Sennheiser HD-25 review

steve_1979

Well-known member
Jul 14, 2010
231
10
18,795
Visit site
So after living with these for a few months it's about time to share my thoughts on them. Bottom line first - They're brilliant!

While they don't quite have the outright level of detail and clarity of the much more expensive Sennheiser HD700, or even my DM10 speakers for that matter, they do manage to come very close. They sound far better than a £130 pair of headphones has any right to. One area where they beat the HD700 is their naturalness with all types of music. With the HD700 I gravitated towards well recorded music and avoided poor quality recordings because they sounded so bad. With the HD-25 everything sounds good which is how it should be with good quality well balanced hifi.

Being only 70 Ohms they're easy to drive and sound good straight from a phone or MP3 player. A slight improvement can be found when plugged into a proper headphone amplifier but the difference is minimal. Maybe a fraction more control in the bass but nothing really noticeable.

They're very tough too. They feel like a pair of Dr Martins. Built to be used. With the HD700 I could never quite relax when handling them. Partly because they're expensive and partly because they feel a bit delicate. I always take care of my possessions and treat things with due care but the HD-25 don't need kid gloves at all. Just use and enjoy them without a worry. They're modular too so if ever they do get damaged all of the parts are easily replaceable and can be fitted at home without the need for any special tools or expert knowledge.

So finally I come to what's arguably the most important part of a headphone. Comfort. These bode well (for me at least YMMV). They clamp your head fairly tightly but never become uncomfortable due to the soft ear padding. The split headband is a nice touch which helps too. I'm surprised that other headphone manufacturers haven't stolen this feature to improve comfort. Generally I can wear them for hours at a time without any issues. I did stretch the headband on mine very slightly because I wear glasses which has helped a bit but TBH this wasn't really necessary because they were already comfy to start with. People with large heads or those who wear glasses might want to try before they buy though in case they find them too tight.

So overall while my old HD700 are technically better for both sound and comfort I still prefer the HD-25 due to their robustness and more natural easy going sound which allows me to enjoy all types of music. For my needs they have definitely been an upgrade over the HD700. The £170 profit I made in the process was just a bonus.

Sound 8/10
Comfort 8/10
Build 10/10
Value 10/10
 
D

Deleted member 108165

Guest
I guess you meant to post this in the headphone section *biggrin*
 
D

Deleted member 108165

Guest
steve_1979 said:
I forgot there was one of those.

Easily done Steve, it appears to be renamed as the Dalethorn forum *smile*

Must say that I do like your review though *good*
 

MajorFubar

New member
Mar 3, 2010
690
6
0
Visit site
You can wait days waiting for someone to spot a new thead in a subforum so you were probably better off posting here anyway.

Nice review.

Strangely enough I wasn't massively impressed by the HD25 when I listened to a demo pair two years ago. I needed a pair of closed-backs for mixing when not near my speakers, so they were on my radar. I don't like on-ears for a kick off, which is not their fault and I guess left them with an uphill struggle, but I think the main problem was after the years of hype I expected maybe too much from them. I preferred by a country mile the sound (and fit) of the Audio Technica ATH-M50X's that I ended up buying for considerably less.
 

steve_1979

Well-known member
Jul 14, 2010
231
10
18,795
Visit site
MajorFubar said:
Strangely enough I wasn't massively impressed by the HD25 when I listened to a demo pair two years ago.

I think their fame and popularity have caused them to get a bit overhyped in the reviews by some people.

The sound the HD-25 produce is good and well rounded rather than outstanding IMO.

MajorFubar said:
I don't like on-ears for a kick off, which is not their fault and I guess left them with an uphill struggle, but I think the main problem was after the years of hype I expected maybe too much from them.

After trying a few open and closed back headphones I think I prefer closed backed ones. They seem to have more solid bass and even sound. The soundstage and 'openness' of open backed is better though. It would be nice to have both in one headphone but I've still never found it yet.

MajorFubar said:
I preferred by a country mile the sound (and fit) of the Audio Technica ATH-M50X's that I ended up buying for considerably less.

I've heard a lot of good things about Audio Technica in the pro audio world. Many people prefer them to Sennheisers.
 

insider9

Well-known member
I too favour the ability to play everything over the ultimate fidelity. But I recently found out there is a line I won't cross.

I tempted myself into buying a pair of Momentum 2 on ear. I didn't demo just ordered a pair. They went back after only a couple of days. By the look should've ordered HD-25. But there's always a question of comfort with on ear. And it looks as they do very well.

