Sennheiser HD 497

209 reviews

May, 2013

Positive
Sound (144)
Value for money (129)
Portability (73)
Bass quality (53)
Build quality (23)

No negative mentions yet

General overview
Price comparison
Product Specifications

alaTest has collected and analyzed 209 reviews from magazines and websites. Reviewers really like the bass quality and portability. The comfort and value for money are also mentioned favorably.

sound, value for money, comfort, portability, bass quality

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Headphones the Sennheiser HD 497 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 69/100 = Good quality.

Review analysis

(Based on 209 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

(56% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews (31% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews (9% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews (3% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews (1% of reviews)
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Features

Sound
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Value for money
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Comfort
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Portability
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Bass quality
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Showing 187 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

Showing 1 - 10 of 187 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (36)

Expert review by: Steve Guttenberg (cnet.com)

Sennheiser HD497

Sennheiser's $69 (list price) HD497 headphones deliver extraordinarily well-balanced acoustics. Their silver-plastic construction feels sturdy, and like most Sennheiser designs, the 497s feature easily replaceable cables and ear pads. The headphones...

Comfy over-the-ear headphones; lightweight design; excellent high-frequency detail; taut, powerful bass; two-year warranty.

Noncollapsible headband.

This affordable pro-style model sounds great at home and on the go.

Aug, 2003

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Consumer review by: chipmonstr (shopzilla.com)

Sennheiser HD-497 Over-Ear Headphones

Oct, 2005

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Consumer review by: Cnet_Jin (cnet.com)

"Great all-around headphones for around $45"

So far I've had these phones for roughly 2 months now, and they've worked great! No problems at all...makes music actually sound like music... The pads are VERY comfortable. Actually, the headphones are very confortable overall. They are light and dont...

Sounds strong, pretty good base, quality contruction

cord is too long for mp3 or any other portable music player

May, 2005

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Consumer review by: schroedk (cnet.com)

"The best headphone value for the money"

I honestly don't know how these headphones can be beat for the price. I got a refurbished pair online for $35, and the acoustical range and reproduction are impressive. I use them primarily outside when I'm mowing the lawn, and the full cup design...

Acoustics; weight; comfort; full-cup design

long cord; fairly large

Apr, 2005

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Consumer review by: (cnet.com)

"Great sound quality, but comfortability is an issue."

Like others reviewers are probably more qualified to comment on the sound quality than me. The Sennheiser HD497 pumps out great qaulity audio, and I'm no longer satisfied with just using my TV speakers (which for a Panasonic Tau 20", is pretty decent) to

For me, the Headphones aren't very comfortable for extended uses...like 2-3 hour sessions. After-awhile, it would start to grate against my ears (I don't particularly have wide ears either), forcing me to take it off for a break. Also, the headphones

Nov, 2004

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Consumer review by: (cnet.com)

"Solid Reputation"

Great Sound as expected from Sennheiser. A bit on the expensive side considering you can get the 500 Series for $30 more.

Ears get warm after 15 minute of use; hurts after an hour. I recommend checking out the 500 Series models.

Mar, 2004

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Consumer review by: (cnet.com)

"REALLY GOOD"

GREAT SOUND (I WATCHED THE 2 TOMB RAIDER AND WAS BLOWN AWAY WITH THESE) GREAT FOR HIP HOP,SALSA AND R&B...THESE HEADPHONES ARE REALLY LIGHT AND PRETTY COMFY

GRIPES: NOT GOOD FOR STREET USE BECAUSE EVERYONE CAN HEAR YOUR MUSIC, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO HEAR WHATS GOING ON AROUND YOU, YOU WILL STEP ON THE CORD A LOT IT WAY TO LONG. THE EAR CUPS ARE TOO BIG TO PUT OVER YOU EAR BUT TO SMALL TO FIT YOUR EAR. SO IN OTH

Dec, 2003

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Consumer review by: (amazon.com)

Amazon review summary for the Sennheiser HD 497

alaTest has collected and analyzed 143 user reviews of the Sennheiser HD 497 from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 4.5/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.0/5 for other products on Amazon.com.

90% of reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

May, 2013

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Consumer review by: Tony Z (amazon.com)

Casual use = A+; worth the price if you bought years ago

When I purchased these quite a few moons ago, I was just getting acquainted with audio formats and players that were more robust than your average mp3. Doing some research and setting a budget (sub-$100 at the time) lead me to these headphones and I...

Oct, 2012

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Consumer review by: knucklestar (amazon.com)

Long life with cable swap

I've been using these headphones for 8 years and they are still solid. I use it both at home and out on the street. The cord is really long so I wrap it up often. The cord also seems to fail every few years, with the sound in one of the ears going on...

Jul, 2012

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