Sennheiser HD 238 Open Aire Stereo Headphones Optimized for iPod/iPhone/MP3/and Music Players

by Sennheiser

Product Details

• Item Weight: 10.1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001RNO92Y
• Item model number: HD238
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (109 customer reviews)

Product Description

Style: Standard

From the Manufacturer

Enjoy elegantly curved style and high-quality, lifelike stereo sound with the Sennheiser HD 238 headphones, which feature Sennheiser's advanced Open-Aire acoustic system with powerful neodymium magnets and lightweight diaphragms. Stylish with an elegant black over-ear design, the HD 238 fits all the ways you work and play.

Click here for a larger image.

The premium metallic components and exchangeable earpads provide superior performance and durability, and you'll enjoy long listening sessions with extra-soft ear pads. The HD 238's fold-flat design also stores and travels easily. It also comes with a carrying pouch for easy storage and protection.

What's in the Box

Headphones, carrying pouch.

Specifications

• Frequency response: 16 - 23,000 Hz
• Sound pressure level (SPL): 114 dB
• Transducer principle: Dynamic, open
• Ear coupling: On-the-ear
• Impedance: 32 ohms
• Total harmonic distortion (THD): <0.5 percent
• Connector: 1/8-inch (3.5mm)
• Cable length: 4.5 feet

Compatibility

Optimized for MP3, iPod, iPhone (iPod and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries), and portable media players.

Warranty

The Sennheiser HD 238 is covered by a 2-year warranty with the backing of Sennheiser's worldwide service network.

Product Description

Enjoy elegantly curved style and high-quality, lifelike stereo sound with the Sennheiser HD 238 headphones, which feature Sennheiser's advanced Open-Aire acoustic system with powerful neodymium magnets and lightweight diaphragms. Stylish with an elegant black over-ear design, the HD 238 fits all the ways you work and play.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible sound, surrounds you with full range, May 11, 2009

By 

MKP "Koray" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sennheiser HD 238 Open Aire Stereo Headphones Optimized for iPod/iPhone/MP3/and Music Players (Electronics)

I bought these headphones to replace my close-type Sennheisers. HD 238 has a terrific life-like sound which surrounds you and provide a perfect range. Bass is very deep and strong, mid/high ranges are very clear and crisp. I am amazed with the sound, and truly satisfied.

The build quality is perfect, lots of nice touches like metal trims, high-quality cloth padding. HD 238 is one of the most comfortable headphones that I ever tried. It is lightweight and perfectly sized, sits on your head comfortably. Single side cable is a perfect touch to the design.

Just note that HD 238 is an open air headphone and leaks sound both ways (but thanks to this design the sound is crisper and bass is deeper than closed types). If you are a commuter I suggest you to go for HD 218 or 228...

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Killer performance: open earpad phones, December 20, 2009

By 

A. Yen "cellist" (MA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sennheiser HD 238 Open Aire Stereo Headphones Optimized for iPod/iPhone/MP3/and Music Players (Electronics)

If you're like me and lots of other people who are used to bargain-bin phones or those little white iEarBuds, I guarantee you've never worn headphones this comfortable and good-sounding at the $100 and under price-point. These are open supra-aural (on-ear), meaning a few things:

1. The earpads fit on the ear rather than around. These are nice cushy pads and are incredibly comfortable even for long listens.

2. The back of the phones aren't closed, so at high volumes you get outward sound leakage, and at low volumes you can hear a lot of what goes on around you.

If you want highly accurate listening at low-to-mid volume in quiet environments, where outside noise is unlikely to be an issue, then this is the right format phone for you! I find myself constantly wearing these while studying at a library, where there's no reason to be pumping my volume to leakage-level anyway. I've never been able to listen to these phones at a high enough volume to cause distortion so I am willing to bet this isn't an issue.

Now let's talk about sound quality. These phones will BLOW AWAY whatever came with your portable listening device. The sound may be a little "smaller" than a full-sized earphone. That being said, the open-air design means that the sound much more approaches listening to live instruments in a room than having a pair of tiny speakers posted by your ears. These headphones produce such realistic sound and are so comfortable it's easy to forget you're in your bedroom and not in Symphony Hall.

Compared to cheaper headphones, the HD 238s are surprisingly transparent, natural-sounding phones, with BIG bass response that doesn't boom too badly thanks to an open design, clarity in the mids, and crisp highs. Due to their good sound and open design, these earphones never sound boomy or tinny and never have problems with strange echos that plague cheap closed phones. I would describe the sound as balanced toward the lows, relaxed (never overly sparkly or punchy), and pretty detailed.

Highly recommended. Best applications: Portable device listening in quiet environments. Also work pretty well for mixing recordings in a quiet location. Don't bother if: You listen in noisy environments like airplanes or you are a DJ, or if big bass bothers you.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sennheiser HD 238-- MP3 headphones for audiophiles, September 21, 2009

By 

sal "salby" (Rockford, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sennheiser HD 238 Open Aire Stereo Headphones Optimized for iPod/iPhone/MP3/and Music Players (Electronics)

About a week ago I purchased the newest Ipod Touch 32 gb. The Touch is not noted for having the greatest sound (Sony Walkman, Zune w/ the Wolfson DAC chip are better), but the iTouch has so many great features. So, I wanted to get the best headphones possible to maximize the sound the iTouch could produce.

I wanted the most performance for a reasonable amount of money. With the Sennheiser HD-238, I got excellent sound for a reasonable amount of money.

It takes about 20 hours of burn-in before they start to open up. At around 30 hours they started to show what they could do. The iPod Touch can power them, at about 60% of its available volume range. The HD 238's are the slightest bit warm, but they are detailed and the low end is strong and not sloppy. I am a classical listener, could be called an audiophile, and was somewhat shy about making my music listening a portable experience. But, the iPod Touch, with the Sennheiser HD 238's, has created a very nice listening system.

Any headphones will sound better with a small/portable headphone amp. I don't feel the need to spend the additional money, but for those who want to get an amp, you can expect sound to improve even more. The HD 238's are an open headphone, which is why they sound so good, but they do bleed some sound. This is not a problem for me at home. I got a smaller pair of noise canceling headphones to use at work.

Very pleased with these. Treated with care, I am sure they will last a long time.

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