Product Reviews

Sennheiser's HD 380 Pro closed-back headphones are an update to the company's HD 280 Pro cans, which are to be found in many a recording studio and audio production department. Closed-back phones don't provide the levels of pure audio fidelity that are produced by their open-back counterparts, but are used in recording environments because they block out ambient noise and allow the engineer or producer to focus on the audio coming from their desk or mixer.

The HD 380 Pros are circumaural, which means they completely enclose the ear, with the pads resting on the side of your head. We found them remarkably comfortable to wear for long periods.

The headphones have a frequency response of 8Hz to 27kHz, which is wider than the range of human hearing, and have an impedance of only 54 ohms. That relatively low impedance means you could, if you wanted to, drive them from an iPod. We tried them with an iPhone and it had no difficulty whatsoever driving them, even at relatively low volume levels.

We connected

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the HD 380 Pros to a variety of different sources in different environments, and were impressed every time. Crisp, clean treble, biting mid-ranges and deep bass shone through, even when we were using them connected to the iPhone. For example, strings in Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries were crisp and detailed, while the trombones were punchy and dramatic. Bass in The Killers' All These Things That I've Done was deep and satisfying. Noise from outside, whether it was from cars on the street, a nearby television or general office hubbub, was kept out of the way, allowing us to focus on the audio produced by the HD 380 Pro's drivers.

Comfort is an important issue for headphones that you may have to wear for hours at a time in a studio, and the HD 380 Pros shine in that department, too. The foam-padded headband and earcups, together with the fact that the whole lot weighs in at only 400g, meant that we had no problems wearing them for long periods.

The coiled cable never gets tangled and is fully detachable, so if it does break, you can replace it. The jack on the cable is 3.5mm, so it'll go straight into your Mac or iPod, and there's a screw-in quarter-inch adaptor in the box. A hard case is also supplied with the HD 380 Pros to protect them when you take them on your travels.

At the list price of £140 (£122 ex VAT), the Sennheiser HD 380 Pros are good-value headphones that will reward the investment. At the price we found them going for - just under £100 (£86.95 ex VAT) - they're a bargain. If you're looking for a pair of studio monitoring headphones, look no further.