Is the Sennheiser HD 480 PRO worth the upgrade from the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro?
Verdict
Marginal upgrade
There's only 3.9 points between the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro and the Sennheiser HD 480 PRO. That's inside the range where two reviewers might simply disagree. The gains are concentrated in value (7.4 to 8.1). Worth checking: weight goes 260 g to 272 g. It's also $30 cheaper, which makes this an easy call. Keep what you have unless a specific feature above is the thing you're missing - the overall quality gap won't be what convinces you.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound8.68.9
- Value7.48.1
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | HD 490 Pro | HD 480 PRO | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 260 g | 272 g | |
| Frequency response | 5 Hz - 36.1 kHz | 3 Hz - 28.7 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "HD 490 Pro to HD 480 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.