Headphones
Sennheiser HD 201
Just. Simply. Amazing! We have no idea how they did it, but Sennheiser with the HD201 has blown away all price/performance barriers at the low end of the scale with these dandy full sized sealed headphones. With a clean, quick, and surprisingly well balanced sound for a can at this price point, you'll find it perfect for all sorts of low cost applications. Looking for smiles from kids in the back of the van, patients in the dental chair, students in a multi-media classroom, or patrons in the museum? Here's your answer.
Product Features:
- Terrifically well balanced sound at this price point.
- Sealed design to isolate you from outside noise.
- Durable construction make this an excellent choice for business/education use.
- 2-Year Warranty
What's In The Box:
- 1/4" adaptor
Applications:
Our jaws nearly hit the ground when we first heard this headphone. You have to understand just how poorly most cheap 'sealed-earcup', full-size cans normally sound but, somehow, Sennheiser got it amazingly right with the sonics of the very inexpensive HD201 headphones. No question they are just slightly uneven-sounding in spots, but that's really a quibble since they still sparkle and sing in an unusually clean way for a headphone at this crushingly low pricepoint. The HD201 are the perfect gift headphone because the recipient will always be amazed at how darn good they sound with any music style. They are also the perfect headphone for commercial applications like museums, schools, doctors offices and dental chairs--first, because they are inexpensive, and, second, because your clients will appreciate the soothing, pleasant experience of good quality sound. The HD201 are also sized just about right for DVD-playin' kids hanging out in the back of the mini-van too!
Although the HD-201 are a reasonably efficient, low-impedance design, they are not particularly sensitive headphones. So those seeking to plug these directly into an iPod, laptop computer, Mp3 player, or other portable audio player might find they have to set the player's volume near maximum to get decent listening levels into the HD-201; any dedicated headphone amp will easily overcome this issue while also DRAMATICALLY upping the musical detail clarity, punch, and dynamic range of this inexpensive headphone. This basic plastic HD201 headphone construction is rather plain looking, but beneath its black & grey utilitarian exterior you'll find a durable build quality that will withstand the rigors of being knocked around the home/office/dormroom for a long time to come. The dark black and matte silver plastic earpieces have mid-sized circular pleather earpads that surround the ear. These small-to-mid-sized circumaural ("around the ear") earcups attach to a simple bail system that tilts and swivels a limited amount and also slides up and down into the connecting headband to adjust for sizing and overall fit. The HD201 has a 9.5ft non-detachable cable that connects in a "Y" to both earcups and terminates in a 1/8" (3.5mm) mini-plug connector. An adapter to a full-size 1/4" inch plug is handily included in the package.
Specifications:
- Manufacturer Warranty: 2 Years
- Sensitivity: 108 dB/V
- Cord Type: Straight Y
- Microphone: No
- Cord Length: 10 ft. (3 m)
- Weight: 165g w/o cable
- Detachable Cable: No
- Driver Type: Dynamic
- Coupler Size: Medium
- Connector Type: 1/8" with 1/4" adaptor
- Isolation: -7dB ~-10dB
- Ear Coupler Type: Full-Size
- Impedance @ 1kHz: 24
- Warranty: 2 Years
- Wireless: No
- Headphone Type: Full Size
- Noise Cancelling: No
- Acoustic Seal: Closed
Additional Resources:
- Manufacturer's Website
- Sennheiser USA
- Product Reviews
- HardWareGeeks HD201 and HD515 review
- playlistmag.com Dan Frakes, December 2006
Average Customer Rating: by hellyes from viana do castelo, portugal on 2010-02-07
Pros: the price, nice sound quality and they are not ugly also
Cons: huge cable
Would you recommend this product: Yes
sounds realy clear. well dettailed sound. some people says that it has a weak bass, i disagree. it is not a powrfull bass yeah, but is a nice bass for those who want to realy lissen the music and not a "boom boom" sound over the music. i prefer to lissen eveything like it realy is and this headphones are realy great for it. the hd201 are comfortable, but i believe after some hours listening with it, it can feel a litle uncomfortable not much. the cable is too long 3 metters a clip as the one in the hd202 would be a plus, but no one is perfect right?
they have a perfect price/quality relation
i would take a risk and say that this headphones are the best you can do to cost only about 30$
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by A HeadRoom Fan from washington, dc on 2010-01-22
Would you recommend this product: Yes
This is a great little inexpensive headphone -- the best of the "cheap" ones I have tried. It has a small form, is comfortable and secure fitting, and has very good sound for the money. If you are trying to keep your costs down as low as possible and still get a great-sounding headphone from a major manufacturer, this is the one to get in my opinion. Very balanced sound. If you are looking for big bass, however, I suggest you try the HD 202, also from Sennheiser. Both headphones have long cords, which cut into their utility as portables.
