While Sennheiser’s consumer lineup may have been put into some doubt by licensee Sonova AG, the brand’s professional division, run by brothers Andreas and Daniel Sennheiser, has launched a new flagship pair of closed-back headphones aimed at the company’s loyal professional customers working in the broadcasting and recording industries.
The Sennheiser HD 480 PRO are the brand’s latest top-of-the-range closed-back headphones and they are designed specifically for studio use and live events. The aim behind these new headphones was to eliminate two of the most common complaints from professional users of closed-back headphones.
“When I’m going to be mixing on headphones outside my studio, it’s imperative I have a pair that I trust. With the HD 480 PRO, to have this level of quality and accuracy in a closed-back headphone is amazing,” says Will Brierre, an LA-based mixing engineer.
According to Sennheiser, professional users want a tight and accurate bass as well as supreme comfort. Sound engineers can often end up wearing their headphones for hours at a time while they are working in the studio. After many hours, even the best-designed pair of headphones can become uncomfortable to wear.
Effective Lower Frequencies
Getting an accurate reproduction of lower frequencies can be a problem with closed-back headphones because the sound is essentially trapped in a sealed earcup. “This is where the HD 480 PRO excel. Compared to other closed-back headphones, they are a lot tighter on the bass, their low-end is super-accurate and realistic,” says Jimmy R. Landry, the category market manager for the music industry at Sennheiser.
“Comfort is of paramount importance when headphones are a work tool,” says Gunnar Dirks, Sennheiser’s senior product manager for professional headphones. “Engineers often spend hours on end in their sessions. They need a lightweight, ergonomically designed pair of headphones to keep focus and concentration up. The HD 480 PRO eliminate any pressure points and fit every head precisely and comfortably – even if you’re wearing glasses.
Whether they are being used in the studio by a producer, recording engineer, or musicians, the HD 480 PRO has been designed to address the main pain points of professional use. Absolute accuracy of sound with an uncoloured frequency response and solid low-end are essential characteristics.
Translating To Any Usage
That’s what Sennheiser has addressed with the HD 480 PRO and the headphones ensure audio the user hears will translate reliably to any listening situation, whether the final mix is played through a high-end pair of speakers or the average car audio system.
To enable users to focus on the audio and hear all the details in a recording, Sennheiser has used passive sound shielding in the HD480 PRO as well as selecting the most comfortable ear pads with soft grooves for the kind of precise seal essential for accurate audio reproduction.
The design also incorporates a vibration attenuation system that aims to eliminate any unwanted vibrations, reflections and distortions to preserve the clarity of the original signal. To achieve this, Sennheiser chose ultralight voice coils that can deliver authentic and dynamic reproduction rather than a colored or splashy sound that will provide a false impression when mixing or recording.
Consistent Sound And Fit
Like Sennheiser’s HD 490 PRO open-back headphones, the HD480 PRO rely on several of Sennheiser’s patented features to achieve their aims. For example, the mechanical design ensures the headphones adapt to the shape of the wearer’s head by exerting an equal level of contact pressure on each side.
The quality of the fit and the listening experience of the HD 480 PRO is consistent across multiple users, making it easier to let colleagues to listen to a mix, confident that they are hearing the same sound as you.
The HD 480 PRO are designed to be a comfort zone for anyone who wears glasses. The ear pads are designed not to press on the temples but have a soft zone instead that creates the proper acoustic seal that’s essential for reproducing accurate sound while also being extremely comfortable to wear.
Another area tackled with the design is microphonics. These are the vibrations that can travel up a headphone cable if it rubs on something else, like a mixing desk. To solve the problem, where the cable approaches the earcup, it is coiled to effectively decouple the cable from the headphones, which prevents any vibrations or handling noises being picked up.
Detachable Cable
To adapt to different work set-ups, the detachable cable can be plugged into the left or right earcup. This flexible approach to cabling is suitable for solo recording instruments, because it keeps the cable out of the way. To ensure accessibility for all, the left and right earcups are also braille-marked.
“Our developers have been working painstakingly to bring the sound of the closed HD 480 PRO as closely as possible to that of the open HD 490 PRO. Which model is the better choice for you really depends on how you work,” explains Gunnar Dirks.
“The open HD 490 PRO will be ideal for mixing in quiet environments, while I would recommend the closed HD 480 PRO for applications where you need isolation, for example when you’re tracking vocals in the room, when monitoring or using them as a reference, or simply when you’re working in the same space as others.”
Pricing and Availability:
The new Sennheiser HD 480 PRO closed-back headphones are available now and priced at $479 / £339/ €399. The package includes recording earpads and a three-meter coiled cable. It comes with a carrying bag. Alternatively, the HD 480 PRO Plus version includes a protective travel case and is priced at $519 / £369 / €439.
Tech Specs:
- Acoustic principle: Closed-back.
- Ear coupling: Circumaural.
- Drivers: Dynamic
- Driver diameter: 38mm.
- Frequency response: 3 – 28,700Hz (-10 dB).
- Sensitivity: 107dB SPL (at 1 kHz/1 Vrms); 98dB (at 1kHz, 1mW).
- Max. SPL: 130dB (1kHz, 5% THD).
- THD: <0.5% (at 1kHz, 100dB SPL)
- Impedance: 130Ω (1 kHz).
- Power rating: 300mW (100 h, noise as per IEC 60268).
- Weight: 272 g (w/o cable).
- Available accessories: Replacement recording ear pads, replacement coiled cable (3 m), 1.8 m straight cable, 3 m straight cable, balanced cable, replacement travel case, storage case, replacement bag.
