Sennheiser HD 415

...I am very familiar with Sennheiser as i own a pair of high end Sennheiser HD 800 headphones. With the HD 415 I needed something more portable and that wouldnt need a headphone amplifier like the HD 800. And so knowing their potential I gave these a try. but first, some specifications...

Nominal impedance 32 Ohm
Jack plug 3,5/6,3 mm stereo
Transducer principle dynamic, open
Ear coupling supraaural
Cable ...
...
Frequency response (headphones) 18.....19000 Hz
Sound pressure level (SPL) 110 dB(SPL)
THD, total harmonic distortion < 0,5 %


My first impression when opening the packaging is that the headphones arent the sturdiest set i have ever come across. This means that they are rather fragile and need to be treated with care. The plastic is brittle on them and will break if mishandled which is a pity because ... more

Righto Everyone...Before we begin this review I must inform you all that im also an audiophile. I scrutinise all my audio equipment before purchasing. I look at frequency response, THD, SNR...you name it. I look at it and analyse it. So i tend to be very discerning when choosing my equipment.

It was with interest when I came across this pair of headphones. I am very familiar with Sennheiser as i own a pair of high end Sennheiser HD 800 headphones. With the HD 415 I needed something more portable and that wouldnt need a headphone amplifier like the HD 800. And so knowing their potential I gave these a try. but first, some specifications...

Nominal impedance 32 Ohm
Jack plug 3,5/6,3 mm stereo
Transducer principle dynamic, open
Ear coupling supraaural
Cable length 3 m
Weight w/o cable 160 g
Frequency response (headphones) 18.....19000 Hz
Sound pressure level (SPL) 110 dB(SPL)
THD, total harmonic distortion < 0,5 %

My first impression when opening the packaging is that the headphones arent the sturdiest set i have ever come across. This means that they are rather fragile and need to be treated with care. The plastic is brittle on them and will break if mishandled which is a pity because affordable headphones tend to be the ones that receive the most abuse. What I liked immediately however was the fact that it had a single sided cable. If you use headphones alot you will appreciate this feature as it means less tangles and less hassle when putting your headphones on and off. Speaking of on and off the HD 415's are very comfortable to use initially but over time they begin to feel very warm because of the cloth material that is on the headphone driver. This made them rather uncomfortable for long periods of use (2 hours+)

I also noticed that due to the HD 415's open back design there is very little resonance which means that sound is not distorted and comes out pure. the downside to this is that other people can hear what you are listening to. Very clearly. This is a not a pair of headphones for public places because sounds pours out...and also sound pours in so you would have to really crank the volume to hear it over ambient niose which isnt good for your ears at all.

However...and this is a big however...the moment you put on your favourite music you will be amazed. Truly. For the price these headphones put out incredible sound. They are extremely accurate (perhaps too accurate) which that you hear every single instrument that the artist was playing when the song was recorded. This means that songs are deep and rich. Full of sound. crystal clear. The headphones are a little recessed in the higher ranges whih means that they can become a little "tinny" when listening to brass or very high pitched songs. That being said they dont distort at all when pused even to their limits. Though it must be said this does depend on the device you've plugged them into. they have an impendance of 32ohm which means that most mp3 players should be able to drive them to decent volumes without any trouble. But your results will vary according to your device. They produced amazing sound which fills your head and takes you away to the places where the artist intended you to go. Sometimes they get too busy because of their accuracy meaning that you get an instrument overload because they dont miss a single beat. I found however that they do tend to lack low range bass which means that you might have to use a headphone amplifier with these to get the best out of them. But its not a necessity.

There are a few extras with the set such as a 3m long cable, 6.3mm adaptor plug, and a cable winder (very handy)

I recommend these to people who really appreciate their music and what to hear hidden nuances in their songs that other headphones would gloss over or that HiFi speakers would miss. Just be careful when handling them. They are delicate.

Then again...you'll look after these...you'll like them that much. 

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