# Headphones for <2.5k. HD 202 II v/s HD 203.



## ratul (Oct 2, 2013)

Looking for some headphones in the price range <2.5k (strict) for listening music, mostly rock, metal, rap, hip-hop.
I do know that HD202II are the most suggested headphones in this price range, but i want to know are there any other options available?
What about HD203, they are in the same price range, but are they better than HD202II? Has anyone personally tried both? Heard that HD203 are more "boomy" HD202II with slightly recessed highs, is that true?


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## The Incinerator (Oct 3, 2013)

If you want to enjoy your music get a Philips at that price point. Invest in Senns only when your budget is over Rs 6500. Rest is up to you.


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## tubelight (Oct 3, 2013)

I've had the HD 203 for over a year now and they are fantastic. I haven't tried the 202 so I can't comment on that. I use my 203's to mostly listen to music at work and the sound quality is superb.


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## .jRay. (Oct 3, 2013)

Checkout audio technica ath sj33. I bought it for 2k


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## ratul (Oct 3, 2013)

*Re: Headphones for &lt;2.5k. HD 202 II v/s HD 203.*

And yeah, one more important factor: *They should be comfortable to wear* as i'd be wearing them all day in my office.



The Incinerator said:


> If you want to enjoy your music get a Philips at that price point. Invest in Senns only when your budget is over Rs 6500. Rest is up to you.



what model? can you please be more specific?



.jRay. said:


> Checkout audio technica ath sj33. I bought it for 2k



reviews seem good, what about the build quality and comfort?
and i can find them for 2.4k @ Homeshop18.


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## The Incinerator (Oct 3, 2013)

*Re: Headphones for &lt;2.5k. HD 202 II v/s HD 203.*



ratul said:


> And yeah, one more important factor: *They should be comfortable to wear* as i'd be wearing them all day in my office.
> 
> 
> 
> what model? can you please be more specific?



Let me have your specific budget and the specific genre you listen to with some specific sound signature that you like?


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## .jRay. (Oct 3, 2013)

*Re: Headphones for &lt;2.5k. HD 202 II v/s HD 203.*



ratul said:


> And yeah, one more important factor: *They should be comfortable to wear* as i'd be wearing them all day in my office.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I use them everyday. Comfortable enough for watching movies.

It's cheaper on FLIPKART..


www.flipkart.com/audio-technica-ath-sj-33/p/itmd8yewzysknzep


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## ratul (Oct 3, 2013)

*Re: Headphones for &amp;lt;2.5k. HD 202 II v/s HD 203.*



The Incinerator said:


> Let me have your specific budget and the specific genre you listen to with some specific sound signature that you like?



i think it's clearly mentioned in the first post.. 



.jRay. said:


> I use them everyday. Comfortable enough for watching movies.
> 
> It's cheaper on FLIPKART..
> 
> ...



well they strike a good deal to me, but let's wait for some more suggestions, also what's the warranty on them and is claiming it easy or the service centers are scarce for AT?


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## .jRay. (Oct 3, 2013)

*Re: Headphones for &amp;lt;2.5k. HD 202 II v/s HD 203.*



ratul said:


> well they strike a good deal to me, but let's wait for some more suggestions, also what's the warranty on them and is claiming it easy or the service centers are scarce for AT?



Been using them for over three months now. No problem whatsoever, i don't know about the service centres but there is a store in mumbai which handles replacements. I asked them about it


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## The Incinerator (Oct 5, 2013)

Get the Philips SHP 8900. If you want to know where to find them and interested PM me. They are as good as Rs 4K Senns. The Senns you are looking at are not musical at all,but this philips does both Detail and Rythm.


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## ratul (Oct 5, 2013)

*Re: Headphones for &lt;2.5k. HD 202 II v/s HD 203.*



The Incinerator said:


> Get the Philips SHP 8900. If you want to know where to find them and interested PM me. They are as good as Rs 4K Senns. The Senns you are looking at are not musical at all,but this philips does both Detail and Rythm.



wow, they look quite good, but it seems that the cable they provide is of very inferior quality, is it true?
Philips shp 8900

and yeah though they seem to be a very good deal, they are discontinued since a very long time..


