Sennheiser HD25-SP, HD280 Pro, HD25-1
Sep 28, 2002 at 6:20 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 33

kelly

Herr Babelfish der Übersetzer, he wore a whipped-cream-covered tutu for this title.
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I'm a little confused about some of Sennheisers closed headphones. If anyone can help clear the confusion.

Headroom lists:
HD25-SP $90
HD280 $100

Meier lists:
HD25-1 $185

How do these three models relate? Is the 25-1 a pro audio model with no relationship to the consumer 25-SP?
 
Sep 28, 2002 at 6:32 PM Post #2 of 33
Kelly, I've asked the same question here in regard to the Senn 25's (never got an answer). I own the 25-SP's and they're somewhat boomy in the bass. I've often wondered how much better the 25-1's are. I know Jan has praised them in the past.

confused.gif
 
Sep 28, 2002 at 6:42 PM Post #3 of 33
Rick
I don't know that Jan has heard the HD25-SP, though. My guess is that it isn't available in the German market. Jan's current favorite closed portable seems to be the Ultrasone HFI-650 but I don't actually know if he prefers it to the 25-1 only because it is folding/convenient or because he also prefers its sound. Maybe he'll chime in here.

Does the 280 bare no relation to either headphone? I see the 280 praised from time to time in here, far more often than the 25-SP.
 
Sep 28, 2002 at 6:46 PM Post #4 of 33
Quote:

Originally posted by kelly
Does the 280 bare no relation to either headphone? I see the 280 praised from time to time in here, far more often than the 25-SP.


Sorry Kelly, I have no personal experience with the 280. Maybe someone else will weigh-in on this.

smily_headphones1.gif
 
Sep 29, 2002 at 12:11 AM Post #5 of 33
I have HD25-1, it's designed for monitoring/DJing on the field: It's small, light and very rugged, it has short and reinforced steel (but microphonic) cord. External noise isolation is excellent. However, the fact that it's supraaural and relatively high contact pressure (for isolation) makes it uncomfortable (at least for me) to have a long listening session with it. It sounds quite boomy (but hey, I like MDR-F1!
tongue.gif
) and it lacks detail. The soundstage is collasped. Anyways, it's not something I'd like to use at home to listen to classical music, but I use it every day on the train, and under this usage condition, I think it's much better than MDR-EX70.

I've never listened to HD-25SP, but I've read from somewhere saying that HD25SP is even more boomy than HD25-1.

I think HD280 is a relatively new product, compared to HD25. They don't seem to be closely related in design. HD280 is circumaural, presumably more comfortable than supraaural design like HD25, but it's also bigger and heavier. According to the spec, you can slam HD25 to ear deafening level of120dB(SPL) but 102dB(SPL) with HD280. Both are monitoring headphones, but it looks like HD25-1 is more optimised for outdoor use. I haven't listened to 280 neither, so I cannot comment on it's sound quality, but so far I have read some positive reviews on head-fi (as kelly pointed out).
 
Sep 29, 2002 at 12:18 AM Post #6 of 33
Quote:

Originally posted by Gergor
(but hey, I like MDR-F1!
tongue.gif
)


LOL, Gergor. Same here. The F1 phones are (IMO) the definition of top end detail for dynamic phones...air apparent!


smily_headphones1.gif
 
Sep 29, 2002 at 8:37 AM Post #7 of 33
Yep, I like MDR-F1. I searched the discussions of this headphone on head-fi, oh boy, this is one controversial headphone; some people like it while some other said it's the worst.

Anyways, this headphone seems to become harder and harder to find in stores. I even went to the Sony store at Metreon. The salesperson simply told me they don't make it anymore (there's one on display though) and pointed me at those crappy low-end phones.
 
Sep 29, 2002 at 2:42 PM Post #8 of 33
Quote:

Originally posted by Gergor
Yep, I like MDR-F1. I searched the discussions of this headphone on head-fi, oh boy, this is one controversial headphone; some people like it while some other said it's the worst.

Anyways, this headphone seems to become harder and harder to find in stores. I even went to the Sony store at Metreon. The salesperson simply told me they don't make it anymore (there's one on display though) and pointed me at those crappy low-end phones.


Gah. It seems as if Sony has no interest whatsoever of making high-end open-air headphones. All (or most) of Sony's future headphones will be either open but really cheap OR expensive but closed. (Well, most of the the MDR-CD### series 'phones are open-backed, but they behave much more like closed 'phones in their sound quality, and thus suffer from most of the shortcomings of cheap closed headphones - boomy bass and muffled actual treble response. I consider them semi-closed and NOT true open-air 'phones.)
 
Sep 29, 2002 at 3:33 PM Post #9 of 33
The Sennheiser HD25 (HD25-1) must surely be the top contender for the "world's loudest headphone" title!
Quote:

Note that the maximum achievable SPL varies widely for different models and manufacturers, ranging from a low of 107 dB to a harmful 146 dB!


Source:

Understanding Headphone Power Requirements:
http://www.rane.com/note100.html

TravelLite
 
Sep 30, 2002 at 10:18 PM Post #11 of 33
I found the midrange of both the suprauaral HD 25-1 and its low-cost version HD25-SP to be unbearably colored and resonant. And to my ears, both are simply shrill. They actually sound like the steel that's used in their cables, it seems. Bizarre.

On the other hand, the circumaural HD 280 is the best closed Sennheiser headphone I have ever heard and worth a try.
 
Sep 30, 2002 at 10:23 PM Post #12 of 33
Hrmmm. Seems like I saw/heard an HD280 at a Mars Music. I'll have to go back by and see.

It's odd that Meier stocks the HP25-1 if it's so unloved. His selection is typically a best of breed and at $185, it's hard to believe you guys don't have anything better to say about that one.
 
Oct 1, 2002 at 12:55 AM Post #13 of 33
The only thing that I have read about them that comes to mind is "over priced".

Biggie.
 
Oct 1, 2002 at 5:34 AM Post #14 of 33
i dont know about the hd25/sp but i love my 280s. it is sorta like the er6, but i think that it doesnt have sibilance . and it has tighter bass, deeper i think. if my memory is correct. anyway, the 280s isolate better than any headphone besides etys that i have eheard
 
Oct 1, 2002 at 7:56 AM Post #15 of 33
Quote:

Originally posted by kelly
Hrmmm. Seems like I saw/heard an HD280 at a Mars Music. I'll have to go back by and see.

It's odd that Meier stocks the HP25-1 if it's so unloved. His selection is typically a best of breed and at $185, it's hard to believe you guys don't have anything better to say about that one.


It is one of the higher regarded DJ phones out there. I can probably get my hands on one, plus an HD 25 SP - but I had no plans to listen to these.

Guess why?

smily_headphones1.gif
 

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