Seem to do well at low volumes - some of the classical pieces I've listened to came out especially crisp (only when the bass wasn't turned up, of course, but that usually isn't a problem with those pieces).

Read below for an explanation, but here's a quick summary: can't handle ANY significant bass or volume, keep falling off my head (maybe it's just me ;P).

I'll say this much upfront: I don't consider myself to be a true "audiophile," but I do listen to alot of music of many different kinds. I came to this site after my old Sony's broke (one of the connections fell out), looking for something "nice," since so many people seemed to think that a slight increase in price could bring a great increase in performance...

Unfortunately, that certainly doesn't seem to be the case for me - if I can find out some way to get my money back for these, I will, because I've been sorely disappointed with the results.

To give you an idea of what I'm listening to, it's pretty much... everything but rap. That means some techno, some alternative, metal, classical, and a fair amount of ambient (or something like that) stuff. Like I said, I'm not an expert on audio, but I do listen to alot of music very frequently. Here are the problems I have with these headphones:

1) The bass is weak. Very weak. I hoped that what the posts above said was true (that the bass sounds realistic, rather than inflated as normal), but it's simply far too touchy to be of any use to me. When the bass is turned up at all (I turned it down, hoping it would go away), the sound becomes distorted to the point where it's really not a pleasure listening to. Maybe if everything you listen to is very light or low in bass these would work fine, but if you've got ANY doubt about whether or not you'd like your bass to sound like bass... I would stay away from these. Note that I don't consider myself a bass fiend - I don't listen to any rap or hip hop. In fact, in the heavier songs I listened to it wasn't such a problem (metal etc.) - it's in the quieter songs that still have some bass to them (Mechwarrior, etc., if you have any idea what that is) where these headphones just don't seem to cut it at all.

2) Perhaps this is an inherent downside to the open-aire design, but these headphones offer no isolation whatsoever - in fact, they sound almost louder on the outside than on the inside... If you don't mind, maybe they're still a good find, but it was somewhat irritating for me...

3) They keep falling off my head. Hehe, maybe this is a silly reason that's due only to a strange cranium on my part or something, but I consistently found them slipping forward... They are comfortable other than that, though. :)

If you're a big time audiophile, then perhaps you should take all this with a grain of salt - I don't necessarily know what I'm talking about, rather I'm just giving my opinion from a casual, but diverse, listener's perspective. My number one caveat is that if you have any doubt whatsoever as to how much you like your bass... stay clear. These simply can't handle anything louder than... very little.

Best of luck in finding your dream headphones - I know I'll either return these or just buy a new pair on top of them. :/

Regards,
- AWJ

Similar Products Used:

Some ancient, cheap Sony MDR-V50's that finally fell apart.

Exceptional clarity,transparency and detail for th price

A little more bass would not have have been amiss but I guess that is the malady of all open designs

I listen to Sen 495 connected directly to the Output of Pioneer PD S707 Cd player. The resulting combination provides for a lush and smooth listening experience. The exceptional three dimensionality and valve like laid back quality of the Pioneer together with the Sen gives hours of fatigue free listening.If you like live recordings aand classical music and looking for a headphone below $100, buy the Sen with confidence.

Similar Products Used:

Grado SR 60

Made by Sennheiser, good highs and mids

The sound is not close, lack of details, and the bass is not that ...

Getting good headphone is one of the best gifts i can give to my ears. I've read ALL the Review posted overhere. They were good except they didn't really reflect my personnal taste. I like to hear close music that is clear and full of details, and especially have a responsive bass that is not boomy and still strong. Unfortunately, The grand brand Sennheiser 495 could not offer what I was expecting from them. The sound not close, it s like putting a pillow on a speaker. I feel like i am in shortage of Oxygen. The bass is not even/balanced. breifly, whenever i put them on I feel that something is missing. The real weakness is that the sound is low (not for the people arround you, this is another story), and when i turn the music up, the headphones loose control and start making sharp/unclear sound, the bass gets completely broken. perhaps this is the "sound reproduction" written on the headphone's box!!
Now, while i'm writing, I listen to music "enya" &"The corrs" with Sony MDR-V6, and there is a huge difference. I can hear close and detailed music, you cannot believe how i m enjoying them right now, i can hear the music going from one ear to another, like hearing the rain falling on the ground, i feel myself in another world. the music is up and no body surround me is hearing something. still the sound is a little bit bright, but it's much better than the other extreme of Sennheiser 495s that is( Dark and sad ).
I heard that coupling the sennheiser 495 with an Airamp can make the sound much better and tight and bring them to life, becasue they are giddy and need power(so don't even think to use them with your portables). well if anyone can buy an Amp with 150$ and then test it, i will be very happy to know the real result.
Concerning me, I returned them back one week ago, and now i am waiting my money.
Well, my advice is that you go personally and listen by yourself. don't be fooled by anyone, even me!!. this is the problem of buying online, don't buy what you don't know. headphones that are nice looking are not for sure nice sounding. I hope that Sennheiser will bring good quality headphone again to our ears, i don't care if they are fency as much as i care about a good sound now.
don't forget, bring with you your favourite CDs. one to test the bass, onther one to test the highs/mids/lows...
I am not sorry for rating these Sennheiser poor, although i believe you can find the right sennheiser for you only if you pay the price.
Now, I don't regret anything since that was a good experience for me and could learn something from it.
Good luck in finding the right headphones for your ears.
Afeeeeeen.bye.

