While some may think Sennheiser headphones are "ugly" or "dull", cosmetics are nowhere even close to being on my list of have-to-have's. Even if it was on my list, I quite like the look of the HD280 Pro. It's a no nonsense design that brings about a feeling of confidence in it's durability. The HD280 Pro was designed with function in mind, not fashion. If you're looking for something pretty or shiny, this a'int it (by the way...a'int a'int a word).
The audio cable...oh the audio cable...it's pretty much what I had expected with my last purchase. While it's technically not "removable" it's much more substantial, not longer than necessary , and it's coiled so it's much easier to stow away.
When I say technically not removable, I mean you can't simply pull the audio cable out of the unit like the HD380 Pro. Instead, if you do damage your audio cable, you have to open the ear cup and do some light wiring to replace the audio cable. In fact there is a guide in the manual that shows you how to do so. To some this is unacceptable, however I'm just fine with a thicker, more durable cable that is more resistant to breakage in the first place.
I'm not going to lie to you, these headphones have a crazy amount of clamping force! So unless you have a small-ish head...oh who am I kidding, even if you DO have a small-ish head, you're going to want to break these in. I've read that some place them onto a basketball or volley ball to break them in and reduce that clamping force a bit. Otherwise, you'll find it difficult to use them for extended periods of time. As durable as these are however, be cautious when breaking this in, as the construction is mostly plastic which has it's limitations as far as how much flex it can handle. Before they were completely broken in, I've had to take breaks from several editing sessions because of a pressure headache caused by the death grip these things have on my head. The reason for this clamping force is in order to aid in noise cancellation or attenuation. According to the specs, they provide 32 decibels (dB) of attenuation.
They are pretty good at blocking out noise. While they won't block out my dishwasher which is about 10 ft from my desk, they do block out a considerable about of noise, such as people talking, the TV (as long as the volume isn't cranked too high) and general ambient noise. So far these have been great for when I'm video editing, or just want to chill and listen to music or watch YouTube video with less distractions. My darling fiancee will often have to physically signal me with a wave to get my attention, or come distract me with smooches...which I'm really OK with actually.
I tested these headphones with various types of music, hip-hop, rock, acoustic, metal, and even some EDM. I did notice that the HD280 Pro provides a good bass response, when good bass is present. It doesn't do any fancy bass boosting or anything like that, which is good because it allows me to get a more accurate perception of my source audio. The HD429 seemed to give a slight (albeit smooth) boost to music tracks, which is no way was a bad thing, just different. The HD429's slightly elevated bass response is better suited for casual listening, whereas the HD280 Pro is intended for monitoring. For that reason, I'm using the HD280 Pro as my main headphones for the home office, they help me monitor my audio levels in my video editing, which is something I'm becoming a stickler for.
I'll wrap this up by saying I am not an audiophile by any means, nor claim to be! Also, everyone's ears are different, and therefore each pair of headphones will sound different for each individual. The best way to see if a pair of headphones are for you, is to have your ears decide, don't let anyone tell you which product is right for you.
The audio cable...oh the audio cable...it's pretty much what I had expected with my last purchase. While it's technically not "removable" it's much more substantial, not longer than necessary , and it's coiled so it's much easier to stow away.
When I say technically not removable, I mean you can't simply pull the audio cable out of the unit like the HD380 Pro. Instead, if you do damage your audio cable, you have to open the ear cup and do some light wiring to replace the audio cable. In fact there is a guide in the manual that shows you how to do so. To some this is unacceptable, however I'm just fine with a thicker, more durable cable that is more resistant to breakage in the first place.
I'm not going to lie to you, these headphones have a crazy amount of clamping force! So unless you have a small-ish head...oh who am I kidding, even if you DO have a small-ish head, you're going to want to break these in. I've read that some place them onto a basketball or volley ball to break them in and reduce that clamping force a bit. Otherwise, you'll find it difficult to use them for extended periods of time. As durable as these are however, be cautious when breaking this in, as the construction is mostly plastic which has it's limitations as far as how much flex it can handle. Before they were completely broken in, I've had to take breaks from several editing sessions because of a pressure headache caused by the death grip these things have on my head. The reason for this clamping force is in order to aid in noise cancellation or attenuation. According to the specs, they provide 32 decibels (dB) of attenuation.
They are pretty good at blocking out noise. While they won't block out my dishwasher which is about 10 ft from my desk, they do block out a considerable about of noise, such as people talking, the TV (as long as the volume isn't cranked too high) and general ambient noise. So far these have been great for when I'm video editing, or just want to chill and listen to music or watch YouTube video with less distractions. My darling fiancee will often have to physically signal me with a wave to get my attention, or come distract me with smooches...which I'm really OK with actually.
I tested these headphones with various types of music, hip-hop, rock, acoustic, metal, and even some EDM. I did notice that the HD280 Pro provides a good bass response, when good bass is present. It doesn't do any fancy bass boosting or anything like that, which is good because it allows me to get a more accurate perception of my source audio. The HD429 seemed to give a slight (albeit smooth) boost to music tracks, which is no way was a bad thing, just different. The HD429's slightly elevated bass response is better suited for casual listening, whereas the HD280 Pro is intended for monitoring. For that reason, I'm using the HD280 Pro as my main headphones for the home office, they help me monitor my audio levels in my video editing, which is something I'm becoming a stickler for.
I'll wrap this up by saying I am not an audiophile by any means, nor claim to be! Also, everyone's ears are different, and therefore each pair of headphones will sound different for each individual. The best way to see if a pair of headphones are for you, is to have your ears decide, don't let anyone tell you which product is right for you.
