The HD 201 is a pair of closed, dynamic stereo headphones for the budget conscious music lover, featuring powerful sound reproduction, good attenuation of ambient noise and outstanding wearing comfort. Though the ultra-affordable Sennheiser HD 201 headphones provide natural sound and capable performance, commuters may find the low volume output an issue when listening to music in highly trafficked environments.
The HD 201s are far from audiophile quality and lack the low-end oomph of pricier headphones from the competition, but we do recommend them to casual listeners who will find satisfaction in their comfortable build, balanced sound, and affordability.
Sennheiser HD 201 headphones are a full-size pair that incorporates a circumaural (over-the-ear) design and includes a 1/4 inch gold plated adapter that easily pops onto the 1/8 inch plug. A limited swivel design is implemented into the hinge of the frame, and each earcup pivots slightly back and forth allowing one side to stay in place while the other side is off. The oblong pads are black, replaceable, and primarily made of a leatherette material and foam padding with a cloth interior sewn in.
The right and left earcups tip 20 degrees forward and back to its original position, although we can find no desirable benefit to this feature aside from its ability to fit a range of head shapes and sizes. The outside of the earcups are accented with an oval-shaped silver and black design, and the rest of the frame is black.
The hard plastic adjustable headband is well-padded inside the crown, and lightweight materials add comfort so little pressure is put on the head; however, the headband tends to focus its weight onto a small patch that touches the skull. As a result, the headphones tend to slide back and forth quite often.
Sennheiser HD 201 features :
- Powerful sound reproduction
- Rich, crisp bass response
- Lightweight and comfortable to wear
- Good attenuation of ambient noise
- Extremely rugged
- High quality leatherette ear pads
- Gold-plated ¼” (6.3 mm) jack adaptor
- 2 year guarantee
For a closed headphone, the HD 201s don’t shield against ambient noise very well. They’re adequate for blocking out sounds in the home, but disappointing for most portable use.
The HD 201s also exhibit very low sensitivity, so it takes cranking up the volume to the max to bring them to satisfactory or normal loudness levels. This may not present a problem for home theater listeners, but MP3 players with volume limits can be frustrating to use if you enjoy listening to music at a very high volume level. Noise leakage is nonexistent on MP3 players and at a minimum on AV receivers.
For making you fall in love with your record collection again, these Sennheisers are a remarkable feat and the “if” design award is by no means excessive hype or marketing flannel, they really are that comfortable.
