Is the Verum 2 worth the upgrade from the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro?
Verdict
Meaningful upgrade
The Verum 2 scores 5.8 points above the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro. That's a real improvement, though not the kind you'd notice on every track. The gains are concentrated in value (7.4 to 9.0). On paper: driver size 38 mm to 105 mm. Worth checking: weight goes 260 g to 450 g. One caution: this steps down a line tier (HD 490 Pro to 2), and base models usually trade away tier features - check the codec and ANC rows above before trusting the score gap alone. That costs $70 more, or about $12 per point of score - reasonable value for the jump. Worth doing if you're replacing anyway; harder to justify as a pure upgrade if what you have still works.
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
- Value7.49.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | HD 490 Pro | 2 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 260 g | 450 g | |
| Driver size | 38 mm | 105 mm | |
| Driver | 38 mm dynamic | 105 mm planar magnetic |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "HD 490 Pro to 2". 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.