Sennheiser HD 202 Headphones

Sennheiser HD 202ll Headphones
 
 
 




Features
Closed, supra-aural, dynamic hi-fi stereo headphones.
Frequency Response 18Hz-18KHz.
For DJs, ideal for both mobile sources and home mini hi-fi systems.
Good attenuation of ambient noise.
Earcups can be removed from the headband.
Specially designed damping perforation ensures powerful bass response.
Lightweight diaphragm material with “turbine” embossing for extremely low bass.
Powerful neodymium magnets and lightweight diaphragms for high sound levels.
Powerful bass and increased signal levels for modern rhythm-driven music.
Clips to the belt: cord take-up for adjusting the cable length when listening on the move.
Rugged outdoor design with durable and flexible headband.
3 m highly conductive OFC copper cable.
Extremely comfortable to wear due to ultra-lightweight design, even for extended listening.
Replaceable leatherette ear pads.
2-year warranty.




The Sennheiser HD 202ll Headphones

A one year of ownership review:






Physicality:
Considering what these are, they tick all the right boxes. Let's just start out by talking about what's cool here. The Sennheiser HD202lls are great looking. The headband sits in a slightly different place than most headphones placing the band in a slightly forward position. At the correct placement position the small oval ear-cups cover around your entire ear, making these enjoyable closed back dynamic driver portable headphones. Still the size seems to add to the general fit and comfortable feel in the end. Having a low-weight full-size headphone out and about greatly reduces the tendency for the headphones to move around on your head, also reducing the amount of head clamping force needed. As far as fit goes, these earn a solid 10 out of 10! For some unknown reason (maybe undisclosed lost Nazi technology) they simply remain cool and comfy all the time, a pure joy to wear! They are also the best looking headphones I own. The benefits here are that you have a portable sound blocking headphone which stay in place as you walk around town.



Genuine Sennheiser Plastic Construction:
Yes, they are 100% plastic and proud of it. The key here is a combination of both flat textured and shiny finished components.





Unique Modern Design Elements:
They also have a distinctive set of bumps which allows a tactile message telling your fingers which cup is the left side. Combined aspects of the design are both revolutionary and different. The leatherette padding really helps keep an airtight fit, only increasing the ample bass response. They even boast a small area of leatherette (fake leather) headband padding around the top of your head. The padding is almost overkill when you consider how light the headphones are, though I have come to learn headband inner padding is a personal preference which becomes super important to some. The best part is maybe the simplicity of design allowing the cups to swivel on a single contact point finding the perfect fit, every time you put them on. For such a sparse and simple design they do the trick with style. They are feather-weight, strongly built and easy to use. They actually have a surprising classical look, which only starts to become a value after you study the over-all character and feel of what else is out there at this price point. They are stealthy and sleek, understated but slightly flashy in an exotic way.

Clamping force seems just about perfect, not too little, not too much.



The Extras:
The package comes as a bubble wrap, enclosed is a cord management system (more on that to come) a 1/8 to 1/4 inch silver chrome plug adaptor and the headphones.

Sennheiser offers a two year warranty, something special in this level.









The Silly Cord:

These come with a 10 foot cord. The material is nice because it seems to hold it's character of flexibility over time. There are stress relief components in all the right places. The only question is why we end up with a ten foot cord on a pair of portable headphones? I feel Sennheiser was really trying to be all things to all people with this design move. They give you a cord management device which amounts to a coiling spool which your are supposed to wear attached to the top of your pants pocket. See photograph. All and all the spool is a hassle. Other folks have come up with different cable management options using rubber bands and the like. It's not a deal breaker for me as I just stuff the cord in my pocket and I'm on my way. I found the enclosed management system to be an extra just not needed. If Sennheiser decided to give you a removable cord and included two sizes, 5 foot and 10 foot, we would obtain even more win! Still when you consider what these headphones are, the cord is not that big of a deal.



