Short answer: the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro. Both are rated 3.7/5 for sound quality (#191 and #201 of 481 over-ear headphones), and the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro costs $423 against $429 for the ThieAudio Cypher, so with nothing between them on sound quality, price settles it.
Why pick the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro: Across 12 hobbyist measurements on squig.link it earns a preference score of 75.1 with a smooth 2.0 dB spread around the target, so nothing in the response jumps out as harsh or hollow. The tradeoff: Low mids run about 2.3 dB hot while the upper mids sit 1.7 dB low, which thickens vocals and guitars and pushes them slightly behind the bass.
What the ThieAudio Cypher does well: An open-back over-ear headphone with a 50mm dynamic driver and treble right on the Harman target, scoring 75. The tradeoff: Bass sits about 2.1 dB below target, so it sounds lean.
Buy the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $6 less than the ThieAudio Cypher.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
Across 12 hobbyist measurements on squig.link it earns a preference score of 75.1 with a smooth 2.0 dB spread around the target, so nothing in the response jumps out as harsh or hollow.
Amazon $423.00 Lowest Sennheiser $429.00 eBay
An open-back over-ear headphone with a 50mm dynamic driver and treble right on the Harman target, scoring 75.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Sennheiser HD 490 Pro | ThieAudio Cypher | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $423.00 | $429.00 |
| Ranked | #191 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones | #201 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 75 (median of 12 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 75 (median of 4 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.00 dB standard deviation | 2.59 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.84 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.36 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-3.9 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-5.0 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Back | Open | Open |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 38mm dynamic | 1 x 50mm dynamic |
| Impedance | 130 ohms | 32 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 105 dB SPL/V | 96 dB/mW |
| Weight | 0.6 lbs (260 g) | - |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 36kHz (-10 dB, Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
Frequency Response Compared
Both headphones’ measurements overlaid on the Harman target. Above the target sounds louder in that range, below it quieter. Each curve is the median of several independent measurements, shifted so its 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB, so only the tuning is compared.
Measurement data: the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro from boizoff, cammyfi, daemonxar, filk, gadgetrytech, hadoe, iemworld, kr0mka, listener, sai, superreview and vsg; the ThieAudio Cypher from aden, audioamigo, dl and superreview, all via squig.link.
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