Sennheiser HD 380 Pro vs Able Planet Clear Harmony NC1150

Quote:

Originally Posted by coconuts 

Hey Everyone,

I'm debating between either getting the Sennheiser HD380 Pro or the Able Planet Clear Harmony NC1150. I plan to listen to mainly Jazz music and some classic rock so I'm curious to see what people have to say about which is better oriented to those genres. I'd like to be able to take them in the car with me on road trips and to block out my friend's loud music and take them on airplane flights as well. I'd also like to be able to plug them directly into my iPod without an amp. I also want them to be comfortable enough to be worn for several hours at a time without killing my ears (*cough* Ultrasone *cough*). Please let me know what you think. I'm curious about the Able Planets since there doesn't seem to be quite too many reviews on them. Any input helps. Thanks.

Heya,

Neither.

I'd instead point you towards:

Brainwavz HM5

Beyer DT770 PRO LE 32ohm

AKG K550

Veyr best,

I have not heard the Able Planet's so I cannot comment on those. But I love my HD380’s! I also listen to a lot of classic rock, and love the sound that they provide. I am a fan of the “Sennheiser sound” as some here on Head-fi refer to it. I think the clamp force on them is quite strong, however the ear cups are large and the force is distributed well over the entire cup. (At least for me) I do not have any comfort issues with mine during long listening sessions. (4-6 hours) They are also foldable and have a replaceable cable and come with a nice carrying case. I often use them straight off an iPod touch and the sound is still great. Good luck, happy listening!  

Neither are really any great value; there's better options out there. MalVeauX pointed you in the right direction.

The 380's are decent, but man they hurt.  They also sound a little off to me. It's not really the typical Senn sound.  Don't know about the Able's, never tried them.

I think the K550 might be a good set. Personally I don't like them.  A little to Plain for my taste.  But they have good comfort and should work well with your music tastes.

I have not tried the Sennheiser HD 380 Pro, yet own the comparatively inexpensive HD 280 Pro and like them a lot.  They are, however, not noise cancelling, and are really not that portable.

Recently I purchased the Able Planet Clear Harmony NC 1150 head phones prior to a business trip to Asia and have had two good ~12 hour flights in which to evaluate the NC 1150s.  So far, so good. Noise cancellation is on a par with others I own (or have tried), and the sound quality out of the box was very good....very well balanced within my range of hearing...kind of like the Sennheisers except with slightly stronger bass.  These are fairly comfortable as well. 

My only concern is with recommending the Able Planet head phones is that I don't know that company well enough to understand how well they back their product.  I have read mixed reviews from customer experiences posted on other sites.

Looked at purely as a functional piece of harware (brand aside), I do recommend the NC 1150 head phones...particularly if you find them at a discount.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Artback 

I have not tried the Sennheiser HD 380 Pro, yet own the comparatively inexpensive HD 280 Pro and like them a lot.  They are, however, not noise cancelling, and are really not that portable.

 

Recently I purchased the Able Planet Clear Harmony NC 1150 head phones prior to a business trip to Asia and have had two good ~12 hour flights in which to evaluate the NC 1150s.  So far, so good. Noise cancellation is on a par with others I own (or have tried), and the sound quality out of the box was very good....very well balanced within my range of hearing...kind of like the Sennheisers except with slightly stronger bass.  These are fairly comfortable as well. 

 

My only concern is with recommending the Able Planet head phones is that I don't know that company well enough to understand how well they back their product.  I have read mixed reviews from customer experiences posted on other sites.

 

Looked at purely as a functional piece of harware (brand aside), I do recommend the NC 1150 head phones...particularly if you find them at a discount.

Just out of interest, what other cans do you have as a frame of reference?

I agree that the HD280 is a good headphone at its price (and that the Able Planet is good for something you can find at Best Buy), but the HD380 is overpriced and at the range the OP is looking at I think there's better options out there.