Note: This review was first published on 12 February 2025.
Sennheiser HD 505 Copper Edition. Photo: HWZ.
It's been a while since Sennheiser released a product that was expressly targeted at audiophiles. The German brand has mostly been targeting mainstream consumers with wireless products like the Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds and the Accentum Plus headphones. Happily, they announced the HD 505 Copper Edition headphones earlier this week. These headphones are the latest additions to the brand’s HD 500 series of wired headphones and are meant to be an accessible option for enthusiasts who are dipping their toes in the world of audiophile headphones.
TL;DR:
An excellent starting point for new audiophiles or for anyone looking for open-back headphones that provide a balanced sound and wide soundstage.
Note: You can find the Sennheiser HD 505 Copper Edition on Lazada, Shopee, Amazon, and
Sennheiser's website.
Sennheiser might have a reputation for being pricey, but the company has been expanding into more value-for-money products in recent years while targeting new audiophiles and even marketing to gamers who want quality headphones for more precise audio in games.
The HD 505 is intended to take over the role of the HD 599 SE in the portfolio, and is Sennheiser’s attempt at enticing both audiophiles who are looking to make a step up from their existing gear, as well as gamers who want a better experience.
Design and wearing experience
Check out that metal mesh. Photo: HWZ.
The HD 505 uses Sennheiser’s existing HD 500 series chassis design, so you’ll notice many design similarities to other headphones like the HD 560S and the HD 599 SE. In fact, this open-back headphone feels like an amalgamation of design quirks from the other headphones in the series. The metal grille design for the earcup feels inspired by the HD 560S, while the headband is similar to the HD 599.
Sennheiser claims it’s a higher-grade metal mesh, and when compared to the mesh on the HD 6XX I have on hand, it does look and feel somewhat different. Regardless, the important thing is that it feels sturdily built so it's unlikely durability is going to be an issue for most people.
The synthetic leather headband is plush and well-padded, offering a very comfortable wearing experience with no pinching at the crown. Sennheiser has also mentioned that the headband design has been changed to reduce clamping force, and I can attest to that. Wearing the headphones for over 10 hours consecutively was no issue at all, with the headphones sitting comfortably on my head without causing any wearing fatigue or jaw ache.
The open foam velour earpads contribute greatly too, allowing for excellent heat dissipation even in Singapore’s hot and humid climate. The earpads compress sufficiently to aid wearing comfort even for bespectacled users like myself. These earpads are removable so you can switch them out with other earpads for better comfort or a different sound signature – you could even use third-party pads as long they're compatible.
Note the locking mechanism on the plug. Photo: HWZ.
At 237g, it’s relatively light and that also helps in keeping the headphones wearable for long periods. The 1.8m cable is detachable with a twist-lock mechanism that’s moulded into the plug for the 2.5mm jack, which allows for a secure lock so that the cable doesn’t accidentally get disconnected. The first time I tried disconnecting the cable, I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t coming out, so I had to check the user manual to realise that there was this locking feature.
Essentially, when the cable is connected, you’ll want to first twist it slightly anti-clockwise to disengage the lock before pulling out the cable. If you’re looking to plug the cable in, you’ll want to slide in the plug first, then twist clockwise to latch the cable in securely.
Although the cable terminates in a 3.5mm plug, there’s a 3.5mm to 6.35mm screw-on adapter so you can use these headphones with amplifiers or other source devices that have a 6.35mm jack. Since the cable is detachable, it’s easy enough to swap out the cable for compatible ones that have different terminations or even cables that have in-line microphones if you need it for voice comms while gaming.
Audio quality
Transparent, both visually and acoustically. Photo: HWZ.
Inside, the headphones have 38mm dynamic transducers, which are made at Sennheiser’s Tullamore factory in Ireland. We had the pleasure of touring the factory last year to see how the transducers are made, so check out that article if you’re interested.
If you peek at the inside of the earcup, you’ll notice a new mesh dust cover being used here. Sennheiser claims this new synthetic dust cover is acoustically transparent and doesn't hinder audio transmission.
