Sennheiser HD 505 Review: Wired, Open-Back Headphones With Unbeatable Sound And Value

There’s a new open-back headphone for audiophiles in the market, and from the German audio equipment manufacturer Sennheiser, no less. Dubbed the Sennheiser HD 505, the open-back, wired headphones offer a natural sound signature, ideal for critical listening in controlled environments.

But exactly how good are the headphones? Does it have any hidden cons you should be aware of? Today, we’ll discuss the answer to these questions, along with all the other doubts you might have, in this detailed Sennheiser HD 505 review. We’ve talked about the design, build quality, fit, features, the overall audio experience, and the use cases of the headphones.

Sennheiser HD 505 Wired Headphones: Unboxing Experience

The unboxing experience of the Sennheiser HD 505 is pretty straightforward. They come in a brown cardboard box that opens vertically, and inside, you’ll find the headphones resting in slots. In the box, you also get a 1.80-meter cable with a 3.5mm plug on one end (which connects to the audio source) and a 2.5mm locking connection on the other (which connects to the headphones).

Additionally, you receive a 3.5mm to 6.35mm screw-on jack adapter for connecting the headphones to amplifiers, stereo systems, and other devices. Lastly, there’s a drawstring bag that can carry the headphones along with their attached cables. There’s nothing extraordinary about the unboxing experience; everything is in place.

Sennheiser HD 505 Wired Headphones: Design And Build

The Sennheiser HD 505 follows Sennheiser’s established HD 500-series design language, best described as functional and somewhat minimalist. While the headphones follow an all-black theme, the HD 505 Copper Edition features copper-colored accents around the earcups, headbands, and toward the inside, adding a touch of visual luxury and warmth to an otherwise plain and simple design.

Sennheiser has placed its logo on both the earcups (on the outer mesh covering), while the wordmark is situated in the copper accent toward the left of the headband. The over-ear headphones feature an open-back design, which means that the back of the earcups isn’t sealed like what you’d see in other headphones. Instead, they allow air (and, along with it, sound) to pass through, resulting in a more natural sound (a pro) but offering little to no cancelation (a con).

Regarding the build materials, the headphones are made of high-quality matte plastic, which shouldn’t attract as many fingerprints and scratches as glossy surfaces. This material feels sturdy in the hand and around the head, complemented by a metal band skeleton and metal mesh grilles on the earcups. Despite using a generous amount of plastic on the exterior, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that the device doesn’t feel premium.

Regarding the listener’s touch points, i.e., the earcups and the headband, the former features a soft, plush, velour-like fabric (with good breathability), which is gentle to the touch and comfortably sits around the ears, while the latter features synthetic leather padding that provides a good amount of cushioning.

Furthermore, the company has utilized memory foam for the earcups and the inside of the headband, which contributes to enhanced comfort, especially during prolonged sessions. The depth of the earcups is sufficient to prevent the ears from touching the drivers (although my sister felt otherwise, suggesting that some users may need to adjust the headphones slightly to find the right fit).

Sennheiser HD 505 Wired Headphones: Fit

The inside of the earcups features a transparent finish, as shown in one of the attached pictures to the review. The headphones feature a two-axis pivot mechanism, allowing the headband and earcups to swivel and conform to the listener’s head shape to a reasonable extent. Speaking of the headband, it features metal sliders that provide an excellent range of adjustment.

Even though they are moving parts, Sennheiser has built them well enough to easily carry the headphones in a bag full of other items without worrying about their durability. Combined with the lightweight chassis (237 grams) and the ovoid circumaural earcups, the headphones feel almost weightless on the head, resulting in exceptional comfort.

It’s worth mentioning that Sennheiser’s engineering team has done a commendable job of balancing the clamping force to the exact amount needed to hold the earcups in place without going overboard, ensuring the headphones don’t start feeling uncomfortable after a while.

Despite the slightly reduced clamping force, the Sennheiser HD 505 provide a snug fit for regular usage. Given that you’d have to connect the device to an audio source using a wire, I don’t expect you to move around much with the headphones. Last but not least, the soft earcups rest well over my eyeglass stems without creating any pressure points.

One thing that I would like to mention here is that it is not easy to carry the headphones in a backpack or otherwise, as it can take up a lot of space. It was while trying to pack the headphones for a weekend getaway in my city that I missed a proper folding mechanism, but in the end, not being easy to carry is more an extension of the headphones’ wired nature as opposed to a con.

Sennheiser HD 505 Wired Headphones: Features And Connectivity

Unlike regular headphones, the Sennheiser HD 505 is designed for focused listening. It is by virtue of its purpose that the headphones don’t come with an in-line microphone on the stock cable, neither do they feature any button functionality.

Since the headphones feature an open-back design, you shouldn’t expect them to offer noise cancelation (neither active nor passive). Keep in mind that wired monitors or devices like these are not designed for use in noisy environments.

Regarding connectivity options, the HD 505 comes with a detachable cable in the box. The 2.5mm end goes into the left headphone, positioned toward the bottom of the earcup. It features a locking mechanism, so you won’t accidentally tug it out. On the other end of the cable, there is a 3.5mm gold-plated plug that connects to the audio source.

In addition to this, you also get a step-up 6.35mm adapter that unlocks compatibility with a range of professional equipment. The included cable is 1.80 meters long, which should be enough to connect to amplifiers, computers, or audio interfaces without falling short. The quality of the cable is decent as well.