I might be well tempted should I fancy some headphones. Thanks :)
 

MajorFubar

New member
Mar 3, 2010
690
6
0
Visit site
steve_1979 said:
After trying a few open and closed back headphones I think I prefer closed backed ones. They seem to have more solid bass and even sound. The soundstage and 'openness' of open backed is better though. It would be nice to have both in one headphone but I've still never found it yet.

Yeah I'm more of an open-backed kind of guy. In fact after using some HD580 Precisions as my domestic 'non studio' phones for neigh on 20 years, I've just passed those onto one of my sons and snagged a pair of new HD650's at a very good price. I understand they have been discontinued (or are about to be be) in preference to the new HD660S's, so probably hence the good price to clear NOS. I'm not expecting a dramatic difference to be honest [to the 580's], thinking about it now I should probably have amed higher at say the HD700's, but cash was tight. It will still be nice to get a shiny new pair of Senns again.
 

cheeseboy

New member
Jul 17, 2012
245
1
0
Visit site
interesting random factoid of the day for those that didn't know, the HD 25's (slightly modded) were the headphones they used for passengers on Concorde.
 

drummerman

New member
Jan 18, 2008
540
3
0
Visit site
Agree, great sounding h/phones however, I found them very uncomfortable for anything other than short periods with far to much clamping force. - It shows they were made for broadcasting purposes rather than comfort, at least for my mis-shaped noggin.

If I'd only ever listen to cans for half an hour I would buy them.
 

steve_1979

Well-known member
Jul 14, 2010
231
10
18,795
Visit site
insider9 said:
I too favour the ability to play everything over the ultimate fidelity. But I recently found out there is a line I won't cross.

I tempted myself into buying a pair of Momentum 2 on ear. I didn't demo just ordered a pair. They went back after only a couple of days. By the look should've ordered HD-25. But there's always a question of comfort with on ear. And it looks as they do very well.

I might be well tempted should I fancy some headphones. Thanks :)

Like I mentioned they do clamp tightly so YMMV but they are comfy. They wouldn't have become an industry standard if people couldn't wear them for hours.

It's easy to try out a pair for yourself before you buy. Millions have been sold over the many years that they've been in production. Chances are if you asked around you'll already know someone who owns a pair or they'll know of someone who does. Failing that almost every DJ in the world use them and any pro audio or DJ shop worth their salt will have a pair you can try.
 

steve_1979

Well-known member
Jul 14, 2010
231
10
18,795
Visit site
I put mine across one of my speakers which are a couple of inches wider than the average human head. After ten minutes to stretch the headband they were a bit less clampy on the old noggin. Wouldn't want to stretch them too much though as it might effect their excellent sound isolation.
 

steve_1979

Well-known member
Jul 14, 2010
231
10
18,795
Visit site
The naming of the various HD-25 models is very confusing and it took me a bit of research to get to the bottom of it all. I thought it might be helpful for other people if I explained what they all are and what the differences are.

The newest version which came out in 2016 is simply called HD25 and can be identified by the Sennheiser S logo on the ear piece.

The HD25-II Basic Edition are the previous generation and can be identified by the HD25-II text on the ear piece. The difference between the previous and current versions are very minimal so it's unlikely you'll notice any difference. The Adidas ones are based on this previous generation version.

There's also an aluminum ear-cup version of the previous edition which apparently sound a tiny bit better than the plastic ones but are almost double the price so most people say they are not really worth it because the difference in sound quality is so small as to be barely noticeable.

There are also a few much older ones from when the HD25 were first released but these are pretty rare and can only be bought second hand now.

They also come in a single headband version (AKA Light or SP). This is a lower-priced version with inferior sound quality and less efficient drivers.

There's also a 'Plus' versions that come with a stretchy curly wire, a carry bag and an extra pair of velour ear pads but these are the same as the standard version in every other way.
 

steve_1979

Well-known member
Jul 14, 2010
231
10
18,795
Visit site
Generally I prefer over-ear cans to on-ear cans because they're usually more comfortable. That's not to say that on-ears can't be good too. Many on-ear headphones are very comfortable. It depends on the model you're looking at and also the shape of the listeners head and ears can have a big impact on whether you'll find a particular headphone comfy or not. What works for one person might not for the next and vice versa.

The HD-25 do clamp your head fairly tightly and I can see why this would put many people off. That said the ear pads are soft and as far as I can tell from internet reviews and from speaking to a DJ friend of mine most people are fine with them. DJs and sound engineers often wear them for several hours per day without any issue. Many people actually like how securely they're clamped to your head unlike other headphones which can move or slip. YMMV.

Personally I find the small on-ear pads of the HD-25 to be fairly comfortable. I expect most people that have an issue with the HD-25 will be due to the amount of clamping force that the headphones apply rather than the size or comfort of the pads.
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts