Sennheiser HD280

I’m thinking of getting a Sennheiser HD280 for my home stereo system. I would like to know if it is suitable for my Sansa Fuze. I plan to use these headphones in conjunction with FLAC ripped songs and I would like to know if there are any issues or if the benefits are minimal.

Also, does anyone know a good external sound card for laptops, preferably ExpressCard?

Yes, they’re great! I was just using them on my Fuze tonight, and then I saw your thread. Overall they’re my favorite pair of headphones I own. They’re also perfect on airplanes, since they block the sound out well. I personally prefer them to the Bose headphones many people buy at 3x the price. Of course they’re nice on my NAD and HK home systems also, but they’re well suited to the Fuze. I especially like them on my 4GB v1 player, which has a slightly more of a full, rich “analog” sound than my 8GB v2 player. I think you’ll find they work nicely with just about any source.

On the Fuze I generally just play WMA files from Rhapsody (which are surpisingly acceptable), but I have a few FLAC Albums I ripped from CD. I just compared U2’s Boy on WMA from Rhapsody with a FLAC from the CD I picked up in Scotland last summer, and I can hear the difference on these headphones, so I’d say they’re worth it. However, maybe you shouldn’t have asked about the FLAC files - I was content with the sound from the WMA files until I did the comparison! :wink:

There seems to be plenty of debate whether the Sennheiser HD280 pro or the Sony MDR-V6 is better. I have the V6 and have not heard the HD280. I have read several web pages comparing the two, and based on price, sound quality and size, the V6 seems to be a better choice than the HD280 Pro. The V6 is $70 on Amazon vs $95 for the HD280 pro. The HD280 pro is much larger than the V6 and doesn’t fold, while the V6 is more compact when is use, and much more compact when folded. The HD280 pro is listed as being 64 ohms 102 db/wm efficiency, while the V6 is listed as 63 ohms 106 db/mw efficiency. When used with the Fuze, the V6 does not seem at its best, when compared to how it sounds when connected to my home stereo. At time there isn’t enough volume, while at other time it just seems like the headphone isn’t as dynamic as it could be. I imagine the situation is similar with the HD280 pro.

I guess either of these though would be a good choice for use with a home stereo. I do question how practical they are to use with a Fuze, especially in warm weather. The V6 makes ones ears overheat with extended use, especially in warm weather(there are replacement velour earpads by Beyerdynamic which fit the V6 that decrease this). Reviews of the HD280 pro also mention the problem of hot ears with extended use. I guess these headphone could be used in cold weather instead of earmuffs.

When walking around, even the smaller V6 seems quite bulky. I can’t imagine how bulky the larger HD280 pro would feel when one is very active.

I am a fan of Sennheiser headphones and have a few of them, including some old high quality open ones,  the PX100, and the CX300 earphones. Imo the PX100 or CX300(or some other Sennheiser canalphone or earphone)  seems like a much more practical choice for portable use than the HD280 pro or V6  due to  their much smaller size and that they seem much easier for a low powered portable to drive than these 64 ohm full sized headphones. It seems like the Fuze usually does a much better job powering efficient 16 or 32 ohm earphones or headphones than powering  64 ohm headphones.

As for Sennheiser headphones, it seems like the company is known for its quality open headphones, with their closed headphones not achieving such enthusiastic reviews. It seems like the open HD555 open headphone might be a better choice for a headphone to use at home rather than the  HD280 pro. The HD555 is around $35 more though. I guess the HD555 needs to be compared to the Sony 7509 HD rather than the much lower priced V6 for a fair comparison.

There are many reviews of these headphones on the Amazon website. I guess many will disagree with me.

With headphones, sound quality isn’t the only factor Comfort and size as well as practicality for portable use are also important.

Message Edited by JK98 on 08-08-2010 12:56 PM

Thank you all for useful the information.

JK98, do you think a headphone amp such as the FiiO E5 could help power the headphones with the Fuze and resolve those issues?

