Sennheiser · Open-back · 1968–1990s
Sennheiser calls the HD 414 the world's first open-back headphone, and it still calls it the bestselling full-size headphone of all time. It came out in 1968 and weighs about 135 grams without its cable. The original was a 2,000-ohm design sold with loudspeaker plugs, so you could connect it straight to your amp's speaker terminals alongside your speakers, and a studio could run a whole row of them from one power amp. Over its long run the impedance dropped to 600, then 400 and finally 50 ohms, so the version you buy decides what will drive it. The flat yellow foam pads stayed the same through every version, and Sennheiser still sells new ones, which makes an old pair easy to bring back.
Before you plug in
Should come with it
Check the listing photos against this list, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. A missing piece should come off the price.
The original foam pads crumble with age, and many pairs have lost or swapped their cable. The impedance changed several times over the run, so a listing may not be the version you expect.
New to used headphones? How to check a used pair covers pads, cables, channel dropouts and fakes, and impedance and your amp explains what will drive it.
Buying guide
We'd buy the German pair titled in excellent condition with new ear pads at $140 delivered, about $40 under the $179 median, though its photo shows black pads in place of the usual yellow foam. Most of the at least 6 for sale ask $160–200 delivered. The impedance dropped over the run from the 2,000-ohm original to 600, 400 and finally 50 ohms, so ask for the label before you plan your setup, since an original needs a strong headphone amp or an amp's speaker outputs while a late 50-ohm pair plays from almost anything. Old foam has usually crumbled, but Sennheiser still sells genuine HD 414 pads, and the detachable cable often ends in a 5-pin DIN plug that needs a 6.3 mm adapter, so check the plug in the photos. Skip the boxed pair titled untested at $163 delivered, which asks as much as a working one.
$139.98est. delivered
The lowest delivered pair here at $140, sent from Germany and titled in excellent condition with new ear pads. The photo shows black pads on a white pair, so ask what they are and which impedance the label gives.
Sennheiser HD-414 stereo headband headphones with new ear pads excellent conditi
$139.98est. delivered
New pads are in the title and it asks about $40 under the median, from a seller at 100%. It isn't titled tested, so ask for a short video of music playing with the cable moved at each cup.
Sennheiser HD-414 stereo headband headphones with new ear pads excellent conditi
$228.60est. delivered
New earpads are titled and the listing points to a video of it playing, so it should need nothing before first use. At $229 delivered it's a little over the band, so ask for the label's impedance before you choose an amp.
Sennheiser HD 414 Stereo Headphones/New Earpads GREAT SOUND, See Video Original
$189.90est. delivered
A white pair titled 2,000 ohms, the original version Sennheiser first sold with loudspeaker plugs, at $190 delivered and inside the band. The photo shows yellow pads and a cable with a 6.3 mm jack, but it still needs a strong headphone amp or an amp's speaker outputs.
Sennheiser HD 414 White Stereo Headphones 2000 Ohm, EPOC
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 14, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Snapshot
Checked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 14, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Used$139.98est. delivered
$111.99 + $27.99 shipping
Buy It Now$111.99
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
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Good buy
New ear pads per the title. Photo shows black pads. Ships from Germany.
Seller: byczek1968
100% positive
Used$228.60est. delivered
$213.75 + $14.85 shipping
Buy It Now$213.75
Good buy
New earpads, titled with a video of it playing.
Seller: traylor-made
99.7% positive
Used$189.90est. delivered
$179.95 + $9.95 shipping
Buy It Now$179.95
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Good buy
Titled 2,000 ohms, the original version. Needs a strong amp.
Seller: hgar9507
100% positive
For parts$162.90est. delivered
$149.95 + $12.95 shipping
Buy It Now$149.95
Our take
Titled untested. Photo shows only the box.
Seller: bftos
99.8% positive
Used$167.99est. delivered
$134.39 + $33.60 shipping
Buy It Now$134.39
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
Photo shows no pads. No test claim. Ships from Germany.
Seller: adanam1
98.8% positive
Used$192.55est. delivered
$170.00 + $22.55 shipping
Buy It Now$170.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
Black version, titled tested with its original cable. Needs new foam.
Seller: asavage2nv
100% positive
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