Thursday, February 8th 2024

Sennheiser Introduces HD 490 PRO Reference Studio Headphones

Sennheiser has launched its brand-new open-back HD 490 PRO reference studio headphones, purpose-built for producing, mixing and mastering. The circumaural, dynamic headphones feature highly precise sound reproduction and a very wide and realistic sound stage. This superior accuracy and range give producers, mixing and mastering engineers, as well as musicians, the transparency they need for critical mixing decisions and for confidently resolving any panning placement issues. The HD 490 PRO and HD 490 PRO Plus (includes additional accessories) are available now.

"If you compare today's music productions with that of ten, 20 years ago, you will notice how the massively increased computing power and complex parameter automation have changed the way in which music is made," shares Jimmy Landry, Category Market Manager for MI at Sennheiser. "In every genre, engineers and music creators are continuously pushing boundaries, creating extremely complex mixes that can be prone to so-called 'audio blind spots'. Mixes can be crowded and muddy, with too many instruments sitting at the same position and their frequencies competing. For the engineer or musician, it becomes difficult to hear each individual instrument or voice distinctly. This goes to show the importance of a good pair of studio headphones."
Full-spectrum audio accuracy
To tackle this complexity, the Sennheiser engineers have given the HD 490 PRO an extremely wide, dimensional sound stage for precisely localising the components of a mix. Ultralight voice coils ensure a fast and authentic sound reproduction. The frequency response is uncoloured and honest across the entire audio spectrum, with the low end being full, accurate, and clearly defined thanks to a special low-frequency cylinder. The open-mesh ear cup covers reveal Sennheiser's Open-frame Architecture, which minimises resonances and distortion. For an optimal listening experience, the transducers sit at a slight angle, thereby emulating a typical monitor loudspeaker set-up.

"All these features combine to enable music professionals to identify and resolve any panning placement issues and troublesome low-end frequencies - ensuring clear mixes and superbly refined masters," explains Gunnar Dirks, Sennheiser Product Manager. "The HD 490 PRO studio headphones put you in full control of every detail."


A pleasure to wear
An excellent pair of studio headphones would only be half as good if it were uncomfortable. Therefore, the Sennheiser engineers have put decades of experience from professional headset design into the HD 490 PRO. Their lightweight, ergonomic design eliminates any pressure points, as the headband does not press on the sensitive parts of the head. Also, the circumaural ear pads feature a Sennheiser-patented soft comfort zone for the temples of glasses while maintaining good sealing.

A patent has also been applied for regarding the special axes geometry of the HD 490 PRO. This design makes sure that the headphones optimally adapt to the head when they are put on, and maintain an equal contact pressure no matter what the shape of the user's head.

"When you're creating music, the last thing you want is to be focusing on the fit of your headphones. The HD 490 PRO let you feel the music and forget about the headphones," says Landry.

Two types of ear pads to perfectly adapt to the task at hand
"The development of the HD 490 PRO was preceded by the biggest professional headphone survey we ever did, where users voted neutral and flat reference audio as the most important feature," explains Dirks. "However, when we took a look at market figures, we discovered that a slightly warmer sound was preferred over a 100% neutral response. Therefore, we decided to give our customers two headphones in one - by providing two different sets of ear pads that were carefully designed to shape the sound differently."

The producing ear pads (velour) of the HD 490 PRO have a slightly warmer response to create perspective and help users make a holistic judgement of the sound. The mixing ear pads (fabric), on the other hand, allow for a very flat, neutral sound that helps dive into detail when a sound reference is needed in finishing off a mix. Both ear pads are washable - a solution that is both hygienic and sustainable.


A licence to dearVR MIX-SE
The HD 490 PRO includes a free licence for the innovative dearVR MIX-SE plugin from Dear Reality. The plugin turns a DAW into an ultimate virtual mixing environment, simulating the carefully designed acoustics of ideal mixing studios. Not only is the engineer or musician placed in the sweet spot, dear VR MIX-SE also helps them ensure a balanced and consistent translation of their mixes on different systems.

Attention to detail
The meticulous design of this top-of-the-range studio model does not stop with the accessories. For example, the headphone cable can be plugged into the right or left ear piece of the HD 490 PRO to cater to different studio set-ups and preferences. A patented cable coil structure ensures that the headphone cable does not transmit any noise when it hits the desk or rubs against the clothing. The left/right designation is clearly visible on the inside dust covers of the transducers, while for the visually impaired, the headband fork carries braille information.
Each HD 490 PRO is delivered complete with two different sets of ear pads (mixing and producing) plus a 1.8 m headphone cable and a dearVR MIX-SE licence. It retails at EUR 399 (MSRP) or USD 399 (MAP). The HD 490 PRO Plus, priced at EUR 479 (MSRP) or USD 479 (MAP), additionally includes a 3 m cable, a transport case, and an extra fabric headband pad in addition to the standard velour headband. All Plus extras are also available as individual accessories. A balanced headphone cable (EUR 39 MSRP, USD 39 MAP) is available as an optional accessory.


