Magicthyse
Better to look good than to sound good!
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2002
- Posts
- 890
- Likes
- 10
SOUND
The phone seems to actually have become brighter after burn-in. Not that it was particularly dull to begin with. This gives it a super-detailed 'cut-glass' feel which demands attention of the listener.
As mentioned by Head-Fiers, the bass has become actually quite punchy on the 280's after break-in. However don't depend on the 280s for truly earth-shaking bass - they start breaking up just after what could be called a decent performance. But for most music types, the balance of the bass reproduction against the other frequencies is now very good.
The character of the sound is now pretty near perfect for music students working on mixing or analysing music. These phones are really excellent in terms of detail. I'm thoroughly impressed at the level of sound they reveal. Classical listeners, I suspect, will find few better phones in this price bracket.
PORTABLE USE
(Device used: 10mw+10mw output, no 'megacrappobass' enhancement, no equalizer)
The 280 has excellent presentation, even with lower powered portable equipment. However, it's characterized once again by the 'listen to me or else', almost grating detail. Bass response is audible (when outside is quiet) and is still 'tight' - excellent to listen to in a quiet environment, but the controlled reproduction compromises the phones in an environment where external low-frequency noise is prevalent - trains, buses, etc - unbalancing the mix and making the music seem even more treble-heavy than the already over-bright presentation of the 280's. In this respect, the noise attenuation offered by the earpads is useless as lower frequency sounds are more felt than heard.
Ultimately in a portable situation - unless the music is being listened to exclusively in quiet areas - the 280's are not good. With an amp the situation becomes better - but what with carrying a PCDP/PMD and a amp with you plus a reasonably large pair of headphones - and that's before you get to your other discs - a trailer might be in order if you intend to make full use of these phones on the move...
FIT & COMFORT
They are still as uncomfortable as they were when I first got them, despite time spent in a vise around a form, slightly heated. About half a day after it left the vise, it just went back to what it was... The fit around the ears is perfect, and so is the pressure the cups apply, but the top band pressing down on the top of the head really makes it torture to wear for more than half an hour - so much so I concluded this test by wearing them upside down some of the time.
CONSTRUCTION
Well, nothing has fallen off - and I don't expect it to for a long time as it is well built and is obviously designed with a reasonably hard life in mind. It's just that with all-black ABS construction, these phones look very cheap. And the looks haven't grown on me either.
-------------
SO WHAT'S GOOD?
The overall detail of the sound. Very good indeed - I'd say that none of my other phones can match this level of sheer detail coming out of the cups. Up to a certain power level - certainly a reasonable 'power band', the HD280's are very, very composed. The presentation of the soundstage is excellent. As a home audiophile phone, these are excellent value for money. They also take up very little space when stowed.
SO WHAT'S BAD?
The real problem for 'just listening' people like me (most of the time) is actually the detail. The sound is too precise, and is slightly top-heavy. Casual listening is not really an option with these phones - you might find them a little wearing, as I did. The comfort level is atrocious, and if you are looking for a phone to pull double duty with a portable, you can dismiss these - despite the noise attnuation the phone is unable to overpower background noise without a powerful amp, and IMHO they look cheap, and rather silly.
So there you have it. I'm not a fan - either inside (the SR225 is much more my bag) or outside (the V700's still have a job). However, if I ever want to pick a guitar riff apart or wanted to check whether Perlman was suffering from gas when he played Paganini's 24 Caprices, these are the phones I would use!
EDIT - How I tested:
Inside1: Very quiet living room, Naim CD5+NAIT5+Headline.
Inside2: Noisy (with computer equipment) room, Sony CDP-XE570+TAF-E570.
Outside1: Commuter train (country), windows open, Sharp MD-MT821.
Outside2: Taxi (urban), windows open, Sony D-CJ01 (test results dismissed - unacceptable output. Damn these modern PCDPs!).
The phone seems to actually have become brighter after burn-in. Not that it was particularly dull to begin with. This gives it a super-detailed 'cut-glass' feel which demands attention of the listener.
As mentioned by Head-Fiers, the bass has become actually quite punchy on the 280's after break-in. However don't depend on the 280s for truly earth-shaking bass - they start breaking up just after what could be called a decent performance. But for most music types, the balance of the bass reproduction against the other frequencies is now very good.
The character of the sound is now pretty near perfect for music students working on mixing or analysing music. These phones are really excellent in terms of detail. I'm thoroughly impressed at the level of sound they reveal. Classical listeners, I suspect, will find few better phones in this price bracket.
PORTABLE USE
(Device used: 10mw+10mw output, no 'megacrappobass' enhancement, no equalizer)
The 280 has excellent presentation, even with lower powered portable equipment. However, it's characterized once again by the 'listen to me or else', almost grating detail. Bass response is audible (when outside is quiet) and is still 'tight' - excellent to listen to in a quiet environment, but the controlled reproduction compromises the phones in an environment where external low-frequency noise is prevalent - trains, buses, etc - unbalancing the mix and making the music seem even more treble-heavy than the already over-bright presentation of the 280's. In this respect, the noise attenuation offered by the earpads is useless as lower frequency sounds are more felt than heard.
Ultimately in a portable situation - unless the music is being listened to exclusively in quiet areas - the 280's are not good. With an amp the situation becomes better - but what with carrying a PCDP/PMD and a amp with you plus a reasonably large pair of headphones - and that's before you get to your other discs - a trailer might be in order if you intend to make full use of these phones on the move...
FIT & COMFORT
They are still as uncomfortable as they were when I first got them, despite time spent in a vise around a form, slightly heated. About half a day after it left the vise, it just went back to what it was... The fit around the ears is perfect, and so is the pressure the cups apply, but the top band pressing down on the top of the head really makes it torture to wear for more than half an hour - so much so I concluded this test by wearing them upside down some of the time.
CONSTRUCTION
Well, nothing has fallen off - and I don't expect it to for a long time as it is well built and is obviously designed with a reasonably hard life in mind. It's just that with all-black ABS construction, these phones look very cheap. And the looks haven't grown on me either.
-------------
SO WHAT'S GOOD?
The overall detail of the sound. Very good indeed - I'd say that none of my other phones can match this level of sheer detail coming out of the cups. Up to a certain power level - certainly a reasonable 'power band', the HD280's are very, very composed. The presentation of the soundstage is excellent. As a home audiophile phone, these are excellent value for money. They also take up very little space when stowed.
SO WHAT'S BAD?
The real problem for 'just listening' people like me (most of the time) is actually the detail. The sound is too precise, and is slightly top-heavy. Casual listening is not really an option with these phones - you might find them a little wearing, as I did. The comfort level is atrocious, and if you are looking for a phone to pull double duty with a portable, you can dismiss these - despite the noise attnuation the phone is unable to overpower background noise without a powerful amp, and IMHO they look cheap, and rather silly.
So there you have it. I'm not a fan - either inside (the SR225 is much more my bag) or outside (the V700's still have a job). However, if I ever want to pick a guitar riff apart or wanted to check whether Perlman was suffering from gas when he played Paganini's 24 Caprices, these are the phones I would use!
EDIT - How I tested:
Inside1: Very quiet living room, Naim CD5+NAIT5+Headline.
Inside2: Noisy (with computer equipment) room, Sony CDP-XE570+TAF-E570.
Outside1: Commuter train (country), windows open, Sharp MD-MT821.
Outside2: Taxi (urban), windows open, Sony D-CJ01 (test results dismissed - unacceptable output. Damn these modern PCDPs!).