The Sound:
These are bass heavy headphones. I have noticed a large number of videos which show the 202s have found common recording studio use. So maybe the long cord goes in extra handy in that senerio? They're probably loved in the studio because they are low weight and block out any sound made by the other musicians during the recording process. They block out an amazing level of outside noise considering how simple and small the cups are. This black background just goes to emphasize the level of sound quality these produce. Nice treble and slightly pulled mids, we are left with a dramatic V sound signature, with a mid level soundstage character. The lower mid bass offers a slightly woolly distortion which adds to the warm color these headphones naturally have but also distract from the full amount of detail at times.

Focusing on the lower mid distortions can be a slight annoyance at times, when that same warm color may have been the one character that had the awe factor upon first hearing the Sennheiser HD202lls? What can you get for $29 that does what these do?


Final Thoughts and Ramblings:
I find the headphones on the slightly dark side of character but do get into the bass with bass heavy genres like EDM, or Sludge Metal. They just do the timing of rock music well. They are not audiophile headphones by definition but find a place of value for price. For whatever reason I ended up really liking the sound of these after a year. Listening to the 16bit 44.1 MHz FLAC files out of my main home system is very enjoyable. Out of most home stereos your soundstage will expand to an amazing large level. Out of a home rig the bass actually becomes quite detailed and fast. We still have that lower mid woolly tone but it can actually be looked over due to the headphones doing so much right. The treble has a warm lush almost dark smooth character which ends up being something endearing at the price point. At first I was a little weary that they had no capacity to scale up on a home system, though in the end with the right files, they become a fun experience.The Sennheiser HD202lls are maybe on the medium level to drive. They get loud enough straight out of a phone, but still scale up with better home equipment!. They are not the last word in high detail and definition out of a phone but considering the price, I would think most buyers would know that. All and all we have a fun sound signature encapsulated into a great looking and super comfortable headphone. They offer a complete value especially if noise reduction is a primary concern.

Amazingly I purchased both these and the upper line Sennheiser HD439 headphones at the same time. Doing a side by side comparison straight out of the box, the 202lls had a charm and character I first enjoyed the most. Only later did I start to understand why the HD439s were the more expensive headphone. If I was to attempt to single out two sonic pitfalls, in a perfect world the HD202lls could benefit from the complex and greater soundstage detailed treble which the HD439s seem to pull off effortlessly. The second area for sound Improvement would be that slight muddy frequency in the lower mids. Still in ending having a nice slightly rolled off treble, which never becomes piercing or harsh is a joy at this price. Also getting this style of bass extension is really cool for a number of musical genres at hand. At the prices you can obtain a pair for with free shipping on Amazon.com, Sennheiser has done it again, providing a great design with value and the build quality you need out and about in the world.
 
 

To Review:
They have a super long cord which may be useful if needed
They have a slight area of distortion in the lower mid signature
They are not the last word in detail and definition

A pure joy to wear, they stay in place just like paint
Built really well
They somehow pull-off an amazing soundstage for a closed-back dynamic driver, depending on source
Contain a smooth relaxed treble signature allowing hours of listening
Looks cool on everyone, including pets
Scales-up to somewhat audiophile levels on a nice home system, though not their intended primary use
Blocks-out all outside noise with passive noise reduction, great for ignoring loud talkers
A perfect solution for full-size portable use
Complete Sennheiser 2 year warranty care
 
 
 
 

Equipment Used:

iPod Touch Generation 5

Cambridge Audio DAC Magic Plus

Schiit Asgard One
 
 
 
 
 

Music used:

320kps MP3 and 44.1 kHz-16bit FLAC Foobar 2000 WASAPI







Disclaimer:
The headphones were purchased by me for my own use. The headphones are stock without cryogenic treatments or modification.





Disclaimer:
There are lots and lots of headphones out there which are clearer than these. Some of those headphones cost more, some cost less.



YMMV
To like these means getting used to their character. Your opinion may vary from mine.

In the end just remember these cost as much as lunch out with a friend.

First pair of Sennheisers. First day of use.
 
