Sennheiser HD 300 Pro Studio Headphone Review

While impedance is moderate 64Ω, sensitivity is quite high. This combo makes the HD 300 Pro easy to drive from mobile devices, and since Reference requires only 7dB for Safe Headroom, volume is no issue even when they’re plugged in a laptop and used with calibration

HD 300 Pro build is entirely plastic, but the material is hard and seems durable, overall giving a reassuring impression that the headphones won’t fail easily. The robust build paired with the foldable design means that they’ll be easy to pack for carrying around and a dedicated hard case isn’t required.

It seems that the headband is the same unit used on HD 280 Pro, but the cushion is upgraded with slowly rebounding foam and a nicer synthetic leather cover. The same treatment is applied to the ear pads.

Unlike HD 280 Pro, the cable is detachable and has two uncommon features. First, the possibility to unplug the cable by accident is eliminated by mounting it on the earcup with two Torx screws. And another neat touch is the velcro strap that’s wrapped around the cable, which helps to manage the cable for transportation or storage.

Sennheiser has done a remarkable job tuning HD 300 Pro so there’s relatively little work left for calibration to get them perfect. The shape of the curve follows the “smiley face” pattern with boosts in bass and highs, but since these boosts are conservative, and throughout the spectrum there are only two abrupt dips, the coloring remains tame and the sound is relatively balanced. With that said, there’s still a tangible improvement to be gained with calibration, as it reduces the low-mid mud and improves clarity in the high-mid range and highs.

All pairs had some left to right inconsistencies, but relatively minor ones, spanning narrow frequency bandwidth and not exceeding 2dB in amplitude. These imperfections shouldn’t cause much issue when producing or tracking but are not ideal for mixing and mastering.

With HD 300 Pros it’s clear that Sennheiser chose good sound isolation over long session comfort. While the headband cushions and ear pads feel rather soft and comfy at first, none of our testers found them a suitable option for extended mixing sessions, and that comes as no surprise, given how strong the clamping force is. But don’t be discouraged if you’re looking at HD 300 Pros as recording headphones, the comfort is ok for tracking duties.

When compared to Sennheiser HD 280 Pro, the contact points are nicer, but that has very little effect on overall comfort since the pressure applied by the clamping force is the same for both models.

There’s no question that HD 300 Pro is an upgrade over HD 280 Pro with its better build, sound and adaptiveness. The price difference is reasonable, if anything, HD 280 Pro’s should be more affordable, while the €169 / $200 asked for the HD 300 Pro seems fair, given that these are among the top tracking headphones available.