GeckoSlayer
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2009
- Posts
- 113
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- 11
Ah well I'm new to the board, so I thought I'd try be helpful. And I only have 2 sets of headphones, the Sennheiser HD202s and the Bose AEs.
Let's see if we can keep the hate against Bose out of this thread.
Bose AE
Generally, I find the Bose AEs decent quality for most tasks I currently use them for. They definitely have their own flavour to the sound, and the sound is definitely not an accurate representation of the true music. However, the sound they do produce is represented in a way that makes it easy to listen to the music coming through them. After 3 hours of listening to music on the Bose AEs, you wont be tired of listening, the music is presented in a very laid back manner.
I've found the mid range is actually quite accurate and quite decently detailed. The bass and the higher ranges are the two that are not-as-accurate and (especially in the bass) not as detailed.
The build quality on the Bose, well, mine broke after 3 months of very light use. The side clasps are generally known to fail quite often and mine have broken in that same spot. A bit of superglue has mostly fixed that, however.
Comfort-wise, the Bose AEs shine. Very light-weight compared to many other headphones I've tried around the shops and the cups themselves fit over the ears very well. The pleather-type material used as padding came out-of-the-box very nice and comfortable. Over the course of 3 months, the pleather has become a little rougher, but doesn't impact on the comfort an incredible deal.
Sennheiser HD202
The sound quality of the HD202s are in the other direction from the bose, I've found that they are incredibly bassy and this bass leaks into the mid ranges a fair amount. These headphones have a bit more detail in the highs than the Bose headphones did. After a run through of AC/DC - Jailbreak, I was convinced I liked the sound of the HD202s alot. Very much coloured towards a bassier feel, but still an enjoyable listen.
The build quality of the HD202s are a considerable amount better than you'd expect from cheap headphones. You can look at them and you'll know that these are the sort of headphones that will take a bit of damage before falling apart.
The comfort of the HD202s is -- forgive me here -- absolutely disgusting. The fit on the ears is horrid and makes it uncomfortable unless you spend a good 15 minutes getting the fit just right. For any ears of normal size, these headphones will be uncomfortable. This right here would prove to be a deal killer.
To compare:
Sound Quality-
The Bose AEs definitely have a better mid range and for people who prefer less bass, would be the better choice in regards to sound quality. If you prefer a bit more of an accurate higher range and lower range, the HD202s seem the logical fit.
During piano pieces, the bose did seem to have the edge. They provided a bit better sound detail, where the HD202s didn't seem to want to reproduce near as close a fit to the song.
On heavier songs, the HD202s seemed to have a slight edge. The guitar definitely sounds better on the HD202s and there is much more instrument differentiation on the HD202s.
For the bass heads out there, the HD202s seem the much more logical choice.
Build Quality-
The HD202s win on this one on many levels. The Bose AEs look like headphones that need a bit of tender loving care to keep at their maximum, whereas the HD202s look the much sturdier headphone.
Comfort-
It's obvious the Bose AEs win right here, they're about the same weight, but the stock pads on the HD202s kill the experience, making you wonder what Sennheiser were thinking of when they came up with this design.
The big topic, price, it has to come into the review somewhere.
The Sennheiser HD202s were bought for around $60 Australian dollars, whereas the Bose AEs were bought for around $170 Australian dollars.
Conclusion-
The Bose AEs are the logical conclusion in regards to overall experience, whereas the HD202s offered a better bass experience. The HD202s also had much more of a 'fun' vibe when entering songs, and the sound just seemed a lot more 'alive' than when the Bose AEs were reproducing the same passages.
In all, if I could do the purchases again, I'd go the HD202s over the Bose AEs and would definitely change the stock pads that come with the HD202s.
Let's see if we can keep the hate against Bose out of this thread.
Bose AE
Generally, I find the Bose AEs decent quality for most tasks I currently use them for. They definitely have their own flavour to the sound, and the sound is definitely not an accurate representation of the true music. However, the sound they do produce is represented in a way that makes it easy to listen to the music coming through them. After 3 hours of listening to music on the Bose AEs, you wont be tired of listening, the music is presented in a very laid back manner.
I've found the mid range is actually quite accurate and quite decently detailed. The bass and the higher ranges are the two that are not-as-accurate and (especially in the bass) not as detailed.
The build quality on the Bose, well, mine broke after 3 months of very light use. The side clasps are generally known to fail quite often and mine have broken in that same spot. A bit of superglue has mostly fixed that, however.
Comfort-wise, the Bose AEs shine. Very light-weight compared to many other headphones I've tried around the shops and the cups themselves fit over the ears very well. The pleather-type material used as padding came out-of-the-box very nice and comfortable. Over the course of 3 months, the pleather has become a little rougher, but doesn't impact on the comfort an incredible deal.
Sennheiser HD202
The sound quality of the HD202s are in the other direction from the bose, I've found that they are incredibly bassy and this bass leaks into the mid ranges a fair amount. These headphones have a bit more detail in the highs than the Bose headphones did. After a run through of AC/DC - Jailbreak, I was convinced I liked the sound of the HD202s alot. Very much coloured towards a bassier feel, but still an enjoyable listen.
The build quality of the HD202s are a considerable amount better than you'd expect from cheap headphones. You can look at them and you'll know that these are the sort of headphones that will take a bit of damage before falling apart.
The comfort of the HD202s is -- forgive me here -- absolutely disgusting. The fit on the ears is horrid and makes it uncomfortable unless you spend a good 15 minutes getting the fit just right. For any ears of normal size, these headphones will be uncomfortable. This right here would prove to be a deal killer.
To compare:
Sound Quality-
The Bose AEs definitely have a better mid range and for people who prefer less bass, would be the better choice in regards to sound quality. If you prefer a bit more of an accurate higher range and lower range, the HD202s seem the logical fit.
During piano pieces, the bose did seem to have the edge. They provided a bit better sound detail, where the HD202s didn't seem to want to reproduce near as close a fit to the song.
On heavier songs, the HD202s seemed to have a slight edge. The guitar definitely sounds better on the HD202s and there is much more instrument differentiation on the HD202s.
For the bass heads out there, the HD202s seem the much more logical choice.
Build Quality-
The HD202s win on this one on many levels. The Bose AEs look like headphones that need a bit of tender loving care to keep at their maximum, whereas the HD202s look the much sturdier headphone.
Comfort-
It's obvious the Bose AEs win right here, they're about the same weight, but the stock pads on the HD202s kill the experience, making you wonder what Sennheiser were thinking of when they came up with this design.
The big topic, price, it has to come into the review somewhere.
The Sennheiser HD202s were bought for around $60 Australian dollars, whereas the Bose AEs were bought for around $170 Australian dollars.
Conclusion-
The Bose AEs are the logical conclusion in regards to overall experience, whereas the HD202s offered a better bass experience. The HD202s also had much more of a 'fun' vibe when entering songs, and the sound just seemed a lot more 'alive' than when the Bose AEs were reproducing the same passages.
In all, if I could do the purchases again, I'd go the HD202s over the Bose AEs and would definitely change the stock pads that come with the HD202s.