Really good sound quality, trebles and mids are extremely nice, but...
In my opinion bass is not enough. Don't get me wrong, it has a really nice and clear bass.. It's just not strong enough.. As an electro lover, I'm looking for that sub punches that make my head blow up, for
those 808's that make me want to put my hand on the cans, and feel them vibrate on my ears. If you're not looking for extreme bass, those headphones might be perfect for you. 
They go louder than most of the low end headphones I used until now, and noise cancellation is really good. At some songs, if the volume is at maximum, there might be just a little bit of distortion for the really picky ears.
 
If I hold the headphones in the air and shake them a bit, cheap plastic noises come from the cans' "angle" adjusters. Foam pads look just a little bit cheap aswell. After some time using them, my ears sweat a little. They are comfortable and light. The plastic doesn't feel cheap in my opinion.
Ignoring the lack of power in bass, sound quality is amazing for this price. (38$)
 
So, if you're a basshead, don't buy them, otherwise, they are a really great choice.

Introduction
 
This is a review of the Sennheirser HD 202 headphone. At the time of the review, the cans were at eleven months of near-continuous use. Bear with me, as this is only my second review on Head-Fi. With that, let's proceed.
 
Design
 
The HD 202 is a circumaural, closed design with pleather pads. The primary construction material is some sort of plastic. The cans are very lightweight, which makes them quite comfortable, as the pads are very soft. Clamp pressure is moderate, in my view as is depth. That said, they are not very large in absolute terms and my ears touch the pads at times, rather than being totally enclosed by them. In this sense, the headphones are, for me, almost on-the-ear at times. Adjusting the cans is simple with a plastic slide that moves easily. Overall, for this price point, design is about as good as can be imagined. Just a note, too, that my cable broke recently and had to be fixed.
 
Comfort
 
As I've said, comfort is quite good with these cans due to the light weight and the soft ear pads. No complaints here after nearly a year of use.
 
Sound Quality
 
These cans are, first of all, burned in for nearly a year of constant use. I listen to rock, country, jazz, bluegrass, and edm. In general, I would characterize the sound of these cans as very musical. Are they the final word in transparency and detail? No, definitely not. Still, they manage to communicate the emotion of music in a fairly profound way. A good example of this is Britney Spears' Everytime, in which the vocals are, indeed, haunting, delicate, and beautiful. The emotion in her voice is perfectly communicated. Still, there are issues. For one, the treble is markedly rolled off on many recordings. Often, this manifests as difficulty hearing ride and hi-hat cymbals, while still being able to hear the crashes. On The Eagles' Heartache Tonight, this is particularly evident. Ditto on Judas Priest's Electric Eye, in which the hi-hat is severely recessed. That said, on some recordings, in which the ride and hi-hat are cranked up, they can be heard just fine. Sugarland's From the Beginning is one of these. This recording was mastered with hot ride and hi-hat, and they are therefore easy to hear on the HD 202. On most recordings, however, I would say that the treble roll-off on the 202 means ride and hi-hat are going to be difficult to hear. I don't like this, personally, but keeping price in mind, I am willing to live with it. Bass, in the main, is quite solid on the 202, if not the last word in detail, harmonically. On LZ's Immigrant Song, the bass is solid and present as a foundation for the tune, but it lacks the richness that is present with my 681 Evo's. Vibe 2's, or Crossfade m100's. Still, this song shows the 202's remarkable knack for rhythm and pacing and just plain musicality. I find myself tapping my foot constantly when listening to these cans. Ozzy's Devil's Daughter is another example of this foot-tappingness. I guess what I am saying is that these headphones just seem to rock. They convey the emotion of music very, very well, especially for their ridiculous price. Do they deliver on the nth degree of detail and soundstaging? Of course not. The soundstage is quite small here. Still, I am tapping my foot. They don't sound like headphones, they sound like music being played. And that is quite an accomplishment. Lastly, there is very much present in these cans the Sennheiser veiling, in which it sounds a bit like there is a veil or scrim or something similar between me and the music. There is an absolute reduction in transparency. This is quite noticeable when switching to my Evo's or the v-moda's, where this veiling just isn't present. Still, for the money, it is hard to complain. They are very musical and enjoyable cans with limitations one would expect at their price. They are just plain fun to listen to.
 
