S, so it doesn’t come across as bright or sharp.

I also use Sonarworks SoundID Reference quite a lot. Looking at Sonarworks’ measured response relative to their flat target, the HD490 Pro again shows stronger bass performance, and the treble response is closer to the target. The graph I’m referring to uses the Producing ear pads, which I personally prefer for casual music listening since they sound more relaxed and are more comfortable. I also find that the extra bass makes it easier to EQ the headphone toward a target curve.

The only real drawback for me is a bit of extra dip in the upper mids around 1–3 kHz, but that’s very easy to fix with EQ. Once corrected, it sounds excellent.
Overall, I think the HD490 Pro is easy to recommend, even though it’s quite a bit more expensive than the HD560S.

 

[JBX1666]

I’ve been using the HD560S for a while and recently picked up the HD490 Pro.

The first thing that stood out to me was the bass. The HD490 Pro has noticeably better low-end performance than the HD560S. This made me wonder whether there might be some measurement-related factors at play, especially since measurements from other reviewers seem to show the same trend.

Comfort is also clearly better on the HD490 Pro. The ear pads designed to accommodate glasses are especially well done. Build quality and overall design feel more refined, the mini-XLR connector seems more robust, and distortion is lower as well.

From a listening perspective, the HD490 Pro sounds a bit more open and natural in terms of soundstage, with better clarity overall. It also has less treble emphasis compared to the HD560S, so it doesn’t come across as bright or sharp.

I also use Sonarworks SoundID Reference quite a lot. Looking at Sonarworks’ measured response relative to their flat target, the HD490 Pro again shows stronger bass performance, and the treble response is closer to the target. The graph I’m referring to uses the Producing ear pads, which I personally prefer for casual music listening since they sound more relaxed and are more comfortable. I also find that the extra bass makes it easier to EQ the headphone toward a target curve.

The only real drawback for me is a bit of extra dip in the upper mids around 1–3 kHz, but that’s very easy to fix with EQ. Once corrected, it sounds excellent.
Overall, I think the HD490 Pro is easy to recommend, even though it’s quite a bit more expensive than the HD560S.

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I was using SoundID but switched to the oratory1990 EQ curve. I also use APL Virtuoso for speaker emulation. For casual listening I couldn't be happier, and these headphones are very comfortable for long sessions with the producer pads.