Sennheiser HD497 Reviews
The Sennheiser HD497, the top model of Sennheiser’s StreeWear range, has a frequency response of 37-21,000Hz, an impedance of 32 ohms, and an SPL rating of 112 dB—all of which makes it a little short of being considered “audiophile material.” However, at around $76 (list price), a typical media player-carrying commoner can enjoy a far superior sound by shelling out a little more. Find out the strengths of the HD497.
Below are some good reviews of the Sennheiser HD497.
dinosauract from Pennsylvania, USA talks about the mids, lows and highs
“The mid-range is excellent, very smooth and detailed. Vocals sound right on, sibilants being reproduced perfectly, a very difficult thing to achieve in low priced gear, and something that plenty of expensive stuff doesn’t get right. Subtle changes in pitch of vocals, guitars, and piano are reproduced with realism.”
“The top end is very well extended and detailed as well, but it doesn’t throw the sound in your face. Cymbals, shakers, and violins sound like the real thing. Violins can sometimes have a little bite, and this is reproduced very well with the 497′s. They don’t exaggerate the high end, but it definitely is not rolled off. Nearly perfect, at least to my ears.”
“The bass region is good, but is not quite up to the standard of the rest of the frequency range. Extension is excellent, electric bass, string bass, cellos and even synthetic bass are all reproduced with weight and detail. I love cellos, the subtle overlays of texture are an excellent test of the resolving powers of any piece of equipment. The 497′s excel here. The negative aspect of the bass area is that electic bass seems a little pronounced. There seems to be a slight boost in the mid-bass, meaning that certain notes seem to linger a little longer than they shoud. It is not severe, and on certain tracks it provides a nice warm feel, but it is a coloration.”
Arvi Vaz from Shorewood, WI compares it with a Sony MDR-V600
“I bought this product to replace a Sony V600 I have used for several years and now falling apart. The V600 is a big full cup foldable unit with a heavy curled wire coming from one side. I thought it was a pretty good set of cans but always felt that the sound was somehow constrained. In hind sight, maybe it needed amps. Anyway, the Sennheiser is a big revelation. Deep bass, great mids, really clean highs. On the down side, I feel the cymbals tend to sound tinny. The unit is cheap looking. Connectors are not gold-plated. The cable is thin and usually unruly. Obviously, the material aspects of the product is not up to snuff. But the sound it makes is one of the best I’ve heard.”
A. Louie from Fremont, CA talks about comfort
“In terms of ergonomics, these headphones do hurt my ears a bit. Although the padded ears make it semi-comfortable for me, I have large ears and the left phone presses against the cartilage about a half inch above my earlobe. Not a sharp pain, but a dull pain more like a bruise and gets a bit irritating after a about 30-45 minutes of use. I think this may be an issue with me because open headphones irritate the same part of my ear as well. Also, since I use only for portable listening, the 9′ cord is too long for a portable use and needs to be tied up.”
Photo by Tsuki-yomi.
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