[refault]

I've listened to them for some time and agree, they do rock. They do express the sound of the SR-225's with recessed highs, which I like for portable use (fatigue becomes less over time.) They are very durable as I have dropped them on the ground many times and have rolled over them during sleep without any problems. They do shine with the SR-71 but also work wonders out of the Karma. With the SR-71 the highs become less recessed and the mid range seems more punchy and forward. The "plunger-like" bass simply rocks.

Overall I'm happy for their analytical-SR-225 sound. I'm impressed

.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

As far as portable closed headphones go, I think there's none better, unless of course you like your sound to be sleep-inducing

 

[Entropism]

I was looking into a portable amp to drive these, was talking to Zemo about it, actually. Can anyone who's heard these recommend any particular configuration for the amp to match these best?

And I'll be getting these tomorrow, I'm QUITE excited.

 

[bangraman]

Not necessary at all. (amp)


Perhaps slightly off topic, but I think the following is good to post.


The HD25-1's are sure becoming the FOTM, huh? I think a year ago only me and a couple of other Head-Fi members were mentioning it on a regular basis. I already notice it cropping up in the 'worst thing I bought' posts, and they aren't the cure for everything.


So I just thought I'd say this: If you don't actually need a closed and transportable phone, there is no need to look specifically at the HD25-1. The major reason for buying these is because you want a 'full size' headphone which is portable and very isolated. Might be obvious, but apparently it needs to be said.

 

[photographlondon]

Agreed with the above (Bangraman). I've been championing these phones since I bought them about 3 weeks ago, and for what they are they seem perfect to me.

I needed a portable phone with good isolation, I used Ety 4P/S for 3 months for that purpose but in the end they weren't for me. With the iPod Ety's don't have enough bass for my tastes (even with a perfect seal). I bought the SR-71 to try an improve them but even then, and with bass boost EQ on, they just weren't warm enough for me: they made Les Paul guitars sound like Stratocasters (ie thin rather than full-bodied and warm).

For a while it seemed to me that there was no reasonable alternative, the Shure line seemed just as compromised sonically judging by what people were saying about them (rolled off highs, crazy bass in the E5). The only thing that was available was the custom IEM option, at anything around $600 to $900 - an amount that I hope never to have to pay for a headphone.

So when I found out about these I jumped on them, and they actually cost me £40 less than the Ety's had cost me to import from the US, I got the Senns from a bog-standard shop in London.

They're not the final word in transparency and fidelity, but as portable phones they're excellent. They isolate well enough to use on the underground (and believe me the Victoria Line is very noisy), and in my opinion they are actually better for this than the Etymotic phones were. The Ety's had so little bass that using them in noisy environments demolished any sign of bottom end, making them shrill. Using them on an airplane was a waste of time, even with major EQ. With the Senns the bass is much stronger, so they still sound balanced in noisy environments and are much nicer to listen to in these circumstances, even though they isolate slightly less.

Sound-wise I am very pleased: great bass, balanced tonal range IMO (I don't hear excessive bass or recessed highs), punchy and exciting and they make music fun to listen to. They are reasonably forgiving of bad or old recordings (my Ety's really punished me if something from the sixties appeared in my playlist) and don't suffer from any sibilance (again the Ety's were unforgiving here).

The bad points are total lack of soundstage and comfort, I can't wear them for more than an hour without needing to give my ears a break, otherwise they start aching from the pressure. I could wear my Ety's all day if I wanted to.

All in all I don't think there is anything else that is portable, isolating and as good sounding as these for £130, which is their price new in the UK.

 

[rnd]

I agree Bangraman and was sort of wondering simlar things given all the posts that have been going on about them. I really like mine as they are pretty much just what I've been looking for since I came to discover this site - a fairly portable closed grado. That said, there are so many people buying them there is going to be a lot of them on the for-sale section I think. We all know how personal headphone tastes are so they can't be everyone's cat's meow!

 

[Entropism]

So what, they're not going to heal the sick? I wasted my time then....

Actually, this is exactly what I wanted from a can. I needed portable, I needed sealed (I hate the people who wear open, blasting cans in public, sorry), and I needed something that had at least some bass. I'll find out soon if I get that, won't I?

