jamontoast
New Head-Fier
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- Jul 2, 2008
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This is my first review of any headphones, so here goes:
For some reason, the Sennheiser EH250 is a really popular headphone for my local music stores to stock and I have no idea why (local suppliers?). I picked them up primarily for live monitoring while recording / tracking, and they serve their purpose fairly well.
The EH250s are aimed at the DJ market, and Sennheiser describes them as having 'a balanced sound image with slight emphasis on the bass response'. I might describe them as the bassiest headphones I've ever heard, with a huge scooped 'V' sound response.
Build
The EH250s are a very sturdy headphone, completely unfoldable and identical to a couple other models in Sennheiser's range. They are completely closed, and offer some decent isolation. They are quite firm on the head (i have a pretty average sized head), and the cups are (for me) circumaural. For other people, they might sit on your ears a bit more and be supraaural, and I guess that might effect the bass response. They have a removable, 3 meter cable and pleather pads. I find these headphones very comfy, although they can get a bit clampy, but I like how they're slightly smaller than most larger studio headphones.
Sound
I'd say these are fairly accurate phones, if quantity in the bass and treble is all you're after. To elaborate, these headphones aren't completely reference quality accurate with a flat response, but they're monitoring quality accurate, in terms of rhythm and tone. For comparison, they have about 2 to 3 times more bass than Sennheiser HD515. The bass is large, large, large and slightly uncontrolled. I wouldn't say the bass is truly accurate, but they certainly are enjoyable. The bass is heavily layered on, and it is thumping and it doesn't distort at all. So if you're cranking your player to the max with a bassy track, prepare for a headache. The mids are very scooped out, and even EQing these phones to oblivion won't get you a flat, balanced sound. I'd say these are the complete opposite of the 'Grado' sound, made for thumping dance tracks or... well... anything thumping and not textured heavily in the lower register (like classical, acoustic rock or the like). The treble on the EH250 are actually pretty good, with a detailed, high sound that reveals a great deal of clarity. The thumping bass will overload most frequencies around it however, and you get a very dynamic, thumpy sound. I must say, it certainly isn't a muddy sound, as the response is fast and accurate. These are pretty fast phones, if a little resonant. Soundstage is very much within the head, as the bass really blocks out the wonderful mid frequencies that push the sound outwards. The detail in the treble makes up for this quite a lot however, and you will still get a good level of placement above about 1000khz.
Songs
So I tested on the following songs:
Daft Punk - Digital Love
The synths and pads come through with a wonderful clarity at the start, and the vocals are fairly crisp. The bass is a little congested at the start, as the low-midrange is where these phones are the weakest. The bass kicks in and this track really comes to life. These phones are really made for the 'synth with kicking bass line' type of music. At no point does the overwhelming bass take away from the detail, even as the synth lead line at the end resonates up and down.
Jamiroquai - Canned Heat
The bass is really deep at the start, and the kick pattern that runs through the song really pushes this song along. The sound remains pretty clear through the song, in a fun sort of way. The EH250 really focus on rhythm and thump rather than accuracy, something that comes from the DJ type design I guess.
Muse - Knights of Cydonia
This song is quite kicking along, and the EH250s really show a sense of detail that rises up above the massive bass. This song sounds a bit more bloated, as the bass is a lot more rapid and shifting through this song. The end of the sound actually songs really live and involving, if not completely accurate.
Radiohead - Reckoner
Really, really lively at the start of this track, the details really float around you, while the bottom end activates like a hyperactive sub-woofer. You really get a sense of percussion, as there is a very full shaker sound in one ear and a reverbed drum track in the other. As the bass kicks in, it sounds a bit too much, and you get a bit of a sense of bass fatigue. The sound is a bit too 'full on' and might seem a bit overbearing, as this song has a slight delicate quality to it that is a little lost. I guess the whole 'DJ/Studio' in your faceness comes out here. You can hear everything, but it's all in your face. Still, it's a very enjoyable and detailed presentation.
Conclusion
I bought these headphones for about $100AUS, which I think is worth about $75US at the moment. I think they scale about that level. As a benchmark, a set of Sony V6s will set you back $150AUS here, and HD25-SP will also set you back $150AUS. These headphones aren't completely accurate for mixing, but for fun listening, gaming or live monitoring, these are decent headphones. The bass level is high and a little uncontrolled, but the treble stays accurate and detailed. If you're one of those people who love a high level of fun bass, you might like these phones. If you love accurate, flat and detailed midrange, these won't be for you.