Similar Products Used:

Sony MDR-V6

there are no strengths

they sound very low and make noises when you listen to high volume

i read the review on this model and i buy them i thought im going to ear somhing that i dident ear before wall i was wrong the sound was very low and whaen i tried to level up the voulme thw queilty is very bad and make noises is you want to enjoy music in high volume this are not for you.
you shuld try the hd200 they are rock

Similar Products Used:

hd200

Light, easy to carry and use

See below

Well, I had really high expectations of these headphones. Unfortunately, I can't give the HD-495s a very high rating:

My relationship with these headphones began about five or six months ago when a grad school classmate of mine was selected to install a site specific work in the RISD museum. She was working with audio and had proposed to do a sound installation.

Part of winning the competition involved receiving a budget for materials and installation. As someone who was just beginning to work with sound, one of the items she wanted to get was a decent pair of headphones. She turned to me for advice and I recommended that she try the HD-495s (I had read a lot of really positive reviews about them and they were just about the right price). Also, I wanted to find out what all the fuss was about.

When we received the HD-495s, we gave them a listen and were REALLY unimpressed: the sound was soft and undifferentiated. Everything sounded really murky. I reminded her that, as with all audio gear, she shouldn't judge them until she had burned them in for a good long time.

Well, several weeks went by and she was still unhappy. "They make everything sound pretty," she said. This was not a compliment. The HD-495s had the quality of homogenizing the sound, making all kinds of music sound pleasant but unexciting.

She was pretty upset. I was sure that the phones would suddenly "turn," as I've had other audio gear do during break-in. I really wanted to give these phones a chance, so I offered to trade her my Grado SR-80s for the Sennheisers, as they were roughly comparable in cost. She was quite ecstatic with the tighter, more resolved sound of the Grados. Meanwhile, I did everything I could to burn in the Sennheisers.

After days of actual burn in time, the verdict was the same. The HD-495s just didn't have the rhythmic snap that all of my other headphones had. For example, the HD-580 share a similar warm and pleasant sonic signature with the HD-495s, but have a "taut" quality that drives the music along nicely (also, they are much more resolved). The bass on the 580s, while not the tightest or deepest, is, none-the-less, rhythmically competent. The 495s do not share this quality. The presentation of leading-edge transients on the 495s are blunted, as well. I was really disappointed.

I am aware that a headphone like the HD-495 can really suffer if driven directly from the ouput of a CD or MP3 player. Well, I did that - for about ten seconds. All of my other listening and burn in was done either through a Headroom Total Airhead, a Berning Micro-ZOTL, or through the headphone jack of a Moth Audio s2A3 amplifier- so the issue wasn't an impedance mismatch or a weak driver stage.

I walked all around town with the 495s hooked up to the Total Airhead and was actually bored listening to the music. The 495s really sucked the excitement out of the listening experience. I'm not totally disappointed solely for the fact that I have some other nice headphones to listen to. If the 495s were my only headphones, however, I probably would have returned them after the burn in yielded no positive results.

One other nit to pick: the Headroom site mentions that the 495s are a little grainy compared to other higher priced headphones. I believe that's true. There is some graininess in the top end, especially when the volume is turned up. I was driving up to Boston not too long ago and my brother was listening to the phones through the Airhead. After a while he took them off and asked me if the headphones distorted easily, as he was hearing some graininess and breakup.

One good thing about the 495s is that they are light and comfortable. I like to use them when I listen to music just before I fall asleep. They're light and unobtrusive enough for that, and I don't worry about rolling my head over onto them. They don't clamp your head as tightly as the 580s or the Grados. Also, the cord they come with is thin, light, and attatches to the phones on only the left ear. This is much more convenient for travelling than the Grados' thick cord, which is attatched to both drivers. The cord on the 495s is a little long for portable carrying, although it's easily bunched up.

So now I'm using the 495s as a "beater" headphone: that is, one I use for travelling in rough conditions, or for sleeping. Some people really like these headphones so, as with so many other things, it really is a matter of taste. If you're looking to buy these over the internet, I suggest that you audition them first at an audio dealer. Also, if possible, you should compare them to a similarly priced product like the Grado SR-80's.

Personally, I did not think much of the Grado SR-80s (compared to the Grado SR-125s, Sennheiser HD-580's, and AKG 501s) until I hooked them up to the Total Airhead and compared them to the HD-495s. Now I think they are the phones to get in that price range. The 495's aren't a bad headphone; they just don't have the life that makes listening to music a worthwhile experience, in my opinion.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser HD-580, AKG 501, Grado SR-80, Grado SR-125

Light, comfortable, great sound, look great

Need a lot of power so no good on my walkman :-(

Very nice pair of headphones, very light & comfortable. Before buying I tested most of the Sennheiser range (including the great ) but was budget limited to these...however once home I was very pleased with the sound & build qualities. The only one problem is that they need a lot of power & arent really suitable for some walkmans.

