[cam94z28]

The EH250's are about the same age as the 212's, and i've only seen them for around $70, which is IMO overpriced, considering I don't think they're made any more. They are an open vs closed design, and have kind of rolled off bass. They will sound more balanced than either of the other options, but will be bass light. I don't have them, I'm just rehashing what I saw in the headphone.com graphs on them. I believe they use similar drivers to the HD212 series, so the treble will also be grainy. Even being open, they are not comparable at all to the HD555, HD595, HD600, etc...

 

[aliciaxurqg]

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Oh, and the comfort factor with the HD 203s for me isn't too bad. After about 3 hours I start to notice the outer parts of my ear would get sore, but taking a break for maybe half an hour or so fixed that. They are slightly better comfort wise than the EH 150s, which have the exact same design but smaller earpads. That's how it is with my experience anyway. The difference in ear pads may just be variation from product to product.
 
The HD 428s were definitely more comfortable. But considering all of the factors, I consider the HD 203s the superior value.

Thanks for your explanation! It's very valuable, I got more deep understanding about this part.

 

[xx0xx]

Picking these up might not be a bad idea. I was very disappointed by the HD428's unamped sound. Very grainy, no detail. It was a very messy/distant sound. My HD202's just broke and they're out of warranty, and they're cheap enough to not worry about fixing, so I might give the 203's a go. I'm glad they were compared here to the 205s, too, because I saw those at Best Buy and wasn't sure about grabbing them. These sound inviting.

 

[swaffleman]

well it's coming up on a year in a couple of months since I've had these.
 
The sound has changed a lot.
 
They still sound like Sennheisers, but the sound is much more opened and sharp than it was when I wrote this review. The bass has become much sharper and more contained. The instrument separation feels like it's gotten even better, and the imaging/soundstage is better than it was. When I first got these everything was kinda close up feeling. I now get a clear sense of space when I listen with these.
 
Just thought I'd update.

 

[gothical]

Yes, definitely this is a very good headphone.
 
I used to own HD212 which is very very similar in all respects except a few things. Bass is much tighter on the 203's but the loudness is the same. Treble is more natural in the 203's too. HD212's treble seemed really weird in some songs which is not noticeable at all in HD203.
 
Comfort wise HD212 was much better. HD203 hurts my ears after like an hours use while HD212 could be in my ear for a couple of hours and I wouldnt even feel it.
 
As swaffleman said, the soundstage and over all sound gets a lot better after around  a month's use and im really happy about my purchase. Now, only if I could wear it for a couple of hours without the earache ....

 

[swaffleman]

Change the ear pads. As I've said, the ones that go on the Maxell DHP iis are a perfect fit.
 
Also if the headband clamps a little too much, if you have another one of the same design that clamps less, you can literally just snap the ear cups of the 203s off and into the other headband.

 

[captian73]

I have to say that I tried the HD555's a few months gao. I was bitterly dissapointed with them. I much prefer my HD238's. Anything's better than the HD201's. I really couldn't stand them. I love the HD212 (gave them to my friends son who's now got his won DJ thing going on).I must give these HD203's a go.

 

[Tawg]

What kind of ear pads would replace those of the HD203s? swaffleman mentioned the Maxell DHP II but I couldn't find just the pads for sale. I joined this site just to ask.

 

[JCred]

I have to say that I tried the HD555's a few months gao. I was bitterly dissapointed with them. I much prefer my HD238's. Anything's better than the HD201's. I really couldn't stand them. I love the HD212 (gave them to my friends son who's now got his won DJ thing going on).I must give these HD203's a go.

Same, here, with the HD555s. I really want to love them, as they look and feel great- I just can't. I'm debating whether to sell them or be the first person to mod an HD5x shell to house an HD20x driver and shell.

The 203 offers a really good first impression, at a very reasonable price and, somehow, manages to get even better with time. More specifically, highs brighten and stage opens up.

 

[a3ds]

 Hello, I am new here but I am reading it for a while. One question for 203 users: these cans are suitable for use with a phone, a Sony Ericsson ELM for instance? Are they easy to drive on such thing? I own for home use 428's after I sold my 555's(same opinion, they are kinda limp for my taste) and I am curious if I can buy a pair of 203's for outdoors, I think the design is pretty cool and after all I've read here about them, are a killer for their price. Thanks and enjoy your senn's .

 

[iceshark]

Quick question, does anyone know how the 201's compare to Sennheiser's PX portable headphone line? (the PX100 or 200's, doesn't matter, just a general comparison). I wanted to get them for myself for portable listening, and I wanted to know what an overall comparison might be between the two.

 

 

[a3ds]

 This is exactly my problem, can hd 203 be used on a portable device, like, say, px 100? It's a telephone strong enough to drive them?

 

[swaffleman]

They are fairly easy to drive so a portable device like a phone or MP3 player should be sufficient power. 

 

[swaffleman]

to iceshark: make sure you are talking about the 203s...not the 201s! The 203s are better. 
 
Anyway, the sound of the 203s is more detailed and has more depth and much more bass than the PX 200 iis. The general clarity on both is really outstanding, though. Also, the PX 200 iis have more forward and aggressive sounding mid range details, which I like. 
 
I own the PX 200 iis, and I really like them. For on the go listening, particularly for working out, it's hard to beat them. But they are a bit too neutral for me, in that they have a minimalist approach to bass. The bass quality is outstanding which is why I still like them, but the HD 203s just offer a much more visceral listening experience. 
 
Both are pretty much the same as far as driving them, so they both get fairly loud with portable devices. I do consider the PX 200 iis to be more comfortable, as they just sorta sit on the ears and don't clamp. My 203s don't clamp, but I think I got lucky with a wider headband. 
 
But I generally prefer my PX 200s for portable and exercise listening. But the 203s are just as good a value, if not better. In fact the 203s are cheaper. 

 

[a3ds]

 In fact, in my country, the hd 203's are half the price of px 200. So, I will go for 203's.