"If you are looking for studio headphones that give you the transparency and excellent localization needed for crafting outstanding mixes, the HD 490 PRO are your choice," says Jimmy Landry.
Sources: Sennheiser, PRNewsWire
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26 Comments on Sennheiser Introduces HD 490 PRO Reference Studio Headphones

#1
Onasi
Neat. I am curious how new it really is or whether they just slightly changed their existing previously consumer model for this. Like when they turned the 560S into the... 400 Pro, I believe. This one looks vaguely like a modified 660S, but the side-agnostic cable is... new.
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#2
bug
Is that open back design? Is that standard for studio cans?
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#3
Chaitanya
bugIs that open back design? Is that standard for studio cans?
Open back certainly seem to be far more common in studio headphones and even among recording artists have noticed either IEMs or open back headphones being used.
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#4
T0@st
News Editor
OnasiNeat. I am curious how new it really is or whether they just slightly changed their existing previously consumer model for this. Like when they turned the 560S into the... 400 Pro, I believe. This one looks vaguely like a modified 660S, but the side-agnostic cable is... new.
Some audiophiles have already ripped apart their "sample" units - they reckon that Sennheiser has bunged its HD 560S capsule/driver into a completely new enclosure design.
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#5
SOAREVERSOR
bugIs that open back design? Is that standard for studio cans?
Not at all. It's the other way around when creating content. Now for listening after it's created sure. But for creation you need isolation.
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#6
mechtech
I wonder if they will have several hundred pounds of clamp force?
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#7
unwind-protect
OnasiNeat. I am curious how new it really is or whether they just slightly changed their existing previously consumer model for this. Like when they turned the 560S into the... 400 Pro, I believe. This one looks vaguely like a modified 660S, but the side-agnostic cable is... new.
I am more curious about how they diversify these from their Neumann offerings.
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#8
Onasi
T0@stSome audiophiles have already ripped apart their "sample" units - they reckon that Sennheiser has bunged its HD 560S capsule/driver into a completely new enclosure design.
That would be a fairly poor deal then. I am sure the new enclosure potentially improves the performance of the driver (although that’s not a given), but asking 400-500 bucks for the 560S tier hardware is an… interesting choice. The DT 900 Pro X is less. The RT R70X is around the same price as the Senn while being a far more capable headphone. The K612 can be found for like 150 bucks and for STRICTLY professional use you are unlikely to want more considering how dead flat it is.
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#9
T0@st
News Editor
OnasiThat would be a fairly poor deal then. I am sure the new enclosure potentially improves the performance of the driver (although that’s not a given), but asking 400-500 bucks for the 560S tier hardware is an… interesting choice. The DT 900 Pro X is less. The RT R70X is around the same price as the Senn while being a far more capable headphone. The K612 can be found for like 150 bucks and for STRICTLY professional use you are unlikely to want more considering how dead flat it is.
Indeed it is very pricey, but also a newly launched product...could be cheaper in a year or two. HD 490 PRO owners are saying that their units are made in Sennheiser's Romanian factory, while the HD 560S and HD 400 PRO are produced in China. I remember that the HD 600, 650, 6XX & 58X models were assembled in Brașov a couple of years ago, before being moved back to the original Ireland plant.
Posted on Reply
#10
Onasi
T0@stHD 490 PRO owners are saying that their units are made in Sennheiser's Romanian factory, while the HD 560S and HD 400 PRO are produced in China. I remember that the HD 600, 650, 6XX & 58X models were assembled in Brașov a couple of years ago, before being moved back to the original Ireland plant.
That actually explains the price, potentially. Not sure how actually relevant this is, since I genuinely think that China-made Sennheiser models were and are also incredibly solid, but might be a selling point to some. The only time I remember something like that being a big deal was when AKG moved some of their model production to China from… Slovakia, I believe it was? The first batches had some QC issues, but that was quickly resolved.
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#11
JAB Creations
I used to buy $20-$25 over-the-cuff headphones once every three months ad then a friend of mine bought me a pair of Sennheiser headphones for $100. Geez, $100? Geez, lasted ten years! Wore them every night to bed to listen to music. I didn't hesitate to buy another pair of Sennheiser headphones after that.

