Cingular Go Phone: Sennheiser HD 435 Versatile Open-Aire Ultra-Light Supraural Headphone w/ Volume Control Review

You're not alone if you believe the stock headphones that come with most portable music players aren't up to the task, and that earbuds are a headache.

Back when I bought my first Sony WalkMan, I sought out an alternative to those first-generation mini headphones and found it in the legendary Sennheiser HD414 headphone.The HD414 was a departure from the previous century's vogue for head-devouring phones, replacing big heavy drivers with a pair of lightweight foam rubber "earmuffs" that exerted almost no pressure on the ear.Like a pair of glasses, you could get used to them and forget you were wearing them.Sennheiser's patented Open-Aire design allowed you to hear all the music without being shut out from sounds around you.They quickly became the favorites of radio disc jockeys and others who needed to monitor audio but still carry on a conversation.

Those headphones served me well from my days as a college radio disc jockey through a series of portable CD players but by the time I bought my first iPod nano, I had long since lost track of them.

The good news: Sennheiser Open-Aire headphones are not only alive and well but better than ever.The HD435, from about the middle of the Open-Aire range, is possibly the best value, combining the legendary Sennheiser listening experience with a handy inline volume control.Because of their on-the-ear (also called supra-aural) design, you ears stay cool and comfy.The padded headband is a nice improvement of the original Open-Aire design and the single-point-of-entry cable means more freedom of movement.The cable terminates in a mini-stereo plug and Sennheiser includes a 1/4-inch adapter so you can plug the HD435 into stereo receivers and mixing boards.

On the technical side, the 19,500 Hertz frequency response ceiling is a mere 500 Hz shy of what's considered the limit of human hearing, while the bass response reaches down to 18 Hz.Translation: even though the sound is going right into your ears, you can sometimes feel the bass all over your body.High notes remain crystal-clear with little loss in directionality.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sennheiser HD 435 Versatile Open-Aire Ultra-Light Supraural Headphone w/ Volume Control

Product Description:
Mid-sized dynamic supraural headphone