Sennheiser HD 280 PRO

Cant get better comfort, fits budget, ok for monitoring – I use these headphones to mix my tracks and play back various instruments and sound sources, occasionally i listen to internet radio on them or my Flac and Mp4/ALAC collection, also for referencing. These are by far the most comfortable headphones i have ever worn and i can wear them for up to six hours easily, maybe eight? they just "fit", they… Read more

are snug and also they don't create excessive sweat. Sweat generally doesn't get in the way when wearing these i find. As far as their reproduction qualities, i find them a little flat, which is exactly what i am looking for in a pair of studio monitor headphones. I lent these headphones to some friends to break them in.. they made a point of mentioning how great they sound and also their comfort. Overall regular end-user iTunes/GooglePlay music listener experience is excellent. They seriously didn't want to give them back and i had to hassle them for quite a while. I am glad i chose these over the similar priced Sonys, these have a far superior comfort but also don't "sparkle" like the Sonys. I love the sound of the Sony MDR-7506 and i want to buy a pair next, however these Sennheiser HD 280 Pro's are way more comfortable (you can buy replacement/high quality ear pads for the Sonys from Beyer Dynamic) and they are FLAT, not heaps flat.. just Flat. so it should be easier to mix and master on these and has proven to be so far.

I have used these headphones while recording guitar, software instruments, synths, percussion and voice. there has been no bleed on any of the recordings. i.e the sound of the headphones does not get recorded if fitted properly on your noggin und over ze ears. don't quote me on that, i haven't double checked or specifically tested that. I've just done a fair bit of recording whilst wearing them and haven't noticed anything when mixing down.

I paid about $150 for mine from storeDJ / Mannys, this is a very good price but they can be got a little cheaper still if your'e patient and set up alerts or whatever it takes to monitor the price which i vaguely recall gets down to 120? don't quote me on that either.

I give these headphones three and a half out of five.. Why? because they're FLAT, not so flat as to be awesome, they're still comfortable to listen to, so they're disappointing when i compare them to the great overall sound and clarity of the Sony MDR-7506's. This isn't really all that bad when you think about it. they sound good, they're a bit flat which is what you want in the studio, they're the most comfort you will get with headphones in this budget range and then some.

Great Pair of Headphoens – The sound of these headphones are brilliant, I researched the sound frequencies and these came on top for the best value for money. They are comfortable and have very nice ear cups. They are also well-built and reasonably sturdy with a plastic frame. This pair is pretty much perfect, except for the one thing - the cord. The cord is coiled and… Read more

gets in the way when you are studying or video editing. It also makes a noise when it rubs on your arm or body.

O.K. Keyboard Headphones – PROS: 1. Comfortable - don't hurt after wearing them for a long time 2. Excellent treble sound! 3. Comes with a bonus 1/4 inch adapter for musical instruments! CONS: 1. Poor bass when using with a keyboard (I'm currently using a Yamaha YDP-163) 2. Feels a bit flimsy on the plastic outer section  Show details

Fantastic headphones! – I use these for my digital piano (Yamaha YDP-163) and they work wonderfully! The best part of the headphones is that they don't hurt your head after using them for a while, unlike other headphones that I have tried such as Beats Pro. The only negative is that you can't use them as wireless headphones, but this is expected considering that they are a wired model.  Show details

Best headphones i've owned – i use these for listening to either game sound, samples for audio files i have converted or music. so far these have been the most comfortable (after they're broken in) headphones i've ever bought and they have surely earned my recommendation to anyone, i have friends who have bought these and loved them to bits sound quality is the best… Read more

i've ever used, overall comfort is excellent and the coiled cable is really convenient and comfortable to use.

Perfect studio quality – I am a producer and vocalist and whether I'm producing at home or visiting an external studio to record vocals, these classic headphones are always preferred. They're comfortable to wear for hours on end and deliver great quality. However, I have trouble hearing some lower frequencies with them and if I'm producing a bass-heavy song I prefer to use different pair of headphones.  Show details

Not Bad Entry Level Closed Cans – The Sennheiser HD 280 PRO are a great first set of closed back cans if you are new to the audophile scene. Positives: + Detail to sound, sporting better on lower frequencies (think better bass rather than treble) + Relatively cheap (sub $150) + Doesn't need an amp to drive (although one doesn't hurt!) Some downsides: - Ears can get sweaty… Read more

over long periods of use

- Pads flatten over time, increasing clamping effect you might feel

- Pleather can become flaky over time if not taken care of

- Muffled/muddied sound (but this could be due to the nature of the closed back, along with price range)

Overall, these are not a bad set of closed back cans. Even though there were more downsides, they were mostly minor, and the quality is there. For this price, it's hard to go wrong.

