Sennheiser HD 380 PRO Headphones

krenky

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Very comfortable, Impressive Isolation and Quality Sound
Cons: Built Quality, Cable and Pads must be from Sennheiser only
I love these headphones. The design looks a bit odd but when you put them on its all about quality. I am using these for 3 years now, looking for maybe something better but its very very hard to find something similar especially for this price. 
 
The sound isolation is very good which has a lot to do with their thick pads. They block almost everything around :)
 
Trebles and Mids are clear and not intrusive as we are used to from Sennheiser product. I love HD25 but they are not comfortable and the bass is not deep enough for me. This is all fixed with HD380. They have very nice, punchy and soft sub-bass which makes you fall in love with them. At first they might sound harsh or weird but they just need a bit of burning and then all problems fixed. I am sure they are other headphones with better quality but I think in this case you would need to go 2-3 or more times higher with the price. 
 
Note that these also need good amp to get the best from them. Overall I love these and I decided to buy these for my father too as he is enjoying quality sound too. I recommend these to my friends and they are all thanking me for it.
 
There are few CONS as well:
 
* they might be too tight if you have big head (I dont :)
 
* the cord is coiled but a bit too heavy / bulky
 
* if you have to replace pads you MUST buy them only from Sennheiser as anything else will spoil them.
   The pads from Sennheiser are unique they isolate very well, are very comfortable but they wont last you over 1 year if you use them daily.
 
* built quality could be better - the pads cover peal of after some time and the plastic bits covering the screws on hinges fall after some time too, so be careful not to loose them.
 
Again other than these they are just perfect. If like Sennheiser sound and closed headphones you have to get them !
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Apogee777
Apogee777
Thanks for your review as imo i agree:

I have PC350, HD215 and HD380 pro and i find the HD215 the best out of all these closed type Sennheisers.
- the bass is well defined on the PC350 and Deep on the HD380 pro's, however the deep bass cut off on the HD215's is perfect.
it makes the all mids and highs separate and defined, and the bass rings through perfect when it's is present.
- i find the bass touches the other frequencies on the HD 380 pros with entertainment (i don't do music production)
- PC350 has more bass than the HD215, but this is a gaming headset and the mids are forward.
- all tested on X-Fi Titanium and Xonar D1 sound cards, i preferred the D1 for headphones overall.

bottom line, if vocal and general entertainment are your forte, i recommend the HD215's if you want sound perfectly clear at this price range.
i am not a bass head and at one stage i was,
the HD 215's changed all that for me.

Dobrescu George

Reviewer: AudiophileHeaven
Pros: Clean sound, Neutral signature, Fast transients, Comfortable, Lightweight, Well built, Good soundstage
Cons: Linear bass, Slight roll off in treble, Coiled cable by default
 
 
 
 
 
Introduction
 
HD380Pro - the first serious headphone that I owned. I actually bought HD380Pro together with an AKG K271MKII at that moment, but I decided to only keep HD380Pro as I preferred the better bass reproduction it offered. I found it in the meanwhile that the rather poor driving power of cowon J3 - wasn't really enough to properly drive the mighty K271MII and this is why I didn't really like the sound. I did return to K271MKII later, and it does sound very good, but you need a good DAP to drive it, either a FiiO X3ii or a FiiO X5ii or X5-3. 
 
My audio adventure was just starting when I got Hd380 and I'm glad I bought it as they were my companions for a long time, I had my HD380Pro when I was at my first live performance. It is a rather interesting headphone and it doesn't disappoint when it comes to comfort and how long they will last you, even with abuse.
 
The sound is interesting for sure and for their price is probably the best option out there but you can invest a bit more and get an even better sound (HD598 from Sennheiser, AKG K550, Ultrasone Dj One Pro, ATH-A700X, Grado 325, etc.)
 
About me
 
My name is George and I enjoy music a lot. I listen to music half of my free time, and I listen to a lot of music while working on my company's games. You can check out more on our pages here https://www.facebook.com/seventh.heart.studios/     and here https://twitter.com/7heartstudios . My love for music has had a little impact on our games as we price the music part of a game very high and we are committed to only use ogg -q10 as the encoding format for our music since it offers the best space to sound quality ratio.
 

First Impression
 
When I first listened to HD380Pro, I thought that I received a far more expensive headphone. Given that all the headphones I owned before them were either 30$ or less headphones and IEMs and something Behringer and a Sony XB-700, I gotta say that HD380Pro satisfied my listening tastes well at that moment. 
 
After an hour or so of using them, I still felt that they sound better than their price but some of that "whoa!" effect was gone, being quietly replaced by an effect of "So this is how this was supposed to sound..."
 
 
Packaging
Headphones and carry case, not a lot to say about the package. The carry case is nice, but rather awkward to use at times as it requires coiling the cable around the headphones and a very specific alignment. 
 
Technical Specifications
 
Impedance54 OHM
Connector3.5mm, straight connector, 1/4 jack adaptor included
Frequency Response8 Hz - 27 kHz
Max Sound Pressure (SPL)110dB (1kHz, 1Vrms)
Ear couplingCircum-Aural
Cable length1m Coiled Cable, Extends to 3m
Transducer typeDynamic transducer, closed back type
Power (load rating)500mW
Weight without cable220g
Passive noise attenuationUp to 32 dB, approx
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)<0.1% (1kHz, 100dB SPL)
Contact pressure6N approx.
 
