Sennheiser HD 485
Manufacturer: Sennheiser Electronics Corp. Part number: HD485
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Sennheiser's HD 485s are our new reference headphones for iPod listening, and their remarkably clear sound also clicks with DVDs and CDs.
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CNET editors' review
Sennheiser HD 485 price range: $84.99 - $89.99
- Reviewed by: Steve Guttenberg
- Edited by: David Carnoy
- Reviewed on: 04/26/2005
- Released on: 03/01/2005
The good: 21st-century styling; light-as-a-feather design; comfortable; rich tonal balance; cleverly designed holder/wall bracket.
The bad: 10-foot cord is problematically long when traveling; open-back design may not be ideal for private listening.
The bottom line: Sennheiser's HD 485s are our new reference headphones for iPod listening, and their remarkably clear sound also clicks with DVDs and CDs.
The HD 485s employ Sennheiser's revised high-current, aluminum voice-coil and diaphragm geometry drivers for improved sound quality. The large headphones are awfully light, just 7.7 ounces, and thanks to their generously padded earcups and headband, they're a pleasure to use. The 10-foot long cable is fitted with a standard 1/8-inch minijack, and an adapter is included so that you can plug the HD 485s into a home stereo. For good measure, Sennheiser also throws in a sturdy holder/wall bracket that easily attaches to any horizontal or vertical surface to give your HD 485s a convenient docking station when not in use.
Plugged into our iPod, the HD 485s upped our estimation of the little player's potential as a high-fidelity device. Bass was big and beautifully defined, midrange was crystal clear, and the treble had plenty of sparkle without a hint of harshness or glare. We plugged in a pair of our reference Grado SR125s for a brief comparison--their bass didn't reach as low, and voices and guitars lacked the rich sound they had over the HD 485s. If you want to hear how good your iPod or MP3 player can sound, buy a set of HD 485s!
Back at home, the Sennheiser 'phones killed when we checked out the Saw DVD. Not for the faint of heart, this DVD is loaded with grisly, blood-splattered scenes, and the HD 485s' über-detail-resolution put us in the thick of it. The open quality of the sound made it easy to forget that we were listening to headphones. We also sampled the Led Zeppelin II CD, cranked up to skull-crushing volume levels. The HD 485s held their own but were in some ways bettered by our faithful old Sennheiser HD 580 headphones ($300 when they were new five years ago). The 580s had even more and better low-end power, but the 485s were more transparent in the midrange and treble. So we're not about to proclaim the Sennheiser HD 485 as the world's best headphones, but they might be the world's best $100 contender.
User reviews
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phenomenal.
by dnorm00 on May 4, 2005
Pros: amazing range, never left needing more volume
Cons: cable is a bit long (but necessary for many uses)
Summary: I actually picked the HD 485's up after reading the initial review on CNET. They were simply a fantastic purchase. You are never left needing more volume, treble, midrange, ...
Summary: I actually picked the HD 485's up after reading the initial review on CNET. They were simply a fantastic purchase. You are never left needing more volume, treble, midrange, and BASS is awesome! These headphones will not disappoint any listener - amateur to audiophile.
9 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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An ode to Sennheiser
by nycxkilla on October 26, 2005
Pros: Holder (huge plus), Bass, makes music sound a LOT better (will explain later)
Cons: It's only for home use, opposed to it being advertised as portable. it looks kind of weird if you were to wear these outside because of its full size.
Summary: History with Sennheiser Customer Service:
Me: My hobby is an amateur music producer (psychedelic trance and hip hop tracks). I used to use speakers when I started, but then as ...Summary: History with Sennheiser Customer Service:
Me: My hobby is an amateur music producer (psychedelic trance and hip hop tracks). I used to use speakers when I started, but then as I advanced in skill, I required better hearing equipment to really feel the music. I first bought the HD465 and returned them because of a mistake on my part, but then the Service Department was so nice to upgrade me to 485s because of my complaints of the 465s. I don't even think they found a problem with the headphones; I think it was my fault (set up the preamps wrong). I have to claim and let it be known that Sennheiser's Customer Service is awesome; I'm a loyal customer for life now.
