Sennheiser HD 505 review: Sensational sound, compromised convenience
The Sennheiser HD 505 offer a fairly easy ramp into more expensive audiophile headphones, giving you a chance to see if the experience is worth the cost.
Pros
- Exceptional audio quality
- Comfortable for extended listening sessions
- Stylish design
Cons
- Open-back design leaks sound in and out
- Cable only limits situations you can use them
- Cable can get in the way sometimes
The first time I popped on the HD 505 to listen to some lossless music, I audibly gasped.
When my son got home from school that day, I sat him down and put on Nirvana’s Nevermind and made him listen through the HD 505. His reaction was instinctive:
“Ooooh”.
These are headphones designed to reward active listening. They work best when you have a piece of music you want to enjoy, as well as time and space and a quiet environment.
In those situations, these headphones sing.
But if you want a pair of headphones for commuting, or watching TV, then you won’t get the same benefit. The convenience of wireless audio, in my opinion, far outweighs audio quality for the vast majority of listening situations.
What is the Sennheiser HD 505 offering?
The HD 505 is an entry-level pair of audiophile headphones. They are designed for customers just looking to start their journey down the path to pristine audio.
It’s not a cheap entry point at $449.95, but ask any audiophile, and they’ll tell you it isn’t a cheap pastime. And comparatively, that asking price isn’t too bad.
What you get for your money is a comfortable pair of wired headphones with a custom 120-ohm transducer in an open earcup.
Each transducer is angled to replicate the triangular position of a set of near-field loudspeakers. This means the HD 505 gives the impression you are sitting front row at a concert or movie theatre.
With a frequency response range of 12 Hz to 38,500 Hz, with less than 0.2% harmonic distortion, it also sounds like you’re really there.
You get a 1.8 metre cable with a 3.5 mm plug and a 6.3 mm adapter, which can be detached for transportation. The 2.5 mm connector to the headphones also locks in place, so you won’t have the cable rip free at inopportune times.
The synthetic leather headband is partnered with a metal mesh earcup for a lightweight design, and the soft ear pads can be easily replaced.
What does the Sennheiser HD 505 do well?
These headphones sound fantastic. If you’ve never listened to music through a pair of good-quality open-backed headphones, you are definitely missing out.
To put these through their paces, I listened to a wide range of music. My starting point was Dave Matthews and Time Reynolds Live in Radio City, a live recording of two guys playing acoustic guitars and one guy singing.
The clarity on each note of Reynolds’ guitar playing is staggering. When he hits the solo on Lie in our Graves, it’s almost a religious experience with the HD 505.
Grunge classics like Nirvana’sNevermind also sound incredible, as do local acts like Powderfinger’s Vulture Street. The music sounds warm, and benefits from being turned up a bit louder. Rockin’ Rocks really does rock with these headphones.
For something different, I popped on Dual of the Fates from The Phantom Menace, and wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. I heard details I’d never noticed before, from the percussion to the strings and horn section. The chorus also sounded (more) magnificent.
I could go on and on. Ben Folds’ The Luckiest was mesmerising. The intro to Rage Against the Machine’s Killing in the Name got my blood pumping. Jon Bon Jovi’s high note in Livin’ on a Prayer…
Everything sounded exceptional. Cranked to full volume while listening to lossless tracks on Apple Music on the new MacBook Air, there was absolutely no distortion at all.
The headphones themselves are also comfortable for extended listening sessions. The cushions aren’t anything special – there’s no weird fabric or faux-leather finish or anything like that. But they feel comfortable, and sit around each ear enveloping them in sound.
What could the Sennheiser HD 505 improve?
I think it’s important here to note that while I have some issues with the HD 505, I don’t think it’s anything Sennheiser could actually improve.
The first is the leaking audio. Having an open-backed design means that your music leaks out. And it’s definitely true here.
If you are using these at any reasonable volume, people around you will be able to hear. It won’t sound as good to them, but they will absolutely be able to pick up the songs you are listening to, or make out the words being said.
In my case, it meant that any time I was sitting with my wife but not doing something together, I couldn’t use these headphones. She often reads while I play video games, but I was unable to use these headphones while doing so because it was too distracting for her.
The second hurdle to overcome is the wired connection.
Having the wired connection wasn’t the challenge. It’s the inconvenience of not being wireless.
I couldn’t use these on a commute because my phone doesn’t have a headphone jack. I love the convenience of wireless headphones, and I found myself more often than not reaching for the AirPods Max over the HD 505 because of that ease of use.
Not to mention that I got the cable tangled in between the cushions of my couch. 1.8 metres is good for some environments where you need the cable length, but if you’re plugged into a laptop, it’s a lot of excess copper.
Verdict
I really loved the audio quality of these headphones. They sound incredible, even compared to premium wireless models like the Sonos Ace and Apple AirPods Max.
But that audio quality comes at the cost of convenience (plus $450).
If you’re prepared to pay that price, and have somewhere you can enjoy your music without it disturbing others, then these will give you some impressive audio experiences.
But if you find you don’t have time for actively listening to music, then you will probably be better served by a wireless pair of headphones.
Buy the Sennheiser HD 505 online
Consider showing your support with a donation.
Nick Broughall