Build Quality/Aesthetics
They feel well built. I have owned a pair for about six years now and I can say that their lifetime will depend on your usage patterns. Mine took a good beating, being with me on live shows and being used in less than idea environments, but in the end they held very well for 4 years. I would only say it needs pads and a cable, and they would probably last another few years. There is no creaking and the operation is smooth, plastic feels nice to the touch.  The clamping force is good, you can hold a live performance with them on your head if need be.
 
They don't really look so nice in pictures because of that huge coiled cable, but they look and feel really nice in practice and when worn. They look exactly like a pair of headphones should look on your head and I prefer them to other more fashion oriented headphones - if anything, they look and feel professional. The headband has a nice look to it and Sennheiser being written all over it will only add to the feeling of professionalism around those headphones. 
 
Comfort
Very good, except for thee clamping force and pads being quite hard first two-five days of usage. The cups swivel and they can be packaged flat, the mechanism for adjusting the size is very precise with palpable clicks and is going to stick to the same setting. Headband is really comfortable, and the shape worked out very well with my head. Even with headphone aging, the headband stayed comfortable. The pads are okay in thickness, but the magical part is their depth. Sennheiser made the cups in such a way that they have more depth (the whole driver plate is angled), so unless you're trying to, you're not going to touch the driver plate with your ears. The isolation is much better than expected and they don't really leak any sound nor will you hear anything around you. HD380Pro is a fully closed model and after dissecting mine, I had noticed that the driver itself is encapsulated on its place, so you have one of the best isolating headphones in the world with this model. The one downside I felt while using them was the weight of the cable, which will ultimately affect the comfort. The coiled cable is long and heavy, you will know that it is on the left side, and it will drag the whole headphone down. I had ultimately fixed the situation by a few methods like pulling the cable under my shirt and fixing it with the collar or by holding the cable in my hand and twisting it in a loop around the upper part of my arm, but besides this, they are great. 
 
 
SOUND QUALITY
HD380Pro has an overall flat sound, rolled off at both ends, not overly detailed, with a pretty analytical tonality, treble that is slightly rolled off and linear bass. They are one of the best headphones you can find in this price range for monitoring, but they aren't as engaging as a colored sound headphone. If anything, their signature falls quite flat with the music and works very well with spotting any kind of issues in a master or live performance. Mids are pretty forward if you're coming from V-shaped or U-shaped headphones, which leads to the sensation that they are flat. They are very fast in their response, about as fast as a Grado SR80. 
 
The FR as measured by Golden Ears, using their own equipment:
 
ccf86aad01b0125d427f46b4a086fc17.png
 
 
Channel imbalance
After a short analysis of the graph from Golden Ears you will notice some channel imbalance in the graph response. This difference is not present in my pair and channel balance seems perfect to me.
 
Bass
Pretty good. It goes down to 50 Hz, but it's not over enhanced so you won't feel it rumbling your head. There is a slight hump at 100Hz and they might sound a bit boomy in that area, but there is a lot of impact and the fast bass speed makes the whole bass structure solid. Bass and midbass are not separated by gaps and it works well for drums, reason for which I would actually recommend HD380Pro for monitoring drum sessions. HD380Pro might not be for bassheads, but the bass can be heard if it is there, very helpful for proper monitoring and recording. It's good speed and flat presence makes it sound correct - you won't call them bass light, nor bass heavy. You will know that bass is there, it won't overwhelm you nor will be underwhelm you. If you would prefer a bassy signature, XB-700 might be your thing/ 
 
Treble
Treble is good, but there is a slight roll off. The cymbals have a full ring to them, but there is no glare and no metallic tint. Crashes don't last longer than they should, but some cymbal crashes are soft - so I would say that the top end can be considered smoother than neutral. Certainly not fully rolled off as some headphones roll off far eariler, but HD380Pro doesn't extent all the way either. The treble is pretty precise and it is clean, but it has a fabric like texture where it's not as fast as the bass but it's still not slow. The general sound is clear and you won't ask for more treble. Treble can be equalized for more treble and they will respond well to the equalization. 
 
You won't get every single detail there is, but you're getting a pretty good amount and for a pretty good price so I would say that you're in for a fair trade. HD380Pro is the best performer at its price point if you want a closed back well isolating headphone. 
 
Midrange
Midrange is the different part of HD380Pro. After testing and owning a few headphones, even more expensive, HD380Pro is different. They have a linear midrange that gives them a light sound, almost too open. Most headphones will apply a dip in the 2-5KHz area, but they don't apply this dip causing the midrange to be far more forward than most headphones. The texture in the midrange is really clear and might come as harsh at times - thing which is very good as you'll be able to track it inside a master. Since HD380Pro feel like they were made for recording and mastering, this midrange emphasis will expose any kind of problem in the midrange with ease. You will hear pianos and voices louder than on many other headphones, and you will get a texture out of those voices, even though it comes with a bit of grain. 
 
The midrange sounds rich as the 100Hz area isn't overly recessed so you'll find male voices to stay true to their tone and depth while female voices have enough air and don't loose too much warmth. Jill Tracy's voice can come as a bit cold at times, but is detailed.
 
Soundstage
Soundstage has a very good size and you can hear the placement of the instruments pretty well. The soundstage has a good width but it's shallow. Good for pointing out microphone arrangements but pretty bad for indicating the position of the microphones relative to each other and relative to the listener. Really silent and background instruments can sound really soft, and you will need to focus to hear them properly. The unique cup design makes the soundstage change a bit every time you reposition them on your head, but it's consistent to its width. Separation between instruments is okay but it's not enhanced so you might need a bit of focus to pick a certain instrument out of a complex composition.
 
