Sennheiser HD 239 Headphones Black

Purchased these headphones after the wire on my PX100-IIs got damaged. I wanted something light and portable but with better sound so I decided to give these a try. I prefer an open design to maintain awareness of my surroundings, especially in the office environment. Both are feathery light yet have a well made feel. The PX100s fold on themselves creating a small footprint but with a roundish shape. They will easily fit in a purse or large pocket however I found they got crushed at times when packed with books, laptops and other flat objects typically found in a briefcase. The HDs on the other hand have a larger footprint but lay flat making them easier to store in my case. In terms of comfort, both products are quite light and nicely padded so you hardly know they are there. Both sit on the ear allowing air to flow through keeping your ears from getting overheated. For listening times under an hour, both wear well and you even forget they are there. The big difference is for longer sessions. I found the HDs have a tighter fit and stronger, less yielding headband making it necessary to take breaks from them. The PXs are lighter fitting making long term listening a breeze however they will definitely slip off your ears every time you bend over limiting their usefulness at the gym. If great sound is what matters most then you will hear a huge difference between these headphones. While the PXs put out impressive sound given their compact size (and way better than any ear buds I've tested), the HDs are a huge step up. Both have the characteristic warm and mellow Sennheiser sound but the HDs are fuller with real bass and more natural tendencies. Both need listening time to open up as they can be a bit dull at first. Advantage: the HDs are a clear winner and probably sound better than phones costing twice as much. I just wish I could wear them for longer sessions as the sound is terrific. Overall I am super happy with the HDs despite their shortcomings because I love music and can't believe the quality sound that comes out of these babies. Maybe the headband spring tension will loosen over time allowing longer listening sessions. Also, I wish Sennheiser would jump on the replaceable wire bandwagon as the wires on both of these products are really fragile and prone to damage.