Clean and comfortable – These just feel really comfortable on- simple as that. Sound is nice and detailed. Thank goodness there is no extra bass boost- you get what you get. Pretty happy with them straight away. Use them with my iphone and laptop mostly. Purchased at JB HI Fi- they seem to know their stuff. Recommended!  Show details

As Sir Cliff Richard would say, "I'm wired for sound!" – Received my Sennheiser HD 280 headphones as a gift (Thank you dear brother of mine!), and used them pretty much instantly. People, when you purchase these headphone, please keep in mind from which device you are plugging them into, will dominate the quality of the replication of the audio. 1. Laptop/Tablet/Other portable technologically… Read more

challenged portable devices (mobile phone)

Sound will be great, probably need to moosh the headphones into your eaars a little bit if you want to hear glimpses of 150+ dB's. Your head will not explode as the audio capacity of these devices won't allow it!

2. 2.1 Speaker systems/PC Speakers with small audio jack

Now we move up a notch in the dB belt. Depending on what type of 2.1 speaker system you have, and how grunty it is, again will control the audio capacity in which you can use them. I plugged mine into some logitch 2.1's which were connected to my laptop. not too bad. Content with the sound, but could be better. I'm hungry for dB's. No ear pads mooshing required to pick up some decent dB's at the lower end of the audio range.

3. 5.1+ Home Theater System with Built-In Amplifier with Audio Jack

Absolutely no ear pad mooshing required!

plugged these into my Logitech 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System and was VERY satisfied with the audio replication! Even had to turn the volume down. Very good sound, crisp, clear, loud and does a fantastic job of blocking outside sounds like human voices.

Can't hear a thing, it's great.

4. And finally, 5.1+ Home Theater System with separate Amplifier with Audio Jack

Finally, AUDIOTOPIA.

Yes, this works well for my ears. dB's so low, I had sound circles in my glass of water and half expected a T-Rex to show up somewhere unexpectedly. Thankfully, this was just my Sennheiser HD 280's making sweet, sweet love to my ears. i don't have to explain what I heard, you need to try it for yourselves. You won't be disappointed, trust me!

In summary, it really depends on what you plug them into and how powerful the device is. Don't be upset if you don't get Cinema-level sound when you plug them into your laptop, but expect an audiogasm when plugged into a powerful, "fully sick bro" sound system that secretly skips off to a gym called something like "Danny's World Gym" and lifts weights while you're sleeping.

Good Quality – I’ve tried different headphones and I find that this model is one of my favourites. There’s no extra boost like most consumer headphones so the sound is what it is. If you’re also into music production, then this is really good for mixing. I also can’t hear my brother yell at me, so that’s pretty great. The materials used for the headphones are… Read more

really good quality too, I often find that most headphones tend to wearout easily. Sennhesier has always been a pretty reliable brand.

Unbeatable quality at this price – Through over 10 years of use, my HD 280s produced consistently detailed, pleasing sound and withstood a great deal of punishment. The sound isolation is good enough to use as earmuffs in a pinch! I love that spare parts are availalbe so you can replace the earpads, band and cable - everything except the drivers, which you will want to preserve… Read more

after wearing them in.

Sadly, after a hard life and many knocks my beloved cans have lost their *oomph*, and my listening needs have changed, so I will be moving on. These 'phones are great for monitoring and absolutely unbeatable at current prices - I originally bought mine for $250, and now they can be had for about $150!

So five stars for quality and value, but be aware that they are a bit bulky and unweildy for casual outdoors listening and travelling.

You want 2! – High quality audio. Couldn't recommend any other Headphones. Great for djing, producing. And general listening to. I let my brother borrow them a lot, he loves them, so you may want to get 2. 1 for yourself and someone else who loves music. Durable as well, I've had other "high quality" Headphones that have broken in less than a month of having them. Super sonic sound that pinpointing where the sound is located.  Show details

Fantastic headphones – Sennheiser are always on the ball when it comes to excellent sound quality. The bass notes are super on these in particular and these are a sound junkie's dream. If you enjoy crisp and clear audio these are definitely for you. Though they are a bit on the expensive side, you get what you pay for and that is: quality  Show details

Best bang for buck headphones out there – These headphones are great for listening to music and movies as well as monitoring for music production and playing instruments. I bought mine to provide a good but basic way of editing music but they have proved valuable for so much more. The tight fit can make your ears ache at times but it is a feature that also provides great bass response and… Read more

limited noise pollution from outside. An upgrade to these would be something that has manual noise cancelling. I recently bought replacement ear cushions from a generic seller on eBay and they seem as good as the originals for a fraction of the price.

Blocks out EVERYTHING on the other side of the piece – I love these headphones!! At first I was bothered by the super long cord but I figure it's beneficial for studios or 20m walks whilst leaving your phone/iPod on a table in another room hahaha The audio is brilliant - it does block everything but what you want to hear ~ my exact reason for purchase (I travel on public transport regularly) I recommend these headphones!  Show details

One of the greatest headphones ever built – I bought my HD280 pro's back in 2007 when they were quite expensive, they are still going strong today in 2017. That's 10 years of constant use and abuse, the only thing that needs to be replaced is the ear cushions. Bass could be a tad stronger, but for noise cancelling, comfort and clarity there really isn't anything else out there these days for this price.  Show details

Extraordinary audio quality – Really happy with the noise cancellation and level of treble that can be heard. Wish there was a little bit more bass. They do get a little sweaty at the gym but overall, excellent. Wish they came in more colours and styles. I would recommend this product to other people.  Show details

Everything they were promised to be: solid! – I wanted headphones that would, to a reasonable extent. block out some background noise but give clear sound for listening to lectures. These are great! They fit over my ears really nicely and are comfortable. The sound is clear and separated. They block out a reasonable amount of background noise. Best of all they are wired headphones - I get… Read more

headaches and other symptoms from wireless/wi-fi products so it's great to find a good quality, solidly made headphone with a cable with good reach. Very happy.

Best Phones I've had – I picked these up at a garage sale for $5 so are the cheapest phones I've ever bought, but the best sounding. The earpad and top pad coverings have a little wear, but can be replaced when I can be bothered doing so. I can't fault the sound, but my aging ears are not the best guide. They are no more uncomfortable than most other closed phones. They fit over the ear well.  Show details

Grandaughter – My grandaughter love the hd ear phones, and i must admit so do i. When hailee is on her tablet she has to have it so loud, but now i don't hear a peep out of her while she is watching you tube . Thanks to this product we all have peace in the house.  Show details

Annoying ticking – I bought these to use with my computers (asus laptop,Surface-pro3 and toshiba laptop). In all cases as soon as there is nothing playing through them they start making a very loud very fast tapping sound such that I have to take them off. For me pausing lectures to read something it makes them almost useless. I can't find any online solution, maybe I am the only person with this defect.

Excellent headphones – I recently purchased Sennheiser HD280 Pro On-Ear Headphones. These have proved to be an excellent buy for both quality of sound & build. Great value at the price so you are getting a bigger bang for your buck compared to some of the other so called "Pro" headphones on the market. Great monitoring headphones, not bass heavy, sound quality is excellent. My only complaint is they do not come with a case.

Best I've found – I use these with my Amateur Radios and for long periods and find them fantastic, for both listening quality and comfort. Sometimes where I need to listen to low powered station intensely, they come into their own. I also plug them into my phone when I feel like some music where they also excel. Great audio across the board with what ever I'm listening too. None

Great sound and value, gets a little tight/hot – I was looking for great sounding circumaural headphones for work (busy office) - checked out some online ratings and couldn't believe how these fared against $1000+ headphones. Bought them online without trying and was certainly not disappointing with the sound. The mids are rich, high's are crisp, and bass is punchy and clear. The only minor… Read more

issue with these, and others on here have already pointed out, is if you plan to listen for a long time, your ears will get hot, sore, and you may get a headache as the clamping force is a little much. I have noticed that with continued use this clamping force relaxes a little. Might even try to leave them over night clamped over something, a stack of DVD's perhaps to lighten it a bit more. Overall amazing sound period, for the money it's unbelievable. Would never pay $300+ for Monster headphones when I got these for $100 online. Great sound, clarity, and price a bit tight/hot but this eases over time

Top value for money and built to last – I found these in JB and had a good listen and compared them to at least 6 other headphones at the same price range and up to twice the price and kept coming back to the HD 280s. Afterwards I read a few reviews, some supposedly by pros, a lot on website forums. Most of the "amateurs" have good things to say, while a lot of the "pro" reviews,… Read more

whilst not quite fobbing them off, seemed to try to be picky about one thing or another, mostly the bass response. I think it was because they felt haedphones in the $150 - $200 couldn't be much chop, but I can tell you they are great bang for buck. No they aren't $1000 headphones, but they beat (for my ears) everything else under $300.

