Sennheiser HD 380 Pro Reviews

Steve Taylor
from Buena Vista, CO
May 6, 2013Music Background:
Hobbyist

Definitely an Upgrade

I've never heard my keyboard sound so good. More than twice as good as my headphones that cost half as much. Thanks for the suggestion from Bob Mondok, Sweetwater Sales Engineer.

Chaz
from Tampa, FL
February 21, 2013Music Background:
Studio Owner

Best Studio Headphones, period.

These are simply the BEST cans for studio usage, period. Whether it's for the artist tracking or me referencing a mix, they're extremely lightweight and comfortable and offer the isolation of the 280's in a more comfortable device. Minimal bleed is critical while tracking and these offer excellent attenuation. Worth every single penny.

Peter Nabut
from Southampton, MA
October 29, 2012Music Background:
Pro Audio Engineer, Audio Educator, Musician

Live Engineer's Marvel!

As a live engineer in a club that frequently has bands that insist on average stage volume hovering around 110 dB (flat) I have frequently worn my Westone earplugs under my headphones while mixing monitors. No More! While the isolation of the 280s is great, the 380s isolation plus accuracy of reproduction makes these the perfect live monitor cue phones. I tried them in my studio as well on a recent demo and was blown away by the detail. Musical, light and well constructed and the case and foldability make these easy to put in your backpack without worry. You can even unplug the nice coiled cable and wear the phones as stand alone ear protection. I highly recommend these phones!

en76
from hawaii
June 29, 2012Music Background:
serious hoppyist.

its been over a year since my last review

why the five star now? it is one of my versitile and most used headphone. I choose these for my daily use for my galaxy s2 phone. the really surprising thing to me is how loud it gets and very defined in sound compare to my 840 and 940 especially using my galaxy s2 phone. It has to be the design that goes in to these. never give you the sense of bulkyness on your head or wanna remove it because its just inspires you to keep listening to you favorite musics . its just right on. well, the resistance # on these are higher compares to 840 and 940 but they don't really show at all. perfect for all gangre of music. noise rejection on these are just right on.
Am very pleased and really what can i say- it my go to cans. wow just never poring listen to these and love the fact that i don't need and H-amp at all. excellant cans...if your looking to get a pro studio headphone that also won't irritate or struggle on your smartphone/laptop then these are it.

Joe
from Washington
May 10, 2012Music Background:
musician and music lover

another level of quality

Clarity is unmatched. When normal headphones distort during a very demanding section of song all remains clear. You have to have high quality audio to appreciate them and a sufficient power source. Portable device just dont cut it, Im getting a headpone amp right away. Totally brings the music to life. You will pick up on details and changes you never knew were there.

Rodrigo Moraes
from United States
April 19, 2012

Fantastic

great price and the sound quality is amazing! Really clear sounds!!

Rezz Wolf
from
February 23, 2012Music Background:
Recording Engineer

Wow Baby

Pure clarity And Bass

randal j roubal
from calif
December 12, 2011Music Background:
On Air-Personality

Love My Sennheiser 380's

I'm not going to get all crazy about this and that about these headphones, but I will say this for working as an On Air-Personality I have been nothing but Happy about my Sennheiser 380 Pro's, they are just what the Dr ordered, if your a on Air DJ, don't mess around with all the other headphones, just do it right the first time and buy the Sennheiser 380 Pro's:)

from IA
November 20, 2011Music Background:
Hobbyist

Avid Listener

I am in my 40's and have a huge music collection & bought the IE7 ear buds w/ are very nice , but the HD380's are hands down for the money very impressive. The detail of each individual instrument is comes w/ a clairity I've never heard. Listening to many of my old favorites sound like they were recoreded w/ today's technology. The comfort is very nice & the weight is very light and easy to wear for long periods of time.

Tom Rousseau
from Hood River, OR
November 9, 2011

Great headphones

Just what you would expect from Sennheiser! Well balanced frequency response with very low distortion and execllent articulation. Comfortable to wear for hours and excellent isolation from ambient noise.

Mickey B
from
November 1, 2011

Love 'em

Switched to these from a pair of HD 280 pro's, which I loved, and love these even more. Highly recommended.

