[jpr703]

The 280s are great cans. I have headphones that sound better, but they all have an open design and are more expensive. I honestly haven't heard a better sounding sealed can, and the price is right.

 

[Davie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaturnNyne Isolating vs. non-isolating. Stay on target, rogue five. Of course the SR80 sounds better in most ways, SR60 will sound better to most too, as I already pointed out earlier. Let's not bash the value of the 280 compared to open phones. At their price point they stand up very well to their closed competition.

I got them as a closed alternative to my other budget cans (Grado SR60 and Sennheiser 497), but now prefer the 280s in terms of sound quality and comfort and basically never use the others. My experience is pretty typical in that I *hated* the 280pros when I first got them and almost returned them. To be honest it took about 3 or 4 months of part-time use before the sound really started to open up and, though it's very hard to be objective about something like this, it seemed to me that the sound kept on improving for the first 6 to 8 months.

At one point I suddenly had trouble getting a seal and the bass practically disappeared. But after mushing the earpads a bit and resituating them on my head the problem was solved and didn't return.

I've notice hairline cracks in the headband which have been there for probably close to a year and haven't gotten worse or caused any practical problems. I'm not sure, however, if it would be wise to stretch out the headband over a bunch of books as has been suggested. I don't think it's really fragile but, as has been pointed out, it's plastic and doesn't have the malleability of a metal headband.

The HS900, on the other hand, is known as an extremely fragile headphone -- mine broke after about 4 weeks of normal use. Sound great for the price through.

I think the 280pros could be powered adequately by the Dell DJ, unless the DJ has a particularly weak amp. But as has been pointed out before the 280pro's relatively weak midbass is even more of a problem without a strong amp (though I really don't find the them as deficient in this regard as many other seem to).

 

[BowerR64]

Where do the HS900 break? i have yet to get an answer on where to look when they start to break.

 

[Davie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BowerR64 Where do the HS900 break? i have yet to get an answer on where to look when they start to break.

In my experience they don't "start to break." They just snap apart. It's somewhere in the overly complicated assembly between the headband and the earcup, but I don't remember where exactly. There's a thin piece of plastic that takes too much stress.

If you search for threads going back about a year or so I believe you'll find my original discussion of this. It may be at the end of a long thread singing the praises of the HS900!!

 

[Lithos]

My Sennheiser 280 PROs are the best pair of headphones I have ever own!

 

[ChickenScrtchBoy]

I guess I'm a basshead then.

If you are saying that the 280's have good bass (have been burned in for 48 hours + normal use since I joined this board...) and the bass impact feels nonexistant and dissatisfying to me, I guess thats what it makes me...

Besides that, they are great cans for the $80 American...

Just wish they had more isolation

 

[commando]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChickenScrtchBoy If you are saying that the 280's have good bass (have been burned in for 48 hours + normal use since I joined this board...) and the bass impact feels nonexistant and dissatisfying to me, I guess thats what it makes me...

They need 500+ hours over the course of a few months to fully burn in.

 

[Davie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChickenScrtchBoy I guess I'm a basshead then. If you are saying that the 280's have good bass (have been burned in for 48 hours + normal use since I joined this board...) and the bass impact feels nonexistant and dissatisfying to me, I guess thats what it makes me... Besides that, they are great cans for the $80 American... Just wish they had more isolation

The 280's are generally considered to have the best isolation of any headphone on the market apart from the canal phones. If you're not getting good isolation, that would also explain the lack of bass since unless you have a good seal bass response on these cans is quite poor.

Are you sure they're fitting properly?

 

[ChickenScrtchBoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by commando They need 500+ hours over the course of a few months to fully burn in.

I remeber reading it was 1000, so said to my self "F that, I'm doing 100." I ended Up burning them in only 4 12 hour sessions.

I figure if I burn them for 16-17 days I'd have 500 hours on them, but since they are my primary cans... thats pretty much out of the question.

Maybe after I upgrade, I'll give them a month or so, then pull them out of the closet to have a listen

 

[ChickenScrtchBoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davie The 280's are generally considered to have the best isolation of any headphone on the market apart from the canal phones. If you're not getting good isolation, that would also explain the lack of bass since unless you have a good seal bass response on these cans is quite poor. Are you sure they're fitting properly?

They are fitting perfectly fine... there's pretty much only one way to wear them... Maybe I need to experiment with less/more clicks...

I'm sure they had more isolation in when I first got them, but I assume, thats because the clamping force lets up in the first few weeks...

 

[ImMersion]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaturnNyne I'm getting really curious about sq variations in this model. I like mine, but half (of the two) I've listened to definitely did suck terribly for the price. Has anyone tried a large sampling of HD280s?

It is so odd that you mention sq variations because, well, i think your right. Now that i think about it.......there are SQ variations. My first set were just SOOO wonderful. Crystal clear, no sibilance, not harsh with the highs, bass was thumpin, etc etc

Those started crackin, so i sent them in for replacement. That second pair wasn't as great, but I chalked it up to lack of "burn in" which I had experience on the first set and figured it would eventually become just as good as before. That second pair were totally destroyed by accident, so I got yet another pair. At that time, I recommended a pair to my dad who also got one. Well, the two that we own now I can say have just been awefull. The treble really kills you, it lacks bass, sometimes it sounds choppy, and the soundstage isnt as good as i remember with the older hd280's

Go figure?!?!

 

[elnero]

I owned the 280's for a time and still have access to the pair I owned. My take has been that they do require a heck of a long time to burn in. When I owned them I found them a bit forward in the highs, mids were fairly neutral, the midbass was slightly lacking but boy did they go low and that low bass had excellent authority. I'm yet to find another headphone that can even come close to the extension and authority the 280's have.

I did try them in my system a little while back and was pleasantly suprised at how much they improved with a decent source and amp. They will work ok straight out of a computer or portable but to really hear what they are capable of a good amp and source are a must.

At first I found them quite comfortable, a little tight by times but that's required for the amount of isolation they provide. Unfortunately I developed a problem with my jaw that the tightness really irritated so I had to give up on them for extended use at work. I've debated picking up another pair for occasional use at home because I honestly haven't found another headphone that does low bass like the 280's do.

 

[commando]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChickenScrtchBoy I remeber reading it was 1000, so said to my self "F that, I'm doing 100." I ended Up burning them in only 4 12 hour sessions. I figure if I burn them for 16-17 days I'd have 500 hours on them, but since they are my primary cans... thats pretty much out of the question. Maybe after I upgrade, I'll give them a month or so, then pull them out of the closet to have a listen

Just use them, they'll improve with time.

 

[UserNotFound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sp1N Man, all this talk about the HD280pro just wants me to go open my christmas presents right now. I can't wait till I get ahold of mine and start enjoying.

i've got the 280's, and a zen touch under the tree

talk about going nuts....

 

[bunchex]

I just posted on the main discussion because I feel in heaven with this great sound. Coming from the MDR V150 from Sony, which were well suited for my untrained ears, I have to say the sound is great. I find the bass to be very defined, maybe a fist doesn't punch your head but I wouldn't need that anyways. Blue Man Group's Audio feel right at home.

All in all, being my first pair of good cans, I am totally satisfied

Javier