Selecting a primary pair of wired headphones may be intimidating when the mannequin ranges are extra indecipherable than a again catalogue of dwell Beatles bootlegs. Sennheiser is seeking to simplify issues with its HD 505 open-back over ears, which goal a broader viewers than simply hardcore audiophiles.
Slotting in beneath the HD 600 sequence – commonly thought-about a benchmark for private audio, however with a value to match – the HD 505 in any other case tick loads of packing containers for music followers chasing sonic supremacy. The open-back design guarantees an airier sound than the closed-back HD 620S, whereas the tuning targets a extra analytical output as an alternative of beefy bass or tight treble. The agency reckons whole harmonic distortion is underneath 0.2%, too.
Distinctive copper trim apart, they match proper in with the remainder of the HD 500 line. Which means steel mesh outer covers on the ear cups, a scarf wrapped in artificial leather-based, and branding that’s not in-yer-face. Sennheiser has tweaked the mechanical bits just a little, lowering the quantity of clamping drive from the scarf for a extra comfy pay attention. At 237g they’re quite mild for a set of wired over-ears, too.
The cable is removable, utilizing Sennheiser’s acquainted twist-lock mechanism to remain securely mounted to the headphones whereas in use, however simply swapped out must you harm the bundled 1.8m spool. You’ll additionally be capable to swap it out for a balanced cable, for those who’ve obtained audio package that may provide a balanced sign. It’ll work with inline microphones, and there’s no scarcity of different first- and third-party equipment, as a result of it largely sticks to the HD 500 sequence’ tried-and-tested design.
Inside you’re getting Sennheiser’s in-house angled transducer drivers, which have been upgraded with improved laminate diaphragms and lighter voice coils to create a extra clear sound. They ship a 12Hz-38.5kHz frequency vary and impedance is rated for a reasonably excessive 120 ohms; sufficient that you simply’ll need an amplifier or devoted audio interface to drive them correctly. I used a Fiio JM21 transportable participant, which had impedance to spare.
I’ve solely had just a few hours of listening to this point, however have been impressed by how the HD 505 presents Sennheiser’s signature balanced sound. The low-end doesn’t dominate, however isn’t missing both; you possibly can decide the sub-bass out from the basslines on layered electronica like Flux Pavilion’s I Can’t Cease and Noisia’s Break up the Atom. The treble extension ensures high-end notes come throughout crisply however delicately.
The open-back drivers deliver an ethereal and expansive soundstage, giving an actual sense of scale to James Blake’s Restrict to you Love, and letting you give attention to particulars just like the refined vocal echo on Damaged Bells’ The Ghost Inside. It’s a step up from the HD 599 SE in virtually each side. A full overview is required to see how they stack as much as similarly-priced rivals, such because the Fiio FT3, Grado SR325x and Beyerdynamic DT 900 Professional X.
Sennheiser has teamed up with Amazon to launch the HD 505 within the US, UK and Europe. It’ll be occurring sale for £230/$250/€280, and ship in plain, eco-friendly packaging. The straightforward pack-ins – a drawstring bag and three.5 to six.35mm screw-on jack adapter – make it clear the headphones are the principle occasion, not the field or equipment.
Issues are just a little completely different for China, the place a Gold version will land first; it’ll head to different territories later, in case you’re not offered on the copper end.