Today, Sennheiser unveiled its latest offering, the HD 490 PRO open-back reference studio headphones, meticulously designed for the tasks of production, mixing, and mastering. Engineered as circumaural, dynamic headphones, they boast precise sound reproduction and an expansive, lifelike sound stage. This exceptional accuracy and broad range empower producers, mixing and mastering engineers, and musicians with the transparency essential for critical decision-making during mixing and addressing any challenges related to panning placement.
Scheduled for release at the end of January, the HD 490 PRO and its enhanced counterpart, HD 490 PRO Plus (inclusive of supplementary accessories), will be showcased at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, within the Sennheiser Group Live Room, booth #18806.
Jimmy Landry, Sennheiser’s Category Market Manager for MI, highlights the evolving landscape of music production over the past decade or two, attributing changes to increased computing power and intricate parameter automation. He underscores the challenge posed by “audio blind spots” in contemporary mixes, emphasizing the need for quality studio headphones. Landry asserts, “This goes to show the importance of a good pair of studio headphones.”
Addressing the complexity of modern music production, Sennheiser’s engineers endowed the HD 490 PRO with an expansive, dimensional sound stage, allowing for precise localization of mix components. Ultralight voice coils contribute to swift and authentic sound reproduction. The headphones deliver an uncolored and honest frequency response across the entire audio spectrum, with a specially designed low-frequency cylinder ensuring a full, accurate, and well-defined low end. The open-mesh ear cup covers unveil Sennheiser’s Open-frame Architecture, minimizing resonances and distortion. To enhance the listening experience, the transducers are positioned at a slight angle, emulating a typical monitor loudspeaker setup.
Gunnar Dirks, Sennheiser Product Manager, elaborates on how these features collectively empower music professionals to identify and resolve panning placement issues and problematic low-end frequencies. He emphasizes that the HD 490 PRO studio headphones provide complete control over every detail, resulting in clear mixes and superbly refined masters.
Delight in Comfort and Sound
The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO studio headphones are more than just a high-quality audio experience; they’re designed for unparalleled comfort. With Sennheiser’s vast experience in professional headset design, the HD 490 PRO’s lightweight, ergonomic build ensures a comfortable fit without any pressure points, particularly around sensitive areas of the head. The circumaural ear pads feature a unique Sennheiser-designed soft comfort zone, specifically accommodating the temples of glasses wearers while ensuring an effective seal.
These headphones boast a pending patent for their innovative axes geometry, ensuring they conform perfectly to various head shapes, maintaining consistent contact pressure for any user.
Landry points out the significance of this design, stating, “As a music creator, your focus should be on the music, not the fit of your headphones. The HD 490 PRO makes you immerse in the sound and forget you’re even wearing headphones.”
Dual Ear Pad Options for Tailored Audio
Dirks explains the HD 490 PRO’s development, rooted in extensive professional headphone surveys. “Our users identified neutral and flat reference audio as crucial. Yet, market analysis showed a preference for a slightly warmer sound. To address this, we offer a dual solution: two sets of ear pads that alter the sound profile, essentially providing two headphones in one.”
Enhanced Virtual Mixing with dearVR MIX-SE
The HD 490 PRO includes a complimentary licence for the revolutionary dearVR MIX-SE plugin by Dear Reality. This plugin transforms any DAW into a virtual mixing powerhouse, replicating ideal studio acoustics. It places users in the optimal listening position, aiding in achieving balanced, consistent mix translations across various systems.
Commitment to Detail
The HD 490 PRO’s design extends to thoughtful features like a versatile headphone cable, attachable to either earpiece to suit different studio layouts and preferences. A patented cable coil design prevents noise transmission from cable movements. For ease of use, the left/right indicators are clearly marked inside the transducers, and braille is included for visually impaired users.
Each unit comes with two sets of ear pads (for mixing and producing), a 1.8 m cable, and a dearVR MIX-SE licence, priced at AED 1503 ex-Vat. The HD 490 PRO Plus, at AED 1803 ex-Vat, adds a 3 m cable, a transport case, and an extra fabric headband pad to the standard velour one. All Plus accessories are available separately. Additionally, a balanced headphone cable is offered as an optional purchase for EUR 39 MSRP, USD 39 MAP.