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## gameranand (Oct 6, 2013)

I have used both HD202 and HD203 and I would suggest you to go for 202, 203 have more bass which is not needed as 202 already has plenty so 203 sounded kinda awkward to me after listening to 202.


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## sahil1033 (Oct 6, 2013)

I too own HD 203 and I'm not that satisfied with it, will try HD 202 after reading @gameranand's post


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## The Incinerator (Oct 6, 2013)

*Re: Headphones for &lt;2.5k. HD 202 II v/s HD 203.*



ratul said:


> wow, they look quite good, but it seems that the cable they provide is of very inferior quality, is it true?
> Philips shp 8900
> 
> and yeah though they seem to be a very good deal, they are discontinued since a very long time..



You are referring to two users odd situation. I never had a problem for 1 year and after that I did my own cable mod.Im thinking to buy one more pair now!!!


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## ratul (Oct 6, 2013)

Thanks for all your suggestions guys, finally ordered Philips SHP8900, as they looked the best and seems to sound the best amongst all mentioned here..


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## sahil1033 (Oct 6, 2013)

^^nice, do review it


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## ratul (Oct 11, 2013)

Ok, i got my SHP8900 today..  ..



Spoiler



*Sorry for low-res images, don't have a proper cam here.. *
*i.imgur.com/69w7AJr.jpg
*i.imgur.com/uJhUdcb.jpg
*i.imgur.com/wwFAVWL.jpg
*i.imgur.com/wtuhKFX.jpg



First impression: Huge... , these headphones are huge, and bulky, quite heavy, but the cushioning is pretty good, which makes them pretty comfy to wear, though still you feel a slight heaviness on your head while wearing them, but it's still bearable, let's see if they'd be comfortable for the whole day in office... 

Sound quality: Source: My Dell 15R Turbo, all songs are MP3 320kbps or FLAC's, Movies tested are 5.1ch Blu-Ray..

Though have only heard 2-3hrs on them and they might need some burnin, but initial impression is not that good, soundstage is definitely better than HD202II (tested them in Reliance Digital), but bass is less than HD202II, it's plenty and sufficient, but still less than HD202II, which sometimes kills the immersion in rock music, guitars and drum sometimes sounds muffled, don't know how it could be, but the same track sounds brilliant on my E10, i think i expected too much from these, let's see how they improve with burnin, or would they? 

Movies though were a total different story, sound was properly channelized, action scenes were hell good to watch, it was like i was sitting in a dolby digital theater, plenty of bass with each bullet sound separate and crystal clear, what i am getting in movies is what i expected in songs as well, but i don't know why i am not getting that soundstage in songs, maybe you can guide me Incinerator.

First impression, overall better than HD202II, but still not what i expected..  (maybe i expected too much when i saw their comparison with HD598.. )

Rest detailed review would be posted after proper burnin and after i get used to them.. (Though i now find my E10 much better than HD202II or these, guess my ears are used to their sound.. )


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## $hadow (Oct 12, 2013)

^^Over all a good buy.


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## The Incinerator (Oct 12, 2013)

*Re: Headphones for &lt;2.5k. HD 202 II v/s HD 203.*

Burn them in for 50/100Hrs Continuous atleast/ The sound will open up quite a lot. And the burn in should be in moderate volume levels toward the first 50Hrs. They sound their best when used with a Headphone amp and clean FLAC recordings atleast. Play your songs through Foobar with WASAPI installed. Let me know if I have been of any help. OP these are one of the best headphones money can buy. Just give them some time.They are way better than a Senn HD202/203. This Philips is all about accuracy.If your recording is bad it will play bad if its good it will play good. If you are in to Rock play some tracks from Sum41,Jet,The White Stripes,Avenged 7 Fold etcetc and some Jack Johnson and Feist ......etc etc

And dont compare In-Ears with OverThe Head ever....you will always be disappointed. The seal of In-Ears is what defines the acoustics which the over the Ears lacks or leaks!!!


