[AgeOfPanic]

I know this headphone has been discussed in this forum before and to my surprise most of the reactions are not that positive. The only thing is that when people give alternatives for this set, most of the times they are a lot more expensive. I can order this headphone for 75 dollars.
Are there any closed headphones (I know the open HD555's sound slightly better, but I want to use this for travel) available in this price range (maximum of 100 dollars) that are comparable to the quality of the Sennheiser's?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

 

[nothing101]

have you considered iems?

 

[AgeOfPanic]

Not really, are there any iems in this price range that are as good as full headphone? I use a pair of Sennheiser mx-400 now, but they are not closed and not that good. I will use these mostly to listen to music (mostly rock) and DVD's.

 

[nothing101]

have a look at the etymotic er6, er6i, v-moda vibe and the ultimate ears super.fi 3

 

[mrdelayer]

If anyone you know happens to have a pair (or if a store nearby carries them) you might want to try them out before you buy them. I have a pair of the HD280s, and I like them; according to some, they have some build quality issues (none that I've run into). A lot of people also like the Sony MDR-V6 and MDR-7506 (same headphones, if I recall correctly) which are at about the same price point; I find they add too much of an emphasis to the higher frequencies for my tastes.

 

[AgeOfPanic]

I have tried the HD280's shortly in a store. I should have tried them on longer, but because I knew that I would order them online, I felt a little bit akward. I found them quite comfortable and the sound to be very detailed even with my mp3-player as a source. I was wondering if the level of detail will stand in the way of just relaxing. In other words, is listening to this headphone tiresome?
I will look at the iems, but I will use this also at home and I think that a headphone is more comfortable in the long run.

 

[Ohlias]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AgeOfPanic /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know this headphone has been discussed in this forum before and to my surprise most of the reactions are not that positive. The only thing is that when people give alternatives for this set, most of the times they are a lot more expensive. I can order this headphone for 75 dollars. Are there any closed headphones (I know the open HD555's sound slightly better, but I want to use this for travel) available in this price range (maximum of 100 dollars) that are comparable to the quality of the Sennheiser's? Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

I too considered the HD280Pro's but they were not easily available for Under $150CDN and I was told they would be tough to drive without and amp.

I settled on the AKG-K81-DJ which I picked up for $85CDN and I absolutly love them. I run them straight out of my iAudio U3 and finally feel like I have a good protable setup (I don't like the idea of lugging an amp). If you arein the states I belive they can be had for under $65USD.

Good luck!

 

[mrdelayer]

I'd hardly consider the HD280s 'tiresome'; they're nice for long bus rides (like between my house and school) when you just want to get away from everything.

And I drive my HD280s without an amp all the time. Literally all the time. Straight from the iPod, works fine. headphonereviews.org's Improvement with Amplification for the HD280s is a 3.0, and they're only 64 ohms.

 

[gremlin]

HD-280s drive just fine out of my Zen Touch. The AKG 81s get very good reviews, but you have to be willing to let them rest on your ears. I'm very happy with the 280s. The AKG 271S is another option, albeit more expensive. Also consider the Beyer 250-80. They Beyers will be more bass heavy, and the 271s more musical. The Sony V6 is an OK headphone as well, I just didn't like it as much as the 280s.

 

[Thelonious Monk]

you can get ultimate ears super.fi 3 studio IEMs for $70 from headroom, which is the cheapest you'll get unless you buy used. i've only tried them once, but i'd say they're of equal or better SQ to the HD280s. you can also find the shure e2cs for under $100, and someone probably already mentioned the k81djs which can be obtained from almost any guitar center. hope i helped, kinda rushing because nature calls

 

[sschell]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrdelayer /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd hardly consider the HD280s 'tiresome'; they're nice for long bus rides (like between my house and school) when you just want to get away from everything. And I drive my HD280s without an amp all the time. Literally all the time. Straight from the iPod, works fine. headphonereviews.org's Improvement with Amplification for the HD280s is a 3.0, and they're only 64 ohms.

I agree, despite only owning the cans for a relatively short time. The only kind of discomfort I can imagine is from the slight pressure the cans exert on your head to create the seal, or maybe a little ear sweat since the pleather does breathe very well.

But for a few hours of listening at a time, I really like them.

 

[mrdelayer]

A lot of people I know dislike the pressure they have on your head; I actually prefer it. It's good to know they won't be falling off my head anytime soon.

 

[perdidopunk]

i've had a pair of hd280 pros for a year and a half and the audio fidelity is great. after you burn them in for about 500 hours they get really even frequency response with nice crisp sibillance and strong, rich bass down into the 10-20 Hz range. of course, it all depends on what you're driving them with... i've found that the difference between driving them with my ipod and my m-audio firewire audiophile is quite apparent; ipods are matched for 32 ohms output impedance, and driving higher impedance devices with them tends to saturate the amp... you get noticeable distortion when there's heavy bass, especially with a weak battery. when driven by an appropriate source though, these cans sound great for the price. my only complaint is that the plastic casing around the headband is brittle and eventually cracks / falls off. i am currently communicating with sennheiser about obtaining replacement plastic for the headband.

 

[AgeOfPanic]

I've decided to order the 280's. I've read a lot of positive reviews and once I've decided to spend the money I always get a little impatient

. Ordered them for 112 dollars including shipping to the Netherlands. That saves me about 75 dollars.
I also decided not to go for iems, because I will be using this at home too and I think a full headphone is more comfortable then. Thanks to everybody here and I will let you know what I think of them.

 

[Pedro Suarez]

These are one of the best if not the best headphones out there at this price range.