Sennheiser HD 490 Pro

The reviewer finds the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro to be a well-built, comfortable headphone with a sound that is more spacious and airy than the HD 6XX, though he personally still prefers the 6XX's sound. He notes the 490 Pro is a good option for those who find the 6XX too veiled, but it's not his favorite and he wouldn't call it the best.

The reviewer finds the HD 490 Pro to be a very comfortable and well-rounded headphone, but considers it overpriced at $400, suggesting it would be excellent at $300. It performs well across all categories without excelling in any, with a slightly loose bass and less forward lower mids compared to the 600 series.

The reviewer purchased the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro and finds it a well-built, comfortable open-back headphone with excellent bass extension and a versatile dual-pad system, though it has a mid-range scoop and a minor comfort issue with the embossed L/R markings. They prefer the mixing pads for overall sound quality and note it compares favorably to other Sennheiser models, but it's not a major departure from familiar tuning.

The reviewer finds the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus to be an outstanding gaming headphone, praising its open soundstage, accurate depth perception, and excellent separation and layering, especially when driven by a high-quality DAC. They note that performance varies with the audio source and ear pad choice, with the velour pads boosting bass for games like Valorant and the cloth pads offering a more balanced sound for other titles. Overall, they highly recommend it for competitive gaming, though they mention the build feels a bit light and cheap.

The reviewer finds the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro to be a modern, comfortable, and musically pleasing reference headphone that offers a more neutral and extended low-end compared to older models like the HD 600. They note it holds its own against more expensive competitors and is well-suited for long listening sessions, though there is a slight emphasis in the upper mids that may be noticeable on certain tracks.

The reviewer praises the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus for its exceptional build quality, lightweight comfort, and versatile sound that adapts well to different ear pads. They find it a worthy investment for professionals and audiophiles, despite the high price, and note it outperforms older Sennheiser models in refinement.