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by brems from Ann Arbor, MI on 2010-01-18
Pros: Excellent crisp sound, solid construction, comfortable
Cons: Cord is way too long - gets int he way. Trip on it easily
Would you recommend this product: Yes
Great value.
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by COG from Corona, CA on 2010-01-17
Pros: Surpriszingly good sound for the price, Good isolation. Won't play overly loud.
Cons: A little sweaty to wear for long sessions!
Would you recommend this product: Yes
I bought these for my son for his iPod and for listening to streaming music from Naxosmusiclibrary.com for a music appreciation class he is taking. I was quite surprized at how good they sounded for the price. most cheap sealed phones I've tried in the past were fairly colored in sound, muffled in detail, and generally unpleasant to listen to. These are fairly mellow sounding, with good, though not ultimately too powerful, bass. They offer reasonable detail, and highs extended enuogh to balance the sound quite well. Overall, these are a big improvement over the ear buds that came with the iPod, and with the reasonably good isolation, much more usable in a wider variety of locations.
When compared to the much more expensive Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro that I usually use, the HD 201 does understandibly sound less detailed, less powerful, less dynamic and a more colored. However, considering the price difference that is to be expected. Also, The Beyers need a headphone amp (I use a Total Bithead) where the HD201 can be driven straight from the iPod or notebook. Using these with the Total Bithead did offer enough of an improvement to make getting an amp a reasonable and worthwhile option.
One nice thing is that, though will will play plenty loud, they won't go as loud as some other headphones, lessening the chance of overdoing the volume and damamging your ears.
Overall, I think these are an excellent choice for someone looking for an inexpensive traditional sealed headphone
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by nerdy_kid from on 2010-01-16
Pros: Clear, crisp, sound. Overall quality.
Cons: the ear cups are not deep enough (by just a little) so that ones ears may rub against the inside
Would you recommend this product: Yes
Would buy again.
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by Harvester from Antioch, CA on 2010-01-16
Pros: comfortable (for me), quiets down outside noise very well, dont sound to bad either
Cons: For the price: the rubberized cord feels cheap and tangles easily.
Would you recommend this product: Yes
Excellent value! They really surprised me with how well they block outside noise, with even minimal volume hearing people talk next to you is near impossible. Sound quality is on par, if not better, than the price point it is being sold at. Overall I would say a natural sound but with surprisingly responsive low end. They are also very comfortable to wear and my ears are actually fully enclosed comfortably, something I did not expect. If you are looking for an enclosed over the ear headphone on a budget definitely consider these!
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by Academic Admiral from St. Paul, MN on 2010-01-15
Pros: Good value
Cons: None
Would you recommend this product: Yes
Good equipment.
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by ConMiMente from Rochester, NY on 2010-01-15
Pros: Comfortable, great value
Cons: First pair died quickly
Would you recommend this product: Yes
A great pair of headphones, even without some kind of noise canceling addition these headphones block out ambient noise very well. The plastic doesn't feel weak like it does on some similar products. Overall a great value for the price. Warranty is key
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by IRONSNAKEMX from LAREDO, TX on 2010-01-13
Pros: Good sound suited for Classic music
Cons: Rock music and bass heavy music like electronica sounds bad on this
Would you recommend this product: Yes
These are good if you like classic music due to their neutral sound , but the bass is barely there so rock, electronica , house , sound very lifeless with these headphones , they are very comfortable but the cord is very long so take this in mind if you plan to use them on the streets.
overall i give them a 8.5 because of their good sound taking into consideration that they are only 30 bucks
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by iHelp from head-fi.org on 2010-01-10
Pros: comfortable, great value, price
Cons: Plastic-y, large, thin cable
Would you recommend this product: Yes
Great for a gift, home use, or the office. the HD 201 feel very light on the head and I could wear them for hours without much leakage. The bass response feels light but accurate. Not good for modern music, but is a neutral headphone. They feel durable, but the cord is thin, so be weary. In my opinion, the KSC 75 is better, but it is open and supra-aural, so this is a good alternative.
At this price, you can't go wrong. Just buy them already!
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