Sennheiser launches the HD 480 PRO, its top-of-the-range closed-back headphones for studio and live environments. Designed with precision, the headphones eliminate two most-cited pain points of closed-back headphones by delivering tight, accurate bass reproduction and ensuring supreme comfort for audio professionals tasked with recording, tracking or monitoring in the studio, in live audio environments or on the move.
Delivering where other closed-backs fail, the HD 480 PRO deliver an honest low-end. With closed-back headphones, a good reproduction of the low-end is usually difficult to achieve. This is where the HD 480 PRO excel. Compared to other closed-back headphones, they are a lot tighter on the bass, their low-end is super-accurate and realistic, notes Jimmy R. Landry, category market manager, Music Industry at Sennheiser.
Comfort is of paramount importance when headphones are a work tool, adds Gunnar Dirks, senior product manager for professional headphones. Engineers often spend hours on end in their sessions. They need a lightweight, ergonomically designed pair of headphones to keep focus and concentration up. The HD 480 PRO eliminate any pressure points and fit every head precisely and comfortably, even if wearing glasses.
Purpose-built for professional audio work, the HD 480 PRO are an ideal choice for monitoring, producing and recording, but also for mixing. Their absolute accuracy, uncolored frequency response and honest low-end ensure that the audio translates reliably to any listening situation from home speakers to automobile use and PA systems.
The HD 480 PRO benefit from several Sennheiser-patented features. Special Axes Geometry ensures the headphones optimally adapt to the head and maintain equal contact pressure. Acomfort zone for glasses ensures the ear pads do not press on the temples. Blocking of cable-borne noise is achieved via a coiled part near the earcup which decouples the headphones from structure-borne or handling noise.
The detachable cable can be worn on the left or right side. The left and right earcups are braille-marked.
The open-back HD 490 PRO and closed-back HD 480 PRO are at the top of the 400 series. The open HD 490 PRO will be ideal for mixing in quiet environments, while the closed HD 480 PRO is recommended for applications where isolation is needed, such as tracking vocals in the room or monitoring.
The HD 480 PRO retails at $399 (MAP). It features recording earpads and a 9-foot coiled cable and is delivered complete with a carrying bag. The HD 480 PRO Plus comes with a travel case and retails at $439 (MAP).
HD 480 PRO technical data includes an acoustic principle of closed, circumaural ear coupling and dynamic transducer principle. The transducer diameter is 38 mm. Frequency response is 3 to 28,700 Hz (-10 dB). Sensitivity is 107 dB SPL (at 1 kHz/1Vrms). Max SPL is 130 dB (1 kHz, 5% THD).
For more information, visit sennheiser.com.
