Should you buy the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus? Well, for me, it is a yes. The headphones sport a versatile sound signature and literally hit two birds with one stone. They are comfortable and well-built. With the HD 490 Pro, Sennheiser has managed to build a truly unique product, which stands out from its competitors. While it helps the brand stand out, for folks looking to have a pair of headphones that they can game with, produce music with, or use in a studio for mixing, the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus makes for a great deal as well. Most headphones are able to cover just one or two of the above-listed uses.
So, when you are getting a product that does it all, then why not go for it? The only pair of headphones that I can think of off the top of my head, that will stand against the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro and Pro Plus, will be the Beyerdynamic – DT 900 PRO X or Sennheiser’s own Sennheiser – HD 660S2, which again, are not as versatile as these headphones.
Lastly, if you are split between the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus and the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro. Then, let me tell you, the only difference is in the accessories that you get. Nothing else. That you can decide for yourself. The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus is priced at ₹41,300 and the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro is priced at ₹34,500.
Wired headphones show up at the Digit Test Centre once in a blue moon. However, when they do, they get us all excited. At least Dhriti and I, the resident audio folks at the Test Centre. Wired audio, for me, has an appeal to it, that cannot be matched by wireless audio products. Especially, given that most of the wired headphones that have shown up in the recent past have been studio-grade headphones, which I have come to love. So, when the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus Headphones showed up at the Digit Test Centre, there was an air of excitement and we could not wait to work on testing the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro and Pro Plus.
With the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro and Pro Plus, the brand’s increased focus on professional audio has yielded a product that is versatile, comfortable, and accurate sounding product. As you will come to notice as you read through this review, the brand has poured in their heart and soul into the product. The headphones launched in the US at $479, which, when converted to INR, comes to be right under the ₹40,000 mark. In India, they are launching at ₹41,300, with an introductory offer on Amazon, bring these headphones down to ₹32,990. And, these headphones do live up to the expectations. Now, before spilling the beans right here, I will move on to my review of the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus –
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus are the most comfortable pair of wired headphones that I have experienced in my two years of reviewing audio products at Digit. The lightweight yet robust construction of the headphones places them right up amongst the best and much more expensive offerings. The brand has drawn a lot from the Sennheiser HD 650 headphones in terms of the overall design of the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus.
Coming in at just 260 grams, these headphones are super lightweight, and for my head shape and size, they were a perfect fit. The pads, both mixing and producing earpads, fit well around my ears, creating a great seal and cutting down leakage. That also adds a bit of passive isolation. The best experience in terms of being cut off from my surroundings because of the passive isolation I had was with the velour ear pads, the ones that the brand has named the producing ear pads. However, I ended up switching to the mixing ear pads because of my affinity for a more neutral and balanced sound signature. More on that later. Back to the fit.
The headband also has a nice detachable pad on the top, which matches the two kinds of ear pads that you get with these headphones. About the detachable part, as mentioned before, Sennheiser has included two sets of well cushioned earpads in the box. One is the velour ear pad, which comes fitted on the headphones, and the second is the fabric earpad, which is in the box. The former is dubbed as the production earpad, and the latter is the mixing earpad. This is because of the effect that they have on the sound signature of the headphones. We will talk about that in the performance section. But, having detachable and washable earpads and dust cover on the insides of the headphones is something that I cannot praise enough. I. do. not. want. to. buy. a. pair. of. headphones. because. the. earpads. were spoilt. Great job, Sennheiser. Please implement it in all your other headphones.
Now, as I tell anyone looking for a pair of headphones, be it in-ear, on-ear, or over-the-ear, try them out for yourself. Everyone’s body is built differently, and what may fit one might not fit the same for others. And, the fit affects the sound signature of the headphones you are using. So, make sure that these headphones fit you well, or try on a similarly designed pair, to ensure that you are getting a good fit.
To make the experience more uniform for most users, the brand has shifted the adjustment mechanism further into the arch of the headband. This means that the clamping force for folks with different head sizes does not change a lot when you are adjusting it. If you want to know more about this, write to me at satvik@digit.in and we shall have an elaborate discussion.
Lastly, the build materials. The mesh on the sides of the earcups is metal, which I love, and so is the headband. The more the metal, the better. And, with the use of the metal, Sennheiser has managed to keep the weight of these headphones down, which is great!
