Type On-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless No
Transducer Dynamic
Mic No
Noise-Cancelling No
The Sennheiser HD 202 II are average-at-best. They deliver a decent sound and won't be too distracting to the people around you because of their relatively low leakage. However, they feel cheaply made. They have no audio controls and do not block much noise, which is not ideal for commuting or traveling.
Our Verdict
5.9 Mixed Usage
The HD 202 II are low-budget, closed-back, critical listening headphones that are not well-rounded enough to be good everyday headphones. They lack a few features, which makes them cumbersome to use on the go, and they also struggle in loud environments.
Pros
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Lightweight, stable design.
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Low leakage.
Cons
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Poor noise isolation.
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Uncomfortable fit.
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Plasticky build.
6.9 Critical Listening
The HD 202 II have an above-average sound and produce a decent soundstage. They're not ideal for critical listening because of their closed-back design, but sound sufficiently good to not disappoint the pure critical listener.
See our Critical Listening Recommendations
5.2 Commute/Travel
Not made for commuting. They only isolate passively, and it's not enough for the ambient noise of train or plane.
See our Commute/Travel Recommendations
5.6 Sports/Fitness
Below-average for sports. They're lightweight but too cumbersome to use while running or exercising. Additionally, the long non-detachable cable can get frustrating
See our Sports/Fitness Recommendations
5.7 Office
Subpar for office use. They won't isolate you from the noise of a busy office but do not leak too much and won't be audible to the people near you except at high volumes.
See our Office Recommendations
6.5 Home Theater
Average for home theater use. Since they're wired, they have no latency, but the cable won't be long enough unless you're watching your movie on a PC or tablet. They're also not the most comfortable headphones to wear for long periods of time.
- 5.9 Mixed Usage
- 6.9 Critical Listening
- 5.2 Commute/Travel
- 5.6 Sports/Fitness
- 5.7 Office
- 6.5 Home Theater
+ Create your own
- Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Jun 03, 2016: Review published.
- Updated Jun 01, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Apr 29, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Test Results
Design
Type On-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless No
Transducer Dynamic
Mic No
The Sennheiser HD 202 II look pretty good. They have a sleek, understated design and an all-black color scheme that will please some. The sliding mechanism is on the ear cup and not on the joints of the headband like typical headphone designs. They look a little cheap upon closer inspection but are stylish enough for everyday casual use.
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6.0 Design
Weight 0.34 lbs
Clamping Force
The HD 202 II do not deliver a comfortable listening experience. Their design is a little stiff, and the ear cups have an odd size that's too big for a typical on-ear design and too small for an over-ear model. The ear cups therefore awkwardly rest on the ears, which causes discomfort after long listening sessions. On the upside, they're lightweight and don't apply too much pressure to the head.
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LEARN ABOUT COMFORT
0 Design
Ease of use N/A
Feedback N/A
Call/Music Control No
Volume Control No
Noise Canceling Control N/A
Talk-Through N/A
Additional Buttons N/A
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LEARN ABOUT CONTROLS
7.0 Design
These headphones like the HD 201 are quite stable on the head. However unlike the HD 201, the oddly sized earcups do not encompass the ear as securely and are therefore more likely to slip off during physical activities like running. They won't be ideal for the gym and may require frequent adjustment to keep them in place. However, they will not move much during casual listening sessions.
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LEARN ABOUT STABILITY
5.7 Design
L 7.68"
W 6.69"
H 2.76"
Volume 141.67 in³
Stand required N/A
The Sennheiser 202 II are a little bulky for on-ear headphones. They're not as big as some other over-ear models, but they do not fold up to a more compact format or lay flat to take less space. This makes them a little cumbersome to carry around and would only fit in a bag or a moderately large purse. Furthermore, they also don't come with a case or pouch, which is disappointing.
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LEARN ABOUT PORTABILITY
0 Design
Type No case
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LEARN ABOUT CASE
5.5 Design
These headphones feel very plasticky and cheaply made. They are lightweight and the plastic used is dense enough to withstand a couple of drops without getting damaged. Unfortunately, they don't feel as durable as som other on-ear design. Their all-plastic build feels susceptible to breaking under a moderate amount of physical stress, and the cable is not very thick and could get damaged by regular wear and tear.
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LEARN ABOUT BUILD QUALITY
7.9 Design
Avg.Temp.Difference 2.3 °C
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Design
Detachable No
Length 10.1 ft
Connection 1/8" TRS
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Design
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Design
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Design
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Design
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Design
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Design
- Sennheiser HD 202 II Headphones
- 1/8" to 1/4" Adapter
- Cable winder
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7.9 Sound
Std. Err.
Low-Frequency Extension
Low-Bass
Bass
High-Bass
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LEARN ABOUT BASS
8.1 Sound
Std. Err.
Low-Mid
Mid
High-Mid
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LEARN ABOUT MID
5.2 Sound
Std. Err.
Low-Treble
Treble
High-Treble
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LEARN ABOUT TREBLE
6.5 Sound
Avg. Std. Deviation
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LEARN ABOUT FREQUENCY RESPONSE CONSISTENCY
6.4 Sound
PRTF Error
Openness 7.5
Acoustic Space Excitation 3.0
Correlated Crosstalk
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LEARN ABOUT SOUNDSTAGE
7.3 Sound
Phase Error
Driver Mismatch (Amplitude)
Driver Mismatch (Frequency)
Driver Mismatch (Phase)
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LEARN ABOUT IMAGING
7.1 Sound
Weighted THD @ 90
Weighted THD @ 100
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5.2 Isolation
Overall Attenuation
Noise-Cancelling No
Bass
Mid
Treble
Self-Noise
Poor isolation. Due to the on-ear design, poor seal, and lack of active-noise cancellation, these headphones perform poorly in this category. There is virtually no isolation provided in the Bass Range. The overall amount of isolation achieved in the Mid Range is about 7dB, and about 24dB in the Treble Range, which are below average.
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LEARN ABOUT NOISE ISOLATION
7.0 Isolation
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
Decent leakage. The significant portion of the leakage is between 1KHz-4KHz which is relatively narrow. The overall level of the leakage is low too, making these headphones a decent performer in this area.
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LEARN ABOUT LEAKAGE
0 Active Features
Type
Obstructed Range
Line of Sight Range
NFC
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10 Active Features
Base Latency
aptX Latency
aptX(LL) Latency
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not tested Active Features
Battery Type
Battery Life
Charge Time
Auto-off
Audio while charging
Passive Playback
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LEARN ABOUT BATTERY
0 Active Features
No compatible app.
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LEARN ABOUT APP SUPPORT
