Studio Headphone Perfection: Sennheiser HD 215

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What has been our major complaint about headphones since the dawn of time?  Fatigue … hands down.  Sometimes, after only a few short minutes of continuous use, a pair of headphones can become one of the most uncomfortable headdresses ever seen inside of an office/studio setting … outside of anything George Clinton may have brought along with him.

In today’s posting, we will share with our readers our current favorite studio headphones which have far exceeded our expectations in terms of comfort, durability and overall sound quality … the Sennheiser HD 215 Extreme DJ Sound Headphones with Swivel Earcup.

Comfort

The most important part of selecting a pair of headphones for regular use in a studio setting is without a doubt how comfortable they are to wear for extended periods of time.  The ‘sealed’ type of headphones will generally provide users with a wider range, thus allowing the user to physically hear more of the mix than they would on ‘open-ear’ styled set of headphones.

However, not all ‘sealed’ headphones are alike.  Take, for example, cdavid1013’s comment at HeadFi.org:

“I was curious as to what a sealed headphone would sound like, so I invested in a pair of [Brand Name] phones. They sound AWESOME, but when I wear them for about an hour or so, I start not feeling well (slight nausea, slight sweating). I know this has nothing to do with frequency, nor is it a physiological issue, as I’ve used IEM’s for years. It just seems that the sealed nature of the [XXX-XXX] phones are causing heating of the ear, and thus the inner ear, which is causing malaise.”

The above description is what many ‘sealed’ headphone users might have experienced in the past, are currently experiencing or are hoping to avoid with their next purchase.

We here at AudioAcrobat use the Sennheiser HD 215 headphones A LOT … for extended and continuous periods of time.  Our greatest joy has been discovering that no matter how long the headphones rest on our noggins, they remain every bit as comfortable as the moment they first graced our ears.

Durability

Knowing that there are sensitive parts in any set of headphones, we urge our readers to forego their own durability tests (throwing from the roof, running over with vehicles, etc.) and note that any fine piece of equipment should always be treated with care and respect.

We’ve used these in our studios for several years already and have not had any issues with the fine German craftsmanship of Sennheiser.

Quality

For you audiophiles out there … feast your eyes (and ears) on these stats:

Frequency response: 12Hz-22KHz

Sensitivity: 108dB S.P.L. at 1KHz

THD: < 0.2 %

Connector: 3.5mm / 6.3mm

Weight: 0.62 lbs.

Amazon.com does have a couple of these in stock, and it looks as though others like Newegg have already sold their available pairs … which tells us either that they’re in VERY high demand or are on the verge of being phased-out.  Either way, there is no reason to postpone picking up a pair, as these are hands down the best headphones we’ve had the pleasure of owning and operating.

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Coming up next … a word about external hard drive enclosures!