Hi all,

I often stay up late working on my pc and listen to CDs and mp3s via
el-cheapo headphones and would like to upgrade the headphones to
something good but not too expensive (around $100US). I hear Sennheiser
are good and comfortable, so had a look through their range and what I
like are the HD 25 SP headphones. I cannot find a local dealer to
listen to these, and if I buy it will be online, so need some opinions.
Here's my reasons why I like them:

1. they are small and light, and can hopefully be used for other
portable applications, eg. iPod
2. they are durable, looks like a solid build
3. they don't fully cover ears, like the high-end (eg 555s) which I
think are too 'chunky' looking, even though I'm sure they sound good,
as they get good reviews
4. despite not covering ears, they look as though they would block out
some external noise and not leak too much sound, ie. they would be
reasonably quiet at night
5. they are not as expensive as the HD 25 (I don't want to pay much
more than $100, especially since I will mainly use them for my PC and
occasionaly iPod).
6. I think they look "cool", ie. not too bulky and don't stand out too
much.

My problem is that I don't quite understand headphone specs and am
concerned about the ability of PC (and maybe iPod) to drive them
properly. Will I get decent sound out of them?

They have nominal impedance of 85 Ohm (not sure what that means
exactly) but I notice most small headphones eg. PX100 have 32 Ohm. Does
this mean my PC will not be able to fully drive them and what about my
iPod. I don't really want to buy extra amps. Can anyone comment on
comparison between these and PX100 for PC use?

They have frequency response of 30-16000 Hz which seems like a much
smaller range than the cheaper PX100. Why do the cheaper headphones
have a larger frequency response range, is that better? and will the
range of HD 25 SPs limit their quality?

Can anyone comment on these headphones in terms of home PC use / iPod
portable use? Also since I've narrowed my choice to these or the
cheaper PX100 does anyone know how the two compare in terms of sound
quality, when using PC (not some expensive amp)?

Thank you for any responses. Sorry about lengthy post, but wanted to
describe my situation accurately.

Rob.

Rob wrote:

Hi all,

I often stay up late working on my pc and listen to CDs and mp3s via
el-cheapo headphones and would like to upgrade the headphones to
something good but not too expensive (around $100US). I hear Sennheiser
are good and comfortable, so had a look through their range and what I
like are the HD 25 SP headphones. I cannot find a local dealer to
listen to these, and if I buy it will be online, so need some opinions.
Here's my reasons why I like them:

snip long list

Go and buy some instead of talking about it. The impedance will be fine. I doubt
the quality of your sound card justifies $100 phones though.

I listen using Beyer DT331s btw. Very nice.

Graham

Rob wrote:

Why do the cheaper headphones
have a larger frequency response range,

Because the manufacturers of cheapo headphones aren't quoting the figures the
same way. They may also be lying.

Graham

Rob wrote:
Hi all,

I often stay up late working on my pc and listen to CDs and mp3s via
el-cheapo headphones and would like to upgrade the headphones to
something good but not too expensive (around $100US).

headphones are like underwear: hard to pick out for someone else.

i find the Sony MDR7506 to be a good balance between ruggedness, comfort.
convenience, and quality for live, production, on air, and servicing.

Thank you all for the replies. It's true everyone's listening habbits
are different and we have different preferences to look-and-feel. I'm
hoping someone who owns the Sennheiser HD 25 SPs can comment on their
"home" application, rather than studio monitoring. I'm not expecting
miracles from those headphones, but am hoping they give considerably
better sound than a cheap $30 pair of Sonys that I got. Cheers, guys.

Rob wrote:

Thank you all for the replies. It's true everyone's listening habbits
are different and we have different preferences to look-and-feel. I'm
hoping someone who owns the Sennheiser HD 25 SPs can comment on their
"home" application, rather than studio monitoring. I'm not expecting
miracles from those headphones, but am hoping they give considerably
better sound than a cheap $30 pair of Sonys that I got. Cheers, guys.

Beware that really good headphones will reveal the deficiencies of mp3s.

In the price region you're looking at, sound quality is pretty much assured so
you should pay attention to other aspects such as comfort.

I find headphones with Y-leads from the capsules intensely annoying for example.
I modified my Beyers with some ty-wraps to fix that !

Graham

I own them and I like the sound. They sound significantly better than
el cheapo headphones.

On 18 Jun 2006 09:16:17 -0700, "Rob" wrote:

Thank you all for the replies. It's true everyone's listening habbits
are different and we have different preferences to look-and-feel. I'm
hoping someone who owns the Sennheiser HD 25 SPs can comment on their
"home" application, rather than studio monitoring. I'm not expecting
miracles from those headphones, but am hoping they give considerably
better sound than a cheap $30 pair of Sonys that I got. Cheers, guys.

"Pooh Bear" wrote in message
...
Go and buy some instead of talking about it. The impedance will be fine. I
doubt
the quality of your sound card justifies $100 phones though.

How would you know? Certainly anything but the crappiest soundcards will
outperform $100 headphones.

MrT.

Thanks again guys. If I get those Senns, I'll post a review. Cheers.

Rob wrote:
Thanks again guys. If I get those Senns, I'll post a review. Cheers.

So why not keep the Senn PX100s and even the Koss Portapros in
consideration? They are extremely popular well reputed headphones. I've
owned both and can't get enough of them. For $40 they are a fantasitc
bargain.

CD