Sennheiser, the first choice for advanced audio technology that makes collaboration and learning easier, today launched its brand-new open-back HD 490 PRO reference studio headphones, purpose-built for producing, mixing and mastering. The circumaural, dynamic headphones feature highly precise sound reproduction and a very wide and realistic sound stage. This superior accuracy and range give producers, mixing and mastering engineers, as well as musicians, the transparency they need for critical mixing decisions and for confidently resolving any panning placement issues.
“If you compare today’s music productions with that of ten, 20 years ago, you will notice how the massively increased computing power and complex parameter automation have changed the way in which music is made,” shares Vipin Pungalia, Country Manager & Director- Sales Pro Audio at Sennheiser. “In every genre, engineers and music creators are continuously pushing boundaries, creating extremely complex mixes that can be prone to so-called ‘audio blind spots’. Mixes can be crowded and muddy, with too many instruments sitting at the same position and their frequencies competing. For the engineer or musician, it becomes difficult to hear each individual instrument or voice distinctly. This goes to show the importance of a good pair of studio headphones.”
The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO is Sennheiser’s top-of-the range professional model for mixing, mastering and producing.
Full-spectrum audio accuracy
To tackle this complexity, the Sennheiser engineers have given the HD 490 PRO an extremely wide, dimensional sound stage for precisely localising the components of a mix. Ultralight voice coils ensure a fast and authentic sound reproduction. The frequency response is uncoloured and honest across the entire audio spectrum, with the low end being full, accurate, and clearly defined thanks to a special low-frequency cylinder. The open-mesh ear cup covers reveal Sennheiser’s Open-frame Architecture, which minimises resonances and distortion. For an optimal listening experience, the transducers sit at a slight angle, thereby emulating a typical monitor loudspeaker set-up.
The HD 490 PRO studio headphones deliver a wide, spatial sound stage with excellent localisation, enabling producers to create refined masters
“All these features combine to enable music professionals to identify and resolve any panning placement issues and troublesome low-end frequencies – ensuring clear mixes and superbly refined masters,” explains Gunnar Dirks, Sennheiser Product Manager. “The HD 490 PRO studio headphones put you in full control of every detail.”
The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO studio headphones put users in full control of every detail of the mix
A pleasure to wear
An excellent pair of studio headphones would only be half as good if it were uncomfortable. Therefore, the Sennheiser engineers have put decades of experience from professional headset design into the HD 490 PRO. Their lightweight, ergonomic design eliminates any pressure points, as the headband does not press on the sensitive parts of the head. Also, the circumaural ear pads feature a Sennheiser-patented soft comfort zone for the temples of glasses while maintaining good sealing.
A patent has also been applied for regarding the special axes geometry of the HD 490 PRO. This design makes sure that the headphones optimally adapt to the head when they are put on, and maintain an equal contact pressure no matter what the shape of the user’s head.
“When you’re creating music, the last thing you want is to be focusing on the fit of your headphones. The HD 490 PRO let you feel the music and forget about the headphones,” says Vipin Pungalia.
