I’ve always been a big fan of Sennheiser headphones – and for good reason. They make some of the world’s best headphones and a few months ago while sifting through eBay, I came across a set of vintage Sennheiser HD-424s that needed new wiring and pads. The pads are bright yellow and for $40 I thought i’d give them a try.

Made in the mid-1970’s, these were Sennheiser’s top of the line headphones. The first generation (with silver end caps) needed 2000 ohms to operate. The second generation (with black end caps) needed 600 ohms to operate. With such high ohms required to power the headphones, you won’t be plugging these into your iPod anytime soon.

When I received the headphones in the mail I had to purchase new foam ear pads. Luckily I found a pair on B&H Photo for $5 so I splurged and also upgraded the crummy audio cables to high end Cardas Audio cables which I found for $125 used on eBay. Cardas cables let more power flow from the amplifier with less resistance to the headphone speakers than stock cables. This gives it a better overall sound.

I tried to find an original ad for the headphones with no luck. However, I did come across a scab of the original 1982 user’s manual.

I plugged them into my amp and was surprised at how good they sounded. They don’t have earth shattering bass but have fairly detailed sounds that are similar to Grado SR-60s. With the new ear pads they’re very comfortable but sound a little bright when the volume is cranked, otherwise I’d say they’re great for listening to rock and roll.

After using them for a few weeks the pads were starting to wear in, so if you were to get a pair of these headsets, make sure you get extra pads. HD-424s can be hard to  find on eBay but when they do come up for auction they range in price from $40 – $120, depending on the condition.