Sennheiser HD 800 S vs Sennheiser HD490 Pro

102 facts in comparison

Based on 4,202 Reddit opinions. HD490 Pro leads by 10 points.

4.2K opinions
HD490 Pro leads by 10pts
Sennheiser HD 800 S
81%
B+
Based on
5,711 Redditors

Sennheiser HD 800 S

~$1,899
2,866 opinions

tldr; Soundstage monster. Legendary imaging, treble spike bothers some. Detail retrieval god.

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VS
Reddit's Pick
Sennheiser HD490 Pro
91%
A
Based on
2,455 Redditors
Winner

Sennheiser HD490 Pro

~$339
1,336 opinions

tldr; Reddit overwhelmingly recommends the Sennheiser HD490 Pro. With 91% positive sentiment across 2,456 mentions, this is a clear community favorite.

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Sound QualityComfortValueBuild QualityFeatures
🎵SOU
😌COM
💰VAL
🔧BUI
FEA
61
Points
78
Points

Score by Category

Sound Quality
82%88%
Comfort
77%94%
Value
49%58%
Build Quality
69%84%
Features
58%50%

Why is Sennheiser HD490 Pro better than HD 800 S?

  • Higher Reddit score (91% vs 81%)
  • Better sound quality (88% vs 82%)
  • Better bass (95% vs 29%)
  • Better comfort (94% vs 77%)
  • Better build quality (84% vs 69%)
  • Better value (58% vs 49%)
Based on 8,166 Reddit opinions
Slight Edge

Reddit prefers the HD490 Pro

Winning by 10 points (91% vs 81%)

Better sound quality
Better bass
Better comfort
High confidence (8,166 mentions)

💬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 8,166 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

800 S
8.1/10
5,711 mentions
HD490 Pro
9.1/10
2,455 mentions
COMFORT
800 S7.7/10
HD490 Pro9.4/10
SOUND QUALITY
800 S8.2/10
HD490 Pro8.8/10
BASS
800 S2.9/10
HD490 Pro9.5/10
FEATURES
800 S5.8/10
HD490 Pro5.0/10
VALUE
800 S4.9/10
HD490 Pro5.8/10
BUILD QUALITY
800 S6.9/10
HD490 Pro8.4/10
⚔️

Head to Head

Head to Head

800 S: 1|HD490 Pro: 5
ComfortHD490 Pro
800 S77%
HD490 Pro94%
Sound QualityHD490 Pro
800 S82%
HD490 Pro88%
BassHD490 Pro
800 S29%
HD490 Pro95%
Features800 S
800 S58%
HD490 Pro50%
ValueHD490 Pro
800 S49%
HD490 Pro58%
Build QualityHD490 Pro
800 S69%
HD490 Pro84%
800 S81%
HD490 Pro91%
HD490 Pro wins by 10 points

Key Specs

SpecSennheiser HD 800 SSennheiser HD490 Pro
Transducer Type
56 millimeter Ring Radiator dynamic
Impedance
300 ohms
130 ohms
Frequency Response
4-51,000 Hz (-10 dB)
5 - 36100 Hz
Sound Pressure Level
102 dB (1 V)
Thd
< 0.02% (1 kHz 1 Vrms)
<0.2 %

Key Highlights

Sennheiser HD 800 SWinner
🌌 Legendary soundstage
🎯 Precise imaging
⚠️ Treble spike
💰 Used value now
Sennheiser HD490 Pro
Solid community reputation
Frequently recommended

Topic Battles

800 S: 1|Tied: 0|HD490 Pro: 4
🎵Sound Quality
HD490 Pro wins
800 S
82%
HD490 Pro
88%
😌Comfort
HD490 Pro wins
800 S
77%
HD490 Pro
94%
💰Value
HD490 Pro wins
800 S
49%
HD490 Pro
58%
🔧Build Quality
HD490 Pro wins
800 S
69%
HD490 Pro
84%
Features
800 S wins
800 S
58%
HD490 Pro
50%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

📈Where They Rank

💬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Sennheiser HD490 Pro

Best Praise
+70 pts
What you experienced is just classic terrible audio in games. Hyperx makes pretty good headphones but no way they’re gonna be even on par with the 490
r/headphones
View
Top Criticism
+24 pts
i hate when companies call their products "pro," especially when they barely have a professional use hd490 pro, why not just call it the 490s or something. you're sennheiser i expect professional use already airpods pro, you will never use these proffesionally.
r/headphones
View
3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Sennheiser HD 800 S

Best Praise
+206 pts
Only price fixing they did was honouring our $399 HD 800s BestBuy orders 🤣
r/headphones
View
Top Criticism
+85 pts
Is this the same company who did that 800S abomination posted the other day
r/headphones
View
3 more quotes available below

📈Historical Price Data

Sennheiser HD 800 S
Sennheiser HD490 Pro
$800$1600$2400$3200Jul '25Aug '25Sep '25Oct '25Dec '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26May '26Low: $1899Low: $319Current: $1999.95Current: $424.25
Sennheiser HD 800 S
All-time low: $799(2020-07)
$171 below 90-day avg
Sennheiser HD490 Pro
All-time low: $319(2025-11)
$44 below 90-day avg

Which is Better?

Sennheiser HD490 Pro Wins
91%
Pro
vs
81%
S

Sennheiser HD490 Pro leads by 10 points based on 8,166 Reddit opinions.

Why HD490 ProWinner
  • Better Value for Money (58% vs 49%)
Why 800 S
  • Better Features (58% vs 50%)
  • More discussed (5,711 vs 2,455)

❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

50%Positive
Positive
50%
Neutral
45%
Negative
5%
Based on 2,455 Reddit opinions

Sentiment Breakdown

41%Positive
Positive
41%
Neutral
50%
Negative
9%
Based on 5,711 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Sennheiser HD490 Pro or Sennheiser HD 800 S?
Based on 8,166 Reddit comments, Sennheiser HD490 Pro is the preferred choice with 91% positive sentiment vs Sennheiser HD 800 S's 81%. Sennheiser HD490 Pro leads by 10 percentage points.
Should I buy Sennheiser HD490 Pro or Sennheiser HD 800 S?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, Sennheiser HD490 Pro has stronger approval ratings (91% vs 81%). However, Sennheiser HD 800 S may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
What do Redditors love about Sennheiser HD490 Pro?
Sennheiser HD490 Pro has 2,455 mentions on Reddit with 91% positive sentiment. Users consistently recommend it based on real ownership experiences.
What do Redditors say about Sennheiser HD 800 S?
Reddit users highlight: Legendary soundstage. Precise imaging. Treble spike. With 5,711 mentions and 81% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 8,166 Reddit comments: 2,455 about Sennheiser HD490 Pro and 5,711 about Sennheiser HD 800 S. Data was sourced from headphones community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.

4,202 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 7/12/2026