The Sennheiser HD 505 is ideal for audiophiles or audio professionals with a budget of around 300 dollars who seek over-ear HiFi headphones, prioritize comfort and sound quality, and plan to use them for a long time.
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$280 – Check latest price on Amazon US or other Amazon countries
Appearance Design & Comfort Fit & Accessories
The Sennheiser HD 505 follows the classic design lineage of the HD 500 series. It features open-back earcups with the Sennheiser logo on both sides and a headbeam wrapped in leather. The HD505 doesn’t use much metal, keeping the weight at just 237g.
The headbeam’s exterior is leather, while the interior is padded with soft and elastic foam. It offers a generous adjustment range of about 5cm, ensuring a comfortable fit for various head shapes.
The earcups are fully wrapped in flocking, providing a gentle and comfortable touch against the skin. This design helps reduce pressure, minimizing discomfort during long listening sessions.
The earcups and headbeam exert minimal pressure on the head and ears, and you won’t feel any discomfort when wearing them for a long time. The breathable and soft earcups feel very comfortable on the skin of the face.
Included with the headphones is a storage bag and a fixed 1.8m audio cable with a 6.35mm/3.5mm plug. The cable features a replaceable plug design (6.3mm and 3.5mm) with a rotating lock mechanism, compatible across the entire HD 500 series.
Acoustic Configuration & Frequency Range
The Sennheiser HD 505 is equipped with a custom 120Ω 38mm dynamic driver, significantly reducing signal distortion and loss to ensure pure and authentic sound reproduction.
To create a wider soundstage, the driver is positioned at a forward tilt, aligning closer to the ear canal. This enhances spatial awareness and immersion. Additionally, the back of the earcups is fitted with sound-absorbing foam to eliminate excess sound waves.
With a frequency response range of 12Hz–38.5kHz, the HD505 covers the entire audible spectrum. Its total harmonic distortion is less than 0.2%, which can restore the audio details and restore the music realistically.
According to official information, the HD505’s frequency response curve is closer to that of the Sennheiser HD 599SE, with improved sub-bass performance below 100Hz. In the 7kHz-10kHz range, sound is notably more pronounced due to inner ear resonance. So, what will its actual hearing be like?
Sound Description of the Sennheiser HD 505
Thanks to its open-back design, the HD505 delivers a wide lateral soundstage, with clear left-right separation for string and woodwind instruments. Although the vertical layering is slightly weaker, and the wind instruments are prone to overlap with the strings in front – but the overall sense of space is very good.
The bass reproduction emphasizes realism and a live feel. The bass is elastic and extends well without being excessive. The sense of bass presence is immersive, surrounding the listener from all directions.
The relaxed mid-bass makes the HD505 ideal for long listening sessions. The double bass is rendered steadily, though the sub-bass extension is somewhat reserved. Male baritone vocals sound warm and natural. The HD505 strikes a great balance between listenability and naturalness when playing classical music.
The sound is well-balanced and transparent, with excellent layering and detail retrieval. In a quiet room, the positioning of instruments is accurately reproduced. The midrange is textured, grainy, and full-bodied, whether for vocals or midrange instruments.
The HD505 isn’t overly difficult to driving, it performs well with portable HiFi players or mini headphone amplifiers. However, to fully unlock its potential, a desktop device with sufficient power is recommended.
The HD505 delivers an outstanding listening experience for genres like pop, J-pop, jazz, opera, and ACG. The drawbacks are sound leakage and its unsuitability for outdoor use.
Conclusion & Specs
The Sennheiser HD 505 is an excellent pair of over-ear HiFi headphones for live recordings and other types of recordings. With its classic open-back acoustic design, it offers comfort and breathability.
Instead of chasing extreme detail or exaggerated bass, the HD505 presents a relaxed soundstage, warm midrange, and well-controlled dynamics.
Sennheiser HD 505 specs and features:
- 120Ω 38mm dynamic driver
- 12Hz – 38.5kHz frequency range
- Weight 237g & Open-back design
- 1.8m headphone cable (6.35mm/3.5mm plugs)
- Accessories compatible with the HD 500 series
- $280 – Check latest price on Amazon US or other Amazon countries