Sennheiser HD 201

MARCHANDS	€
Amazon.co.uk	15.99
Thomann	17.47
Pc world	24.99



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Caractéristiques
Headphone Type	On-ear
Frequency Response	21 Hz - 18 kHz
Speaker	Dynamic / closed
Impedance	24 ohms
Sensitivity	108 dB SPL
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Cable Length	3 m
Weight	165 g
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Tristan François
Test date: March 24, 2010

How mobile is the HD 201?

These are headphones to use indoors, and there's no doubt about it. But if you look around you next time you're on the bus, you'll notice that more and more people listen to their MP3 player using big headphones instead of little earbuds. Are the HD 201s up to the job?

Well, yes actually. Given how light they are and how well they cover your ears, you can easily use them outdoors. Unlike headphones from AKG with a large sliding headband, these Sennheiser's are worn much closer to your head.

There are two things to be aware of though: first of all, the cable is three metres long, which is a lot to roll into your pocket! And despite covering your ears well, the HD 201s are light and don't grip your head very tightly. Firstly, that means some of the sound escapes, but it also means that you're not very well-isolated from outside noise. That could well be problematic for some people ...

A few months ago, Sennheiser set about spring cleaning its enormous range of headphones, and updated some of its collections at the same time. The HD 201s are some of the latest arrivals.

Handling: comfortable but warm

The HD 201 headphones come in the German manufacturer's redesigned packaging. There's no more ugly transparent plastic, which has been replaced by stylish card. Inside, though, there's nothing but the headphones themselves and a plug-in 3.5-6.35 mm jack convertor. Although these headphones are clearly designed for use at home, a carry case is never unwelcome.

When you're wearing them, the HD 201s aren't too heavy, and don't press too tightly on your ears (which can be tricky if you do want to use them outdoors (see inset). Despite being made entirely of plastic, we were impressed by the finish, and the general style is pretty modern. The ear pads, also made of plastic, send the temperature soaring, especially because they entirely cover your ears.

Audio : vive les aigus

Let's get straight to the point: these certainly aren't the best headphones in Sennheiser's range. Here's why: the mid-range just isn't there when you listen for it, and the bass hardly does any better, leaving only the treble to come through loud and clear. Checking the frequency reponse confirms this result: between 100 and 2000 Hz, it's lower than at either end of the spectrum.

The resulting sound is too aggressive, which quickly becomes tiring and, above all, lacks depth. Add to that the fact that there isn't much detail--this isn't a hifi headset, so you can't expect any miracles, after all--the end result is pretty average. Music sounds OK, as long as you're not a fan of a lot of bass, while films lose a few details without becoming unbearable.

As you might have realised, the HD 201s aren't Sennheiser's best headphones by a long a way. They are comfortable to wear, but the sound they produce is very uneven. They will probably be worth the investment, but if you're going to spend all day listening to them, you can find better elsewhere.

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Pluses

Light and comfortable to wear

Stylish deisn and good finish

Minuses

Spectrum is uneven and treble takes over

Earpads quickly become warm

The HD 201s would make a great spare pair of headphones and won't put too much of a dint in your budget. They're less well-suited to everyday use, though; because the lack of equilibrium across different parts of the spectrum and the fact that they leave your ears very hot both quickly become irritating.