2007.02.04
New Cans
My last pair of headphones died a rather sad death at work the other day. Mind you, I think they cost me all of about $15 brand new at an auction, so I’m not overly heartbroken about the event.
One of the problems of my work environment is that it can be extremely noisy at times and I tend to get distracted a little too easily, which is a large problem when I’m trying to achieve flow, one of the requirements of my job.
My solution to date has been to wear headphones that block out enough outside noise and to listen to music that I’m very familiar with (which means I can easily ignore it after about 5 minutes). The predictability of the noise allows me to achieve the kind of focus I need on the work I’m doing.
So, no headphones is not an option for me at work. I tried wearing earbuds for a few days, but I’ve yet to find a pair that are comfortable enough (and that isolate enough) for my liking. I’m also not willing to shell out the big bucks for Shure phones like these ones, and open-back phones would be a bit of a no-no at work as well, so I started researching closed-back circumaural headphones. I figured it was time to at least invest a little bit of money in some higher-quality ones than the el-cheapo-bass-lacking Distortion Master 75000s I had been using (I won’t name any names). Several likely candidates came up in my search: Sennheiser 201s, 212 Pros, 270s, and 280 Pros. Some quick trolling of the internet dropped the 201s and 270s off the list, and some more digging turned up the Sennheiser 215s as another option.
Armed with a general idea of what to expect from the different models and my iPod (I can see all the audiophiles out there wincing – rest assured you’ll wince at least once more before this article is done), I headed off to my friendly local DJ equipment store (Axe Music).
I tried the 280s out first, while the staff opened up a few boxes so I could try the other models. I liked what I heard. A lot. Very clean, even response, especially through the midrange. Enough bass to get a nice massage when I cranked up the Chemical Brothers, Crystal Method, and Groove Armada, but not distractingly so. Brought out subtleties (and yes, the compression artifacts, since these were on the iPod) in classical music. Very comfortable fit, and I could easily imagine wearing them for hours. And best of all, I might as well have been standing in the middle of a large deserted forest for all the noise that leaked in from the store around me.
Next was the 212s. A little too bassy for my taste, and they sounded muddy in the midrange to me. They were comfortable enough, but ear squishage seemed likely after extended wearing, which was a minus for me.
The 215s fared about the same as the 212s. I found them more comfortable to wear, although the round shape of the earpieces wasn’t quite as nice as the tighter-fitting oval shape of the 280s. The 215s didn’t “whump” like the 212s did, but they’re still targeted at DJ usage (emphasizing the bass and high tones somewhat), and they still had a slightly muddy midrange and a bit of splatter at the higher frequencies.
Neither model was bad, especially for their intended applications, but these are headphones I need to wear for hours on end at work, listening to a wide range of music from classical to booty-shaking dance to ambient electronic to J-pop, so I didn’t want to buy a pair that I wouldn’t be able to use for my range of music or wear all day.
For my needs, it was clear that the 280s were the best choice of the lot, although they were the most pricey. The slight underemphasis at the lower frequencies is quite nice for a lot of my music collection, and I can always tweak the EQ a bit when I need to. They don’t distort noticeably even when I crank them up (and trust me, I have), and they have excellent isolation. It’s easy to see why they review so well for closed-back headphones, and I can understand how they would be great for studio monitoring work. If there’s one fault, it’s that they’re a little too unforgiving, and reproduce the sound a little too faithfully.
And yes, I do intend to use them with my iPod at work (cue audiophile wincing). So sue me.
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