Headphones
Sennheiser HD 239
A wonderful little headphone, the Sennheiser HD 239 delivers astonishingly good sound from its open-back earcups given its tiny ergonomic dimensions. Very robustly built, the unassuming HD239 is a terrific upgrade for any mobile audio device and strong all-around headphone with very clear, evenly balanced sonics. Able to fold for easy storage or transit, these lightweight cans are also excellently designed as typical for Sennheiser. Small but plush earcups complete the picture for maximum comfort in this category.
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Product Features:
- Amongst smallest headphones with best sound quality
- Earpieces are small in dimension but very plushly padded for excellent wearing comfort
- Sealed-back earcup construction offers only very mild-to-moderate attenuation of ambient noise
- 2-year Sennheiser manufacturer's warranty
What's In The Box:
- Soft storage pouch
- Sennheiser owner's manual
Applications:
We all want to plug in our new headphones and get that "WOW!" experience at the least possible expense. Lucky for our wallets, Sennheiser's R&D department has produced a true sound quality winner with the HD239 model. Smooth highs and richly punchy bass bracket a clean midrange that exhibits little trace of graininess or distortion even at loud listening levels. Given this can's tiny overall dimensions, its quite a big surprising sound emanating from such a little headphone. The HD239's featherweight one-piece headband design is another Sennheiser materials lab marvel and makes this one of the most comfortable and durable general purpose/home/office headphones we've worn, even during long listening sessions. The open-back (zero isolation) small-dimension on-ear cushions are thoroughly padded, quite comfy, and should provide a secure fit no matter the size of your noggin. The small earpieces also make it easy to quickly drop the headphones around your neck when needing to chat. A leap forward in high-performance/high-definition small portable headphones, the affordable HD239 will please demanding listeners as well as those just wanting supreme comfort and sound direct from iPod, iPad, MP3, laptop/PCs, or portable player devices with no amp needed; in fact, we hear very limited sonic improvement when adding a dedicated head-amp, so no worries there!
The Sennheiser HD239 comes in a a black-grey matte color with a silver mesh screen covering the open-backed supra-aural earcups. The headband adjusts for size and is outfitted with deeply padded foam/fabric cushions that are a cut above the pads found on many other portable-oriented headphones of this size. The earpad cushions are easily replaceable when they wear out. The HD239 are also extremely efficient cans rating at 32 Ohm impedance and 114dB sensitivity, ensuring excellent performance from even very weak-amped (portable) audio sources. The HD239's short non-detachable headphone cord is just over 4ft long, designed for no-tangles mobility while portable listening, and terminates to a straight 3.5mm (1/8") 'mini' plug. However, NO full-sized 1/4" plug adapter comes included in the Sennheiser HD239 packaging so make sure to pick one up if needed for your source(s). A handy travel/storage pouch is provided. The free 2-year manufacturer's product warranty remains standard with all Sennheiser headphones when proof-purchased at authorized Sennheiser vendors, like us here at HeadRoom since 1992!
Specifications:
- Manufacturer Warranty: 2 Years
- Headphone Type: Earpad
- Connector Type: 1/8
- Weight: 9.9 oz w/o cord
- Isolation: -5dB ~ 10dB
- Impedance @ 1kHz: 32 Ohms
- Detachable Cable: No
- Cord Type: Straight Left-Side
- Ear Coupler Type: Earpad
- Driver Type: Dynamic
- Acoustic Seal: Open
- Sensitivity: 114 dB
Average Rating
Posted by lafcadio from Knox-Vegas on 2012-04-09
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: comfort, bass depth, sound stage
Cons: thick upper bass, lacks that extra sparkle
Other factors make these headphones a very sensible realistic choice. Wearing comfort is phenomenal. They remind me of the (shudder) Bose OE2's in terms of build, but of course they're built much better and sound much better. I hate to say it, but I did find the Bose a little more comfortable. Still, I've worn them for about 6 hours at work today (with glasses even!) and my ears feel fine-- not hot, not sore. The left-sided cord makes packing and unpacking easy, and prevents tangles. Cord length is just right for portable music players and laptops, although the plug juts out a good two inches from my MacBook, making it a little awkward to sit cross-legged as I'm prone to do.
Finally, as they're open-back they do allow outside sounds. But interestingly, the padding does provide just a smidgen of isolation, filtering out most minor sounds in the environment that aren't loud voices, trucks, or jet engines. Such isolation is just right for office-types like me who actually need to live in the world around them.
In sum, they're a great buy. Highly recommended for mortals and other realistically-minded music lovers. It's not like you were going to get rid of your 701's anyway.
UPDATE (12/6/2012): After several months I'm still very happy with them. They're just so easy to take on and off, stuff in a bag, and go. They still sound great, and they're still incredibly comfortable. And they've taken quite a beating without injury.
21 out of 23 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Posted by bla4444 from Debrecen on 2012-04-04
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Very good sound, comfortable.
Cons: None
13 out of 15 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Posted by Jimmy D from Montreal via Pittsburgh on 2012-03-30
Recommend Product: No
Pros: Looks nice
Cons: The sound quality of these headphones is subpar
My office is right by a noisy conference room and I upgraded to these headphones that cost four times the Koss....the first time I put on the HD 239 headphones I was really disappointed... throughout the day I would do A to B comparison and the inexpensive Koss phones won hands down...more dB SPL, better bass...better overall quality...more open....etc...
I usually do not complain...this product is an exception to that rule....
41 out of 51 people found this review unhelpful. Did you?