 

[Jahn]

I hope someone brings a pair of these to the NYC meet. Then we can get all the recent FOTMs in one room lol! But seriously, I'd like to give it a listen.

 

[erikzen]

I'll bring mine.

 

[bln]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangraman Not necessary at all. (amp) Perhaps slightly off topic, but I think the following is good to post. The HD25-1's are sure becoming the FOTM, huh? I think a year ago only me and a couple of other Head-Fi members were mentioning it on a regular basis. I already notice it cropping up in the 'worst thing I bought' posts, and they aren't the cure for everything. So I just thought I'd say this: If you don't actually need a closed and transportable phone, there is no need to look specifically at the HD25-1. The major reason for buying these is because you want a 'full size' headphone which is portable and very isolated. Might be obvious, but apparently it needs to be said.

Mocking me again, eh? I bought the HD25 for a specific purpose, a two-week trip I was taking, only they didn't arrive in time for it. After that, I would have kept them both as portable and home headphones, except for a few things: they weren't especially comfortable (small cups shifted around too much, clamping force); the right-sided cable was annoying, as well as too short; and their presentation was overly forward and strident. I sold them, for some reason at a considerable loss (I'm not sure what I was thinking), and I believe their recipient has already sold them himself.

 

[BigD]

I caN'T get away from wanting hd25...itching to buy this set for a long time. I need some answers before I should plunge for these.

1. Do you think it's upgrade from my k501?
2. How fatigue are hd25 compared to sr225?
3. Are they cold or warm in sound?

I know it's hard to compare k501 to hd25, but I'm willing to sacrifice soundstage for more fun with analytical sound. I love my sr225, but looking for less fatigue cans with similar sonic traits. Additionally, k501 renders dry sound. How'bout hd25? I don't mind warmer senn sound at all.

Thanx in advance.

 

[bassd00d]

I got the HD25's last week. I like them a lot...nice sound, they seem very detailed, but I still prefer the sound of my Grado SR80.

I'll be sticking with the HD25 mainly because I need closed 'phones. I use them with my computer mainly, and the isolation helps, since my computer is pretty loud. They're also great for playing with drums. I can play along with music, bass tracks, or a metronome without having to turn the volume WAY UP, like I did with the Grado's.

Oh yeah, I got the velour pads yesterday. mmmm, they're nice and soft...they feel so much better than those pleather pads they come with.

 

[erikzen]

I've never heard the sr225 or k501 so I can't compare. However, I would not categorize them as cold. They are actually fairly neutral although they do seem to emphasize the bass, but that does not give it a particularly warm sound.

I agree that the velour pads are more comforable than the pleather.

 

[kyrie]

Absolutely don't buy HD25-1 expecting to get the sound quality for the price. In terms of sound alone (compared to full-size headphones), they're only worth about ~$120 IMO. Any added cost is for portability. But for the price,
1) They are more balanced than the Shures, all around, and actually have highs!
2) They are warmer and more involving than the Etys, and actually have bass!
So basically, you should only buy the HD25 if you feel that there's something lacking in both Etys and Shures, but don't want to plunge for Sensas or UEs. Or perhaps if you can't live with canalphones in general.

 

[lindrone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyrie Absolutely don't buy HD25-1 expecting to get the sound quality for the price. In terms of sound alone (compared to full-size headphones), they're only worth about ~$120 IMO. Any added cost is for portability. But for the price, 1) They are more balanced than the Shures, all around, and actually have highs! 2) They are warmer and more involving than the Etys, and actually have bass! So basically, you should only buy the HD25 if you feel that there's something lacking in both Etys and Shures, but don't want to plunge for Sensas or UEs. Or perhaps if you can't live with canalphones in general.

Kyrie, very well said.. I agree completely. I didn't think that HD25 is anywhere worth its price in sound quality alone.. it's the combination of the sound quality alongside portability, comfort and fit that makes it worthy of the price. However for those who are just looking for the best sound quality in that price range, HD25 is not it.

For those who are looking for those specific combination of traits (and quite a few people do), HD25 is probably the only choice.