Is the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro worth the upgrade from the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)?
Verdict
Downgrade
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro actually scores 6.7 points below the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. None of the shared sub-scores move by more than half a point, so the two behave very similarly on the things reviewers measure. Worth checking: active noise cancelling goes Yes to No and weight goes 236 g to 260 g. And it costs $70 more for a lower score, which is hard to justify on the data alone. Only worth it if a specific feature above matters more to you than overall quality does.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound8.28.6
- Value7.57.4
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) | HD 490 Pro | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active noise cancelling | Yes | No | |
| Weight | 236 g | 260 g | |
| Driver size | 40 mm | 38 mm | |
| USB-C | Yes | No | |
| Driver | 40 mm dynamic | 38 mm dynamic | |
| Frequency response | 20 Hz - 20 kHz | 5 Hz - 36.1 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) to HD 490 Pro". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across over-ear and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.