Sennheiser HD 201 Headphones

MarcosRV

New Head-Fier
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, your search is over. I promise you won't find a better solution inside this price range. The HD 201 is THE BEST ENTRY-LEVEL SET OF HEADPHONES IN THE MARKET. PERIOD. All those cheaper Sonys, Panasonics and Philips sound like JUNK after using a 201. They don't even get close.
 
They're not perfect, sure. They lack in soundstage if compared with the open-back headphones. But the 201 is great to use at work, with low volumes and average room noise. When I'm at home, I use the Sennheiser HD 518, where I surely find a better sound experience. But I swear sometimes, because I own the 201 since 2010 and they´re completely burned-in, I discover some nuances in music that I can't find with the 518 because of its sheer power. The 201 sounds subtle, crystal-clear, there's no prevalence of any sound.
 
With this price, obviously there will be cost limitations. The plastic is very cheap and full of crackling noises. The leatherette cover won't last long, it starts to peel off after some months. The wiring is thin and fragile, and keeps touching your neck a lot. It´s the weakest spot of these cans for sure. BUT my unit is getting along well, the copper wires are even exposed at some points and it's working 100% yet.
 
And they're sooo comfortable. I can wear them for hours with only that slight discomfort you'll get with any headset. Works perfectly without an amplifier, but sure it gains some depth with one.
 
Still not prepared to spend a lot of money on hi-fi sound but want a good reward for a handful of dollars? Buy the HD 201. You won't regret a fart.
Southern Cross
Southern Cross
My thoughts exactly.
Pandaxprs
Pandaxprs
"you wont regret a fart"
GreatCanadian
GreatCanadian
Sorry, but yes, you most certainly can regret a fart.

GeorgeGoodman

1000+ Head-Fier
Pros: Good bass, overall crisp sound, durability, detail, light weight, long cord, inexpensive.
Cons: Cheap manufacture so that the drivers are lightly mismatched.
These are great headphones for the price. I could totally enjoy these on a desert island if they were all I had. They really need an EQ to get the best sound out of them and i have Rockbox on two of y DAPs so it works great. The bass is pretty good, and there are no glaring bad parts in the sound. 
 
One negative is that the drivers are mismatched and one side is louder than the other. I have to use the panning control in Rockbox or winamp. Other than that, they are great for the money and do 70% of a hundred dollar phone.

lajthabalazs

New Head-Fier
Pros: Cheep and Sennheiser.
The Sennheiser of the masses.
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THATSOUNDSBOMB

New Head-Fier
Pros: Astonishing detail in mid and upper frequencies, very cost-efficient
Cons: Sensitive build material (plastic), lacking bass, thin cords, needs to be amped to show true potential
I bought a pair of these during my vacation in Hong Kong, and I must say that I was amazed on the first listen. These cans offer immense precision when it comes to the mid and upper ranges. This is especially evident when you hear the crisp snaps of the snare drums in an audio recording.
 
However, the bass is there, just not as upfront as you would expect from Sennheiser. The bass is VERY tight, and provides an overall well-balanced sound. Some people say that the bass is lacking, but they are incorrect. This headphone has a lighter bass load, but not enough that it bloats over the track.
 
These headphones are improved GREATLY when you add in a Fiio E5 into the mix. With a proper amp to drive these cans, they sound absolutely marvellous! The bass range is definitely upped, and now you have crystal clear highs with plenty of warm, undistorted bass.
 
Definitely needs to be amped, but a great budget headphone overall.

Ketmeister

New Head-Fier
Pros: Low price. Decent mid /high balance. Good detail compared to other HPs in this price class. Easy to drive. Relatively comfortable.
Cons: Build is on the cheap side. Heavy roll off in the lower frequencies. Overall sound leans on thin side.
Hard to fault at its price.

