[chirsu]

Hi, do you think the foam that comes with HD6** line's earpads would have a similar effect?

Yup, the rubber/foam over the driver is definitely a limiting factor for the headphone. Glad someone else had these findings. 490 opens up nicely when replaced with silk over the driver.

 

[equalspeace]

Hi, do you think the foam that comes with HD6** line's earpads would have a similar effect?

I've thought about this and I am curious. The foam on the 6 series HPs is thicker, so I'm not sure if the clips that snap the earpads in place would work as effectively. With silk, it kind of hovers over the driver capsule w a few mm of space. Not sure if that would work as well w 6 series foam.

 

[ericpalonen]

Would love some commentary from @Sennheiser or @ericpalonen about these.

For example, in the measurements on the box (first picture), are these taken on the GRAS system Sennheiser uses, or the B&K 5128? Are they calibrated using the Diffuse Field HRTF of the rig?

Secondly, is this using an HD 58X driver(or a modification thereof)? Driver seems to look near-identical to other drivers in the 5-series lineup.

Thirdly, are the replacement parts going to be made available for individual purchase?

And lastly, are these going to be available for testing at CanJam NYC?

Howdy I've been on the mend after some COVID but can provide some context here, and will follow up with more info as soon as I get it from the pro team.

• HD 490 Pro will not be at CanJam; it is designed for studio use so you'll see it at pro audio/broadcast/music industry/creator events but not the audiophile events
• Replacement parts will be available separately, for as long as possible; they tend to show up a few months after launch
• Likely tuned with diffuse field, as nearly all open-back Sennheiser models are, but will confirm to be safe

 

[listenerwww]

Howdy I've been on the mend after some COVID but can provide some context here, and will follow up with more info as soon as I get it from the pro team.

• HD 490 Pro will not be at CanJam; it is designed for studio use so you'll see it at pro audio/broadcast/music industry/creator events but not the audiophile events
• Replacement parts will be available separately, for as long as possible; they tend to show up a few months after launch
• Likely tuned with diffuse field, as nearly all open-back Sennheiser models are, but will confirm to be safe

Hoping for a smooth recovery for ya, brother!

Gunnar from the pro side already confirmed the measurement was indeed DF-calibrated, but thanks so much for the response anyway, especially regarding replacement parts.

Shame that 490 Pro won't be at the show but that's alright as long as you're there

 

[nikosm]

Considering picking these up as an all-rounder for music listening, production and gaming. They'd be connected to a MOTU M4.

I currently have the 6XX for listening and production, which can sometimes leave something to be desired especially in the low frequency range. That said, they're still excellent overall and are very comfortable.

I use PC38X for gaming. I think they serve that purpose really well but can be a bit uncomfortable at times.

Tried the 560S when they released and couldn't stand how harsh they were in the mid-high end.

I'd probably end up using these mostly for gaming since I tend to use my studio monitors for everything else most of the time.

Will these fill the low end void of the 6XX without being as harsh as the 560S in the mid/high range?

 

[evonimos]

Will these fill the low end void of the 6XX without being as harsh as the 560S in the mid/high range?

Yes.
If you enjoy the sound of the HD6XX and the stage of PC38X, they are worth trying.
And comfort with the HD490 Pro is guaranteed.

More or less, this seems to have been the targeted sound signature for this pair:
A refinement of the sound of an HD650 (bit more low-end), with the stage ability of an HD560S (without the fatigue).

In my opinion, this was definitely a good choice.
Now, whether this goal is fulfilled or not is up to your ears to establish.

My ears are probably in agreement that they broadly reached this target.
This are my impressions from my preliminary auditioning so far.

 

[evonimos]

I've thought about this and I am curious. The foam on the 6 series HPs is thicker, so I'm not sure if the clips that snap the earpads in place would work as effectively. With silk, it kind of hovers over the driver capsule w a few mm of space. Not sure if that would work as well w 6 series foam.

You are on to something.

Tried it with completely exposed baffles and with an 1mm synthetic foam.
Both were an improvement over the OEM dust cover.

But i think the totally exposed baffle was better.
More clarity and a gain in speed which is what was essentially needed.

Since i want to cover the baffles with something(dust/hair protection) that will be as sound transparent as possible, i might consider a fine silk cloth.
I don't have anything like it at the moment, but i know it should be something made of non-synthetic fibers for better results.

