Sennheiser HD435 Review

The HD435 headphones are one of Sennheiser's newest midrange headphone sets that provide a good combination of convenience and quality.

Summary

When trying to pick a good set of headphones, the common response for anyone seeking advice is, "It’s all subjective. Listen before you buy!" That’s fine if you live in the Gumdrop Kingdom, but back in reality, your options are to either audition a half-dozen overused, half-functional display units or play the "satisfaction guaranteed" exchange game with the few remaining on-line stores that allow simple returns.

 

In order to maximize the chance that you are getting a set of cans best suited to your listening patterns, you read reviews like this one. We will look at all the most important variables: comfort, build quality, price, general sound quality, unique sound features, and best performing music categories.

 

It should first be mentioned that the MSRP for the HD435 is only $70, which places this set of headphones at the lower-middle-end of Sennheiser’s offerings. As of publication, it is very difficult to find the HD435 in any brick-and-mortar store, and internet prices tend to hover around $55.

Features and Design

 

The design of the HD435 seems to imply that they are intended for desktop, non-portable use. There are no collapsing parts, aside from the expanding fit bands by each earpiece, and the earpieces themselves are on the large side. The open air design allows the wearer to hear the outside environment surprisingly well. On the downside, this also means more leakage of sound, annoying those around you.

 

The ear pads are flat, which seems unusual at first. There is no indentation your ears fit into, and the size is large enough that the pads cover the entire ear. It seems like this might mean they are conducive to slipping off, but we had no such problems. A decorative red ring adorns each earpiece, looking slightly awkward but adding a little color to a peripheral that is generally relegated to a black/gray color scheme.

 

The three-meter cord plugs into the left earpiece only, and features an in-line volume control. The cord can easily be swapped out or unplugged for easy storage. A 1/4-inch adapter is included as a convenience. The materials are on the cheap side for Sennheiser, but better than most similarly priced options. Don’t expect a metal and real wood enclosure here, though—just be happy the plastic is relatively sturdy.

 

The general fit of the HD435 is a little loose, owing to the flat-surfaced earpieces. The adjustability is identical to your run-of-the-mill headphones, and the material doesn’t irritate the skin or feel abrasive with prolonged wearing. We had no problems wearing these headphones for a few hours at a time. The single connection design makes the left side feel slightly heavier from the weight of the cord pulling down, but the perception is transient, and after a few minutes we no longer noticed it. The tugging was not hard enough to require any regular readjusting.

 

Image Courtesy of Sennheiser

Testing and Performance

 

So, we’re happy with the design, comfort, and price point. What about sound quality? We conducted a general battery of music, movie, and gaming tests using the following:

 

Sources:

-          SoundBlaster Audigy 2 Platinum (for DVD-Audio, CD, and MP3)

-          Apple iPod photo (MP3)

-          Creative Nano Plus (MP3)

-          Sony Playstation portable (MP3)

Music:

-          Bjork’s "Vespertine" (DVD-Audio and MP3)

-          Mahler Symphony 10 (Berliner Philharmoniker