Sennheiser at IFA 2015: Bringing affordability with Sennheiser goodness

Sennheiser. Without even looking up the prices, you know a product is high-end if they’re made by a European company has at least three syllables. Chances are, you have few opportunities to nab a great inexpensive product. Sennheiser is no exception. The German electronic company is infamous for high-end audio at a very premium price point. There are very few Sennheiser products that break this mold. One of the few product lineups that Sennheiser has is its HD 400 range. Sure, it’s been around for quite a while, but this year at IFA in Berlin, Sennheiser brings us the three newest additions: The HD 451, the HD 461, and the HD 471.

Sennheiser HD 451

451? As in Fahrenheit 451? Maybe not. I’m not sure why every single one of the numbers end in 1, but anyway, the HD 451 is the lowest number in the bunch. That being said, it’s also the most compact of the lineup. Unfortunately, this is the only one in the lineup that will not ship to the United States. These closed-back headphones are equipped with the usual neodymium drivers, but without a price point, this one’s the most elusive of the bunch.

Sennheiser HD 461

Moving on, with the HD 461, they feature detachable cables with the usual in-line mic and remote. With closed backs and neodymium drivers, these mirror the HD 451, but they have the addition of ramped up bass. There will be two variants made for iOS and Android users. We’ve seen this sort of thing in the past with many, if not all new Sennheiser products. Well, all new Sennheiser products with an in-line mic, at least. The HD 461 also feature a larger footprint for increased noise isolation. They also feature leatherette ear pads for comfort.

Sennheiser HD 471

Now, there should be some sort of pattern. The HD 471 feature a larger footprint than the HD 451 with a detachable cable with an integrated in-line mic and remote. They’re closed back headphones with neodymium drivers, but this time around, they’re mor optimized to bring a balanced approach for the users who want natural sounding, life-like sounds.

As far as pricing goes, because the HD 451 will not be sold in the US, there’s no word on pricing. The 461 begins at $90 and the 471 begins of $110. We have very affordable pricing here with Sennheiser quality here. Sennheiser rarely disappoints, even at a low-end price point. This time around, this looks an addition to the already
successful HD 400 Series.