Get Your Audiophile Journey Started With The Sennheiser HD 505

We all know that audiophile gear is expensive. Just mentioning audiophile equipment can clear a person’s bank account. However, there are companies out there that like to bring high-quality gear to people who can’t afford $2,000+ headphones. While it’s primarily known for expensive gear, Sennheiser has a pair of headphones that bring the audiophile experience down to a price point that most people can afford. Meet the new Sennheiser HD 505!

Sennheiser is a company that requires no introduction. It’s a brand that has supplied some of the best audio gear over the 80 years since its founding. Starting off by making a microphone back in 1945, the company eventually turned to making headphones, and it’s most known for this. Some of its audiophile headphones sell for over $1,000, but it has its collection of consumer-grade headphones that exist below the $500 line. Here is a pair of headphones to get if you’re looking to get your audiophile journey started.

The Sennheiser HD 505 are a set of headphones for the burgeoning audiophile

When talking about equipment for audio lovers, we typically envision high-premium headphones made with metal cases, leather headbands, and some backstory about their design being based on something from nature. While that’s all fine and dandy, everyone deserves to hear a high-quality sound from their headphones, no matter their financial situation.

A pair of audiophile headphones for under $500 seems unheard of, but how about a pair that’s under $300? The Sennheiser HD 505 come in at just $279.95. That’s right! We’re sure that there are cords that cost more than that. For as affordable as they are, the company isn’t giving you a cheap experience.

Design

The HD 505 have a rather nice design. They sport the classic Sennheiser design language, which is always nice to see. Large ovular ear cups, curvaceous design, overall sleek look; these headphones are a sight for sore eyes.

Adding to these headphone’s appeal is the color scheme. The majority of the chassis is black with some nice copper-toned accents. The color of the accents really defines these headphones’ design. They almost give off a Black & Gold look, but let’s face it, Gold on Black is pretty basic. The copper tone gives the headphones a luxurious look while adding distinction.

The accents wrap around the headband and run along the perimeter of the earcups. We also see them on the logo and surrounding the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Audio quality

“Audiophile” is a pretty tough title to carry, so what makes these headphones the ones to beat? Well, they use a set of custom-tuned 120Ω transducers. These were built in the company’s factory in Tullamore, Ireland. Since the company makes its own transducers, it has more control over how they actually sound.

You know that you’re getting a refined sound experience with the HD 505. The company situated the transducers in a triangular pattern. This is so that they can emulate the experience of sitting in front of a set of nearfield loudspeakers. With this, the listener will feel like they’re right in the crowd at a concert. This is a level of immersion that you don’t get with most other pairs of headphones, let alone headphones this affordable.

The transducers have a frequency response of 12Hz to 38,500Hz with a total harmonic distortion of less than 0.2%. They produce a sound with deep rich bass and pleasant treble. All in all, you are getting one heck of a listening experience.

Open-back

Here’s one of the main reasons why these are headphones for audiophiles. the Sennheiser HD 505 are open-back headphones. This means that there’s no layer between the back of the transducer and the outside world.

The audio you hear will sound much more open and natural. It won’t feel like the music is being shot right into your ears. Rather, it will sound like the audio is occurring naturally around you. That’s one of the best features of these headphones, as you’d be hard-pressed to find any headphones in this price category from other companies.

Comfort

Since these are audiophile headphones with a beautiful sound, you’ll want to listen to them for long stretches of time. Well, you wouldn’t want a pair of headphones that are uncomfortable to listen to.

The Sennheiser HD 505 come with a set of soft earpads that feel great. They form to the shape of your head, which makes wearing them a breeze. Not only that but these headphones are lightweight. Coming in at just 237g, you’ll be able to wear them for hours and hours.

Lastly, there’s a synthetic leather headband that also feels comfortable on your head. All of these attributes lead to one of the most comfortable pairs of headphones on the market.

Additions

Just like any audiophile headphones, the Sennheiser HD 505 come with a detachable cord. It has a 6-ft long 3.5mm cable that lets you plug into your computer or other device. However, you’re likely to want to plug these headphones right into your audio setup. As such, you’ll appreciate the included 6.3mm adapter. This means that you’ll be able to use these headphones with pretty much any setup you need.

You can order the Sennheiser HD 505 right from the company site or from Amazon.