Sennheiser Unveils HD 505 Headphones For Audiophiles On A Budget

Sennheiser's consumer audio division has released a wallet-friendly headphone by way of the HD 505. It's a wired, open-back circumaural headphone that sits under the vaunted HD 600 series, something Sennheiser claims to bring the company's signature balanced sound to a wider audience as much as to audiophiles. Judging from the specs, the HD 505 has what it takes to succeed, but hopefully we can get a proper hands-on to share our real thoughts.


German audio brand Sennheiser understands that in order to stay relevant in the business, it needs to attract a wider audience. Audio as a hobby is hitting a plateau, especially when its primary fanbase (not to mention big spenders) are ageing Baby Boomers and Gen X-ers. Sure, there's been recent interest in retro audio (such as turntables and CDs) among Gen Y- and Z-ers, but surveys have found that these groups either aren't aware of the world of high-end hi-fi and/or can't afford premium gear.

Thus, major audio equipment brands, like Sennheiser, are (slowly) are taking initiatives to draw a new generation of customers, as well as give something for enthusiasts to add to their collection. In this case, the Sennheiser HD 505 intends on bring quality wired listening to the masses by building on tried-and-true components and chassis from pricier models at a more affordable MSRP.


Sitting in the open-back earcup, the 237-gram HD 505 possesses 120-ohm transducer with a frequency response of 12Hz to 38,500kHz. That just means that the 505 has the flexibility to deliver a composed low end as well as detailed highs. While users potentially could use these headphones with their phones or laptops, they'll be nearly maxing out their volume just to get a comfortable listening experience. We'd recommend pairing this with a small dongle DAC-amp (like the iFi Audio Go Link and Fosi DS2) for greater headroom.

Aside from the broad response curve, the 505 is claimed to have less than 0.2% harmonic distortion, which, depending on the out-the-box tuning, could make it useful for semi-professional use, such as for content creation, mixing, etc.

Sennheiser will part you with $249.99 for the privilege of owning an HD 505—not bad for a presumed audiophile-grade headset. Only one colorway—black with copper is offered at the moment, although a gold-trimmed version may join the party soon. Besides the headphone, the box includes a detachable 1.8 meter (5.9 feet) cable with a 3.5 mm jack termination, plus a 6.3 mm adapter to connect to amplifiers, A/V receivers, sound cards, and more.