Price Paid:  $100.00 from Magic Forest (RIP) F

Summary:
Please check out the first two reviews written for this product - both written by be in Sept 1997 and May 1999. Here is is May 2006 and I am still using these headphone! They're nearly a DECADE OLD now and still serve me well! I used them on my home system as I feel they're a little to flimsy to be abused as portables and a little too bulky to carry around. I've just laid to rest a reasonable pair of Sony's (MDR-V300's) as portables, and replaced them with superior sounding HD 457's.

In comparing my new 457's with the 455's I honesly didn't think the new model would surpass my faithful old 455's. I was right.

Except for low bass response, the 455's slightly edged out the newer 457's across the frequency spectrum.

Strengths:
Clairity. Fast response time and wide dynamic range. They're crystal clear from the bottom to the top and can go comfortably loud before hearing a trace of distortion.

Replaceable parts! So far I've replaced the cord and the earpads twice and the headband once. I would have had to replace these years ago if it wasn't for the replaceable parts.

. . . and I still don't plan on replacing them anytime soon.

Weaknesses:
They lack the powerful punch in really low bass that other makes have. This may not be much of a weakness considering the low bass IS audible and clear, and the fact that most other heaphones makers put Too Much of a bass boost to their product.

Also, my HD-455's are over nine years old, they can sometimes bottom out at loud volumes. This could be due to the fact the actual components are getting old, or I've been going deaf and have had to turn it up a little too much!

Sennheiser doesn't make them like this anymore. The new model range isn't quite as good.

Similar Products Used:
Sennheiser HD 457 (Very similar performance for MUCH less, but a little too much bass boost)

Sony MDR-V300 (Fantastic performance for the money, just barely eclipsed by the newer similar priced Sennheisers)

Sony MDR-P10 (Total Crap in every way, and not worth a single penny)

Price Paid:  $70.00 from Ultimate Electronics

Summary:
I initially bought these headphones because I wanted a nice pair to listen to a portable CD player when I was going to college. Then I started using them with my home audio system, specifically with a Carver C3 preamp or a Harman Kardon CD player. I was kind of disappointed because the low end seemed a little anemic. Then I tried the phones through a headphone amplifier that I built about 10 months ago (http://headwize.com/projects/szeke1_prj.htm). Zing! That was the ticket. Not only did the headphones retain the exteme clarity and fast performance that I was used to, but the low-end bass really came into its own. Coupled with a reasonably good MOSFET headphone amp, the HD455's sound great. I can't say if the low-end problem is with the headphone or with the built in headphone amplifiers in my components, but everything sure sounds nice now!

Strengths:
Devastating clarity

Weaknesses:
Seems to lack low end punch with my CD player's and preamp's headphone outs.

Similar Products Used:
Many other headphones

Price Paid:  $55.00 from Downtown electronics

Summary:
They play any music beautifully and as loud as you want them to play with no distortion. Just great. You are going to be fine feeding them with anything because they are very efficient and undemanding. Just buy them and revel with them forever.

Strengths:
Powerful, efficient, bargain, versatile, german engineering, excellent build, durable, modular, reliability, look awesome

Weaknesses:
need more bass, but maybe they need a dedicated amp.

Similar Products Used:
Sony MDR-V 60

Price Paid:  $70.00 from Heelas Dept Store in Reading

Summary:
Bought to replace the cheap earbud headphones supplied with my portable Minidisk player.

Serves its purpose well. Very comfortable and excellent sound quality compared with the stock earbud headphones.

Strengths:
Comfort and sound quality

Weaknesses:
Cable connection at the headphone end is via a 3.5mm connector which sometimes makes a poor connection to one channel.

Similar Products Used:
None

Price Paid:  $5.00 from Audio store going out of business sale

Summary:
I scored these at a going out of business sale where the clerk had no clue if they were junk or what. I knew they were a value, but when I got em home I was pretty disappointed. They are easily the #3 phone in my line up (the 420's are the flatest but way too inefficient for many uses and do not isolate, and the MDR-V6's are very nice). These guys have lots of coloration in the bass. I have found, though, that this is nice for weak little portable auido devices. For this they are ideal (adding a little emphasis).

I could not recommend these to anyone. Keep looking.

Strengths:
Well made, comfortable, low fatigue, great with portables

Weaknesses:
Fake bass boost in mid bass (warm but a bit bassy)

Similar Products Used:
Sony MDR-V6, Sennheiser HD-420, Koss Pro4AA, etc.