Sennheiser HD 201 Review

  

Pros:  crystal clear sound, affordable price, light and comfortable to wear

Cons: natural bass is lacking, maximum volume output is lower than other headphones in its category

Specifications:

Transducer Principle:                      Dynamic

Frequency Response:                     21—18,000 Hz

Nominal Impedance:                       24 Ohm

Weight Without Cable:                   165 g

Ear Coupling:                                 Circumaural

Max Spl External Noise:                 (1 kHz, 1 Vrms) 108 dB

Distortion:                                      < 0.7 %

If you are looking for inexpensive, well-balanced headphones, with great isolation and great perception even on very low volumes, then, the Sennheiser HD 201 is for you. In its price range, you hardly find other better options. In other words, this might be the best entry-level set of headphones in the market.

I bought this to pair with my iPod Touch 5^th gen and as a replacement for the Apple earpods which I find irritating sometimes when played at high volumes. The HD 201 sounds subtle, crystal-clear, and there's no prevalence of any sound. There are limitations of course. Compared with the open-back headphones, it may lack in soundstage. The natural bass is lacking too and its maximum volume output is lower than other headphones in its category. I usually crank up the volume to the max in order to bring it to satisfactory or normal loudness levels.

In terms of construction, I think the leatherette cover won't last that long. I’m seeing it starting to peel off after a few months use. The 3-meter wire might be too long too which is not commuter-friendly, but can be ideal for home or professional use.

The HD 201 fits for all sorts of great listening uses, either you’re playing games on your PC or just want some superb music listening. It is indeed, a fantastic all-around headphone. They're also very comfortable. You can wear them for hours with just a slight discomfort that you'll get with any headset.

Conclusion

Again, the Sennheiser HD 201 is just an entry-level headphone but its price and tonal balance are perfect fit for casual listeners. They are not comparable to high-end headphones but they still deserve high marks for achieving a cleaner overall sound at such an affordable price.

      

    

   

How to Play Little Wing by Jimi Hendrix

One of the most often overlooked aspects of guitar playing is rhythm guitar. Sure, licks and solos are fun but rhythm playing is at the heart of at least 80% of what is played most of the time in band situations. And in your quest to learn on how to strum chords, make your way back to the man who started it all - Jimi Hendrix. He's definitely a great source of education to all levels of musicians.

One of the most beautiful songs of Jimi Hendrix that demonstrates the importance of rhythm guitar is "Little Wing." According to Tom Morello in 2011 tribute to Hendrix in Rolling Stone magazine, “It's just this gorgeous song that, as a guitar player, you can study your whole life and not get down, never get inside it the way that he does. He seamlessly weaves chords and single-note runs together and uses chord voicings that don't appear in any music book. His riffs were a pre-metal funk bulldozer, and his lead lines were an electric LSD trip down to the crossroads, where he pimp-slapped the devil.”

Here’s how to play Little Wing on guitar:

Part 1

Part 2

part 3

While this song is particularly revered among guitar players, here are my top picks for the best covers of this wonderful tune.

Eric Clapton, Derek Trucks, and Warren Haynes

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Guthrie Govan with a Korean guitar player

Monte Montgomery

G3 Live with Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and Yngwie Malmsteen

Carlos Vamos