Sennheiser HD2.30

£80

Not every pair of headphones has to be a status symbol. The Sennheiser HD 2.30s, for example, are about as plain as they come – the kind of headphone Sennheiser might have released a decade ago, before Beats turned 90 per cent of street pairs into a multi-coloured fashion show.

All the portable headphone basics are here, though. The HD 2.30s are light, feel well made enough to justify the £80 price and fold up for easy transportation. The cable is removable. Our version has a three-button remote designed for IOS devices, but Sennheiser also makes a version for Android devices, called the HD 2.30 G. The cable is 1.4m long.

These aren’t the most comfortable on-ears though, because the earpiece padding is minimal. They may start to cause some discomfort after extended listening, particularly if you wear glasses. They do stick to your head if you’re running though.

The HD 2.30s have a classic Sennheiser sound – slightly dark thanks to moderately rolled-off treble and slightly boxysounding mids. That sound signature has advantages – it gives this relatively affordable pair of headphones a chunky, harshness-free sound that aims for something other than the easy wins of sparky treble or ear-flattening bass.

Real substance

The mids are quite forward, giving vocals strong presence, and a slight bump to mid-bass means added substance to lowerdefinition fodder. Like adding cornflour to a sauce, it doesn’t add much flavour but the effect can be positive.

These aren’t ultra-high-end headphones, but neither are they meant to be, and their sound is generally successful. They’re solid cans for people who want good sound quality but don’t want to pay through the nose – especially not for a funky look.