I’m always on the hunt for the perfect all-rounder headphones—something that delivers crisp, immersive sound for gaming, clarity for music, and comfort for all-day work sessions. Over the past year, I’ve tested everything from the Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro Open-Back to the Corsair Virtuoso Pro, hoping to find that elusive blend of audiophile quality and gaming precision.
So when I got my hands on the Sennheiser HD 505 Copper Edition, I was curious to see if it could finally check all the right boxes. With its open-back design and eye-catching copper accents, the HD 505 immediately gave off premium vibes—and after putting it through a proper gaming marathon, I quickly realized this wasn’t just another pretty pair of cans.
Straight out of the box, the HD 505 Copper looks sleek and professional. The mix of matte black and copper gives it a modern, slightly industrial vibe without being too flashy. It feels solid and well-made, and at only 237 grams (not including the cable), it’s light enough to wear for hours without getting uncomfortable. The padded headband and plush ear cushions also help keep fatigue at bay during long sessions.
To really put them through their paces, I tested these headphones with several demanding games. Each title showcases different audio characteristics—and the HD 505 handled them all impressively. In Doom: The Dark Ages, the pounding soundtrack and chaotic sound effects were rendered with thunderous power. The open-back design allowed the mix to breathe, creating a wide, cinematic soundstage that pulled me deeper into the action.
In Cyberpunk 2077, with its dense city soundscapes and layered synths, the headphones excelled at bringing nuance to the forefront. The buzzing neon ambience, scattered chatter, and ambient music came through with remarkable detail. It felt like I was discovering new layers in a game I’d already spent dozens of hours in.
Diablo IV benefits immensely from good headphones, and the HD 505’s spatial clarity really shined here. Echoes, footsteps, and background whispers were positioned with pinpoint precision, helping me react more intuitively to threats I couldn’t yet see. It felt less like hearing the game and more like stepping inside it.
In competitive scenarios like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the HD 505 provided a genuine edge. Footsteps, reload clicks, and enemy callouts stood out crisply in the mix, helping me react faster. Even though these are open-back headphones, the directional audio was excellent—on par with or better than many closed-back “surround sound” headsets I’ve tested.
Under the hood, the HD 505 features dynamic 38mm drivers with a wide frequency response range of 12 Hz to 38.5 kHz. That’s broad enough to capture the rumble of explosions and the shimmer of distant effects with equal finesse. With an impedance of 120 ohms, they’re not built for plug-and-play simplicity. You can still use them with a console controller, but they’ll really come alive when powered by a dedicated amp or DAC.
When I plugged them into my PlayStation 5, I needed to crank the volume to get the most out of them. But when paired with a proper DAC, the sound quality elevated dramatically. It’s worth the effort for the payoff in clarity and immersion.
The included 1.8-meter detachable cable ends in a 3.5mm jack. While it’s serviceable, it’s not especially rugged. Thankfully, it’s compatible with other HD 500-series cables. Sennheiser also offers an optional version with an inline microphone—perfect for gamers looking for an all-in-one chat and game audio solution without tacking on a separate mic.
One of the HD 505’s standout traits is its open-back soundstage. The way sound radiates feels natural and enveloping—ideal for cinematic gaming and detailed listening. The downside? It leaks audio and lets in ambient noise, so it’s best used in a quiet room. If you often play in shared or noisy spaces, this might not be the right pick.
If you’re weighing alternatives, the HD 505 holds up well against similarly priced headsets like the Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro. The MMX 330 offers a robust boom mic and slightly better passive noise isolation, but the HD 505 outperforms it in spatial accuracy and overall immersion. At $449 AUD, it undercuts many premium competitors while delivering superior clarity and comfort for extended play sessions.
It doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles—there’s no active noise cancellation, built-in surround processing, or even a microphone—but what it delivers is purity: accurate, detailed sound across a wide stage. Paired with the right gear, it becomes a serious audio tool that easily competes with far more expensive options.
If you want a headset that feels equally at home playing games, streaming music, or zoning in for a day of work—especially in a quiet setup—the HD 505 Copper Edition deserves a spot on your shortlist. It’s stylish, precise, and powerful without being overdesigned. For me, it’s one of the best surprises of the year.
Sennhieser Australia kindly provided the HD 505 for the purpose of this review.
