For decades, the Sennheiser HD 25 has been considered the most popular headphone in the broadcast sector, but also among DJs and monitoring technicians. Above all, its compact and modular design fuelled its success, from which the HD 25 Light also benefited, but nevertheless always stood in its shadow. Its lower price was mainly at the expense of the missing swivel joint, but also a weaker sound, which now belongs to history.
Improvements in detail
You don't change a classic, you improve it! Accordingly, the visual difference to the old HD 25 Light is very slight - at least at first glance. As before, it is defined by a very puristic, yet appealing design. Only the model designation and impedance on the top of the headband and the smart Sennheiser logo on the capsule freshen up the black look somewhat.
However, a closer look reveals a few optical innovations. The angular extensions of the headband now form a hollow space. The former rod-like capsule suspension, which still connects without an additional joint, grows in width and now looks like that of the HD 25. This means that the closed shells also lock more securely into place in one of the fourteen stages. A joint that tilts slightly around the Y-axis ensures that the earpieces, with their interchangeable pads, can be adjusted to the position of the ear. The interchangeable three-metre straight Y-cable with mini-jack plus 6.3 millimetre jack is plugged into the left and right capsule with the respective wire.
Lightweight
With a weight of 120 grams, the word "light" gains additional meaning. This lightweight is hardly noticeable when worn, although the tight-fitting headband exerts a dominant but not unpleasant pressure on the head and ears. The headphones sit very comfortably, even when the head moves violently. Unfortunately, the padding of the headband looks a bit cheap.
This is because Sennheiser skimped on upgrading the synthetic leather cover over the thin foam strip, but this does not diminish the wearing comfort. This is because the narrow bar ensures a non-slip and cushioned fit on the head. Since the HD 25 Light adopts the capsules of its big brother, it also benefits from the replaceable, very softly padded, leatherette-covered earpads, which lie very close to the ears for direct signal input.
Differences to the normal HD 25
The HD 25 Light fits even very small head sizes thanks to the rather small diameter of the earpiece and the fourteen adjustable earpieces.
An important Unique Selling Point of the classic HD 25 is its special capsule joint for rotating the shell away from the ear for one-sided monitoring. Unfortunately, the HD 25 Light has to do without this, which is also the biggest difference between the two models and ultimately tips the scales in favour of one of the two models.
But even without a joint, single-ear monitoring works: the extremely flexible headband is turned in and folded behind the ear. The headphones sit comfortably tight and hold their position.
Improved sound
With the revision of the HD 25 Light, Sennheiser is now giving the closed dynamic headphones the same sound as their big brother.
The frequency response of the former 30 to 16,000 Hertz has increased to a remarkable 16 to 22,000 Hertz. The impedance increases from sixty to seventy ohms, but this is compensated by the increased sound pressure level from almost 114 decibels to 120 decibels. Compared to the predecessor model, the adapted characteristics pay off in a more powerful, more linear and more transparent sound.
The low frequencies lay out a pleasant carpet on which the mids and highs pile up neutrally and without being overdrawn. The subtle bass note underlines the clarity, homogeneity and sobriety of its sound without masking it. In the low frequency range, however, the headphones reach their limits.
Those who prefer a warm hi-fi sound will probably be disappointed. The HD 25 Light reproduces the signal unchanged and honestly, which speaks for its preferred use in the studio, where a linear reproduction is part of the good tone of a headphone.
With its nominal load, the HD 25 Light excels in reproducing transients such as hi-hats or kick drums, which can be heard cleanly, disciplined and undistorted, even at already painfully driven levels. The HD 25 Light can be very loud - on the one hand due to its high sound pressure level, on the other hand due to the direct contact of the drivers on the ears, whereby the signal hardly diffuses to the outside thanks to the very good capsule shielding. Thus, it also isolates very well from ambient noise that could contaminate the useful signal, especially in the DJ booth.
Conclusion
The update of the HD 25 Light pays off above all in the significantly improved sound image, with which it is now on a par with its superior brother. The closed headphones with ear cups are recommended for all applications where a powerful but natural and transparent sound is required. In addition, it impresses with a very light, yet tight-fitting construction that sits comfortably even during hours of use thanks to the good padding.