delenda est Sony
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2002
- Posts
- 668
- Likes
- 10
New closed Senn design intended for D.J.s per the company's website. I loved the 497s and saw the 202s at Virgin for a mere $30 (list) so I thought I'd give these a shot.
Technical Stats: Freq response of 18-18,000 Hz, a bit lower than the 497s range of 24-22,000 Hz, but not quite as high. Impedance of 32 Ohms, same as the 497s. Senn stated SPL of 115 dB is 3 dB higher than the 497s 112 rating. Per HFer Thomas, Senn uses an oddball calculation for SPL, so actual rating for the 202s is roughly 98-101 dB. THD of less than .5%, slightly more than the 497s .2%. Same 3m OFC cable. Weight is a mere 130g, roughly the same as the 497s. These are a closed supraaural design. Appears to use Senn's modular design, so broken pieces can be replaced on an individual basis. Nickel plated mini plug w 1/4" adapter supplied. 2 year warranty is standard.
Appearance and construction: Exact same design as the 4X7 series. Inexpensive flexible plastic band with the earcups mounted on somewhat flexible rails. 202 uses pleather earcup coatings rather than the 477s cloth pads. Oddly, these seem a bit better made than my 497s. Particularly the ratchets in the cup rails seem to hold better and there is less shifting around once the phone cups are in place on my ears. The 202s are also black, which means they look a lot better than the silver design of the "higher end" 497s. Senn should have made the higher end models black and the lower end models silver IMHO. The phones seem sort of ugly at first, but they grow on you, especially in black. They at least are reasonably distinctive and certainly look like no other headphones out there. Overall build impression is mixed; everything works, but there is no overall impression of sturdiness, like on the Sony V6 or Denon 550s that I own. The modular construction and long warranty should help relieve any long term durability concerns.
Sonic Testing: Used Aiwa receiver jack, Sony DJ61 PCDP, and Logitech Z560 PC speaker set jack. Music used:
Classical:
Dvorak's New World Symphony (Dohanyi, Cleveland SO), Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra (Levine, Chicago SO), Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique (Norrington, London Classical Players), Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony (Rattle, Birmingham SO)
Jazz:
Miles Davis: Sketches of Spain, Herbie Hancock: Maiden Voyage, John Coltrane: Giant Steps
Metal: Hollenthon: Domus Mundi, Metallica: And Justice For All, The Gathering: How To Measure A Planet?, Tiamat: Wildhoney
Electronica: Arabica, Chemical Brothers: Come With Us, Crystal Method: Tweekend
Vocals/Other: Sinead O'Connor: Lion and the Cobra, Rent Soundtrack, Mickey Hart: Planet Drum
Strengths: For a set of $30 phones, the limitations of these cans were never obvious during testing which is a huge compliment. The 202s are at least competent with everything thrown at them and excellent with most modern music. Bass extension seems comparable to the advertised freq range and the tone is just about right, though oddly for closed cans the 202s sound very similar to the open 497s on bass heavy music. I was expecting a deep V6 kind of sound, but the 202s were relatively sedate. Bass is noticable and balanced, but not at all dominant. I found the handling of bass between the 497s and the 202s to be remarkably similar, but that is a good thing for the 202s as the 497 handles bass so well.
The coloration here is rather a bit more warm than the 497s but not to any unbalancing effect. Midrange is carefully balanced, more prominent at the lower end than in the higher, but never recessed or overshadowed by bass. Male and female vocals were handled well, with no sibilance or hollowness.
Articulation was average, not quite as analytical as the V6, but a careful listener can easily pick out various instruments in a given track. I would not use these as studio phones, or for DJing purposes, but for the headphone enthusiast at home or using a portable, these would be just fine.
Soundstage was broad and immediate, though not quite as up close as the Grado SR60. There is an excellent sense of presence and of overall musicality, making these quite different from most closed cans. No problems with murky distant soundstage as on the older Senn 400s & 500s.
Weaknesses: Simply put, treble. At the higher end these phones lose quite a bit of their skill. On Messiaen, these phones clipped at high volumes from a receiver jack, and even with less extreme classical sections, the higher end sort of faded away. Not noticeable unless you were very familiar with the piece as played on say the 497s, but classical is not the forte of these cans. Jazz reproduction was adequate, but not thrilling. Again, assuming you are not blasting very shrill music, you will not hear any really bad things from these, but I would not use these for a diet of mainly classical or old school (non-funk) jazz. Bassheads looking for earquakes from Chemical Bros/ Crystal Method may find the balanced non-dramatic bass lacking, but other folks will be more than happy with the detailed and precise bass that these cans do offer. (Unredeemable bassheads, check out the V6 or the Beyer 250-80s.)
