Sennheiser HD280 Pro
Starting at: $97.49
CNET Editors' Review
CNET Editors' Rating
- Reviewed by: Steve Guttenberg
- Released on:
- Reviewed on:
- Updated on:
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.
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. ... Expand full review
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. Hide Review
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Ex-movie theater projectionist Steve Guttenberg has also worked as a high-end audio salesman, and as a record producer. Steve currently reviews audio products for CNET and works as a freelance writer for Home Theater, Inner Fidelity, Tone Audio, and Stereophile. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET.
User Reviews
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Most Helpful User Review
stars 32 of 34 users found this review helpful
"OK, depending on your needs" By martinn--2008
Pros Excellent isolation
Cons Lack of sound definition and light on bass
Summary The best thing about these phones is the isolation (I believe they say 32 db). This is both coming and going - it keeps the headphone sound in and the outside sound out. This is great, for example, in our small studio when recording exposed vocals.
But the sound reproduction ... Expand full review
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Specifications
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- Headphones Type: Headphones - Binaural
- Product type: Headphones
- Design: Ear-cup