Sennheiser Professional Audio HD 280 PRO Wired Over Ear Headphones

It works great with my casio CDP S110. It works wonders how good it sounds now. If you are struggling to transcribe or compose on the piano. They can be really game changing for that. Try them. 100%

SOUND

The sound out of these headphones is just fantastic!! So beautifully balanced and neutral! The soundstage is wide (for closed-back headphones) and imaging is very good as well. The sound reproduction is very neutral, which can be an invaluable tool.

BASS-HEADS may not like these headphones: the HD 280 Pros can produce a good amount of accurate and tight bass, but it isn’t over-boosted.

CAN THESE BE DRIVEN BY LAPTOPS/ SMARTPHONES?

I had some concerns in this area given that the impedance is quoted as 64 Ohms, but both my laptop (Acer Aspire 15) and smartphone (OnePlus 7T) were able to drive these headphones without any trouble. The good sensitivity of these headphones also means that they sound loud. My (far cheaper, but good nonetheless)

OneOdio PRO-10

headphones don’t produce the same volume from the same signal, despite their lower impedance.

Rating: 10/10

COMFORT

The headphones are quite comfortable: the padding on the earcups as well as the headband is better than it looks, the only issue being that the clamping force is rather high. Not so high that it ruins the experience, but something to know before you decide whether to buy these beauties or not.

Rating: 8/10 (because of the high clamping force)

BUILD QUALITY

While these headphones are all-plastic, they are built like a tank! Barring any major accidents, I expect to get 5-10 years of service life out of these audiophile headphones. The synthetic material covering the padding LOOKS cheap in the photos, but not in real life. Also, it LOOKS like it won’t last, but going by the reviews I read before buying, durability is not an issue.

Rating: 9/10 (just because it’s all plastic)

SOUND ISOLATION/ SUPPRESSION

Really great at blocking out external sounds and providing a great listening experience. You can enjoy your music/ chat/ whatever without much disturbance from your environment. If you work in a crowded place with a lot of background noise, you should take a serious look at these.

Rating: 10/10

THE MAJOR FLAW (LOST 1 ⭐ BECAUSE OF THIS)

The headphone’s cable is not detachable (I knew before buying). For many people this may not be an issue, but for me it substantially reduces the usefulness/ usability/ flexibility of these headphones.

For example, at some point in the future I want to pair these with the

FiiO BTR3K

 to make them high-quality wireless Bluetooth headphones. However, not being able to replace the heavy coiled cable of these headphones, the combination will remain unnecessary bulky.

Or, if these headphones had a standard 3.5 mm jack for a detachable cable (like my

OneOdio PRO-10 Red

 headphones), I could add the

OneOdio A71 Cable with Mic

 to the HD 280s and transform them into a wonderful headset for video conferencing or gaming.

SO WHY DID I BUY IT?

I was debating between this and the

Audio-Technica ATH-M40x

 (which had the tremendous advantage of having a detachable cable, even though it’s a special 2.5 mm locking jack). Then the 280 Pros went on sale for 6,300 and I decided to take the plunge…

As you can see from the photo of the back of the box, this is old stock (imported Sep 2020) & that’s why it must have gone on such a massive sale. Also, the original price as written on the box is 8,990 (discount of nearly 30%).

————————-
1. PRICE –
HD 280 PRO [new version] Bought on 23 June 2021 for rs 5460.
(Originally for rs 6499 on that day, but after offers rs 5460).
On most days this headphone goes for rs 7500.
————————-
2. ISOLATION –
these isolate/block noise only slightly better than IEM’s or earphones with good seal and good tips.
If isolation, blocking noise or noise attenuation is your requirement/purpose there are cheaper and better ways.
MPOW 056 earmuff offer better isolation and attenuation for rs 1500.
combine the earmuffs with decent earphones or earbuds or IEM’s and you will get better results for less money.
some earphones and IEM’s which offer almost similar isolation blocking or attenuation with good tips and seal [these are in decreasing order of isolation] –
1. soundmagic ES18 – rs 600
2. Soundmagic E10C – rs 1600
3. Audio Technica ATH-CLR100 – rs 600
4. Audio Technica ATH-COR150 – rs 800
5. KZ ZSN Pro X – rs 2200
6. KZ ZST X – rs 1800
7. KZ ZAX – rs 6000
any of these with the rs 1500 mpow 056 earmuffs is better at isolation.
but if you need headphones with good isolation and good sound quality these are a good option.

with just the headphone and NO music these cancel out the ceiling fan noise at 5 speed to about 50%. if heavy machinery like wood cutting saw is being used at 10 or 15 meters this cancels out or lessens the noise by about 80 %.

WITH MUSIC – almost every other noise is canceled out.
————————-
3. SOUND –
the bass is the first thing which i noticed. its quiet different from IEM’s and earphones below rs 10000. as powerful as the bass on soundmagic E10C and the KZ ZST X. But still something makes it seem different. maybe the bigger headphone drivers.
treble is smoother and more pleasant than the SAMSON SR850 [semi open headphones].
cant find any faults.
but if you dont need the isolation or build quality there may be better sounding and more comfortable options [as both headphones, earphones or IEM’s].
————————-
4. DRIVABILITY, AMP, amplifier requirement –
first things first, you can use this on your desktop PC motherboard, laptop, tab/tablet, or phone. with decent volume.
these are 64 ohms but sensitivity is also to be considered.
I use these at 40 % percent volume on my desktop PC.
The motherboard is Gigabyte H110M-H-CF [with Intel G4560].
The onboard audio is REALTEK ALC888B/ALC887.
Also on my phone at 60 % percent volume – ASUS Zenfone Max PRO M1.
about the same volume level as the SAMSON SR850.
about the double the volume level on my IEM’s and earphones.
————————-
5. FIT, COMFORT, ERGONOMICS, BUILD –
the HD 280 pro are normal sized. average weight.
clamp is not too tight. but if you are new to headphones, or used to less clamp this may bother you.
the earpads and the headband are decent for the price.
the wire is coiled so manageable but its heavy.
Build quality is top notch.
Do take care of the wires which run down each can, too much swiveling and you may damage them. and they might not be replaceable.
the main cable, pads and headband are replaceable though.

Great