Sennheiser Veil 
Sennheiser headphones are considered by some to suffer from an effect like a veil. With HD380Pro, it is slightly present, certain parts of each track being almost like covered by a veil, but considering the price, they are less veiled than the other options at 100$.
 
Conclusion
Studio headphones ready to take a beating, really comfortable with a really good studio-like sound. The soundstage is good and you'll notice it immediately, especially if you're comapring them with other closed back headphones, where the sound sometimes has the aspect of coming through a keyhole. The soundstage sounds close to a Sennheiser HD650, though it lacks some of HD650's depth. Clarity is okay and treble as well, but they don't have a bright signature like Grado headphones nor a bass heavy signature like Ultrasone or even other Sennheiser models (Ubranite, Momentum). For their price, HD380 hold up really well and will satisfy your needs, I think they are a good alternative to Ath-M50, if you're looking for a more expanded soundstage and a more linear sound. M50 has more bass and more treble, while the soundstage is congested, but their detail retrieval is pretty similar.
 
Having gone to Ultrasone Dj One Pro, for which I paid almost double the price, I would say that it's a matter of convenience and price, but HD380Pro are a very good contender to their own price area, and are fit to be a monitoring headphone albeit might lack some fun for recreational listening.
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selfdude

New Head-Fier
Pros: Comfortable, good isolation, good sound, good durability, replaceable cable
Cons: Needs new cable, bland design
I first used these as monitoring headphones for recording. They quickly moved out of my home studio and now I use them everywhere. I have one pair at home and one pair at work. I also take them when I travel. 
 
Pros:
 
Comfortable- I wear these all the time. They are a little tight which helps with isolation. Sometimes they require a bit of repositioning to get back to comfortable. 
 
Good isolation- Great for recording. Also great at work and for travel. It blocks out a lot of noise
 
Good sound- I like the sound of these. For me I find that what I hear through these head phones translates well to the car and speakers. 
 
Good durability- Two years of heavy not always careful use and travel not a scratch, chip, flake, or fade.
 
Replaceable cable- Nice to have flexibility.
 
Cons: 
 
Needs new cable- The flexibility is nice but it really needs a new cable. When sitting at the computer plugged into an audio recording interface the coiled cable is nice for movement. In all other applications it is just too heavy and awkward. Fortunately it is very easy to replace the cable. 
 
Bland design- Perhaps not a con for some but they are plain black head phones with Sennheiser conspiculously written in three places.
 
Comparison:
 
The only other serious closed back over the ear headphone I have used extensively are the Sony 7509's. I think the sound from the Sennheisers translates better to speakers and the car. I also think the Sonys are less comfortable. The Sonys started to fall apart after the first year. Mostly the pads started to disintegrate and the chord (also a coil) stretched, twisted, and kinked to an almost unusable level.
 
A little about my setup:
 
I replaced the cable with a Dolce and Gabbana 1.2 meter cable this cable fits perfectly. I also have a replacement cable from the B&W P5. It fits well and has a remote for an iPhone which is nice when I'm not using a DAC. 
 
My preferred listening setup is lossless from an iPhone 6s through a lightning to USB connector to an AudioQuest dragonfly red.
 
For music creation I use a Mac Mini with and RME FireFace as an audio interface. I am mostly a Propellerhead Reason user for DAW software. All of my Mics are either Shures or AudioTechnicas. My guitars are all Fenders.
 
A little about my musical tastes:
 
I tend to listen loud. I listen to mostly alternative rock and mostly hard guitar centric stuff but not metal, think 311, Smiths or Less Than Jake. I also listen to some more synth oriented stuff; Depeche Mode, NIN, Prodigy. Occasional hip hop mostly Tribe Called Quest.  The music I make is mostly goofy alternative, a harder They might be Giants maybe.
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trellus
trellus
Thanks for the review.  Can you link to the aftermarket 1.2m cable you mentioned in the review? 

ElMarcado

Head-Fier
Pros: Level of isolation, Comfort, Fit, Efficiency, Bass extension, Good mids and highs
Cons: Lack of mid-bass hump can bother some (not me)
Initial impressions: They can't reproduce the tone of a bass guitar correctly, let alone a human voice. Estrange thing is that they aren't sibilant or anything, but some mysterious peak between upper-mids and treble make some instruments like cymbals and female voice sound too unnatural and away from realist.
 
Bass sometimes sound bloated, and doesn't have a proper texture and articulation. The sound is detailed in a strange way: they have the infamous E.A.R. from Sennheiser, which is probably the most unnatural presentation of soundstage in a headphone. They can put hidden special effects easily, but they lack the nuance and detail of a instrument performer. You can't hear the breath of an acoustic guitar performer, or the strings vibrating, also you can't hear the body of a cymbal, only a pathetic artificial crash.
 
They are efficient (110 dB a 1kHz 1vrms), so you won't need ultra power to make them get loud enough. For gaming and movie listening they are probably a good option, but there are much better headphones at the same price, with better isolation and sound. These headphones are very overrated and can't think of a way to use them with serious music listening, unless you want to make your music sound absolutely horrible.
 
