Awesome Cans!
I got a chance to hear these as a local Guitar center and they sound awesome! I WAS headed in to buy the Sennheiser HD 280's (Pro) until I heard these. The 380's completely blow the 280's away. There is JUST no comparison.
The Bass response is amazing for closed ear headphones. This is quite rare from what I understand.
You can hear all the detail in the highs and mid-ranges and everything sounds crystal clear. Close your eyes and you might think you're sitting in a concert hall. The sound isolation these things provide is SECOND To NONE (Except maybe the 280's)! Even with the volume extremely low I could not hear people talking who were standing 3 feet away from me! I was listening to Guns N Roses when one of the sales guys fired up a Bose system in the same room... it was so loud that (without the 380's on my head) I couldn't hear people talking but with the 380's on I barely heard the music coming from the Bose system.
These are totally worth $200!!!! And I'm not even a hardcore audio guy. If you don't believe me just demo these things are your nearest Guitar Center! Take your current headphones with you so you can compare them.
Brilliant sound, solid quality and value for money...
You hear music like a professional does with tremendous detail, clarity and across the whole sound spectrum. Bass is precise and effortlessly well defined, mid range is rich and treble is crystal clear. These are easily the Porsche of headphones. Not everyone's cup of tea, though everyone simply respects and admires their performance, design and quality.
PROS + :
Sound clear and well defined with a variety of music, and are very comfortable to wear for long periods. Outstanding ergonomics mean the cups can effortlessly fit a wide variety of head shapes. However, people with very small heads may find them too large. The protective carry case has gold plated airplane and larger socket adapters, good for travel. My iPods work very well, though you start to notice imperfections of MP3 encoding in your favourite tracks recorded in lower resolution. Build quality is absolutely outstanding, headband, critical hinges drivers and the cord are built to last. They feel and look good when wearing them, avoiding the exaggeration of the "aircraft-marshaler-ear-muffler" look and feel of other brands.
CONS - :
Expensive (but easily worth it). Don't suit smaller heads/ears.
In conclusion, I would challenge anyone in the market for this type of headphone to be anything less than truly delighted with the PXC 350. I don't do the audiophile BS, but I will say the sound is "brilliant". For the price you are getting standard setting technology, solid build quality and fresh enjoyment of your music, as well as comfort in noisy environments (aircraft, bus, trains...etc.). Which all equals very good value for money.
I would recommend the PXC 350 to anyone who wants to hear music professionally, on the move as well as at home or in the studio too.
A great closed set of headphones.
First of all I should say that I love these. They're lightweight, innocuous, and do a good job with muffling sounds outside. I've taken these on a flight and they are quite lovely. Instead of that awful humming from active NC (think Bose QCs), they merely attenuate all sound around me. I can still hear the flight attendents, yet for some reason can't hear the baby three seats behind me.
As for sound quality, these are quite lovely. They have a nice, deep and accurate bass that helps distract from the din of the outside world. Vocals are presented quite well, and as everyone else has said here... treble could use some work. I've only noticed the annoyance in classical pieces, more specifically with strings.
These headphones are built well. I've already dropped them a couple of times, and they haven't had a scratch. Plus even if you do manage to break them outside of warranty or are at fault for breaking them Sennheiser has a parts shop to replace most any part.
In short this headphone is a great one. Perhaps the best I've ever encountered for a closed headphone, and my new favorite for portable use. Sure they're a bit uncomfortable, bad for classical strings, and look butt ugly... but that just means that they're great at isolation, good at just about every other kind of music, and have little appeal to a mugger.
The price seemed expensive, but when I listened to them, that went out the window!
When I first started looking at headphones, I swore that I wouldn't spend this much, but I can truly say that I am glad I did. These are my first pair of Sennheiser's and they are worth every penny.
First, of course, is the sound quality. These are simply amazing. They provide the highs evenly, without making them sound twangy, or just over bearing. It is a good mix of soft and hard highs. The only thing I wish about the sound quality is the bass. I am a bass guy, and these provide quite a bit of bass, but just not quite enough for me. Then again, I am bass hungry, and these are bassy enough for me. They provide an excellent mix of highs and lows.
Second is the comfort level of these. I think my friend put it best. He put them on and he said "I feel like I am wearing a cloud on my head." They are lightweight and don't weigh your head down at all. Also the padding is phenomenal, and surprisingly not hot. I can wear these for hours and not have any sore spot or anything after the session is over.
I don't have any problems with these headphones at all. Just wish the bass was there a little more, but the mix of the highs and lows is very pleasant. I feel like I will now always stay with the Sennheiser name after these headphones.
Superb quality, comfortable fit.
