These are from sennheisers professional audio division(family owned) not the consumer audio one(sonova owned). Hopefully their competition leads to cool innovations for us!
@iikatinggangsengii2471 They didn’t before couple years ago. They had to sell part of their company to Sonoma, due to German rhine capitalism laws I think
There's 2 versions of these. The Pro Plus comes with the nice case, extra 3m cable and spare headband cushion (hence the Plus) and the regular Pro without these extras.
Yeah, that's quite a thing to miss when critiquing naming conventions, though in general the comments are on point, as it's still confusing to understand at a glance, what you are getting when you look at a model number. IE BMW, 1, 2 , 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, you immediately know roughly what segment the car is in if you look at a 120i for example.
Weird not to cover the actual reason this product exists. Sennheiser sold off their consumer audio division and with it their consumer audio products, HD600 included, to Sonova. This comes from their pro division, which is still family owned. It explains some of the design decisions and why it seems to cannibalise/compete with the 6XX platform so directly. It's very much intentional. It is called the "Pro" because the HD490 already exists (it's very old). Why they didn't just use a different number entirely I dunno. The "Plus" part applies only to the cable & case bundle option that you bought.
Because Sennheiser HD590 Prestige/ HD470 Symphony/ 400 Fusion Didn't Exist For Millennials. And only few remember " OLD Day's". P S. I HAPPY OWNER OF HD228, old HD450, HD455 Expression Line, HD590 Prestige and HD 535 without Cable
S just means 'symmetrical', which is Sennheiser's term for balanced. The 800S came with the balanced (S) cable and so did the HD660S. That's why there was no HD660.
I own HD518 that are now 11 (!) years old. I dropped them countless times and they're absolutely fine. All I had to do was change the cushions about 3 times I think. The plastic is actually fantastic.
Agreed on the plastic. I also own a pair of the HD 518's. I recently bought a Fosi SK01 amp with eq and it's brought back new life to my 518's. I'm very curious to adding a pair of 490 Pro's to my collection.
The problem with the naming is that there isn't one "Sennheiser" anymore. This headphone is from the "old" Sennheiser but the HD 6XX/800 lines now belong to another company which bought the consumer product line. It looks like this exists to give the "old" Sennheiser something to sell to studios in place of the 6XX and which competes with the DT 1990 Pro.
What if you should compare the Sennheiser 490 Pro/Plus to the Audeze MM100!! Since they both are at 400$ range, & they're new contenders for Studio Headphones!! The new generation.. They both are competing with each other🔥
I really like your reviews and video quality, but I have one request, could you maybe not integrate the black bars in the video and instead render the videos in a wider format? It would help to remove double black bars on wider than 16:9 mobile phone and widescreen desktop screens. It's just a small nitpick I had, your videos have exeptional quality.
This actually has me excited. Been thinking about getting an HD 6X0 series headphone, but was never in love with them. I think the added bass response in these will fix that.
These now come from a different company than the HD600 series, HD800 and all their consumer stuff as the company was split into Pro and Consumer divisions and the Consumer division was sold off.
I bought it from your Amazon link after seeing your episode. I am blown away. The bass especially is so deep and tight. I am using the Fiio R7. Thanks Josh!
Hi, something irrelevant but can you tell me where did you get your classes frames from ? (or what the frames are called). I am looking to buy the exact same ones but in blue and I can't seem to find them. Thanks for the review anyways and keep up the good work !
Hello, thanks you for reviewing this headphone so quickly! I bought them 10 day ago open box at 175$ open box in Romania where are made. A really love them with the black pads…I also have the sundara and hexa… for me this is all i need. Thank you for your review, really help me!
Okay, I had to stop this video about 3:19 in to say, “I have to stop you there.” Are you forgetting than Sennheiser partially sold off their consumer division? The Pro and Consumer divisions are two separate entities now. The HD 490 Pro is from the Pro division and that’s who it’s designed for.
did you perhaps tagged the wrong time? if you are referring to the inclusion of the case, I don't think I understand why your comment would apply, neither the HD280 PRO, HD300 PRO nor HD400 PRO include a carrying case, in fact, neither does the HD490 PRO, only the Plus package includes those extra accessories
I'm still seaching for headphones with excellent sound staging without breaking the bank. Hifiman Edition XS is in the running ,wondering if anything a bit lower priced. Sugestions anyone? Great video Josh! :)
Sold my XS and wen't for the Ananda Stealth v3. It's so good. XS might have a bit better soundstage but comfort and sound quality is very good on the Ananda.
It seems that the ones marked as pro will be from the professional company. Non pros will be from the consumer one. The weird part was when they released the 560s as an HD400 pro.. same headphone with an additional cable and slightly different colouring.. same sound
My theory for that is that since they had just recently finished researching and developing that driver they didn't want to give it away to the consumer branch as it was being sold, so they reached and agreement that would allow both companies to release the same product. but this is just conjecture
I have been rocking with the HD 560X for about three years now and I have been waiting to upgrade from them and these seem like they will be pretty promising. Waiting on the full review!
