Replete with premium components, proprietary technology and several industry firsts, Sennheiser’s HD800 headphones easily earn their place amongst the very best ever made. Retailing at just under $1400.00 though, the cover charge for this listening party is a little steep. However, if you want a jaw-droppingly amazing personal audio experience, these cans deliver and then some.

Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat: The HD800 headphones are BIG. From the case to the cord, it’s clear that Sennheiser’s prime directive was audio perfection and, apparently, the manufacturer believes that size really does matter. The case for the company’s flagship cans is about the same size as a large shoe box (13.5”x105”x5.5). Opening the hinged case reveals a satin-lined, custom-cut foam bed in which the HD800’s rest snugly. Perched near our listening station, the silver and black HD800’s exuded a trophy-like quality that is sure to make any owner very proud, indeed.

The cord for the HD800 set is 3 meters long and terminates on one end with custom, detachable stereo connections – one for each headphone. We know plenty of folks who have ripped headphones right off of their head by tripping on the cable. Thanks to Sennheiser’s breakaway connectors though, you’re not likely to do any serious damage.

On the other end of the cable is a ¼” male jack. As the larger of the two common connectors, this jack will NOT fit into your laptop, iPod or other portable device. To do that, you’ll need a ¼” to 1/8” adapter that is generally available wherever electronics are sold. The included ¼” connector will fit into most receivers, mixing boards and headphone amplifiers, however. As these headphones are designed with listening enthusiasts in mind, we are not surprised to see them natively terminated with the larger ¼” jack. However, an included adapter might be a nice idea for future consideration, given the popularity of today portable media players.

A quick weight comparison between the HD800s and a reference pair of AKG K141 monitor headphones revealed that the substantially larger Sennheiser set isn’t notably heavier than other headphones of this type and grade. Consider it a reflection of the cutting=edge materials that the HD800’s are constructed from.

Features and Design

The materials used for ear and head cushioning are soft microfiber fabric over foam. During our listening tests, we never experienced any fatigue from extended listening sessions. Unlike more typical leather applications, we found that these headphones stayed cool, dry and effortlessly comfortable even after hours of constant wear. For even more comfort, the HD800 headphones are very limber. The headband offers independent adjustment on the left- and right-hand sides, and two sets of hinge points allow on-the-fly adjustment as your head moves. Overall, the HD800s are very comfortable.Just beyond the extremely comfortable exterior lay the guts and glory of the HD800s. Here, Sennheiser has mounted the largest transducers ever used in a headphone. The size of the transducer, stainless steel mounting material, open-backed design and premium wiring configuration are designed with as much care as the highest-end audio equipment available today. This allows them to deliver an amazingly open, uncompressed sound with deep bass extension.

Performance

Sennheiser wants you to know that the HD800 audiophile headphones were “Crafted for Perfection.” While such claims in the audio industry can usually be chalked up to little more than marketing hype, there is good reason to believe that Sennheiser made every effort to achieve perfection while developing the HD800’s over a period of 8 years. Reading the back-story on Sennheiser’s website, it is clear that the company takes a great deal of pride in this product.

To test the sound of the HD800s, we used an array of components including an iPhone 3G, Onkyo TX-SR705 Surround Receiver, Dell Latitude D810 laptop computer and a HeadRoom Total BitHead headphone amplifier.

Donning the HD800’s for the first time, you may get the feeling that you’re about to direct ground traffic at the airport. (Which is to say that the sensation of having the entire ear encompassed, for some, will initially take a little bit of getting used to.) Nonetheless, after a few minutes of wear, the relatively lightweight headphones seem to disappear on your head. We have to credit the HD800’s creators for managing to make such a large transducer sit comfortably on the head. The slim profile of the headphones seems to make up for their large surface area and keeps the ‘phones from becoming clumsy.

Conclusion

Uncompromising design standards have produced a truly outstanding product in Sennheiser’s HD800 headphones. The cans’ flair for accuracy, detail, openness and depth represent a giant leap forward in the world of audiophile gear. As such, we recommend anyone considering a high-end headphone purchase to put these on their short list.

Highs:

• Exceptional Sound
• High Quality Construction
• Extremely comfortable for long term use

Lows:

• Not easily portable
• Ambient noise is easily audible
• No 1/8” adapter for use with portable audio devices

Source: digitaltrends.com

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On-ear headphones are a great alternative to the pedestrian earbuds that usually accompany portable music players. Not only are they vastly more comfortable, but they usually sound considerably better than their tiny, plastic brethren. With the PS 320, Phiaton aims to offer a smart looking, super comfy pair of headphones that look and sound a lot like more expensive brands – but at a fraction of the cost. However, while the Phiaton PS320 Primal Series look very handsome and sound fairly good, their spendy price tag, lack of bass and tendency to break up when the music gets busy lessens the overall appeal of this set of cans.

The PS 320 headphones from Phiaton come in an appealing case, surrounded in clear, molded plastic to show off their refined look. Opening the case reveals that there is little more to the package than the headphones themselves. Along with the PS 320 is an equally attractive carrying case and a brief user guide with warranty information. No extension cord or adapters included.

The PS 320 look very comfortable, and they are. Their headband is well padded with a soft leather material on the exposed side and a breathable, sheer fabric on the portion that rests against the head. The inside of the earcups are well padded and covered with the same leather material found on the headband. The outside of the earcups is covered with Phiaton’s signature “Primal” leather material accented by a polished grey metal ring that gives off a dark, classy sheen. The earcups are mounted to the headband at two pivoting points to increase comfort.

Inside the earcups are a 40mm bass driver and 16mm high frequency driver connected by a passive crossover network.

