[wanderman]

I am in the market for some closed cans no more then 100 shipped. Right now I am debating between senn hd 280 pro's or the HD 25-SP, I just want to know how they compare to each other and how much more bassy the 25's are to the 280's. I would also like suggestions on better closed cans in this price range.

 

[ZOKROX]

First of all the HD25-1 has way more bass and treble than the HD25SP and HD280.

The 25SP has a slightly punchy bass and a slightly rolled off treble. It has a nice smooth warm midrange.

The HD280 has a very clear relatively flat midrange. Acoustic instruments
and voice sound natural. The HD280 treble is a little less rolled off than the
HD25SP but nowhere near as prominent as the HD25-1 treble.
The HD280 bass is a mystery: on a lot of music it may sound recessed, but
on other music, that has very deep loud bass, the HD280's bass will pop
up out of nowhere.

The HD25SP is good for general purpose portable use. The HD280 has a clean natural sound that works with classical music but is too flat for rock music. The HD25-1 is good for rock music.

 

[felchi80]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZOKROX First of all the HD25-1 has way more bass and treble than the HD25SP and HD280. The 25SP has a slightly punchy bass and a slightly rolled off treble. It has a nice smooth warm midrange. The HD280 has a very clear relatively flat midrange. Acoustic instruments and voice sound natural. The HD280 treble is a little less rolled off than the HD25SP but nowhere near as prominent as the HD25-1 treble. The HD280 bass is a mystery: on a lot of music it may sound recessed, but on other music, that has very deep loud bass, the HD280's bass will pop up out of nowhere. The HD25SP is good for general purpose portable use. The HD280 has a clean natural sound that works with classical music but is too flat for rock music. The HD25-1 is good for rock music.

So how does HD25-1 sound for classical and acoustics? does it have good mids in addition to good bass and treble?

 

[ZOKROX]

The bass and mids of the HD25-1 will work with classical (the HD25-1 and
HD25SP have the same mids but the very bright treble of the HD25-1 will make violins and female singers sibilance sound harsh. Maybe an equalizer or tube amplifier would smooth out the treble of the HD25-1. Otherwise
the stronger and deeper bass of the HD25-1 will give a richer sound to
classical music than the HD280. Be forwarned that people with large
heads complain that the HD25-1 headband pinches their ears and
hurts after about 45 minutes of use. Also, in most countries the HD25-1
costs about 3 times (or more!) as much as the 25SP.

 

[felchi80]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZOKROX The bass and mids of the HD25-1 will work with classical (the HD25-1 and HD25SP have the same mids but the very bright treble of the HD25-1 will make violins and female singers sibilance sound harsh. Maybe an equalizer or tube amplifier would smooth out the treble of the HD25-1. Otherwise the stronger and deeper bass of the HD25-1 will give a richer sound to classical music than the HD280. Be forwarned that people with large heads complain that the HD25-1 headband pinches their ears and hurts after about 45 minutes of use.

But apparently, as I read in saint.panda's review, you can bend the head band to loosen it a bit?

 

[ZOKROX]

The SONY 7506 is about $100 and is good for rock music. It has
a boosted bass, bright upper midrange, and harsh treble. Sounds detailed
because of brightness.

SONY XD400 has same basic specification as 7509 but lower quality parts.
Don't know what it sounds like but it's in your price range.

The Beyer DT231PRO has a warm, full, smooth sound (about $100). Good for
general purpose.

The Sennhesier HD201 (about $45) seems to be an OK general
pupose headphone. (do a search)

Sennheiser has some new ($100) DJ (bassy?) headphones called
the HD205 and EH250. Don't know what they sound like.

If I think of anything else in this price range, I'll add it later.

 

[episiarch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by felchi80 So how does HD25-1 sound for classical and acoustics? does it have good mids in addition to good bass and treble?

Though I agree with ZOKROX's impressions of HD25SP vs. HD280, my perspective on HD25-1 for classical and accoustic is quite different. For those genres I do not like the HD25-1 at all, as its strong bass presence really throws the music out of whack to my ears. With the HD25-1, a solo pianist's left hand becomes distinctly heavy; a singer accompanied by an accoustic guitar becomes a guitar accompanied by a singer; and an orchestra becomes . . . well, awfully bassy. For some people this is OK, but it just sounds wrong to me.

Comfort: I find the HD280 less comfortable than the HD25. I think it's a matter of where you're sensitive: the HD25 will push on your ears, while the HD280 will push (rather harder, IMO) in your whole head. In my case the head-squeeze feeling bothers me more.

DT231: a lot of people really like this headphone. For what it's worth, though, I find it intolerably indistinct and mushy. Your mileage may vary.

I do like the HD201, especially if you can drive it with something stronger than a stock soundcard -- a small amp, or even a Turtle Beach Audio Advantage works fine. It doesn't have the widest range, but it has a very, very pleasing tone, and at the price (under $20 many places), you really can't go wrong. More comfortable than the HD25-1, HD25-SP or HD280 too, IMO.

 

[felchi80]

Quote:

Originally Posted by episiarch Though I agree with ZOKROX's impressions of HD25SP vs. HD280, my perspective on HD25-1 for classical and accoustic is quite different...

Thanks for the input.
but are the HD201s good for the money or just good?
I mean... lets forget about how much they cost for a minute, and just rate them according to how they sound. You say they have a pleasant tone...

Well, I guess I'll just have to listen to them myself...

 

[episiarch]

They're just good. That they're inexpensive is sort of the extra surprise bonus. At work I would often wear them in preference to the HD25-1 and HD280 I also kept in my desk, because they were just easy to listen to in a way that the others sometimes weren't.

 

[jagorev]

I have two opinions on this:

1. Closed cans under $100 generally don't sound that great.
2. With amplification, the HD 201 sounds as good as any other closed headphone in this price range.

 

[ZOKROX]

EPISIARCH is right about the Sennheiser HD25-1 for use with classical music unequalized; but in the past I just rolled off (equalized) the bass and treble of the HD25-1 when I needed to listen to classical music with it. The resulting sound was acceptable. But what the heck, the HD25-1 is out of your price range anyway.

EPISIARCH is also right about the DT231 being mushy.