Sennheiser HD-25-1 ii First impression

Raymond Lin

Raymond Lin

Raymond Lin

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Lets start this by saying I am not a noob in headphones audio and I like Sennheiser. Here I have the HD495, HD580 and HD600.

I also have a pair of Sony MDR-7506 "Studio Monitors" which are closed phones.



Why am I writing this thread?

Well, I just got the much acclaimed Sennheiser HD25-1 ii (Addidas edition) and thought I would writing some initial reactions.

First of all, what do I think of the HD-25 when I first saw it?

It's crap, the plastic is like the stuff you get from some cheap kitchen tupperware plastic and not the nice air tight seal kind either. The kind that you know if you bend it a little bit more it will go white before it snaps. It's not like Apple stuff where their plastic somehow feels solid and thick, this feels light air and makes you wonder how on earth they justify selling these for £200 ?!!? Even the non Addidas normal version commands £140 RRP. This is insane!!! Dr Dre headphones are built better than these ! I am not saying they sound better but they are certainly built better!

The texture of it is also nasty, I am not a fan of the rough texture of the plastic, it reminds me of the disposal bin part in my juicer where all the rubbish goes into, literally.





The ear pads are supposed to be a sort of fake leather? If it is, it failed, big time. They also give me the impression that after a while it will go all flat and squashed.

As a whole, ,the construction of these are like headphones that cost £20 maximum, not £200. Even at the price of £100 that I paid for them, I have to admit I feel cheated, big time.

Compare to the MDR-7506 (which is the same as Sony V6 btw, but the V6 doesn't have gold plated plugs but is cheaper). The Sony is MUCH MUCH better made. I can even say it is better made than my Sennheiser HD600, which was at one point £300 pair of headphones.





The whole thing is much more solid, the extension is of real stainless steel, the fake leather is so real I am only saying it is fake because these retails at £70 and not £170. The ear pads are nice size and super comfy. The headband also nicely cushioned with more leather like wrap. Even the cable is better than that of the HD25.

In short, if there is a price against built quality proportionality sliding scale, the MDR-7506 is built like a pair of headphones worth £300 and the HD-25 is like a pair of £20 headphones. It is not even in the same league!

As for sound quality, well, the Sony sounds better I think and noticeably so. It has a better seal because it of the bigger pads and the Sony is also very neutral too. The Sennheiser leaks sound like nothing else, the small ear cups doesn't help it and it is hard to find a comfortable position on the head for these because of the design of 1 side can be tilted off 90 degrees for DJ-ing purposes. So it is quite easy to knock it off centre and then you are wondering what on earth is going on with these on your head.

It is early days as the HD25 isn't fully run in but so far, very disappointing. The Sony being half its price is better sounding and 10 times better built. The Sony can also be folded inwards to make it "smaller" too and comes with a MUCH nicer bag. Leather like vs Nylon of the HD25.

Oh yes, the HD-25 also comes with spare white cotton pads....who would use these? it will get dirty after a day and will stain try easily.





Conclusion, if you want a pair of Closed Headphones and were thinking of buying the HD25-1 ii. Think HARD, REALLY HARD, and unless you really really want that twist one side off centre ear cup feature for DJ-ing, don't bother, get the Sony MDR-7506, save yourself £70 and spend that on an Amp.

p.s. sorry for the bad pics (seriously!), in a rush to get this typed as I need to head to bed now.
 
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I told a lie, I also got a pair of Goldring NS1000 to compare it to, and they retail for £60, and better built than the Sennheiser HD25, sound wise, it's close, its not as good as the Sony but I bought it for different purposes, its noise cancelling so I can't directly compare it to the others as I only ever use it on the plane.

 
Very harsh review I must say, but I guess if you aren't impressed by them fair enough.

Your actual comments on the sound equate to "As for sound quality, well, the Sony sounds better I think and noticeably so" though which doesn't really cut it in a review about headphones lol.

I personally think the HD25 is the best portable headphone you can get under £150 and for £100 it was a steal.

EDIT: Lol creating quite a stir on HF I see.
 
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Raymond Lin said:
I told a lie, I also got a pair of Goldring NS1000 to compare it to, and they retail for £60, and better built than the Sennheiser HD25
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Haha, you've got to be kidding!

I've seen no end of people complaining about their NS1000's breaking in the last year.

A friend of a friend, is a DJ. He uses HD25's, and they have been abused beyond belief, yet they are still going strong.

Despite their looks, they are a lot stronger than you give them credit for. Unless of course, Adidas somehow make their branded ones, worse.
 
They made be durable because there's not much there to go wrong. Basically 2 pieces of cheap plastic connected together so a very simple design. That still doesn't take away the fact that it is not a product that is worth £200. Look at £200 speakers and see what you can get. If your argument is the money goes into the drivers then I am skeptical as well, they should sound better for £200 if most of the money went on sound R&D.

When I spend £200 on a product, it should feels like it, this feels like something that is 1/10th of its price.
 
HD25s cost £140 though. The £200 price tag is purely for the Adidas branded version.

