Sennheiser HD201 to Shure SRH440: Was it worth it?

[Mo5]

After years of using the Sennheiser HD201 I decided it was time to upgrade. The ear pads were starting to disintegrate, the cable got split in the middle and so on. In my search I've considered many headphones (mostly ones out of my budget) but finally made my choice and got the Shure SRH440. Now I'm using them for some time it's time to be honest... was the upgrade worth it?

 

For those who don't want to read here's the one word conclusion: Yes.

 

For others here's a more detailed explanation:

 

Right away I noticed the superior build quality of the SRH440. Not to say that the HD201 is bad, just that the SRH440 feels more rugged and tough. From the detachable coiled cable, to the ear cups and so on. So far so good...

 

I've mentioned the cable for a reason. Most of the time my headphones break it's because the cable breaks. With the SRH440 I don't worry about that. Also important for me is that it's coiled as I sit close to my desk but still want to move around freely without the cable dragging on the floor. It's also detachable so in case that it does break I can actually replace it. The cable is definitely a big plus over the HD201.

 

Now for the tricky bit - sound quality... I've extensively listened to both and I have to say that they sound very close. Sure the SRH440 gets louder and has better sound attenuation but the actual SQ is nearly identical (and the frequency response graphs show that). Is it a bad thing? No, I quite enjoyed how the HD201s sound and I enjoy SRH440s as well. If anything, kudos to Sennheiser for making the HD201s sound so good.

 

There is a downside with the SRH440s - comfort. They have almost no padding on the headband. They're also quite heavy (especially compared to the HD201). The result is that I can't wear them for over 3 hours. Not a big deal as I don't have such long listening sessions anyway.

 

To conclude... the Shure SRH440 are definitely a worthy upgrade to the Sennheiser HD201. Yes they sound virtually identical, but the superior build quality, detachable coiled cable and better sound attenuation give it the edge over the HD201. Unsurprisingly as they cost 4 times more. 

 

Bonus conclusion: If you're looking for a pair of budget headphones the Sennheiser HD201 are an excellent choice.

[ZacDaMan72]

I had them and they're umm... no comment. I paid NZ$30 for it.

 

EDIT: I used them for the first time in a few months because I broke one of the cups off and it's actually pretty good starting point for the audiophile world.

[Mo5]

I had them and they're umm... no comment. I paid NZ$30 for it.

 

EDIT: I used them for the first time in a few months because I broke one of the cups off and it's actually pretty good starting point for the audiophile world.

Talking about 201s or 440s?

[ZacDaMan72]

Talking about 201s or 440s?

201s.

[Mo5]

201s.

Yeah, they're not bad