Summing Up
 
Overall, these are very enjoyable cans on which to listen to music. Their rhythm and pacing are excellent, even while there is some veiling present. It doesn't seem to get in the way of enjoying music on these cans. They are a remarkable achievement at this price and I recommend them highly. You may find more detailed cans in this price range, but I doubt you will find more musical headphones. These cans have music all over them.

Had a pair of HD202s for a week now.  I'm mostly a convert to the benefits of in-ear headphones, but wanted a pair of on-ears for general household use.  Pleasantly surprised by them; the tone is, when driven properly, musical and detailed, the soundstage is decent, and isolation isn't bad either.  The tone has an emphasis on bass, but not to the exclusion of the mids and treble.  Some people might find them too bass-heavy, but the balance suits me fine.  Has the classic Sennheiser 'warm' character, which is impressive for the price.  With a bit of adjustment, they are comfortable for me to wear for extended periods of time, they feel solid enough (if plastic), and generally feel more expensive than they are.  The long cable is great for indoor listening, but annoying when on the move, even with the handy cable spooler that Sennheiser supplies.  But that's fine, I've got in-ears for that.
 
One thing that really stood out for me as compared to my other headphones is that they make it very obvious which of my sources have decent headphone outputs and which don't - when used with devices with weak output electronics (or on good devices with the amplification circuit turned down low) the bass is really loose and flabby and generally the frequency response is all over the place.
 
With decent headphone amplification, the bass tightens up nicely, the frequency response smooths out, and they are a LOT more pleasant to listen to.  All my in-ears seem a lot more forgiving of weak amplification, despite similar 32 ohm impedances to the HD202s.  If you're using these with e.g. a computer without an external amplifier, make sure you turn the master volume up high (thus cranking the headphone amp circuit up) and then use per-application volume controls to adjust to taste.  You'll get MUCH better results that way - it's like night and day with the HD202s.  Obviously if you've got external amplification then that's not a worry.
 
Overall:  Ignoring price, a decent pair of on-ear headphones, good in pretty much all respects, though not outstanding.  Considering the purchase price, excellent.

Hey, I have this pair of headphones since 2005 and the moment i write this comment, he has his 9th years old. It is still in very good condition despite the fact that i use it almost every morning on train or tube traffic to get to work. It has a very light weight so you wont be tired of wearing it, quality audio is very very good for his price, bass, mid, soundstage .... everything present, neutre and seem quite balanced. I wish it can drive a bit more bass and control better the mid, and it can be a wonderful semi-open headphones.
 
Omg, 9 years and there is still nothing goes wrong with it, It has been on my head in very bad condition, on vélo in the rain, snow, windy weather, or even in the hot of summer. I can tell you that i love this pair, still be very proud of him facing with people wearing Beats or others Sennheiser mates on transport public.
 
To me, 8.5 /10 for the HD202, sure that it can't be compared to my others headphones like Grado, Denon or hight end Sennheiser, but at that price, what do you want more ?  
 
Photo taken with his brand new big brother Denon D2000 in 2009 
 

This was my first pair of over ear headphones. They surprised me a lot because I paid the equivalent of about $30 and got a whole lot more for that in terms of sound.
 
I tried them out in the store, before purchasing, on my Samsung Galaxy S1 and eventually used them a lot on my work computer. Amazing sound quality! They have great bass, really punchy and deep, especially after about 20 hours of usage. 
 
The only draw back is that they get a bit uncomfy after more than 2 hours of listening. I wear glasses and the cups press really hard on my ears. I have to take them off and have a break every now and then.
They also leak sound at high volumes, but it's not anything dramatic. 
 
Overall, these are a great pair of cans. I keep them as a backup. I've upgraded in the meantime, but I still come back to them now and then and they're still great.
 

