Sennheiser HD-280 PRO Headphones
by Sennheiser
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List Price: Our Price: $92.00 You Save: $57.95 (39%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $60.01 (click here) Category: Speakers See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sennheiser HD-280 PRO Headphones
Customer Review: They take me back to a simpler time...
Summary: 5 Stars
Don't pass judgement on these headphones until you have owned them for a few
days. I highly recommend the burn-in: let them run overnight at a volume level
that is the max you would listen to (without distortion). Mine really opened
up after doing this. On the tightness issue: yes, they are a bit toight, but I
found a trick that seems counterintuitive, but works for me. I have a big
noggin, and usually wear headphones with the headband almost completely
extended. With these, ouch! Like my head was in a vice. I found that if I
push the band in to almost the shortest setting and let the weight rest mostly
on the crown of my head, they are quite comfortable! They sit a bit higher on
my ears than I would usually like, but I got used to that pretty quick.
I bought these after my Grado SR-80s died, and after seeing them recommended by
goodcans.com. I never really loved the open 'supra-aural' design of the
Grados, especially when my wife complained about always hearing my music - she
don't like Rush. I wanted something that hearkened back to those big, fat,
RadioShack Optimus cans I had in high school (mid '80s). These do that in
spades, and of course, are much better. I feel completely 'inside' them, which
is, IMHO, what the headphone experience should be like. If you've been
considering noise-cancelling headphones but don't like the price and the fact
that they need batteries, give these a try.
On the down side, these are wicked ugly. They look like something off the the
1979 Buck Rogers set (Princess Ardala was HOT!). But they are built solid, and
made in Ireland, which is refreshing. Also, the first language in the
instruction manual is German, Oooo...
So, if you're looking for some substantial cans that take you back to your
pre-digital youth, and don't want to spend more than a Ben Franklin, look no
further. Dig out the Queen, Zeppelin, Floyd, etc, and enjoy!
Customer Review: WIthout a doubt, the best headphones I have owned
Summary: 5 Stars
These are, without a doubt, the best headphones I have ever owned, and I've gone through quite a few. I have finally found the holy grail with these. The sound is, quite literally, perfect. I tried these for the first time in the studio laying down vocal tracks for my ska band, and bought a pair for myself a few weeks later.
The sound is literally perfect. I remember thinking that the Bose headphones they have at the Apple store were really great. After owning these for a few months, I went back to try the Bose headphones and found them to be (on a sound level) noticeably inferior. Every second I use these is a treat. The bass is not weak, as some have suggested. The sound is so full and so rich. If all you listen to is hip hop, they may not have the bass you desire or expect, but such a high level of bass is, I would say, not really true to the actual recording, and I'm sure if you play with the EQ a bit, you can get what you want. If you're sampling these, my suggestion would be to listen to something that really showcases the fullness of the sound of these phones (maybe like big orchestral movie soundtrack, or pink floyd's dark side of the moon... something with a lot of layers to it).
They're extremely comfortable, and the noise canceling capabilities are the best I've seen in any set of passive headphones. Also, I literally sleep on these things almost every night, and they've held up for what's been almost a year now.
$80 is more than a fair price for these. I got mine for $40 or $50 on ebay. You have my guarantee that you will not find other headphones of this caliber for that price. I'm sure they'll break eventually from my sleeping on them every night, but these will definitely be my headphone of choice for many years to come.
I was really hesitant to write a review on these things, in fear that I'd jinx it and they'd break on me. I've just gotta get the word out, though- these are the BEST headphones I've ever had.
Customer Review: Great Headphones!
Summary: 5 Stars
These are my first pair of "good" headphones, and I'm impressed so far. I'm coming from a pair of Sony MDR-V300, which did fine for me for a while, but the headband finally snapped after about 5 years. When the Senns came in, I was a little taken aback on first listen. The bass wasn't as pronounced as the Sonys, and the music sounded more "distant", if that makes sense. After about an hour on the Sennheisers I switched back to the Sonys, and wow, the Senns are a league or two above. Granted, they should be due to the price difference, but it's impressive.
