Sennheiser - Professional Monitoring Over-the-Ear Headphones - Black

I've been looking all over researching the best Over-the-Ear headphones out right now for the last month. I've been store to store, looking at specs online, and even going to stores replacing the usually poor headphone demos they have with my own ipod. After all my research and before putting any cash down, it was a TOUGH call between these and the Bose AE2 headphones. They are almost exactly the same far as sound quality, but I did notice a slight difference after sampling my ipod with both. *Compared to The Bose AE2 Headphones - The Bose AE2's are great for movies and music that's not as bass heavy like hip-hop, rock, heavy metal, electronic, and especially dubstep (which are genres I mainly listen to). You will get theater like sound in those (which is what Bose is mainly known for). The Bose AE2's are a bit more lighter in weight and slightly more comfortable to the point you dont even feel like you have them on, so that on top of the theater like sound, its like you are right at the movies or at a concert. But the final nail in the coffin was how much MORE of the music I did hear through these Sennheiser HD380's. I even watched an action movie with them when I got home and I had to turn it down almost halfway because the bass in them were that powerful. I heard parts of songs before I didnt even know existed...with the Bose...not so much. This is where the HD380's "wow" in clarity. *Compared to Beats by Dre Headphones - The clarity is phenomenal in the HD380's and for 100 bucks less, you have a pair of headphones that are FAR SUPERIOR in sound quality, bass, and durability in comparison to overpriced headphones like Beats. The Beats headphones break REALLY FAST , overpriced and nowhere near as good in comparison to what else is out there. Only things I'd applaud the Beats headphones for are: style, and that the bass in them are in fact really good whenever you are listening to R&B, Jazz and SOME pop music (like Rihanna, Black Eyed Peas, and Katy Perry). But sadly, after listening to Dr.Dre produced tracks and even some Eminem tracks, the sound and bass output was surprisingly bad, even more so when I played rock music and turned it up all the way. The sound leakage in them are HORRIBLE too, even from halfway across the store I was getting looks from people when I had them on full blast. With the HD380's, people barely even knew I was there. Beats headphones are an overpriced "toy" that only kids and people that don't know any better should fall for. I like Dre dont get me wrong, and there are worse headphones out there ......but for that price, they are not worth it. If anyone else tells you otherwise, they are in SERIOUS denial because they either already own a pair, or looking to own them for bragging rights. *Compared to SkullCandy Headphones - Before, I was a long time SkullCandy user and considered the Hesh, Aviators, and Skullcrushers as their best sets. But after hearing the Sennheiser HD380's, I'll NEVER go back to SkullCandy headphones ever again. They might as well be cheap Coby headphones you can get for 10 bucks or less at Walgreens somewhere in comparison to these. Overall, if you are a heavy music buff willing to drop $100 or more on headphones, get these. Heavy music listeners can't be without them and have to experience the sound quality in these. The Sennheiser HD280's are almost exactly similar to these, but the clarity in the HD380's I personally thought were a bit better, but not by much. I never heard much of Sennheiser before until about a month ago, and this is my first purchase from them. Atfer my experience with these headphones, it definitely wont be the last. Use these if you are stable or at a computer. They do come with their own case, but I can definitely see these breaking if you keep these in a bookbag or constantly folding/ unfolding them. They haven't broke on me....yet, but headphones like these aren't made for frequent movement or public transit use anyway. Due to these headphones having one cord coming from the left side, and the weight of the cord, I can imagine the weight stretching the wires on left side of the headphones. So more than likely when that happens, you wont just get one side that emits sound...the whole thing is more than likely short out on you. So get full geek squad protection with this or any headphones you spend more than $50 bucks on.

I was torn between the HD 280's and the 380's. They had the 280's out on display and they sounded very clean and had crisp highs even compared to the Monster Beats. I actually liked them over the beats. But I was curious to how the 380's could sound any better. After a few times of stopping into the Musical Instruments Store at Best Buy Lancaster and being ready to make a purchase on some recording studio gear, my curiousity got the best of the guys back in M.I and they opened a set of the HD 380 pros. Now Mike, the supervisor who was very knowledgeable about the products told me that the 380's are definitely the better headphones but i wanted to hear for myself . After trying out the 380's on a yamaha portable grand piano I was sold. The 380's had such a tight yet smooth and clean bass and the highs were crisp and clear. It had a beautiful range and an awesome balance. Although these headphones are not advertised as "Noise Cancelling" I felt like I was on stage practicing for a concert and i was the only one there. Definitely worth the investment, the carrying case is a nice touch too.

I have owned my Sennheiser HD 280s for a long time. I wanted another pair for work. I got a little extra money for my birthday and decided to try the step up. The low end is better than the HD 280s, and at least equal with them in all other areas. The most notable improvement over the HD 280s is fit and comfort. These are noticeably lighter on my head and very comfortable for long periods. If you are looking for the best sound for the best price, I would go with the HD 280s, but the HD 380s are a great improvement in comfort while also maintaining the Sennheiser professional quality sound, and even improving upon it.

