[TobaccoRoad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TubeStack /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just got my 228s yesterday. Haven't spent much time with them yet (one dog-walk and some late-night hanging out on the deck), but so far I'm very impressed and super-pleased! They're exactly what I was looking for and I'm totally happy with the purchase. Esp. at $50 (including shipping) from jr.com Will get back with more details in a little bit...

You better. Whether I'll buy it or not will be based strictly on your review. Feel the pressure!

 

[Jazz1]

Got mine today. Geez I had to destroy the packaging to get it out of the plastic tomb. I listened to a demo pair in my local Apple Store and they sounded better even with the din of customers and sales people. I suppose the demo unit had a few hours on them. But I hadn't seen them out before. Yes I go there often.

At home I was at first disappointed with the out of the box sound. But that was before I read the tip on placement to angle back. I must have lucked out on angle back placement in the Apple Store or Steve Jobs had his reality distortion field full on

I initially thought they sounded better in the store. But the tip saved day.

I'm tempted to let these run all day tomorrow while I away at work.

Having just received the Nu-Force UF-30 the addition of the Senn. 228 to my small headphone collection really gave me the Ying & Yang of open and closed portable headphones. It is good to have choice!

 

[TubeStack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TobaccoRoad /img/forum/go_quote.gif You better. Whether I'll buy it or not will be based strictly on your review. Feel the pressure!

Ha! I'm stressing out already...

I'm still really enjoying these 228s, mainly using them for dog walks, being out and about, etc. Not sitting down, at-home close listening.

For my purposes, they're great. A few things I've noticed:

- nice warm, classic Senn sound; maybe too dark for those who like a bright signature, but I dig it

- good soundstage for a pair of small, closed cans, decent instrument & voice separation

- a little 'dense' sounding with more complicated music, things get a little crowded

- good detail and texture in mids, highs are less so, though

- warm bass -impressive for the size/price - not a lot of detail and a bit bloated, but again for my purposes, just fine

- somewhat difficult to power: plugged straight into an iPod Classic I find I need to have the volume around 60-80%, depending on the recording (w/ ALAC files); haven't tried them extensively w/ a PA2V2 amp yet, don't really want to be bothered lugging that thing around (portable amps seem silly to me, now), did a quick comparison and there didn't seem to be much difference/improvement in SQ at all

- cable is extremely thin and extremely microphonic; I've found that securing it so that it can't move/rub around helps with this

- isolation is not that strong but good enough for my use; I like being able to hear a bit of what's going on around me, don't like being completely sealed off; mostly walk at night in quiet suburban streets - I don't think these would be that effective in busy urban environment

- tiny shifts in where the drivers and pads are sitting on your ears make HUGE differences in the sound, so they require a bit of adjusting from time to time, to find the sweet spot - however they hold their position pretty well, once set

- they have their limitations, performance-wise, but these seem appropriate for the price range, to me

- a sweet looking set of cans, very sexy!

Hope that helps...

 

[TubeStack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazz1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ... Geez I had to destroy the packaging to get it out of the plastic tomb...

Yeah, me too. Annoying!

 

[priest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TubeStack /img/forum/go_quote.gif - tiny shifts in where the drivers and pads are sitting on your ears make HUGE differences in the sound, so they require a bit of adjusting from time to time, to find the sweet spot - however they hold their position pretty well, once set

Word, when I set them way back on my ears and angled back, the sound signature totally changed. But what really got me was astroid's suggestion to remove the center foam oval. Totally brightened them up. Well worth the $50 I paid for them.

 

[Jazz1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by priest /img/forum/go_quote.gif astroid, i think you may be a genius. Opens them right up. Of course, the bass is much more prominent (though still not "explosive"). I'm really not much of a mod guy, but it's like they're expecting you to do this. thanks mon!

Nice! Easy mod. Wonder why they stuffed the foam in there in the first place?

 

[TobaccoRoad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by priest /img/forum/go_quote.gif Word, when I set them way back on my ears and angled back, the sound signature totally changed. But what really got me was astroid's suggestion to remove the center foam oval. Totally brightened them up. Well worth the $50 I paid for them.

I'm really questioning this. Are you guys positive there aren't any drawbacks to this? If it affects SQ that much what's the point of the foam in the first place?

 

[priest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TobaccoRoad /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm really questioning this. Are you guys positive there aren't any drawbacks to this? If it affects SQ that much what's the point of the foam in the first place?

Have you tried it? It makes a dramatic difference in SQ. It's undeniable. I personally don't see any drawbacks to it, but I'm sure there are some who would prefer the darker signature.

 

[c8h8r8i8s8]

Have a pair of 228s on order, will report in when they arrive.

 

[TubeStack]

If anyone's buying from jr.com, I'd suggest phoning and seeing if you can get the sale price.

I bought mine for $44.95 from, plus about $5 shipping (to Canada) - the total was $50 and change - a great price for these babies!

At the time, there was a "send email for lower price" link beside the 228s, which was the $45 pricing, now it's back up to the regular price of $79.95.

 

[TubeStack]

I've read around here that jr is good with giving deals over the phone.

 

[speedygnomes]

I've trolled these forums for a while, so I decided to give a very amateur review.

I recently bought the HD228 and they are extremely COMFORTABLE. I burned in about 50 hours, and I'm finding that songs previously un-listenable with the ipod buds, suddenly sound wonderful.

Quote:

Originally Posted by priest /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was listening to the HD228 tonight, and I experimented with placement a little more. I realized that you have to make sure they are angled more backwards than any other ear pad headphone I have used.

I completely agree. I actually place the headphones about 0.5cm past the edge of my ears, and it sounds MUCH better. I'm not a bass head, I think I might have been happy with the bass from HD218 (but I wanted the shiny back!). Overall the cans are warm, but prominent areas stand out to make them wonderful (vocals, detail between instruments, bass).

YMMV, but after removing the middle foam, the bass was too overwhelming, so I put them back in.

Hope this helps for future buyers

 

[priest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedygnomes /img/forum/go_quote.gif YMMV, but after removing the middle foam, the bass was too overwhelming, so I put them back in.

For me, the bass without the center foam is just about perfect. I've probably got around 50 hours on mine now, and I love them. They are comfortable and sound great. But the great thing about astroid's foam mod is that if you don't like it, you can put it right back in like speedygnomes. So it's really not even a mod so much as an option.

 

[Kimmy7]

So the hd 228 would not be suitable for air travel? TUBESTATIon mentions that the isolation is not very strong : ( Although i have tried the bose on ear and they are wonderfully comfortable.

I was either thinking about bose on ear or hd 228 for a flight soon. Can someone who has tried both comment on the leakage/ isolation of both and the sq. I usually used to use px200 for flights , so those 2 are my choice upgrades.

 

[speedygnomes]

I actually tried them both at the apple store. The isolation is nearly identical, with the Bose having a slightly tighter headband. Sound quality wise, HD228 seems more detailed

. Bose folds better, and comes with a case. They are both an upgrade over the PX200. But I'm from Canada, and Bose is nearly triple the price of the HD228.