Jaisah

New Head-Fier
Pros: Plenty of bass
Cons: Long cable makes them very annoying to use anywhere apart from at home.
These are great headphons if you dont want to spend very much but still want a capable pair of headphones. They produce strong bass but if you try to put on a more bassy equaliser you might find them distorting. They are comfortable and tough with my only dislike being the length of the cable, even with the provided tool to wind them up onto they are still unweildy if you plan to take them away from home.

TheLaw

100+ Head-Fier
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 definitely less satisfying. But, keep in mind, these cost a fraction of cost. I have yet to try these with an amp, so that might have an improvement.

Otherwise the sound is very good. I don't have much to comment about. They aren't the most revolutionary 'phones ever created, but they do shine through because of their value, which most vendors cannot match. Comparing to a Skullcandy Lowrider I bought for gimmicks ($30), they sound much better. More comfortable fit, and cleaner sound in all aspects including bass, which the SCs had 0 of.

One thing I've learned quickly is to not play with your EQ settings whether it be on your iPod, computer, or whatever other source you are using. These drivers are cheap and flipping on bass boost will simply give you a distorted ugly sound, so keep your EQs off and let it sound as it was intended.

Overall great value.

BenYC

New Head-Fier
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.
 
 
 
 
GL1TCH3D
GL1TCH3D
but they have higher end closed back like the 449?
Achmedisdead
Achmedisdead
I agree with your conclusions....with an additional amp in the picture, they just sound wimpy and lifeless from a common DAP.
Otrakun
Otrakun
I like low priced cans that sound better with an amp.
It means that I can recommend them to friends of mine who may be interested in upgrading in the future, and not get yelled at when they say their next headphones can't play out of their ipod.

LMNproyect

New Head-Fier
Pros: very well balanced across all the spectrum, flat and natural
Cons: short soundstage and not too detailed, but good overall
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.

Southern Cross

New Head-Fier
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, definitely there. Mids are the shining point, with a very exact and pristine sound. Trebles are again well-defined. As such, they may be quite uninteresting for a Skrillex tour de force, but they are quite good for rock, pop and vocal jazz. Both male and female voices sound very faithfully and glossy. The hour of triumph for these cans, IMHO, is classical music and, in particular, piano-centered music. Most of what I heard through them was "cool, lovely, bright, pleasant, how agreeable", until I heard a rendition of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (mvt. 3) by Wilhelm Kampff and I was WOW!, each note shining like a perfect and crystalline snowflake. And, as in piano playing, tha't what the Senn HD201 are about: it's all about control. What it gets in, it gets out. As such, also, they are somewhat unforgiving with poor recordings or bad files. Their precise sound is also an excellent option for movies (maybe not for disaster movies) and gaming. Some say that it's a "boring" sound, I'd prefer to say it's an "exact" sound. I do think they're quite an improvement over all the obvious low-end Phillips/Panasonic/Sony options
 
Then again, these are cheap headphones, and as such they're cheaply made in 100% plastic and with an unremarkable, if sober, design. They don't look exactly cheap-o or flimsy, but they doesn't fool anyone about which is their price tag and should be treated gently. The bright side of their construction, if any, is that they are quite light for their size, with a well padded headband. Comfort is average, my limit was an hour and a half of comfortable wearing, after that they get too hot and sweaty. Isolation is decent. Portability is obviously not what designers had in mind, being cumbersome, unfoldable and with a long cord; yet the light weight and good isolation make them not that bad an option for a train or bus ride... if you treat them gently, have a roomy bag, and don't mind to look like a cosmonaut.
 
CONCLUSION:
If you are looking for a toss-in-the-bag portable which looks stylish and cool on the street, and/or for a booming-bass and "fun" sound to blast your Ipod's nu-metal or dubstep compilations, run like hell from them and go grab Skullcandy or iFrogz.

If you are looking for a sizable improvement of your stock gear on a shoestring budget, and your concern is sound fidelity, these are the path to follow into a brave new world of better sound. Soundwise, the Sennheiser HD201 are among the best value that can be asked for.
 