Nana Kweku Osei
from GHANA ACCRA
August 17, 2011Music Background:
Recording Engineer Programmer Musician etc

Just 4 Me (Nacy Ghana Africa)

This HD 380 Pro has open a new view of RECORDING for me. And i think AFRICA mass Run for this PRODUCT. (AFRICA, OUR MUSIC SPIRIT IS NOW HERE) I LOVE SENNHEISER!!!

Brian Shore
from Pasadena, MD
June 20, 2011Music Background:
Semi-Pro Musican

Just what I needed

I'm a big guy, 6'2'' 230lb, & these adjust to fit very comfortable. The first time I test drove these I could not believe how natural the sound was. I listened to a number of tracks I am very familiar with, like Sgt. Pepper, and tunes that I've herd on every stereo since that album came out (yes I bought it when it first was released) had a clarity I've rarely herd even on some rather high end systems. Great buy, beyond excellent service, I'm hooked on Sweetwater

Jerry
from Midwest
February 27, 2011Music Background:
Recording since 1969

Best Tracking Cans Period!!!

The HD380 Pro is the best set of tracking cans bar none!!!
Snug fit, rich deep bass, best in class isolation to prevent bleed into the mic - just what the vocalist needs. Also perfect for drummers, loud guitarists, bass and synth players too. Their low impedance makes them an ideal match for the variety of tracking headphone systems on the market. They do have a bit of color to their sound so I do not recommend these for studio mix monitoring. Their snug fit gets a bit uncomfortable so wearing them for more than fifteen or twenty minutes at a crack may cause discomfort to some. I also highly recommend these for live FOH and on the stage Monitor Mixing Board. DJ's, you'll love 'em too!

Danno
from Portland, OR USA
February 20, 2011Music Background:
Hobbyist, former pro musician

Same as always--the best

Have to put in kudos for my sales engineer, Bob Furlong, for being there when I needed to exchange Audio Technicas for the Sennheiser HD380. The ATs had great flat sound but just did not fit comfortably--a personal thing but very important with hours in the studio. No problem, no hassle from Sweetwater, and the new Senns arrived here on the west coast in less than 3 days.

I've had Sennheisers for more than 20 years, last pair of HD250s were running on second replacement can, finally buzzed out the left side. Thought the ATs would be worth a try, but again, not comfortable after 30 minutes use. I've already noticed the HD380 difference for my head--YMMV. The 380s have great mids and highs, okay lows, and I can eq the lows if I really need to.

Sometimes Sweetwater prices aren't the lowest, but for peace of mind, real care, and that extra satisfaction knowing you're dealing with pros, the Sweetwater people can't be beat. I'll pay the extra bucks every time to get service like this. This experience paid for itself.

Michael Saker
from Minnesota
August 16, 2011Music Background:
Guitarist, Recording engineer, mixing engineer.

Excellent headphones in their price range

I have a pair of HD 280's so I decided to give the HD 380's a try. I was instantly sold. All of the positive things about the 280's but more comfortable. A much better better bass response and unbeatable stereo imaging. The low end is smooth and powerful and the high end is quite clear with out being harsh or tinny. Give these headphones a shot! I think you will be pleased.

EN76
from hawaii
March 6, 2011Music Background:
Hobbyist :D

very good

no need amps... loud enough for your mini mac. much better and improved from my 280. Just perfect for what I'm gonna use for(tracking, live mixing) and listening to music on my Mac.
yep! will agree that the bass and mids do stick out which is not a surprise for close cans. these cans basically a much improved version of the HD 280 overall just what I expected.

A Mohler
from Tone Art Studio, Ocean Springs, MS
May 21, 2010Music Background:
recording engineer, musician

Perfect for recording sessions

These headphones are great for exactly what I needed them for. The drummers I have been recording are always complaining about not being able to hear the mix in their headphones in the room, due to the loudness of the drum kit and the quietness of my (previous) headphones. These did the trick... great noise reduction and VERY comfortable to wear headphones, everything that I was needing. Plus they compact down into a very tiny little carry case (provided) for travel or storage, which is welcome as I'm a bit ocd when it comes to cleanliness.

