Sennheiser HD 480 PRO review

Most studio headphones today, even those made by Sennheiser, are based on designs developed in the 80s and 90s. However, just because these designs are still standing today doesn’t mean they can’t be improved. Enter the Sennheiser HD 480 PRO: a closed-back studio headphone designed to address the pain points of today’s music producers. But do these over-ears deserve a place in your studio? Or should you stick with one of the classics?

What is it like to use the Sennheiser HD 480 PRO?

The Sennheiser HD 480 PRO is a set of closed-back headphones that take a few cues from their open-back sibling, the Sennheiser HD 490 PRO. The build is solid, complete with a sturdy metal strap and matte plastic ear cups. Weighing 272g, the headphones feel very light, but the grip strength is strong enough to keep the headphones on my head without putting too much pressure.

The headphones come pre-installed with velor ear pads with good cushioning, making it easy to wear the headphones during long studio sessions. However, I have noticed that heat build-up can be a problem if you use the headphones for long periods of time in warm environments. If you don’t like the velor ear pads, then you’re unfortunately out of luck as that’s all you get in the box. It would have been nice if Sennheiser had made cloth ear pads for the Sennheiser HD 480 Pro, as they did for its open back counterpart.

Sennheiser includes an integrated 3m cable, a 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter, and a headphone bag. That’s all. No extra pads, no extra ear cushions, just the bare necessities. For added protection, you can order the Sennheiser HD 480 PRO Plus, which comes with a matching travel case, though that’ll run you an extra $40. A bit annoying, considering that the headphones outside the case costs $479.

Accessories aside, Sennheiser nailed the design basics. However, a few small design elements also help the Sennheiser HD 480 Pro stand out from other studio headphones. For example, braille markers located on the back of the headphone jack allow you to easily tell which ear cup is right or left – all without having to look inside the ear cup for guidance. The included cable includes a small coil on the top of the cable to reduce the chance of the cable rubbing against your chest, thus reducing cable noise. Finally, moving cups that don’t add much resistance to movement mean that ear cups should avoid putting pressure in unusual places.

The pads are also made to grip strong points like the arms of your glasses. As someone who wears glasses every day, this design feature is an absolute godsend! Most of the studio headphones I’ve used aren’t designed for people who wear glasses, so finding headphones that I can wear for long periods of time has been a struggle.

How does the Sennheiser HD 480 PRO connect?

The Sennheiser HD 480 PRO has a small XLR port on both ear cups. You can plug the included cable into either the left or right ear cup — whichever suits your audio setup. Sennheiser includes a soft plastic cap to protect the unused port.

The cable terminates in a boring 3.5mm TRS plug, configured for use with a 6.3mm jack adapter. This should allow you to be able to use interfaces like the Scarlett 2i2, and quickly set up something to use with the mini jack if you need it.

The headphones have an impedance of 130 ohms, – a higher impedance rating than other consumer grade closed cans. However, you shouldn’t need a dedicated DAC or amp when connecting to a modern laptop, as its rated sensitivity is 98dB SPL/1mW. You should be able to reach a level that is easy to use. In my case, I had no problems connecting headphones directly to my MacBook Pro.

The Sennheiser HD 480 PRO does a good job of blocking high frequency sounds above 2kHz. Based on our lab results, the headphones are able to block an average of 67% of ambient noise at maximum volume. Expect house sounds, local palaver, and keyboard clatter to be muted by 35-45dB. The large ears of the headphones, combined with the average holding power, allow you to get a good signal of effective noise isolation. People who wear glasses won’t have to worry about the arms of the glasses interfering with the signal, thanks to the grooves built into the ear pads.

Since these are back-backs designed for studio use, these headphones do not include active noise cancellation. Don’t expect headphones to silence loud air conditioners, or your next-door neighbor blasting drum and bass.

In my experience, I found that the headphones did a good job of dampening the loud noise of our office air conditioner. However, I could still hear the rumble of our front door as people came and went, and the booming boom of our lab subwoofer during headphone testing.

How does the Sennheiser HD 480 PRO sound?

Sennheiser is no slouch when it comes to making great sounding headphones, and the Sennheiser HD 480 PRO Plus is no exception. These headphones use the same dynamic 38mm drivers found in the Sennheiser HD 490 PRO, but tuned for a frequency response better suited to recording and playback, rather than mixing.

Reviewer’s notes

Editor’s note: this review uses a navigation-enabled glossary to describe audio quality based on consensus terms. You can read about it here.

If you like the look of the Sennheiser HD 490 PRO but aren’t on board with the open back design, the Sennheiser HD 480 PRO is the perfect choice. The sound is a bit different, but still fine on its own for closed headphones. However, the Sennheiser HD 480 PRO does very well in its niche. Actually, the only thing holding it back is the cost of $479 for the PRO option, or $519 for the PRO Plus option and case. It’s a small pill to swallow, but the headphones have enough to offer at the right consumer price.

For someone looking for a set of sealed cans for a computer, this isn’t a bad bet — it’s just expensive. As always, see if there’s any way you can try these out before you go for them. Although these headphones are counterintuitive and you don’t get better sound if you spend more money when you compare these to options like the Sennheiser HD 620S, you may find that you like the sound of other headphones better if you’re willing to expand your horizons a bit.

Sennheiser HD 480 PRO price history