Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus review

Wired headphones arrive at review desks the way vinyl records do at house parties. Rare, mildly unfashionable, yet instantly magnetic to the people who care. In a world built on Bluetooth codecs, active noise cancellation, and battery anxiety, plugging in feels almost rebellious. It is slower, more deliberate, and more honest.

So, when the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus came to us for review, it did not feel like just another hi-res audio product. It felt like an oddity. One aimed at niche creators, mixers, and gamers who still believe that sound deserves a cable, a reference point, and zero gimmicks between the source and the signal.

After living with them across work sessions, late-night music listening, and casual gaming, the bigger question becomes simpler: can one pair of wired headphones really do it all? Find out in our Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus review.

Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus: Design and comfort

The HD 490 Pro Plus’ design keeps away from unnecessary flourishes. There are no glossy finishes, no oversized logos, no attempts at visual spectacle. The design language is industrial, and clearly descended from Sennheiser’s long-running studio lineage.

At 260 grams, the headphones feel almost weightless when you lift them. On the head, that lightness turns into one of their strongest traits. You don’t feel their presence all the time, which is precisely what a professional headphone should do.

The ear cups sit comfortably around the ears, creating space rather than pressure. There is no hotspot build-up, no clamp fatigue, no creeping discomfort, even two to three hours in.

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Sennheiser includes two different ear pad styles right in the box. Velour pads for a warmer, more immersive listening experience. Fabric pads for a flatter, more neutral profile. Both are well cushioned, breathable, and easily replaceable (more on these later). Even the headband padding is detachable and washable.

The open-back metal grills on the earcups add airflow and contribute heavily to the wide, airy soundstage. The frame blends metal and plastic, and while the plastic housing may not feel luxurious at first touch, it holds up confidently under pressure. These do not feel fragile. They feel engineered.

The only compromise appears when it is time to pack them up. The carrying case is large. Protective? Yes. Travel-friendly? Not particularly. For people who commute with their gear, the lack of foldability and the sheer size of the case will feel inconvenient.

Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus: Two pads, two personalities

Most headphones offer one sound signature and expect you to shape the rest with EQ. Sennheiser takes a different approach here by physically altering the sonic signature through two distinct ear pad styles.

With the fabric mixing pads attached, the HD 490 Pro Plus leans towards neutrality. Bass is controlled and tight, the midrange sits clean and uncoloured, and there is a noticeable lift in the upper frequencies that adds sparkle to vocals and strings. Poor recordings are not softened, compression artefacts become obvious, and the sound, essentially, stays true to life.

Switch to the velour producing pads and the character changes. The low-end gains warmth and body. The presentation becomes more immersive and relaxed. It is still accurate, but it no longer feels surgical. It invites longer listening sessions rather than short bursts of scrutiny.

Neither tuning feels compromised. Instead, they feel like two deliberate interpretations built into the same hardware. That duality is at the heart of what makes the HD 490 Pro Plus genuinely interesting.

Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus: Sound quality

The open-back design immediately defines how these headphones present sound. There is space here. Not artificial surround-sound trickery, but genuine width and depth. Instruments breathe, reverb trails stretch naturally, and mixes feel layered instead of stacked.

Where the HD 490 Pro Plus truly excels is localisation. The spatial placement is surgical. In music production, this translates to extremely clear separation between elements. In gaming, it becomes a competitive advantage. Footsteps, reloads, positional cues, and directional movement lock into place around your head with startling clarity.

Bass is present but disciplined. There is no bloated low-end emphasis trying to impress artificially. Sub-bass is audible when the recording demands it and kick drums hit with texture rather than force.

The midrange is where these headphones quietly dominate. Vocals sit forward without becoming sibilant, and they honestly sound exquisite. Dialogue in games and films remains intelligible even inside dense soundscapes.

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High frequencies carry Sennheiser’s familiar sense of detail. There is brightness, yes, but it is controlled. Ultimately, what you get is a sound signature that does not flatter everything. They reveal what is there. For audiophiles and professional audio engineers, this approach is excellent.

Unboxed Take: Who should buy the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus?

The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus does not chase trends. Obviously. It has wires, which is generally considered “dated” in 2025. Instead, it leans heavily into what wired headphones have always done best: clarity, fidelity, and endurance.

The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus transitions seamlessly from editing video timelines to ranked Marvels Rivals matches to late-night albums without asking you to compromise your expectations in any one role. However, the bulky case does limit portability, so keep that in mind. And wired listening, by nature, will always remain a conscious choice. You’ll have to deal with a lot more cables than you’re used to.

All in all, if you are someone who values sound as craft rather than accessory, the HD 490 Pro Plus makes a persuasive argument. In a market obsessed with doing everything wirelessly, it quietly reminds you that sometimes, the clearest connection still comes through a cable.

That’s why we rate it 4.5/5. What’s your preference? Wired or wireless headphones? Drop a comment to let us know and stay tuned to Unboxed by Croma for more detailed product reviews like this one.