Sennheiser HD 490 PRO vs HD 480 PRO

The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO are the open-back version of the Sennheiser HD 480 PRO. While the two are similarly comfortable and well-built, the trade-offs between them are emblematic of the differences between open-back and closed-back headphones. The HD 480 Pro do a better job of isolating you from your surroundings, attenuating treble-range noise especially well. They also have a bit more bass on tap, which can be useful for hearing the full low-end of kick drums and sub-bass wobbles. That said, the HD 490 PRO come with dual, swappable ear pads that allow you to subtly alter the response and feel depending on whether you're producing or mixing. They also better simulate the spatial properties of monitors in a mixing room, due to how their design allows for more interaction between the audio and your outer ear (pinna).