I'd first like to clear up what seems to be a common misconception about the 280 series phones; these things most certainly aren't lacking in bass. They don't crank up the bass artifically like your average Wal*Mart phones, but they certainly aren't lacking. Their goal is to replicate the original source as closely as possible, if you listen to music with a lot of bass you'll certainly be able to tell.
They sound superb, hopping from blinding pitches to rolling thunders in an instant and not dropping the ball.
I'd go on a huge rant about how awesome they are, but I'm too euphoric with them strapped to my head right now. They're worth the money and, simply put, they kick massive ass.
Best NC headphones on the marketI compared these headphones side-by-side with five other noise cancelling headphones: Bose QC2 & 3, JVC NC250, Audio Technica ANC7, and Sennheiser PXC-250. My main criteria were sound quality, noise cancelling, and comfort. The only headphone that excelled at all three was the PXC-450. I disqualified all but the PXC-450 on the basis of out of the box testing.
Bass. When I first put these headphones on, I admit that I was a little let down because it seemed to me like they were very weak. Then I realized that I needed to adjust the volume control on the headphones. With the volume issue fixed, my concerns about the bass went away. These headphones do not have as much bass as Bose. However, that's because Bose changes the sound from the way it was intended to push the bass forward. If you like a lot of bass, these headphones might not be for you. However, the bass is definitely there. Just listen to Pon de Replay (Rihanna) or Pass that Dutch (Missy Elliot) for a demonstration of how good the bass is on these headphones.
Sound Quality. Moving past the bass to sound quality as a whole, these headphones are in a different league. I mean, I am hearing details in songs I have heard dozens or even hundreds of times and never noticed. Background singers that before were lost with all of the other sounds can be heard clearly on these headphones.
Noise Cancelling. These headphones have a tight fit, which gives them a lot of passive noise cancelling. They are not so tight, however, to become uncomfortable. Combined with the active noise cancelling, and these headphones are *almost* as good as the QC3s. I feel like the QC3s were a little better at cancelling the higher frequencies, but I think that is why they have the pressure on the eardrum problem. I didn't feel any pressure with the 450. The slight advantage the QC3s have on noice cancelling is more than outweighed by the 450s superiority in sound quality and comfort.
Comfort. Despite being snug, the 450s are very comfortable. The material that the earpads are made of is very soft and I quickly forgot I was wearing them on my flight. The headphones are very big--much larger than the on ear QC3s. However, because they are snug they don't slide around and they really do melt into your head after a while. Also, they don't get hot like the QC2s did.
Portability. Because they are bigger, they are slightly more difficult to manage than the Bose. However, they fold up quite nicely and their case, though larger than both of the Bose cases, is still rather small (and light!).
In the end, once I tried the 450s, there was really no way I could settle for any of the other headphones I tried. All of the other headphones had too many flaws and the 450s were near perfect. Oh, I should mention that I listened for the "ticking sound" that other reviewers complained about in the right earpiece and there was absolutely nothing. Either those reviewers had defective units or Sennheiser has fixed the problem.
Bass. When I first put these headphones on, I admit that I was a little let down because it seemed to me like they were very weak. Then I realized that I needed to adjust the volume control on the headphones. With the volume issue fixed, my concerns about the bass went away. These headphones do not have as much bass as Bose. However, that's because Bose changes the sound from the way it was intended to push the bass forward. If you like a lot of bass, these headphones might not be for you. However, the bass is definitely there. Just listen to Pon de Replay (Rihanna) or Pass that Dutch (Missy Elliot) for a demonstration of how good the bass is on these headphones.
Sound Quality. Moving past the bass to sound quality as a whole, these headphones are in a different league. I mean, I am hearing details in songs I have heard dozens or even hundreds of times and never noticed. Background singers that before were lost with all of the other sounds can be heard clearly on these headphones.
Noise Cancelling. These headphones have a tight fit, which gives them a lot of passive noise cancelling. They are not so tight, however, to become uncomfortable. Combined with the active noise cancelling, and these headphones are *almost* as good as the QC3s. I feel like the QC3s were a little better at cancelling the higher frequencies, but I think that is why they have the pressure on the eardrum problem. I didn't feel any pressure with the 450. The slight advantage the QC3s have on noice cancelling is more than outweighed by the 450s superiority in sound quality and comfort.
Comfort. Despite being snug, the 450s are very comfortable. The material that the earpads are made of is very soft and I quickly forgot I was wearing them on my flight. The headphones are very big--much larger than the on ear QC3s. However, because they are snug they don't slide around and they really do melt into your head after a while. Also, they don't get hot like the QC2s did.