Now to the product:
Problem: The problem I noticed is that these HD485s make the music I create sound so much better than on regular speakers that I can?t trust them to sound as they would for other systems (a person with a regular sound system won?t hear the music as I do). I?m not sure if this is a problem with the creation of all music.
Praise: These headphones give music LIFE. If you listen to psychedelic trance, try it with these headphones? you will lose your mind. The extra-low frequency response (16 hz ? 24.5khz) really helps. These HD 485s KICK bass and have a great sound stage. Sometimes, when I?m watching a movie, I look behind to my right to see if someone came into my room because it sounds so real. The HD485s make songs sound better, bring movies into your tangible world (if it has surround sound), and make the nastiest music, sound great. I tried to listen to the songs I created on regular 4.1 computer speakers (Altec Lansing ATP5 where the sub reaches down to 47Hz) and it sounded flat; however, when I put these on and listen, they sound like pure heaven!
The holder that is included is the best thing since perforated toilet paper. This smooth, leather-like covered, foam-stuffed holder makes my life so much easier. When I had the 465s (holder not included), I never knew where to put my headphones because I wanted to keep them in good condition; but this holder provides a nice, safe, comfortable home for my 485s.
I?ve given up on speakers, I only use my HD485s now? They?re way too good.
(PS. i just clicked the slider for the ratings and the sound that it was producing sounded great. Those are headphones for you)6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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sennheiser
by Ulaenyth on February 2, 2007
Pros: hd sennheiser headphone
Cons: 485 headphone
Summary: i have this headphone, and the soundquality is outstanding, the trebble is great and the sound is very high so no muffles sound. the bass is exelent, looking at that ...
Summary: i have this headphone, and the soundquality is outstanding, the trebble is great and the sound is very high so no muffles sound. the bass is exelent, looking at that this headphone is at it's cheapest in the netherland for 79 euro's. it is really worth it's price, the comfort when you have it on your head, the material forms itself to the form of your ears. great
. and the wire that is attached to the headphone is just a jack plugin so if the cable breaks of teares of whatever your can just replace it and you don't have to buy an entire new headphone. i really love it, it is really flexible to so if you wanna use it for when your a DJ this one is perfect, but when your addicted to good soundquality i can recommend this one. 
.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Fantastic Headphones for the price
by kschles on July 11, 2006
Pros: Bass is a standout, but the mid-range and high-range sounds are pretty goo too.
Cons: Nothing really
Summary: I have a number of headphones (it's kind of a sickness, although I tell myself it's a hobby), including the Sennheiser 595, 497; Grado SR80, and Sennheiser hd ...
Summary: I have a number of headphones (it's kind of a sickness, although I tell myself it's a hobby), including the Sennheiser 595, 497; Grado SR80, and Sennheiser hd 25-1. What I was looking for was a good "open" full size pair of headphones with an 1/8" plug that I could use at my desk at work. The Grado's sound very good, but I just can't get past the comfort issue. The 595's are great, but the plug is 1/4", and too cumbersome to use at work with my Ipod. The HD 25-1 are very good closed headphones that sometimes get a little warm and over-heated with extended use.
The reviews for the HD485 almost seemed too good to be true, but after trying them out for several days, I'm a believer. For $70.00 (plus S&H), these are incredible. I'd say the sound is about 90% of my much more expensive Senn HD 595's. I prefer the 485 sound way over the Grado's (warm and smooth vs. detailed but sometimes harsh), not to mention these are incredibly comfortable to wear. I still need to burn these in some, and I expect the sound to get better (that's been my experience with full-size headphones). These are incredible, and you don't have to spend a small fortune for quality sound.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Absolutely oustandind all round
by Haydz-n91 on May 15, 2006
Pros: very good sound quality all round. outstanding comfort
Cons: not very portable and the open back design lets some ambient noise in
Summary: A couple of months ago i bought myself a new creative zen 20gb mp3 player. at the time i thought the sound quality produced from the standard headphones was extremely ...