I haven't been this excited about an electronics purchase in a long time. I'm a realistic audiophile, keen to spend just enough on a component to suit the task to a high standard of satisfaction, but no more than that. I've never been a portable music aficionado, but I do enough mobile listening now that I wanted to upgrade the experience. I also wanted to expand my listening opportunities limited by family life at home. Entry level earbuds, among other ergonomic hassles, became fatiguing and shrill even at modest levels, not to mention loud. So I shopped for headphones that sound as good as possible while remaining portable and affordable. The Sennheiser HD 239 fit the bill. Turns out there are scads of headphones available for every performance level and application. I found a credible headphone enthusiast site, innerfidelity.com, that recommended this model among the best-sounding portable headphones, which is also how Sennheiser markets the model within its line. Cnet also recommends the discontinued model that the HD 239 replaces, the HD 238. I was wary of the conspicuous proportion of five-star "Amazon Vine" reviews of the product, but nevertheless found nothing objectionable in the non-"Vine" reviews that were less than glowing but otherwise informed and forthright. That Sennheiser is a venerable manufacturer of a full line of headphones from budget to high end and professional models was also reassuring. The HD 239s are not as portable as earbuds, but the gain in audio experience and comfort is well worth the sacrifice in compactness; and these are by no means full-size headphones. Although full-size headphones would no doubt deliver superior performance, the audio quality of the HD 239 is also suitable for office and home use. Pricier than entry-level models, but substantially better-performing, and nowhere near top end pricing. Not disposable, but not a major liability, either. Headphones for grown-ups, if you will--with comfortable fit, refined finish, and free of gratuitous celebrity branding. Categorically, the "open" rather than "closed" ear cover design employed by the HD 239 affords the best sound and atmospherics, with the trade-offs of not blocking outside noise and leaking sound. I consider the openness a plus for remaining aware of surroundings and maintaining a more favorable soundstage than the cocooning effect of ear-encapsulating cans. I did some testing of audible sound adjacent to the user, and although the sound is indeed audible and even discernible, it's not terribly out of line with the volume the user requires to overcome the ambient noise. That is, playing loud enough to overcome ambient noise does not result in objectionable contribution to that noise heard by others. So, I don't anticipate being "that guy" with the blaring headphones, but rather contributing modestly to the ambient noise of the train or plane, which are noisy places to begin with. Even with the open design, the headphones overcome external noise at reasonable volume levels. The HD 239 has transformed my listening. In addition to a MOG streaming service of 320 kbps music, I have a collection of 256 kbps and 320 kbps bit rate songs (mostly classic and indie rock) that I play at my desk, on portables, and stream to a decent home theater system (powered by a Denon AVR-1712) with AirPlay. I have to admit that it's a rare occasion that I bust out a CD for serious listening, and I can't be bothered to rip and store them in lossless format, but I'm conscious of what I'm missing. The headphones get the most out of portable players, without performance overkill or looking conspicuous on the commute, and they do justice to the living room rig playing high-quality sources as well. I do notice better performance from the HD 239 with the AVR than with computers and portables, so a portable or desktop amp and/or DAC would likely augment performance from computers and portables discernibly, but I personally wouldn't spend much budget there before stepping up to full-sized headphones. On the other end of the spectrum, I suppose it goes without saying that these also do wonders for voice calling, even without a microphone. I also bought the Maxell HP-20 headphone cord and adapters for home listening. I used a tailor's measuring tape to determine the length of the cord path between my receiver and listening position, which is 13 feet (corresponding to a common 10-foot TV viewing distance). The Maxell cord is coiled, and stretches to 20 feet under tension, plus the headphone cord is four feet long. The combo works, but it will slide down the side of my ottoman under its own weight and put tension on the headphones, so I run it along the floor instead. During long listening sessions, the headphones inevitably cause some discomfort, but it doesn't accumulate much faster than the appetite for listening wanes. That is, by the time the headphones start to induce sore ears, it's usually time for a listening break by then anyway. The headphones are light, airy, well-cushioned, and about as comfortable as they can be. The HD 239 has reinvigorated my audio enthusiasm, which had become a bit depressed by convenience-driven lossy files, afterthought DACs, poor headphones, and scarce personal listening time. Well-suited to a range of listening, the HD 239 is neither overkill for portable devices and formats nor outclassed by high-quality sources (discs) on a decent home audio system. Practical, versatile, and reasonably priced, the HD 239 is a great investment.

Needed an on-ear, open headphone that also had decent sub-bass and this seemed to be the highest quality option and maybe the only option since PX 100 are supposed to be a step down and lack some sub-bass and Grado aren't my type of sound signature, lacking sub-bass. Wasn't disappointed at all. Coming from some great but very budget headphones over the last couple of years like JVC HA-s400 (my favorite til HD239), Monoprice 8323 and 8320, Koss KSC75 and Koss UR55, these HD 239s were definitely worth the price at 64. Very noticeable upgrade when switching back to the budget headphones. Surprisingly comfortable with the different layers of foam in the earpads. Very soft type of foam (maybe memory foam) against the ear with the typical, more firm, earpad foam on the outer side against the earcups. Only a small con for me that I could live without adjusting, but it's worth mentioning: The treble benefits from a boost. I ended up boosting the treble from 6khz-9khz by 2db-4db, respectively. Leaving 9khz-10khz alone and boosting 11khz+ by 4db. You can probably get away with an overall treble boost but you might get some harshness because 9khz-10khz doesn't seem to need it. I also boosted around 2.4khz by a couple db but that's not too notable. I still think these are great without any EQ but I'm using these at my PC with the Equalizer APO/Peace GUI so it's easy enough to run though SineGen and make adjustments.

Sennheiser could be so much better if they just upped the quality of materials that you touch. Like in the photo here, the headphones just fall apart after very delicate use at home -only. I visited the Sennheiser shop at Frankfurt airport and tried a couple replacements for the failed headphones you see in the photo but they still use the same low-quality crappy materials. What a shame. Great sound, but the hardware lasts for about six months. I'm German and I want quality that lasts so moving on....

