Listening is never a one-way street, whether for a virtual meeting, a gaming stream, or a podcast binge.
Because ultimately, you hear through your sound device before it reaches your ears.
Let’s talk about the two high-quality over-the-ear headphones that work great with their built-in features!
Sennheiser 201 Overview
Budget-friendly, relatively durable, and gets the job done. Its built-in features allow your ears to experience good sound quality.
Main Features
Let’s talk about the specs and features that define the performance of these headphones.
Specs
- Transducer Principle: Dynamic
- Impedance: 24 ohms
- Sensitivity: 108 dB
- Frequency Response: 21-18,000 Hz
- Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.7%
- Cable Length: 3 meters
- Dimensions: 9.5 x 4 x 7 in
- Weight: 164 g
Dynamic Design
This allows audio equipment you have to realistically reproduce the audio that’s coming from your sound source (e.g., computer).
Headphones with good built-in dynamics tend to have a better dynamic range which entails the quietest and loudest sounds coming from your sound source.
Good Impedance Rating
Impedance is the overall resistance of a device to the electric current coming from the present amplifier from all involved devices.
The 201’s relatively low impedance rating is perfectly designed for computers and portable music devices such as mobile phones, laptops, etc.
Low impedance also allows users to listen with higher volume while maintaining battery efficiency.
Good Sensitivity Rating
Like the human ear, sensitivity is determined by how much pressure, particularly the loud and more explosive beats your audio device can take in.
A good sensitivity rating for audio devices (headphone included) ranges from 75 dB to 110 dB.
With its sensitivity rating of 108 dB, the 201 has a good sensitivity rating!
Good Frequency Response Range
This pertains to the range of frequencies, from the low (bass) to high (treble) frequencies, that it can reproduce.
Typically, 20 – 20,000 Hz is already a good frequency response range. [R]
With the 201’s frequency response range of 21 Hz – 18,000 Hz, most (if not all) frequencies that constitute the audio file can be heard.
Low THD Rating
Total harmonic distortion (THD) is the overall difference between the audio signal coming from your audio source and all produced distortion of the involved devices.
So the lower the THD rating of an audio device is, the better!
With the HD 201’s THD rating of 0.7%, there is minimal difference between your audio’s original texture and the reproduced audio texture coming from your headphone.
Pros
- Balanced sound
- Minimal leakage of mid and treble regions
- Average ambiance cancellation
- More snug on the ear
- Budget-friendly
Cons
- The all-plastic build is not for those with specific aesthetic taste
- Several posts have reviewed that it does not fit as tightly on their head
- Noise isolation can be improved
- Bass may need boosting/stronger driver
Sennheiser HD 202 Overview
Deemed as the ideal partner for DJs who mix and edit various amazing modern music, let’s talk about the features and specs of the HD 202!
Main Features
Similar to how we started our detailed look into the features of the 201, let’s first go through the specs that allow the magic of the HD 202 to happen.
Specs
- Transducer Principle: Dynamic
- Impedance: 32 ohms
- Sensitivity: 118.73 dB
- Frequency Response: 18 – 18,000 Hz
- Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.5%
- Cable Length: 3 meters
- Dimensions: 7 x 4 x 8 inches
- Weight: 130 g
Similar Dynamic Design
Like the prior headphone in question, the HD 202 also has a dynamic design that allows it to easily reproduce your audio’s quiet and loud frequencies.
Higher Impedance Rating
The 202’s impedance rating is slightly higher than the 201’s; the former is slightly more equipped to handle distortion than the 201.
Higher Sensitivity Rating
Having a higher sensitivity rating than the 201 means that the 202 can more accurately reproduce even the explosive sounds that the user chooses to play.
Wider Frequency Response Range
Sometimes our audio devices can’t pick up on all of the frequencies present in the audio that we play.
The 202’s wider frequency response range and its overall capacity to accurately reproduce how the original audio sounds are sustained.
Lower THD
The lower the THD, the better.
With the 202’s THD rating of 0.5%there are fewer chances that your audio will get affected by distortion.
Pros
- Mix, edit, and produce music and audio better
- Good all-around audio
- Lower frequencies are powered
- Snug fit
- More comfortable than the 201
Cons
- Not the perfect fit for mixing tracks
- Earpads may peel over time
- More pricey than the 201
The Showdown: 201 vs. 202
Now, it’s time to see which would personally fair better for you between the Sennheiser HD 201 vs. HD 202!
Build and Design
Both the 201 and 202 have a closed-back design, meaning that they were designed specifically to block out external noise.
Some users have reported that the 201 has the more snug fit.
But we do recommend considering the general size of your head and ears.
Several customer reviews have also mentioned how the 202 fits tightly because of its smaller earpads than the 201.
Ultimately, it all depends on the fit that you personally prefer.
Sound Quality
Despite having similar features and specs, the 202 is the better one between the pair.
This is because it has higher impedance and sensitivity, lower THD, and a wider frequency response range that puts it higher than the 201.
Pricing
Of course, there is a noticeable price difference between the two.
Despite lagging behind the 202 (feature-wise), the 201 easily wins over the 202! While the 202 costs around 34.95 USD, the 201 only costs around 18.89 USD.
NOTE: The prices may vary depending on where you buy from.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s talk about some of the questions you may have in your head at the moment.
Will It Have A Warranty?
Yes! The HD 201 and HD 202 have 2-year warranties when you purchase them!
Are The Cords Detachable?
Nope! The cords are NOT detachable despite looking like they are.
Will The Pads Cover Your Ears?
It depends.
If you have relatively average or bigger ears, the pads will only rest on your ears.
What are the Main Differences?
As discussed earlier, the pair has slight differences when it comes to their:
- Impedance
- Sensitivity
- THD ratings
- Frequency response ranges
What’s more, there’s also a noticeable variation in the price points of the devices.
How Do Noise Cancelling Headphones Work?
With Active Noise-Cancellation (ANC) technology, noise-canceling headphones generate a phase-inverted sound that cancels out the noise detected by the built-in microphone.
Read more about Active Noise-Cancellation.
Alternatives
If you think neither the 201 nor 202 fit your taste, you can check out these alternatives!
Final Verdict: Which Headphone is Better?
Despite the factor that personal preference plays in the final verdict between the HD 201 and HD 202, the latter (202) is more capable of more accurately reproducing audio or music.
But, there’s also the fact that the 201 is less pricey.
Ultimately, if it’s just for casual everyday use, the 201 may be the better choice.
But if, say, you or your friend hope to mix, edit, or do professional work with either of the audio devices, then the 202 would be the better choice.