What I do have and used successfully in the past with other headphones, is medical cotton gauze ply.
Will give it a try and report back.

 

[ericpalonen]

Hoping for a smooth recovery for ya, brother!

Gunnar from the pro side already confirmed the measurement was indeed DF-calibrated, but thanks so much for the response anyway, especially regarding replacement parts.

Shame that 490 Pro won't be at the show but that's alright as long as you're there

Thank you! The rig used for the HD 490 Pro graphs was a HATS Brüel & Kjaer 5128 C, and the driver itself is not from the KDH 580 family DNA, but rather a newer spec transducer.

 

[Menkau-ra]

I'm thinking to get HD490 Pro for portable usage because it's easier to drive than HD650. Is Mojo2 enough to properly power HD490 Pro?

 

[rjones36]

Josh has now offered his review...

 

[cbmuir]

It's funny how price is often a main thing that is brought up the most in HD 490 Pro reviews. Josh thinks it should be 25% cheaper ($300), yet the Beyer DT 1990 Pro he compares it to is 33% more ($529), and the 660s2 is 25% more ($500). The list price for the HD 600 and HD 650 are more than the HD 490 Pro, although they are usually deeply discounted these days by the consumer division.

Often the phones the 490 is getting compared to more-or-less require a powerful headphone amp, while the HD 490 Pro's can be driven from most things in a studio.

I would still like a serious reviewer to compare and contrast with the 62% more expensive Neumann NDH-30 ($649.)

 

[cbmuir]

I'm thinking to get HD490 Pro for portable usage because it's easier to drive than HD650. Is Mojo2 enough to properly power HD490 Pro?

The roughly $100 Qudelix-5K drives them well, so I imagine the Mojo2 would work, though I have no experience with the Mojo.

 

[ThEvil0nE]

If only these reviewers weren’t NDH 30 snobs then they would have had a better apples to apples review of the HD490.

 

[BLacklWf]

I returned my HD490 Pro. As I've written before, I still think all in all it's a decent headphone. It has an amazing build quality, light on the head, the new cable connection is much better than anything Senn offered yet, and it sounds good - for the most part. It has an even and balanced sound profile, not harsh, not analytical, not warm - sounds like a reference headphone in a certain way. But, for my primary purpose, which is to monitor the voice work. It's good, but not good enough. I'm missing the micro details or the micro rhythm of the spoken languages. In comparison, HD6XX series have slightly better micro details and more textured tonality. But, for everything else HD490 Pro is better - especially the build quality. Soundstage isn't good on either, but perhaps a hair better on HD490 Pro. But, mainly I was trying to replace my trust old MDR-7506 just because the closed nature of it - it produces too much heat and the ear cups are too small, which create discomfort after a few hours. I can wear HD490 Pro longer and more comfortably than MDR-7506. But, my well broken 7506 is better at monitoring the spoken voices for me at the end.

All in all, I still think it's a great phone. I thought of keeping it just because it's so comfortable and it's built well. I really like the cabling system. But, it cannot to replace my old MDR-7506 for my primary usage. And, I have HD800S on my music rig, which is just another level compared to HD490 Pro. And, I already have way too many headphones I never use.. So, HD490 Pro went back.

 

[BLacklWf]

It's funny how price is often a main thing that is brought up the most in HD 490 Pro reviews. Josh thinks it should be 25% cheaper ($300), yet the Beyer DT 1990 Pro he compares it to is 33% more ($529), and the 660s2 is 25% more ($500). The list price for the HD 600 and HD 650 are more than the HD 490 Pro, although they are usually deeply discounted these days by the consumer division.

Often the phones the 490 is getting compared to more-or-less require a powerful headphone amp, while the HD 490 Pro's can be driven from most things in a studio.

I would still like a serious reviewer to compare and contrast with the 62% more expensive Neumann NDH-30 ($649.)

I personally think HD490 Pro is better than HD600/650. Especially HD600, which now days is built like a $30 headphones. The recent cables Senn include is a joke. A real joke. Personally, I'm quite sure it does not cost more than $25 to produce it these days. HD490 Pro on the other hand is built much better. In fact I think it offers the best build quality under $800. Sound wise, HD490 Pro sounded better to my ears - more even, but HD600 series has a tad more detail.