EDIT After 100 hours: They went from mediocre to very good! The highs are now clearer, the separation is much better, the bass texture and extension is very, very good, much better than before. The mids now are much more natural, not congested and muddy like before. Vocals sound very clear and with not obvious flaws. Transients and speed are among the best i've heard, not too far from spectacular. It sounds like a completely new headphone! Remember to give them time to 'open-up' or 'burn-in', as some like to call it. I TOTALLY believe in burn-in in Dynamic transducers, YMMV. Right now I like to call them 'The Closed HD600'. A very good headphone, but not perfect, damn good yes it is IMHO.
maxpain12
maxpain12
I agree on the 100 hour burn in. Since I swap sets of cans between listening sessions it took me over 3 years for these to finally open up. After the first six months of ownership I gave up on them. I put them up for sale but since I did not get a good price, held on to them. Then three years later after occasional listens since these were not my favorite at the time they started to shine. Like you said its a different pair of cans now. Now my former favourite the HD 598 is taking a back seat to these.  
Mad Max
Mad Max
"closed HD600" is a rather generous descriptor. I've revisited HD380 several times now. Can't seem to make up my mind on keeping one or selling it off that many times, lol
Damn good headphone, though not quite as good as some of the ones that I own.

rigodeni

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Outstanding audio reproduction for this price point and class.
Cons: All plastic, can get sweaty.
Intro/Setup
 
22-16.42.12.jpg
 
The full-size closed under $200 category is a very popular one among pro’s and casual listeners alike. The most similar competitor to this I own is the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 250Ohm. I will make some comparisons to this and the smaller on-ear Sennheiser HD 25-1 II which I also own. My source in testing is the 1/4inch headphone output of my TEAC UD-H01 DAC/Amp connected via USB to my Windows 8.1 desktop. I use the foobar2000 player with EQ off playing various files from FLAC to m4a to mp3 (VBR/CBR 320). I managed to get my pair of HD 380’s on sale for $100 USD. Now on with the review!
 
 
Design/Comfort (7/10)
 
22-16.47.30_2.jpg
 
If you plan to transport this headphone frequently you will be pleased that it folds flat and includes a hard case. The case is of good quality nylon with large zipper and imprints for placing the headphone properly inside it. The coiled cable is thick and terminated to a straight 3.5mm but includes a screw-on ¼ inch adapter. The cable is not removable. Apparently it can be replaced in case of damage, but that seems to be more difficult that it’s worth. Edit: Thanks to waimak for pointing out the cable is actually user removable and terminated to 2.5mm as shown below. There are also aftermarket cables available which is great.
 
25-18.28.02.jpg
 
 
25-13.18.42.jpg
 
Construction is entirely made of plastic, with the exception of metal screws and the hinges suspending the drivers. The metal hinge has an audible “click” when folding the drivers inward for storage. Initially the “click” felt a little uncomfortable, as if I just snapped something. But I got used to it after working it in a bit by folding it repeatedly. The plastics are thick and of good quality, with plenty of flex in the headband. The build feels akin to the HD 558 in terms of plastics used. The adjustable headband clicks into place nicely with each adjustment but there are no markings to ensure both are the same length. Padding is a standard foam with synthetic leatherette material for ear and head support. Ear pads are user replaceable. Ear cups are oval, with the drivers positioned at an angle towards the ears. This is part of Sennheisers Ergonomic Acoustic Refinement (E.A.R) technology.
 
25-13.39.20.jpg
 
Clasping force was very firm for me out of the box. After weeks of wearing it and stretching it out by hand I would say it’s still on the firm side. At only 220 grams the padding was adequate on the head and ears. The ear cups are very roomy inside for larger ears to fit without touching the edges. However, they did get warm for me after the 2hr mark. If I don’t take them off for some air at this point they can get sweaty. That’s at home in front of my PC at room temp. So if you plan to take these out walking on a warm day it will definitely get sweaty. Visually they appear huge on the head. This is largely because the headband doesn’t form well to the contour of the head. When it’s on you can slip several fingers between the side of your head and the headband itself. Even the top of the headband for me is quite linear, leaving a bit of a hot spot on the top of my head. However, because of the lightweight construction and clamping force it doesn’t become a discomfort.
 
25-13.22.28.jpg
 
The Beyerdynamic DT 770 is much better made. The plusher padding, more contoured headband, and velour material gives it a clear edge in comfort. Let’s face it the made in Germany DT 770 is built like a tank. It’s a no contest in terms of durability and craftsmanship. The 770 is not as portable though, and really needs amplification. So the HD 380 still offers a great value. The best part of it, the sound quality, is what sets it apart.
 
 
Sound (9/10)
 
25-13.24.18.jpg
 
Since sound is so subjective let me first briefly describe my tastes. I tend to prefer more mid centric headphones with tight, accurate bass (quality over quantity). I frequently have long listening sessions and I do get irritated by sibilance on certain bright headphones like the DT 990. So something like the sound signature of the HD 600 is ideal for my tastes. With that in mind, on with my thoughts on the HD 380.
 
At 54Ohm it can be run adequately from portables. But not nearly as high as the HD 25. It does benefit from amplification, particularly in bass response. But this is the case with almost any headphone, especially full-size ones. I wouldn’t say you “need” amplification though. Isolation is average, slightly less than the HD 25 and DT 770. My impressions didn’t seem to change before and after 50hrs of burn in. The sound signature is quite neutral with ever so slightly rolled off highs. Which I find very pleasing to listen to, especially for long periods at high volume. It never becomes irritating.
 
