Sennheiser - HD 505

Thanks! Do you have a budget in mind? Sennheiser has a number of comfortable open-backs that are tuned more on the warm side, such as the HD 505 (though I prefer the more neutral HD 550), HD 650, and HD 650. This is probably a good starting point. Comfort on these is pretty good as well (especially the newer models).

Might wanna look at the sennheiser 505, i think it's pretty new, saw a review saying it's like a more refined tuning of the 560s. Also look at pretty much any of the hd600 series. Ive had the hd650 for years and it's great. Hd6xx is only $210 on amazon, thats a solid deal. Iirc its an hd650 with slightly different colored plastic.

Fiio FF1 (sadly mic doesn't seem to work - possibly OMTP vs CTIA incompatibility I've not looked into it) or Sennheiser HD505 (sometimes I hook up the Fiio QX13 for a better audio experience). I don't really do wireless personally.

I’m not an audiophile by any means but rather a casual gamer looking for a premium pair of headphones. I recently picked up the 505 and I’m really enjoying it. I do wish the bass was a bit more bassier for lack of a better word. Everything else is wonderful.

You don't really have to worry about impedance unless you would want to use some super low impedance IEMs. I've checked the spec, but I can't find power output of your player, that is a weird thing to omit when they output impedance and even IMD listed. Since it is based on CS43198, it should be able to get 2Vrms from unbalanced and 4Vrms from balanced into high impedance loads, but if there is more or what is the output into low impedance is unknown. Given the price of the device I would mail/call their support and demand exact information about output power. Anyway if the 250Ohm recommendation you got was DT770/880/990 then, that would not be a very good one as those headphones work only with unbalanced connection and their 250Ohm variant needs 2.5Vrms to reach 110dB SPL (loudness). So among Beyerdynamics models an 80Ohm variants (so only DT770/990, as there is no 80Ohm DT880) would be much better pick since they only require 1.4Vrms for that. You should be fine with anything from Sennheiser from 500 series, so HD560S/505/550, including possibly HD58X from american Drop store, and also HD490 Pro. I would not recommend going for 600 series which will work fine, but in their case I would advise getting balanced cable for those and if balanced output in your player is limited to 4Vrms, I would say 600 series can get better with more. Aside those you might want to take a look at planars like FiiO FT1 Pro and Hifiman headphones, but I do lack experience with those so can't tell much. Spec wise FT1 Pro should run fine even from 3.5mm unbalanced, while Hifimans can vary a lot depending on the exact model. Be warned though, Hifiman is kind of known for poor reliability (but also for not making problems with warranty claims and just replacing faulty units).

I've used these headphones with my R4, and they all sound fantastic with it: \- Sennheiser HD 620S \- Sennheiser HD 660S2 \- Sennheiser HD 505 \- Sennheiser HD 550 \- Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80ohm \- Meze 105 AER

I've used these headphones with my R4, and they all sound fantastic with it: \- Sennheiser HD 620S \- Sennheiser HD 660S2 \- Sennheiser HD 505 \- Sennheiser HD 550 \- Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80ohm \- Meze 105 AER

Hey Ten! Great job on this review. That copper colorway is so sharp looking! I have the 505 as well and I appreciate the analytical sound it gives me. It is right now my favorite headphone for critical listening. I'll go back to the 600 series soon enough but this headphone is just stellar! I get great detail retrieval with it!

Asus ROG Kithara is exactly 300$ and comes with everything you need in the box. With EQ it will behave however you would want it to behave. Skip the BD. Treble is sharp as nails to my ears so can’t recommend them. Skip the Senny. If you want a better Senny then a HD505 is significantly more enjoyable than a 560S (IMO). But needs to be paired with a good DAC. In that case you are looking at adding maybe another 130$ for a DAC like K11 or portable DAC like Crinacle Protocol Max for 90$. Then add a BAM 500 mic as well. My 2 cents.

Nice review! The headphones are indeed "Versatile" as you said. If someone wanted to own just one open back headphone, this would be a great choice. I also really like how the pads are machine washable. Personally, I think the tuning is pretty solid in the sea of headphone tunings, it's better overall than the 560S, even with the mixing pads. It is not as lean or grainy sounding as the 560S. Especially with the Producing Pads. Though, I'm not sure if you agree, do you find the 490 Pro to lack in "air" frequencies? Above 10kHz I mean. I guess when I say "Lack" I mean compared to the 600/650. That is my biggest dislike of the sound. Otherwise, it is good! It is better than the vast majority of non Sennheiser tunings. With that said, the extra price being paid is definitely to consider the improved comfort and build quality. Since in my opinion both the new HD 505 and the HD 550 sound better than the more expensive 490 Pro, same with the HD 600/650. The 490 Pro improves on the 560S flaws, but does not get rid of them entirely. To be fair, the 505, and the 550 are just **good** headphones compared to some things costing thousands, and we know about the 600/650. I like them more than the Audeze LCD-5. I think that is why the 490 Pro hasn't "Made waves" in the community, people don't like the price. And some don't see it as a worthwhile upgrade over something like the 560S, and see it as "Worse" than other Sennheiser options. Also, for people in North America, the HD 6XX exists. Which is just an absolutely ridiculous value. But, ignoring just the sound quality, the 490 Pro is indeed a better overall package than those in my opinion. Jack of all trades, master of none.

Realize that soundstage will be achieved through the spatial DSP of your particular game. There are aspects of headphones that can make them sound more expansive or airy, but you want a linear headphone like the HD560S, HD505, Fiio FT 1 pro and similar. It is these target reference curves that are used by sound engineers so if you want to get close to what was designed in the studio you will be absolutely happy. Best gaming headphones I’ve owned were Hd800 and Utopia but can confidently say the headphones you are looking at are near the best for what you want without breaking the bank. The planar especially will blow your mind. The Sennheiser are also great and comfortable