Apologies for inaccuracies and contradictions
I thought I'd write this review as there is very little info on the EH range from Sennheiser on these forums.
- Jam!
For some reason, the Sennheiser EH250 is a really popular headphone for my local music stores to stock and I have no idea why (local suppliers?). I picked them up primarily for live monitoring while recording / tracking, and they serve their purpose fairly well.
The EH250s are aimed at the DJ market, and Sennheiser describes them as having 'a balanced sound image with slight emphasis on the bass response'. I might describe them as the bassiest headphones I've ever heard, with a huge scooped 'V' sound response.
Build
The EH250s are a very sturdy headphone, completely unfoldable and identical to a couple other models in Sennheiser's range. They are completely closed, and offer some decent isolation. They are quite firm on the head (i have a pretty average sized head), and the cups are (for me) circumaural. For other people, they might sit on your ears a bit more and be supraaural, and I guess that might effect the bass response. They have a removable, 3 meter cable and pleather pads. I find these headphones very comfy, although they can get a bit clampy, but I like how they're slightly smaller than most larger studio headphones.
Sound
I'd say these are fairly accurate phones, if quantity in the bass and treble is all you're after. To elaborate, these headphones aren't completely reference quality accurate with a flat response, but they're monitoring quality accurate, in terms of rhythm and tone. For comparison, they have about 2 to 3 times more bass than Sennheiser HD515. The bass is large, large, large and slightly uncontrolled. I wouldn't say the bass is truly accurate, but they certainly are enjoyable. The bass is heavily layered on, and it is thumping and it doesn't distort at all. So if you're cranking your player to the max with a bassy track, prepare for a headache. The mids are very scooped out, and even EQing these phones to oblivion won't get you a flat, balanced sound. I'd say these are the complete opposite of the 'Grado' sound, made for thumping dance tracks or... well... anything thumping and not textured heavily in the lower register (like classical, acoustic rock or the like). The treble on the EH250 are actually pretty good, with a detailed, high sound that reveals a great deal of clarity. The thumping bass will overload most frequencies around it however, and you get a very dynamic, thumpy sound. I must say, it certainly isn't a muddy sound, as the response is fast and accurate. These are pretty fast phones, if a little resonant. Soundstage is very much within the head, as the bass really blocks out the wonderful mid frequencies that push the sound outwards. The detail in the treble makes up for this quite a lot however, and you will still get a good level of placement above about 1000khz.
Songs
So I tested on the following songs:
Daft Punk - Digital Love
The synths and pads come through with a wonderful clarity at the start, and the vocals are fairly crisp. The bass is a little congested at the start, as the low-midrange is where these phones are the weakest. The bass kicks in and this track really comes to life. These phones are really made for the 'synth with kicking bass line' type of music. At no point does the overwhelming bass take away from the detail, even as the synth lead line at the end resonates up and down.
Jamiroquai - Canned Heat
The bass is really deep at the start, and the kick pattern that runs through the song really pushes this song along. The sound remains pretty clear through the song, in a fun sort of way. The EH250 really focus on rhythm and thump rather than accuracy, something that comes from the DJ type design I guess.
Muse - Knights of Cydonia
This song is quite kicking along, and the EH250s really show a sense of detail that rises up above the massive bass. This song sounds a bit more bloated, as the bass is a lot more rapid and shifting through this song. The end of the sound actually songs really live and involving, if not completely accurate.
Radiohead - Reckoner
Really, really lively at the start of this track, the details really float around you, while the bottom end activates like a hyperactive sub-woofer. You really get a sense of percussion, as there is a very full shaker sound in one ear and a reverbed drum track in the other. As the bass kicks in, it sounds a bit too much, and you get a bit of a sense of bass fatigue. The sound is a bit too 'full on' and might seem a bit overbearing, as this song has a slight delicate quality to it that is a little lost. I guess the whole 'DJ/Studio' in your faceness comes out here. You can hear everything, but it's all in your face. Still, it's a very enjoyable and detailed presentation.
Conclusion
I bought these headphones for about $100AUS, which I think is worth about $75US at the moment. I think they scale about that level. As a benchmark, a set of Sony V6s will set you back $150AUS here, and HD25-SP will also set you back $150AUS. These headphones aren't completely accurate for mixing, but for fun listening, gaming or live monitoring, these are decent headphones. The bass level is high and a little uncontrolled, but the treble stays accurate and detailed. If you're one of those people who love a high level of fun bass, you might like these phones. If you love accurate, flat and detailed midrange, these won't be for you.
Apologies for inaccuracies and contradictions
- Jam!
