New Ears

Possibly the most high-end headphones I've ever had the privilege of putting over my ears, the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus was a revelation about just what truly is the difference between hearing a song and listening to it. 

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It's not necessarily marketed towards "audiophiles"—the HD 490 Pro Plus is for audio engineers, producers and musicians—but there's a lot to be leveraged when you do get a chance. 

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I get a lot of music sent to me, much of it through private streaming links, but often I'll get the final mastered song(s) or an initial mix, even demos just so that artists can share a sense of the record—the creative ideas that drive it. 

That's where a good pair of headphones really help. My cousin had first surmised many years ago, that I must have good headphones if I'm trying to gauge and understand music, where often a technical choice in production and composing is also a creative one. That's when the Audio Technica M50X had come into the picture. With the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus, I believe I've got to level up. 

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There's something powerful about hearing music you've enjoyed for maybe over a decade and finding something new in it. You know, listening. That's what these headphones do for me.