RE: Which headphones should I get?
June 30, 2015 at 3:01 am
(This post was last modified: June 30, 2015 at 4:30 am by Alex K.)
I own pairs of "big" over the ear headphones (Sennheiser HD600 and HD280), I'm not saying you should buy them, just to elaborate on the possible differences between headphones. The 280 is a completely closed design which means that
1. Little outside noise comes in and vice versa
2. Relatively punchy bass
3. A more "focused" and less airy sound
It was intended by Sennheiser to be also used as a DJ 'phone. It is quite neutral and analytical. The pressure on the ears is relatively high and provides a tight fit, which one should check out whether one can tolerate it for very prolonged listening sessions. I have no problem with it.
The HD600 is a completely different animal. It is a light open design which means that
1. Noise insulation is very low
2. One can almost forget that one is wearing headphones
They have a spacious airy sound which is at the same time neutral and accurate, which I find simply addictive. Noticeably more detail than the 280. They sound very live on live recordings. Less mean bass punch compared to closed designs. You can listen for 10 hours on end without tiring, which is also helped by a low contact pressure and the fact that they don't touch the ears.
The latter is higher than your intended budget, but there are comparable cheaper ones, I was just trying to point out the different designs.
Edit: A possibly important difference I forgot: The HD600 has 300 Ohms, the HD280 has 64 Ohms. This means that with the same voltage you will get up to 5 times more power into the 280s (usually less). This is only a problem if you are using a source with low voltage. New players of phones with a silly limit on output voltage built in to protect teen ears, will give you trouble producing powerful volumes with 300 Ohm headphones.
Oh and yes, don't by fucking beats by Dr. Dre
1. Little outside noise comes in and vice versa
2. Relatively punchy bass
3. A more "focused" and less airy sound
It was intended by Sennheiser to be also used as a DJ 'phone. It is quite neutral and analytical. The pressure on the ears is relatively high and provides a tight fit, which one should check out whether one can tolerate it for very prolonged listening sessions. I have no problem with it.
The HD600 is a completely different animal. It is a light open design which means that
1. Noise insulation is very low
2. One can almost forget that one is wearing headphones
They have a spacious airy sound which is at the same time neutral and accurate, which I find simply addictive. Noticeably more detail than the 280. They sound very live on live recordings. Less mean bass punch compared to closed designs. You can listen for 10 hours on end without tiring, which is also helped by a low contact pressure and the fact that they don't touch the ears.
The latter is higher than your intended budget, but there are comparable cheaper ones, I was just trying to point out the different designs.
Edit: A possibly important difference I forgot: The HD600 has 300 Ohms, the HD280 has 64 Ohms. This means that with the same voltage you will get up to 5 times more power into the 280s (usually less). This is only a problem if you are using a source with low voltage. New players of phones with a silly limit on output voltage built in to protect teen ears, will give you trouble producing powerful volumes with 300 Ohm headphones.
Oh and yes, don't by fucking beats by Dr. Dre
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