Summary: A couple of months ago i bought myself a new creative zen 20gb mp3 player. at the time i thought the sound quality produced from the standard headphones was extremely good. id always wondered why the sound quality of the large 'big buffers' at the cd stores sounded so good and i always thought it was purely because they had them turned up so loud........ think again. i did some reasearch on cnet and audio review.com and found that the hd485's were the best sound quality for price, more so than the 515's and 555's. when i first tried them on i thought the sound was fantastic but after an hour or so of listening i began to pick holes in their performance. - the bass was to strong and overpowering and the mids were a bit mucky and the vocals sounded quite distant and weak; yet they still sounded better than my old standard creative set. however i stayed optimitic especially after reading the 'take time to break them in review' and that guy is totally right; after about 35 hours of listening the sound spectrum even out a lot. the bass toned down and became full and solid, the mids became rich and the vocals especially the high notes became crisp and clean, this happens very gradually over the break in period. i had ago on my frinds i-pod nano yesterday and almost laughed at the tinny scraping noise it made. what a difference awesome headphones do make after all. the comfort is also superb after 15 minutes you forget you are wearing them. one improvement to be made would definitely be making them closed back to help with ambient noise reduction. and lastly the 3m cord is a bit of a pain i would have liked to see a 1.5m cord with another 3m extension they have tried to account for tv listening as well as portable short range all in 1 which hasnt worked that well, the 3m cord doesnt reach my tv from my couch, but ill just buy another 3 m extension. all in all sound quality and comfort far out way all the tiny faults but still not perfect. SUPERB
Updated
sorry every one for all the spelling errors, i wrote it in a hurry3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Crisp, dynamic sound.
by camwlkr on April 1, 2006
Pros: Sound quality, frequency response
Cons: Comfort not as it could be.
Summary: These are the best sounding headphones I've used, which is saying something. Now they're in my possession, my (quality) computer speakers are getting very little use.
The sound ...Summary: These are the best sounding headphones I've used, which is saying something. Now they're in my possession, my (quality) computer speakers are getting very little use.
The sound quality is outstanding - clear, crisp, and full-bodied throughout the audio spectrum. In fact, there is really no reason to turn up the volume, as the sound clarity is really there from quite low sound levels. They are worth the money.
I've yet to find a setting with the headband that is comfortable for long periods. The band seems to bit a bit into my scalp, and pull hair into uncomfortable positions if you move around at all while listening. Readjustment may be necessary more often than with other headphones.
With my Creative Labs mp3 player - sound reproduction is really spectacular. You'd have to find a top-shelf audio system to compete with range and clarity of the frequency response of these 'phones.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Astounding
by lampwize on January 24, 2006
Pros: ComfortableSuperb sound, Many classes above standard headphones
Cons: 10 foot chord? (not really a problem)
Summary: These give the music I listen to an entire new life. I was using earbuds that came with my iAudio U2 and thought I needed a new set of headphones. ...
Summary: These give the music I listen to an entire new life. I was using earbuds that came with my iAudio U2 and thought I needed a new set of headphones. Previously, the earbuds continuously fell out of my ears and the sound quality they produced was lacking.
Pros:
These are very nice for extended periods of listening because of the soft earpads. The sound is simply unmatched to most of the headphones people are wearing. The bass caught me first with its clarity and definition. It makes you feel as if you have not really heard any of your songs before. These also come with a rack to hang them on but I do not know who would use it.
Cons:
It has a ten foot chord, I do not know what for but all you need to do is put a twist-tie around it.
I recommend these to anyone who wants to step up the quality of the music they are hearing.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very Good First Step for budding Audiophiles
by raythatiknow on November 7, 2005
Pros: Great Sound.
Cons: If any -- funny looking.
Summary: First, when reading my review, consider that this has been my first step into the audiophile realm of headphones.
I gave this product a rating of "9" b/c:
9 (...Summary: First, when reading my review, consider that this has been my first step into the audiophile realm of headphones.
I gave this product a rating of "9" b/c:
9 (Spectacular):
A product that receives a rating in this range scores high on all of its rating criteria. It succeeds at meeting all of its intended users' needs and has no meaningful drawbacks.
Now, I realize that there are higher end headphones out there and maybe if i owned one of those products, previously, my rating wouldnt be as high... but with anything you hold an opinion on, prior experiences will bias you in certain ways.
