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Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphone, Black

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 12,087 ratings
$82.59 with 36 percent savings
List Price: $129.00
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Purchase options and add-ons

Brand Sennheiser
Color Black
Ear Placement Over Ear
Form Factor Over Ear
Impedance 64 Ohm

About this item

  • High ambient noise attenuation
  • Accurate, linear sound reproduction
  • Soft earpads for a comfortable fit
  • Folding and rotating earcups for space-saving transport
  • Tough, single-sided cable
› See more product details

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Product guides and documents

User Guide (PDF)

What's in the box

  • 1 pair of HD 280 PRO headphones, 1 screw-type adaptor to 1/4

    • Product Description

    The HD 280 PRO is a pair of closed, dynamic stereo headphones that deliver accurate, linear sound reproduction with ambient noise attenuation for critical monitoring applications. Optimum impedance ensures universal compatibility, from home listening to studio monitoring. The space saving design features collapsible, rotating ear cups that are very comfortable to wear, even if used for long periods of time. The ear pads of the HD 280 PRO are made of a synthetic leatherette.

    Top Brand: Sennheiser

    Highly Rated
    100K+ customers rate items from this brand highly
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    From the manufacturer

    HD 280 PRO
    hd 280 pro

    For those with a vision. For those with a mission. For those getting the job done. In the studio. On stage. In the mix. Always there.

    hd 280 PRO headphones

    HD 280 PRO Professional Monitoring Headphone - Features

    • High ambient noise attenuation
    • Accurate, linear sound reproduction
    • Soft earpads for a comfortable fit
    • Folding and rotating earcups for space-saving transport
    • Tough, single-sided cable

    hd 280 pro headphones

    Headphones for the pros

    Designed to exceed the demands of the professional environment, the HD 280 Pro boasts extremely robust construction combined with the sound quality, modular design and aggressive noise isolation that is necessary in the field. The unique collapsible design, combined with swiveling ear cups, offers maximum flexibility in any application.

    hd 280 pro headphones

    Accurate sound representation

    Eloquent lows, a distinct midrange and clear-cut highs are what define the HD 280 PRO’s, making them the perfect companion for recording and mixing sessions. And thanks to their comfort, all those hours spent in front of a screen won’t tire your ears nearly as much as it will your eyes.

    hd 280 pro headphones

    A modern classic

    Your search for studio headphones begins and ends with HD 280 PRO. Released in 2003, these headphones have stood the test of time. In a day and age where technology renders itself useless in a just a few years, Sennheiser is still selling hundreds of thousands of these headphones every year.

    HD 200 PRO HD 280 PRO HD 300 PRO HD 300 PROtect HMD 300-XQ-2
    HD 200 PRO HD 280 PRO HD 300 PRO HD 300 PRotect HMD 300-XQ-2
    Buying Options
    Buying Options
    Buying Options
    Buying Options
    Buying Options
    Customer Reviews
    —
    —
    —
    —
    —
    Price — — — — —
    Application Scenarios Home Studio // Live Mixing Home Studio // Live Mixing Home Studio // Live Mixing Home Studio // Live Mixing Broadcast // Live Theater
    Ear Coupling Circumaural Circumaural Circumaural Circumaural Circumaural
    Acoustic Principle Dynamic // Closed Dynamic // Closed Dynamic // Closed Dynamic // Closed Dynamic // Closed
    Frequency Response 20 – 20,000 Hz 8 – 25,000 Hz 6 – 25,000 Hz 6 – 25,000 Hz 6 – 25,000 Hz
    Active Gard (protects hearing for sound pressure levels above 110 dB) No Active Gard No Active Gard No Active Gard ✓ ✓
    Maximum SPL 108 dB 113 dB 123 dB 110 dB SPL (Active Gard ON) 110 dB SPL (Active Gard ON)
    Impedence 32 Ω 64 Ω 64 Ω 64 Ω 64 Ω
    Microphone No Microphone No Microphone No Microphone No Microphone BMD 404

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    Price-36% $82.59
    List: $129.00    		-36% $1,149.99
    New Price: $1,799.95    		$139.95$99.00-10% $89.99
    List: $99.99    		$105.45
    Delivery
    Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jan 15
    Get it Jan 15 - 17
    Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jan 15
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    Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jan 15
    Get it as soon as Friday, Jan 31
    Customer Ratings
    4.54.5 out of 5 stars12,087
    4.54.5 out of 5 stars29
    4.54.5 out of 5 stars5
    4.44.4 out of 5 stars2,436
    4.74.7 out of 5 stars26,162
    4.64.6 out of 5 stars9,278
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    Customer reviews

    4.5 out of 5 stars
    12,087 global ratings

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    Customers say

    Customers appreciate the headphones' sound quality, comfort, and value for money. They find the sound clear and spacious, with a larger soundstage and ability to hear nuances in songs. Many consider the build quality solid and the design quality nice. However, some have mixed opinions on the fit, functionality, and weight.

    AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

    Select to learn more
    Sound qualityQualityComfortValue for moneyFitBuild qualityFunctionalityWeight
    2,460 customers mention "Sound quality"1,960 positive500 negative

    Customers appreciate the headphones' sound quality. They find the sound clear and loud, with good isolation. The soundstage seems larger, and they can hear nuances in songs that they haven't heard for years. The headphones provide an enjoyable listening experience without feedback or squealing.

    "...They also improve the sound too. It's subtle, but the soundstage seems to be larger, and the presence is clearer IMO...." Read more

    "...I can hear nuances in songs that I've been listening to for years and never noticed before-the slight tremble of guitar or piano strings after the..." Read more

    "...Higher frequencies do not hiss and the phones are able to drive high frequency sounds and pull out details lost by consumer grade headphones...." Read more

    "...I'm kind of a big guy as well. and the comfort is great. The sound is amazing. for what I paid...." Read more

    1,168 customers mention "Quality"1,150 positive18 negative

    Customers appreciate the headphones' quality. They find the sound reproduction good, the design nice, and the construction sturdy. Many consider the headphones suitable for studio use, with clear track reproduction and minimal audio coloring. Overall, customers consider the headphones a worthwhile purchase at $85 and a nice choice.

    "...their own take, mine personally, the HD-280 Pro's is no doubt, a worthy of purchase! For $85 especially!" Read more

    "...For design quality, I think the part I like best is the cord...." Read more

    "...then these phones will provide better sound through their native excellent quality and their superior noise attenuation...." Read more

    "...My first impressions were that the headphones seemed like a very sturdy build...." Read more

    1,067 customers mention "Comfort"769 positive298 negative

    Customers find the headphones comfortable to wear for long periods. They say the headphones fit well, sit atop their heads comfortably, and have relaxed after use.

    "...Nothing subtle about the improvement in comfort, and larger, fitting over the ear nicely versus the stock ones. Installation is easy as well...." Read more

    "...The pleather cuffs on the headphone are soft and comfortable, and while I suspect they may wear out at some point, they are also user-replaceable...." Read more

    "...They are very tight in fact. Four Newtons of force are applied, a number significantly larger than most headphones...." Read more

    "...pretty much gave up the ghost and these things became very uncomfortable to wear...." Read more

    792 customers mention "Value for money"691 positive101 negative

    Customers appreciate the headphones' value for money. They say the sound quality is good for the price and neutral.

    "...What they do provide is excellent value for the money. As far as the chord, I had no problem what so ever, a non factor...." Read more

    "...Even at the $150 regular price, these would be well worth it...." Read more

    "...expensive studio quality headphones, but these for their price are amazing...." Read more

    "...companies that know how to make a quality product and offer it at a fair price...." Read more

    595 customers mention "Fit"212 positive383 negative

    Customers have mixed opinions about the fit of the headphones. Some find them comfortable and fitting well over the ears, with a larger ear-hole. Others mention that the band is tight and the cups could be deeper.

    "...Caveats: First, they're large, even folded up. If you're looking for something to keep in your pocket, these are not what you want...." Read more

    "...Nothing subtle about the improvement in comfort, and larger, fitting over the ear nicely versus the stock ones. Installation is easy as well...." Read more

    "...that most of the plastic on the headband has broken off, the fit is quite a bit looser though the headband is still held together by a wide piece of..." Read more

    "...Them seem to be high quality and very sturdy. They are fairly large and bulky, although if you are looking at over the ear headphones thats..." Read more

    589 customers mention "Build quality"332 positive257 negative

    Customers have different views on the build quality of the headphones. Some find them durable, reliable, and long-lasting, able to handle a wide range of genres. Others report issues like fragile plastic parts breaking or cracking, and internal soldered wires being easily damaged.

    "...I've used this model for years, it's reliable, accurate at a price that is more than reasonable...." Read more

    "...Now that most of the plastic on the headband has broken off, the fit is quite a bit looser though the headband is still held together by a wide..." Read more

    "...These are clearly designed to keep going for years, and I suspect they'll well outlast the 2 year manufacturer's warranty...." Read more

    "...Warning if you need to replace the cord, you can easily break the internal soldered wires. Cheap wires and even cheaper solder...." Read more

    380 customers mention "Functionality"222 positive158 negative

    Customers have different views on the headphones' functionality. Some find them good for watching movies and field recording, while others report issues like the cable not working long-term, the right side not functioning properly, or speakers failing after heavy use.

