Sennheiser HD280 Pro

[HiTech]

Ok so i'm an absolute newb when it comes to headphones and headphone technology, but im getting a nice pair of cans for christmas (I have a $100-$200 budget, but the $200 is pushing it, id prolly have to pay for some of that). I was looking at the Sennheiser HD280 Pro and was wondering what opiniong you guys may have of them. I have relatively poor hearing in that I cannot discern the differnce between 192 and 160kbps in MP3s. I mostly listen to trance, progressive, that sort of thing, so im looking for a pair of cans that have a good 'bass response' (I dont know if that makes any sense, im a newb I just know that in trance, the bass line is critical to sound). At any rate what info can you guys give me about these headphones. Another thing is, and im sure you'll all grill me for this, but looks are important to me, I do not like the look of grados, and say what you want, if im spending $200 on a pair of headphones I want them to look nice .. case closed =P. But yeah any advice you can give on these headphones, things I should look for for my needs, etc. assuming that for the time I will not be purchasing an amp. They will be used mostly for travelling (though sometimes at the comp).
What do you guys think of open back vs. closed headphones in this respect, as well? O and the source is either my sony minidisc player (MZ-RH910) or my comp for music and the occasional gaming (not FPS, so environmental changes in sound like ... is there gunfire left, right, in front, etc. does not maatter) on a SB Audigy 2 ZS.

 

[Didou]

That headseat does not have a very heavy bass line but it's very impermeable to the outside world. They're the kind of earphones you'd want if you live in a very noisy environment (subways nearby, etc.).

You might be better off looking in Sennheiser's DJ earphones.

 

[Vehementi]

Open back headphones have a tendency to sound MUCH better than closed back, and they also don't isolate you from the outside world as much. That's all I'm gonna say on the issue, take a look over at www.headfi.org if you want/need more information on the subject. That is the premier site for anything headphones IMO.

Around that price range, I would reccomend you stick with Sennheiser, if not Grado (I dislike their looks too, but they sound like a DREAM). The HD280-Pro are a fairly decent set of cans, get them if you really want them and don't want to spend much more. For alternatives, I would reccomend either the HD555's ($150) or even the HD580's which are around $200. You can get the HD555 off newegg for that price, and the HD580's from a site like HeadRoom. I'm not sure, however, how these cans would perform without an amplifier - you might want to look into that further.

Another option would be an in-ear solution. These 'canalphones' are named because they fit right into your ear canal, but they have an earplug effect, isolating you from alot of outside noises - you can't hear anything but the music, which may be a good thing depending on what you want in your headphones. I would reccomend the Shure E2C or the Ultimate Ears super.fi 3 Studio. I recently ordered a set of the latter, getting them for Christmas as well

-V

 

[HiTech]

Thanks for your responses. Headphones are definitely a confusing world to me lol, but I finally pulled the trigger and just ordered a pair of Sennheiser HD 280 Pros from HeadRoom. Talked to the guy and he said they have a lil more 'equilized' spread from the bass to the mids and highs, which I now recognize in retrospect is important. Who wants headphones that are pure base with no mid/high, my biggest concern was just that theyd have weak bass and thus suffer in quality.

The Ultimate Ears super.fi 3 Studio look nice, but I have this weird problem with my ears I think where honestly the headphones that go into your ear WILL NOT STAY in my left ear. Right is fine, but like, it just falls right out of my left ear, its quite annoying I must say lol. At any rate, they look like a fantastic pair of headphones given they arent open or professional DJ quality phones, the guy on the phone just convinced me the HDs will have a more natural bass for the music I listen to (trance/progressive, etc.). Anyways, thanks for all the help, and enjoy your Ultimate Ears super.fi 3 Studio