The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO are open-back, over-ear headphones. While Sonova acquired Sennheiser's consumer audio division in 2022, Sennheiser have remained in charge of their pro audio division, releasing products designed for professional applications. These headphones are emblematic of this shift; they're designed as an analytical listening tool that can aid you in all manner of audio-related work. As a result, they come with two sets of earpads: one for 'Producing' and another for 'Mixing,' with the aim of making these over-ears as versatile as possible. Other useful features include a dual-jack, detachable cable design that allows for greater freedom of movement while wearing them.
Our Verdict
The Sennheiser HD490 PRO aren't well-suited for sports and fitness use. While they're lighter on the head than some open-backs and are very comfortable, they're still quite bulky and will easily fall off your head if you decide to take them on a run. Their open-back design also means their components are more susceptible to damage from sweat or moisture.
- Excellent frequency response consistency.
- Very comfortable fit.
- Leak a lot of audio.
- Terrible noise isolation.
The Sennheiser HD490 PRO are poor for commuting and travel as they're not designed for this purpose. Their bulky design makes it challenging to sling them in a backpack challenging while ensuring they're not damaged in transit. Their open-back design also means they have terrible noise isolation performance that won't provide any attenuation against engine rumble or passenger conversations while on your commute. Plus, they leak a lot of audio, so you risk bothering others in transit.
- Leak a lot of audio.
- Terrible noise isolation.
The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO are poor for office use. While they're very comfortable, they're bulky, and their open-back design provides minimal isolation against background noise in the office. They also leak a lot of audio, so if you work in a quiet office setting, others around you will likely hear your audio, even at regular listening volumes.
- Two sets of earpads to tailor the sound.
- Leak a lot of audio.
- Terrible noise isolation.
The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO are wired-only headphones; you can't use them wirelessly.
The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO are okay for wired gaming. While the slight low-bass roll-off will rob explosions of some of their intensity, the bass range is neutral enough that footsteps are rendered clearly. Their detailed mid-range helps bring out dialogue-driven cut scenes, too. Their smooth treble response ensures there are no jarring sibilant sounds. They demonstrate a degree of interaction with the outer ear that can help give cues about the perceived distance of in-game audio objects. While they offer a low-latency performance via their wired connection, you'll need a standalone mic to communicate with your teammates. Their comfortable fit makes them a solid choice for gaming marathons, too.
- Two sets of earpads to tailor the sound.
- Very comfortable fit.
- Leak a lot of audio.
- Terrible noise isolation.
The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO have great audio reproduction accuracy and deviate very little from their balanced sound profile. While their L/R drivers are quite well-matched in frequency and amplitude, there's a notable phase shift in the high treble, though this will likely fall outside your hearing range. They produce low harmonic distortion, so you won't notice any timbral coloration at typical or elevated listening levels. While their level of pinna interaction isn't on par with the most spacious-sounding open-backs, it's not insubstantial either.
The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO are a bad choice if you're looking for headphones that can isolate you from your surroundings. Their open-back design provides very little attenuation against external noise, so external sounds will still be audible while wearing them and can interfere with these headphones' ability to reproduce audio.
The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO don't come with a built-in mic. If you want to communicate with others, you'll have to purchase a separate standalone mic.
The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO have great frequency response consistency. If you take the time to set the headphones properly, your perception of the headphones' sound signature will closely resemble our measurements. That said, you may encounter relatively minor inconsistencies in the low end if you wear glasses with the headphones.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Mar 12, 2026:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.1, which removes the Group Delay test, and rebalances scoring for the Harmonic Distortion test and Audio Reproduction Accuracy performance usage. For more details, consult our full changelog.
- Updated Mar 12, 2026: This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.1, which removes the Group Delay test, and rebalances scoring for the Harmonic Distortion test and Audio Reproduction Accuracy performance usage. For more details, consult our full changelog.
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Updated Aug 12, 2025:
We've updated the Wired Connection box to clarify that the cable uses a 4-pin mini XLR connection, based on user feedback.
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Updated Jul 29, 2025:
We've updated the Sound Profile box with a link to a downloadable folder of EQ settings that will help you match these headphones' frequency response to different target curves available in our Graph Tool. We've also added a mention of the Drop + Grell OAE1 in the Compared To Other Headphones box.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO come in one color variant: Black. However, you can also purchase the Sennheiser HD 490 PRO Plus. This isn't a variant per se but rather an option to buy the same headphones with an extra 9.8 ft (3 m) cable, extra padding for the headband, and a case for an additional price. You can see our unit's label.
If you encounter another variant of these headphones, let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO are wired open-back headphones designed for a range of pro audio applications. They have a unique swappable pad design that helps them stand out from other similarly priced audiophile headphones, as it lets you tailor the sound profile and pad material to suit different stages of the audio creation process or to accommodate different listening preferences. Their bulky frame means they're not a natural choice to soundtrack a commute or run, but if you're using them in the studio or for at-home listening, you'll appreciate their comfortable fit with the velour 'Producing ' pads.
They carry on the lineage of the Sennheiser HD 660S2, a similarly priced pair of open-backs from the same manufacturer, but the HD 490 PRO have the advantage of extra ear pads. While other competitors like the Audeze MM-100 use planar magnetic drivers, which can help create a more immersive sound, these drivers add extra weight to the frame, resulting in a less comfortable fit than the Sennheiser. They're comparable, in a sense, to the Drop + Grell OAE1 given how both of these headphones are able to output more bass than the average pair of open-backs. The Sennheiser are much more comfortable though.
If you're looking for more headphones, check out our recommendations for the best studio headphones, the best headphones for music, and the best open-back headphones.
While the Sennheiser HD 660S2 and the Sennheiser HD 490 PRO share the same manufacturer name, the latter is a product of Sennheiser's pro audio division, which translates to better performance for analytical listening. The HD 490 PRO are more comfortable, and you can even swap out their pads to change the sound profile somewhat. However, the HD 660S2 are well-built with a slightly more stable design. They also come with a case that can help you transport them on the go.
The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO and the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO MKII are similarly positioned headphones. Both are open-backs designed for professional use, with two sets of ear pads for mixing and producing. While both have well-balanced sound signatures, the Sennheiser reproduce audio with slightly more punch and thump in their low and mid-bass and fewer fluctuations in their treble range. That said, the Beyerdynamic come with extras like a hard shell carrying case and an extra coiled cable.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO and the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro are both open-back over-ears designed for analytical listening in the studio. While both headphones exhibit a similar degree of mismatch between the L/R drivers, the Sennheiser deliver your audio more consistently. They're also more comfortable, and you can choose between the two sets of pads provided to alter the sound profile, depending on the task at hand. The Beyerdynamic are better built, though, and their mid-range aligns more closely with our target curve, while the Sennheiser have better bass extension.
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro and the Sennheiser HD 560S are both open-back, over-ear headphones that perform similarly. Both headphones have balanced sound profiles; the HD 490 Pro have a stronger bass response, but the HD 560S provide more detail in the mid-range, and their L/R drivers are better matched in terms of phase and amplitude. However, the HD 490 Pro have swappable pads that subtly alter the sound profile depending on what you're working on. Both are comfortable enough to wear for long periods.
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You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
Test Results
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