For years I've been using the HD-280 Pro, my old pair from 5+ years still works flawlessly but the pads show wear and tear. Note that I use them around 10 to 30 hours per week! Sometimes more!
I thought in simply changing the pads but what I found online was about half the price of getting new ones, so Thomann promptly received my order!
First of all, they are sturdy, well built and will last for years. I use them a lot and move around constantly. Besides the pads, the cable is good as new after so many years and I love the fact that it has a screw adapter to fit 1/4 or 1/8 inches headphone plugs.
In terms of isolation they are very good! I've used them for rehearsals with IEM in a small room and it suppresses a lot of the drums.
Tracking vocals in my home studio is a delight with these headphones, never had any bleed from them going into the mic and they sound great.
Overall, the HD-280 Pro gives a nice listening experience for an extended period, I find them comfortable and not tiring, like some other headphones that often are too bright or too tight.
The frequency curve of these headphones are accentuated on the bass, which usually makes them good for electronic music and DJs, but not limited to, I play rock and metal and love how it sounds with my ampless rigs.
The only disadvantage is that they are not the best for mixing or mastering, still possible but you'll have to know them very well to compensate for the coloration and bass boost.
Otherwise, if you're serious about mixing and mastering, I recommend getting better headphones with flat response or get the Sonarworks Sound ID plugin, the HD-280 Pro are included in their presets and results in much better mixes in my opinion.
My first pair was at that time more expensive and came with a nice Sennheiser bag, not included anymore apparently.
However, I find the HD-280 Pro a "bargain", amazing price/quality from a renowned and reliable brand: Sennheiser.
Sure there may be better headphones on the market, but for my use, these are perfect and certainly will remain for many years my headphones of choice.