Particularly impressive to me is imaging and sound stage on this headphone. Its miles ahead of the HD 25 and a slight step up from the DT 770 in this regard. It’s actually not far off the wonderful HD 600 in this respect. This closed headphone manages to sound airy with great separation. I believe this is unmatched in any headphone in its class. The other major strength, and an overall improvement over the HD 25 and DT 770 is the bass response. Lows go right down to 8hz in generous quantity, yet manages to stay quick and tight, never boomy. Bass is more present than the HD 600 but not in a distracting way. I don’t feel like it takes away from anything else. It's the most pleasing bass I've heard on a closed headphone.
 
As mentioned the highs are slightly rolled off, but presented with great detail and separation. Because of this the mids take more of a front seat, which I actually love. Overall it’s a very similar sound signature to the HD 600, albeit less refined and detailed. Compared to the HD 25 it’s clearly a step up in bass response and sound stage. The DT 770 has more bass but is loose and boomy sounding in comparison. In addition the HD 380’s mids are more present and detailed. Overall it’s pretty laid back with enough low end to surprise you when the track calls for it. It’s another winner from Sennheiser.
 
 
Verdict (8/10)
 
22-16.43.40.jpg
 
Hopefully by now you understand what to expect with the HD 380. It’s a winner in terms of sound quality, especially for the price. In my case I was looking for a good closed headphone for home use over extended listening sessions. Unfortunately, I had issues with heat after 2hrs with the HD 380. The added comfort and finish of the DT 770 has me reaching for it in favor of the HD 380 every time. However, the HD 380 sounds better, is more portable, and much easier to drive. At my time of purchase it’s also half the price. Although the HD 25 is double the price, it’s much more portable and durable with better isolation. So one can justify going with any three of these fantastic headphones and never look back.
 
Sennheiser is going in the right direction with the HD 380, especially sound wise. But I would like to see a future closed headphone like this with velour ear pads and a more durable headband design akin to the DT 770. Basically the comfort and build quality of the DT 770 with the sound signature of the HD 380. One can only dream though. That being said, at under $150 USD I have no hesitation in recommending the HD 380 for anyone looking at a closed full-size headphone in this price range. Especially if sound quality is a top priority.
rigodeni
rigodeni
Thanks for pointing that out. Can't believe I missed that, what a pleasant surprise! I have edited the review to reflect this. That's a great looking replacement too. Thanks for sharing.
waimak
waimak
You are most welcome.  I can recommend that replacement cable, it makes the 380 so much more portable than the stock cable.  Again, congrats on a very nice review. 
maxpain12
maxpain12
Very nice review. If anyone knows of a good replacement cable which is not coiled, please do share. 

Zobel

New Head-Fier
Pros: Sound quality, Isolation, Comfort and fit, Durability, Hard shell case, Price
Cons: If used with portable or casual home use, needs replacement cable
I realize it is a bit of apples vs oranges, but I will compare these to the Sennheiser HD 600 sound, since I sometimes use those to mix recordings with, and many know their sound. Assuming good sources and amplification, the HD 380 pro sounds as balanced through the mids and highs as the HD 600. Both are what most would consider neutral, or flat, with the HD 600s being ever so  slightly polite, or veiled, or easy on the ears in the highs. The HD 380 pros have a slightly more upfront treble, but they are as natural and as detailed as the HD 600s. With the HD 380 Pro's closed design,  the spaciousness of the HD 600's open design is replaced with a more intimate sound stage, or isolated effect of closed design.  Resolution of fine detail in the mids and highs is outstanding in both of these cans, but is just slightly better in the HD 380 pros. I can hear more of what is in thick mixes with it.
 
Now about the bass. The bass in both cans is good and tight, and in the right balance to the rest of the music. The bass in the HD 380 pro is far more extended into the lowest octaves and is clean and tight way down to the sub bass 20 Hz. The bass in the HD 600s  is good but slightly loose down to around 40 Hz, but even there it is starting to roll off  a tad, and continues to to the point that it isn't accurate enough to monitor a mix well enough in the lowest octave, though it isn't missed much on a lot of music, such as classical or acoustic jazz or folk, that doesn't have much energy down there. Overall, the HD 380 pro is  clean and accurate and distortion free all across the entire audible frequencies, and is able to offer quick transients and dynamic impact not available with the HD 600s.  Part of this is due to  the difference between closed and open design, the improved angle of the driver to the ear with the HD 380s, and the easier to drive impedance of the HD 380s, but for bass impact down low, the closed design is superior.
 
The HD 380 pros are very comfortable, with the perfect clamping pressure, and large deep ear chambers that will accommodate the biggest ears on the biggest heads  comfortably for hours on end. They stay put and in position on your head even if you are moving around a lot. They make a very good seal and isolate you from outside sound better than any other non-active noise reducing headphones. At the same time they also leak the least amount of sound, which is essential in live recording, and a huge plus for listening in noisy environments, or in quiet places where you don't want others to be bothered with your program. They come with a good coiled cord, which is perfect in the studio, but a bit clunky and heavy for home and portable use. Fortunately, the cable is easily replaceable and after market cables specially designed for these cans are available in four different lengths for around $30 at Amazon. Just search "replacement cable for Sennheiser HD 380 Pro" there at Amazon. At this time, Sennheiser doesn't offer the straight cables, but I have purchased the cables through Amazon, and they are great braided cables with top notch plugs and strain relief.
 
