The HD497 Headphones are not by any means personal headphones, they're far to large for that, but neither are they cumbersome, at a relatively light 130 grams (inc cable) they are very comfortable for prolonged listening and by prolonged we mean hours if not most of the workday.

We tested the Sennheiser HD497's with an Apple Ipod to see what a MP3 player with relatively low line level would sound like with the headphones, much to our surprise there was a real clarity of sound and a depth of warmth so often lacking from in ear ear buds like those shipped with the Ipod. The open, supra-aural HD497's mean that you are not shut away from the outside world as with our recent test of the Shure E2c's, instead you can hear if the phone starts ringing or someone is shouting at you, but the audio level is good enough to drown out background noise should you choose to.

The Bass response of the Sennheiser is possibly the biggest difference with other similarly priced units, while you can spend upwards of £60 on a stylish but low end lacking pair of headphones, the HD497's come with a well weighted and measured bass response which is suited to all kinds of music. The overall balance of the track is never compromised by the availability of low end grunt produced by the 497's instead it's like driving a big engine car, you know that there is more in reserve so you don't always use it!

The nuts and bolts of living with the HD497 Headphones are also good news, the 3.5mm jack comes with a quarter inch adaptor for use with HiFi systems and the 3 meter cable is more than generous. As with all Sennheiser products the ear pads and cables are replaceable if they become worn or damaged, perhaps our only criticism is that the ear pads can become quite hot to wear in the summer.

And so to our big draw back, should you decide that the Sennheiser HD497 Headphones are right for your portable device or HiFi you will get constant jibes about the Channel 4 TV series "Bo Selecta". You should prepare yourself for office colleagues walking around making thumbs up signs and shouting Proper Bo! and Heeeee Heeeee in a very high pitched voice, this is because you will look like the Craig David spoof from the TV series when wearing the HD497's.

This is a small price to pay of course for drowning out the terrible jokes, loud telephone conversations and annoying finger drumming of nearby castrated sales executives.

So we whole heartedly recommend the Sennheiser HD497 headphones for both MP3 portable devices and home HiFi at £45 its almost tempting to wear them in public, but not that tempting!

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