Sennheiser’s latest headphones promise to deliver the goods, whether you’re tracking or mixing.
It is common to use open‑backed headphones for mixing and closed‑back headphones for tracking. However, Sennheiser’s closed‑back HD 480 Pro is intended to provide sufficiently accurate monitoring to be used in both situations, with the added advantage of good isolation from external sounds. It’s a companion model to the HD 490 open‑backed phones, which we reviewed in SOS April 2024.
Wishlist
Having owned and used a wide range of studio headphones, my own wish list of features includes long‑term comfort, a removable/replaceable cable, and transducer covers that don’t turn to dust after a few years of use. I also avoid anything with a ‘comfortable, textured rubber’ element, as those finishes invariably turn into sticky goo after a couple of years. Of course studio headphones also have to sound accurate, especially when mixing, though this is arguably less important when tracking.
The law of diminishing returns applies as much to headphones as other products, and many £$150‑£$200 models are perfectly adequate for both home studio and professional use. Move up to something costing £$1000 or more and there will be a quality improvement, but it will be incrementally small. That places the HD 480 Pro in a good position, as it offers benefits over what might be seen as typical studio headphones, while adding only around 50 percent to the cost.
The HD 480 Pro is very solidly engineered, with an adjustable stainless‑steel headband that has comfortable padding fixed to its underside. The drivers are protected by fabric rather than the dreaded ‘turns to dust’ foam, and the ear padding is deep and comfortable. A locking curly cable, specifically designed to minimise cable‑borne vibration noise, plugs into the base of either earcup and terminates in a stereo mini‑jack with a quarter‑inch TRS adaptor already fitted. For this review we were sent the HD 480 Pro Plus package, which includes a semi‑rigid, zip‑up case, but a slightly cheaper non‑Plus version, which ships with a soft travel bag, is also offered. Replacement parts are available, which is vital for professional headphones.
Unlike the HD 490 Pro’s perforated metal backs, the HD 480 Pro’s earcups are fully sealed, with solid plastic backs. Their nominal impedance is 160Ω, and the 38mm drivers utilise neodymium magnets in conjunction with ultra‑light voice coils to optimise efficiency. The frequency response extends from 30Hz up to 28.7kHz (‑10dB), sensitivity is specified as 107dB SPL (1kHz/1V RMS) or 98dB SPL (1kHz/1mW), with a maximum SPL of 130dB SPL (1kHz @ 5% THD). Power handling is rated at 300mW. The weight, excluding the cable, is 272g (about 10oz).
On The Head
These headphones fit comfortably around the ears and provide a practical degree of isolation from external sounds. The headband slides into housings at either end for adjustment, and the soft earpads are comfortable for long periods of listening. Many closed‑back headphones perform less accurately at the low end than their open‑back counterparts, but my listening tests revealed a tight, solid low end with a real sense of weight. The highs are smooth and detailed, while vocals come across very naturally — something that can challenge loudspeakers, where the crossover frequency often sits in the critical vocal range.
The highs are smooth and detailed, while vocals come across very naturally...
At the time of review, detailed frequency plots were sadly not available, but overall I felt that the comments made in the review of the HD 490 Pro could also be applied to the HD 480 Pro, inasmuch as I suspect the low end may have been given a small amount of lift. These variations are subtle and actually make the sound very comfortable to work with. Any deviations from a perfectly flat response are not significant enough to compromise mix decisions once you have spent a short time getting used to the headphones, and apparently the tuning of these 'phones was in response to real-world feedback from studio engineers.
While priced a little above some commonly used studio headphones, the HD 480 Pros are equally adept at tracking and mixing, and as they are designed for a long service life, they are not headphones you will be looking to replace any time soon. For the private studio operator, choosing the HD 480 Pro could save the cost of buying two different sets of headphones. I particularly appreciate the use of durable acoustic fabric instead of thin foam transducer covers, the detailed but non‑fatiguing sound, the wide range of adjustment, and their comfort, even when worn over spectacles.
Summary
Well engineered, comfortable and with a clear, natural sound, the HD 480 Pros are excellent all‑rounder studio headphones.
Information
£339 or £369 for Plus edition. Prices include VAT.
$479 or $519 for Plus edition.
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