Sennheiser HD 490 PRO: setting new standards for music production headphones?

By Connor EdneyJanuary 23, 20247 mins read

Sennheiser has released its latest studio headphones, the HD 490 PRO.

Designed to “establish a new standard in music production headphones”, the Sennheiser HD 490 PROs focus on precision, comfort, and versatility for producers, independent musicians and engineers.

Sennheiser HD 490 PRO

Sennheiser’s world-renowned HD series’ latest addition offers the same precise engineering as their predecessors, equipped with 38mm angled drivers offering a wider soundstage housed in geometrically angled earcups.

The Sennheiser HD 490 PROs’ circumaural open-back design prevents sound pressure from building in the earcup, providing a neutrally precise sound stage while you’re making critical decisions during mixing and sound design sessions.

Furthermore, the 490 PROs boast a super wide transparent frequency range of 5 Hz – 36 kHz, their maximum SPL is a comfortable 128dB, and the headphone cables’ unique coil structure meanwhile eliminates noise.

Sennheiser’s Open-frame Architecture minimizes distortion and resonance too, providing accurate reproductions of your mixes free of artefacts; and the open-mesh metal earpiece covers provide natural ventilation.

The design of the HD 490 PRO allows them to adapt to different head shapes while maintaining equal contact pressure. The 3.5mm auxiliary cable is detachable from both the left and the right earcups too, a thoughtful addition that encourages flexibility in different workspaces. A balanced headphone cable is available as an optional accessory.

Headphones that get uncomfortable over long listening sessions aren’t fun to use, and Sennheiser’s ergonomic design removes pressure points and delivers flexible, lightweight comfort. Sennheiser understands comfort and versatility, and the HD 490 PROs are bundled with two sets of earpads divided into two categories – producing (velour) and mixing (fabric).

Designed with sustainability in mind, the earpads are both washable and replaceable and FSC-certified as forest-friendly packaging.

Both earpad pairs offer differing sound profiles that provide you with the flexibility to choose between a slightly warmer response for a holistic judgment or a flat, neutral sound for surgical mixing. The earpads even feature a patented soft comfort zone for users who wear glasses.

Bundled goodies

Sennheiser is offering a free license for the dearVR MIX-SE plugin from Dear Reality with these HD 490 PROs. In short, this plugin transforms your DAW into a virtual mixing environment by simulating the acoustics of ideal mixing studios, ensuring a balanced and consistent translation of mixes on different systems.

Finally, Sennheiser is also offering a HD 490 PRO ‘Plus’ variant including a protective carry case, an additional headband pad and an extra three-meter headphone cable.