[priest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by astroid /img/forum/go_quote.gif Overall i am over the moon with these cans, they are a bargain at £30 and i would not hesitate paying the full RRP for them, only problem is they have spoiled my IEMs for me and i now am fully infected with the full size can flu!

I am having a very similar experience with the HD228, especially since I tried your center foam removal mod. IEMs have become less appealing to me, given that the HD228 isolates. I also find the PX100 to be less enticing, although I still love it. The HD228 are just so snug and comfortable. My relationship with them is growing. And I heard the HD238 in an Apple store the other day and now I want those. Monsters to drive though, as you say.

 

[Ronald Lee]

will this be suitable for listening to new age music?

 

[prosound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by priest /img/forum/go_quote.gif . IEMs have become less appealing to me, given that the HD228 isolates..

Is the isolation good enough for in-flight listening? I never find my love for IEMs fervent either.

 

[priest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by prosound /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is the isolation good enough for in-flight listening? I never find my love for IEMs fervent either.

I don't think they isolate so well that they would be good for airplanes, but I've never tried them in that environment.

 

[D4R]

I would like to chime in with my thoughts on the HD228.

Just bought these cans and I've been listening to them for the past 3 hours. Right out of the plastic packaging they sound exactly like the IE8 with the weird large grey silicone tips sennheiser provides. Same warmth. More or less same kind of lower end bass response. But heck of a lot easier to just put on the ears and enjoy listening compared to the IE8. They indeed sound fastastic for the price. They are comfortable on the ears with practically no clamping force. They just rest on the ears. You do have to move them back a bit from the edge of your ears to get fuller bass. When you do, like I said, they sound like the IE8, soundstage and all, without the fuss. The original PX100 is way warmer than the hd228 and not as...clear. This thing kills the K271mkII un-amped, straight out of an iPod Touch 2nd gen. It is so much more fun to listen to compared to the AKG, and easier to bring with you on the go. Isolation is decent, not great. Like the surrounding world volume went down by 50 percent with the cans on your head. You can still hear things going on around you. Much more than the AKG.

This is a fun, yet detailed set of cans. Take "Say Hello" by Deep Dish; the vocals come thru clearly and hit all the highs while the bass doesn't overwhelm the guitars and piano. Nine Inch Nails' slower piano pieces sound as they should even after the electric guitars kick in. On "You Take My Breath Away" by DJ Tiesto, the bass is just there, it is present, but it doesn't take or overwhelm the female vocals. The vocals are more prominent compared to the instruments on this track. "Don't Bring Me Down" by Sia is just wonderful. Her voice stands out and the instruments sound like they are surrounding her, around her. The slam from the drums is very pronounced as it should be with this recording. On Cut (Bronleewe & Bose Mix), the female vocals just drip with emotion. The piano sings side by side with the vocals. The electronic beat sounds like its a step to the side giving way to the vocals except when the electronic loops (sorry don't know how to describe them) stand out for that brief moment she stops singing between choruses. You just want to bob your head with these cans, 'cept they might just slip off due to the lack of clamping force. I think, in my opinion, the best test that a headphone is at the very least, playing music as close as they were originally recorded; is when you put any of Sarah McLachlan's songs on. Just because her singing, or vocals is so unique you know when she's singing. And you can reference that from headphone to headphone, and to speakers too. On the Hd228, she sounds as she should be, referencing them to a speaker setup powered by a Harman/Kardon. She doesn't sound muddy or veiled like on the JBL410/AKG K416p(?), nor metallic or too bright on the K271mkII and K181dj respectively.

Um, and that's my take on it.

 

[Jubei]

Crap ... I think I am getting old and losing my hearing on highs - I gave the 228 a trial run today and thought it sounded a little muddy. Prefer the PX100 I have at home ... or maybe I just prefer open cans vs closed ones.

 

[jjsoviet]

Hmm... is there a significant difference in sound quality between the HD 228 and its lesser brother the 218? Any replies will be helpful.