Sounds like you should just sell yours on as you aren't happy with them. I'm sure there will be many people wanting them from you at a reasonable price.
 
Agreed harsh review. But then I guess headphones are a very personal thing for fit and comfort. I find they seal over my ears really nice and dont leak. Personally I find them pretty solid for build also and I've been carting mine around for over a year getting chucked in my messenger bag etc.

Remember you're paying more for the Adidas branding, my hd25 cost me 125 quid if I remember rightly. The standards come with black material spare pads so much better than white.

If you watch live performances on the tv then the hd25 varients usually feature heavily so they really cannot be that bad. I was reading some tests using different cables on th 25s the other night and the standard steel cable can easily be replaced with those from other sets if the need takes you.
 
Shamrock said:
HD25s cost £140 though. The £200 price tag is purely for the Adidas branded version.

Sounds like you should just sell yours on as you aren't happy with them. I'm sure there will be many people wanting them from you at a reasonable price.
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It's not worth £140 either, like i said, it feels and sound like a £20 product. I feel like people changed their perception of these because they are retailing at a higher price. Sure they are neutral but so are the Sony and that's half the price of the sennheiser and actually feels like your money has gone somewhere when you pick it up.
 
I bought some second hand Sennheiser HD25 SP, granded they are not the same as the HD-25-1 ii but I sold them the day after.

I bought them to use with my ipod classic and they sound output was very low on max volume. I'm sticking to my CX300 earphones for the time being and maybe going to try some high end earphones in the future - sennheiser IE8, monster turbine copper etc
 
Guest2 said:
I bought some second hand Sennheiser HD25 SP, granded they are not the same as the HD-25-1 ii but I sold them the day after.

I bought them to use with my ipod classic and they sound output was very low on max volume. I'm sticking to my CX300 earphones for the time being and maybe going to try some high end earphones in the future - sennheiser IE8, monster turbine copper etc
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Can't comment on the sp but the 25-1ii on an iPod classic makes my ears bleed. Probably won't help I just got a Fiio e11 :D
 
raymond fancy a straight swap for a normal pair?

i really wanted these but already had the normal pair, and it was me who posted the link on these forums at 5am, so you guys could get them before they sold out.

i would really appreciate it mate, especially since you dislike them so much.
 
I don't know why he is whining about them so much. He doesn't like the sound so sell them and move on.

I didn't like the HD600, but I didn't rant about it and **** them off as many people do like them. I sold it so somebody else could use it.

Just to balance out all the negativity, here is an un-biased, impartial description of the sound from someone who has reviewed ~100 headphones.

Sound (9/10): Upon first hearing the HD25-1 I was absolutely convinced that I would be giving them a 10/10 in sound quality. Having owned them for a while, however, I can’t help but notice that for $200 headphones they are just slightly lacking here and there. But the fact that I am still using them as my primary portables is certainly telling of the fact that they are a competitive product. They are well-balanced with a slight reduction in midrange emphasis, have good clarity and detail, and are quite transparent when it comes to sources. The bass is tight and accurate. It’s hard-hitting in character and more punchy than powerful as opposed to something like the K181Dj or M-Audio Q40. It has impressive extension, though it won’t keep up with the M-Audios down to the lowest reaches. It is also well-textured and does not bleed into the midrange. For a portable headphone the quantity of bass is just right – a bit more than what one would expect from an analytical headphone but far from AKG K81/K181 quantity.

The mids are neutral, clear, and detailed. Articulation is very good and sounds are well-separated. However, the HD25 is lacking noticeably in both soundstage width and depth, at least when compared to most full-size headphones. Most of the other closed portables I own don’t exactly shine in soundstaging either but I can’t help but be disappointed that the smaller and cheaper PX200-II has a more spacious sound. Sheer size aside, soundstage positioning is fairly precise and instrumental separation is excellent on all but the densest tracks. Towards the upper midrange the HD25-1 struggles to stay smooth and as a result is very unforgiving of sibilant tracks. The high end is quite present and reasonably extended but comes off a bit edgy and clinical at times. The overall sound, though, is quite pleasant and works particularly well for genres not dependent on soundstage size for the full experience. All of my quibbles aside, the HD25 is as good for use on the go as any portable headphone I have heard.
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Raymond what is your sauce?

Can't believe you bashed them so hard, they're a great headphone and well regarded im not in the slightest bit surprised hf is having a fit.

Especially comparing them to dre's, now that will wind them up.

I think you need to visit an audiologist at some point.
 
I didn't like them much at first either, but unfortunately didn't give them much of a chance until I'd decided I'd sell them on. It was at this point I realised they were great straight from my MP3 player. I also agree that they're not the nicest looking headphones ever, but on the flipside they are pretty much indestructible if rather (necessarily) plasticy.

However, they really aren't that comfy, and proper IEMs isolate better so I couldn't convince myself to keep them. I want headphones that I can forget I'm wearing when indoors (HD 25s hurt my ears), and something that isolates like a beast when outside and is discrete (IEMs are better on both counts for me).

I know they're good headphones, but they aren't good enough at one particular thing for me to want to buy another pair.
 
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