I've had mine for 3 months, and love them.

Great sound across all frequencies, including bass, which is perfect to my ears. The mid-range and highs are nice and bright, bringing a lot of the music that would otherwise go missing, back up into the soundscape where the producer meant it to be. I used them initially for listening to my music collection, but have also recently found them to be ideal when converting vinyl to digital where good clarity and clean delineation of sounds is required to clean up clicks and pops and ensure the EQ is properly balanced.

The headphones do have a pretty decent clamping force, but nothing that can't be sorted with an overnight session or more (as required) with them clamped around the edges of a couple of bricks, wrapped in paper, laid long sides together.

Pretty good! – I bought these only yesterday, and I already love them! All the frequencies are really well balanced, bass isn't overpowering, not too bright, all those lovely things you'd hope for in a brand like Sennheiser. The cups are pretty comfy, nice 'n smooshy. Just how I like it. One complaint I would have about them would be the spring strength,… Read more

they kinda clamp you a little after a few hours of use. My remedy for this would be to just hang 'em around your neck every so often, maybe every half hour.

Back on the good side of things, the sound is really clean and crisp, which is good when you're looking to produce music with them. I find them to be ideal for a good studio session, they're good all-rounder's and are a joy to work with, or just to listen to music with.

Overall, definitely worth a look, you get your money's worth. Great frequency balance, clean sound, great cups A little clampy, but that's easy to work around.

Amazing Headphones – Excellent headphones. With a lot of headphones the equalization is out by a little in my opinion, and they are never as good as I would expect from expensive headphones take Beats for example, too much bass and in my opinion arent exactly good for acoustic sounds but more for modern pop etc. Exceptional midrange, deep bass and clear highs. I would recommend these.

Great on sound, not so great on comfort – I'm happy with mine after only 20 hours of burn-in, but I have been able to listen to a pair in a store on a Sennheiser stand that has had months of constant music playing through them that sounded extremely good. The frequency response is lovely and balanced. I've seen lots of reviews complaining about a lack of bass, but I happen to think the… Read more

bass is how it is supposed to be - representative of what you're listening to (a flat frequency response), not boosted and over emphasised to punch out your ear-drums. I use mine in a home recording studio and find they are great for mixing when I can't use the studio monitors.

On a comparison note, I got these to replace my KRK KNS8400 headphones, which were way too dominant in the mid-range, even after many hours of burn-in.

Now to the negative. After years of people complaining that the headphones crush their head, Sennheiser continues to manufacture these with a spring that is too powerful. The tight fit is good for noise attenuation, but I can never keep mine on for long and keep them permanently stretched over the width of the box they came in to give me a short period of comfort when I put them on before the headache begins.

I give these headphones four stars because sound is the most important thing for me, and these deliver on sound, but I have to take a star off for the pain they cause. I bought them near new from a guy that had to sell them because he couldn't cope with the skull crushing. great sound skull crushing

Excellent – My set cost me about $185-ish on sale and i think theyr are a great price for what you get. Fantastic quality & simple deisgn of headset and good cable & plug. Sennheiser are a good brand & with this headset you can't go wrong :D Fantastic quality, telephone plug cord (so compact yet can extend), comfiable ear piece, extendible headset, noise cancelling, thick cable, nice style. nothing, it's great! Maybe expensive but you get what you pay for!

Great monitoring headphones at a relatively good price – Nice fidelity across the frequency spectrum. Nice bass tones, without sounding muddy like some less expensive sets. Cups are comfortable, and do a good job of blocking external noise. Picked up a set for A$150 after extensive in-store A-B testing. To my ears, they sounded as good as the 380s (which were A$230), and they sounded better than the… Read more

KRK 8400s and the Shure SRH840s (both around the same price as the 280s). I would encourage testing them though, as some may prefer louder bass frequencies than the 280s provide. Nice frequency response. Comfortable to wear. Fits big ears (like mine). Doesn't overdo the bass. Not really a con, but I would generally suggest trying various models before purchasing.

Far better than expected – Purchased only 10 hours ago and have hardly taken them off their so good. They have a solid punch to the bass, mid range is clear and crisp with the high end better than average , have heard form other posts that this improves when run in. Good soundproofing from external noise. Great sound - low price Phones feel a little tight over ears after a few hours listening.