 

[plainsong]

Thanks, Head-fi. I came here looking for an update on what's going on in the portable world, since I'm permanently happy with my home setup.

My home setup, I guess since I'm an oldie and people don't remember me anyway is the trusty: Nad C542-->Corda HA-2-->Meier ICs-->Beyer new custom dt990 600ohm. For portable use I have an iPod Touch 2g, jailbroken to remove the pesky EU volume limiter. For portable "Have to take-off quickly and be aware of the world around me" cans, I loves me some AKG 420s. For complete isolation, it's Sensa 2x-s.

So, because this is head-fi, and because I'm happy with what I have, I've naturally had to order more, because that's what you do when you're completely happy with what you have.

I have the AKG K450s on the way, and then I told myself I need something closed... but really it's just that I'd like a Senn fix on these new 228/238 type cans. Because I was so thrilled to find the K450s, I celebrated this by then ordering the HD228s.

(I don't really need anything closed. I've got the awesome dt250/80s, BUT would you wear those outside? I wouldn't, even if they are the lowest profile closed circumaural cans. But why do I need to the HD228s outside? I have the Sensas. And yet, I must have the HD228s as well.)

Only at head-fi does this remotely make sense. Head-fi, enabling my insanity since 2002.

 

[priest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jubei /img/forum/go_quote.gif Crap ... I think I am getting old and losing my hearing on highs - I gave the 228 a trial run today and thought it sounded a little muddy. Prefer the PX100 I have at home ... or maybe I just prefer open cans vs closed ones.

The astoid "mod" fixes that right up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by plainsong /img/forum/go_quote.gif So, because this is head-fi, and because I'm happy with what I have, I've naturally had to order more, because that's what you do when you're completely happy with what you have. I have the AKG K450s on the way, and then I told myself I need something closed... but really it's just that I'd like a Senn fix on these new 228/238 type cans. Because I was so thrilled to find the K450s, I celebrated this by then ordering the HD228s. (I don't really need anything closed. I've got the awesome dt250/80s, BUT would you wear those outside? I wouldn't, even if they are the lowest profile closed circumaural cans. But why do I need to the HD228s outside? I have the Sensas. And yet, I must have the HD228s as well.) Only at head-fi does this remotely make sense. Head-fi, enabling my insanity since 2002.

I'm glad to know that I'll still be doing this in 7 years.

 

[D4R]

Damn. Nice avatar plainsong. A fan of BSG myself.

 

[jjsoviet]

Uhm, is there a difference between the sound of the 228 and the 218? Help please...

 

[priest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjsoviet /img/forum/go_quote.gif Uhm, is there a difference between the sound of the 228 and the 218? Help please...

I haven't noticed a single person on Head-Fi who said they bought the 218, so you might not get an answer to this. Looks like most everyone goes for the 228. Have you read the reviews at HeadRoom? They give both the same grade, but only the 228 makes the Top Ten list. If you called them up and asked them, I'm sure they would give you tons of information.

 

[jjsoviet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by priest /img/forum/go_quote.gif I haven't noticed a single person on Head-Fi who said they bought the 218, so you might not get an answer to this. Looks like most everyone goes for the 228. Have you read the reviews at HeadRoom? They give both the same grade, but only the 228 makes the Top Ten list. If you called them up and asked them, I'm sure they would give you tons of information.

Okay, thanks!

 

[joypsj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjsoviet /img/forum/go_quote.gif Okay, thanks!

Maybe this is little bit late answer. I tried both hd218 and hd228 at apple store and the winner was clearly hd228! Actually, I can not descirbe exactly becasue it was quite long time ago when I had AKG K702.

What I can say is that hd228 blew me away at that time and I decided to sell AKG K702. Obviously that's really good headphone but not for me who wanted to use them in the tube, on the way to uni. You know how big they are..

Anyway! hd 228 comparing to hd 218 is...better bass and clearer. As I experienced h228, it was so impressive. That's the reason I ordered them last night finally!