Non-Sonic considerations: These were just as easy to drive on a portable as from a receiver. Unlike the 497s, playing these from a receiver did not add much to the sound. This is not a bad thing; the 202s sounded fine at both power levels. (The 497s sound good from a portable, and even better from a receiver.) Comfort was comparable to the 497s---i.e. I had no problems, but larger heads might need to stretch these out overnight. Also, a silly point but oddly endearing, Senn gives you a little oval cord wrap plastic gadget which makes these very easy to use with portables. (Why don't they give you one of these with the 497s too?) Phones were durable enough and got through a week of portable use with no problems. The pleather is comfy, but does not breathe well, leading to Sweaty Ear Syndrome. These are a bit louder at max output than the 497s, making it easier to deafen yourself. These cans provide some minimal acoustic isolation, though you will not be mistaking them for ER4s, or even the 250-80. There is some minor sound bleeding, nowhere near as much as the mini-speaker SR60s, noticeably less than the 497s, but slightly noisier than the V6.
Summary: Oddly marketed as DJ/Studio phones, I cannot see anyone using them for those purposes. With the flimsy feel, off neutral coloration, and general non-analytical nature. the 202s are easily trumped by say the Sony V6 in the studio/DJ role. However, these may just be the best closed phone design that you can find for under $60, and possibly for under $100. Koss should just cancel the UR20/30 line right now, as these devastate those other cans at the same price point. (Though the Koss's are circumaural designs, which may hold some appeal on a comfort level.) These may even be the most musical closed phones right on up to the $150 level of the Beyer 250s.
These phones are perfect for modern music fans who want balanced inexpensive phones that do not have many prominent flaws typical to closed designs. I would not use them for mainly classical music, and would be hesitant to use them for jazz, but for rock, metal, dance, etc these will be just fine. The price point makes these ideal for portable use, and I think the SportaPros have a serious competitor (if not the KSC 35s; can't say as I haven't heard the 35s.) Anyone needing good cheap phones to listen to without disturbing others overly much should invest in these and anyone new to headphones will find these a wonderfully versatile set of cans, again as long as they aren't mainly classical fans.
Comparisons: Senn 497 costs twice as much and is more versatile, but also noisier. Senn 477 costs close to twice as much and (according to at least one HFer Hamsterball) has problems hitting some deep bass notes that the 202s were fine with. Senn 212 costs twice as much and looks to be more of a serious basshead design, i.e. more of a V6 sound, but is also that tacky silver color.
Final Thoughts: At $30, these are a treat for headphone veterans and a great intro to the New Sound of Sennheiser. For commuters on a budget, these are a strong contender for headphone of choice, especially if you want balanced though still enjoyable bass.
Questions/comments welcome!!
Technical Stats: Freq response of 18-18,000 Hz, a bit lower than the 497s range of 24-22,000 Hz, but not quite as high. Impedance of 32 Ohms, same as the 497s. Senn stated SPL of 115 dB is 3 dB higher than the 497s 112 rating. Per HFer Thomas, Senn uses an oddball calculation for SPL, so actual rating for the 202s is roughly 98-101 dB. THD of less than .5%, slightly more than the 497s .2%. Same 3m OFC cable. Weight is a mere 130g, roughly the same as the 497s. These are a closed supraaural design. Appears to use Senn's modular design, so broken pieces can be replaced on an individual basis. Nickel plated mini plug w 1/4" adapter supplied. 2 year warranty is standard.
Appearance and construction: Exact same design as the 4X7 series. Inexpensive flexible plastic band with the earcups mounted on somewhat flexible rails. 202 uses pleather earcup coatings rather than the 477s cloth pads. Oddly, these seem a bit better made than my 497s. Particularly the ratchets in the cup rails seem to hold better and there is less shifting around once the phone cups are in place on my ears. The 202s are also black, which means they look a lot better than the silver design of the "higher end" 497s. Senn should have made the higher end models black and the lower end models silver IMHO. The phones seem sort of ugly at first, but they grow on you, especially in black. They at least are reasonably distinctive and certainly look like no other headphones out there. Overall build impression is mixed; everything works, but there is no overall impression of sturdiness, like on the Sony V6 or Denon 550s that I own. The modular construction and long warranty should help relieve any long term durability concerns.
Sonic Testing: Used Aiwa receiver jack, Sony DJ61 PCDP, and Logitech Z560 PC speaker set jack. Music used:
Classical:
Dvorak's New World Symphony (Dohanyi, Cleveland SO), Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra (Levine, Chicago SO), Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique (Norrington, London Classical Players), Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony (Rattle, Birmingham SO)
Jazz:
Miles Davis: Sketches of Spain, Herbie Hancock: Maiden Voyage, John Coltrane: Giant Steps
Metal: Hollenthon: Domus Mundi, Metallica: And Justice For All, The Gathering: How To Measure A Planet?, Tiamat: Wildhoney
Electronica: Arabica, Chemical Brothers: Come With Us, Crystal Method: Tweekend
Vocals/Other: Sinead O'Connor: Lion and the Cobra, Rent Soundtrack, Mickey Hart: Planet Drum
Strengths: For a set of $30 phones, the limitations of these cans were never obvious during testing which is a huge compliment. The 202s are at least competent with everything thrown at them and excellent with most modern music. Bass extension seems comparable to the advertised freq range and the tone is just about right, though oddly for closed cans the 202s sound very similar to the open 497s on bass heavy music. I was expecting a deep V6 kind of sound, but the 202s were relatively sedate. Bass is noticable and balanced, but not at all dominant. I found the handling of bass between the 497s and the 202s to be remarkably similar, but that is a good thing for the 202s as the 497 handles bass so well.
