I almost buy in blind the hd280 but when i tryed it in the store, i hear clearly that the HD280 in the spectrum was sub bass heavy at 30-40hz , a dip in 200hz, and a piercing peak at 2.3khz to 3.5khz, then another dip in 5khz , so it was hard for me to listen and feel it flat, i try my best to like it but i couldn´t, very far from been flat and natural. Then i try the HD201 without any spectacion and was surpriced for how balanced and natural it sounds.
Good amount of bass extension, doesn´t kick or hit you but is there and you don´t feel by anyway the lack of bass frequencies, just dont hit hard, a little bit pillower, mids are great clear and well balanced, thing that is hard to find in most headphones that tend to be bass heavy or harsh in the high end like V shape eq, the mids was better balanced than my ATH M50, KNS 8400 , KNS 6400, not better than my mid foward Etymotics ER 4S and my HD600. Highs are in the soft side, softer than any of my other headphones. Its get congested and sound a little 2D with not too much instrument separation , short soundstage, but they are very flat across all the frecuencies spectrum, something that studio mixers enginer, musicians will apreciate, flat sound. The others headphones have a more refined expensive detailed sound but not as flat and true to the source like the HD201 in the spectrum. For the price you will have a very true and real representation of how the music was intented to sound but not with super high resolution, you wouldn´t hear alot micro details, reverb tails etc. I recomend it for tracking in the studio vocals , instruments and some quick mix reference checks.For musicians, if your mixes sounds balanced in this cheap HD201 headphones,i think it will sound balanced and good anywhere.These HD201 aren´t funny exuberant sound headphones , just flat. Most people maybe wouldn´t appreciate this kind of sound ,but if you re one of the few that likes Etymotic sound signature (flat and real) you will be very satisfied for the price.
This is without burn in. I will post an update after the burn in.
Good amount of bass extension, doesn´t kick or hit you but is there and you don´t feel by anyway the lack of bass frequencies, just dont hit hard, a little bit pillower, mids are great clear and well balanced, thing that is hard to find in most headphones that tend to be bass heavy or harsh in the high end like V shape eq, the mids was better balanced than my ATH M50, KNS 8400 , KNS 6400, not better than my mid foward Etymotics ER 4S and my HD600. Highs are in the soft side, softer than any of my other headphones. Its get congested and sound a little 2D with not too much instrument separation , short soundstage, but they are very flat across all the frecuencies spectrum, something that studio mixers enginer, musicians will apreciate, flat sound. The others headphones have a more refined expensive detailed sound but not as flat and true to the source like the HD201 in the spectrum. For the price you will have a very true and real representation of how the music was intented to sound but not with super high resolution, you wouldn´t hear alot micro details, reverb tails etc. I recomend it for tracking in the studio vocals , instruments and some quick mix reference checks.For musicians, if your mixes sounds balanced in this cheap HD201 headphones,i think it will sound balanced and good anywhere.These HD201 aren´t funny exuberant sound headphones , just flat. Most people maybe wouldn´t appreciate this kind of sound ,but if you re one of the few that likes Etymotic sound signature (flat and real) you will be very satisfied for the price.
This is without burn in. I will post an update after the burn in.
