The lows are a bit to be desired when paired with any media player/mp3 player (iPod, iPhone, etc.), but the mids and highs Mids are squarely neutral but smooth - are neither irritatingly forward nor disappointingly recessed - and extend nicely and consistently into the highs. In an open comparison, I would say that the HD 215 is among the most comfortable DJ cans I've worn. I personally reached over 3.5 hours of wear - on more than one occasion - without removal due to discomfort.

These phones have a very low threshold and give you a big bass bump at about 70-120hz and you don't want any of that when you are buying a set. I think that headphone mixes are important. Isolation was not that bad when cutting drums and that is unusual for a set of cans like this. And whereas the HD 428's lush highs tend to drop out and roll-off sooner, the HD 215's top end is much brighter and extends higher (albeit exhibiting sibilance on occasion).

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As one would expect, Sennheiser's typical quality standards were apparent right out of the box. For the most part, the unit is constructed of a matte-textured plastic. Exceptions to this are the metallic hinge caps, the epoxy model badges, and the glossy parts of the ear cups. The flip side to this is that the HD 215 can also be somewhat strident at the top end. So of you're sensitive to sibilance or treble peaks, you might want to stay away from the HD 215 (or at least be prepared to EQ it during casual listening).

To facilitate DJ usage, the HD 215 features a swing-away right ear cup for one-eared monitoring/cueing. This is essentially the same swing-away mechanism that the HD 205 employed. However, this time around Sennheiser made it much better (and a little worse). Like many of it's Sennheiser bretheren (and unlike many V-shaped DJ cans available today) the HD 215 offers a favorable mid-range presentation. When used with a headphone amp/DJ equipment - these are among the best sounding headphones I've owned, and I've owned a lot. These are great, but not audiophile quality. Especially very sensitive headphones maniac my material articulation and after 2 years the death headphone level and yet I amWhile the bass is not as copious as some would like, the HD 215's low-frequency response does offer speed, precision, punch, and control for a mostly accurate low end. There is very little variation between the HD 205 and the HD 215 in their mid-range presentations. Both have smooth, clear, and slightly-forward mids, though the HD 205's sounded slightly warmer IMO.

Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. is a subsidiary of Meta Platforms, Inc. based in the USA. It cannot be ruled out that your data collected by Facebook will also be transmitted to the USA. Unsurprisingly, the HD 215 again bests the HD 205 rather easily in this area. The HD 205 had a habit of being right up in my business, all the time. With the HD 215, I can breathe again. And finally, if you're a noob and don't know what to get, ask around here for help, advice, and recommendations. If this might be the right model for you, then someone will mention it.Let's get one thing straight right away: the HD 215's comfort is leaps and bounds better than the HD 205 in every perceivable way. Here's how (and possibly why)... If you are an audiophile in the market for a pair of closed circumaurals for casual listening on-the-go, that can take a beating and sound alright doing it, I would consider these a viable option. Pretty much everything you'd want to know - that I could tell you - is at http://en-de.sennheiser.com/hd-215

All testing was done with using my Zune 30 in an un-amped configuration. In this case, the output of the Zune was more than enough for my tastes, so no amp was necessary. Environments and surroundings include home, work (a quiet office), a commuter train, and public streets throughout Southern California. Maybe in a future revision (like the aforementioned HD 215 Pro, or HD 215-II, or HD 215-1, or HD 215-1-II, or whatever Sennheiser is going to call it), they can apply some rubberization on the ear cups' external surfaces. That might be worth a few more dBs in isolation. Just a thought. In simplisitic terms, the HD 205 is going to sound like it has more bass. But the devil is in the details here... The HD 215's speed, precision, and excellent PRaT are welcome and noteworthy attributes that contribute to the HD 215's usefulness as a working DJs tool.If you would like to know my impressions of the HD 215 vs. something else in my inventory, just ask. =D