That said, these headphones kick A$$.
They could compare to a set of mid-ranged price tower speakers that you can only hear by yourself.
As far as the CONS:
This goes for any headphone of this type (circumaural, open-air)... they're big and clunky.
And i dont know if this classifies as a "CON" but i've went back and re-ripped any music i've already ripped at default settings on Windows Media Player because i could hear too many imperfections with these headphones. it's way more noticeable in classical/jazz and maybe stevie wonder than it is with hip hop/pop/rock.
i even now have to friggin' buy a new soundcard b/c the one i have.. i can hear too many imperfections!!!
these headphones really change the way you hear music.
another drawback has to do with this being "open air" headphones.
if you're in the same room with someone on the telephone or can hear a tv in the other room it will cut in on your listening pleasure because you can actually hear it. with these headphones ON with NO music on, you can hear what's going on pretty well. DEFINITELY not for use on trains, plains, and automobiles. ("my hands are between two pillows")
These headphones ARE VERY comfortable, however. VERY.
So, I hope this somehow helped. i tried to cover most of the bases. but as the rating guideline from CNET.com goes, this is DEFINITELY a product worthy or a 9 rating... UNLESS, that is, you are downgrading from a far superior product. (A BMW 330i probably kicks major A$$ to someone like me so i'd rate it a 9... but if you own a Lamborghini and bought a BMW based on my review... well, you get the picture.)2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Comfy and Cool Looking
by karocka on September 13, 2007
Pros: Sound, Comfort, Looks
Cons: I Didn't Get Them Earlier
Summary: I got my HD-485's delivered this morning and I pronounce them delicious. I've worn them for three hours now, and they are as comfortable as the first 10 ...
Summary: I got my HD-485's delivered this morning and I pronounce them delicious. I've worn them for three hours now, and they are as comfortable as the first 10 seconds. I was afraid that they wouldn't block out the ambient noise in the office, but they do. Excellent sound quality, much better than my Sony canal buds, which I always thought had good sound. And for under $60! I can't wait to try them on my home stereo; it's a nice feature to have the long cord and the 1/4" connector. I haven't had a headphone with a 1/4" connector since the '80's. Right now they're connected to my Ipod Video and delivering awesome tunage. These were an excellent birthday present! The only reason I didn't give them a 10 was because I don't have enough history with them to rate their durability, but they have a nice feel to them, and they seem well constructed. They're very light, but they don't feel cheap.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great all-around headphones
by azevedob on February 7, 2007
Pros: Great audio, fairly priced, reliable
Cons: None so far
Summary: This was my first pair of headphones that didn't come with my iPod, so I don't have much to compare it to. That said, I've been very ...
Summary: This was my first pair of headphones that didn't come with my iPod, so I don't have much to compare it to. That said, I've been very impressed with mine. The audio sounds terrific on my computer and iPod alike. I'm not an audiophile, so I can't speak about the nitty gritty details, but as a normal, everyday user, I've been exceptionally pleased with these headphones.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Sennheiser Electronics Corp.
- Part number: HD485
- Description: The HD 485 are open, circumaural stereo headphones with exceptional sound characteristics and outstanding comfort. The HD 485 include a headphone holder that easily attaches to a table or shelf, making certain that the headphones are always at hand.
General
- Product Type Headphones
- Weight 7.8 oz
- Additional Features Gold plated connectors
Headphones
- Headphones Type Headphones - Binaural
- Headphones Form Factor Ear-cup
- Headphones Technology Dynamic
- Connectivity Technology Wired
- Sound Output Mode Stereo
- Response Bandwidth 16 - 24000 Hz
- Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) 0.2 %
- Impedance 32 Ohm
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Headphones ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm )
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included 1 x Headphones cable - Detachable - 10 ft
- Included Accessories Headphones stand, 6.3 mm (1/4") stereo adapter
Manufacturer info
- Sennheiser Electronics Corp.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Sennheiser Electronics Corp. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.sennheiserusa.com/
- Address:
1 Enterprise Dr.
Old Lyme, CT 06371 - Phone: (860) 434-9190
- Fax: (860) 434-1759