Recently I was in need for a comfortable on ear headphone primarily for gaming. My criteria was that the headphones had to sound decent, be lightweight, and comfortable. I looked at both Bose and Sennheiser offerings. I had to decide between the Sennheiser HD 219, HD 229, HD 239, Bose OE & OE2. After reading some reviews and asking headfiers what I should buy, I got the Open back Sennheiser HD 239 on Amazon. A few days ago I walked into Costco and found the Bose OE for the same price as the HD 239 ($100) and decided to buy those too and return the one I liked least. SENNHEISER HD 239 Build Quality The HD 239 is completely made from plastic, unlike what it may make you think in what the website calls "Premium metallic accents". The plastic is ok in quality. It is not exactly what I have expected in a headphone costing $100. Although the plastic has a cheap feel, it does feel durable enough to last quite a long time. There is a foam cushion for the top of your head. The earpad covers are made of half leatherette and foam. The earpads are soft but are not as soft as the Bose's leather and memory foam cushions. The wire is not removable and is quite thin. The plug is also not gold plated. The jack is straight. A pouch is included. The pouch is made of canvas. It is just basic. Comfort The HD 239 has a low clamping force and is very light, about half as heavy compared to the Bose. They are comfortable but my ears did begin to feel a bit uncomfortable after 2-3 hours. Because the headphones are open back and have foam on the earpads, they did not get as hot as the Bose. There is no isolation due to the open back design. Sound leaks in and out of the headphones. Sound The frequency response is very good. The bass, mids, and treble are all balanced and neutral. There are no huge spikes in any frequencies giving the HD 239 a very smooth frequency response. The bass extension is quite good with enough sub bass to make explosions sound realistic. The treble is just ok. It has a gritty texture and is slightly recessed. My biggest gripes about the sound is the soundstage and detail. The sound stage is very congested. When I am listening to the HD 239, I feel like all of the sound sources are playing at the same place and distance from me. For example, the strings and tuba feel like they are playing in the same row. The detail is also not up to par. This is especially noticeable when gaming. You just don't clearly hear the slight nuances such as the bird chirping in the background, bullets zinging past you, or that you are walking on wood flooring. In music, you don't hear the echo of the singer's voice in the studio or when they take a breath. The nuances just blend in as "noise". BOSE OE Build Quality The build quality of the Bose is much better. The plastics have a premium feel and are very sturdy. The top of the headband is cushioned with leatherette. The earpads are completely covered with thick soft leatherette. The leather on the earpads on the Bose are of much better quality than the plastic feeling leather on the HD 239. The earpads are cushioned with thick soft memory foam compared to regular foam on the HD 239. The wire is removable and has gold plated contacts. The jack on the Bose is bent at a 45 degree angle. 2 cables are included. The Bose include a very nice hard case that zips closed. Comfort The OE is extremely comfortable. You actually want to wear them because the earpads feel like pillows on your head. The earpads do get fairly hot after long periods of time. The OE isolates noise fairly well. Sound Out of the box, the Bose headphones sounded bad. The bass was boomy and overpowered the mids and highs. I was disappointed with the sound so I let the drivers break in over 10 hours just to see what it would do. The break in helped a lot. It brought out the mids and highs and tamed the bass a little bit. The bass was still grossly overpowering though. I did manage to get the bass down to perfect levels. While I was adjusting the headphones, my fingers covered the tri-port holes on the bottom of each earcup. The bass instantly went down to perfect levels like magic. So what I did was cover the holes with some tape. Now with this "mod' the OE sound wonderful. The frequency response is not as flat as he HD 239 but is a bit more "fun" sounding. With the mod, the bass is balanced but rolls off a little bit in the sub frequencies. The bass is a little boomy at times. The mids are a bit warmer than neutral but are very nice. The mids do sound a bit hollow at times though. The treble texture is much better than the HD 239. The treble is natural sounding unlike the slightly gritty sounding HD 239. The soundstage and detail is where the OE excel at. With the OE I feel like I am there live. Instruments are separated. I can hear that the strings in an orchestra is in the front row while the tuba is in the back row with these headphones. The detail is very detailed. I can hear water droplets dripping distinctly, the difference between walking on wood flooring or stone flooring, and the different types of birds chirping in the background. Conclusion I like both of these headphones very much. I am having such a difficult time deciding which pair I should keep. I really love the flat frequency response and open back design (i can hear stuff outside which is a big plus for me) of the HD 239 but prefer the gaming performance and comfort of the Bose. So as of now, I give a slight edge to the Bose.