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## sandynator (Oct 12, 2013)

ratul said:


> Ok, i got my SHP8900 today..  ..
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Congrats bro.
Whats the price??

I'm going to rhythm house today evening would love to get an demo of it.


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## ratul (Oct 12, 2013)

*Re: Headphones for &amp;lt;2.5k. HD 202 II v/s HD 203.*



$hadow said:


> ^^Over all a good buy.



thanks bro.. 



The Incinerator said:


> Burn them in for 50/100Hrs Continuous atleast/ The sound will open up quite a lot. And the burn in should be in moderate volume levels toward the first 50Hrs. They sound their best when used with a Headphone amp and clean FLAC recordings atleast. Play your songs through Foobar with WASAPI installed. Let me know if I have been of any help. OP these are one of the best headphones money can buy. Just give them some time.They are way better than a Senn HD202/203. This Philips is all about accuracy.If your recording is bad it will play bad if its good it will play good. If you are in to Rock play some tracks from Sum41,Jet,The White Stripes,Avenged 7 Fold etcetc and some Jack Johnson and Feist ......etc etc
> 
> And dont compare In-Ears with OverThe Head ever....you will always be disappointed. The seal of In-Ears is what defines the acoustics which the over the Ears lacks or leaks!!!



Thanks for the suggestion dude, unfortunately i don't have any amps with me currently.. 
but let's see how much they open up after burnin.. 



sandynator said:


> Congrats bro.
> Whats the price??
> 
> I'm going to rhythm house today evening would love to get an demo of it.



got them for 1995/-


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## sandynator (Oct 12, 2013)

That's gr8 price.
Please provide the links as it could be helpful to others.


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## The Incinerator (Oct 13, 2013)

Its sold out..


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## Zangetsu (Oct 22, 2013)

@OP: congrats
but how u will rank in terms of SQ etc ?
Sony MDR-XB400 vs Sennheiser HD 202 II vs Philips SHP8900

what I hear is that 
-MDR-XB400 is much more comfortable to listen for long hour 
-Bass is more better in XB400
-XB400 has good portbility (coz of foldable ear cups)
-HD 202 II is more clear than XB400


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## ratul (Oct 22, 2013)

Zangetsu said:


> @OP: congrats
> but how u will rank in terms of SQ etc ?
> Sony MDR-XB400 vs Sennheiser HD 202 II vs Philips SHP8900
> 
> ...



i haven't heard the XB400's, but they are supra-aural headphones, i wanted circum-aurals as i never felt comfortable with supra-aurals...
But i can assure you that SHP8900 are overall better sounding than HD202II, it's just the thump factor that i miss, but other than lows, mids and high are superb, highs seemed to be overbright when i bought them, but after some burnin, now they have settled well, and now sound more balanced.
I would say that SHP8900 are great for listening to drums, pop, female vocals, orchestra whereas HD202II could perform better in hip-hop and rock songs coz of the adequate bass for them..


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## Zangetsu (Oct 23, 2013)

here is what I prefer:
-more comfortable to wear for long hours
-superb sound quality (Bass,Treble & instruments should be crisp & clear and yeah teeter sounds also)
-excellent build quality
-all round performer (music,games & movies)


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## ratul (Oct 23, 2013)

Zangetsu said:


> here is what I prefer:
> -more comfortable to wear for long hours
> -superb sound quality (Bass,Treble & instruments should be crisp & clear and yeah teeter sounds also)
> -excellent build quality
> -all round performer (music,games & movies)



1. These are, i wear them all day in my office, HD202II were comfortable too, can't say for long hours, XB400, meh (supra-aural).. 
2. Bass aside, everything else is crisp and crystal clear in SHP8900, HD202II for boomy bass with a good sound signature.
3. Philips always had a bad reputation in terms of headphones build quality, these too are not that great, not bad either, but the joints and screws seems to be a bit delicate, HD202II has better build quality, can't say about XB400.
4. These are all round performers, Bass in movies surprisingly is plentyful and as mentioned earlier, movies are a treat to watch in these, so are games, music genres suitable to these headphones have been mentioned in my previous post.

