Sennheiser is a reliable brand for mid-range headphones, which is a good thing because there’s really nothing else to go on here. These new headphones, the HD-428, HD-438, and HD-448 all look fine to me, but there’s only so much you can say without actually hearing them. The press release says the 448 offers a “lifelike sound experience,” the 438 a “natural sound signature” and the 428 a “powerful bass response.” May as well say one is dashing, the next handsome, and the third fetching! I mean, if you wanted to get all Jane Austen up in here.

I have to say, I would have to go with the highest end one, because the cheaper one obviously uses a different headphone driver (which accounts for its low-end “emphasis”), and the mid-range ones have a garish enough design that I’m willing to pay an extra $10 to have the low-key styling of the HD-448. The materials used on the 438 and 448 appear to be significantly better as well.