Well, as the title suggests, this is a comparison between the Grado SR-60i and these Sennheiser HD 239 headphones. FIRST THE AREAS THE TWO HAVE IN COMMON. 1. Both the Grado SR-60i and the Sennheiser HD 239 are featured on the Innerfidelity wall of fame, which can be accessed by typing the URL, [...] then clicking the "Wall of Fame" link at the top of the page, then clicking the "Ear-Pad Open" link. Tyll Hertsens wrote the article which includes brief reviews of headphones that range from 29.99 to 5,250.00 USD. 2. Both feature "Open Acoustics" which mean that sound can escape as well as enter the headphones. This creates a wider sound stage which in turn creates a much more dynamic audio quality than is created otherwise by closed headphones. 3. Both cost under 150 dollars. The Grado SR-60i's MSRP is 79.99, while the Sennheiser HD 239's MSRP is 119.99. 4. Both are designed by a well respected company. The SR-60i is made by Grado Labs, and the HD239 is made by Sennheiser USA. 5. Both are of the "on-ear" sort of design which provides a lightweight portable convenience. 6. Both swivel flat for easy portability. 7. Both have tremendous audio quality. NOW FOR THE AREAS THE GRADO SR-60I ARE SUPERIOR: 1. Midrange: The midrange of the Grado SR-60i is superior to the Senn HD239. 2. MSRP: The SR-60i cost 79.99 MSRP, Senn HD239 cost 119.99 MSRP. 3. Durability: The Grado SR-60i have a much more rugged plastic construction, including the thick cord, which could be called a "cable" based on its size alone. The senn HD 239 have a very lightweight construction and a very thin cord which could be called a "wire" based on it's size alone. The jack on the HD239 is lacking in durability as well. 4. Sound Stage: The SR-60i from Grado produces a much wider sound stage. 5. Comfort: The SR-60i from Grado has a much larger earpad and is much more breathable. 6. Packaging: Very humble doughnut box of a package it provides. It opens like a pastry box, it looks like a pastry box, perhaps it is a pastry box, but it is VERY easy to open. NOW FOR THE AREAS THE SENN HD 239 IS SUPERIOR: 1. Bass: The Sennheiser HD 239 produce a much deeper bass than the SR 60i. 2. Ascetics: The Sennheiser features a "look" similar to that of the Bose OE2. Whereas, the SR-60i features a retro 1930's Air Force control tower look and feel. FINAL THOUGHT: The sennheiser HD 239 provides amazing bass but lacks slightly in the mids and highs. The Grado SR60i Has amazing mids but lacks slightly in the bass. So but them together and you have flawless headphones. Personally, I enjoy the clear dynamic mids of the sr60i as well as the wider sound stage. But the bass of the Senn HD 239 is something thaty is admirable. You decide.

Pros: Portable and stylish. Good bass, isolation, and comfort for an on-ear open-back design. Cons: Congested sound. Boring signature. Sub-par materials, especially the cable. It feels and sounds cheap. At it's price point you can do better than this. The Grado SR60 is superior in every way, from the build to the audio reproduction. I would not buy this again.