Joe
from Milwaukee, WI USA
December 7, 2010Music Background:
Student, gamer.

Great headphones, cancels noise nicely!

First off, I'd like to say these are great headphones, as one would expect from Sennheiser. If you have some of their open models, (HD 515, 555, 595, etc.) you'll notice that they sound a lot different. The HD 380 Pros use similar drivers, but since they are closed, they respond differently. Overall, they are very accurate, and produce a flat sound. (good for studios, for music, etc, not so much, unless you have an eq settings to your likings, solution is an equalizer) I use these with an old Denon DRA-545R stereo reciever, and with this, I can adjust the bass/treble levels, variable loudness, etc. These headphones work alright with an ipod, because they are 54 ohm, instead of the 150+ ohm HD500 series headphones. You don't need a headphone amp, but they will definitely sound better if you have one.

Comfort: Very tight right out of the box, but after a week or two of frequent use, they'll loosen up a bit. Not very heavy, but not the lightest pair of headphones in the world. The earpads go around my ears, which is very comfortable, and cancels noise well. No heat issues with my ears, either. Standard wrinkled pleather, which might start to flake after a few years of use, but Sennheiser sells replacement ear pads. Very flexible, as the video here demonstrates.

Sound: Flat, but an eq can make up for it. Bass response is good, thumping if you turn it up on an eq, highs are crisp. A little lacking in the mids, but you can just bump them up with an eq to compensate. Better than many headphones, but not the best, of course. It's all personal taste.

Looks: Who cares about looks, but if you happen to, these are one of the nicest looking headphones I've seen. Sleek black=awesome!

Durability: They are plastic. Not the strongest thing in the world, but it is by no means cheap-o plastic. These could probably be thrown around with no problems. That doesn't mean you shouldn't take care of them, as anything can break if you're irresponsible. Hinges are metal, as well as the adjustable head band.

Compatibality: Has lots of uses. I use it on my PC with a Denon DRA-545R reciever-sounds great. I truck these headphones around with my ipod, and again, sounds great. I've plugged them into my xbox with an adapter, sounds great. Plugged them into my guitar amplifier, sounds great. Do yourself a favor, and don't plug these directly into your PC, unless you use an amplified sound card. Directly into your PC is not the best sounding thing in the world...

Other features: Comes with a screw on 1/4th inch adapter, a nice hard carrying case, removable coiled cable. The headphones are pretty small, and flat when collapsed. All connections are gold plated.

M Kauffold
from Montana
February 1, 2012Music Background:
Live Sound, Musician

Comfortable

My goal was to upgrade from my AKG K81DJ on ear headphones to a higher performance over the ear headphones which would be more comfortable over longer listening periods. I also wanted more volume so I chose this HD380 for use with my computer and mostly my MP3. Overall the sound was pretty good but not what I thought should be $150 better than my AKG's These Sennheisers are comfortable and lightweight. I had to add bass boost to my MP3 to get a balanced sound from bass to high freq. Perhaps these are better suited to recording and refernce monitoring, I don't know. I like them but I was hoping for much better sound quality over the AKG's and I just didn't get it. Maybe I need to learn more about headphones.

Lotus7
from Chicago, IL
July 31, 2010Music Background:
Recording Engineer

Some mid-range hype & thin mid-bass

The HD380 pro's have low distortion and at first seem to give great mid-range clarity. They have a nice flat, extended low bass from 25 Hz to 75 HZ but then have a 3dB mid-bass dip from 80 to 200 HZ. They have a slow rise from 315 Hz to about 5Hx peaking at about +8dB near 2Kz which really "hypes" the upper middle register. Great for hearing mid-range detail, but not good for balancing a mix. General sound is bright and slightly bass thin. They are fairly comfortable and have a real-world isolation of 15 to 18dB. The 32dB Sennheiser spec. is totally unrealistic. They do fold very flat and come in a nice semi-hard case. For a flatter response, and smoother mid-range try the Sony 7509's.

iOS/iPad

Recording

Computer Audio

Guitar

Bass

Keyboard

Drums

Live Sound

DJ/Lighting

Accessories

Dealzone

inSync

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