For me, overall, SHP8900>HD202II>XB400 (XB400 based on just reviews, i haven't heard them)..


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## The Incinerator (Oct 23, 2013)

XB 400 = Crap Bloated Bassy Muddy Unclear Uncrisp Midrange and Rythm to hoots nonsense.


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## Zangetsu (Oct 23, 2013)

The Incinerator said:


> XB 400 = Crap Bloated Bassy Muddy Unclear Uncrisp Midrange and Rythm to hoots nonsense.



I hope u must have checked it practically coz I haven't checked any of them..just following the user comments
XB is Xtra Bass from Sony so many of the users who bought compliment it for its Bass over HD202II
and some complaints about HD202 II for becoming cumbersome after some time (rise in temperature in ear)


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## The Incinerator (Oct 23, 2013)

HD202II is a Skoda Superb and the Sony is an Ambassador if you want comare them in automobile terms. XtraBass does not mean muddy unclear muffled sound with no balance and midrange and highs.


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## Zangetsu (Oct 23, 2013)

The Incinerator said:


> HD202II is a Skoda Superb and the Sony is an Ambassador if you want comare them in automobile terms. XtraBass does not mean muddy unclear muffled sound with no balance and midrange and highs.



so how will you rank all three?


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## The Incinerator (Oct 23, 2013)

philips
Senn

Sony just aint worth any rank. Get Denons or panasonic if you want Bass.


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## Zangetsu (Oct 23, 2013)

The Incinerator said:


> philips
> Senn
> 
> Sony just aint worth any rank. Get Denons or panasonic if you want Bass.


Is Denon available within 2k?


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## The Incinerator (Oct 23, 2013)

*Re: Headphones for &lt;2.5k. HD 202 II v/s HD 203.*

No,you have to spend close to 3K or In ears is the other option.

No,you have to spend close to 3K or In ears is the other option.


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## Zangetsu (Oct 24, 2013)

I m a Bass lover so which do you suggest out of HD202 & Philips or if any other which is best for Bass within 2k?


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## The Incinerator (Oct 24, 2013)

Hd202ii.


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## Zangetsu (Oct 25, 2013)

The Incinerator said:


> Hd202ii.



which headphones u personally use?


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## The Incinerator (Oct 25, 2013)

For In Ears I use  Klipsch Custom 3 and Sleek Audio SA-6
For Headhones I use Sony MDR-SA5000,AKG 701 and a PhiliPs SHP8900/SHP2500


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## Zangetsu (Oct 25, 2013)

The Incinerator said:


> For In Ears I use  Klipsch Custom 3 and Sleek Audio SA-6
> For Headhones I use* Sony MDR-SA5000,AKG 701* and a PhiliPs SHP8900/SHP2500





The Incinerator said:


> Sony just aint worth any rank.


Hmmm...Sony


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## The Incinerator (Oct 25, 2013)

*Re: Headphones for &amp;lt;2.5k. HD 202 II v/s HD 203.*

The big two Cans are always played directly from my Denon DCD 1500 AE CD player, Cayin Tube Amp or Technics SC-CH 900 always......

Yeah...those are different Sonys ... pro Eqiupment,dont mix them with what you get in FK and Ebay..retail I mean!

Does it in anyway imply that if the BMW X3 is a bad car then all other BMW will follow suite? Think about it.


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## Zangetsu (Oct 28, 2013)

^^yeah I saw the headphones u mentioned...but u shouldn't have said that SONY is not worth any rank...provided u urself use studio pro dj headphones of SONY
neways


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## The Incinerator (Oct 28, 2013)

Thats Sony you mentioned surely no Rank......


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## bubusam13 (Jan 10, 2014)

Just like to add. Sony XB400 are very good. Extra bass doesnot mean muffled bass. For treble you need to tweak equalizer is some songs.
Philips one is good but thumping bass like in Sen HD202II is much enjoyable. Clear sound alone just don't count when both the Philips and the Sony mentioned here delivers clear sound.

I have used all of them.


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