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Pretty Darned Good
Posted by lafcadio from Knox-Vegas on 2012-04-09Posted on Sennheiser HD 239
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: comfort, bass depth, sound stage
Cons: thick upper bass, lacks that extra sparkle
I've given these cans plenty of burn-in time (100+ hours, for whatever that's worth) and have listened to them extensively over several days. The bottom line is that they're awesome for headphones that aren't in the 'audiophile' category. For instance, they have deep, bottom-octave bass with real solidity and energy, but there is a fuzziness about it that high-end phones lack. Upper bass (perhaps 100-200 Hz?) is a little pronounced, but not annoying so, at least to me. Midrange is solidly present, not particularly forward, but not recessed either. Vocals are clear and vivid, but lack the breath and air of the singer that the high end cans provide. I don't find the treble overly-dark, but it does lack the sparkle and resolution of my ATH-AD700s. Sound stage is small but clear-- not 'crowded.' It's easy to locate individual instruments in space, but it's a cozy space. So in a nutshell, they sound awesome, but if you're looking for audiophile grade, you'll be disappointed. My sense is that they're great for low-volume extended listening, but they will crank with little distortion such that you'll feel the drivers move the air around your ears.
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?
Fasntastic
Posted by bla4444 from Debrecen on 2012-04-04Posted on Sennheiser HD 239
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Very good sound, comfortable.
Cons: None
These are realy good for the price. A compared it with Koss porta pro, and beat by dr dre. It is much better than the Koss in every aspect, simply not the same class. Musc better resolution, vell defined bass, etc. Altough the beats has bigger bass, it is not better. Highly Recommend!!!
13 out of 15 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Disappointed
Posted by Jimmy D from Montreal via Pittsburgh on 2012-03-30Posted on Sennheiser HD 239
Recommend Product: No
Pros: Looks nice
Cons: The sound quality of these headphones is subpar
In the past few decades I have owned Sennheiser and used their products in my recording studio - mics and cans. I bought these to replace some inexpensive Koss headphones that I have had for several years.
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?
