Sennheiser HD 497

Audiosanity

New Head-Fier
Pros: Brand name BOSE 2.0
Cons: crappy SQ, crappy build quality
Get a pair of koss porta pros instead (dirt cheap) or maybe HF5's (on sale a lot), these are junk in every way and uncomfortable to boot.
Had a pair ~12 years ago when I was starting out.
 
Even among their higher end products I feel Senn is a pretty poor value (at msrp/new prices) compared to other offerings.
Disclaimer: I also hate Senn's sound signature... a lot.
-iKa-
-iKa-
I know this is a short review, but it's a good habit to put your disclaimers at the start of the reviews 
PETEBULL
PETEBULL
So much pain, so much frustration, so many wasted years listening to crap. And finally you got your revenge.

maxpain12

New Head-Fier
Pros: Great general performance, very comfortable, value for money
Cons: Ear pads where off after about 7 years use. But replaceable parts.
These are a wonderful pair of cans. They sound warm and natural but with some bias towards the upper end but this is not bad at all unless you are looking for absolute flat response. For general listening they are a gem. Highly recommended. They went out of production in the mid 2000's and replaced by EH350.
sgrossklass
sgrossklass
Bias towards the upper end? Uh, they definitely are a bit on the bassy side. Treble is kinda odd, you do get some sibilance but there must also be a big hole somewhere. Balance wise, I much prefer the old HD420SL. Reasonably easy to drive though. "Odd" also describes comfort, at least if your ears stick out a bit. Overall, not bad, but not great either.
Sweden
Sweden
It doesen't take much to get a perfect score for SQ in your book.. :)
maxpain12
maxpain12
Sweden you have to look at from a price perspective. I believe for this price point these cans deliver. If you look around the web you will fine the majority of owners are happy with them. I am not trying to compare these to a $1500 HD 800 in terms of sound quality :p. Sgrossklass for $60 holes in the spectrum is a given with most cans, again this is not a high end pair. Not to say that there are better cans for the money, personally I am happy with them. They performed consistantly for ten years. Only had to replace the cord last year. I don't think the bass goes deep enough to classify them as bassy; this again is my personal observation and is subject to bias.

AstralStorm

500+ Head-Fier
Pros: Balanced highs and mids, strong plastic
Cons: Tacky, a bit harsh sounding, lacks subbass, cable tends to break by the jacks, fit issues for people with large ears
This is an old highest end model of entry level headphone line by Sennheiser model, now replaced by the likes of HD 495.
Decent headphone for rock and trance. Lacks subbass and has grainy timbre. Definitely not what I'd call neutral, but it keeps the bass/mid/high balance decently for entry level.
Extension is ok for an entry level pair.
Cable tends to break by all three jacks - however is easy to replace, though the headphone side jacks are rare 2,5mm mono ones.
 
HD 497 leak a lot of sound and provide very little isolation, so are completely unsuitable for portable usage.
Comfort is okayish, though they can get a bit sweaty after very long usage.
Small circumaural fit is not for everyone. Headband is only adjustable in pretty large steps.
On the plus side for build quality, the plastic used is pretty much indestructible.
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