So I went to my local Guitar Center yesterday to scratch my itch about upgrading headphones.

I was given HD280s (which is what I was most serious about buying), V600s (which I currently own), Pioneer 1000s, and Sony 7506s.

The Pioneers I hated - I didnt think they sounded great, the isolation sucked, and they felt cheap and were uncomfortable.

The Sony 7506 were right out of the box, brand new. These really sounded great. Were probably the best sounding headphone for what I was looking for. They were clear and the bass was the best out of all that I tried. And this was out of the box with no break in.

I did not like the way they were made as they seemed like they could break easily. The wire that floatsbetween the earpiece and the strap seemed like it was waiting to be accidentally snapped off.

The 600s were broken in already. I only tested these because I have them and wanted to do a side-by-side. They were probably the most comforatable of the bunch and felt like earmuffs.

The HD280s were my choice when I walked into Guitar Center but they did not blow me away. I did really like them. I loved the sound. They were warm and clean. The isolation was without a doubt the best of the bunch. Even without the volume on they really muffled any outside sounds. They were not them most comfy of the headphones, but I have a big head.

Where's the bass? The only thing I did not like about these was that the bass was about on par with my Sony's.

The HD280s were brand new right out of the box. The Sony's were already broken in.

So my question....

Will the bass response improve on the Sennheisers after a break-in period?

I have 2 sets of Senn's that I use for everyday listening and both sounded better as I broke them in. I dont remember if the bass improved, but the sound did.

I would appreciate any help.

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yes
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=83014
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=33514
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=25697

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The Sennheisers weren't made specifically for DJ use so the frequency response is flat compared to the Sony's which has extra bass. They will start to sound better after you break them in but don't expect them to have the bass the Sony's have they aren't made that way.

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if you are worried about the bass, there is also a "putty mod" that will give you a bit more punch. try doing a search, i remember reading it in this forum somewhere.

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quote:

Originally posted by CosmoKid The Sony 7506 were right out of the box, brand new. These really sounded great. Were probably the best sounding headphone for what I was looking for. They were clear and the bass was the best out of all that I tried. And this was out of the box with no break in. I did not like the way they were made as they seemed like they could break easily. The wire that floatsbetween the earpiece and the strap seemed like it was waiting to be accidentally snapped off.

Seriously- your concerns are unfounded.
They come with a schematics diagram and part number list inside the box- every part is replaceable just like pro headphones should be.
No plastic hinges to crack either

I have to say in all honesty they are one of the better made pairs of phones i have had. that wire did concern me at first too- but its never an issue, unless you are djing surrounded by thorn bushes or nails sticking out of the wall to snag them on. You can curl it back inside on itself and it wont stick out then.

They are, for me, the definitive headphone-

If you were choosing between Hd 25 pros and 7506s, i wouldnt advise you- thats a personal choice between two exceptional pairs.
however, you are on about the 280s, which in my opinion are rubbish. Sonys no contest (you already know my take on the pioneers )

quote:

Originally posted by Freak Seriously- your concerns are unfounded. They come with a schematics diagram and part number list inside the box- every part is replaceable just like pro headphones should be. No plastic hinges to crack either I have to say in all honesty they are one of the better made pairs of phones i have had. that wire did concern me at first too- but its never an issue, unless you are djing surrounded by thorn bushes or nails sticking out of the wall to snag them on. You can curl it back inside on itself and it wont stick out then.

They did not feel cheaply made like the Pioneer's did to me. My concern was that I was always going ot be thinking about that wire. When I am spinning, I am touching my headphones quite a bit, and I do not want to be thinking about being careful with my headphones.

If the wire wasn't exposed I would have walked out of the store with them as no other headphone came close to the clarity and bass response as the 7506s.

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i agree
Like i said, it was my only concern initially.

I touch mine loads too- have never even come close to catching the wire- and when not in use they are stored in the (leather) bag


Look at senn hd 25s- wire exposed. same for beyer dynamic studio monitors (the big white ones)and a few others i could mention

it serves two purposes:
-Easy access for repairs
-Its not inside a joint, therefore eliminating the chance of it shorting inside or getting cught in any mechanism or hinge.


I can see your train of thought here, but you really are worrying over not a lot

Is there a break-in period? No.

Is there a breaking period? Yes, they last 3 months and then they break.

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Hahaha little joke there. But yes, they do get a little more bassy and mellow with useage, some people play music on them overnight at medium volume to speed up the break-in. They sound a little harsh at first. But they willl never have a lot of bass unless you do that modification described here in the DJ section someplace.

But mine do break or crack heavily on the last inch of the headband, I need to get them fixed again before the warranty expires.
I take good care of them. The headband end parts are just not strong enough. They would probably last longer if a person doesn't extend the cups out of the headband too much.

Last edited by tvmann on Feb-05-2005 at 19:58

In a word: yes

The break-in period was only a few days for me, then the bass was crisp and deep. Sometimes I catch bass sounds that sound almost too deep to be coming from a pair of headphones, and take them off only to realize that yes, it was from my phones, not from outside.

Also, don't listen to these people who whine about breaking 280s. They obviously don't know how to take care of their cans, as they are very well-built.

Also, I like the flat frequency response. In my opinion, headphones should provide you with the most accurate sound possible. I feel like phones that have a variable response are "lying" to me.

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The HD280Pro are by far the best cans i've ever used. but what people say about them breaking is totally true. I've used a fair amount of electrical tape to keep the plastic on mine together. I put time through a lot of use though, so your mileage will vary. I've had my pair for at least 1.5 - 2 years and the bass response has been excellent. Paired with their ability to block out a nice amount of background noise (35dB, as i'm meant to understand), they make a good set of headphones.

That being said, I think i'm going to invest in a pair of sony mdr-v6/mdr-7506 next

I got em. Used em in a crappy Behringer DJX1000 mixer, which has a really cruddy headphones pre-amp in it. the next thing is that my home mixer is a behringer too, so I'm guessing it's the pre-amp, but I think I blew my Sennheiser hd280s when I did a club gig with them on that djx1000 mixer, cuz I had to compensate for the earplugs I was wearing.

They're awesome quality headphones, but the trouble is they we clearly designed without the much needed durability factors found in tougher, rougher dj headphones.

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