    "...These are designed as "monitoring" headphones, and the fidelity definitely comes through there. These do produce a lot of sound...." Read more

    "...however they really dont work for me long term since i cant replace the cable...." Read more

    "...Watching movies works fine...." Read more

    "...I use a small portable CD player and it drives them just fine, even on battery power...." Read more

    351 customers mention "Weight"106 positive245 negative

    Customers have mixed opinions about the headphones' weight. Some find them lightweight and portable, with a thick coiled cord. Others feel the cord is too heavy, bulky, and feels like 5 pounds hanging off their head.

    "...Just as I feared though, the plastic HAS cracked and you can see the thin wires (covered in plastic or rubber) exposed...." Read more

    "...They are fairly large and bulky, although if you are looking at over the ear headphones thats probably not necessarily a concern to you...." Read more

    "...It's not your standard hair-thick headphone cord-it's a heavy, thick coiled cord like an old-style telephone handset cord...." Read more

    "...They are heavy and a bit hot and the cups could be a bit deeper...they press on my ears a bit after long wear but I've yet to find anything else I..." Read more

    Excellent studio monitoring headphones with superb passive noise isolation for under $100.
    5 out of 5 stars
    Excellent studio monitoring headphones with superb passive noise isolation for under $100.
    Pros:- Superb noise isolation. Main reason I bought this headphones is for its superior passive noise isolation which is rated at -32 dB which is better than the more popular closed-back FiiO FT1 (-26 dB).- Sounds are more accurate and cleaner compared to artificially boosted bass-y headphones that are very common nowadays.- Sturdy build with surprisingly comfortable earpads despite having a fairly strong clamp.Cons:- Cable isn't detachable.- Earpads are made of cheap leatherette so not expecting them to last 2 or 3 years before they start to flake.Overall, this is an excellent studio monitoring headphones with superb passive noise isolation and accurate sound reproduction that doesn't cost much.
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    Top reviews from the United States

    • Amazon Customer
      5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Headphones worthy of consideration
      Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2024
      Style: New ModelPattern: HeadphoneVerified Purchase
      The HD 280 pro's have a nice quality feel, and balanced non-fatiguing sound. I'm reading about these other people rating these headphones as trash, they are anything but! .... Of course they have their take, and I'm sharing mine.

      I am also a professional studio musician, like the other recent reviewer. In contrast to what he mentioned, being to flat! That is the intent for their design, to be accurate in presentation for all frequencies. Not for overly accentuated frequencies, making a mix sound inaccurate. As a percussionist, I love bass too, but not at a cost of sacrificing a well balanced studio mixed recording. Granted, they will never sound like a set of Meze Elite Aluminum headphones, but they also don't cost $4K.
      What they do provide is excellent value for the money.

      As far as the chord, I had no problem what so ever, a non factor.

      I've used this model for years, it's reliable, accurate at a price that is more than reasonable.
      I liked them so much, I personally went the extra mile of purchasing the VOARMAKS Leather Replacement Ear Pads, which is available on Amazon as well. They compliment the HD 280 pro's even more. They also improve the sound too. It's subtle, but the soundstage seems to be larger, and the presence is clearer IMO. Nothing subtle about the improvement in comfort, and larger, fitting over the ear nicely versus the stock ones. Installation is easy as well. To me it's a no brainer to purchase in addition.

      In Summary,
      Everyone has their own take, mine personally, the HD-280 Pro's is no doubt, a worthy of purchase!
      For $85 especially!
      18 people found this helpful
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    • seraphimblade
      5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant sound quality, and tough.
      Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2011
      Style: Old ModelPattern: HeadphoneVerified Purchase
      I got these after becoming frustrated with the "consumer" noise-cancelling headphones, and listening to a professional pair while helping a friend tune DJ equipment. After dealing with cord breaks (had to hold that pair dead still or you'd get cutting out and fuzz), cracking headbands, and loss of sound quality over time, I'd had more than enough. I was also sick of the slight hiss you get with active noise-cancelling, and the fact it only slightly mutes outside noise.

      The difference with these is hard to imagine, until the first time you hear them. They are, as has been previously stated, a bit toward the "bright"/treble end, but I don't find that pronounced or distracting. I can hear nuances in songs that I've been listening to for years and never noticed before-the slight tremble of guitar or piano strings after the hit, the crash and reverb of drums, slight tone shifts in vocals. These are designed as "monitoring" headphones, and the fidelity definitely comes through there.

