If you're looking for some headphones in the $20 range, you could absolutely do worse than the HD-202. As far as "cheap" headphones go, they have a decent sound and feel reasonably comfortable, just don't expect them to sound like you spent $100.
I tried them in three different contexts, for this review:
FPS gaming was a serious let-down. There is very little positional audio, even with Dolby Headphone turned to the maximum; and I got significant fading when the source moved from one side to the other. I wouldn't recommend, nor even suggest these, for gaming.
Listening to music was decent enough. Even with the various features to improve the bass response, the sound is pretty treble-heavy, so my dubstep/electronic-focused music tastes didn't come through very well. Pop music felt good, and I heard new parts of rock songs I hadn't noticed with my preferred headphones, though I missed a lot of the emotion from the bass and drums.
Watching a movie is where I got to use the 10 foot cable, which turned out to be a benefit and a burden. The cable is a single length, with only a 3.5mm connector on the source end. This created problems when our dogs kept stepping on it, dislodging the connector or pulling the headphones off my head. I would have preferred a 4 foot cable with an included extension, allowing the source connector to stay in place when the cable broke at the mid-point. The sound itself was the best of the three experiences, but nothing greater than a "meh". Music and dialog were well balanced, though the HD-202 made action scenes feel like a cartoon.
I really think these headphones are made for a specific kind of listener: The stereotypical mainstream. If you listen mainly to pop songs; comedy, romance, and drama movies; and are looking for a cheap pair of headphones, the HD-202 is a good choice.
If you didn't get here from a Google search for "HD-202 review", these are not meant for you. The sound sucks, and there are much better choices for $20.
I tried them in three different contexts, for this review:
FPS gaming was a serious let-down. There is very little positional audio, even with Dolby Headphone turned to the maximum; and I got significant fading when the source moved from one side to the other. I wouldn't recommend, nor even suggest these, for gaming.
Listening to music was decent enough. Even with the various features to improve the bass response, the sound is pretty treble-heavy, so my dubstep/electronic-focused music tastes didn't come through very well. Pop music felt good, and I heard new parts of rock songs I hadn't noticed with my preferred headphones, though I missed a lot of the emotion from the bass and drums.
Watching a movie is where I got to use the 10 foot cable, which turned out to be a benefit and a burden. The cable is a single length, with only a 3.5mm connector on the source end. This created problems when our dogs kept stepping on it, dislodging the connector or pulling the headphones off my head. I would have preferred a 4 foot cable with an included extension, allowing the source connector to stay in place when the cable broke at the mid-point. The sound itself was the best of the three experiences, but nothing greater than a "meh". Music and dialog were well balanced, though the HD-202 made action scenes feel like a cartoon.
I really think these headphones are made for a specific kind of listener: The stereotypical mainstream. If you listen mainly to pop songs; comedy, romance, and drama movies; and are looking for a cheap pair of headphones, the HD-202 is a good choice.
If you didn't get here from a Google search for "HD-202 review", these are not meant for you. The sound sucks, and there are much better choices for $20.
