The Best Studio Headphones... Period — Sennheiser HD 480 Pro Review

Closed back headphones are notoriously complicated and incredibly hard to tune. Usually, you have to sacrifice sound quality just to get something that isolates well and survives being tossed around a recording studio. 

Enter the Sennheiser HD 480 Pro, retailing around $400. After thoroughly testing it against the usual suspects, I can confidently say this is one of the best closed back headphones for any use case. Simply put, it is just a damn solid all-rounder.

If you know the open back HD 490 Pro, the design DNA here is identical save for things necessary for a closed back headphone (sealed pads, closed cup), which means HD 480 Pro is one of the most comfortable closed back headphones out there.

As for the accessories, the main item of note is the cable system. HD 480 Pro only comes with a coiled cable, even if you buy the Plus version that comes with the nicer hard case. I do wish they included a straight cable in the more expensive Plus version of the package, but even if I'm mildly disappointed by the lack of cable option, the way the cable itself is managed is fantastic. The cable features a microphonic-reduction spring at the cable entry terminal on the earcup that near-completely kills the "cable rubbing" noise that usually plagues closed-back headphones, and this may not seem like a big deal, if you're sensitive to microphonics noise arising from the occlusion effect like I am, its a godsend.

When measured on my head at the open ear canal entrance with diffuse field compensation, the HD 480 Pro reveals itself to be an exceptionally tuned, mostly-neutral headphone with a slight warm tilt.

The bass has excellent heft, though there is a bit too much bouncy mid-bass for my taste. The midrange leans slightly thin due to a dip around 180 Hz, and while this can make male vocals lack a bit of intimacy, it actually provides a fantastic sense of clarity and articulation for pianos and acoustic guitars. The treble is basically faultless—though this may not be as true for others as it is for me. It lacks any of the sibilance, harshness, or scratchiness found in most headphones, certainly in most studio headphones. Cymbals have zero ringiness, and vocals are smooth but intelligible, perfectly tying the entire tuning together.

To put it bluntly, the HD 480 Pro destroys the competition. It makes jokes of industry staples like the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro and Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. Against the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro, which is the least compromised of the most popular and attainable studio headphones in terms of sound, it wins easily because the 280 Pro clamps like an absolute vice. It also makes light work of the Sennheiser HD 620S, which has pad wrinkles that ruin the sub-bass performance, unusually boxy mids, and glassy treble.

Because HD 480 Pro is so good, it even competes with open-back headphones (closed back headphones usually have to be evaluated within their cup-type because comparing to open headphones would usually be a losing battle). However, I prefer HD 480 Pro to the 490 Pro thanks to a better bass response and far smoother treble. It even goes toe-to-toe with my darling HD 650; while the 650 still wins on midrange timbre, the 480 Pro has better bass extension, smoother treble, and vastly superior comfort and design.

The HD 480 Pro is so good that it has officially dethroned the Hifiman Edition XV as my daily driver. It sounds better in the midrange, has a more fun bass response, and is significantly more comfortable.

For that reason I will be giving nothing less than my enthusiastic endorsement and recommendation of the HD 480 Pro. Whether you are mixing tracks or just listening for pleasure, it is an exceedingly easy headphone to recommend, wear, and listen to.