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So I finally got to try the Sennheiser HD25-1-II's for the first time at a local Guitar Center store and I absolutely loved them. For the new, incoming Head-Fiers, I hope my initial impressions of these headphones can give you an idea of how they sound from my perspective as a new Head-Fier. My first impressions of them are as followed.
SOUND
Deep, somewhat punchy bass:
I loved the bass level on these headphones. They were prominent but not too overpowering like my cheap Sennheiser CX-300 IEM's. I heard some deeper bass that I could not hear with my CX-300's without sounding too muddy, and the bass was also punchier than the CX-300's. The bass wasn't too punchy, like the Shure SRH750DJ headphones,, but it was pretty decent. There seemed to be minimal bass bleed with these headphones, keeping the mids clear.
Rich mids, especially for vocals:
The mids were slightly forward and the soundstage was pretty decent as a closed headphone, to my ears. Guitars and percussion instruments sounded good but I don't think they were the headphone's strongest point. Vocals on the other hand sounded BRILLIANT with these headphones because of their slightly forward mids. Both female and male vocals sounded excellent with these headphones. My ears are pretty sensitive to sibilance, but I am happy to announce that these headphones had very, very little sibilance to my ears. Some of my female vocal tracks hurt my ears with my CX-300's but they sounded fantastic with the HD25-1-II's.
Defined, crisp highs that aren't too fatiguing:
Hearing the treble range in my music was amazing comparing them to my cheap CX-300's; I could actually hear the cymbals and drums in some of my tracks. Drums and cymbals were detailed and non-fatiguing to my sibilant-sensitive ears, so that was a big relief.
COMFORT
Comfort-wise, I thought the HD25-1-II's clamped too hard at first, but after wearing them for about 5 minutes I got used to them. They are also very light-weight so they're comfortable on the head. I found the adjustable/expandable headband to be a bit awkward to use and they actually felt more uncomfortable on my head with it opened. They isolate REALLY well for a supra-aural headphone. I found that they isolated outside noise better than the Shure SRH440, SRH840, and Audio-Technica ATH-M30's. I was surprised at how well they isolated the surrounding noise. I figured that as a supra-aural headphone, they wouldn't isolate as well, as people say about the Audio-Technica ATHESW9 headphones.
BUILD QUALITY
The build-quality of these headphones seemed decent but not spectacular since the pair I tried had sharp edges on the headband. They look kind of weird with the wires hanging out of the two earpieces, but that's just my personal tastes. Despite the sharp-ish plastic on the headband, I think they would end up being a very durable pair of headphones. I felt like throwing the HD25-1-II's into a backpack or other bag wouldn't do much harm to the them since they seemed pretty flexible and durable.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, after trying out the HD25-1-II's for the first time, I would definitely want to listen to them more and I would heartily recommend them to any new Head-Fier looking for a great-sounding portable headphone with a warm, slightly bass-emphasized sound-signature. For those who do not like the plain grey/black look of the HD25-1-II's, there is a blue colored one, the Adidas edition, which typically runs for $50 USD more.
SOUND
Deep, somewhat punchy bass:
I loved the bass level on these headphones. They were prominent but not too overpowering like my cheap Sennheiser CX-300 IEM's. I heard some deeper bass that I could not hear with my CX-300's without sounding too muddy, and the bass was also punchier than the CX-300's. The bass wasn't too punchy, like the Shure SRH750DJ headphones,, but it was pretty decent. There seemed to be minimal bass bleed with these headphones, keeping the mids clear.
Rich mids, especially for vocals:
The mids were slightly forward and the soundstage was pretty decent as a closed headphone, to my ears. Guitars and percussion instruments sounded good but I don't think they were the headphone's strongest point. Vocals on the other hand sounded BRILLIANT with these headphones because of their slightly forward mids. Both female and male vocals sounded excellent with these headphones. My ears are pretty sensitive to sibilance, but I am happy to announce that these headphones had very, very little sibilance to my ears. Some of my female vocal tracks hurt my ears with my CX-300's but they sounded fantastic with the HD25-1-II's.
Defined, crisp highs that aren't too fatiguing:
Hearing the treble range in my music was amazing comparing them to my cheap CX-300's; I could actually hear the cymbals and drums in some of my tracks. Drums and cymbals were detailed and non-fatiguing to my sibilant-sensitive ears, so that was a big relief.
COMFORT
Comfort-wise, I thought the HD25-1-II's clamped too hard at first, but after wearing them for about 5 minutes I got used to them. They are also very light-weight so they're comfortable on the head. I found the adjustable/expandable headband to be a bit awkward to use and they actually felt more uncomfortable on my head with it opened. They isolate REALLY well for a supra-aural headphone. I found that they isolated outside noise better than the Shure SRH440, SRH840, and Audio-Technica ATH-M30's. I was surprised at how well they isolated the surrounding noise. I figured that as a supra-aural headphone, they wouldn't isolate as well, as people say about the Audio-Technica ATHESW9 headphones.
BUILD QUALITY
The build-quality of these headphones seemed decent but not spectacular since the pair I tried had sharp edges on the headband. They look kind of weird with the wires hanging out of the two earpieces, but that's just my personal tastes. Despite the sharp-ish plastic on the headband, I think they would end up being a very durable pair of headphones. I felt like throwing the HD25-1-II's into a backpack or other bag wouldn't do much harm to the them since they seemed pretty flexible and durable.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, after trying out the HD25-1-II's for the first time, I would definitely want to listen to them more and I would heartily recommend them to any new Head-Fier looking for a great-sounding portable headphone with a warm, slightly bass-emphasized sound-signature. For those who do not like the plain grey/black look of the HD25-1-II's, there is a blue colored one, the Adidas edition, which typically runs for $50 USD more.
