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Member Reviews: Sennheiser HD 201 Headphones

Positive Reviews

MarcosRV

You really must know what are your expectations.

Posted
By MarcosRV

Pros: Crystal clear sound, bang for the buck, comfort.

Cons: Cheap materials, lack of strong bass.

I got here to see what people are thinking about these headphones, and got surprised by the variety of responses. Some hate them, some think it's just OK, and some people love them. If you're thinking of buying them, at first you need to know what you want from a good set of headphones, and align with what you'll find in the HD 201.   First of all, if you're that guy who finds the Monster Beats AWESOME and is crazy about that boom-boom-so-dope bass approach, go away. Now. If you're looking for a cheaper alternative than the Beats, grab a Skullcandy.   If you need unexpensive, well-balanced headphones, with great isolation and great perception even on very low volumes,...
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Southern Cross

No-frills approach offers crystal clear sound for an almost absurd price.

Posted
By Southern Cross

Pros: Clear and very defined sound, good separation, good isolation, very light, decent comfort, plus a courtesy gold-coated 6.5mm adaptor.

Cons: Relatively fragile, lacks punch, low portability, somewhat unforgiving with bad recordings.

Well, this is a product that gets a lot of praising and some bashing as well, so let's start by the obvious: they cost U$S 29, and can be found for U$S 20. They are really affordable. Audiophiles bashing them are missing the point: these are not cans for the audiophile, but for those who want to leave their as-issued earbuds in the shameful past and make a first step into a better, more defined sound. And in that way, the HD201 delivers splendidly.   The sound is the shining point here, very crisp and clear, with very good separation of instruments. Basses are gentle and quite controlled, with no emphasis whatsoever but quite clear and, in my non-basshead opinion, not lacking,...
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Negative Reviews

Gnomeplay

Not Recommended

Posted
By Gnomeplay

Pros: Cost effective

Cons: Sound quality, poor bass, uncomfortable, no seal/poor fit

The main issue I really have with these headphones is the way that they fit. I struggle to find a way to wear them comfortably or get any sort of a seal.   Sound quality is sub-par, even for the value. I haven't had many over the ear headsets that I prefer these over for music, including mic/gaming headsets that aren't made for it. They do sound much better with an amplifier, but at the point of buying $20 headphones and a $50+ amp, you're better off dumping the extra money into better headphones.
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BLACKENEDPLAGUE

Not sure why these were recommended

Posted
By BLACKENEDPLAGUE

Pros: Cheap, kind of comfortable, good "soundstaging?"

Cons: Bass is at a negative level, incredibly cheap materials

This is going to be a short review.   -When I took them out of the box they felt like crap, like the smallest amount of pressure would snap the headband in two or more pieces.   -Upon first wearing they weren't nearly as tight or sweat inducing as the Skullcandy T.I.'s I had at the time.   The sound was nasty. I do not know if this "burn in" thing you people talk about counts with these things or not, but I didn't even want to try.   If you can't get them for less than twenty bucks then keep your money.
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BotByte

Cheap OverHead headphones

Posted
By BotByte

Pros: Cheap, over ear, cord length

Cons: Sound, cord, fit, size, material, plug, adjustable

I have to say this, these are one of the worst headphones I have ever had.   To start the comfort is horrible. I have long hair, curly so it all bundles together. Older headphones slid through my hair, these grab every single lock and tear it off my skull. They are not slanted, to they can slid behind you head all the time. The cushions are cheap and won't last very long. They do not adjust easily, I have two clicks on one side and three on the other side. They will irritate your ears because of the non-slant in the design. The top pad is soft, yet because of the design, causes the sides to dig into your head anyways.   The cord is long 3 meters, 3 yards, 9 feet....
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More Reviews

BenYC

Can be a great or bad headphone

Posted
By BenYC

Pros: Sound amazing when driven by a decent amp.

Cons: Who will drive a $30 headphone with a decent amp?

I really cannot understand what market is this headphone targeted for.  For all I know, this headphone needs power.   If I plug this headphone to a normal portable player (no head amp), it can sound bass-less and dead because of inadequate power.   However, if I plug it to a decend head amp/integrated with enough driving, this headphone can be very pleasing, especially for a closed can.    I have a feeling that this headphone can be better received by the market (at least being treated more seriously) if the price is a few times more.        
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Catchytune

A cheap headphone that sounds quite well.

Posted
By Catchytune

Pros: Amazing value for the price. Suitable for pop, rock and even classical.

Cons: False leather on the ear and head cushions starts to dissolve within the first 10 weeks of use. Too long cable.

