Rating: 
Summary: A very nice pair of phones
Review: If I were a briefcase warrior who spent half of my life on jets, I'd probably go for active noise cancellation phones, but these guys are a pair of really excellent old-fashioned sealed-ear phones. And yes, they do provide a high degree of sonic isolation -- when I'm wearing them, people have to come up and tap me on the shoulder. They are sweet-sounding, light and comfortable, plus they fold up. Replacement pads and cords are available and can be easily installed by mere mortals. I suspect the current price means they're about to be discontinued. Get 'em while they last. As one other reviewer noted, you need a decent headphone amp to drive them, and many CD players and integrated amps spend about 79 cents on the headphone amp. With these phones, you will hear every detail of just how bad your headphone amp is. Fortunately, one of the two CD players I had lying around the house had a decent built-in amp. In time, I might buy a separate headphone amp for these guys -- they're worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Good headphones
Review: Excellent for the purpose, high quality headphones without sound-cancelling electronics. Exclusion of voices is excellent, but 1/2 to 1/3rd of the background rumble of the jet still gets through. Very good for airline music, good efficiency, such that minimum volume on a 777 was too loud for sleeping. (Had to turn off my in-canal hearing aids!) A volume control would be nice.
The plug-in pin has some prospect of breaking off. It's about twice as long as that on an airline headset and fairly easy to bend.
Rating:
Summary: I should have bought these first!
Review: I can't say how many headphones I've owned over the years. I can say that this is the first set that sounds very very good and comes with the ability to REPLACE cables, headband pads, earcups and can be converted into a headset with the addition of a boom-mike! 30dB isolation from outside noise and two ways to fold them (with the flat form an excellent way to lay them down on a sound board) + a 2 year warranty and a very responsive curve all for less $$ than my last set of Sony monitor (MDR) headsets (the Sony set is now retired after only two years of use - just like the three prior ones). The spring is a bit tight...but I like that.
Rating: 
Summary: Not quite cost-effective.
Review: These are not so sturdily made as they appear: after five months of moderate use the headband has developed multiple cracks in the plastic and looks to be preparing to fall apart altogether (time to break out the super glue). Soundwise they take considerable getting used to, but after reconfiguring one's brain they're...pretty good. I'd prefer not to have paid more than one quarter of the ludicrous list price.
Rating:
Summary: WE HAVE A WINNER!
Review: There are really 2 different headphones here: before and after burn-in. You DO need to play this baby for at least 2-3 days non-stop before they open up. The HD-280 are high-quality phones and very revealing, without being aggressive or clinical. Tape hiss on older recordings is enhanced but the sound remains truthful and musical acrosse the spectrum, with no exagerated frequencies, annoying overtones, or distortions. Classical/jazz listeners will be particularly pleased by what they hear. These cans are exceptional value and can be driven by just about everything. Headphones technology must have advanced quite a bit in the last 10 years. Whatever the case, I believe Sennheiser has a winner here. Now repeat with me: I WILL BURN THEM IN... I WILL BURN THEM IN... I WILL BURN THEM IN... I WILL BURN THEM IN...
Rating: 
Summary: good product -- for what it is
Review: I definitely disagree with the previous reviewer who said these aren't musical. They are musical, but there are certainly many "higher end" headphones that are MORE musical. I definitely don't think that the Sony V6 is anywhere in the same league as these Sennheisers, though. I do agree, however, that there is a certain lack of "coherence" to the sound. My guess is that while the entire audible frequency range is present, there are a number of peaks and dips in the response curve which result in it sounding somewhat disjointed. Why do I say these are "musical" then? Because I think these 'phones do a good job for their intended application(s) and for the (discounted) price. (I think the list price is quite excessive, but I don't think anyone sells these for anywhere near the list price.) First of all, these are intended to be used in environments where there is significant background noise. While the headphones do block an impressive amount of ambient noise, some naturally leaks in. This noise helps to conceal some of the deficits of these 'phones. I think that these phones should be thought of as 'phones for dj-ing, traveling on a plane or train and things like that. If one doesn't have high-end expectations, I think one might be happy with these at home, too. I happen to have the Sennheiser 580's, however, and these certainly don't hold a candle to those (not that I expected them to since they retail for about half the price). I'll also add that I think what these 'phones provide that many others in their price range do not is a sense of "air". The majority of headphones, particularly less expensive ones, make it sound like everything is coming from inside of one's head. These 'phones have the ability to create somewhat of a soundstage with quite good midrange detail. Many other inexpensive 'phones sound dull in comparison. Would I use these to listen at home? No. In fact, when I first got them I hooked them up to my home theater/stereo system first. I was quite disappointed because I'm used to the sound of the 580's (as well as a pair of Stax Lambda Pro's). When I hooked these up to a portable, I started noticing their strengths. When I rode on a train with these on, I REALLY enjoyed them. They definitely aren't small or light but they are still portable. I haven't found them uncomfortable to wear but have only had them on for a couple of hours at a time. Wearing them in public might get you some looks (most people use earbuds or really small headphones), but those people probably value style over substance anyway. Edit from February 2004: I am still enjoying these 'phones nearly 1 1/2 years after my initial purchase. I will say, however, that the plastic headband did begin to crack after just a few months. After about a year, there were several significant cracks. After 16 months, the headband was cracked all the way through in one place. Though the 'phones were still functional, I arranged for a repair via Sennheiser's USA website. Sennheiser opted to send me a brand new pair, at no cost. I know it's a brand new pair because Sennheiser has at some point obviously redesigned these 'phones. They still posess the same sound quality but the shape of the headband is different. It looks as though it was redesigned in response to the cracking issue as the headband appears to have a less severe curve around the head. Time will tell whether these new ones crack, too. I still highly recommend this product and give 5 stars to Sennheiser's customer service for the speedy and free (under warranty) exchange service.