The casing of the earcups is made of plastic, which some folks here at the Test Centre opined to be a little ‘cheap’, and I concur. When you are paying close to ₹40,000 for a pair of headphones, you expect them to be packed with premium materials. Maybe, it is the finish on the plastic, that makes it feel this way. Or maybe we have been spoilt by the excellent build of the Sennheiser headphones that have come in the past. Don’t be mistaken, the plastic, regardless of its feel, is robust. Trust me, I twisted and turned these headphones to the extremes. The cables are also built with quality materials and the connectors are gold plated. On the topic of connectors, you can switch the side to which you connect the cable on these headphones, which is a boon for people working in studios.
The only gripe that I have with the design of these headphones is their portability. The case, is bulky and takes up a lot of space. No doubt, it is well built and I am sure that it will keep the headphones safe from a 5-foot drop as well. It has ample storage as well. But, for me, personally, a lighter case, with a bit less volume, would be a better deal. I understand that they were thinking of the pros when building these headphones that travel with Pelican cases full of audio gear. But, for us regular folk, who enjoy using headphones that are built to be like the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus, it would have been great to have an option for a slimmer and less bulky case.
You may have noticed that there is no features section in this review of the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus. That is because, with wired headphones, there is not much that we find in terms of “features”. There are little creature comforts that the brands bake into the headphones, which complement their performance. So, I have combined the features section of this review with the performance section.
Unlike all the other headphones, there are two sound signatures that you get with these headphones. With the production earpads, you get a slightly warmer tone to the sound and with the mixing earpads, these headphones sound more neutral and have the low-end cutout. See for yourself in the sound signature graphs below –
The mixing earpads lead the headphones to produce a more neutral sound, with a boost in the highs, around the 4,000 Hz mark, which is characteristic of Sennheiser’s headphones. If you read my review of the Sennheiser HD 300 Pro, which are my daily drivers at work, you find the same boost in the highs. The brand likes their sound to be a bit sparkly out of the box, which is totally fine. Put on the producing earpads, and you will see that the sound signature gets warmer. While the change might seem subtle in the graphs here, the difference is very noticeable, especially if you are working with or listening to bass-heavy music/content.
All in all, these headphones are one of the best headphones that I have heard in my two years of working with audio products. If you are a fan of neutral neutral-sounding pair of headphones, then you do not need to look any further. The soundstage on these headphones is expansive, given their open-back design. However, where these headphones shine, is the localisation. Localisation is nothing, but a measure of the spatial positioning of the audio, especially speech around your head. With these headphones, you will be pleasantly surprised, how well Sennheiser has managed to get this right.
Sennheiser has also added in a dearVR MIX-SE license with these headphones. It is essentially an add on for your Digital Audio Workstation or DAW, and helps you simulate a professional mixing space on your laptop or the device that you are working with. I would leave the experts to decide on the efficacy of this plugin. However, seeing this being added in, makes the case for these headphones even stronger.
Now, as you might have read in the earlier part of the review. These headphones are great for gaming as well. I play a lot of Counter-Strike, and for that, I use the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro headphones. And, when I got these headphones, I took them out for a spin, and I have never looked back. The positioning of the audio in games, even in fast-paced titles like Metal: Hellsinger is something that I was in awe of. Want the best of both worlds – high-quality sound and a great gaming experience? Well, these headphones might be the right fit for you. But, make sure to check the fit first.
So, should you buy the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus? Well, for me, it is a yes. The headphones sport a versatile sound signature and literally hit two birds with one stone. They are comfortable and well-built. With the HD 490 Pro, Sennheiser has managed to build a truly unique product, which stands out from its competitors. While it helps the brand stand out, for folks looking to have a pair of headphones that they can game with, produce music with, or use in a studio for mixing, the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus makes for a great deal as well. Most headphones are able to cover just one or two of the above-listed uses.
So, when you are getting a product that does it all, then why not go for it? The only pair of headphones that I can think of off the top of my head, that will stand against the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus, will be the Beyerdynamic – DT 900 PRO X or Sennheiser’s own Sennheiser – HD 660S2, which again, are not as versatile as these headphones.
Lastly, if you are split between the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus and the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro. Then, let me tell you, the only difference is in the accessories that you get. Nothing else. That you can decide for yourself. The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus is priced at ₹41,300 and the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro is priced at ₹34,500.