Looking forward to the full review. I recently got into music production and mixing and have been trying to decide on a good headphone to use while producing. Currently using my HD6XX and they work fine, but want something more consistent in the long run. Was looking at the Sony MDR7506 but these might be a good option too if they're more neutral and fix some of the low end. Would love to see detailed comparisons of this headphone to the 6XX in terms of neutrality as a pro headphone.
@@LastAphelion I personally went from the HD598 SE to the 660S2 recently and have been very happy with both. Haven’t listened to the 6xx but it should be comparable to the 650 which does have a warmer tone but they shouldn’t sound muddy
@@psychoticchemist I do know I seem to prefer scooped so maybe having more mid than I was used to was why it felt like I was struggling to hear information elsewhere. Maybe muddy isn't the right term if it was that I had more mids than I like. IE: currently enjoying Ananda Nanos
I prefer the sound and build quality of the NDH30's but not by a wide margin. The metal construction of the NDH3's make it better in that regard. As for sound they have a similar family sound - smooth, little coloration of the sound and great clarity. The NDH just sound a little clearer but they do cost more. The HD 490 Pros are lighter and more comfortable.
This one uses the same driver as the HD400 PRO (also same as H560s), hence the name, so I think it would be appropriate to compare it to the HD560s rather than the HD600. Solder dude's measurement at DIYAH suggest that frequency response wise, the HD560s sits right in the middle between both pads of the HD490, but more interestingly is that unlike the rest of the HD5 and HD6 line up they decided to lower the vertical position of the driver so it isn't concentric to the pads (which makes sense since the ear canal isn't concentric to the earlobe either). finally the "plus" just indicates that it is the package that includes extra cables, hard carry case and such
I'm not a fan of the headband design because from my understanding the plastic/metal hybrid sort of bands tend to be very fragile. I actually experienced this first hand with my Focal Elegia headband where it just snapped putting them on one day, at least with Sennheiser you can expect a replacement under warranty or at the very least a response from their support team.
Still roll with my hd800s daily with an upgraded norne cable. Found a few tube amps and a SS amp that synergiizes well with it. It’s not perfect but does many things very well.
So it has another port, does that mean that this headphone can be balanced? a also I was wondering if this headphone sounds fun? And if this headphone has excellent soundstage?
Buy Sennheiser hd250 linear headphone from the 90’s absolutely amazing sound from someone who’s had 36 pairs of Sennheiser headphones best bang for buck ever Feed them 300 ohms you’ll be in heaven amazing sub sonic bass too to the point the cans feel like their lifting off the ears 👂 Before I get any comments try them first even Sennheiser workers in the 90’s took them home they were the sleeper headphones
Hi Joshua, how would you compare them to the 560S? I have those and like their sound signature and would like to know if this would be a good upgrade for the 560S
Exactly what I would like to know too. I also have a pair of 560s and think they sound very good. But the plastic quality is not that great and a bit crackly. I would love to have a headphone that sounds close to the 560S but with better build quality.
@@MacXpert74 I ve never understood the complains about the plastic in Sennheiser headphones, I think some poeple are just prejudiced towards plastic in general. My HD560s are still in one piece after over 3 years, only had to change the ear pads. the plastic is light and flexible as designed for durability purposes, more often than note, materials being harder actually makes them more brittle
@@MiloTheFirst1 I don’t mind plastic in general, but the issue I have with my 560s is that the connection between headband and the cups sometimes make some crackling noises when I move my head. I previously also used the HD 600 and HD 595. I didn’t have this issue with these models.
Just out of curiosity, what’s considered “bad sennheiser”? Don’t think I’ve seen a review of a sennheiser by headphone show and pals that was generally negative
Wird der HD600 noch von der Familie Sennheiser hergestellt oder gehört dieser Kopfhörer auch schon zur verkauften Consumer-Sparte? Und wie sieht das mit dem neuen 490 aus?
Keep in mind Sennheiser was aqcuired in 2021, so it's unclear to what extent their newer headphones were made by the same people or with the same priorities.
If the headphones are for home use, then they'll probably never be in the case. If they're for travel, then the case is too big. So ... what use is this case?
