the t.bone HD 200

Look and Feel

The HD 200 is delivered in a plain cardboard box, with the headphone model and its accessories presented neatly inside. Talking of accessories, there’s the 6.3mm adapter and little else. The adapter is nothing special, but the fact that a jack convertor comes bundled in with an item this inexpensive is certainly a positive that many competitors in the price class wouldn’t afford the customer.

With an impedance of 35 ohms and a sound pressure level of just over 100 dB, this headphone model is loud enough to produce some serious sound output when used with mobile devices. As such, I was a little confused initially as to who these headphones were actually aimed at. With a cable length of three metres, the t.bone HD 200 isn’t suitable for use with a smartphone as a music player for workouts and gym sessions, although the cable itself can be folded and clipped to make things a little less awkward. What’s more, with a total weight of 275 grams when you include the cable, the HD 200 isn’t exactly a heavyweight option, leaning more toward listening on the go. These closed, ear-enclosing headphones provide a perfectly acceptable fit, with a snug pressure on the head. Due to the size of the earpieces, however, some of the HD 200 might not prove a good fit for everyone. If you’d rather not be disappointed with a disastrous fit and uncomfortable wear, it’s best to give this a try in person before parting with your cash. Wearing comfort is impeded a little by a contact pressure rating of 588 grams. This makes wearing them with, say, spectacles or shades a bit of a headache. Even brief listening binges can be enough to induce uncomfortable sensations and fatigue. However, this level of pressure brings with it a good amount of shielding, with audio leakage not really a concern and sound intrusion staved off to some degree.

Sound

The sound of the HD 200 is pronounced, at least as far as the upper midrange is concerned. It puts singing vocals into the foreground, although the bass is somewhat lacking. In fact, I’d go as far as to say the bass is pretty terrible here. The highs are better, with a good balance that’s not too little and not too much. I can imagine the main demographic for these headphones as beginner musicians looking to polish piano skills or embark on an e-drum learning curve, or those seeking a set of home studio headphones. These aren’t something that should really be sought out for hi-fi applications.

As part of the practical test, I used the HD 200 for recording an acoustic guitar performance. The t.bone HD 200 seals so well, it turns out, that I brought in the rather loud Western guitar into the mix as well. When listening back to the recording afterwards, I didn’t notice any crosstalk, but there was evidence of finger slides over the strings, along with other unwanted intrusions. It has to be said, the HD 200 does show you how many mistakes you’re making while playing.