Portability. Because they are bigger, they are slightly more difficult to manage than the Bose. However, they fold up quite nicely and their case, though larger than both of the Bose cases, is still rather small (and light!).
In the end, once I tried the 450s, there was really no way I could settle for any of the other headphones I tried. All of the other headphones had too many flaws and the 450s were near perfect. Oh, I should mention that I listened for the "ticking sound" that other reviewers complained about in the right earpiece and there was absolutely nothing. Either those reviewers had defective units or Sennheiser has fixed the problem.
The Perfect Headphones
Every time I put on these headphones, I am blown away by the immaculate sound that reaches my ears. These are, in my opinion, the best headphones out there. I'm sure hardcore audiophiles would disagree, but if you're a regular consumer, it doesn't get any better than this.
I had previously tried a pair of 580s, and was somewhat dissapointed with them. They were accurate, but they weren't aggressive enough for my taste - they sounded somewhat distant and weak. Since I wasn't about to spend $150 for a pair of headphones that I wasn't totally satisfied with, I decided to invest that extra $50 and try the 595s. Fortunately, I was not disappointed. The 595s solve the 580's problem by angling the drivers so that they are literally right next to your ear, and the result is a much more immediate, much fuller bodied sound.
The 595s are superb with any type of music. The open, but immediate sound stage is great for rock music (you really feel like you're sitting with the band and they're playing around you), and the clarity and precision is great for jazz and classical. I was also surprised how good my electronica sounded - every detail is expressed with crystal clear precision, and the bass is ample but precise and not overbearing, resulting in a great immersive experience. The lows, mids, and highs are all perfectly balanced (at least to my untrained ear), and overall the sound is just unbelievably natural.
Besides sounding great, the 595s are ridiculously comfortable. Because they surround the ears and don't put pressure on them, I have no problem wearing these headphones for 6-7 hours at a time without discomfort or soreness.
Please note that in order to experience all the 595s have to offer, you really need a headphone amp. They sound good unamped, but the 595s really come alive with a good amp. Also, since the 595s have a 1/4" plug instead of a 1/8" mini plug, I would recommend getting the Grado 1/4"-1/8" adapter instead of using the one they give you, as it will put too much strain on the headphone jacks of your equipment.
I wholeheartedly recommend the 595s. For the price, their sound quality and comfort simply cannot be beat.
The Best Dynamic Headphone in the World
This is the best dynamic headphone in the world, and is rivalved only by the Grado RS-1 headphone. Many studio engineers and audiophile's use these as their REFERENCE headphone...they are a steal for such a high quality headphone. The Grado RS-1 [costs more], and is definately less comfortable than the Sennheisers. These headphones have an extremely detailed, open, airy sound, that nears electrostatic sound. They are also unique in that they suit all types of music very well, they have great punch for rock music, but can perform clasical pieces with all the fullness and detail they were designed.
It should be noted these headphone have an impedance of 300 ohms. Most headphone are 16-32 ohms. What this means is to get the full potential out of them you will need some type of amplifier. Headphone.com offers a couple inexpensive sollutions to this problem, as does audioadvisor.com. Althought they are not true audiophile components, they will greatly enhance your experience with these headphones. If you are planning on travelling with them, you can almost bet you won't be content with their sound when powered only by a portable CD player. I use a Audio Valve RKV Mark II Headphone Amplifier at home, and the headphone.com Airhead on the road. Buy these headphones if you are looking for true audiophile sound, or just the best dynamic headphone, but be aware of their limitations without am amplifier.
Excellent Headphones
I have listened to my music for the last few years using Paradigm Studios including the Signature sub woofer. I have come to appreciate the effortless sound produced by this system, not only its accuracy, but an exceptional soundstage as well. Headphones weren't generally necessary, but if they were, I did have an older pair of Denons. Well, my friend said she wanted my old Denons for her iPod, so I had a chance to look for something newer. I purchased the 650s. Simply said, get ready to hear what you've never heard previously. Good and bad. You hear the entire recording. Clearly. Incredible subtle nuances. You don't miss anything. Play your favorite SACD and it's like you purchased another recording.
As far as coloration, well to me that's subjective. If I were the engineer mixing the recording, I might believe they warmed up the sound just a small, small bit, but if I were listening just for the enjoyment, I'd say Sennheiser nailed it. Open. Transparent. Natural.
The only weakness, and I hesitate to call it that, is the sound stage. Although very accurate in their placement, the 650's don't match the depth and overall spatial presence of the Studios. But then again, with the 650s, I can turn my head or shift my seat and the soundstage doesn't float.
Folks, I'd say the Sennheiser 650s are a great investment !