They come with a handsome hard shell case, are built to take rough treatment and survive, and look good for headphones of this size, They are the best value in high quality headphones at only $105 now at Amazon.  5 stars!

bkyoung

New Head-Fier
Pros: Inexpensive, no obvious flaws in the sound reproduction, very good noise isolation, foldable
Cons: Very tight fit initially, the stock cable is heavy and bulky
I have owned a pair of these headphones for six weeks now.  Initially I bought them to cope with office noise.  I work in a large, open cube farm with a great deal of white noise and a constant cacophony of conversation.  
 
These 'phones have surpassed my expectations since day one.  Given my office environment and the fact that my music collection is 100% compressed, lossy audio (MP3 & AAC), I didn't think an expensive pair of open-backed headphones was appropriate.  Even with MP3s these 'phones breathed new life into my old music.  The noise isolation of these 'phones is very good.  In my office environment these 'phones almost completely cut the white noise, even without playing music.  I can still hear loud conversations clearly when no music is playing, though.  When I initially got these 'phones, I noticed they squeezed my head pretty hard.  Over time this has subsided without me taking any special steps to mitigate the problem.  The other problem is the stock cable is bulky and heavy and too long.  Luckily, it's replaceable.  Despite these headphones being of plastic construction, they are durable.  I store them in their carrying case every evening.
 
My very first upgrade was to replace the cable with a shorter straight cable.  I found a cable on eBay for about $25 with shipping.  It shipped all the way from China, taking almost 2 weeks to arrive.  After it shipped, I found the same cable in stock on Amazon for $5 more.  For whatever that's worth knowing.
 
My next upgrade was to buy a Modi+Magni stack from Schiit Audio.  These 'phones took to the stack very well.  This was a very worthwhile upgrade, in general, and make my good sounding headphones sound even better.  I genuinely was not prepared by the degree to which the sound quality improved with this upgrade, even with the same source material.
 
My last upgrade was to subscribe to Tidal.
 
Now, with the volume knob set to the 8 o'clock position on my amp, streaming CD quality source material, my music is so loud and so clear that (a) I can't hear any flaws with these 'phones, and (b) I can't hear anybody else, either.  It's downright blissful.
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bkyoung
bkyoung

anthonbe

New Head-Fier
Pros: I agree with most of the Pro's with other reviewers. These headphones sound awesome.
Cons: The Jack started to become defective and within a month, no more sound. Luckily, Amazon allowed me to return them. I had them 32 days.
The Jack started to become defective and within a month, no more sound.  Luckily, Amazon allowed me to return them.  I had them 32 days, and the cutoff was 30 days. 
 
I am torn with purchasing another one or searching for something else.
 
The sound quality was amazing.  I only needed them for home so they were not intended to be used at the gym or during commuting.
 
I did routinely connect it to my tablet for phone.  The weight of the cord wanted to drag my device around.  I had to secure the cord to ensure my phone or tablet did not get pulled to the floor from the table.
 
Keep these factor in mind.
suman134
suman134
you should have changed the cable .

headphones1999

500+ Head-Fier
Design: i like the design of the HD380 not fancy but look good
but they are very strong and i dont think you will ever brake theme
 
Sound blocking:  A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!
when i listen with them on a bus i dont hear anything ftom outside
 
sound.
sound very natural
have nice clear sound
not heavy bass headphones, there is more mid-bass than sub-bass. (nice solid bass)
have airy sound for a closed headphones (because of the size of the ear-cops)
trebel is ok (have jumps in the trebel)
low mids
 
in the end in this price there is better headphones
but still good sounding heaphones
 
hope i helped you
mikel
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customNuts
customNuts
I bought the next model up, the silver PXC 450 which I paid a fortune for back in the day and I was pretty shocked at how bad they were out of an ipod. Then I discovered amps and bought a bass boost cmoy and it improved it significantly. So if you haven't tried an amp with your 380 yet, I would definitely suggest it. best of luck!
penelope94
penelope94
I boght them too and surpisingly i can hear people talking and the sound of the metro :/ am i doing something wrong?im getting dissapointed :frowning2:
penelope94
penelope94
the senheiser 380 pro *

bpandbass

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Balanced sound, treble sparkle, silky smooth female voices, very detailed, tight mid and sub bass, very comfortable ear cups
Cons: Not very adjustable, clamping force, slight echo to the vocals (Senn trait), not the best noise isolation, ear cups get a little hot
I chose the HD380 Pros to replace my Audio-Technica M50s, and have not looked back ever since (except to compare the M50s to the HD380s with songs). Sound-wise the Senns are superior to the M50s in every way. More realistic bass, non-flabby but without losing impact, MUCH better mids, more refined treble, and the ear cups on the 380s are tremendously better than those on the M50s. Whereas the M50s sound best with electronic music such as house, drum n' bass and trance, the HD380 Pros are not only good for those genres, but are great for R&B, rock, jazz, soul, and pretty much every genre under the sun other than classical music (a little too bottom heavy). The HD380s have a more spacious soundstage imaging than the M50s, due to the cleaner, less wooly bass. Since the M50s are going up in price again, and the H380 Pros are going down from their 199 dollar MSRP, I highly recommend the HD380s over the M50s. They will treat your ears better with the roomier cups, and will never fatigue your ears from treble assaults and harsh female contralto vocals, unlike the M50s. Keep in mind that the HD380 Pros do sound their best with an amp, but will have no problem running off an iPhone, Macbook, iPad, Galaxy S4, etc. Also, the HD380 Pros have a user-replaceable cable. Highly recommended. 
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takato14
takato14
I heard these... they definitely seemed to lack clarity compared to the M50. However the M50 also had the harshest treble I've ever heard so whatever.
bpandbass
bpandbass
I found the HD380s were better detailed than the m50s due to the less wooly bass. I think the spiky treble on the M50s DOES give you more of an impression of detail. But female vocals were so much better on the HD380 Pros than the M50s. No harsh sibilance whatsoever.