The biggest disappointment in headphones for me was the lack of the deepest bass contained in some forms of classical music. While I have owned many very good phones in th we past, the sound of a symphonic bass drum or a 32' organ pipe sounded hollow, lacking solidity. This is no longer the case. The Sennheiser 380s not only reproduce the sound of the deepest audible notes, but also the feel - one can actually feel the sound waves vibrating against your ears, just as you feel it against your body in a live performance. These phones do that down to the lowest limits of human hearing. The rest ofvthe frequency spectrum? The 380s continue Sennheiser's stellar reputation in clarity, timbre, musicality, and overall balance. They neither add nor subtract from the sound as the artist intended and the engineer recorded. My quest for a headphone that sounds real is ended! And they very effectively seal out all but the very loudest of ambient sounds.

As far as quality of sound goes these are the best headphones I have ever owned. I produce music in my spare time and these are perfect for that. The amount of range and clarity that you get from these headphones is astounding compared to your typical over-ear Bose headphones, or even over-ear studio Beats. You can actually hear EVERYTHING, or rather they don’t favor the treble and bass aspects of music like most of the headphones I have been hearing from lately. You can also easily tell a difference between bit rates. 320kbps is a must now, as I said, everything can be heard with these cans. They are very durable. Although I take very good care of my equipment, I could see these headphones working fine even after someone thrashed them around a bit. Some people are dissatisfied with the cord, but I would rather it be a little heavy, and not tangle around things considering the alternative. I guess the amount of pressure the headphones have on a person’s head is ultimately determined by how large said person’s head is, but I don’t really have any qualms about lack of comfort. The longest I have worn these headphones at one time was maybe 5 hours or so. It did get to a point where I needed to rest my ears a bit, but I think most headphones would be taken off by that time anyway. No extreme discomfort though. Buying headphones at a price like this kind of made me want to throw up a little initially, but you do get what you pay for. And considering the quality it is on the better side of pricing as well. Overall, I would definitely buy these headphones again. They have greatly improved the sound of my music and as other people have mentioned “rediscovered” the music that I listen to frequently.

I have had been using the HD380 for about 1 week with about 50 hours of use. The primary reason I bought the headphones is to listen to music at work and watch movies on Netflix. I use Galaxy Prime phone with music ripped at 320 kbps in mp3 format. PRO: The sound quality is amazing, you can get lost in the sound quality. I have music I have been listening to for years with different headphones and after using these started hearing the music at a whole different level. I also use the headphones to watch movies through my computer on Netflix (Tron Legacy) and the sound is amazing. I also like the carrying case works really well when going to and from work. The case is strong enough where I don't worry about damaging the headphones. I also like the fact that the cable comes with a screw off adapter for the 3.5 mm jack on my phone; the carrying case has a place where you can store it and not worry about losing it. The cable is replaceable which is nice; I believe you can purchase a less heavy duty cable from Sennheiser website. I listened to Bose and Dr Dre in Best and felt that these had much larger range. Dr. Dre really is impressive with music with heavy bass but I like music with a much broader range. Bose are much lighter but I really felt I was going to break them, with the HD380 they feel like they can take a much more beating and still function. CON: When I first put them on in the store they felt really tight on the head and I really considered going with a different set but after about 20 hours of use they feel more comfortable. Second if you use them for 3 plus hours your ears start to get a little warm so I take them off for a few minutes and all is good. I don’t think you would have this problem with the Bose headset. The cord that they come with is heavy duty this is a pro and con. Pro because I feel there is no way I am going to break the cord compared to some other headphones; the con is that it is much heavier than your standard headphone cable. The price is a little high for me, but after having them for a week I don't regret my purchase. I would recommend a price point of $150 to $175 with a replaceable cable. I hope this helps.

I bought these over the Pioneer 2000 because they were on sale for $99 while the Pioneer was $300. The Pioneer are better but at this price these suckers rock! You will hear sounds you have not heard before and after some burn in it gets even better. Comfort is good for a few hours. Unusual fold up prevents turning a cup up to listen with it off the ear, not a big problem if your not a DJ. Again, these sound so good you will want to make sure you use a higher encoding rate so as to enjoy the FULL sound they produce. When I upgraded my sound card to the Asus Xonar they sounded even more awesome and now my ipod and zune sound a little lacking, not the headphones fault.

I could not believe my ears! when I heard the sound coming through these phones. Better than the concert hall! These headphones reflect not only the high end sounds but the low, guttural sounds of bass as well. Better than I could have ever expected! When I wear these out I'll definitely buy another pair.