The bass in the Sonys was obviously overboosted. The Sennheisers sound much more neutral, and sound great with appropriate EQ settings for the music you're listening to. There's a separation I wasn't getting before. I can basically pick apart the different instrument channels, whereas with the Sonys everything was just kind of mashed together. Acoustic tracks sound like the singer is singing right in my ear, and on heavy rock tracks, the drums have a real snap I wasn't getting before. I'm very impressed with the sound.
Sound isolation is absolutely insane. With the music at a moderate level, I can't hear anything from the outside world! If you want to lose yourself in your music, these are for you.
Regarding comfort, I have a big head, and these were an overly tight fit at first. I fixed that, though, by just gently stretching the headphones over a stack of books for half an hour or so. Now they feel comfortably snug, but not overly tight. I've been wearing them about two hours now, and I could go two more without a problem.
I don't have any real experience with quality headphones, but I can tell you I'm very satisfied with these for the money I paid. I'm sure there's better stuff out there, maybe even slightly better stuff at this price point, but I'm very satisfied, and now I'm contemplating some Sennheiser earbuds for my iPod!
Customer Review: Not an Audiophile, but these are great.
Summary: 5 Stars
Excellent phones. I use these for games and music on a computer along with a small $20 headphone amp. I have a dedicated Creative sound card. I don't use mic chat so I don't care about a mic, but if I had to, and after using these, I'd tape a mic on to avoid getting a headset.
They feel small at first but the cups fit right over your ears and reduce the background noise drastically. It gives you a "focused" feeling that really puts you in the game and less in other things going on around you.
I personally believe the "5.1 Surround" headphones are a gimmick. I owned one before and it, in terms of sound direction, sounds the same as the 2 dollar mp3 headphones. I can hear footsteps ingame perfectly and just about better than everyone else on the server, all of whom are very good players and would have probably invested in various types of headphones. Also, most "5.1" phones are ridiculously expensive and don't even have good KHZ range. After using these, I even get called a cheater once in a while because I always hear people before I see them.
If you are a gamer, try reducing the bass if you have an EQ as bass is usually not directional. You'll be able to hear movement much better in situations where everyone is throwing grenades or something.
Remember - the speakers/headphones are only as good as the quality signal being sent through them. Crappy source + great phones/speakers = Crappy sound. If you have a newish motherboard, onboard has gotten better over the years. If you have an older board, you should probably get a sound card.
If you're looking for portable headphones for an mp3 player, I wouldn't recommend these. But if you're talking about a long plane flight or car ride, these will fit the bill, but invest in a portable amp. Most laptop computers and mp3 players by themselves won't be able to put out a loud enough signal to really take advantage of these.
Customer Review: Mouse Ears funny looking but really good!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I went shopping for headphones with two very different purposes in mind.
The first, is what is called Hemi-sync, which uses ultra low sound frequencies to balance the hemispheres of you brain and to achieve meditative or resting states. (Robert A. Monroe and Kelly Howell are the leading producers of this type of music.)I wanted quality sound, very accurate reproduction and isolation from outside noises.
The second task was for capturing sound on a video/movie set. With a friend working on becoming a film maker, I was drafted into audio. Working the boom and several different microphones, I needed a set of headphones that would allow me to hear the subtle nuances of the actors voices, while isolating anything that wasn't being captured by the mike. I am also in charge of foley work, that is capturing all the background noises that will be added to the film in post production.
I have now used these headphones in both circumstances and they work great! They are a little large looking, mouse ears, and fit a little tight, but wearing them for several hours at a time and even into the meditation they have been very good. Wearing them outdoors, with wind blowing, the noise isolation is excellent.
I cannot give as knowledgeable of a review as some here, who have owned many different brands and qualities, however, my friend the movie maker has Sony MDR-7506 and I really liked them. The Sennheiser attracted me because of the noise isolation, but I really think the sound is either as good or to close for my ears to tell the difference.
The one warning I would give on these phones. They take very little volume to produce sound, when I edit video with them, or listen to music I am usually at 5% of potential volume, so with these headphones always start with sound at 0% and come up slowly.