Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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82 of 89 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Take the time to break them in., May 13, 2005
Before purchasing these headphones, I tried and returned the hd-215 "dj" headphones, which had insipid, lifeless bass and midrange --though crisp and sparkling highs. Definitely useless for dj's despite their 32ohm rating. their subjective volume and projection were somehow incredibly weak --perhaps the set was a lemon.
Now for the 485's:
At first I was divided about these cans. For headphones with 32 ohm impedance & 1/8" outputs --i.e. portable player ready--, they are the first phones I had heard with any appreciable soundstage. That is amazing considering the price of the phones; I paid U$ 70.00.
Since I was not expecting anything resembling soundstaging --or spatial placement of the different voices/instruments--, I initially mistook the sound as uneven and biased toward certain frequencies, especially the bass. (note: the 485's sound phenomenal for electronic music right from the beginning.)
I even tried --unsuccessfully-- to return the headphones.
Resigned to using them with as many different kinds of music as possible, even those with "trouble spots" for the phones, I thought they might sound different upon passing the 30-60 hour "break-in" stage.
This proved correct, both subjectively and in my concept of how headphones should sound. The bass, which had been a bit up front, but always tight and defined --the dynamic range well beyond human hearing in both directions--, smoothed out considerably.
The previously hidden frequencies became distinctly audible and, thanks to the soundstaging, revealed more about the music than I had previously heard. The players I used were an iRiver slimX 350 --main unit--, a top of the line riovolt player, and the humble, but mighty Sony Psyc 320.
These phones ultimately blew away all expectations for something in this pricerange; I quickly forgot about my Sony mdrv-600's.
Don't be put off by the initial apparent distance of certain elements of the sound; they make it to the forefront in about 35 hours of listening time. Use an appreciable volume for the entire process.
These phones fit over the average ear are very comfortable unless, perhaps, you have large earlobes --but even then, I can only imagine that the gentle earpads exert less pressure than most against-the-ear units.
The cord (which is thicker than on any sets I've seen for under several hundred dollars) is detachable and replacable, as are the earpads. The 485's are very aesthetically pleasing and unpretentious looking. The attached adjustable undertable hanger is not likely to be useful to anyone.
Nonetheless, these are phenomenal headphones for --well-- under $250.00. I can't imagine anything in this price range even approaching the combination of sensitive and aggressive sound qualities of the Sennheiser HD 485's. Anything resembling a sound stage at this price is simply unheard-of, and these headphones are, somehow, top notch in that respect. They excel --perhaps even sound better-- at lower volumes as well.
I have heard many different phones in different price ranges, both with and without preamps, and I really think these stand up to some high-end units. They are comfortable with all different genres of music --I have over 1800 cd's. Just give them a little time.
BTW, I don't recommend the "express" method of breaking-in headphones --wherein one plugs them into a stereo, puts a cd on repeat and leaves them for hours on end (they are not catcher's mitts) If you want to truly acclimate a set of headphones, you must take the time to listen to them with whatever different kinds of music you like (or even different artists, if you listen only to one genre). Also take into account that I have yet to hear these on my home system through a 1/4" connection --that will undoubtedly push them beyond what I have heard with the little, but formidable, iRiver.
Lucky me for encountering a strict return policy :)
Lucky you if you have a similar experience with these headphones.
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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Headphones - but not for super large ears, March 26, 2005
Despite what the picture shows, these headphones fully cover the ear and do no lay flat on your ears like the 465's. The main selling point for these things is the great sound and diaphram technology. Well I can tell you, compared to my HD-527's these things are amazing. They really offfer a full range to the music withouth the heavy bass of the 527. It is fairly even sounding through the spectrum, with maybe some loss for solely classical music - but I am no audiophile!
Another great thing is that the impedance is only 32 ohms so it will work with your mp3 player or portable device, though it might look a bit funny when the small player is carried around and listened through these fairly large headphones.
For the larger eared people, if you dont like the feeling of your ears touching the inside of the headphone then don't get these. My ears are pushing it, but they just fit. I have worn these for a couple days now and they are exxxtreemely confortable even for long periods - this is attributed to the nice cloth earpads. And don't forget these badboys are warrantied for 2 years, which is more than most companies.
The box includes the headphones, a screw on 1" adapter and a stupid faux leather headphone stand. Do not buy these just for the stand, since you may never use it!
Otherwise, the price for these is pretty good for best sounding headphones you can buy that still work for portable players. Plus it has a detachable cord for those out there who constantly step on or snag the 3 meter cord. I gave these 5 stars for durability, sound, ease of use and quality you get with sennheisers proven equipment.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great sound ...but not blown away., June 10, 2006
First off, I am comparing the 485's to the OEM iPod earbuds for reference.
On first impression, these sound really great -- a major improvement in range and audible frequencies. Out of the box the high frequencies are a little sharp and over accentuated so I modified the equalizer to tone them down till break-in is complete(10 hours so far). Besides that, the sounds are full and rich, and I am even able to pick up some I have never heard before in my music with the iPod earbuds. I also like the obvious improvement in bass. It isn't overpowering or muddy which is common, especially in very low sub-60hz frequences.
Some say they sound distant and I have to disagree. At first listen I was looking for that effect and thought I may agree with whoever said it until I continued to listen and realized that I was just looking for things to pick at, and that it really wasn't distant.
I have had no issues with comfort such as high pressure clamping or rubbing and I always thought I had a large head. I have worn them recently for about 3 hours with out feeling I need to switch to the desktop speakers ...why would I abuse my ears with such low quality anyway ;)
I can easily make use of the provided headphone stand so I don't see why so many poke at that.
Last night I was watching a movie on my non-amplified computer and there was a thunder sequence that startled me because it sounded so realistic.
For this review, I just now watched The Cave on my home theater setup and despite the cheesy intro, I heard every water drop and all the dust falling when they opened the old doors in the cave. The bass was powerful during the explosives seen, maybe too much for my taste ...but that is easily adjusted. I also heard a new sound the creatures were making ...so it definitely captures the entire range.
I would give these a 4.5/5 if I could, only because I wasn't blown away like I thought would happen when I switched to an over-the-ear type and because they don't enclose the sounds too well -- but I knew that would happen anyway since they are open.
Pros:
Comfortable
Full range of sounds
Headphone stand
Price
Comparitive style
Neutral:
Long cord
Bulky
Cons:
Takes time to break them in and develop a richer/fuller range of sounds
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