Customer Reviews
Excellent, but not really for bass-heavy music 
2007-06-28
I consider myself somewhat of an audiophile, and I'm very particular about the quality and such coming from my headphones. I've gone through quite a few pair over the years trying to find the perfect pair of headphones for my taste. That said, this pair is, so far anyway, my favorite.
Firstly, I consider these *desktop* headphones - they're kinda big and not very portable.
In terms of the sound quality, there seems to be an excellent balance between treble and bass-level frequencies, meaning you can hear the high notes just as clearly as the low notes. And the quality is very crisp and accurate.
In my opinion the bass is great. However it really depends on your own taste. If your music of choice has a heavy bass line, or even if it doesn't and you still prefer to turn your bass up really high anyway, you'll most likely be disappointed with the amount of distortion.
But the balance between bass and treble is perfect for pretty much everything else - rock, jazz, classical, you name it. The bass is prominent and clear, but it's in perfect harmony with the higher frequencies. I personally like my bass to be *there* and clear, but not overbearing, so this is one of the essential things I look for in a pair of headphones.
This also makes these headphones an outstanding choice for watching DVDs on your computer - high definition sound, and all.
Comfortability is another area where these headphoens excel. The fabric ear pads are a tremendous plus for those who tend to wear headphones for hours on end - they simply don't get uncomfortable, ever. Past experience tells me that these are much better than the more common rubber ear pads, which can sometimes get painful after just half an hour or so. And not only that, but fabric ear pads actually react better with speakers, and help to produce a better sound. The strip of padding across the top is also really comfortable.
Finally, there's the lifespan. I've had these things for almost two years, I use them for hours at a time almost every day, and they're not even showing any signs of dying yet. I've never had a pair that's lasted so long.
In short, not for bass-heavy sounds, but for everything else I can't recommend anything better. Good price, too. Highly recommended for anyone who lives on their computer.
Great Headphones 
2007-05-21
These are really great headphones. Excellent for anything with a good strong beat (such as HipHop songs). The only reason it didnt get a 5 stars was because the cable length (even though it has the cable thing for it) is a bit too long, and feels useless.
Sennheuser HD 457 headphones (silver) 
2007-04-01
I liked the Sennheuser HD 457 headphone when I first started using them. After using them for awhile they would fall off every time I put my head down to pick something up from the floor. I later bought the Sennheuser HD202. The HD202 fits my head and ears much better! I have a small head. J. Hall
Way too much bass 
2006-11-26
I've owned and used Sennheiser headphones since the 70s. These are by far the worst Sennheisers I've owned. Put simply: they are way too bass heavy. And it's not even punchy bass, it's real boomy and muddy. You'll need to EQ the bass down just about as low as you can to get accurate musical reproduction. If you like unnatural, overemphasized, boomy bass these are the headphones for you. If not, stay away.
HD 457 Wearing Comfort 2006-11-25
Someone mentioned that these headphones feel hot on the ears. I don't agree with this at all. Compared to my AKGs, which have plastic-covered ear cushions, the HD 457s feel much cooler and comfortable. My ears do not perspire at all even after wearing them for more than 4 hours. I think this is an excellent product and I would like to urge Sennheiser not to discontinue these headphones as I intend to buy the same ones after these wear out.
Sennheiser headphones are great! 2008-06-20
These are some of the best, most reasonable and comfortable headphones for the most reasonable price. Have purchased several pairs over the years.
Perfect Sound 2008-05-14
I use these headphones with my MP3Player around the house. Tried some smaller headphones, but those are mostly not comfortable to wear (I hate having this clip thing over my ears and I can't stand having something in my ears ...) and usually don't deliver the sound quality I want. So I went back to a full siye model, and having used Sennheiser for the last 25+ years, it was a natural thing to look what they have to offer these days.
The HD457 delivers a superb audio quality.
It is very comfortable to wear and actually relatively lightweight.
It comes with a nifty little device that lets you stow surplus cable length when you only need the short cable to a MP3 that's clipped to your belt.
And that is it. Just a perfect gadget for everyday use.
Well, maybe there is one tiny contra: It has a distinctive plastic look and feel to it. But when I'm wearing it, I don't see it ... :).
Great comfort and quality 2008-05-13
I produce radio commercials in small market radio, and I love these headphones. They are the second pair of Sennheiser HD headphones that I have owned. I originally used the Sennheiser HD437's, which were very similar to the HD457. I took the HD437's home, and purchased the HD457 to use at work. I have to wear headphones for long periods of time, and I turn the volume up louder than most people would, and I find no discomfort to these headphones throughout my workday. And with the "open" design, it allows me to have a conversation with people (with the volume down) while still wearing them over my ears. You can't do that with a "closed ear" headphone. I give these 5 stars. I highly recommend them to anyone who wants a comfortable headphone with great frequency response.
Nice solid headphones 2008-05-05
Have had them for about six months now and I love them. Good quality and pretty durable.
Excellent headphone 2008-02-01
I own a Sennheiser HD477 and a HD202 for 3 years. Recently I wanted to buy another Sennheiser, tried HD280 and returned it. Finally got HD457 and am very satisfied.
I will review each one of them below.
(1) HD 202
The sound is very dull, lacking details. Not worth the money even it is cheap.
(2) HD477
I like its sound very much. Its spectrum is well balanced, rich low and high sounds. Very comfortable to wear. This one is discontinued though.
(3) HD280
Very dispointed at this one given all those good reviews. Maybe the one I tried is a defective product, the two ear pieces are not matched, sound image is a little bit biased towards one side, which is annoying. Because of this mismatch, the positioning of instruments, vocals are not desirable. Many complained about the wearing, which I agree. It is a bit tight, keeps drawing your attention when you listening to music.
(4)HD457
It is similar to HD477 in design, as well as in sound, rich in low and high freq. HD457 has stronger low freq output. I totally understand why some users saying the sound is 'muddy'. I have a old cd player that has a bass boost, when I turn it on, the bass sound is just too much. Drums sound is a bit distored. But nowadays, music players almost all have multi-band EQ, so it is easy to get a balanced bass sound after some tuning. I managed to get very good sound from another CD player with such EQ. I tried this headphone with other music sources, all sound good.
The wearing is also quite comfortable.
Lastly, I want to say the sound of HD457 may be a little bit colored. But to me it is clored in a desirable way. In the end, I am looking for the sound I like, it is a subjective thing. So try a few pairs of headphones, judge by your own ears.