Rating:
Summary: Just when I thought I was stuck with the Sonys
Review: For many years, I used the Sony MD7506 for live sound mixing and DJ gigs (I'm an amatuer, not a pro). They held up well but I would never want to listen to them for pleasure. A friend loaned me his HD280 Sennheiser phones and the light bulb went on! These sound great for all types of music, do not have the hyped bass of the Sonys, and are even better in isolating background noise. Now, I take these to the gigs on weekends, and bring them home to listen to the latest vinyl cuts just for fun. And when I'm assembling my mix tapes, these help me hear what's going on. Lots of detail but not hyped. They are made of plastic, but they're very light weight and seem totally solid. Highly reccommended! Bottom line: I put my Sonys on Ebay and bought the HD280s.
Rating:
Summary: Learned a lesson...
Review: For someone who has spent years chasing the best equipment for the price, I really should have known better than to order headphones based on brand name, attractive pricing and some positive reviews. Headphones are very PERSONAL...no one can decide what you like and as with all audio equipment, specifications don't tell the story.
I have no doubt that these headphones meet the advertised specifications. They have solid bass, an adequate midrange and decent treble. That being said, they are not "musical"; they present sound across the audible spectrum but are not really coherent or involving in any way. They might improve with some burn in but I don't feel the basics are really there to improve.
Physically, these headphones are MUCH LARGER than I expected...the ear cups are large with a lot of interior space that seems excessive and contributes to an unfocused quality of musical image. They are also much heavier than expected. Finally, they do not fold up very small, in spite of what the advertising says. These headphones are not really practical to carry around with a portable.
My reference headphones, the Sony MDR-V6's, which I've had for at least 15 years, sound WAY better than the Senn 280's, are much smaller, fold up very small and are much more comfortable. They are also very well made and have stood up well over the years. I was expecting some metal construction in the 280's but alas they are entirely made of plastic, which [suprises me]...
The Sony V6's have been reissued as model 7506 and are a very good all around headphone. For something significantly better, check out Denon. The AHD-210's are incredible for the money, as are the 350's and 550's. There is nothing flashy or trendy about these phones but they are extremely well made, comfortable and MUSICAL. Each model in the line is musical and generally the more you spend, the more refinement and nuance you get. I'll be turning in the Senn 280's for the Denon AHD-950's which I don't think can be surpassed for all types of music, comfort and quality...
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: Top flight sound quality. Noise dampening not quite as good as you might hope, but definitely there. Incredibly comfortable fit, the best of any full cup headphones I've worn -- the cups swivel every which way to fit you just as you want. I've worn them for many hours at a strech on several dozen occasions now, and have been consistently impressed with the quality (many sounds I couldn't hear before have come out of music I love), comfort (no soreness around the ears -- none), and the quiet (not perfect, but a welcome improvement). 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: If You could have sex w/your ears- this would be your mate!
Review: Wow - Am I a lucky guy! I just ordered these today and my good friend Brian has a pair already (we came to this conclusion in very different ways) He bought his from a buddy of ours and I only sought out the "on-line" opinions of others 'in the know" at audio web sites that specialize in this kind of thing.
Well - Brian was over in his yard and we started talking and I was bragging a little and told him I was getting a pair of "Sennheiser HD-280 Pro's" and he retorted with - "Really!?- Want to listen to them now?" - My mind did not get this at first - How could my buddy the garbage man (literally)- know more than me more than me - about 'anything'??? Well - he did - And I praise him for his audio IQ (way high) and he let me listen to them and (I swear) I was in 'love' with the sound.
Now maybe I am a novice and all- but if this was a woman (or a man for you ladies) I would have to ask: "You have any sisters?" - These fit like a glove (and my hat size is 7 & 3/8th) and the sound was "almost" as good as a first kiss! (Really!) . --- I don't go on gushing about very many things - but this is one of them. He stated that he had broke them in for about 60 hours on hard rock and then 20 hours on classical music (to get the top end) and mentioned that I will not get this level of 'Goodness" till I do the Same - kind of break-in with the sounds I like - & I will.
Bottom line - - - If I had three thing to take with me on a long trip - this would be #3. I would bet money that you won't be sorry (as long as you educate yourself on how to break them in) you bought these. "The price of quality is proportional to the end result. KWDIII 9-7-1985 (me)" Good luck and great times!
| 