      These do produce a lot of sound. Be forewarned that if you're used to listening to standard headphones on any device, ratchet the volume down several notches before you put these on. They don't distort at high volume (at least not as high as I could stand it to test), but they could get painful.

      The nice part is, though-you won't even want or need to listen to these at high volume! Even at a moderate volume, the nuances in the music come through crisp and clear, and the passive noise exclusion design works. At a reasonable volume, you'll shut out all but the loudest noises. I tried them right next to a running sink with some music on, and couldn't even hear the water running. I've also used them in several real situations, such as at work and on the train with people talking right next to me-not one sound. Of course, if you normally use headphones outside (especially near traffic), do be aware that these will shut out the sound of an approaching car very well too.

      For design quality, I think the part I like best is the cord. It's not your standard hair-thick headphone cord-it's a heavy, thick coiled cord like an old-style telephone handset cord. Having had cords break or develop twitches when touched or moved wrong in previous pairs of headphones, I love this-if you manage to break this one, you're REALLY abusing it. And even in that event, it's user-replaceable. This also leaves a lot of slack in the cord to stretch, if necessary. The top headband is plastic and well-padded, which also is very comfortable. The pleather cuffs on the headphone are soft and comfortable, and while I suspect they may wear out at some point, they are also user-replaceable. These are clearly designed to keep going for years, and I suspect they'll well outlast the 2 year manufacturer's warranty.

      Caveats: First, they're large, even folded up. If you're looking for something to keep in your pocket, these are not what you want. They also don't come with a bag, but I find they fit well in a larger Crown Royal bag, which I've normally used for my headphones. They are, as mentioned before, a bit toward the treble end. I still find them to have a good bass response even in heavy-bass music, but if you're looking for the "bass boost" style, these also might disappoint you. I've read some reviews stating that they had issues fitting on larger heads, but I can't see that-mine's pretty good sized and there's still plenty of slack in the headband to loosen them up further.

      Even at the $150 regular price, these would be well worth it. At their current price (under $100), I can't imagine you'd get any better for the money. If you're not used to higher-grade headphones, they'll blow you away.
      4 people found this helpful
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    • Jordan F Viray
      5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent sound, but . . .
      Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2003
      Style: Old ModelPattern: HeadphoneVerified Purchase
      the folks at Sennheiser must not have large heads. As with about every pair of headphones that I try on, I had to extend these all the way to fit. After a few months of daily use, the plastic headband began to develop small cracks. Now the cracks are growing and I fear that the whole thing will just snap one day. Unfortunately, that is one of the parts that isn't listed as replaceable.

      That said, people who look at this headphone are looking for: a) quality sound synonymous with the name Sennheiser b) excellent noise reduction.

      a) The sound from these phones is excellent. The standard criteria are there. The signal is very clean, thanks in part to the oxygen free copper cabling used. Bass is controlled and precise so a timpani doesn't sound muffled. Higher frequencies do not hiss and the phones are able to drive high frequency sounds and pull out details lost by consumer grade headphones. Soundstage is fairly narrow as some have said, but much better than consumer sets that sound like the sound source is inside your head. Of course, a DSP solution for soundstage expansion could help if someone didn't like the soundstage.

      What people should realise is that most music is optimised for listening on a stereo system and not headphones. A search for "binaural music" will yield samples that show how music should be sampled for headphones. Anyways, the HD-280 Pros also have 64 Ohms of resistance so an amplifier isn't needed.

      b) The biggest impression I got from these phones is silence. Not total silence, since with the headphones on I could still hear outside noise. Once the music starts playing, however, music is much clearer because background noises have been attenuated so effectively.

      That was the biggest attraction of these headphones. For my sound processing work, ambient noise from my computer and the outside world are suppressed admirably. 32 decibels is a lot of sound attenuation, far more than the Active Noise Reduction sets from Bose or even Sennheiser. The HD-280 Pros use passive noise attenuation. This means that for the phones to supress outside noise effectively, they have to be tight. They are very tight in fact. Four Newtons of force are applied, a number significantly larger than most headphones. If it weren't for the thoughtful padding, they would feel as uncomfortable as firing range headsets. Passive noise attenuation also means there is no artifacting from electronic noise that is usually the case in Active Noise Reduction sets.

      If you have a very large head, a solution is to find in-ear phones (the expensive Etymotics sets have even better sound quality and noise reduction). If you are sensitive to tight headphones, a solution might be the Active Noise Reduction sets (although they aren't as good sonically). If you listen to sound in a very very quiet environment, Grados or some other Sennheisers would probably get you that better soundstage for the money.