The value on these is just incredible. I'll be the first to admit that my headphone knowledge is not the greatest, but it's 7 months in and I'm still surprised by these phones, which are still working perfectly. The design is simple and relatively comfortable, even for glasses wearers. (I currently wear pretty thick plastic frames too.) The isolation is not bad but outside sounds are still clearly noticeable. This is also a reason for these being not the best choice for activities because eventually the sweat and buildup will make you want to slip them off quickly.
Comfort is great for the first 20 minutes to an hour, but after that there is a buildup of overall tightness that eventually makes you want to revert back to speaker listening.
 
SQ is the biggest surprise because these $20-30 phones sound great across the board. In my eyes at the $20 I originally paid it's the best deal in everyday consumer cheap phones. We used them in my college radio station and I was floored at some of the sounds I was hearing out of these cheapo studio phones, even in comparison to the far more cumbersome hd280 pros!
 
But why in the heck is the darned cord so long??
 
All in all, you get what you pay for. These are a great cheap headphone choice for general listening for short periods.

I have had this for a couple of weeks now. My first Senn Can. Spent a lot of time browsing forums and reviews before i got this one and all i can say is , it was worth the read.
As far as the cans, these are definately value for money considering the other  branded cans with an expensive tag. I got this in India for 2100 ruppes which is around 38$. I have read that these do come under 25$ but this is the best i could get in India. The sound quality-decent mids, bass and the whole experience is pleasant and punchy. At maximum volume, it does scream a bit(depends on the genre), but i can bet that one need not tune-up to max volumes all the time. I listen to all genre, i can say that it suits for all whether its Rock, grunge or hip-hop.
the sound does leak a bit, person next to you can easily hear it when the volume is more than 50% or so and on the other hand, there is definately a bit of noise cancellation, you do feel the lock of sound space when you wear them.
I strongly suggest this headphone for starters. With its price tag, in my opinion this is definately worth it.

I bought my Sennheiser 202's not even a week ago and already loving them! They have wonderful treble, mid, and bass and work with my music. The problem i have which seems to be recurring is the long cord which can be a hassle when im skateboarding. I was very shocked at how cheap they were too. Before i bought these my friend told me to get what he had which were skullcandy mesh's but i stumbled onto this website and did some research on the choices my local store had and i saw the reviews for these and thought id give it a shot.
I highly recommend these for anyone who want a good pair of headphones and are on a budget.
 
Im new here too so sorry if my review wasnt that great.

Alright, so I bought these because I needed to replace my broken Superlux HD699s since I accidentally dropped them because the wire snagged the chair. I did some research on these cans, and most of the reviews I have seen are positive and they were right.
 
Here's my review:
 
Sound:
The sound itself is flat, the bass or the treble is balanced. The mid-range is also well balanced. When I first wore them, I listened to some songs, from drum n bass, rock, to dubstep. They sounded well, the treble is not as sharp as the one from the HD669s.
 
Comfort:
I find it comfortable, even if I wear glasses. I can wear these without feeling any pain outside my ears for long periods of time. The only thing is, when you wear them for long periods of time, your ears will sweat and I also find it hard to fit at times.
 
Portability:
These headphones' is too long to be portable, even with the accessory that shortens the wire. But in terms of carrying it around, it's not too bad, since you can remove the earpieces and them stow them away in a bag or a carrying case.
 
Design:
One of the main reasons why I bought them. The thing itself is sleek black, just sleek black...
 
Bottomline:
A good pair to start with if you want to DJ or just want a pair that reproduces the music well.
 
 

I just recieved the Sennheiser hd 202 ii headphones at my door step. I have to say that after visiously ripping through the plastic packaging, these are pretty good headphones. They're definitely not the best, but tor only 20 bucks, they're decent. I'm no audiophile, but I think the bass is great. However, something I dislike about these is that they don't sound very good with soft music, forexample I listen to a lot of Taylor Swift, the audio didn't impress me. When I listened to a song with more bass, the audio was pretty good.

Comfort. They're not very comfortable in my opinion. I think it puts a little too much pressure on my head, but that's probably just because they're brand new. It does allow you to adjust the headphones, but it's such a hassle because you move the earcups themselves, not the headband.

