Synergy
Efficiency
The Sennheiser HD 505 driver has an impedance of 120Ω, but they’re not too hard to drive.
They posted a frequency response of 12Hz to 38,500Hz, identical to what was posted for the HD 599’s driver but it’s a different driver with a higher impedance since this driver is posted with a higher max sound pressure level.
However, the HD 505’s driver is not the most efficient in the series. The HD 569 seems to be the efficiency king in the 500 series lineup. I would consider these to be closer to the HD 560S in efficiency.
Since you can’t go balanced out of the box, gear that is capable of around 75mW should be enough to drive these headphones efficiently. However, they scale well when you feed them a high-quality, high-power amplification with a good voltage output.
Pairings
The Sennheiser HD 505 is a neutrally-tuned headphone that needs coloration to be enjoyable and for it to sound musical.
It does sound analytical in the sense that it produces lots of detail but you can transform them into something that’s not as sterile as a studio monitor by simply adding some color.
One aspect about the HD 505 is that I could tell slight changes in the tightness in the bass area when I switched from a dongle like the ONIX Alpha XI1 to something like the Rose Technics RT-5000 which produces higher output power. Plus the RT-5000 adds that needed subtle coloration.
You can also pair the HD 505 with some of iFi audio’s gear such as the xDSD Gryphon since the Xbass feature would compliment the bass nicely and veer it from sounding too dry or too analytical. The versatility is there but you have to do some experimentation.
Select Comparisons
Meze Audio 99 Classics
Technical
We’ve already established the HD 505’s hierarchy in the HD 500 series line of headphones and that’s why in this comparison I will pit it against some of the most iconic cans in this price range starting with the Meze Audio 99 Classics.
The 99 Classics are one the most popular headphones around and they happen to fall within a similar price tier.
They are well accessorized and my pair came with two cables and one has a microphone to boot. Plus they come with a carrying case and a couple of other nick-nacks.
The 99 Classic is also a single dynamic driver headphone but it’s a close–back design. The driver is a 40mm transducer with listed specifications of 15Hz to 25kHz frequency response and an impedance rating of 32Ω.
That last specification makes them more efficient on paper but they’re close in sensitivity, more so than I initially thought.
Design
The overall design is simple but effective. It uses a head strap which in most cases distributes the headphone’s weight evenly across the top of the head plus it’s self-adjusting setup.
Sennheiser just needs to revert to the previous HD 560 headband cushion to raise their comfort level, perhaps in a revision later on.
The cups are smaller on the 99 Classics and that brownie point I have to give to Sennheiser in that they designed their pads to be oval, just like the human ear, and they’re larger, roomier cups.
However, the 99 Classics have ample room in the pads to feel comfortable enough for most people, plus the stock pads are softer.
The 99 Classics are ambidextrous in design and they don’t have left and right sides. What determines that is the cable connection but since the connections are partially recessed, it becomes tedious to find which side is which. The shape of the HD 505 visually guides me in that respect.
Performance
Off the bat, the bass response on the Meze Audio 99 Classics is more prominent. But most of the bass energy is focused around the midbass section. The 99 Classics is the more relaxed and warmer of the two in general. The HD 505 is more vivid overall in presentation.
The midrange section is smoothly presented on the 99 Classics and is more ardent on the HD 505 giving the listener a better sense of presence and forwardness that makes them best for picking out subtle details in the midrange bands.
People who like thumpy and relaxed signatures will veer to the 99 Classics because of their calm, warm demeanor, but the HD 505 is more revealing and produces more detail.
However, it’s a neutrally tuned headphone and some prefer fun factor over analytical. Those are the choices here.
HIFIMAN Sundara
Technical
I would call the Sundara the other side of the coin in this comparison because of their many dissimilarities starting with the planar magnetic driver. I have to say upfront, that this one will be hard to dethrone in this price range.
HIFIMAN uses planar magnetic drivers in most cases. There are a few exceptions like the HE-R9 and the Cobalt which was a Dekoni and HIFIMAN collab release. Others like the new ISVARNA combine a dynamic driver with a planar magnetic driver.
Anyway, back to the Sundara. The Sundara mounts the planar magnetic driver in a 100mm cup that employs an open mesh design which helps that driver breathe freely.
Rumors are circulating that the Sundara will soon receive the Unveiled treatment. That will be a game-changer.
Design
The HIFIMAN Sundara’s headband design has a decent amount of clamping force plus the Sundara is the heftier model since most of the headband components are made from metal.
The Sundara uses a head strap that in general provides a high level of comfort because it has more surface area and therefore, distributes weight evenly, but the Sundara’s weight is notably higher.
One feature I like about the Sundara is that there are an abundant amount of aftermarket cables available for this model or you can just use Meze Audio cables successfully.