Bought as an upgrade and as a replacement for my HD238, which finally failed after nearly five years of occasional use and full-time enjoyment. Very good sound quality overall, though limited performance for those who prefer bass-heavy frequencies. Tends to work nicely with a wide range of musical styles, but most flattering with acoustic and vocals. Physically it's basically the same as the HD238; fits my large noggin very well and is quite comfortable over extended listening sessions, which is a chief reason why I chose to buy another in this series. Also sweet was the price; the lesser HD238 was over $80 when I bought that unit several years ago. Probably due to this model line's longevity in the marketplace, today's price for the HD 239 was roughly $15 less than what I paid for the lower tier (and now discontinued) Sennheiser in back in 2009. The major downside continues to be its cord; it's still as fragile-looking as the one that was wired to the five-year old HD238, which not surprisingly turned out to be the part that failed. Five years isn't all that long of a lifespan, particularly for a set of headphones that were only used sporadically at home. Over time I suspect that this cord on the HD239 will be its undoing as well, and it's the primary reason why the HD 239 only gets a 3 1/2 star rating with me. But nonetheless, for the money it's hard for me to not like them; to my ears they're just that good.

Being blind, my hearing is better developed than that of sighted people. It's therefore very easy to pick out impedance and a dirty sound in Hifi systems and headphones, so I'm rarely pleased by off the shelf audio products. I wanted headphones for travelling which were light, but most of all, had chrystal clarity for listening to all types of music, yet didn't bloc sound from around me, something I had thought to be a tall order. I went into John Lewis and told them the spec I wanted and we set to work. They brought out over fifteen pears of headphones under the £200 mark and to the bemusement of their headphone specialist, I began testing each for clarity, depth and resonance. I used the same track on my mp3 player to do the comparisons, and soon whittled it down to four contenders from Sennheiser, SoundMagic and Grado I listened to each, and when I came to the Sennheiser HD 239, I got a shock. For the first time ever, I heard the singer on my test track breathe between phrases. I've never heard this in all my life before. I listened again with each set of headphones, but there it was again on these ones; a tiny breath between phrases, which wasn't noticeable on any other pair or on my system at home. Excited, I tested these headphones on other tracks (one with a six piece harmony) and it managed to pick out each with clarity and definition which had never happened before on any sound system I'd used unless manually separated- I was gobsmacked! The salesman too was excited, writing down each of my verdicts with enthusiasm - he admitted he'd never had such an exacting customer before. Happily I went away, and ordered these from Amazon as they are cheaper here. They've provided many hours of pleasurable and comfortable listening on planes and trains. The bottom line is this: these headphones are absolutely amazing for picking out clarity of sound; I've tried them with jazz, classical music, and audio books. They faithfully depict all aspects of the register so that music I thought I knew has suddenly come to life with new nuances and depths I'd previously been unaware of. So, if you want headphones that will tease out the depts in your music while enhancing clarity, these are the ones to go for.

As my ears are quite sensitive to pressure, I have always had issues finding head phone that don't hurt after some time. I had a set of similar Sennheisers before (although closed, not open) and I broke off the mini-jack plug due to my own fault. The headphones themselves were still good, after using them for 2,5 years. So I'm confident that these will be similar quality. I love the balanced sound, as at work I listen at a wide range of music styles from classical music to pop, industrial and metal and it all sounds lovely enough with these headphones without hurting your budget. You can still hear your surroundings without causing noise, which is good for my work as I constantly get questions asked at my desk.

