The HD 490 Pro is Sennheiser’s latest professional grade headphones and are designed to assist you in your day-to-day audio production by providing a more natural spatial experience ideal for tracking, stereo or binaural mixes.
The HD 490 Pro headphones feature an open back design with a 38mm dynamic transducer, capable of reproducing a frequency response ranging from 5Hz all the way up to 36kHz. Sennheiser’s HD 490 Pro headphones are designed around an open-back design that delivers an extremely wide dimensional soundstage designed to give you the sonic clarity you need when making critical mixing decisions.
The design of the headphones, choice of the components, overall construction, and even the earpads play a role when it comes to shaping the HD 490 Pro’s sound characteristics. At its core, the HD 490 Pro features a state-of-the-art neodymium magnet and an innovative low-frequency cylinder. These two components work together to deliver an accurate reproduction of bass and sub-bass frequencies, which help to pinpoint and resolve low-end frequency reproduction that will affect the overall clarity of your mix.
The HD 490 Pro features a stainless-steel headband and a well-thought-out yoke and earcup design that help keep just the right amount of pressure on your head, so the headphones are secure but comfortable for long mixing sessions. The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro is without a doubt one of the most comfortable, lightweight headphones I’ve ever tested.
The earcup design on the HD 490 Pro headphones features Sennheiser’s open frame architecture, which helps limit reflections and avoids low frequency standing waves that would otherwise color your mix. This means that your headphone mix will always be acoustically transparent.
The HD 490 Pro comes standard with two sets of earpads. The producing pads are made from a velvet-like material, while the mixing pads are made from a denim-like fabric. The producing pads provide warmth to the low end, which helps to minimize ear fatigue over long sessions.
The mixing pads on the HD 490 pro are designed to be more linear up to 1k, which provides a more analytical response for making critical mixing decisions. While each set of earpads are a purpose-built tool to help you achieve the best possible mix in all kinds of tracking and mixing situations, you may find that you prefer one or the other based on your personal preferences. Just keep in mind that the different earpad materials will have an influence on the overall frequency response of the headphones.
Swapping the earpads on the HD 490 Pro is quick and easy. Simply place your fingers on the inside and grip tightly with your palm on the outside of the earpad. Hold the earcup firmly with your other hand and gently pull it apart.
To place an earpad back onto the headphones, simply line up the plastic tabs on the inside of the earpad with the plastic clips on both sides of the earcup. Once aligned, use your palm to firmly press down on both sides of the earpad as well as the top and bottom, and it will click into place. Double-check that all six hooks are securely locked in, and you’re good to go.
Since they’re designed to be washable, you can also remove the HD 490 Pro’s earpads anytime they need cleaning. This not only keeps them looking good, but also helps them last longer by removing dirt and oil that build up over time.
If you wear glasses, the earpads even have a special channel built into the padding so they’ll sit comfortably without pushing on your frames, a cool feature I have never seen on any other professional headphones. On the bottom of the earcups are connection ports that allow the cable to be swapped to either the left or right side with a reassuring, solid click, letting you know it’s secure.
An integrated coil loop at the foot of the cable acts as a barrier between the cable and headphone to minimize structure-borne noise that could otherwise make its way up the cable as you move around. You’ll also see and feel braille character marks on the pivot point of the left yoke, so you can quickly tell which side should be on the left or right side of your head.
As a no charge add-value bonus, each HD 490 Pro includes a free full license to dearVR Mix SE plug-in from Deere Reality a division of Sennheiser. The dearVR Mix SE software is easy to use and places you in the sweet spot of your mix, turning your DAW into a virtual mixing environment allowing you to simulate the acoustics of world class mixing studios, helping you ensure a balanced, consistent translation of your mix across a wide variety of listening environments such is in your car, in your living room, etc.
Sennheiser’s HD 490 Pro includes a 1.8-meter cable, a set of producing pads, and a set of mixing pads. The HD 490 Pro Plus adds a second longer 3-meter cable, an extra headband pad, and a sturdy case to protect your headphones.
Sennheiser’s HD 490 Pro headphones are available now for MAP $399. The HD 490 Pro Plus are available now for MAP $475.
For more information check out sennheiser.com.