Message Edited by noopbrk on 08-08-2010 08:39 PM

@noopbrk wrote:
Thank you all for useful the information.

JK98, do you think a headphone amp such as the FiiO E5 could help power the headphones with the Fuze and resolve those issues?
Message Edited by noopbrk on 08-08-2010 08:39 PM

The E5 is pretty crappy.  You’re wasting a good player if you use it with the Fuze.

But no an amp isn’t going to help much with the 280s.  They’re pretty easy to drive even with a lower output device like the Fuze.  As much as like mine, what they need is some EQ.  Theres a very pronounced dip in the mid bass range (presumably a consequence of the closed design) that needs correcting for best results. 

That said, do you really want to use a giant pair of closed cans like the 280s with a portable?  They’re huge have really good isolation and a long cord, so you can’t really walk around with them on without looking ridiculous.  They’re really better used with a fixed PC or workstation where the size isn’t a problem.   

Thanks for the advice. I think I will give the Sennheisers a try with my Fuze, and if the audio is lacking, I’ll just use the headphones with my home stereo.

Are you still set on the HD280, or considering the HD-555? Do you have a place where you can listen to these? Imo before you buy the HD280 you should  listen to it and the Sony MDR-V6, and also perhaps  the HD-555, the Shure SRH440, and perhaps also the Sony 7509 HD.

Let us know how you like them, if you get the chance!

I wouldn’t be so quick to downplay the venerable FiiO E5.  The name of the game is portability with the Fuze, and for under 30 dollars shipped, the little rechargeable device sounds decent with the bass boost enabled.

The FiiO uses a Texas Instruments OP amp that sounds very clean, and the gamble isn’t very large to try one.

There are some very nive headphone amplifiers out there (I really like the Portable Devices machines) that will open up your experience with larger headphones.  Running directly from the Fuze’s built in amplifier, you should do just fine.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

The HD-555 and the Sony 7509 HD are a bit more than I would like to spend. I am deciding between the HD280, MDR-V6, and the Shure SRH440. Which one should I pick? I don’t need anything like bass enhancement, just an accurate sound reproduction.

noopbrk wrote:
I am deciding between the HD280, MDR-V6, and the Shure SRH440. Which one should I pick?

There are thousands of discussions all over the internet like this, and while one can understand & appreciate the request for advice, the truth is it’s such a personal decision (as everyone has different hearing& tastes) that you yourself need to listen to them and make the choice based on what you think sounds best.

It’s kinda like underwear . . . I can’t tell you what you’re going to find comfortable, And vice-versa. You need to pick them out and try them on yourself.

And I’ll bet that’s the first time you’ve ever heard _ that _ analogy, huh? :stuck_out_tongue:

noopbrk wrote:
I am deciding between the HD280, MDR-V6, and the Shure SRH440. Which one should I pick?

There are thousands of discussions all over the internet like this, and while one can understand & appreciate the request for advice, the truth is it’s such a personal decision (as everyone has different hearing & tastes) that you yourself need to listen to them and make the choice based on what you think sounds best.

It’s kinda like underwear . . . I can’t tell you what you’re going to find comfortable, And vice-versa. You need to pick them out and try them on yourself.

And I’ll bet that’s the first time you’ve ever heard _ that _ analogy, huh? :stuck_out_tongue:

"I am deciding between the HD280, MDR-V6, and the Shure SRH440. Which one should I pick? "

I personally wouldn’t walk around with any of these. I like the V6 for use at home with a home stereo, except for the hot ears factor, which I solved with the velour Beyerdynamic earpads which fit it.

The HD555 seems very interesting, similar to an old Sennheiser headphone I have for many years.

You really need to try on and listen to some headphones to see which you prefer. Guitar Center, Sam Ash, and other musical instrument stores have a large selection of decent headphones and probably have all of these. I think Guitar Center has a price match policy, and they might even match the prices on Amazon.

Message Edited by JK98 on 08-11-2010 07:34 PM