Over-Ear
Sennheiser HD 490 Pro
79Great
$430
Full review dataSennheiser HD 490 Pro vs Sony WH-1000XM6: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the Sony WH-1000XM6 comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 88. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: Sony WH-1000XM6 - Outstanding overall at around $398.
Over-Ear
Sony WH-1000XM6
88Outstanding
$400
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Sony WH-1000XM6 leads on 7 of 7 measures.
- Sennheiser HD 490 Pro
- Sony WH-1000XM6
HearWiki score
79
88
Sound
8.6
9.0
Noise cancelling
-
9.6
Battery
-
8.1
Calls
-
9.6
Value
7.4
8.2
Price (USD)
$430
$400
Generation & platform
The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?
Half a step newer
Sony WH-1000XM6 (2025) against Sennheiser HD 490 Pro (2024). The Sony WH-1000XM6 edges ahead on platform, but only just: ANC type Adaptive against None. It also adds USB-C.
- HD 490 Pro2024
- WH-1000XM620251 yr newer
What differsHD 490 ProWH-1000XM6
- ANC type
- None
- Adaptive
- USB-C
- No
- Yes
Platform
Everyday features
Specifications
HD 490 ProWH-1000XM6
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $430
- $400
- HearWiki score
- 79
- 88
- Released
- 2024
- 2025
- Availability
- Discontinued
- Sold new
- Driver
- 38 mm dynamic
- 30 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- dynamic
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 38 mm
- 30 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 1
- Frequency response
- 5 Hz - 36.1 kHz
- 4 Hz - 40 kHz
- Impedance
- 130 Ω
- 48 Ω
- Sensitivity
- 96 dB/mW
- 103 dB/mW
- Sensitivity (dB/Vrms)
- 105
- -
- Bluetooth
- -
- 5.3
- Codecs
- -
- SBC, AAC, LC3, LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- -
- Yes
- Wireless range
- -
- 10 m
- Battery life
- -
- 40 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- -
- 30 h
- Full charge time
- -
- 210 min
- Quick charge
- -
- 3 min → 3 h
- Wireless charging
- -
- No
- Active noise cancelling
- No
- Yes
- ANC type
- -
- adaptive
- Transparency mode
- -
- Yes
- Companion app
- -
- Yes
- Custom EQ
- -
- Yes
- Wear detection
- -
- Yes
- Controls
- none
- buttons
- Voice assistant
- -
- Yes
- Weight
- 260 g
- 254 g
- Water resistance
- -
- none
- Foldable
- No
- -
- Detachable cable
- Yes
- Yes
- USB-C
- No
- Yes
- Connector
- 3.5 mm
- 3.5 mm
- Balanced connection
- Yes
- -
- Microphones
- -
- 12
- Microphone type
- -
- MEMS
What reviewers said
Sennheiser HD 490 Pro
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro is a wired, open-back over-ear headphone aimed at studio work, offering a neutral and accurate sound signature with strong comfort. It includes two pad options and is easy to drive from most devices, though its price is considered steep for what it delivers compared to some rivals. While praised for its balanced tuning and lightweight build, it doesn't universally outperform cheaper classics in sheer audio quality.
- Pro:Very accurate and neutral sound reproduction
- Pro:Lightweight and comfortable for long sessions
- Pro:Detachable cable with balanced option
- Con:Expensive for its performance tier
- Con:No built-in controls or wireless features
- Con:May still benefit from an external amp in some setups
Sony WH-1000XM6
This premium over-ear headphone delivers class-leading adaptive noise cancellation and a well-balanced sound profile, with support for high-resolution LDAC streaming. Its 30-hour battery life, multipoint Bluetooth 5.3, and intuitive button controls make it a versatile choice for both travel and daily listening. The lightweight build and 12-microphone array also ensure clear calls and effective transparency mode.
- Pro:Excellent adaptive noise cancellation
- Pro:Supports LDAC for high-quality wireless audio
- Pro:Comfortable and light at 254g
- Con:No water resistance rating
- Con:Battery drops to 24 hours with ANC on
- Con:No touch controls—buttons only
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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