Sennheiser HD497 Headphones

Amazon Customer Reviews

(4 out of 5)

Sounds good

I also have a Sony's MDR-V600 headphone. Comparing to that thing, I think HD497 sounds better, it sounds gorgeous, its bass is better than V600 and human's voice sounds much more clear than V600. BTW-HD497 is much lighter than V600.

(5 out of 5)

SENNHEISER's current best

Although I had to adjust to the different feel of these headphones compared to earlier SENNHEISERs I now love these to the max and that is after only one day.

Having auditions more expensive SENNHEISER of late I can say that the more expensive models are not what they used to be and these brilliant HD 497's can satisfy any type of application.

I agree they are a semi-open semi-closed in feel and the results are excellent from the most sensitive "real music" to dance beats.

I have a Technics SL1200 turntable with a SHURE Audiophile M97xE cartridge/stylus and my LP taste is very broad. These headphones relate brilliantly. They also rock for DVD movies.
Works

Go for it!!

Howard

(5 out of 5)

Great set of headphones. Great bargain!

I've been looking to find a set of medium budget hi-fi headphones for quite a while and when I saw these on Amazon they looked to fit the bill. Supra-aural in design these are designed to sit on top of your ear rather than circling them like most high-end headphones do. Don't see this as a bad thing though as its what makes these phones so inexpensive and they are overall quite comfortable once you get the angle right.

Included in the box is the set of headphones, and a converter allowing you to use it with a larger (1/8'') plug which you commonly find on Hi-Fi's or leaving it off, the smaller style plug found on many walkmans. Unfortuntaly with mine there was no manual included detailing warranty instructions, and tips on how to wear which is not quite as easy as just putting them on. You need to try and get the entire pleather sitting on your ear so they seal. The top of the headphones also have a pleather rest on them which helps keep them both in possition and comfortable on your head. Overall they are quite comfortable once you get used to them.

Being open headphones, they allow outside noises in and their own sound out (I don't know yet how much). Personally I think this is a good thing if you intend to use them as a pair of home headphones as it lets you hear people shouting at you from the next room, but if on the move you certainly won't be able to ignore the sound of the train unless listening to continuosly loud trance music on high volume. Even so, these headphones can be powered from a portable device easily without draining the battery to much.

Sound quality - these headphones are the clearest headphones I have ever heard. Although I don't have much experience for anyone who isn't used to listening to £150 Sennheisers and Grado's these are a set of great headphones for any kind of music. Compared to other headphones these tend to have a rockier sort of feel but still, they do justice to any kind of music. Highs are clear and sharp and the bass is not too obvious and in your face, as with cheaper 'bass enhanced' cans.

Overall I recommend these cans to anyone wanting a cheap hi-fi set of headphones to listen to at home. They are great sounding if a little bit garish on the eyes (not a huge fan of silver myself) and are definetly well worth the money!

(4 out of 5)

Great bass

Bought as a replacement for an ageing pair of HD450's (15 years old) these are a different design and have a very different sound which takes a little getting used to - that is not a negative as the sound quality is superb and the bass response is fantastic.

They are more comfortable to wear as they exert little pressure on your ears and the side of your head.

I would argue that they are not open but closed cup.

I will use them for radio studio monitoring and mobile DJ work. Monitoring in the studio is superb and the closed cup design really helps eliminate background noise during discos.

Overall: very different to the similarly priced HD450's (at the time) but have yet to find as good an alternative at any price than Sennheiser. Highly reccommended.

(4 out of 5)

Fantastic quality phones, not too suitable for travel

Quality of these headphones rocks- great sound, very light in weight and most comfortable on ears.
The only grip is that they can not be folded, so if you want to get something for travel, go for Sennheiser px200.
They are the next best choice.