They had to change a lot from their old hd600 series because they sold the rights to them when they sold their consumer audio division. They have no affiliation with the hd660s2, that was made solely by sonova under the sennheiser consumer division name. This is likely part of the reason they changed their naming convention as well.
nah it hasn't changed actually. All headphones made by Sennheiser Pro have the PRO after the number, this are named 490 because they use the same driver as the 400, the plus is just the version of the package that comes with extra accessories, the headphones inside this package don't have plus printed on them
@@MaxNakfoorthe 600 and 800 were designed and first produced way before Sennheiser had divided its business. back in 1997 when the 600 came out, sennheiser hadn't even started using the PRO brand since they only made professional products to begin with, in fact the 600 where originally advertised as a profesional tool, just like the HD25 . jumping to 2009 when the 800 launched, sennheiser had already ventured into making consumer tier products but hifi audio still wasn't nowhere near as mainstream as it is today, and Sennheiser headphones as respected as they already were, constituted just a small part of their business (unbeknownst to most people their main business has traditionally been microphones), my guess would be that HD 800 were designed by the same lab that made the 600
How would this be compared to the Sennheiser HD 58X? I think they are "cheaper versions of the HD600s" but not sure if there would be a $450 price tag justification
I recently got the HD660s2 (for 400$). I like it a lot so far. I have 5 days to return it. Should I get this one instead? I listen to music and play games (mostly fps).
I returned my HD660s2 in favor of the hd6xx. That was after I hooked up the 660s2 balanced cable up to the hd6xx. Any muddiness or veil just went away and opened up the sound of the hd6xx like there was no tomorrow. Originally I liked the 660s2 a bit more since the more prominent highs gave it a more open sound, however with the better balanced cable the hd6xx sounds more natural than the 660s2 which now sounds to edgy in the high range for me. Now the 6xx isn’t perfect but I do find the sound more addicting than the 660s2 but then again that is my taste in music and I also have the hd8xx when I want better sound staging than the 6xx can give me. One problem I do have now is that I need to find the balanced cable for less than what Sennheiser is asking for it (which is more than $200). Yes that cable cost more than the 6xx.
The reason I am hesitant is because I would be getting the HD490 Pro for the same price (400$)I got the HD660s2 (even though it was originally 600$). Also will they ever make a consumer version of HD490? It seems to be intended for only the professional music makers, so maybe too flat like the hd560s (strong bass and treble, but no deep bass and specific tune for music enjoyment). Also the different tune or imaging capabilities of hd660s2 are actually better for gaming as far as I know (compared to hd600 and hd650/hd6XX).
@@tibetkl by the graph, this looks to have a significantly better base response. Another 20hz lower. Customer testimonials say that it's less bright and more bass than the 560. The general consensus is that it's a more coherent 600, which was already the most balanced headphone in the lineup.
For gaming I use the GSX1000 7.1 amp and the 58X. Works great but always wondering how much more I can squeeze out of that amp by changing the headset. HD600 can’t be driven by the GSX1000, so I wonder how these 490’s compare to 58X
i can assure you that you arent missing anything on the hd600s not being compatible. these headphones are pretty great for my music i assume, theyre my only audiophile headphone but its a lot of fun., but wow, wowowow do they suck for gaming. people behind sound like theyre in front, or vice versa, and theres only 6 audio locations to pinpoint i believe. the treble is good for footsteps but thats it and theres minimal bass for singleplayer immersion. horrible soundstage, great vocals.
Ugh, earcups still only swivel vertically one way like everything else they make. Top goes in but not out. Probably not gonna work for my head, so all other features are irrelevant :(
More detailed, better soundstage and imaging, more comfortable, better build quality, better bass. High is less fatiguing than 560s. Go for it (I just returned the HD560s to get these).
@@Pierre-Irwan thank you for reply. If you don’t mind another question: could you roughly rate detail/soundstage/bass on scale of 1 to 20 for both headphones? I’ve been using 560s since they launched and I’ve been happy with them, so I want to know how much of an upgrade that would be.
hd490pro: detail: 17/20 soundstage: 18/20 bass 18/20 hd560s: detail: 18/20 soundstage: 16/20 bass: 17/20 I still in the break in period on the 490pro so it may vary. The biggest differences is mainly on the build quality. 490pro is on another level, the earpads are much better on the 490 pro and the clamp force is just perfect. I use the producing earpads they are so comfy.@@alexp3577
HD560S: Detail 18 / Soundstage 17 / Bass 17 HD490 Pro: Detail 17 / Soundstage 18 / Bass 18 The biggest upgrade I think is the build quality, clamp force is a lot better.@@alexp3577
Sennheiser is losing the game easily to the new comers like Hifiman, like almost all industries are losing the field to the Chinese companies. Just by naming these headphones you can guess the build and sound quality: Cheap sound and terrible build quality like all new Sennheiser products.
490"pro" lacks bass like every sennheiser over ear headphone, no huge pass. Not everyone in the audiophile community only listens to classical music bro we are in 2024 and modern music with bass has a privilege to live too. rather will buy a hifiman edition xs, its not subjective that this headphone is WAY BETTER
Bro just stick with your Hyperx headset and stop giving your "audiophile" opinions. Pretty sure you have not listened to any Sennheiser or Hifiman headphones either 🥱🥱🥱
Omg? this is reincarnaition of 5XX model range. It never bit a 6xx series. It feels like Senheiser is having a crisis with the engineers since they are using a driver that is more than 30 years old in new models. It is already morally obsolete.
