symbiosis's Full Review: Sennheiser HD 280 Professional Headphones
Over the past few years, I have tried out (and reviewed) many sets of headphones from many different manufacturers. I have also tried a wire variety of styles and price ranges, from the $20 terrible sounding glorified earplug that is the Koss Spark Plug, all the way up to the large, over-the-ear, open construction Sennheiser HD580 which retails for around $200.
I have tried to find a decent set of cheap headphones. I came close, with the AKG K 26 P, a good sounding set of portable headphones for around $40. I also tried to find top-notch higher-end headphones. I ended up being disappointed in the comfort of the Grado SR-125s (approximately $150), and was mostly satisfied with the ultra-comfortable Sennheiser HD580s.
But what about the middle ground? Is there a good set of cans out there for a guy (or girl) who wants quality, comfort, and uncompromising sound quality, all for a reasonable price?
For this purpose, I set a price cap of $100. Grado has two models in this price range that often receive rave reviews, the SR-60 and SR-80. But both of these models utilize the same hard foam cushions and on-the-ear construction that eventually led to the end of my relationship with the aforementioned SR-125s. To put it simply, you will be lucky if your ears do not hurt after about an hour with those evil hard foam cushions.
So what does Sennheiser have to offer in this price range? Quite a few models, actually. Perhaps the most favorably reviewed is the HD280Pro. I found a lot of HD280Pro reviews out there, and the vast majority were positive. Could they really be that good? Let's find out...
Construction
My first impression of the HD280Pro is that they look quite sturdy. Sure, the construction is mainly plastic, but it is a thick, durable plastic. I have had a chance to try this out, mowing my lawn. Not being used to wearing something that projected an extra inch beyond my head, I managed to bang the earpieces against branches, a wire fence, and even a metal pole. Amazingly, the HD280s came out of this without any visible markings. No scars, scrapes, or scratches whatsoever were visible.
So, the main body is very sturdy, fairly thick plastic. The headband slides easily to rather precise notches to adjust for different head sizes. There are markings that show how many notches are out on both sides, so it is easy to adjust it evenly. The earpieces are an over-the-ear (circumaural) construction. The cushions on the earpieces are made of a soft foam, and surrounded with a soft, thin fake-leather material. The earpieces swivel and fold in for more compact storage. There is also a nice amount of the same cushioning material on the top of the headband. The cord is single-sided (attached to the left transducer), and coiled. The cord is about a meter long when coiled, and can stretch to around three meters. The plug is a well-designed 1/8" mini-plug with locking threaded adapter for use with a full-sized (1/4") plug. As should be expected for any headphones over $40, both plug and adapter are gold-plated.
The HD280Pro also features user-replaceable parts. This could be a big plus for those of us that love to take things apart. If your HD280s do eventually succumb to prolonged abuse, you just might be able to fix them yourself.
Appearance
The HD280Pro have a sleek, modern look. The color scheme is black on black, with white lettering. The Achilles Heel of the design manifests itself when you actually put the headphones on. Just above the earpieces, the headband bends out significantly. This causes the headband to protrude a solid inch from the sides of the wearer's head. This definitely looks a bit funny from the front or back. So the Dorkiness Factor is minimal when viewed from the side, moderate from the front or back. The overly vain might find themselves unable to wear these in public. However, this bend causes them to be able to easily accommodate VERY large heads.
Noise Blocking
If you are looking for noise blocking, you have come to the right place. Nope, none of that fancy (and sound quality degrading) active noise cancellation here. Instead, the HD280Pro do it the old fashioned way; they block the noise from getting to your ears in the first place. Sennheiser claims ambient noise attenuation (blocking) of up to 32 dB. That is a very solid amount of attenuation, up there with many ear plugs and safety earmuffs.
But does it work in actual use? Well, here is my real world example. Most gas-powered lawn mowers generate enough noise to cause hearing damage. Earplugs are a very good idea. I have used the HD280Pro while mowing the lawn with my large, 6.5hp Toro lawn mower. They cut out a lot of the outside noise. I am able to listen to music at a reasonable volume level from my MP3 player. I would expect that they would also help a lot in other noisy situations, such as plane rides.
Comfort
The HD280Pros are well designed in this area. They feature comfortable soft padding on the earpieces and on the underside of the top of the headband. The ear cups rest around the ears. The ear cups are big enough to fit around most ears. One person that I know, who has ears that protrude a bit more than average, found that the inside of the ear cups was not large enough to prevent irritation. I do not think this would be an issue for the vast majority of people.
I have found the excellent seal of the HD280Pro, which blocks so much outside noise, also causes heat to stay in. So they can get a bit warm and possibly sweaty if worn for long periods of time, especially if worn while during physical activity. These would not be a good choice for use during exercise.
Sound
Most higher quality headphones benefit from a burn-in period. The drivers can be a bit stiff at first, and generally sound better once they have had a chance to stretch out a bit. In my experience, most higher-priced headphones sound downright mediocre until they have burned in for around 20-30 hours. This was far less noticeable with the HD280. They sounded pretty good right out of the box. There was some very minor coloration in the mid-range sound, but not enough to be of concern.
After a suitable burn-in period, the sound did open up a bit. Both male and female vocals seem accurate. There is excellent separation between all the instruments, including the various electric and bass guitars. High frequency sounds (such as cymbals) are crisp and clear. The highs are fast and do not linger any longer than they should. Mid-range sound is more than adequate. I think that I can occasionally hear the slightest bit of coloration in some of the mid-range sounds. The bass is for the most part quick and well controlled. The overall lower frequency sounds seem to be well-balanced; enough that nothing is missing, but not so much that it overwhelms the other frequencies. The only headphones that I have listened to with better overall sound quality were the Sennheiser HD580s, and that was at twice the price and with a headphone amplifier.
Other Considerations
The impedance is a reasonable 64 Ohms, and the SPL is 102 dB. For those of us who aren't headphone dorks, allow me to translate. These headphones will be loud enough with even the wispiest of portable devices.
Sennheiser offers a 2-year warranty.
Overall
I find it hard to imagine a better set of headphones for this price. Some online merchants offer these for as little as $80. The HD280Pro offer excellent sound quality, durable construction, comfort, and many convenient features. At less than $100, they are a superb bargain as well. All the positive reviews out there (5 star overall rating, 30 reviews here at Epinions) are correct. Highly recommended.
The HD280 pro headphones are full-sized, sealed headphones, that are light-weight, comfortable to wear, and with excellent sound quality. Because of t...More at eBay
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.