Sennheiser HD 505 Wired Headphones: Natural, Well-Balanced Sound

It is becoming increasingly uncommon for smartphones to feature a 3.5mm headphone jack, much less one that provides ample power or has built-in digital-to-analog converters (DACs). First, I connected the headphones to the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite, but just like I feared, the smartphone couldn’t match the headphones’ 120-ohm impedance.

Fortunately, the 3.5mm jack on my M1 MacBook Air supports high-impedance headphones, allowing me to experience the balanced and rich sound, along with the natural, open soundstage, that the Sennheiser HD 505 offers. While we’ll go into a much more detailed breakdown of the sound signature, the headphones are among the best-sounding models on the market, especially at the price they’re available.

To begin with, I’d like to describe the HD 505s as having a neutral to slightly bright (treble-focused) sound signature, with sufficient warmth in the low-end frequencies, resulting in a balanced sound presentation. The open-back design offers a natural, more open sound stage than headphones with a pressurized chamber.

The headphones provide a good sense of width and depth, with excellent imaging and a distinct separation between individual instruments. The stereo separation is noticeable, as are the adjustments made to the volume. The angled placement of the 38mm dynamic driver inside the earcups contributes toward the wide soundstage, successfully mimicking the listening experience associated with nearfield speakers.

With a good bass extension that reaches into the sub-bass frequencies, the Sennheiser HD 505 provides a tight, controlled, and well-textured bass. Keep in mind that the headphones are designed for critical listening; as a result, they don’t provide the accentuated low ends or boosted bass you get on other headphones. Nonetheless, it wasn’t as problematic for me as an observation I felt was important to share.

Besides having controlled bass, the headphones produce clear yet detailed midranges, which makes the HD 505 excellent for listening to vocal-heavy tracks. Even the sound of instruments like guitars and pianos is rendered crisp and natural, with realistic timbre. After spending a couple of hours listening to a variety of tracks, including some Hindi classics and all Hollywood chartbusters, I noticed that the headphones tend to focus on the upper-midrange frequencies, resulting in excellent detail retrieval.

Moving over to treble or highs, the headphones offer good extension, which, along with the overall design, facilitates an open and airy sound projection. There’s a reasonable sense of space, along with enough sparkle for percussions to be noticeable on a busy track. The treble is generally smooth and doesn’t result in any noticeable fatigue.

It is the placement of the earpads on your head, and therefore, the relative position of your ear and the drivers, that determines the overall treble you are exposed to. In certain positions, the drivers could sit too close to the ear, resulting in a slightly harshness on the high end. It is the same effect that increases the perceived volume upon pressing up any pair of headphones against the ears. If you’re experiencing a bit of harshness in the sound, adjusting the headphones might solve the issue.

Moreover, the headphones are suitable for a wide range of music genres, including classical, jazz, acoustic, folk, rock, and pop. They are also ideal for gaming, watching movies, mixing, and mastering. However, they may not be the best for bass-heavy genres like EDM.

Some people may find the treble to be overly dominant over the midrange frequencies, but this won’t bother everyone. It is essential to note that the Sennheiser HD 505 isn’t intended for use with smartphones unless it can specifically meet the headphones’ impedance requirements. Although some laptops with built-in DACs can produce decent sound quality, headphones can benefit significantly from a dedicated headphone amplifier.

Sennheiser HD 505 Wired Headphones: Use Cases

The Sennheiser HD 505 is suitable for critical listening in a quiet and closed environment with minimal distractions. This could be your personal living space, a private workspace, a professional studio, or any other controlled setting where external noise is limited.

Given their strengths, we recommend the headphones to music journalists and reviewers, podcast producers and editors, audiobook creators and narrators, sound designers, professional singers, game developers, or music archivists. Given that these professions require high-fidelity audio equipment and include working in a closed space, the HD 505 is a perfect fit for them.

Simultaneously, I could also see them appeal to a wider audiophile audience that wants a pair of wired headphones to sit on their desk at all times. On the other hand, the headphones aren’t suitable for on-the-go, casual streaming of music or podcasts, as the wired connectivity could come in the way, and the headphones don’t offer proper noise cancellation. You could probably use the headphones in an office, but the open-back design would likely disturb your colleagues.

Review Verdict: Should You Buy The Sennheiser HD 505 Wired Headphones?

As mentioned earlier, the Sennheiser HD 505 is among the best-sounding open-back headphones in the segment (under Rs. 30,000). It offers a natural sound signature with controlled lows, crisp mids, and clear highs, resulting in a neutral to slightly bright audio profile, making them ideal for audiophiles or professionals on a budget.

In addition to excellent sound quality, the headphones also feature a comfortable design, making them ideal for extended listening sessions or audio project editing. However, unlike most modern-day headphones, they rely on a wired connection, don’t offer any on-device playback controls, and have little to no noise cancelation.

As a result, they might not appeal to everyone who wants to buy a decent pair of headphones. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the Sennheiser HD 505 could be the ideal affordable alternative to the more expensive professional monitors for young professionals or audiophiles who don’t want to spend a fortune on headphones.

Smartprix ⭐ Rating: 8/10

Design: 8/10

Comfort: 8.5/10  

Overall Sound: 8.3/10

Connectivity: 7/10  

Portability: 7/10

First reviewed in May 2025.

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