I’ve been testing both headphones for an entire day, all while both are very different, they’re both great at wha they do.

The HD600 is legendary. The sound quality, while it feels inferior in terms of bass and clarity to the HD 490, has something in it that makes it a pleasure to listen to and I can’t pinpoint what it is. I even asked my gf and sister to compare them 490 and 550 (which are not comfortable on my head and I’m sending back) and none favored the HD600. Also, while very clampy (and I’m VERY sensible to clamp), they feel extremely comfortable on my head, like tight hugging just the right places.

The HD 490 Pro Plus on the other hand is a completely different beast. My gf instantly preferred them over the HD600 in the first 5 seconds of listening, and I can see why. There’s just a level of clarity and bass that is just not there on the HD600, it feels like you’re being released into a new level of sound. I can feel truly immersed in the music and listen what the sound guys wanted me to listen. And comfort is S+, these just disappear into my head.

If I were to compare them in simple terms, the HD600 is when I want to focus on other tasks and have a warm, soft background that will sound good no matter what I throw at it. And the HD 490 Pro is when I really want a good look at the music I’m listening to, as the day they arrived I used them to listen to the entire soundtrack of Death Stranding 2 while I was working and while a bit more neutral, these things really let me hear the sound the engineers wanted me listen.

In the end, while very different at what they do, they’re both a please to listen to.

I’m torn and I have to return one of them. If someone has gone through something similar to this, or has long term experience with both, which would you keep? The 490 is double the price of the HD600 (I already have a good amp/dac).