I am not quailfied to write this review. Reason : Being not used any headfone ( or earbuds )for the past 5-10 yrs!!! Main reason being I hated earbuds ( IEM's ) I can't tolearate/stand it for 5-10 min. ( highly uncomfortable I can't bear it , something squesed into my ears/ eardrums !!!) It's not Like I hate songs or something. I am old school ,, going back used to good old CD's & Casettes!! Somehow the digital/computer age , the transition to everything digital ,,I was reluctant to move to digital , mp3 players, computers ,,,, I had the same problem with photography, was using film cameras ,, I still remember buying higher ISO ,, ISO 200 & 400 for extra cost o use in my cameras . & on trips or family functions ,,I would I just chew 3-5 rolls !!!( the expense ,,, again going to studio to get it ,,, ohh ,,, ) Digital audio / ( just like digital cameras ) really sucked in the beginning !!! ( Atleast for Amatuers / hobbyists >> Reallly EXPENSIVE ) I renewed my photograph hobby after almost 10+ yrs ( got a Mirrorless camera ). So almost after about 10-15 yrs , I feel I should renew my Listening Audio Hobby!!!. Also the recent years , even phones are coming with DAC built into them , so technically they could power good headphones & give a good listening /Audio experience. I think it started with Samsung S3 ,,,, & now most high end phones have one or the other good DAC built inside them!!! ( Vivo ? ) In my case I bought a dead cheap Micromax E313 which has Cirrus Logic Wolfson Stereo DAC !!! I was afraid whether it will be able to pump these Sennheiser HD239 ( just 32 Ohms not that difficult to drive ,,,, but still Microamax ?,,, ) I sometimes like to hear my music really low !!!, but here at minimum volume / first step itself music is loud !!!! ( tried diffrent players other than stock ) The moment I touch the equilizer it becomes loud ( equilizer off/ FLAT ) is ok. i know purists will not touch the equaliZer !!! I am BEGINNER ,, , So I can't comment on sound stage, seperation coloration ,,, technical stufff !!! big zero ,, I have no idea !!! What I can say I was missing all these years ,,, so ditch the ear buds that came with phone / music player & buy new headphones ... What I can say these are comfortable ,,, the clamping force is just there to hold it in place ,, I have BIG Head people say that !!! I don't like too much clamping force ,, so I adjust my head band a bit loose !!! ( U can adjust it tight against ur head ,,, then the clamping force will be there , ) But remember these are open , on ear design , So u can hear external nose / what's happening around you ,,, also sound will leak from these depending on what volume u r hearing them ,,, if they are 50% volume ,,, sound will leak & people nearby will be able to hear !!! These are light ,, extremely light some 200 grms ,,, u wont feel any weight!!! These are really small compared in size to other bigger cans!!! ,, so u can even go unnoticed in office !!! There are very few reviews on this model HD 239!!! ( But on Innerfiediilty hall of fame ) Options : Anyone tells u Under $100 Sony MD7506 & Audio technica AtH M-40x ( Bigger Brother M50X - are legendary ). then below Rs 2500 ,,,, there are thousands of models ,,, ,,, even Sennheiser 201/202 ,,,,, Most starters will go with Sennheiser Hd 202/II 203 ,,, or ATH M20x ,,,, other sony philips, sony ,, panasonic )... Note : the wires of this headphones are thin ,,almost same length as normal earbuds u get with mobiles ,,,, ( around 1.4 meter ) Note : I had very few high quality songs to play ,,, most are 128 anda few 320 ,, ) ( Music qulity & source are as important ) Crappy low quality mp3 won't sound good on any good headphones!!! I would definetly try with flac ( lossless ). Also heard some reviewers/ users telling that thse need BURN-IN of 20-40 hrs !!!,,and theyreally OPEN Up & sound way better !!!! Conclusion : For RS 2500 ,,, are they Bad ? ,, for me it made my day !!! I don't have any comparison to make with ( MD7506 or ATM 40X ,, they cost almost double or more ,,roughly 6k each ) i can hear many sounds which I have never heard them f.... Used these for roughly 5-9 hrs at a stretch ,, smalll breaks for dinner ,, etc ,,, ) so they are comfortable ..... Theay are not suitable for travel ,,,, cause open type also ,,,, the wires are thin ,,,, I would use it stationary at home or buy one more & keep it at office too )... They also feel delicate to me ,,,, but I think it will last !!!! ( for me mobile phones don't last more than a year ). Nothin more : Worth a try !!!

Bon casque , bonne restitution des graves et aigus , niveau des basses nickel . Bon matériel . Une marque sur

The headphones are amazing. Since they are open cans the sound leaks.But i had this in consideration before buying them so no issues. One star less because i liked response of PX100 more :)