need help choosing between headphones

[valkyriexcore]

narrowed it down between the sennheiser HD280 pro and the HD 485 but i dont know which to get and was wondering if u guys could shed some light if theres really a difference in sound as im a noob. ill be using the phones for an ipod nano and my audigy 2zs. plus if anyone has any experience with how comfy they are as i usually use my mp3 for like 6-10hrs in the day lol and if the HD485 look more "purrty" than the HD280. Thanks alot guys!!!

PS i dont have that much cash and plus i dont wanna lug around an amp for an mp3 player so no suggestions for an HD600 or something lol

 

[HWF]

Just a quick glance at the phones and having tried the HD280's I would go with the 485's.

The HD280 squeeze very tight, they are closed and isloate well but my ears get hot and itchy, also the sound seemed to be in my ears or to close, also the cord is coiled and I did not care for that. Many people who have them have complained about cracks in the head band. These also use pleather around the ear cups which helps to isloate but makes them very hot(again).

It looks like the 485's use velor on the ear cups(cooler and comfort). Also the 485's look to be open if so most people feel open phones generally sound best, but you lose isloation and others can hear to some degree what you do. Take a look at headfi.org and you'll get more and better info, beware due to the nature of everyone's ears and being different you may feel confused by all the opinions. Its not like fps in a a game.

In the end its far better to listen and decide. Headphone.com has a great return policy.

Hope this helps.

 

[vamp]

I'd also go with the HD485 for the fabric padding. The HD280s can clamp pretty hard, in fact they are one of the best isolating (if not the best) closed full-sized headphones.

HD280s are more analytical, and don't have a big amount of groovy bass. HD485 leans more towards that direction.

 

[KevC]

If you're just getting into audio, there are two you should look at.

KSC-35/50/55/75 are by far the best sounding headphones I've ever heard of, for the price. They sound great unamped, even better when you amp it. There are people using $300 amplifiers for these $30 headphones. Amazing I tell you. They are so fun sounding, I just want to get up and dance when I listen to these. The downside? They're open. And open is good, for me. However, open is awful, when you're in a noisy environment. And it'll bother other people.

My next suggestion is the Sennheiser HD201. Yes, the $20 ones. For $20, nothing sounds better. It's comfy, it looks decent, it's full sized and it's *closed*. Which is important when you can't be bothered and don't want to bother other people. They're my library and home phones. I'm going to listen to them now. Not as fun sounding as the KSC-35s, and I definitely prefer my Koss headphones. But these are different. These are more laid back and relaxing, a classic Sennheiser sound. Don't get me wrong, they're probably not as good as the HD280s or the other pair you mentioned. however, they sure as hell sound way better than $20 =)

 

[thomase]

If you are not sure if you want/need the better isolation of closed headphones, also consider that better isolation can potentially save your ears from damage by allowing you to hear the same amount of detail at a lower volume.

 

[towert7]

narrowed it down between the sennheiser HD280 pro and the HD 485 but i dont know which to get and was wondering if u guys could shed some light if theres really a difference in sound as im a noob. ill be using the phones for an ipod nano and my audigy 2zs. plus if anyone has any experience with how comfy they are as i usually use my mp3 for like 6-10hrs in the day lol and if the HD485 look more "purrty" than the HD280. Thanks alot guys!!!

PS i dont have that much cash and plus i dont wanna lug around an amp for an mp3 player so no suggestions for an HD600 or something lol

The HD280pro are not comfortable to wear for more then 20minutes in my experience. If you need comfrot, I would look into headphones with those nice soft velour pads. The velour is a great improvement over the fake leather.

Do your self a big favor. If your looking to ploop down about 100$ on a new pair of headphones, TRY THEM OUT, first! For both feel and sound.

The HD280pro have deep bass, although dry sounding, the highs are screechy, and the sound is forced into your ears, plus it all sounds congested. Add to this the comfort problem, and you can see im not a big fan of them at all.

Like HWF said, headphone.com can be a good source for information, and if they have a good return policy, the extra money would be well spent. All of their short reviews seem to be fairly accurate of the headphoens I have used.

Personally, If I was in your position, I would look into the Beyer Dynamic DT231 (link). From the pics they look soft as a baby's .......

~Hope this helps, and keep us posted. I'm interested in what you decide upon.

 

[jaffy]

I'd stay away from the 280s. They sound allright, but are too flat for their own good. Plus they can get uncomfortable after an hour or so..

My recommendation goes out to the Alessandro MS-1 + 414 pads. The DT231's kick ass too, but are in a different league than the MS-1s

 

[HWF]

You must let your ears decide, take your time and listen to music you know very well. Take a portable player with music you know and relax its the best way to decide.

 

[SilverMK3]

I wear my 280Pro's for hours on end and have a huge head - no comfort problems here. The cups are big enough to go completely around your ears, if you take the time to adjust the headband properly you shouldn't have any problems with them clamping down too hard.

It takes a while to get used to how much outside noise they eliminate (feels like your ears need to pop at first), but once you get used to that they sound great. Note that they do leak a little bit of sound though, so if you crank it up people around you will be able to hear what you're listening to.

I'd recommend them just as much as the 485's. It comes down to whether you'll be listening to your music in a noisy environment or not, and if you care about hearing anything going on around you while you're using them.

So you need to ask yourself: "Do I want open or closed phones?". If you can answer this honestly, you'll know which set of cans to buy and you'll be happy because they're both good products. Don't base your decision too much on other peoples' preferences, they won't necesarily be using their headphones in the same environments as you.