I be a 58 year old male who usually do not write review . however , I feel the desire to write one about the aforementioned can . simply put , they be outstand ! I have be involve with music as a guitar player & `` Blues '' and `` NON-commercial Rock & Roll '' lover since the age of 13 , and very much like `` Metal '' . quality reproduction be a must for I . not just volume , but spatial headroom & tonal quality . these can do this very well ! I have use cheaper can just because I hate ear bud . while they work , they be not quality can . at christmas-time 2010 , my wife ask I what I want for a gift from she & I say a new set of good headphone . as she be not into electronics , she tell I to pick a pair . I go on-line & research they , as well as go to the store to listen to they . at the time , I be certain I want bose . of course ! they commercial say they be the best ... that must be what I need ! I go to best buy & listen to a higher end set & think `` something be miss ! while the price say they be the best , what I be hearing say otherwise . '' so I email they , ask for frequency response & be tell they do not publish they as they be not that important ! Hmmm ... while I agree that what you hear be more important than number , I still want the number ! then I listen to a set of senheiser . Night & day difference ! go on line to Amazon.com -lrb- because I trust they -rrb- & order a set of hd 280 pro 's . what you hook they up to & the quality of the recording you be listen to DOES MATTER ! after all , they `` reproduce sound '' , they do not `` generate sound '' ! they will sound better wire to a quality home audio system play vinyl -lrb- or yes ... even a cd ! -rrb- than when connect to a ipod play a mp3 ! -lrb- for many reason , which be not the topic of this review ! -rrb- the headroom from this set of can be OUTSTANDING ! the low-end frequency be quality ... not muddy and not distort . mid for voice and most instrument be clean & clear and the high be very crisp and clean ... not painful as with some can . you can pick out vocal on Pink Floyd mix that you have neaver hear before ! and Gilmore 's lead ... WOW ! thd be , for all intent and purpose , non-existant ! Seperation be as good as the recording will allow . noise be as quiet as be you system ... and if there be any on you system , you will hear it ! this set of can be not make for noise-reduction -lrb- noise-cancelling -rrb- , but as they be `` close can '' , they do a good job . I could only rate they as 3 star for longevity , simply because I have only have they a short time . however I will say , they seem `` quality '' in material . be they the best headphone for my use ? hell no , because I can not afford $ 1,000.00 to $ 1,500.00 for `` the best '' ! but if I could , they would be mark `` Sennheiser '' , and I would buy they through Amazon.com ! for what I can afford to pay , I love them !