Sennheiser HD280 stinks!
Dec 6, 2003 at 1:17 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 52

kugino

Headphoneus Supremus
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i just received my senn hd280 and...they're terrible! why are these even recommended by anyone? the sound is mushy and there is no bass whatsoever. none. i did an A/B test with my grado sr80 and the grados were better in every category. people complain about the grados being uncomfortable but they are much more comfy than the senns. the only plus about these 280s is that they are easy to drive. they were even louder on the same volume level than the sr80 amplified by a perreaux headphone amp. if you 280 owners want a much better headphone for a much better price, check out the grados.
 
Dec 6, 2003 at 1:37 AM Post #4 of 52
The HD280s do require a lot of burn in for them to sound their best...

a lot of people like them, and I can see why.....they're very accurate, balanced and detailed...and if you can get them for US$70-80, they can't be beat, for a closed headphone....

It's not really fair to compare the HD280 to the SR80, as open headphones tend to sound much better than closed ones...as well, the Grados are an audiophile headphone while the Senn's are meant for professional use [although pro headphones can be used for general listening as well]

The Hd280's were the first pair headphones I got...that was over a year ago....they're not bad, but I've got comfort issues with them, and there's something about the sound that I don't really care too much for...the HD280s sound 'muffled' to me...I use my HFI-550 DJ1 more nowadays...
 
Dec 6, 2003 at 1:43 AM Post #6 of 52
Im sick of reading these first impressions where people go "OMG !!!#$@$ MY HEADPHONES SUCK !!! OMG" then 2 days later after burning in "OMG THEYRE GREAT !!! HOW STUPID OF ME !!!!"

DO NOT post your opinion of the cans until youve burnt them in. Theres about 600 of these threads popping up every week.
 
Dec 6, 2003 at 1:54 AM Post #7 of 52
i agree that they sound mushy...and if this is even after one year of burn-in, it's not worth it to me...thanks for all the advice, though.
 
Dec 6, 2003 at 2:03 AM Post #8 of 52
I hated them too... they were back in the mail to the seller after about 3 days (and 48+ hrs of burn in) produced absolutely no improvement in the sound. Some people seem to really like them however, so it's sort of a toss-up I guess.
 
Dec 6, 2003 at 2:56 AM Post #10 of 52
Quote:

It's not really fair to compare the HD280 to the SR80, as open headphones tend to sound much better than closed ones


confused.gif
Can't agree with that generalization.
 
Dec 6, 2003 at 3:07 AM Post #11 of 52
New to all this , are the 280s really that bad? Maybe I shoudl reconsider? I guess I should find a store that would have the 280s and the Grados to hear them both...
 
Dec 6, 2003 at 4:04 AM Post #12 of 52
I also own an HD280. But I don't care much for that 'phone, nor do I care much for the Grado SR-80. I found the SR-80's treble to be piercingly bright and its low-end extension nonexistent. (And yeah, I tried the flat pads and the stock bowl pads on the SR-80 - and while the flats bring up the bass, that bass tended to be of the muddy, 'one-note' variety.) But I've also found the HD280's bass to be hollow and the mids a bit honky.

Perhaps I'm spoiled by my HD600, but I definitely won't be using either the HD280 or the SR-80 anytime soon.
 
Dec 6, 2003 at 4:29 AM Post #13 of 52
The only reason, which I returned my HD280 was, comfort level and money...

I loved its balanced and accurate sound—lovely soundstage as well. After 48 hours of burn-in it sounded fantastic, and the isolation it provided was a true blessing in my noisy world... I might buy it "again" when I get money, because of it’s isolation and great sound.
 
Dec 6, 2003 at 4:35 AM Post #14 of 52
You might consider the DT250-80, its a hands down solid headphone, with a slight emphasis on the bass unlike the HD280s.

At headroom Jamey and I compared some graphs, and the HD280s were at least 10 decibels below neutral on the bass, up to 200 hz.

Cheers,
Geek
 
Dec 6, 2003 at 5:41 AM Post #15 of 52
Quote:

Originally posted by markl
confused.gif
Can't agree with that generalization.


You're right...I just made it on very general terms...personally, I prefer and use closed headphones more than open ones...they're more practical too, and some of the best headphones are closed...

at the HD280's price point, especially at US$70, I got the impression that most of the open counterparts [ie. HD497, SR60, etc], but I could be wrong
 

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