The cord length is about 1 meter and is terminated to at the left earphone.

The PS 320 certainly look like high performance headphones and the specs would lead one to believe they are capable of delivering a satisfying listening experience. We found though that the PS 320’s didn’t quite sound as good as they look. While the sound that we experienced was certainly better than what most budget earbuds could ever hope to offer, there was an obvious lack of bass that came as a bit of a disappointment. Outside of the bass department, we felt the PS 320 had a lot of zeal and tended toward the brighter end of the spectrum. While they held together well at most volumes, we did notice that music featuring lots of brass or high string instruments seemed to tax the headphones in a way that compromised their performance. Somehow, the instruments muddled together instead of remaining separate and distinct.

For $199.00, Phiaton’s PS 320 headphones offer good looks, great comfort and easy portability but fall a little short of their expected audio performance. Their anemic bass response and lack of accessories seem to contradict their price and appearance, earning them a slightly lower mark in this review.

In the final analysis, the Phiaton PS 320 headphones aren’t an everyman’s (or everywoman’s) model; rather, they’re suitable for users who prefer a super crisp and bright audio response.

Highs:

• Comfortable, lightweight compact
• Closed back design minimizes outside noise
• Sound better than earbuds

Lows:

• Weak bass response
• Sound gets muddy at high volumes
• No supplied adapters

Source: phiaton.com

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Unfatiguing natural sound gets you closer to the music. Noise isolating design for use on the move. Metal and sealed-leather construction maximizes comfort, for life-long listening. Made for iPod®, with cables supplied for speech and device control.

Bowers & Wilkins is proud to announce its first ever headphone. Designed for use on the move, the P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphone allows people to have Bowers & Wilkins sound quality wherever they are.

Some 45 years of audio experience has gone into the P5; close to five-decades of research into what true sound is. The ultimate aim of all Bowers & Wilkins products is to bring the listener as close as possible to the sound intended by the recording engineers. That is as true of the world-renowned 800 Series speakers used in the likes of Abbey Road Studio, as it is for the best sounding premium iPod® speaker available, Zeppelin. And now it’s true for Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones.

Recognizing that many mobile headphones can be tiring when listened to over extended periods, Bowers & Wilkins’ engineers at the world-famous Steyning Research Establishment have worked tirelessly to produce a headphone with a natural, unfatiguing performance. The use of specially developed ultra-linear neodymium magnets and highly optimized Mylar diaphragms provide the best possible sound quality. As always, countless hours of critical listening and tuning have played a major part in the P5’s natural and engaging performance.

This pristine sound performance is married to design and construction techniques aimed at isolating as much noise as possible, for consumers that do not require full electronic noise cancellation. This isolation is achieved through a combination of the closed-back design featuring a rigid metal faceplate, and the sealed-leather ear pads.

These materials not only remove a lot of external noise, providing an enveloping listening experience without completely removing the user’s sense of place, they also offer an extremely comfortable user experience. The leather-clad headband has been designed for extreme comfort where it interfaces with the side of the head, while the softest available sheep’s leather from New Zealand has been used for the ear pads.

Recognizing the dominance of Apple’s iPod and iPhone® in the portable media market, the P5 comes supplied with a Made For iPod approved cable, which allows for speech and device control. It also comes supplied with a high-quality, standard audio cable with gold-plated plugs. Switching between the two is facilitated by the magnetically attached ear pads, which simply pop off allowing access to the cable.

Bowers & Wilkins P5 is available from January 2010.

Source : ecoustics.com

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Monster Cable has announced that, working in conjunction with Miles Davis Properties, LLC, it has created and will soon release an individually numbered, limited edition set of “Miles Davis Tribute” high-performance in-ear headphones. The Miles Davis models are visually striking and are finished in a gold/brass finish that, according to a Monster press release, is “based on the actual trumpet played by the artist,” and that features “a Miles Davis silhouette and gold-etched signature on the earpiece.” Continuing the Davis theme, the headphones come equipped with what Monster terms an “attractive ‘kind of blue’ cord and uniquely designed “musical instrument” carry case” that features a plush blue velvet inlay with a gold printed signature.”

Although we can’t say for sure, photos of the Miles Davis Tribute models lead us to think the design of the headphones is derived, at least in part, from that of Monster’s upcoming top-of-the-line Turbine Pro headphones. Monster Cable founder Noel Lee says “our goal with these Miles Davis Tribute headphones was to literally elevate the personal music listening experience with a product capable of reproducing the many subtle shadings and dynamics of all types of music, including the unmistakable Miles sound, with a style and design that is the ‘essence of cool.’”

The Monster press release adds that the headphones come with multiple sizes of the firm’s new “high performance ‘SuperTip’ eartips that offer superior noise isolation, while improving the overall performance by preventing sound leakage.” According to Monster, “the key to the effectiveness of SuperTip eartips is a patent-pending engineered material that provides a secure custom seal to help eliminate unwanted noise.” What is more, the Miles Davis Tribute models are fitted with an “innovative cable management system features a convenient designed on-cable slider and clip that keeps weight off the headphones so they stay snug in the user’s ears.”

Apart from the excellence of the headphones themselves, part of the appeal of the Miles Davis Tribute models involves the extras they include. Monster states that purchasers of the headphones will “be able to enjoy free of charge the official 50th Anniversary boxed set of the artist’s seminal album Kind of Blue, featuring two music CDs, a DVD and a 24-page booklet.” The headphones also come with a remarkable guarantee, the terms of which provide “a one-time Limited Lifetime Replacement Guarantee with Miles Davis Tribute headphones—even if users accidentally break the headphones themselves, Monster will replace them once for no charge!”

Source : monstercable.com

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