Sennheiser HD 25 SP

A brilliant set of headphones!I bought these to replace my Sennheiser EH150's which served me well for nearly 4 years! Despite the box of the HD-25SP's promoting them for DJ use, I use them as Monitoring headphones as I'm student studying creative music technology. I find they're great for monitoring due to their overall clarity and frequency range. The bass on these is a bit stronger than the fully featured HD-25 II's (which my friend has) which suggests why the SP's are marketed towards DJ's. However, from listening to both models, the performance is quite similar.For a pair of headphones for basic listening, they sound superb, with the bass being punchy and strong but not overpowering. The tremble is beautifully clear, and it's easy to listen deep into mixes to pick out all the elements.The build quality, despite feeling flimsy, I think is actually quite good. The headphones are very light weight, but tough at the same time. With the 2 year guaranty and replaceable parts I think I can expect to have these headphones for quite some time, however the spares seem very expensive. The only thing that drags these down to 9/10 rather than full marks, is the comfort. The Cheaper HD-25SP's have a much in-superior headband than the HD-25 II's, and the random foam stuck on the underside is a tad tacky and ugly. But the main reason for discomfort is due to the way the cups sit on your ears. But, my friends HD-25's which he's had for a year or so, are much more comfortable, as the foam pads seem to soften after a fair bit of use. It's a bit like wearing in a pair of shoes.

Nothing I've tried sound as good as these Sennheiser HD 25 SP headphones. They have a clean, fast sound with a touch of warmth. I use them with my laptop and mp3 player to listen to Progressive House, Trance etc. You get a real feel that you are hearing what the musician wants you to hear. The only thing wrong with them is the fact that they sit ON my ear and my upper ear becomes very painful after 30 minutes or so. But they sound so good its worth the pain!! They have reignited my passion for music.

Sennheiser HD 25 SP are a nice pair of phones for reasonable price. Used in audio monitoring, able to swivel earpiece.

I ordered a brand new pair of Sennheiser HD 25 SP headphones for a really good price. I would mainly use them for DJ-ing, but I like to listen to the iPod when I'm on the move. The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was that the design is SO simple. It would be next to impossible to really break them beyond repair! This is one of the reasons I bought these. Being a student, the kind of money that this kind of quality demands doesn't come around that much, so having to replace a whole set of headphones because of minor damage was NOT on the books. I expect these things to last me years, even if I manage to go through a headband or an ear-cup. Much cheaper than shelling out for a new set!

I also find the simple design is a benefit on the road! Not only can they just be thrown in the record bag, but if you're listening at a bus station, you don't look like a rich kid with 'da bling bling' headphones. Where I'm from especially, people will rob you for something decent, so the fact that it looks 'cheap' from afar will hopefully draw less attention.

While I'm still breaking them in as I write this review, the sound is really really good! The highs are clean and don't feel like your head is going to explode during a guitar riff! The bass is fast and punchy, which for my mixing is perfect. The bass isn't heaped on like its vanilla ice-cream, but it's definitely there. The mids are as you would expect - brilliant!! As a result, even when the music is cranking and the crowd is screaming, these things would make live mixing a breeze! The outside noise practically disappears when you have the music playing, and when the beat is even slightly out of time, you will have picked up through the headphones before the crowd ever knows!

If I had to whinge about something, it would be the comfort levels. While you can't have your cake and eat it too, with this style of 'pad on ear' headphone, I find that the HD25SP1's are pretty comfortable for a while. Then the inevitable fatigue kicks in and they start to hurt. But that takes a few hours, and you don't really have a choice with anything similar to these. The double-sided cord is a little annoying at times, because you will find that one cup will spin around, and you're left with a confusing mess, with one cable twisted and the other one near perfect. In that situation, it usually gets a lot worse before you eventually figure it out, and then it's all good. It might be a bit embarassing at a gig to be seen having a violent argument with your headphones, but it is manageable with a little care.

Overall though, I'm quite satisfied with the purchase. I was going to buy the Sony V700's, but it all came back to the build quality. The reality is, most, if not all headphones in this price range are going to sound 'good'. Some just sound better than others, but by no means are the lesser headphones bad (mostly)! I chose these because I don't plan on paying this much for another set, so I wanted it to last. Replaceable parts have probably more than doubled the life of my Senns!

Bottom line... Great for those who plan to shell out for a decent set, but who don't plan on upgrading. If I had to buy one set and one set only, I would gladly take these any day! Sound, strength, durability and versatility! If I wanted to (which I don't), I could throw out every other set of cans except these, and I would still be able to listen to my iPod, DJ at home, DJ live, produce, monitor and just listen! Just fantastic!

The Sennheiser HD 25 SP headphones are a very good can for people on the move. They can be folded flat for easy transport.