The transducer itself uses a polymer blend membrane for the diaphragm (the same material as the HD 560S’s diaphragm), and the driver is sat at an angle in the chassis to replicate the imaging of nearfield loudspeakers for a larger soundstage.
During our testing, we can attest to the wideness of the soundstage of these headphones. It’s quite incredible, especially when used for gaming. While playing first-person shooters, I was able to pick out and isolate the direction of footsteps, gunshots, and explosions quite easily.
Sennheiser HD 505 Copper Edition. Photo: HWZ.
When it comes to music, the HD 505 lives up to Sennheiser’s claim of being analytical. It has a balanced, neutral sound signature that leans ever so slightly to the cooler side, allowing for subtle details to be picked up easily even in more complicated mixes.
The bass has a nice heft and weight to it, but the HD 505 keeps it tight and well-controlled with fast attack and decay. There is a tiny bit of roll-off in the sub-bass, so it can feel a little underwhelming if you’re used to the boosted, rumbly bass from earbuds and headphones that have a more consumer-friendly V-shaped signature. However, since most people who buy these headphones are probably looking for a cleaner, balanced sound, we don’t see this being a big issue.
In the mids, you get excellent timbre and detail retrieval, with crisp guitars and percussion that are well-balanced and very crisp. Listening to a guitar-heavy track like Yellowcard’s Ocean Avenue is a pleasure since you get to enjoy the weight of the guitars while not losing out on the rhythm of the drums. On the other hand, the HD 505 also did a great job with Birds by Dominique Fils-Aime with its simple instrumentation and focus on vocals shining through. Vocals tend to be a touch more forward on these headphones, so you get a slightly more intimate presentation.
Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams was absolutely sublime on these headphones. The treble performance was a highlight. The headphones handled the instrument laying beautifully, with the cymbals, guitars, bass and other instruments all having their own distinct place in the soundstage. Vocal layering is also excellently done, with Stevie Nicks’ vocals rendered beautifully (fun fact: Stevie Nicks actually recorded Dreams on a Sennheiser 441 microphone).
There’s plenty of air and space in the top-end, and you’ll be able to really enjoy Hikaru Utada’s breathy vocals in First Love as well as the sparkly, energetic string instruments in orchestral pieces like March in D, K. 335 No.1 by Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, or Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi, The Four Seasons: Spring 1 (2012) by Max Richter.
Swappable earpads. Photo: HWZ.
The soundstage is wide, no doubt helped by the open foam velour earpads, and imaging and staging are accurate. The HD 505 is quite resolving and should benefit from better upstream equipment like a dedicated amplifier and DAC.
Readers should not be worried about the HD 505's slightly high 120-ohm impedance. Because the drivers are fairly sensitive (107.9 dB SPL), their power requirements are fairly modest and most devices should have sufficient power to drive them appropriately.
Our take
Sennheiser HD 505 Copper Edition. Photo: HWZ.
The Sennheiser HD 505, on paper, looks like a good option for new audiophiles who are looking to start their journey with a relatively affordable pair of open-back headphones. However, if you consider the HD 505 in the bigger picture, it can be a bit of a tough decision since other excellent headphones like the HD 650 or HD 660 S2 can be purchased for just a little more (the HD 650 is on sale for just S$439 at the time of writing).
That said, the HD 505 actually does a lot of things right. It’s incredibly comfortable right out of the box with no need for any breaking in, and it provides a balanced sound that works well for both music listening and gaming. With its copper accents, the HD 505 also looks pretty nice, even if the overall design is starting to look a bit tired by now.
The only issue is that due to Sennheiser’s large portfolio of headphones, the S$399 price tag isn’t quite as enticing for people who are looking for the most bang for their buck. We expect that the HD 505 will get discounts in the future, and if it drops to around the S$299 mark, it will be an excellent pickup at that time.
Note: The Sennheiser HD 505 Copper Edition can be purchased at Lazada, Shopee, Amazon, and Sennheiser's website.
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