Bonavon Vovo

New Head-Fier
Pros: Tight impactful bass, Nicely textured mids, fairly balanced, Nice carry case
Cons: Cups don't rotate vertically
I bought these to replace my ATH-M50s and HD280 Pro.
 
I am very happy with them, They have a relatively balanced sound with a slight emphasis on bass which is tight and punchy.
 
Bass - The bass on these headphones is tight and punchy (not loose and flabby like the ATH-M50 which was always a bother for me). It is slightly emphasised but not offensively so, kick drums have a nice snap to them.
 
Mids - Their mids is nicely weighted with a solid enough presence to give guitars, drums and vocals plenty of texture without being harsh like the HD280. I personally find the ATH-M50 lacking in mids and find they make music sound a bit weak and thin.
 
Treble - They Have nice detailed treble that is pretty much where is should be but could be a little stronger on portable devices, With an amp (doesn't need to be huge) the treble comes through alot better. They are better in the treble department than the HD280 but not quite as good as the ATH-M50 although the ATH-M50 has a bit too much treble for me, I find it overbears the rest of the mix on those cans.
 
Comfort - They are very comfortable and beat both the HD280 and ATH-M50 hands down.
 
Build Quality - Very light yet surprisingly sturdy. Metal swivel points and head band. plastic everything else.
 
They come with a nice travel case and have a detatchable cable both of which are very welcome additions to the overall package.
 
My only real gripe is that the cups dont swivel vertically so when you take them off your head to talk to someone you can't flip the cup so the speaker is facing away from you instead of choking your neck.
 
I would recommend these over the ATH-M50 and the HD280 Pro
 
I deduct half a star for the cup swivel gripe.
XxDobermanxX
XxDobermanxX
Superior to the athm50 for studio work and the hd 4XX superior to the m50 for everyday use
egosumlux
egosumlux
That's very good news for the can be bought at amazon for $140.99 now

Bigshow33

Head-Fier
Pros: Sound, fit, comfort, build quality, design with carrying case.
Cons: Removable cable yes, but...
 
[size=13.0pt]I have to start once again with saying that I love the sound signature of Sennheiser so I might have a biased opinion with these headphones. I think these are a definite step up from the 280’s. The sound from both sides of the spectrum and everything in between is just smooth and sounds great. I do not listen to any EDM or anything with a lot of electronic beats, etc… I mostly listen to adult contemporary, country, rock, alternative, and jazz. I also like the portability, because the fold down flat and the included case is nice too. They do have a detachable cable, which is a plus but you can only use Sennheiser replacement cables with the similar fitting plug. It is an 1/8 inch but it has a unique connecting piece on the headphone cup. I highly recommend them to anyone wanting a good closed can!     [/size]
D
dibbasoat
Are these as good as closed-back headphones get? (at any price)
XxDobermanxX
XxDobermanxX
these **** on the ath-m50s
Bigshow33
Bigshow33
@dibbasoat, I don't think I could definitively answer that question. I have heard many different closed cans and I can say that I always find myself coming back to Sennheiser. Specs can tell you a lot about a headphone, but in the end it all comes down to personal taste. All the cans that I have listened to though, I have not had an adequate amount of time to make an actual fair assessment. I would compare them to the similarly priced Shure SRH840. I really like those headphones as well and that will probably be my next purchase.
@XxDobermanxX, so am I to understand that you like these cans over the M50’s? I have not had the chance to listen to the M50’s and would like to someday soon. With all that’s written about them on this forum I can’t help but think I would like them.

DomProfesor

New Head-Fier
Pros: Build quality, good sound - even unamped, moderate portability, isolation
Cons: Coiled cable, not the premier choice for a portable walk on the street headphone
I will keep this review short, as I can pretty much confirm what other reviewers have said.
 
They are highly recommended for those seeking a sub 200 $ closed headphone with good isolation (very very little sound leak, and blocks off a lot of ambient noise), good build quality and nice carrying case. I have owned them for over one year and they show no visible sign of wear, every time i put them on it's like I've just bought them.
 
The coiled cable is sometimes not the most practical. 
 
Can work well even without amplification, but they benefit a lot from a good audio source. Purchasers will not be dissappointed.
 
