DCofficehack
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2009
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After a long absence I've returned to this forum to research IEMs, and I am once again impressed by the large amount of help offered to newbies. I want to "pay it forward" by offering some reflections on the headphones that I bought in January 2010 after doing extensive research on this thread, my HD 448s. I've worn them almost every week day, all day, since then, so i feel like I can speak with some authority about the cans' qualities. Newbies, pay attention. This is for you.
I bought the 448s because the comments on this forum indicated that they would meet all of my requirements. These were:
1. Closed for sound isolation.
2. Excellent all-round sound quality for most types of music. I listen each day to a wide variety of classical and rock music, from Beethoven cello/piano sonatas and Schumann lieder music to Björk to Zeppelin.
3. Comfort. I want to be able to keep these things on all day.
4. Good build quality: I needed something I could stuff in my briefcase and take back and forth to work. I did not want to have to buy new phones in a year unless it was my choice.
5. Roughly $100 price.
6. Can be driven from my MacBook without an amp.
A year in, I can confirm that the 448s meet all of these requirements. The sound is great. The phones are still in near mint condition and have many years left in them. The isolation is wonderful and does the job whether I'm in the office (which is too quiet and I can hear every conversation) or at Starbucks. And the comfort? I often forget to take the phones off after the music's over, both because I enjoy the quiet and also because, frankly, I don't really notice they're there.
I do notice that when I don't use the iTunes equalizer, the sound lacks a certain punch, and the bass--though clear and present--is not as forceful as it might be. The iTunes equalizer on rock or classical settings helps a lot. Is this the phones' problem? I don't know, although it guess it is consistent with other people's comments that 448s are not the cans to buy if one is a requirement for robust bass. But please don't think that there's no bass. It's there, whether it's in the drone of the organ in Saint-Saens organ symphony or the weird bass lines threading around Björk's vocals or the rumble of Zeppelin. But it's better when I have the eq on.
My bottom line is that these phones have become one of my best friends. Are there better closed cans for the price? I don't know. I have no experience with other "quality" phones and don't have the opportunity to try others. Perhaps the only other set that I'd be tempted to get, if I were to make the choice now, is the ATH-M50, which generally costs a little bit more. I am, as mentioned above, interested in IEMs, but that's for portability's sake and does not reflect any dissatisfaction with the 448s. In fact, I think that when I get the IEMs, I'll leave the 448s at the office, which is where I do the most listening.
If you're on the market for closed headphones at the $100 price point--and if you are not a bass head--you need look no further than Sennheiser 448s.
Now, if anyone wants to tell me what IEM's at $150 or below to buy, I'm all ears...
I bought the 448s because the comments on this forum indicated that they would meet all of my requirements. These were:
1. Closed for sound isolation.
2. Excellent all-round sound quality for most types of music. I listen each day to a wide variety of classical and rock music, from Beethoven cello/piano sonatas and Schumann lieder music to Björk to Zeppelin.
3. Comfort. I want to be able to keep these things on all day.
4. Good build quality: I needed something I could stuff in my briefcase and take back and forth to work. I did not want to have to buy new phones in a year unless it was my choice.
5. Roughly $100 price.
6. Can be driven from my MacBook without an amp.
A year in, I can confirm that the 448s meet all of these requirements. The sound is great. The phones are still in near mint condition and have many years left in them. The isolation is wonderful and does the job whether I'm in the office (which is too quiet and I can hear every conversation) or at Starbucks. And the comfort? I often forget to take the phones off after the music's over, both because I enjoy the quiet and also because, frankly, I don't really notice they're there.
I do notice that when I don't use the iTunes equalizer, the sound lacks a certain punch, and the bass--though clear and present--is not as forceful as it might be. The iTunes equalizer on rock or classical settings helps a lot. Is this the phones' problem? I don't know, although it guess it is consistent with other people's comments that 448s are not the cans to buy if one is a requirement for robust bass. But please don't think that there's no bass. It's there, whether it's in the drone of the organ in Saint-Saens organ symphony or the weird bass lines threading around Björk's vocals or the rumble of Zeppelin. But it's better when I have the eq on.
My bottom line is that these phones have become one of my best friends. Are there better closed cans for the price? I don't know. I have no experience with other "quality" phones and don't have the opportunity to try others. Perhaps the only other set that I'd be tempted to get, if I were to make the choice now, is the ATH-M50, which generally costs a little bit more. I am, as mentioned above, interested in IEMs, but that's for portability's sake and does not reflect any dissatisfaction with the 448s. In fact, I think that when I get the IEMs, I'll leave the 448s at the office, which is where I do the most listening.
If you're on the market for closed headphones at the $100 price point--and if you are not a bass head--you need look no further than Sennheiser 448s.
Now, if anyone wants to tell me what IEM's at $150 or below to buy, I'm all ears...