And, I found the gold-coated 6-5mm. adaptor just the complimentary mint of an already great product. What a steal. 
Kottmeier
Kottmeier
Agreed! I picked these up recently at the ridiculously cheap price of $13.35 CAD from Newegg.ca in Feb 2013. They are astonishingly good for what I paid. The only downside is that they have to be driven hard to get loud; far greater than the volume required by my Quart or Audio-Technica cans. The sound is very nice, albeit not jaw dropping, but still very respectable.
streetdragon
streetdragon
"Booming-bass and "fun" sound to blast your Ipod's nu-metal or dubstep compilations, run like hell from them and go grab Skullcandy or iFrogz."Nah you won't need that. Just go and get the HD202 for about $10 more, they have plenty of bass while not being too muddy with the same value of the HD201.
Southern Cross
Southern Cross
@Kottmeier: Thirteen Canadians!!! Now, THAT'S a steal!!! Too bad I live in Argentina, so much goodies I'll never see... My review is with no amping whatsoever, so I'd love to try them on an amp (which are expensive as hell here).
@streetdragon: Seconded, if you dig basses and colorful sound that doesn't insult fidelity, and need something relatively portable, Senns 202 are a great budget choice.

Smoothstone2002

New Head-Fier
Pros: Strong mids, long cable, great price, durable, included 1/4 inch adapter
Cons: Weak bass and highs, no case, pads cheap-feeling, poor isolation and seal against head
I should probabally preface this review by stating that I am by no means an audiophile, however I appreciate good, accurate sound replication. I had only had experience with low end Samsung, LG and sony iem earbuds before purchasing these but I was eager to improve my music listening experience with a good pair of over or on ear headphones. After considering such models as the sony zx310, philips shl3000 and others by TDK, panasonic and a range of other reputed manufacturers i decided on the sennheiser hd201s.

I appreciate strong mids and highs, and am not a fan of powerful, muddy bass. My preferred styles of music are Soft rock, Symphonic rock, synthpop, new wave, traditional pop (sinatra/ four seasons), rock and roll and romantic classical music. I found these quite ideal for the aforementioned styles of music although the soundstage felt a little narrow. Overall replication is good, with clear vocals and instruments not drowning out each other or sounding muddied by booming bass. However, even someone who is not a fan of hip hop or anything like that (such as myself) may find themselves wishing for a more powerful low end.

The build quality of these headphones is generally good, with pivoting joints at the top of the earpieces being the weakest-feeling part of the unit. They are extremely comfortable, although some with larger ears may find the oval-shaped earcups problematic. They covered my small ears without any problem, and I was able to listen to the whole of Time by ELO without ever wanting to take the 201s off, although that may have been caused equally by the quality of the songs! One thing, however, that some may find frustrating is the loose fit which causes in part the relatively poor isolation and high noise leakage by the standards of an over ear model.

The 201s came in a basic package which only included the headphones themselves along with a quarter inch adapter for older and professional equipment (this model is designed for indoor use, so it makes sense to include this just as the 3 metre cable makes sense). I found this particularly helpful as it allowed me to start listening to my old records immediately! The adapter is gold plated, and probably only worth a few pounds or dollars online, but it was helpful to find this included.

In summary, anyone on a budget looking for a good set of studio monitors to use at home would be well served by these as long as they are not a fan of boomy bass or powerful treble.

Deathz0r

New Head-Fier
Pros: Amazing sound quality even on integrated audio
Cons: not DJ style
I bought these with the intention of replacing my Plantronics Gamecom 367 closed ear gaming headset and they are doing an excellent job thus far. They sound great (need a headphone amp btw if you dont have a decent audio source).

