The long cord is a bit of a pain though, since it is ten whole feet long! I can see how this would be effective if you were zipping aroung in a music studio with these on, turning knobs and adjusting levels, but to be honest, these aren't really good enough to be used for that application. I guess it's handy to be able to move freely around my room with these on though, so you could either love or hate the enormous, thin cord. Not to mention the painful, vice grip clamping that it comes with. Would it be a disappointment and wind up being nothing more than just a marginal improvement? Or is it a worthwhile upgrade and thus totally deserving of it's place on Sennheiser's totem? Let's find out. The single-sided, non-detachable, 10-foot-long straight cord exits from the left earcup and terminates at the 1/8-inch plug--not exactly ideal for travel, but roll it up and it's not a big deal. The swiveling cord inside the cup raises questions about how securely the cord is attached and how long the unit will last over time. Highs are noticeably sharper, crisper and brighter in the HD 215. This is not to suggest that the HD 205 is muffled or closed-in, but the HD 215 clearly reproduces more of the top end since the HD 205 rolls-off sooner.

If you would like to know my impressions of the HD 215 vs. something else in my inventory, just ask. =D

Key specs

BTW, this happens to be the first full review I've ever posted to Head-Fi. If I've been a clot and made a complete hash of it, please feel free to let me know, along with your suggestions for improvement(s). Thanks to HiFiGuy528, bowei006, deadlylover, JK1, ZorgDK, GL1TCH3D, and Akabeth for the excellent advice and kind words of encouragement. 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). I think the sound is nice - don't get me wrong - but it is a bit of a stretch from Sennheiser's reference-quality headphones. I feel that the mids come out somewhat suppressed with these cans, but the quality of sound seems to have greatly improved since I've started using an E17 with WASAPI from my laptop playing lossless audio files. 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. 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).

The audio quality of the headphones you she looks good (serious overall balance, mid, treble, stereo)? Aside from that dingleberry, the HD 215's high-frequency output was a good ending to my little journey through Hertzlandia. Whereas the HD 205's right ear cup could only swing forward/aft by 60 degrees, the HD 215's right ear cup has over 90 degrees of swing from the center detent! This is a HUGE improvement because a 60-degree swing is not enough to clear most ears (including mine). As a result, using the HD 215 in a one-eared configuration for extended periods is far more comfortable than the HD 205 ever was.For me, the HD 215's bass response is a rather refreshing break from the current crop of bassy DJ-type headphones. Because the HD 215 is a fairly balanced and even set of cans without a significant mid-bass hump, I am fairly sure that most listeners will tag it as having anemic bass. Yet in my listening sessions, I have found that the HD 215 renders bass beautifully and smoothly without exagerration - and I like that. 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. Then for comfort, yes, it is a little early. on the other hand, after a few days, the headphone was "relaxed" and it is much less: it is so good. The pads are harder than on other headphones, but we do not feel like a marshmallow on the ears ... especially it is very light. Owing to it's speed and precision, the HD 215 exhibits much better PRaT than the HD 205. In fact, the HD 215's surprisingly good PRaT is some of the best I've heard for it's price point in quite some time.