Sennheiser HD 239 Headphones

Wow, I've ignored this blog for so long. I hope a few people are still interested in what I have to say. With that out of the way . . . I acquired another set of headphones (a long time ago, but laziness and lack of time have caused an impressive delay in writing about them). Another set of Sennheiser cans: the HD 239 model.

My process went like this: (1) finally got my "decent" audio (home theater) system set up at home; (2) decided to bring my "decent" office headphones (Sennheiser HD 650) home for proper use with my home rig; (3) took my Sony MDR-ZX700 closed headphones to work; (4) concluded that I really need and prefer open cans at the office (so that I can hear phone calls, people yelling at me, intruders, etc.), but wanted to get something better than the portable Sennheiser PX-100-II headphones, and wanted to get something other than Grados, which I've had before; (5) a fair amount of research and good pricing on Amazon led me to the HD 239.

I like these headphones. There is a single, thin, and somewhat short cable with an eighth-inch plug (no adapter is included). The lightweight cable is nice at the office; no heavy or bulky cord bothering me as I stare at the computer. The headphones look good without being flashy or tacky. They don't look like something that anyone on the train or at school might think are expensive enough to steal. The ear pads are really soft and comfy, although the frame may be a little tight for those with large craniums, especially if worn for extended periods of time. The compact ear pads are small enough so that I can wear my glasses without much additional discomfort.

How do they sound? Better than the Sennheiser PX-100-II, comparable to the Sony MDR-ZX700 (which I prefer when additional isolation is needed), but inferior to the Sennheiser HD 650 (as are many other headphones).

Postscript: I never use headphones with my home system, so my Sennheiser HD 650 cans are back at the office. I use the Sennheiser HD 239 headphones with my portable music players and phone when lounging around the house, and I use the Sennheiser PX 100-II when out and about.