SennheiserHD 25 Basic Edition, Closed Headphone for ENG/DJ use with split headband

I found that the H25s’ went from fairly pants to magical in the first ten or so hours of use. Once run in they are very neutral with a flat frequency response and a tonal accuracy that some may term a little clinical; similar in nature to Grado Headphones (but without the mid-range emphasis). Not as warm and exciting as my AKG 451s’ but overall more musically satisfying. In my opinion far superior to the Sennheiser Momentum 2 that everyone raves about. Not designed as commuter portables, but if you need a small pair of real audiophile quality headphones that afford a reasonable level of sound isolation and real musical satisfaction then definitely try them out. Great monitor level headphones if you are into mixing and recording your own music. Can be critical of poor quality input so better with CD quality or higher resolution input. Bottom line is that I never feel as though they have any significant faults in their presentation and they draw me into the music. Recommended.ProsSound quality. Lots of portable headphones are designed with low frequency bias. The H25s’ are not and have a very neutral and detailed presentation with a fine tonal accuracy. Every part of the music just sounds well balanced and right. They also have a wide sound-stage for closed cup headphones. If you are not used to this presentation then you may consider them a bit analytical or clinical but persevere and you may start to be absorbed in the detail and musical dynamics and find the H25s’ highly musical.Well made. Very sturdy phones and most parts are replaceable.Limited microphoney from the cable. So if you tap the cable you don’t get a large booming in your ear.Even at the full retail price they are worth it.Reasonable sound isolation.Strangely Comfortable. Initially you are aware of a significant pressure applied by the headband to the ear pads and I expected this to become uncomfortable over time, but it doesn't. You are always aware that you are wearing the headphones but the pads soften quite quickly and you get used to the pressure. For me it never becomes uncomfortable and the ear cups do not move around and cause irritation.Good if you wear glasses. The design means that the ear-pads do not touch the arms of glasses.ConsNo carry case or bag supplied.Bulky. The headband and size of ear cup mean that they are not particularly good if you are listening to music whilst lying down.They are not really everyday portable headphones.Make everything sound great, however they really deserve to be used with at least high quality CD resolution music sources.Not stylish but very functional looking.

I won't comment much on the sound quality - plenty of comment elsewhere. They give a well-balanced, neutral sound with adequate bass and nice soundstaging. I find them comfortable to wear and can enjoy listening with them for a few hours without fatigue/discomfort.I bought these primarily for music on the move and for using whilst others are watching the TV. Isolation is very good but not 100% (but I wouldn't expect 100%) - plenty good enough for my purposes and a massive improvement on the bundled earphones you get with most music-players. They are tough headphones that I have no worries about throwing loose into my bag. They have survived being sat on a couple of times (but it is something that I'd rather avoid). They are a little harder to drive than bundled headphones but this is not a problem - I use them with a Sansa Clip+, PC (via Creative headphone socket on speaker volume control), laptop and also plugged into my Rotel amplifier. Sometimes I put the volume on the Sansa to maximum but only when I want the music LOUD and the recording is made at a relatively low level. Everything else is ample when kept well below maximum on all sources.The 'basic' edition model comes with a 1.5m (steel) cable and a right-angle jack - 3.5mm with a screw-on 6.3mm adapter. The cable is a good thickness, 'figure-of-eight' type cross-section and does not tangle or knot easily. As with the 'full' edition - all parts are replaceable.All in all, I'd say that these are good all-round headphones that give good sound-quality and isolation whilst being rugged enough to cope with day-to-day on-the-move 'personal-stereo' use - but are just as 'at home' for use at home.

Sennheiser HD25’s are by no shadow of a doubt - the best headphones you can buy.Just watch any video of a world class DJ who uses over the ear headphones and it will be a pair of theseThey have one of the greatest and smoothest frequency responses out there - they’re not the most exciting, as they won’t hype up your bass frequencies or boost the airy end of the treble, but they will play your music exactly how it should be heard, no more, no lessThe isolation is pretty damn good, without feeling underwater, and it means you can listen to music in bed without your partner getting annoyed of the tinny hiss of music leaking from the headphonesThey’re built solidly too - they feel like pure quality and haven’t needed hidden weights adding to them in order for them to feel more premium (not mentioning names Dr Dre...) and there’s no rattle or wobble in any of the jointsThey’re also modular too so you can replace any part yourself instead of replacing the entire headphone if something breaks!And finally they are super comfortable, even on my tiny pea head - the cups are soft and don’t get sweaty, the split headband is great and they stay solid on your head without movement but also without crushing your head and giving you headaches.Just buy em. You won’t regret it!