I am using the HD 201 for over two years and in terms of sound quality/characteristics I’m quite pleased with it. Just recently I listened to a good recording of Bach’s choral BWV 115 played on a Silbermann organ. My jaw dropped. The HD 201 sounded so well it’s hard to justify an upgrade. Even the very low base was present but only in the background, where it belongs. I believe base should suport music rather than being a main part of it. Because the HD 201 has a bright sound it also unveils compression artefacts of poorly encoded mp3 files. A quality that would be expected from high end headphones with a rediculous price tag. If you are used to warm and smooth sounding headphones you...
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AR Cascade

First "real" headphones, going off memory here

Posted
By AR Cascade

Pros: Very comfortable, good value

Cons: Cord can get tangled, cheap construction

As the title suggests, these were my first upgrade from ibuds.  They broke a while back so I'm going from memory but I did have them for a while.  First of all, they're super comfortable. The only closed back I've tried on where putting it on actually cooled down my ears instead of the opposite.  There is plenty of room for the ears and I literally fell asleep with these on a couple times.  They work well right out of an iPod, although they do come with a 1/4" adapter if you want to use them with anything more serious.  Isolation is fine, I was comfortable listening to them on airplanes or car rides without turning the volume up too much.  Unfortunately,...
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bonzo1959

A surprise

Posted
By bonzo1959

Pros: Very good sound at ridicolous price.Light weight and comfortable

Cons: Cable...too long.

I bought these cans one weeek ago in a megastore near home. I use them in my bed-room, connected via FiiO 5 amplifier and a pair of old Monster Cable interconnects to a Pro-Ject Dock Box with an I-Pod Classic 80gb on. Wow..they sounds very,very good and i think they get better and better with a certain amount of listening time. The bass is there,not so deep but articulate.Mids and Highs takes full advantage on this for a more balanced sound. I fall asleep with them on.Very light and comfortable. Great bargain.      
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Trance88

Great for the Price

Posted
By Trance88

Pros: Light weight, crisp highs, pleasant bass.

Cons: Not the most comfortable headphones in the world.

Not sure what people are talking about when it comes to weak bass. The bass isn't weak, it's just pleasant. It's just right in my opinion for every day relaxing listening. Now, if you're in the mood for some loud pumping beats, you might want to switch to a different pair. These headphones are just fine for those who aren't a basshead.
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tuan0r

Quality justified by price

Posted
By tuan0r

Pros: Cheap, Light

Cons: fragile, average sound at best

I paid $15 for those headphones, and I did not expect anything great. They aren't as comfortable as you would expect, but it does the job. The sound separation is poor for Sennheiser quality. I own a pair of HD 212 pros, which can be purchase for around $20 now, and I have to say that they are much better in every aspect.   I don't recommend HD 201s.
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jakev0z

Sennheiser HD 201s

Posted
By jakev0z

Pros: Cheap, Somewhat comfortable, good mids and highs

Cons: no bass whatsoever, gets uncomfortable after a while, leatherette material

these are cheap, price and buildwise, but deliver decent sound quality. The bass is pretty much nonexistant, but the mids and highs are good. The one flaw I saw was the leatherette ear pads that are very prone to flaking off or tearing. They aren't bad for the price, and if you need a pair of cheap, replaceable headphones, I would recommend them.
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EpicPie

Great headphones

Posted
By EpicPie

Pros: Good sound stage, good beginner audiophile headphiles

Cons: Bass is extremely muddy at higher volumes

Great headphones, after doing a few mods to them they sound incredible!  
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TheLaw

Very Nice for the Price

Posted
By TheLaw

Pros: Overall good sound quality. Comfortable. And most of all: Cheap!

Cons: Weak bass. Feels/looks cheap-ish.

I was roaming the local music shop today and I saw that they were stocking Sennheisers for the first time ever. (It has been 90% Skullcandy and 10% China cheapo). Most of their Sennheiser stuff is pretty overpriced. Like $50 for CX270s. However, they did have the HD201s for $20, which is the same, if not cheaper, than Internet pricing. So I bought them! I've heard mixed opininions on them but for so cheap, I had to give them a try! Impressions: Generally very clear mid/high range. No distortion and sounds crisp and as good as much more expensive headphones. The bass is a bit lacking and a bit muddy at high volumes. Not terrible to my ears, but comparing to my CX300s and HD280 Pros, it...
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LantherZero

Sennheiser HD201

Posted
By LantherZero

Pros: extremely inexpensive, clearest mids I've heard in a headphone this price

Cons: extremely bass light, cheap-feeling plastic housing

I was looking for a cheap headphone to carry with me in public, something that if lost or stolen would not be a big loss to me. I bought the HD201, and was pleasantly surprised. The highs are fairly crisp, the mids are very detailed considering the price, and the lackluster bass can mostly be resolved with an amp and a bit of equalization. They can't compete with more expensive headphones on any level, but one should not expect them to. The earpads are not very deep, so unless you have tiny ears you'll likely find them pressing against the headphones in uncomfortable ways. They feel cheap to the touch compared to sennheiser's higher-end headphones, but they seem solid enough to toss...
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Where to Buy It

SweetwaterHD 201 (Circumaural Closed Headphone) at Sweetwater$24.95See It »
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