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Sennheiser HD280 Pro

CNET Editors' ChoiceJun 04

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The good: Lightweight and comfortable design; sealed ear cups isolate wearer from ambient noise; headphones fold for compact storage.

The bad: Pricey.

The bottom line: Sennheiser's versatile headphones sound great on DVDs and all kinds of music.

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CNET editors' review

CNET Editors' ChoiceJun 04
  • Reviewed on: 06/22/2004
  • Updated on: 10/21/2009
  • Released on: 11/01/2001

Editors' note: The rating on this review has been lowered because of changes in the competitive marketplace.

Sennheiser's ruggedly constructed HD 280 Pro high-performance headphones feature comfortable leatherette ear cushions, a headband, and a foldable design for compact storage. Weighing a relatively lightweight 10 ounces, this $199 model has a 10-foot coiled cable fitted with a 1/8-inch miniplug. Sennheiser also includes a 1/4-inch adapter for use with a home stereo.

Our listening tests started in our living room. The naval battle scenes sprinkled throughout the Master and Commander DVD amply demonstrated the HD 280s' power and glory. These 'phones can play loud, and their bass definition was quite good, though not the equal of Ultrasone's mighty HFI-650s. But this well-recorded DVD sounded crisp and clear on the HD 280 Pros, with the sort of detail you hear only from high-end speakers.

The Sennheiser HD 280 Pros also brought out the details in rock-and-roll CDs such as the White Stripes' Elephant. Oh boy, Jack White's buzz-saw guitar sounded gloriously distorted, and Meg White's heavyweight drumming kicked butt. And since the ear cups are sealed, you can crank your music as loud as you want and never disturb other people in the room.

These headphones are a lot of fun yet still have enough suave refinement to sound right with classical music. The delicate interplay of harpsichord and strings on Vivaldi's The Four Seasons CD was utterly beautiful, demonstrating the HD 280 Pros' versatility with all sorts of music--a rare feat.

If you're thinking of using the HD 280 Pros with an iPod, you won't be disappointed. The headphones' resolution came through loud and clear with ours. That said, Sennheiser's HD 555 headphones sounded bigger and richer, so if portable use is a priority, we'd go with them.

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Where to buy

Sennheiser HD280 Pro: $92.95 - $99.99
storepricein stock?rating
Amazon.com Marketplace
$92.95 Yes 5.0 star rating
Crutchfield
$99.99 Preorder 5.0 star rating
Beach Camera
$99.00 Yes 5.0 star rating
Buydig.com
$99.00 Yes 5.0 star rating
Same Day Music
$99.95 Yes 5.0 star rating

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Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

  • alaTest.com

    Editors' rating: 79

    Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 846 reviews of Sennheiser HD 280 Pro from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 84/100 and users 86/100. Comparing these reviews to 137093 other Headphones reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 79/100 = Good.

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  • newbie.org

    Editors' rating: 100

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  • techtree.com

    Editors' rating: 80

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Sennheiser HD280 Pro