[Mad Max]

Quote:

I love the look of the Adidas Originals. I might get them, but are the HD25-1 II headphones really as good as they are advertised? I heard they've been out for like 15 years, hard to believe they're still at the top in their category.
 
And is it possible to find Adidas Originals brand new for less thatn $250?

 
Yes.  Keep your eyes peeled, they occasionally drop down to $230, maybe even $220.
 
If you end up loving them, a recable is recommended to get rid of the nasty crosstalk of the stock cable.

 

[RudeWolf]

Is the stock cable that prone to crosstalk? I thought that steel conductors were the usual suspects for bashing because of higher impedance than copper.

 

[Mad Max]

Isn't the stock cable supposed to be steel-reinforced copper?
Or someone made that up.
 
Anyway, I suspect that the conductors are poorly insulated.  Just a straight up Mogami recable makes a noticeable difference from stock; comparing the stock cable to my newest, dual-insulated cable makes a somewhat big difference, unlike with most other headphones.  It looks like the cable in the picture, but I added cotton sleeving per channel underneath the nylon braid to separate and insulate the signal wires from each other even more.  No more small soundstage, plus with really good recordings, very 3D.  It begins to feel like a mini HFI2400.
 
Edit: You know how HD25 sort of squishes/crams everything in the center of the soundstage?  Like it has some kind of crappy crossfeed or something?  I don't get that at all anymore.

 

[Windsor]

I'm selling one of these if anyone's interested. Message me if so. 

 

[RudeWolf]

Nah, Sennheiser official sellers explicitly told me that it's the conductor that's made from steel. However it may be different for the coiled cable because one could use a steel wire to maintain the coiled shape and use copper for conductor wires.
 
Just tried a quick swap from my HD650 and I didn't find any great difference in sound. HD25-II are not too great for soundstage, in my opinion. They do better than Grado but that's no great feat.

 

[Mad Max]

I wouldn't consider HD25 to be all that great either next to a headphone like HD6x0, not that this is relevant in any way.
 
Edit: I could build for you a duplicate of my cable for you to try.  Not for free, though. 

 

[Windsor]

Hi there - in case you're interested, as an offering that may serve your eyes and ears well, here's how I found the HD 25-1 in relation to the HD 600 and some other headphones: http://www.head-fi.org/a/comparing-headphones-sennheisers-hd-800-hd-600-hd-25-1-and-amperior-audeze-lcd-2-rev-2-and-the-ath-m50s

 

[RudeWolf]

Quote:

Hi there - in case you're interested, as an offering that may serve your eyes and ears well, here's how I found the HD 25-1 in relation to the HD 600 and some other headphones: http://www.head-fi.org/a/comparing-headphones-sennheisers-hd-800-hd-600-hd-25-1-and-amperior-audeze-lcd-2-rev-2-and-the-ath-m50s

 
 
Yeah, a great roundup article right there!
 
Quote:

I wouldn't consider HD25 to be all that great either next to a headphone like HD6x0, not that this is relevant in any way.
 
Edit: I could build for you a duplicate of my cable for you to try.  Not for free, though. 

 
 
I was talking about just the cable. Other than that you are right- the HD25-II is good on its own but when you put on a nice open mid-fi headphone then you see how congested the HD25-II really sounds.

 

[Mad Max]

Yes, it sounds congested, especially in the treble, not that this is relevant either. 

 

[csf101]

I'm seriously am about to order these, there's just been one thing that's been really scaring me, and that's the soundstage. I used to own the AT m50, how well does it compare to these soundstage wise?

 

[Windsor]

Quote:

I'm seriously am about to order these, there's just been one thing that's been really scaring me, and that's the soundstage. I used to own the AT m50, how well does it compare to these soundstage wise?

 
The soundstage of the HD 25 sounds slightly more congested than that of the M50. They both reveal recordings clearly though. 

 

[Mad Max]

Almost every page in this thread says something about HD25's soundstage, lol!
Or repeats the usual.

 

[yhong26]

the soundstage really so important?haha.... for me,the impact,power,reality of sound and more important is the feel for singer or instrument can perform well~

 

[acousmetre]

Just bought my first "real" headphones three days ago, and I opted for the HD-25s based on many hours digging through the forums here on head-fi. I don't possess the many years of experience as most of the posters here, but I will say that these cans are blowing my mind. I had no idea things could sound this good! I'm sure there are better headphones out there, but for someone splitting time between studio monitoring and music-listening on-the-go, I'm beyond impressed. Durability, portability, sound quality, and price were all factors, and I feel like I made a great decision. So, other newbies out there reading this, you will be amazed. 
 
Thanks to all the kind people out here who take the time to assist the uninitiated. I am loving music in ways today that simply weren't possible three days ago. 

 
Cheers!

 

[acousmetre]

And I should add that I am re-ripping my favorites CDs into FLAC format. I can clearly tell a difference with these. Well worth the time, as the HD-25s are changing my relationship to my music.