I'm an amateur drummer, and I use my HD25-1s to play along with music from my iPod (no amp needed). I usually put the volume 50-60% and I can still hear the drums pretty well; IMO it's a good balance. Another option is the HD280, but I don't have any experience with them.

Maybe I'm just biased, but I really like the monolithic, industrial look of the HD 25-1. Solid black, exposed headband wires, small, etc...

To be honest, I don't hear a huge difference in sound from the QC3 display in the store and my HD 25-1 (likely just more bass emphasis on the QC3). I think the only difference is price - the Sennheisers can be found at less than half the price (or three times less if you're lucky). If your...

I've read that even though mixing through headphones is ok for the short term, you're eventually gonna have to run them through actual studio monitors (and other sources) to get the real "picture" of whatever you're recording. If you will also be tracking, I suggest you keep the 280s as they...

Is there a reason you choose not to use your 25-1? I was very influenced by your review, and I use them with my Macbook and they sound great straight from the headphone jack IMO.

You mentioned trying out the 25SP, but have you tried the HD 25-1? It might be the right combination of size and sound leakage for your needs, plus they're pretty durable and some good deals can be found when bought used. I know it's different with everybody, but I find the bass appropriate and...

Thanks to everybody for replying, and after giving it much thought, I went with the HD 25-1s. I was about to get the 580s, until I realized I still had textbooks to buy and that the extra $100 I'd be paying could go towards something more useful in the long-term. I'm listening to the 25-1s...

Thanks for the quick replies. I was hoping to ignore the closed vs. open differences and focus only on the price and sound quality. As far as an amp for the 580, I was thinking something inexpensive for now, like a CMoy from eBay or a PA2V2, if that ~$180 would be a significant leap from the...

Hi all, I've been lurking around these forums for the past few days, and I enjoy reading all your guys' suggestions on what headphones to get. I was hoping I could get some help with my dilemma... I have the opportunity to buy a pair of Sennheiser HD 25-1s for $80, but before I stumbled...