Tadgh

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Balanced sound, no immediately apparent weaknesses, lightweight, reasonably musical.
Cons: Somewhat easy to break, slightly recessed bass, not as comfortable as they could be.
Hello all,
 
This review is written from the perspective of somebody who has spent a lot of time looking for good, cheap, cans - and I've used these good, cheap, cans for 5 years now.  I've owned cheap IEMs, Over-ears, On-ears, Earpods, and speakers. On the other hand I own a pair of Zensor 3s and MDR-7506s, and in all of my experience I've never encountered as solid a value-for-money ratio.
 
For 25 euro you can purchase a new pair HD201s in a number of retailers, I can highly recommend them. Let's start at the beginning:
 
 
Packaging: A box, some fabric.
 
As one might expect from such a cheap headset, the HD201s have very underwhelming packaging. Given that, it's perfectly acceptable - the headset sits inside a cardboard box wrapped in a soft foamy fabric. I would assume that with the lightweight nature of these cans the protection offered should be sufficient to protect them from blunt impacts, and stop the cans getting scuffed. Fine for shipping of any kind.
 
 
Build: Bog standard, but very well thought-over.
 
These headphones are built with cheap-plasticy materials, there's really no other way of saying that, they don't feel or look premium. But to Sennheiser's defense, they've committed no cardinal sins. The plastic casing is matte, making it immune to fingerprints and quite scratch resistant. The colors are plain (silver and black), and don't run or fade. There are also no points of extreme weakness anywhere through the design. Sometimes the extension struts that allow for the cans to be extended or retracted can be snapped, I've experienced this a number of times over our 5 year run, and I can offer two bits of advice regarding this weakness: 1) Don't sit on your headphones - I've done this many a-time, and each time those struts snapped it was under my own weight 2) Using hot glue or epoxy resin to reattach the cups almost always works and holds. The cable is long enough for use for just about any application, is coated in soft (but plasticy feeling) rubber that leaves it durable, easy enough on the eye, and comfortable to have pressed against your body. You can find a lot better at slightly higher price points when it comes to sheer build quality, but If you treat these nicely, they will last, and look okay too.
 
 
Ergonomics: Not sleepers, but not in any way offensive.
 
The HD201s are decent to wear, but that's it. Until worn in they clamp a little hard, which sucks because the ear cups are fairly shallow and the pads aren't fantastic. Pleather and foam. The reality is that they don't hurt, and I have sensitive ears with hella annoying ear ridges :wink:. They hold onto your head through headbanging, and I've hiked with these through rain, sleep, and snow, they're no clouds floating on the ears, but there's little to complain about.
 
 
Sound: Best of category, by a mile.
 
The sound out of these cans is what makes them so remarkable. It's balanced, with clear separation between high, mid, and low frequencies - which is a lot more than can be said of 98% of headphones at this price range, and that's not where it ends. They do sound decent, even in comparison to my Zensors and 7506s, they're much less detailed than those two offerings, with softer treble, and weaker bass.
 
The mids don't provide much intimacy or subtlety, but they're reasonably musical and rounded - listening to the Gorillaz - D-Sides for example, you can still appreciate the mastery behind Spitting out the Demons, and the various remixes of Kids with Guns. Listening to low vocals, acoustic guitars, pianos, and violins such as - The National - The Alligator (A decently hard album to reproduce due to it's harmonic cacophony of instruments) once can separate, and appreciate each instrument, all of which are portrayed forgivingly. The mids aren't juicy or detailed, but they're enjoyable to listen to - and that's the primary objective of a 25 euro headset. Bang on Sennheiser, budget done right.
 
The aforementioned treble is a little soft, but present - non-sibilant, and easy to listen to. It strikes that difficult to find balance in similar low-end offerings between just not having anything up top, and the "we hope we've made your ears bleed" trigger happy treble approach. In short, the top-end offers musicality and balance, and while mixes can be left sounding soft when listened to on higher-end offerings and then compared with the 201s, there's nothing there to complain about at this price point whatsoever. Probably the greatest strength of the 201s in their price point, higher frequencies that can cause some mixes to be fatiguing and sibilant are forgiven for being over-zealous, but aren't muted to obscurity. This is rare and valuable, don't overlook it.
 
