Image by Bonus Action
When I moved from the grotty wired headphones that everyone and their mum (or my mum, at least) had in the early 2000s to Sony’s studio quality headset, it changed my world. However, after a couple of weeks of thoroughly testing Sennheiser’s HD 505 headphones, I feel like I’ve been living a lie.
Key details
- Designer: Sennheiser
- Connection: 3.5mm and 6.3mm adapter
- Where to Buy: Sennheiser/Amazon
- Price: $279.95 USD/£229.99
- Review Sample Provided: Yes
Removing decades of tin
Upon switching to the Sennheiser HD 505, the first thing I noticed was how much more level all audio became. It wasn’t that anything was dampened, but that what other headphones tried to achieve at a higher level of quality was actually creating a dreadful tinny sound I couldn’t pinpoint before.
The best way to explain this is to imagine you’re listening to your favorite artist’s album, whatever is on Spotify. It’s great, sounds good, and is clearly mixed well. However, when you watch the same songs performed in specifically designed studios, such as Vevo’s incredible sound rooms, then you realize there’s a lot of background noise, room ambiance, and lost notes you didn’t notice before. Humor me by listening first to the official video of Bathroom Floor by Maddie & Tae below.
Next, give this live version in a dedicated room with every instrument and singer in a go. Hear and feel the difference in not only the music, but also the emotion – especially the adrenaline and joy, it brings out.
Your one argument here could be that this is simply the difference between live music and highly produced tracks. That’s fair, but this is the difference with everything using the Sennheiser HD 505, and it’s amazing.
How Does it Feel?
The Sennheiser HD 505 is the most comfortable headset I’ve worn in years. My old one digs into the skin around my ears and the top of my head. This device is cushioned in just the right areas to avoid all that, but it’s also just built different.
For example, each speaker pivots around your head, so you can shift it to be in the most comfortable position possible and still get that top audio quality. I wear it with the band toward the front of my head, leaving the entire thing on a complete diagonal, but it works so well that I’ve not once noticed an issue. Especially with such spacious overear speakers.
I think a huge part of this is the fact that it weighs just 237 grams. That’s just a couple of bars of chocolate, if that, and you really don’t notice it balanced on your ears. It’s 1.8 meter cable is detachable and features both a 3.5mm and 6.3mm adapter, you just screw the larger one on top. This came in real handy because I could bounce between adding in even more quality with the Ifi Go Link Headphone Amp and Ifi Zen Can 3 analogue amplifier.
What About That Price?
The Sennheiser HD 505 will set you back $279.95/£229.99, which isn’t cheap by any stretch. On the one hand, you could get a really great headset for much less, but you’d be compromising.
It is the perfect headphone to upgrade your audio experience without blowing all your cash on something that might not live up to its price tag. For a retailer-only model, it’s exceptional, and the only way you can get better is by purchasing professional-grade equipment.
What these headphones offer you, above all else, is quality – and it’s a quality I don’t think you’ll get elsewhere for anywhere near a comparable price. As I mentioned at the start of this review, I thought I’d been using top-notch headphones for years, but this device takes things to an entirely new level, one I thought I’d have to pay at least $500 for.
During my time using the Sennheiser HD 505, I’ve listened to all sorts of music. From studio sessions to full albums and live sets. Each time, I found something new that I’d missed, a tiny detail that pulled a song up and made me hear it in a new light.
Ashley Kutcher’s Favorite Color is the perfect example of this. It’s a brilliant tune by itself, with no need for an upgrade. Through this headset, the rise of the background beat, bass, and subtle-yet-constant tones combine and pulse right through you.
As a guitarist, I’d say it’s akin to beating the instrument and feeling that bass go through you as opposed to having an electric sound playing somewhere nearby. Everything just feels a lot more real, and that’s what music is meant to be, right?
But this also applies to the games you play. Plug these headphones in, and you’re going to have a much better time listening to the worlds you want to lose yourself in. I was lucky enough to be reviewing these at the same time as playing Monster Hunter Wilds.
Hearing the epic orchestral soundtrack play as I wailed on colossal monsters, every hit of my hammer made more visceral, it was perfect. It was as if I was listening to a live concert of the game with a pre-recorded hunt in the background.
The same goes for grittier soundtracks like the Kill Bill meets Japanese samurai movie classic you’ll hear in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. No matter where you go, the headphones can meet you there, and they don’t falter.
So, to bring this back around to price, yes, this is an expensive headset in one sense. Compare it to a cheap headphone or simple smartphone equivalent, though, and you’re missing the point. Those cheaper headphones exist so that you have something you don’t mind taking out and about and accidentally leaving on the train, bus, or in a taxi. You’d lend them to a friend, and you lose track of them all the time.
The Sennheiser HD 505 makes your music, movies, and downtime overall much more of an experience. Time is so precious, and we’re always looking for ways to improve it. A decent headset is such a simple upgrade, and one that undercuts the competition without losing quality is incredibly difficult to come by.
If you’re ever in the market for a way to boost your headphones so you can enjoy watching The Expanse before bed or listen to your evening playlist as you drift off, this is the device you should be buying. There really isn’t any competition, whether you’re hoping to hear a game’s soundtrack or work your way through someone’s entire discography.
Final Score – 9/10
The Sennheiser HD 505 is ideal for anyone wanting to push their headphone quality to the next level or just get a set that’s not going to let them down at the first hurdle.
They’re strong yet flexible and always push the limits of what you thought you could hear in a soundtrack, TV show, movie, or game. Good audio helps build upon the experiences you know and love by revealing things you didn’t hear before, and that’s precisely what these are designed for.
**A Sennheiser HD 505 sample was provided to Bonus Action for the purpose of this review**
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