      If none of these situations applies to you, then these phones will provide better sound through their native excellent quality and their superior noise attenuation. After all, the listening experience with Sennheiser 600's on an Audigy 2 card or a tube amplifier is diminished with that noisy computer fan in the background.

      All in all, these phones are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

      *** UPDATE, October 20, 2009 ***

      Wow, well these headphones are still ticking after over six years and I'm pretty rough with my equipment! Cheap headphones break after six weeks for me because the cable gets pulled or I mess up the speaker so these Sennheisers are pretty solid.

      Just as I feared though, the plastic HAS cracked and you can see the thin wires (covered in plastic or rubber) exposed. Now that most of the plastic on the headband has broken off, the fit is quite a bit looser though the headband is still held together by a wide piece of metal. I just wish they would just make a nice metal headband to avoid the plastic cracking issue.

      While I like the fact that they aren't so tight, I don't like the fact that richness (low-end midrange and bass) suffers because of it. You can simulate this when listening by pulling the headphones slightly apart. It isn't noticeable on light music though and might not be an issue with newer versions of the HD-280 Pro.

      The ear cushions on my 6+ year headphones are worn past the leatherette, past the foam and to the foam backing layer. The top is looking ratty as well. Replacement ear cushions are around $20.00 which isn't cheap. I'll probably skip that in favor of a new pair of HD-280s - especially if they've been redesigned for larger heads as some people are indicating. I'll keep this pair around as beaters until they quit on me. However, now that I've quieted my working area, sound isolation isn't as critical to me as it was before so I might take a look at other Sennheisers.
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    • Mauricio Alves
      5.0 out of 5 stars O melhor custo-benefício em fones de ouvido,
      Reviewed in Brazil on December 24, 2024
      Style: New ModelPattern: HeadphoneVerified Purchase
      Fone impecável. Para quem possui o hábito de, por exemplo, escutar música ao vivo, e conhece o que é a resposta sonora de uma bateria, um baixo, uma guitarra, esse fone é aquele que vai entregar a melhor resposta em todas as faixas de frequência. Sua alta impedância propicia graves, em especial, muito mais bem definidos do que na maioria dos fones, particularmente aqueles na faixa dos 600 ohms, que se tornou uma espécie de standart de muitas empresas de áudio. Eu mesmo já comprei um fone nessa faixa de impedância apenas para concluir que se torna necessário um amplificador externo para que se tenha uma resposta minimamente decente. Como eu tenho placa de som dedicada, é possível fazer essa diferenciação de maneira precisa. O HD280 Pro é perfeito em qualquer tipo de ocasião, proporcionando um áudio claro, límpido e preciso que é o que se espera de um produto que leva a marca Sennheiser.
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    • William
      5.0 out of 5 stars Affordable durable headphones with comfort and deep bass for enjoyable listening
      Reviewed in Canada on April 30, 2024
      Style: New ModelPattern: HeadphoneVerified Purchase
      I got tired of buying cheap headphones that break easily and don't regret paying extra for these at all. I've been frustrated why so many companies try to save a few cents making such thin cords that break in a few months only to lose money replacing them on warranty. This actually has a cord built to last and it's coiled so it's flexible. The cord is a bit short though for my setup so I use a cord extension to make sure it doesn't get tugged and damaged.

      I'm not an audio professional but the sound quality is amazing to me and a lot more natural sounding. The bass it has feels like having a subwoofer. The frequency response is rated for 8 Hz but from my testing at typical listening volume levels it can only noticeably play tones as low as 11 Hz, which is still pretty good. It also surprisingly blocks out a lot of outside noise too, about half as much as the hearing protection I use at work.

      I also love that they're comfortable and so adjustable. I like to pull one side behind my ear while singing so I can hear myself and they still fit to my head perfectly.
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    • Kindle Customer
      5.0 out of 5 stars Best if the Best
      Reviewed in Canada on June 18, 2023
      Style: New ModelPattern: Headphone + InterfaceVerified Purchase
      Sound depth remarkable, quality as good as it gets. Cinematic sound is state of the art. As good as it gets. I highly recommend 👌
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    • Pip
      5.0 out of 5 stars Sennheiser quality.
      Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2025
      Style: New ModelPattern: HeadphoneVerified Purchase
      For the price these headphones are great. Extremely comfortable and lovely detailed sound quality. Cable length was adequate but if using away from the hifi amp you may need to purchase an extension like i did. Would recommend.
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    • Eric Hahn
      5.0 out of 5 stars Hervorragend
      Reviewed in Germany on November 17, 2024
      Style: New ModelPattern: HeadphoneVerified Purchase
      Einfach ein tolles Klangbild
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