The coloration here is rather a bit more warm than the 497s but not to any unbalancing effect. Midrange is carefully balanced, more prominent at the lower end than in the higher, but never recessed or overshadowed by bass. Male and female vocals were handled well, with no sibilance or hollowness.
Articulation was average, not quite as analytical as the V6, but a careful listener can easily pick out various instruments in a given track. I would not use these as studio phones, or for DJing purposes, but for the headphone enthusiast at home or using a portable, these would be just fine.
Soundstage was broad and immediate, though not quite as up close as the Grado SR60. There is an excellent sense of presence and of overall musicality, making these quite different from most closed cans. No problems with murky distant soundstage as on the older Senn 400s & 500s.
Weaknesses: Simply put, treble. At the higher end these phones lose quite a bit of their skill. On Messiaen, these phones clipped at high volumes from a receiver jack, and even with less extreme classical sections, the higher end sort of faded away. Not noticeable unless you were very familiar with the piece as played on say the 497s, but classical is not the forte of these cans. Jazz reproduction was adequate, but not thrilling. Again, assuming you are not blasting very shrill music, you will not hear any really bad things from these, but I would not use these for a diet of mainly classical or old school (non-funk) jazz. Bassheads looking for earquakes from Chemical Bros/ Crystal Method may find the balanced non-dramatic bass lacking, but other folks will be more than happy with the detailed and precise bass that these cans do offer. (Unredeemable bassheads, check out the V6 or the Beyer 250-80s.)
Non-Sonic considerations: These were just as easy to drive on a portable as from a receiver. Unlike the 497s, playing these from a receiver did not add much to the sound. This is not a bad thing; the 202s sounded fine at both power levels. (The 497s sound good from a portable, and even better from a receiver.) Comfort was comparable to the 497s---i.e. I had no problems, but larger heads might need to stretch these out overnight. Also, a silly point but oddly endearing, Senn gives you a little oval cord wrap plastic gadget which makes these very easy to use with portables. (Why don't they give you one of these with the 497s too?) Phones were durable enough and got through a week of portable use with no problems. The pleather is comfy, but does not breathe well, leading to Sweaty Ear Syndrome. These are a bit louder at max output than the 497s, making it easier to deafen yourself. These cans provide some minimal acoustic isolation, though you will not be mistaking them for ER4s, or even the 250-80. There is some minor sound bleeding, nowhere near as much as the mini-speaker SR60s, noticeably less than the 497s, but slightly noisier than the V6.
Summary: Oddly marketed as DJ/Studio phones, I cannot see anyone using them for those purposes. With the flimsy feel, off neutral coloration, and general non-analytical nature. the 202s are easily trumped by say the Sony V6 in the studio/DJ role. However, these may just be the best closed phone design that you can find for under $60, and possibly for under $100. Koss should just cancel the UR20/30 line right now, as these devastate those other cans at the same price point. (Though the Koss's are circumaural designs, which may hold some appeal on a comfort level.) These may even be the most musical closed phones right on up to the $150 level of the Beyer 250s.
These phones are perfect for modern music fans who want balanced inexpensive phones that do not have many prominent flaws typical to closed designs. I would not use them for mainly classical music, and would be hesitant to use them for jazz, but for rock, metal, dance, etc these will be just fine. The price point makes these ideal for portable use, and I think the SportaPros have a serious competitor (if not the KSC 35s; can't say as I haven't heard the 35s.) Anyone needing good cheap phones to listen to without disturbing others overly much should invest in these and anyone new to headphones will find these a wonderfully versatile set of cans, again as long as they aren't mainly classical fans.
Comparisons: Senn 497 costs twice as much and is more versatile, but also noisier. Senn 477 costs close to twice as much and (according to at least one HFer Hamsterball) has problems hitting some deep bass notes that the 202s were fine with. Senn 212 costs twice as much and looks to be more of a serious basshead design, i.e. more of a V6 sound, but is also that tacky silver color.
Final Thoughts: At $30, these are a treat for headphone veterans and a great intro to the New Sound of Sennheiser. For commuters on a budget, these are a strong contender for headphone of choice, especially if you want balanced though still enjoyable bass.
Questions/comments welcome!!
/5180eng/$file/5180_pro1.jpg)
/5177eng/$file/5177_pro1.jpg)