Overall, a great pair of headphones at a great price!

Similar Products Used:

HD-200 (later won from sennheiser.co.uk!), cheap Sonys

the quality of the sound is good and they are very comfortable

on certain things things like portable cd players they dont get too loud the volume dosnt get that high and the speakers on the outside dont keep the sound in

over all they are very good headphones and if you want a good pair to listen too on your stereo it is worth buying

Clarity and detail in spades. Lightweight, comfortable, easy to wear for long periods.

Slight lack of bass, needs power to really shine.

It doesn't get any better than this for under $100, they put many more expensive Sony models to shame. These are crisp, clear, and highly detailed. Timbre and tone on mids and highs is outstanding. Also, they get the sound outside of your head, so you don't have that closed-in headphone experience.
My Panasonic portable CD player powers these just fine, but they come alive through the headphone jack of my Denon receiver, and are even better with a dedicated headphone amp. The better the quality of the source and amplification you feed them, the better they get — you will hear details you've never heard before.
These are open air 'phones, so don't expect to use them on a bus or plane, and don't think they'll be silent in a quiet environment. You'll need a closed design or noise cancelling for those applications. These are for people who appreciate true high fidelity sound and know the environment in which they'll be listening.
The only (minor) complaint I have is in the bass department. The bass is there, but lacks drive and overall impact to a small degree. I think this is probably somewhat inherent with the open air design. Still, I'll take the clarity, detail, natural timbre, and imaging of these phones over the bass rich, but muddy and closed-in sound of a big pair of closed 'phones any day.
If you can find these on uBid for around $50, and appreciate what their design means and the limits it places on their use, you will not be disappointed, and will get an amazing bargain. Even at $90 these are a superb deal. A great pair of 'phones!

Similar Products Used:

Sony, Aiwa, Koss

good sound for the cheap deal

poor power with portables,
not that comfortable`

Got this cheap deal as it was lying at carrefour packed in a trashed HD490 case without papers, with HD490 price. As typical dutchman, bought it on the spot.
Regrets: the right speaker was, with loud bass volume, a kind of distorted. However with medium (normal) volume no problem. Guess it was an old burned out demo model which they tried to sell off... As for guarantee & support: it was stated as an HD490 on my receipt so no return support.

Anyway loved the sound as I was only used to some old yellow senns which I bought ~10 years ago (cushion colour had changed to dirty brown and was almost down to the plastic casing, hurting my ears).

Definitely an improvement in sound: more analytical and MUCH better sound than the oldies, top of line in HD4xx series. All in all more balanced and for 50 worth the money. 'Warm' sound which appreciates 'dark' low/low-mid and mild high. For real bright sound, dont take these.

When I hooked it up to my old R91 MD portable, which I use heavily, I had to turn the volume up to ~95% to get some reasonable dynamics, with some expected amp distortion. This deal seems not the real bite for portables, unless you use an amp. However using an amp is weird with $50 cans.

Impedance of 30ohms they mention. Strange. When I hook up my HD590 to the same source, actual volume is much louder. The 590's have an impedance of 120ohms. Well I thought these impedances could give some guideline to power effiency but cant explain this one. Can you?

As an hedonistic freak, I like listening 4h in one session. Must say that this ear-lying model starts to irritate after a while. I were glasses, and this combination just starts to hurt my ears after some time.

I changed to HD590's due to mentioned reasons. For $50 worth the bucks but not for portables. Carrying around an amp is no option for portables.

Similar Products Used:

very old senns (forgot the model but not cheap),
HD200,
HD590,
Beyer931

Very light and comfortable, very sleek and beautifully designed. Smooth, clean, clear sound.

Bass response could be better, imaging not as clear as higher-end headphones, not ideal for portable CD players

Picked up these headphones and intended to use them for my portable CD player. The specs claim an impedance of 32 ohms, so I thought it would be no problem since my discman drives my Koss R80 headphones (50 Ohm impedance) loud and clear.

Even though it is supposed to have only a 32 ohm impedance, I need to set my discman's volume at 80% of max to get a decent volume. I've heard that these phones are more suited with a headphone amp so now I know why. At the same volume setting, even my Sennheiser HD580's that have a 300 ohm impedance sound slightly louder. I would not recommend these for a portable since you can barely hear anything if you are on a loud bus.

Overall the sound is quite good, although understandably the Sennheiser HD580's sound better. The bass is a bit muddied and these headphones sound better suited for classical/instrumental than rock/pop music. However, if you shop around, the price is quite reasonable for a headphone of this quality

Similar Products Used:

Earbuds, Sony reference headphones, Koss TD75, Koss R80, Sennheiser HD580