Comparisons to other headphones. Right now the only other headphones that I have listened to and can remember are the Bose Oe2i, the Beats solo hd, and the Beats studio. Compared o the Bose, these hd 202 headphones suck. But hey, that's comparing a 20 dollar headphone to a 150 dollar one. Comparing these to th Solo HDs..... Haha everything is better than the Solos. Comparing these to the Studios, I'd say that they're about as good as the Studios. I haven't listened to the Studios very much, Ive only heard one song using them, so I may be wrong.

Build quality. These headphones feel pretty cheap, like every time I put them on Imscared they'll break cheap.

Overall, these headphones are fantastic for only 20 dollars, you can probably get better ones for just a couple dollars more. Do I suggest these? Well, if you are on a budget, sure. I would suggest these. But if you can spare another 20 or 30 dollars, keep searching. While these headphones are good, they're not the greatest.

My third pair of over-ear or on-ear pair. The first two were Skullcandy and they sucked! These cans are well worth the small price and deliver your monies worth! Ive heard thing ive never heard on other headphones.

I cannot recommend these headphones.  When shopping for some replacement phones a couple years ago, I had the name Sennheiser on the mind.  I had read lots of great things about the company and their headphones.  So when I went to Future Shop to look for a replacement, I saw the HD-202s priced at about $80, and they looked alright, so I picked them up.
 
I have never hated a pair of headphones so much!  While the sound is clear and decent, it's certainly not a high end sound.  It's flat and boring, no life/air, no dynamics to speak of.  Bass is weak.  On the other hand they go fairly loud with no distortion, so they were great for bus rides.
 
On the comfort side of things, the cups are on a unipivot mount, and it just feels sloppy when on my head, won't stay put.  The clamp is very tight and uncomfortable, I assume this is to counteract the wobbliness of the unipivot cup but it doesn't work.  The headphones are both uncomfortable and unsecure when on the head.
 
Then the cable, it's flimsy and very prone to tangles.  BUT, the phones were 80 bucks so take all that how you will.

I couldn't recommend these cans with the Sennheiser HD201 costing about the same and far better cans costing not much more. I couldn't wear these for too long since they were tight. I tried leaving them in between a few books to try and spread them out and it didn't seem to work. On top of that they didn't really sound all too good. The bass bleed into the mids and made them sound really cheap especially at higher volumes. There are just much better options out there.

For around 30$ there are infinitely better headphones available. 

I have the following phones:
Shure SE530
Etymotic ER-4P
Koss Portapro Anniversary Edition
Koss Portapro
Sennheiser PX100
Sennheiser HD-202

They are listed in they order of my perception of their sound quailty.
I was very dissapointed with the sound of the HD-202 headphones.
When plugged into a computer any and all computer noise/distortion is highlighted.
When used with a good sound source they merely sound tubby and dull.
I was surprised. The PX100 phones blow them away and they are normally near the same price.

I must say Bah.

I've used this pair of headphones for 3 years plus now. It's by far, the best I've ever had. I've tried (and had) some other headphones but I find that the HD202 is a tough match to beat. The x-factor for this headphone is the value for money. For the price that you're paying as compared to other closed headphones in the market, this one is a no brainer. It's so easy to tell that the sound it has is just astounding by the booming bass, and the crisp mids and highs from it. Besides this, the pleather pads are somewhat very elegant and very comfortable. The adjustable headband is very simple and does not take so much effort in adjusting as it's tight to the head, but light on adjusting the earcups. So you know the sound goes out and comes in to your ears as close as possible. In addition, it blocks outside noise quite well, therefore it has a fair amount of isolation. One high volumes, it acts as a mini speaker. Lol. Overall, a beautiful design.
 
Despite all this, the only problem I had was the wires. One thing, it's too long, and another, is not having a single wire that terminates to the plug hence causing the wires to twist and break internally. I've had this problem once, and tried replacing it with some other models of Sennheiser. But it's hard to find a replacement when you're used to a perfect pair. So I repaired the lead and made it shorter by half the original length. And it still worked fine! All in all, it's a great pair of headphones and you just gotta love em!

Great headphones for someone who wants a cheap but capable set of headphones. The cable is far too long if you plan to use them away from home.