However, I prefer copper with the HIFIMAN Sundara because silver can take the Sundara into edgy territory since the Sundara is naturally a bright-sounding headphone.
Performance
The HD 505 is the more efficient of the two and the Sundara needs twice the volume to keep up with the HD 505.
If you’re planning on going portable, perhaps that added efficiency will reap benefits, despite the higher 120Ω rating. If you get the Sundara you must commit to feeding them higher power levels.
Sonically, the Sundara is relaxed and gentle sounding, almost soothing. The midrange is calm and doesn’t present many nasty peaks.
The HD 505 does present some peaks but they aid the midrange in that it pushes them forward so the listener gets a more cordial frontal picture of the sonic scape.
Both models are balanced sonically and neither presents any major deviations in frequency response.
I’d say the HD 505 has transparency and balance with a higher level of detail production, while the Sundara is smooth and soothing with better bass extension.
Sennheiser HD 490 PRO Plus
Technical
Don’t let the numbers fool you. The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO Plus is an upscaled model aimed at those who want an analytical aspect, studio monitoring capability along with the versatility of two sets of pads that provide two sonic perspectives and varied comfort levels. That’s worth a few extra bucks.
Then you add to that a second cable and the carrying case, and the price hike starts to make more sense. Plus you can’t forget the ambidextrous connectivity option on the HD 490 PRO Plus on top of a nicer unboxing experience.
The HD 490 PRO Plus is a headphone designed to help professionals obtain a proper mixdown. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun with them by adding some color to their sonic pallet.
It seems most Sennheiser headphones excel with some coloration since they’re notoriously good with tube amps.
Design
The headband design is new territory for Sennheiser in that it’s a new design that was designed from the ground up. The cups do that DJ-style 90-degree flip but there’s barely any swivel on the HD 505 headband. Just enough to adjust comfortably to the contours of your head.
Which is more comfortable? They’re both comfortable but it does feel as if the HD 505 has more clamping force over the HD 490 PRO Plus. However, they’re still comfortable enough to wear for hours on end, I can assure you that.
The lightest of the two seems to be the HD 505. They’re also better balanced and I feel that the HD490 PRO Plus is more top-heavy. But construction-wise, the HD 490 PRO Plus has some metal in it, while the HD 505 is all polymer, except for the rear grills.
Performance
Efficiency-wise, the HD 490 PRO Plus edges out the HD 505 by a small margin. I used the identical volume setting on a single-ended power section and the same amplification on both cans for this test.
Sonically, the HD 505 has a darker tonality, and the high frequencies in particular are recessed comparatively. They both have a similar timbre overall.
To be honest, both headphones have a warm character about them and it’s due to their relaxed high-frequency response, not that they’re warm in general.
The midrange bands are displayed in a forward way, more so on the HD 505, giving them that extra brilliance in the midbands.
However, the bass is tighter and presented better on the HD 490 PRO Plus although they both do what I call flat or neutral bass. Bass definition is also better on the HD 490 PRO Plus by a small margin.
Stage-wise, the HD 505 elevates vocals in the soundstage, and on the HD 490 PRO Plus, they are more down-to-earth. Vocals feel more intimate on the HD 490 PRO Plus and vocals seem closer, enhancing their ability to give the listener a clear picture of vocal quality in recordings.
Overall, the HD 490 PRO Plus can produce more precision in placement but the HD 505 somehow projects a wider panorama.
That gives the HD 505 an interesting aspect in that the HD 490 PRO Plus is, technically a monitoring headphone and it is the more inward sounding of the two, but the HD 505 sounds more exciting.
My Verdict
I like the Sennheiser HD 505 for many reasons. It employs a well-known durable construction, although it’s made from Polymer materials.
A driver that performs well with an uncanny capability to produce detail and present it to the listener, albeit with a natural tone.
Sennheiser took my preferred approach and tuned the HD 505 to have some of the best virtues of several HD 500 models with no undesirable changes from the general product lineup. Sonically, they’re my favorite so far. I’ll deal with balanced connectivity later.
Sennheiser HD 505 Technical Specifications
- Article number (skew): 700453
- Weight w/o cable: 237g
- Cable: 1.80m cable with 3.5mm jack. Detachable left side
- Ear coupling: Around the ear (circumaural)
- Ear material: Synthetic Velour
- Frequency response: 12Hz to 38.5kHz
- Nominal impedance: 120Ω
- Package dimensions: 237 x 191 x 96 mm
- Package weight: 569.16g
- Sound pressure level: 107.9db (1kHz / 1 Vrms)
- THD: ≤2% (1kHz / 90 dB SPL)
- Transducer principle: Dynamic, open back