Now they do need to release 5.1 channel surround sound headphones! They keep not doing that!
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#12
bug
OnasiThat actually explains the price, potentially. Not sure how actually relevant this is, since I genuinely think that China-made Sennheiser models were and are also incredibly solid, but might be a selling point to some. The only time I remember something like that being a big deal was when AKG moved some of their model production to China from… Slovakia, I believe it was? The first batches had some QC issues, but that was quickly resolved.
AKG moved out of Austria actually, I haven't followed their quality since. I still have a pair that says "Made in Austria", I will keep those forever.
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#13
Onasi
bugAKG moved out of Austria actually, I haven't followed their quality since. I still have a pair that says "Made in Austria", I will keep those forever.
Nah, I know, I meant after that. I think they went from Austria to Slovakia and then to China for some lower priced models. I too still have an Austrian-made closed-back pair from early 2000s.
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#14
bug
OnasiNah, I know, I meant after that. I think they went from Austria to Slovakia and then to China for some lower priced models.
I think they expanded to Slovakia at some point, retaining (part of?) their Austrian facilities. Then they closed up shop and went to China.
OnasiI too still have an Austrian-made closed-back pair from early 2000s.
Which ones? I have the K271 (original version, not Mk II).
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#15
Onasi
bugWhich ones? I have the K271 (original version, not Mk II).
K240DF. Technically, I guess they are semi-open or semi-closed back, however you interpret the sound signature. Has a bit of leakage, but far from the amount fully open cans have, and the sound is fairly “in your head” like closed back.
Also had an ancient wireless model from the same era, with the giant base station for charging and signal, absolute unit that one. Died a while ago though. Don’t remember where those were manufactured.
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#16
T0@st
News Editor
OnasiNah, I know, I meant after that. I think they went from Austria to Slovakia and then to China for some lower priced models. I too still have an Austrian-made closed-back pair from early 2000s.
The K712 Pro, and models above it in the hierarchy are still made in Slovakia. K702 and below were all shifted to China a while ago. People are actively seeking out Austrian-made K700 series headphones.
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#17
Onasi
T0@stThe K712 Pro, and models above it in the hierarchy are still made in Slovakia. K702 and below were all shifted to China a while ago. People are actively seeking out Austrian-made K700 series headphones.
Wonder if there are real perceivable quality or sound differences nowadays with modern China made AKG cans and vintage Austrian ones. Would be curious to test that. Not curious enough to sink my own money into such an experiment though, hahaha.
Thanks for clarification though!
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#18
bug
T0@stThe K712 Pro, and models above it in the hierarchy are still made in Slovakia. K702 and below were all shifted to China a while ago. People are actively seeking out Austrian-made K700 series headphones.
I was under the impression everything moved out of Austria. Oh well...
And I did want to get the K702, but at the time there was a warning on AKG's website about fakes in the wild so I didn't risk it. I got the Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro instead. I still feel kind f bad because their honesty and proactive warning lost them a sale, but it was a small window of opportunity so I didn't have time to do the proper research.
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#19
unwind-protect
bugAKG moved out of Austria actually, I haven't followed their quality since. I still have a pair that says "Made in Austria", I will keep those forever.
Some AKG people split off and founded the brand "Austrian Audio". vintageking.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=austrian+audio

I think it is all made in Austria.

I want to try out their HI-X60. But I generally don't like AKG and I wonder how different they are.
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#20
T0@st
News Editor
bugI was under the impression everything moved out of Austria. Oh well...
Whoops, I should've said that people are seeking out Austrian-made AKG headphones on the second hand market. The real "audio connoisseurs" reckon that there's a perceivable difference - mostly with K701, K702, K7xx & Q701 variants. The general consensus on AKG's Slovakian-made K712 Pro is that it's just as good as the pre-2017 Austrian version.
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#21
bug
T0@stWhoops, I should've said that people are seeking out Austrian-made AKG headphones on the second hand market. The real "audio connoisseurs" reckon that there's a perceivable difference - mostly with K701, K702, K7xx & Q701 variants. The general consensus on AKG's Slovakian-made K712 Pro is that it's just as good as the pre-2017 Austrian version.
I wonder whether that's actually a difference in manufacturing or whether some people got the fakes the AKG website was warning people of, back when I was looking. Thought I figure fakes would have sounded a lot different.
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#23
bug
VeseleilThey aren't joking around, that's for sure. They have some really interesting stuff in their lineup.

I like how that paragraph says "we started with a core team of 22" and continues enumerating 9 different departments. So 2 engineers and change for each department, on average :D
That aside, I think it's always good news when technical talent finds a way to stay afloat. Especially when everything seems to just go the cheap route.
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#24
Veseleil
bugI like how that paragraph says "we started with a core team of 22" and continues enumerating 9 different departments. So 2 engineers and change for each department, on average :D
That aside, I think it's always good news when technical talent finds a way to stay afloat. Especially when everything seems to just go the cheap route.
Captain_Tom said:

You were replying to the guy who is right 90% of the time

What can I say? :laugh:
Posted on Reply
#25
unwind-protect
VeseleilThey aren't joking around, that's for sure. They have some really interesting stuff in their lineup.

I'm also tempted to try one of their microphones. But again, I hope it isn't too much AKG signature sound.
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