[shl821022]

OK comparing sony mdr v6 and sennheiser hd280 pro...
which one is the most bang for the money?

(like if they were equal performance/price, then the hd280pro would be better b/c they are greater price)

kinda confusing b/c sometimes I hear that the hd280's sound like a bad v6 clone and other times I hear they completely blow away the v6..

What could be the source of this discrepancy? Solely personal preference?

Assume that the source is the computer's run of the mill SB Live card.. (which one is more easily driven)

The most important criteria for comparison being sound quality, followed by comfort

 

[ImMersion]

Having heard both (the v6 briefly) and owning the 280 I would say they are both very good phones, but the senn has a sound to it that is more satisfying. The v6 also has hard hitting bass, but I found that mid was missing and replaced with more bass. But this was with 5-10 mins of listening!!! Might be different for other ears/people

The soundstage seems more complete on the senn although it is bigger/tighter fitting, but has A LOT more isolation. just try to find some at a store/friends and listen to them both.

 

[NavyASW02]

In response to a previous post, I haven't tried the 280's, but the V-6's I dont think really have that much bass. I've spent a few hours now listening to them and they seem to be pretty well balanced phones. I think some of the mid section is missing, but overall they're well balanced.

 

[radrd]

Quote:

the V-6's I dont think really have that much bass

Seriously?

I've never listened to the V6s, but I was (and still am) under the impression that they have the most bass of just about any headphone.

 

[jona]

My impression of the V-6 (2 sets over 10+ years) is that the bass is as extended (i.e. to lower frequencies) as almost any other cans I've ever heard. The bass is also pretty tight & controlled, esp. for its price class. Other cans may seem to have "more" bass (e.g. Sony's MDR V600), but often this is an initial impression of an overly bloated midbass (e.g. 125Hz) rather than true low frequency sound reproduction. I won't knock that since some may find the overemphasized midbass pleasing, (rather than irritating as I do). Some synthesized music or low pipe-organ music really make this distinction between bass & midbass quite apparent.
FWIW- I moded one of my V-6's with the Beyer velour pads and a bit of damping behind the drivers. This really improved the comfort, helped improve the soundstage a bit, & perhaps even tamed the highs a tad.
I would also note that some others have found the HD280 to be a bit uncomfortable due to "clamping pressure" on the head. I have never found that to be an issue with the V-6 since its metal headband is easy to adjust (it can be carefully bent).

Jon

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by radrd I've never listened to the V6s, but I was (and still am) under the impression that they have the most bass of just about any headphone.

No, no, no, no, no

The V6/7506 have some of the most extended bass of any headphone, and it is pretty tight, as well. But there's not really a "lot" of bass (meaning that the bass is not really exaggerated or emphasized relative to the rest of the frequency spectrum).

 

[delenda est Sony]

SHL---

I have both and the 280 is generally more impressive. Even deeper extension than the V6, broader soundstage, and more balanced midrange. Also more isolation, though heavier and tighter than the V6. The V6 goes for $55-60 low price and the Senns can be found on the net for roughly $80. The Senn is almost definitely worth $25-30 more than the Sony. Problem is that many 280 owners report mediocre sound from their cans. Assuming these folks hear as well as the rest of us, I am concerned that Senn quality control on the 280s is a bit variable. I would estimate that about 5-10% of 280 purchasers who have commented on these phones on Head-Fi have had a negative sonic experience. Caveat emptor. If you buy locally or from Headroom, an exchange will be easier, but you will also pay the standard retail cost of $100. Is the 280 worth $45 more than the V6? A tougher call. I and many others love our 280s but you should be aware there is a bit of a risk. The V6 on the other hand, though limited in what it can do, is at least consistent in its sound.

Good luck shopping!

 

[Bert]

How is the comfort of the V6? How much isolation from outside sounds?

Thanks,
Bert

 

[BenG]

THe V6s have a mid-bass and upper bass exaggeration relative to neutral(ie. Etys), but it is not nearly as bad as alot of mass-market cans that are down right bloated.

V6 performance in the lowest octave is excellent, only surpassed by Etys in my experience.

The pads on my 7506s are wearing, so I'll probably use that as an excuse to buy the 280s soon. Hopefully, i can due an exstensive review of the two and shed some more light on the mystery of the 280s.

 

[Duncan]

Quote:

Originally posted by NavyASW02 the V-6's I dont think really have that much bass

Ho Hum... look at the name of these thankfully discontinued 'phones... American sound perhaps??

 

[x1lexure]

Now I have always wondered what I was missing out on regarding bass...to put a lond story short I have a slight low tone deafness, it's not to bad...I think, but I have always wondered if I was missing something in my music. Mid-Bass is fine, but lower then that and it's gone. That's kinda why I want to get the V6s.

(My low tone deafness came from NUMEROUS childhood ear infections.)

 

[delenda est Sony]

Bert---

at first the V6 seemed a bit uncomfortable at first, but my ears soon adapted. Even if they hadn't, the V6 frame is a sturdy though pliable metal so a little bending would have helped if needed, The fit of the V6 though much tighter than that of most open designs is positively loose compared to the 280s...Biggest comfort problem with V6 is the annoying hot cheap pleather pads which give you a Mini-Ear Sauna feeling in all but arctic environments. If you buy these phones, get the Beyer pads eventually to avoid Swamp Ear. The 280s though they use pleather as well and fit tighter do not make your ears anywhere near as fetid as the Sonys. Better quality pleather breathes better? I'm guessing here...

As for an answer to your second question, the Sonys provide only a fair amount of external noise isolation. I would estimate 5-10 dB. My Ety ER6s provide about 20 dB, and the 280s about 30 dB due to the tight fit. I've used all 3 phones on the NYC subways, and the V6s let in a lot more noise than the other two. That said, they leak virtually no noise to the outside, and they give you at least some attenuation of noise, which is more than most headphones do. They would be fine for slightly noisy environments like a library or work (unless you work in a cannery or something...)

 

[shl821022]

Uh.. I have both of these headphones now(gonna return one soon)
The source is a Santa Cruz sound card...

Maybe it's because the source is not that good (but still pretty common nonetheless).. but it's very hard to decide which one sounds better...

maybe the gap is wider on high end sources.

well in my opinion...

The sony sounds more immediate, punchy, and "sharper" like a sports car(?)

The hd 280 pro sounds more distant, ambient, and "richer" like a luxury car(?)

On some songs the hd280 pro sounds almost echoy and the sony does not... (I'm not sure if echoy is the right word cuz I'm not sure if it's a bad thing or not)

The sony has better bass... there is more of it and it is more accurate.. but both have far less bass than my computer speakers (I think the speakers overemphasize bass though)

The hd280 pro looks better

The sony mdr v6 is more comfortable (even though it is not completely circumaural around my ears like the hd 280)

hd280 pro has better isolation but it's not a huge difference

this is only the first 30 minutes or so of listening

 

[Duncan]

I think in honesty unless the SC sound card has a powered headphone out (my original Soundblaster 16 DID have so I'll leave an open mind) that a purely line level source will not provide either pair of headphones with enough power...

How about through a 'normal' headphone output... do you still get the same results?

 

[shl821022]

I tried the headphones with the amplified headphone out on my computer speakers initially, but thought that it kind of colored the sound (not too much difference) than when connecteed directly to the card...

Mostly I connected it to the sound card for convenience because I could have both phones connected at the same time and switch between them (the card outputs to only one at a time though) without constantly having to physically swap them...
The line out is supposed to double as a headphone jack and so is the extra versajack

Supposedly, the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz isn't supposed to be that bad of a card as far as really cheap sound cards go...