I am curious how they compare to the Audio Technica ATH - M50. (difficult to find a pair in Romania for some reason)
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XxDobermanxX
XxDobermanxX
These will destroy the ath-m50
micutuz
micutuz
no, it is not difficult to find in romania, actually i just googled it and buf! First site was an it shop actually from my city (cj)

maxpain12

New Head-Fier
Pros: Good amount of detail and also great passive noise isolation.
Cons: They will not sound good unless you use high quality sources. Minor coloration.
This was recommended to me by a friend and because of the other great reviews on the web I purchased a pair. What I can say is that it really brings out the details in music. Those low bit rate MP3's will not sound too good now. Bass is not exaggerated and highs are nice and smooth. The quality of the DAC is very important for this set of cans. The distortion in the mids were largely mitigated with the use of a high quality source (Guess my Xonar U1 was not not as good as I thought). They are highly detailed with a small amount of coloration due to the closed design which can be expected. 
XxDobermanxX
XxDobermanxX
So why did the audio quality get 3 star when thats its strong point ?
maxpain12
maxpain12
Well the mids were not performing well even though other frequencies were accurate enough. The mids were over driven. I have now corrected the review as I identified the problem as a poor source and not the fault of the cans. Yes they are that sensitive. So I adjusted the review as such. Cheers
XxDobermanxX
XxDobermanxX
:D good review then

sjoerg

New Head-Fier
Pros: Good sound quality. Good comfort.
Cons: Seems to be optimized for "aviation noise"
I would rank this headphone as No:1 among the noise canceling head phones in respect to sound quality.
Bose is to "bass heavy" for my likings, but  were better when it came to nois canceling.
Sony were the best when it came to comfort, but not as good sound quality as the Senheiser.
All in all this is the best among the 3 I'v tried. 
sjoerg
sjoerg
My bad, sholud have posted under PCX 450...
wrightanswer@ear
wrightanswer@ear
Just goes to show what a waste of time these review pages are. People posting reviews for entirely different headphones to the ones under discussion, and they LEAVE the erroneous one here when the mistake is discovered. Someone looking for phones to combat "aviation noise" will be deceived by this review and it should be removed.
penelope94
penelope94
I just bought them. The sound quality is great but the noise cancelation is not.. I can hear people talking and the sound of the bus and the metro..not at all what i expected..How is it top rated in noise cancelling here? Am i doing something wrong maybe?please help

Shmitty

New Head-Fier
Pros: Can't hear my 2 year old when doing college work
Cons: too ignorant to know
I'm really happy with my choice, I was either going to get these for the DT770's and these went on sale so pulled the trigger. The cord is annoying at times but I deal with it.
Nick01
Nick01
I love the coiled cable :)

aznx2high

New Head-Fier
Pros: great crisp sound
Cons: the coild 10 ft. cord
these are over all good there isn't much over lap of anything, i find it a great balance if your not trying to find a heavy bass head phone.

jefierro

New Head-Fier
Pros: Better than expected sound, good value, sound stage very noticeable when amped.
Cons: Design could be better, annoying cord, uncomfortable in warm wether.
Very clear sound and linear. Base is under control and well defined but not laking. The source is important as I found that if used without a proper amp the sound stage was impacted greatly also with some clarity in some instances depending on the source I got distorted mid & highs (i.e. iPod)

tested on a iBasso D6 stock
penelope94
penelope94
I just bought them. The sound quality is great but the noise cancelation is not.. I can hear people talking and the sound of the bus and the metro..not at all what i expected..How is it top rated in noise cancelling here? Am i doing something wrong maybe?please help

paweltoja

New Head-Fier
Pros: Almost linear reproduction ,very good controlled bass, clear mids, decent highs. Much better highs and perfect clear linear sound with decent Dac/amp
Cons: Only good dac/amp(at least fiioE7) can drive it to make good highs and overall very good sound (theyre little muddy with poor sources),no leather pads
 
 
[size=10.0pt]Due to my poor skills in writing in English this review of Sennheiser hd380 will be pretty short.

Build quality and package:[/size]
Nice, good quality but only plastic build without any fancy design accents. Seems to be quite solid. Coiled cable is not perfet solution in day to day usage but is ok. Nice hard case for headphones. The included also big jack adapter. Cable can be detached (headphoned have mikro jack input).

Sound and comfort:

With poor source like laptop sound is bit muddy and not so clear, there is also lack od high tones - headphones are bit bassy and not so special.
When I used sansa clip mp3 player sound was much better but still it was not it, despites clips linear response. Bass was almost perfect, especially low end, but mids were little too strong and high to weak. Don`t get me wrong - sound was quite linear, but there was no perfect details clarity that i was expected - with it was only decent/good with pleasing bass especially in rock albums. Soundstage was quite wide. Hd380 and clip is good but not better than many closed headphones at this time.
Because clip is not powerful source I connected my hd380 to fiio e7 dac - which is better than its amp section. That was good idea. Bass is even more controlled, mids are more wide and neutral and highs are there where they are should be. Sound is analytic and crystal clear and that low bass provides lot of fun. I find that for me best sound is when fiios eq is set up on 0 or 1 (I prefer 0). Setting 3 is dedicated for bass heads. I think that hd380s can play even better with for example full scale dac.
Soundstage is wide for closed headphones but not so as in many good open ones. Some people that are used to use headphones with boosted lows and highs can disagree with my opinion but Sennheiser hd380 sound is very entertaining for me.

[size=10.0pt]Headphones are comfortable but not perfect. They are pressing little more than most of others. Also material on pads is not ideal - i afraid about its durability. Coiled cable is sometimes annoying. They are isolating from environment good, but they could be better.

Sennheiser hd380 are cheap compared to quality that they provide - its perfect entry level choice. Don’t forget about decent source because only with good sound card or dac they can play like professional headphones

Recomendation:[/size]

Buy it or at least try it
 
DomProfesor
DomProfesor
Very nice review. I have owned the HD 380 for about 2 years, and the pads have no visible sign of wear. They are top notch build quality.
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