Please be aware that they isolate so well because they clamp rather hard. If you have a bigger head (like me), they will squash the crap out of it and you'll have a headache in under 20 minutes, so just be sure to try em out for 10 or more minutes at the store. Their sound for me is quite good, it has a good deal of sub bass with a little less mid bass and tame highs (not overly bright), also a relatively small sound stage. I realise it's only $60, but maybe you should check them out against the M50s and SRH-840s as you may decide it's worth saving up for one of those instead (I prefer the SRH-840s in every category personally).
For your reference, when comparing the M50s and SRH-840s with the HD-280s, here are the differences I could hear:
SRH-840 vs HD-280 (I know both of these phones well now since I actually own both):
- SRH has more sparkle and treble
- SRH has less sub bass and more midbass, leading to a more punchy sound, HD-280 sounds great for rap and movies where bass separation from the rest of the spectrum is a plus. For most other music, the SRH sounds more natural.
- HD-280 pro probably has the edge on build quality even though they are both built really well. The HD feels a bit more solid overall.
- SRH has a smoother midrange, it's super musical and gorgeous
- The SRH is a heavier phone but for me, significantly more comfortable, in fact, I think it's the comfiest of the closed models I've ever used / tried (M50, HD280 pro, KRK 8400).
M50 vs HD-280:
- M50 much more hifi sounding in comparison, more bass, more treble, less mids
- M50 built better than all of the models I listed, amazing quality! Solid!
- M50 cups smaller which may not suit big ears but it is much more comfortable than the HD for long periods
The HDs isolate better than the M50 and SRH-840, but not by a huge margin.
All the best with your choice and let us know what you think if you grab em 
Edited by zambz - 1/24/12 at 3:44am
