HD 238/HD 228 vs PX 100

[ronnielee54]

I have the HD238 and the PX100. I myself think the HD238's are a definite step up from the PX100's. If you can find them for under $100 go for it.

 

[estreeter]

For those who are concerned about the ability of a portable player to drive a given pair of headphones, I have several DAPs (Sony/Apple/iRiver and Samsung) and the only player that drives my fullsize cans with authority is my Cowon iAudio 7. The 601s arent going to come alive until you have a mains-powered amp under them, but the A500s and MS-1s have plenty of punch from the Cowon. I find raw impedance numbers to be misleading - its a combination of impedance/sensitivity/frequency curves and differences in the way each manufacturer conducts measurements.

 

[applaudio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robby /img/forum/go_quote.gif I bought the HD228 -- they should arrive by Friday. I've also used the PX 100 extensively so I'll be able to give a good review/comparison, hopefully. Pretty excited about the purchase.

Nice! Can't wait to see your impressions on them.

 

[applaudio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronnielee54 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have the HD238 and the PX100. I myself think the HD238's are a definite step up from the PX100's. If you can find them for under $100 go for it.

Are they as much bigger as they appear to be in pictures?

 

[priest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by applaudio /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are they as much bigger as they appear to be in pictures?

I was not surprised by their size when I received them, if that's what you mean. They are slightly smaller than the average ear, I would say.

 

[applaudio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by priest /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was not surprised by their size when I received them, if that's what you mean. They are slightly smaller than the average ear, I would say.

Well, what I meant was, comparing the HD 238 to the PX 100, there appears (judging solely by photos as far as the HD 238 is concerned) to be a fairly significant size difference between them. But I've never actually seen them in context. So I guess what I'm asking is, in person do they appear/feel that much larger relative to the PX 100? Or is this more a case of the camera adding 10 pounds, so to speak?

 

[mr_diza]

Well heres a bit of a overview of what i experienced owning both of these cans..
Im a college student that commutes everyday to and from campus for at least 2hours a day so listening to good quality headphones/earphones off my ipod is an ongoing process with me.

These are some points i have just jotted down of each can for my situation.. not in any particular order, good and bad-


my recently purchased HD228's considering it only has roughly 20hrs burn-in (also taken out the centre oval pads):

Good solid bass, not blochy or distored. Also the hd228 sounds very balanced across the frequencies, lows does not seem to overpower the mids and highs.

Single side cord, found it makes big a difference in style and comfort (its not as annoying as having two cords on both sides). You would think this is a very minor aspect but commuting to and from college and walking for hours i have found it alot easier to manage.

Most hd228 owners would agree with me that these cans need to be placed at the right hieght and perfect angle on your head to produce its true capablilites, but once you get that angle it sits and holds its position very well on your head...i have a theory that the only reason why i see bad reviews about these is from owners with abnormally sized heads/ears that couldnt get the headphones sitting right lol. I have found sennheiser has always great ergonomics, and always fitted my head perfectly.

It takes a more power to drive than the px100's.. i had to turn up the volume a bit more to achieve the same loudness of the px100 cans.

Looks freekn awesome, gets complements often

Pads keep ur ears snug without making it too hot which is perfect in colder climate areas.. although in hotter areas it might not be very comfortable to have these on for too long



My px100 is at its prime you could say, it has had hundreds of hours of burn-in now

Very solid performing can, i have loved the sound produced from them the moment i got them! Realistic pure bass that is perfect balance with the mids and highs.

Open design means that it gets that clear undistorted sound, but also at the price of leakage.. personally i never cared if other people can hear and get annoyed to what im listening to because im never going to sacrifice my listening pleasures for complete strangers.. but leakage back into the can is the main issue for me. Commuting, talking and just general sound could easily get back into them, and at times i could even here what other people were listening to on their headphones over mine! Hearing the buses engine while playing my music is not something i wanna hear.

Personally i have never liked the styling on it.. reminds me too much of those headphones they supply you while on travelling on a plane.

Comparing their sound is like apples and oranges with the different open and closed styles. Although they are both great at producing clear punchy solid sound (when the hd228 has done the 'asteroid mod' to it). I cant stress enough the improvement it makes by removing the centre pads on the hd228's! It adds so much dimension to the can. Also i find it a lot more comfortable without the centre ovals..

Surprisingly when you take out the center pads its almost like an open headphone. Its very similar to that of the px100's but with a slightly darker feel to them


so the verdict,
I would recommend if you are using the can for home use or quietish surroundings and if you dont mind the styling then go with the px100's for sure. Easier to drive, easy to get the perfect position on your head, typically cheaper than the hd228's and i think produces slightly better sound experience when there is nothing going on around you.

Although if you are looking for a can that you want to take around college and/or you will have some kind of ambient noise then definitely the hd228's. Leakage is considerably less than the px100.. Your listening experience is not disturbed by other soundwaves and your music is more concerntrated to yourself. It also looks killer

And if you want the best of both worlds get both like me

.. oh yea heres a pic of them side by side to show the size difference..

 

[TheDeliveryMan]

you should see all the HD 238's here at the office...its a cube favorite

 

[franklevinson]

I'm a big fan of the HD238's. The sound is amazing for small/light headphones that even fold up.

 

[applaudio]

Thanks for the detailed reply and the comparison photo, mr diza. That cleared up a lot!

 

[robby]

I got my 228s. I rate them somewhere between "very okay" and "good". 4 stars at headroom is accurate, I think.

The bad parts: My initial opinion is that they are a tad bright, but not as bright as, say, the HD 555. They lack the gorgeous 200-Hz punch of the PX100. The extreme low-end whines a bit if you turn it up too high - they are absolutely not "Bass Monsters". I am a tad apprehensive about wearing them around outside because they stick out from your ears a bit. They do not fold up so they are less portable. I wish they were tighter.

The good parts: They have terrific sound quality and detail (especially) for a can this size. The build quality is superb. They are extremely comfortable. The single cord, as one poster pointed out, is more convenient. Custom EQ-ing will make them noticeably better than the PX 100 (though unfortunately custom EQ-ing is not possible on an iPod.) They block out sound more effectively than the PX100, but it's not a complete, isolating seal, which can be useful if you work in an office. --This is probably their most unique attribute.

Unfortunately I think these phones are too "in-between" to be very useful to most people. Too big to be a really great portable phone. But the sound quality is not as good as the HD 238. That the HD228s are closed and do not leak might be attractive to some people, but I have never had a problem with the PX100 leaking.

My final verdict: If you want a portable, all-purpose phone - buy the PX100 (non-seal) or get earbuds (seal).

If you want a high-quality phone for the office/home at a good price - get the HD238 for ~$20 more. Or get the HD650.

Solid, but not awesome.

 

[applaudio]

Hey robby, thanks for the review! One question though: have you tried the astroid mod mentioned earlier? It's perfectly safe and reversible from what I understand, so maybe try that and then tell us what you think of them after the mod. Thanks!

 

[priest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDeliveryMan /img/forum/go_quote.gif you should see all the HD 238's here at the office...its a cube favorite

Now I'm really tempted. What were all the cube dwellers at Sennheiser rocking previously? The PX 100?

 

[applaudio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by priest /img/forum/go_quote.gif Now I'm really tempted. What were all the cube dwellers at Sennheiser rocking previously? The PX 100?

Yes.

 

[applaudio]

I think I'll go for the HD 228, as I generally like what I'm hearing about them, and they seem like a good fit for my needs/wants. I'll hopefully have some sort of a review up soon, but I'm not making any promises. Besides, there's still a chance I'll change my mind before I get around to making the purchase.