For three-quarters of a century, Sennheiser has made its name at the business end of the signal chain, providing microphones for all kinds of applications in the studio and beyond. But the company is equally famous—if not more so—for their commitment to precision at the opposite end of the signal chain: headphones.
For this high-fidelity listening experience, the company has provided many options—for all kinds of purposes—over the years. The HD 25 is their rugged, flexible and top quality choice for DJing, studio monitoring and listening on the go. Now with a special touch of gold, this classic is more appealing than ever.
If you’re looking for a pair of headphones that defines ‘classic’, it would be hard to go past the HD 25. Sennheiser is celebrating their 75th anniversary in style with a limited edition version of these famous cans.
Origins
The origin story of the HD 25 is one to remember. This particular model found a willing customer in Concorde: yes, the supersonic jet. As you can imagine, flying at Mach 2 and incurring the frightfully loud sonic booms that come with breaking the sound barrier, things could get pretty noisy onboard for the high-paying customers.
Therefore, they were in need of some seriously heavy-duty cans to block out the ambient noise while quaffing Dom Perignon. The HD 25 headphones delivered on sound quality, were light enough to be worn for long periods and were sufficiently robust to deal with the rigours of international travel.
As we all know, not everyone had the means to fly in this prohibitively expensive way, so when the HD 25s hit the nightclub scene, they experienced a surge in popularity. They were (and still are) a hugely popular choice for DJs, for all the reasons that made them so loved by the jet-setters: they sounded great, they were incredibly light and they did a great job of blocking out noise. And when you’re trying to nail a mix in the heat of a DJ set, you better know what you’re hearing.
Favourite of the pros
As such, they’ve also made their mark in the pressure-cooker environment of the studio. Though they don’t purport to be a solution for long mixing sessions, they provide a clear and consistent monitoring option for both performers and engineers.
These virtues also make them ideal for monitoring sound while filming on location. Their ability to shield the ears from extraneous sounds of the environment, all while being remarkably lightweight and flexible means you can get consistent results when recording in any type of location. Plus, being a professional headphone, replacement headband padding, cables and earcups are all available. If you rely on this tone, you can keep it forever.
Being this illustrious company’s 75th birthday, people who purchase the HD 25 can be lucky enough to score the limited edition model. These come with the same iconic tone, plus ship with retro logos on the earcups and special yellow ear pads. 
Why yellow though?
They actually pay tribute to another classic in the Sennheiser catalogue: the HD 414. Introduced in 1968, these were the world’s first open-backed headphones—a technology that ushered in a new era of hi-fi enthusiasm and excellence in studio-level monitoring, culminating in models like HD 650 and HD 800.
With a splash of colour, Sennheiser has again shed light on this most consistently excellent of models. Its reliability in sonic performance, flexibility and interchangeability of parts—plus, a truly unique ability to take punishment (as the below video demonstrates)—has made it a favourite of professionals and music fans alike for more than three decades. On the company’s 75th birthday, Sennheiser has made the HD 25 fresh again for a new generation.
To pick up your pair, head over to the Sennheiser website.