Bass. Well, these aren't for bassheads, but they're also not lacking in a way that feels totally unfair. The bass response is well controlled, decently low-reaching, and generally proportional - but it's quiet. Recessed to just about the point of complaint, it's not rare for bass heavy mixes to sound slightly underplayed on these cans. I think people make too big a deal out of this in this one instance however as in my *considerable* experience most decent all-rounder cans in this price point have either no bass whatsoever, or bass floppier than dying carp. The bass provided by the 201s is present, audible, and controlled. This makes them head and shoulders above most other options - but it'd be nice not to have mention it's recessed nature at all. I wouldn't consider this a deal breaker at all, the bass is there, and can be enjoyed in all mixes - if you're expecting bass that leaves your jaw dropped open, you're expecting far too much out of 25 euro cans.
 
Needless to say, these cans are low-impedance and will run fine with mobile devices. This review is written on experiences with a pair of 201s that have now been broken in for 500ish hours.
 
 
Conclusion:
 
These cans thoroughly trounce the majority of competitors, and some headphones far above their own price-point. The key to this isn't mind-blowing bass, jaw dropping detail, or stunning good looks. It's the fact that these cans are very well thought out, and then produced en-mass. They avoid all cardinal sins when it comes to packaging (Melt on packaging anyone?), build, or ergonomics - holding a strong 'good enough' on all of them, and on top of it they sound much much better than their price-tag would indicate (I actually had a few days back around 2013 where I got to swap between using 1st gen Beats and the 201s, the 201s beat them into the dust at a fraction of the price).
 
I would happily recommend these to any man or woman who was looking to spend under 50 euro on headphones.
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dragon2knight
dragon2knight
Yep, I did the same, and am still doing so. I have the M30's and they are ok, built better for sure, but still not good enough IMHO. The 201's are still the "Cheap Champs" :) 
Tadgh
Tadgh
Awww that's genuinely really disappointing ;-; I was kinda hoping I could find another fab pair of cheap cans to recommend people but I guess Sennheiser win again ^-^
Have you got a review up on the M30s? I'd like to read it.
dragon2knight
dragon2knight

EpicPie

500+ Head-Fier
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!
 

MarcadoStalker7

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Very detailed. Very deep and full bass. Natural and lifelike mids. Perfect and smooth treble.
Cons: Requires a good amp. (Sounds best on the HDVD 800 Sennheiser amp)
After trying the LCD-3's, SR-007 MK1 and HD-800, i find the HD-201 has better value and sound overall. But you need to pair it with the HDVD800.
Otherwise it will sound muddy and congested like the HD-600.
 
Use 24/192 for best results, and good produced music obviously.
 
The setup: PC>HDVD800>HD-201>24/192 on Foobar2000.
 
The HD-800 was bright and artificial, but the HD-201 was natural and has better bass (goes very low, more low than HD-800).
Now i am hearing my entire music again, after years of living with the artificial sound of the HD-800.
 
PD: I did not like the comfort and sound of LCD-3's and the Omega. The HD-800 was a favorite until i owned my HD-201, i will never go back.
 
PD2: YOU NEED TO USE IT WITH THE HDVD800. In other amps it sounds like a 15$ headphones.
Jazz, Rock, Metal, you name it, all sounded very natural and fast.
In Metal i can hear the sparkle of the guitars, the double-bass of the drums, and the vocals perfectly smooth with great separation and soundstage. I think i'm in love with these cans *-*
freedom04
freedom04
nice potato
Mach-X
Mach-X
I love potato, but I'd rather get (s)mashed instead. So I just distill it.
nuforcemmp
nuforcemmp
you're not going back to the hd - 800 ?? can i have it??? :):)
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