Question:
Hey guys, I know this isn't exactly guitar-related, but hopefully some of the wise folks in here have some experience with quality headphones and can help me out a bit.

I've been wanting a nice set of heaphones for a while, but looking at all the different makes and models out there, it's a bit overwhelming. Some headphones are made for specific applications, and others require amplifiers to drive them, and then there's open vs. closed designs and the list goes on and on.

So after a bit of research, I've grown fond of Sennheiser's HD-280 phones because they're pretty cheap ($100), are closed, and supposedly have great sound. My question is, just how good will they sound if driven solely from an iPod or portable CD player with no amp? Is the difference between HD-280's and stock headphones substantiably greater than the difference between cold HD-280's and amp-driven HD-280's?

Basically, should I consider a headphone amp, bearing in mind the portability issue? Also, what do you think of HD-280's, or are there any phones in the $100-$200 range that you could either reccomend or caution me to avoid? I'm also considering the HD-555's and Bose's Triports, but I've read that the Triports are shoddilly constructed, and the 555's are open and more expensive.


Sennheiser HD-280
Answer:
i'm really confused...why wouldn't these work with an iPOD or CD player?
Answer:
I don't think the question is neccessarily if it would work or not. What I picked up from his post is that these headphones are made to be used (or at least compatible) with some kind of amplifier and if he got them, would it be worth the money spent because he probably wouldn't lug an amp around to listen to his iPod with his cool headphones.
Answer:
Originally Posted by Casey I don't think the question is neccessarily if it would work or not. What I picked up from his post is that these headphones are made to be used (or at least compatible) with some kind of amplifier and if he got them, would it be worth the money spent because he probably wouldn't lug an amp around to listen to his iPod with his cool headphones. doh...now i understand.
Answer:
those headphones are really really nice. my brother has them, he paid 150$ about 6 months ago from musicians friend. i use them sometimes, they are absolutely amazing. they are very durable to, he uses them ran through a small mixer to hear the other instruments while playing gigs. some people dont like how they feel. i think they feel great, kind of heavy. i dont know how they sound without some kind of amp, i always use them running through some kind of device with a high output level.
Answer:
They should be fine...I use their little brother the HD212's. They will be fine plugged straight to a CD player or iPod
Answer:
Yeah, the deal with headphones is that the higher and higher up you get, usually the impedance runs higher and higher. The 280's are 64Ω, so they should drive fairly well from a low-powered source like an iPod or CD player. There are some 100Ω-300Ω phones that are designed for professional applications, so drivability isn't anticipated to be an issue.

An amp wouldn't take up that much space (good ones are generally not much larger than, say, a stopwatch), but by the time I'd have spent the money for one, carried around an extra cable, and replaced the batteries every five hours, I don't think it's practical at all. So unless I can find anything else in the neighborhood of 64Ω or below, I think I'll be going with the 280's.

Thanks guys.