Sennheiser has launched the HD 505 headphones in India. They are said to deliver a high-fidelity audio experience via an internal 120-ohm angle sensor. The headphones have an open design and come with a 1.8m cable, 3.5mm plug and 6.35mm adapter. In the audiophile community, they are touted as the spiritual successor to the Sennheiser HD 560S headphones, which the company launched a few years ago. Do they provide significant improvements? Priced at Rs. 27990, is the latest Sennheiser HD 505 Copper version of headphones worth your consideration? Let’s discuss it below.
Sennheiser HD 505 design and functionality: familiarity facilitated
- Dimensions- 237x191x96mm
- Weight – 237g (excluding wires)
- Color- Copper
The Sennheiser HD 505 open-back headphones feature the familiar Sennheiser HD 500 series chassis, but with subtle improvements that make them more comfortable than most older models. One of the highlights is the weight of the headphones. At 237 grams, it’s not only lighter than previous generations in the range, but also lighter than most competing devices in this segment. Although most in-ear headphones have a generic, bulky appearance, they weigh next to nothing on your head and are comfortable even for long periods of continuous use.
Copper accents add a premium feel to the exterior
My childhood doctor tried to convince me to wear my new glasses throughout the day, telling me, “You don’t have to take them off when you sleep, and they can also help you dream clearly.” Maybe it was that statement (maybe not) or the fact that I just needed to see; I haven’t been able to live without my glasses ever since. Since then, most in-ear headphones have clashed with my specifications. The battle usually lasts until I get a headache and the headset presses the stem of my glasses into my face. However, the Sennheiser HD 505 became a welcome comrade in this silent battle.
Compared to existing Sennheiser headphones (particularly the HD 560S), the HD 505 has a reduced clamping force, a parameter that contributes to improved comfort. The brand clearly did something right, striking the optimal balance between reduced clamping force and a stable enough fit. As long as you adjust the metal sliders appropriately, the headphones won’t roll off your head, even with considerable movement (read: frantically head-banging “Whole Lotta Love”).
The Sennheiser HD 505’s headband features faux leather cushioning, adding to its premium look. The slim earcups have a metal grille on the outside and are padded with thick synthetic velvet padding on the inside, allowing the headphones to sit comfortably around your ears. The inside of the earcups are also more transparent than existing models. This may increase the openness of audio adjustments.
Synthetic velor earcup padding is fairly thick but comfortable
The headphones come in a predominantly black color scheme with copper accents around the edges of the earcups and headband. The Sennheiser logo on both earcups is also etched in copper. The colors are not too bright, and the metallic look adds to the high-end look of the Sennheiser HD 505.
Sennheiser HD 505 Specs: Classic Consistency
- Impedance – 120 ohms
- Frequency response range – 12Hz to 38,500Hz
Sennehiser claims to have packed 120-ohm angular internal sensors into the HD 505 headphones, which are manufactured in the company’s Irish factory. The latest 500 series headphones are said to offer a wide frequency range of 12Hz to 38.5kHz, which is said to provide users with a balanced and rich audio experience. Combined with the open design, this helps the headphones deliver a more natural and open soundstage.
The design also doesn’t isolate noise, unlike closed-back headphones. As a result, sound flows out of the headphones and can be heard by neighbors other than the user. It’s recommended that you don’t use them in shared or public spaces unless you’re prepared to deal with judgment on your playlists, or worse, noise complaints.
3.5mm jack compatible with most PCs
While open earcups don’t prevent sound from leaking out, they also don’t prevent outside noise from seeping in. Unless you’re somewhere relatively quiet, you’re going to have to deal with outside distractions. However, this is a common problem with open-back headphones, and I point it out not as a flaw but as a reminder. I think it’s a safe bet that we’ll be using these wired headphones primarily in their native spaces, i.e. indoors, where environmental interference or disruption to the environment won’t be of much concern.
They are said to have a sound pressure level (SPL) of 107.9dB and a total harmonic distortion (THD) of less than 0.2%. The latter shows that the headphones deliver high-fidelity audio with precise reproduction and minimal distortion. These claims are not unfounded.
Sennheiser HD 505 Performance: Shipshape Sound
- Cable length – 1.8m
- Cable type – 3.5mm jack; 3.5mm to 6.35mm screw on adapter
Before we analyze the audio experience with the Sennheiser HD 505 headphones in detail, it’s safe to say that, with a few exceptions, we got exactly what we expected from Sennheiser sound. What we see is a generally round, warm, and balanced soundstage. For some of us, the bass, as well as some of the treble, may be too bright for comfort, but that mostly comes down to our subjective sensitivity to certain levels. Personally, the bass was a little too punchy for me at times, but a slight volume adjustment would fix that too.
Headband’s faux leather cushioning creates a stylish look
Sennheiser pitches the HD 505 as “essential for music listening, movies and gaming,” which makes sense for a premium open-back pair of headphones. The lack of a pressurized chamber behind the dynamic driver helps provide the user with a more natural and open sound experience than a closed driver. The lower range is clearer and you get an overall immersive audio experience. Well, not as immersive as a 3D spatial sound arrangement, but as close to a real-life arrangement as possible. This is why open-back headphones are so popular with sound engineers or sound engineers. If you’re interested in something similar, or want to start exploring quality headphones, these are a great place to start.
The Sennheiser HD 505 is tuned to near perfection. Whether it was gaming, podcasts, movies, or just playing good old music, I didn’t experience any noticeable sound issues. For example, I watched Godzilla x Kong: A New Empire using these headphones during my review period and I was not disappointed. Well, that’s not entirely true. But the headphones can’t help but confuse us why, in an expected “buddy cop” monster universe movie, we only don’t see the titular Titans on screen for about 10 minutes toward the end. The headphones allowed me to clearly enjoy the soundscape, including Kong’s groans of toothache and Mothra’s high-pitched screams.
From Kenji Kawai’s Ghost in the Shell: Innocence track “The Puppet Song” to Flavien Berger and Bonnie Banane’s “Contre-Temps,” the Sennheiser HD 505 allowed us to delve into the complex layers of each piece and observe the finer nuances. As a rapper, Agust D has a knack for using his breath to emphasize and rhyme his verses, especially on songs like “People from the D-2 mixtape.” With these headphones, the inhale and release of each breath spoken of in the song became clearer than I had previously imagined. While the bass and treble are well defined, we hit a bit of a snag in the mids. They can sometimes appear slightly more cluttered than other sounds, but it doesn’t affect my experience too much.
Metal grille eliminates noise
Sennheiser HD 505: Conclusion
Sennheiser HD 505 retails in India at Rs. 27,990, a safe choice for most audiophiles or studio professionals. However, they are slightly more expensive for casual customers. However, if you’re on a budget and want to explore the niche of high-end headphones, the Sennheiser HD 505 is a great place to start. Keep in mind that while providing a high-fidelity audio experience, the open design also doesn’t offer noise isolation or cancellation. You may run the risk of being distracted or being mildly annoyed by distractions. I don’t have to worry about the same issues because I only use them in my personal living space and my cats don’t (read: can’t) complain about my music taste.
Sennheiser’s closed model HD 620S (review) has also been launched in the country. They are priced at Rs. 32,990 during launch and provides considerable passive noise isolation support.
