Thanks for pointing this out, I'd only seen the $200 refurbs on Amazon. I returned them after buying at $350, but for $160 I couldn't pass up owning a pair.
In fact mine arrived today. They look (and more importantly sound) as good as new. I can't be certain but I think the pads have been replaced; there wasn't a single visible bit of dirt on any of them, and I know from my original pair that the velour pads pick up bits of carpet fuzz/lint/dust almost instantly. The headphones were in a bubble wrap bag which was in a larger clear plastic bag stapled closed with a bit of folded cardboard that had "Sennheiser Factory Refurbished" printed on it. There's also a piece of paper describing the 90 day Sennheiser warranty. Might be worth mentioning that this warranty slip very specifically states that they don't cover "physical damage" which I assume refers to cosmetic damage (scratches or whatever). In other words to get a replacement from Sennheiser it would have to be functionally impaired, not just scratched up.
I'm not that concerned about the short warranty; most faulty electronic devices will fail fairly quickly if they're going to, and like the original HD 25 you can literally rebuild these from parts if anything goes wrong. My only complaint is that VM Innovations really didn't add anything to the packaging for the safety of the headphones. This packaging I described was just shipped in an unpadded plastic mailing bag. The Amperior is pretty sturdy so that might be enough, but I still would have preferred at least a little extra padding in there, even if they'd just stuffed some extra bubble wrap in the bag. An add-on I never see on online stores that I would actually pay for is an upgrade to more durable packaging instead of just faster shipping, but I suppose that would mean admitting you're using shoddy packaging in the first place. I'm off the topic so here they are:
Bits of lint on the pads are from my use since I received them; they were completely clean when I took them out of the package. I certainly can't know what the other refurb units look like, but for a headphone this new I'd imagine many of them are simple returns where there may have been no actual problem with them. If you'd placed this headphone in a new box I wouldn't have been able to tell that it was used.
There's a look at the packaging for anyone who might be concerned about their safety during shipping (not shown but there's also a small bag in with the headphones that has the 2 cables and the pamphlets that come in the retail box). On the left is the packaging from Sennheiser (headphones were inside the bubble wrap bag), on the right is the unpadded mailing bag. I think it's probably fairly safe; it likely gets sorted with other bags/envelopes and not so much with boxes, and the Amperior isn't easy to break unless you go after the wires. Just be aware that Sennheiser's warranty probably won't cover shipping damage if there is any. If you ordered something like an HD 650 and it shipped this way I wouldn't be shocked if it had dented grills.
Here's a bit with my opinions of the headphone itself (just got them today, but I spent a few weeks with a pair a while back). There's plenty of info on the HD 25 out there which I believe largely applies to the Amperior so I'll keep it short.
I really like the sound. It seems very clear and energetic to me. If you're familiar with the HD 650 "veil" people talk about, I would say that the Amperior leans distinctly in the opposite direction (Just as a note I love my 650 too. Not sure how I can like both signatures equally but I do). Many people suggest that the HD 25 variants get a bit harsh towards the top end, but I really don't hear it. They definitely have a sound that doesn't do some recordings any favors, but I still don't really fell it's adding harshness or sibilance that doesn't already exist in the recording. I have found tracks where it does nothing to mask unpleasant artifacts from poor music production (before I really got into audio gear I never would have believed how many artists intentionally mix their music at clipping/distortion levels, it's crazy). As far as the bass I would immediately reach for the word "impact." Bass hits hard and fast in a way that I quite enjoy, but it's never going to match the rumble of bass-focused headphones with larger drivers (say, the M-100).
Assuming you understand that you're getting a set of headphones that's going to clamp onto your ears the ergonomics are quite good. Getting the "seal" is easy since the pads are flat with a fairly small hole in the center. The velour are better than pleather 100% of the time, at least that's my impression. Pleather increases sweating, and sweat on pleather is gross. If you disagree you could swap on some HD 25 pleather pads (they'll likely improve isolation, maybe even give you more sub bass). Clamp isn't too bad, especially after the first week or so as the headband flexes a bit and you get used to the fit, but do expect your ears to be slightly sore if you wear them for hours at a time. From my perspective I'd rather have a bit of soreness than poor sealing or an increased chance of them moving or falling off. YMMV depending on the shape of your ears, but I personally find them less annoying than wearing IEMs, something I'll only be doing when exercising from now on.
I have to admit that I missed these headphones after I returned them to Apple. Listening to them right now it's hard to imagine why I decided to get rid of them (I know why, it's that I paid ~$380 after tax). At $160 these are amazing headphones, and they're the only non-IEM portable that's ever worked for me. They isolate fairly well, stay in place well, and you can use them at light to moderate exertion levels without them getting gross. The cheapest you'll find a new pair in the US is at $300 from Razordog Deals which still makes this a $140 discount. Even a new HD 25 is currently going for $200.
Based on my experience I'd say it seems like an excellent deal. This is my first refurbished headphone and I can't be sure that it'll always work out as well, but I have generally seen positive feedback on Sennheiser refurbished purchases. Obviously there's a certain lottery factor involved, as you have no control over how they were treated before being returned. Sennheiser will likely make it right if they outright fail, but they won't help you if the headphones received cosmetic damage before or during shipping (entirely possible considering the packaging) and your options with returns are limited (I believe you can only return them for a replacement refurbished headphone).
