Sennheiser has launched its new HD 480 PRO closed-back headphones, designed for professional audio recording, monitoring, and live sound environments. The new model aims to address common challenges associated with closed-back designs, specifically delivering accurate bass reproduction and enhanced comfort for extended use.
The HD 480 PRO headphones are positioned as a versatile tool for producers, engineers, and creators, offering an uncoloured frequency response and advanced noise-shielding. This design is intended to provide reliable and detailed sound across various working conditions, from studio tracking to live monitoring.
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Key Features and Design Philosophy
A primary focus for the HD 480 PRO is its low-frequency performance. Jimmy R. Landry, Category Market Manager for Music Industry at Sennheiser, stated that the headphones provide a “tighter” and “super-accurate and realistic” low-end compared to other closed-back models.
Comfort was another critical design consideration. Gunnar Dirks, Senior Product Manager for professional headphones, emphasized the necessity of a lightweight, ergonomically designed headphone for audio professionals who often work for long durations. The HD 480 PRO features a design intended to minimize pressure points and accommodate various head shapes, including those wearing glasses. This is achieved through Sennheiser’s patented Special Axes Geometry and a ‘comfort zone’ within the ear pads specifically for spectacle temples, ensuring consistent contact pressure and seal.
Technical Innovations for Clarity and Isolation
To optimize audio clarity and user focus, the HD 480 PRO incorporates multiple stages of passive sound shielding. A “Vibration Attenuation System” is also integrated to reduce unwanted vibrations, reflections, and distortion, aiming to preserve signal integrity. The headphones utilize ultralight voice coils, which contribute to a dynamic audio reproduction.
Further design elements include a coiled section near the earcup connection to decouple cable-borne noise, reducing handling sounds. The detachable cable can be positioned on either the left or right side, adapting to different setups. Left and right earcups are also braille-marked for accessibility.
Differentiating from the HD 490 PRO
Sennheiser positions the HD 480 PRO alongside its open-back counterpart, the HD 490 PRO, as top-tier models in the 400 series of professional audio headphones. Gunnar Dirks clarified the distinction: “The open HD 490 PRO will be ideal for mixing in quiet environments, while I would recommend the closed HD 480 PRO for applications where you need isolation, for example when you’re tracking vocals in the room, when monitoring or using them as an FoH reference, or simply when you’re working in the same space as others.” This provides clarity on which model suits specific professional needs.
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Pricing and Availability
The Sennheiser HD 480 PRO is available in India at a retail price of INR 43,999.00. This standard package includes recording earpads, a 3-meter coiled cable, and a carrying bag. A “Plus” version, the HD 480 PRO Plus, is also offered at INR 47,999.00, which substitutes the carrying bag with a travel case.
Headphone Technical Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
| Acoustic Principle | Closed |
| Ear Coupling | Circumaural (Over-ear) |
| Transducer Principle | Dynamic |
| Transducer Diameter | 38 mm |
| Frequency Response | 3 Hz – 28,700 Hz (-10 dB) |
| Sensitivity | 107 dB SPL (1 kHz/1 Vrms) / 98 dB (1 kHz, 1 mW) |
| Maximum SPL | 130 dB (1 kHz, 5% THD) |
| THD | <0.5% (1 kHz, 100 dB SPL) |
| Impedance | 130 ohms (1 kHz) |
| Power Rating | 300 mW (IEC 60268) |
| Weight | 272 g (excluding cable) |
Available accessories include replacement recording ear pads, coiled and straight cables of various lengths, a balanced cable, and different storage case options.