The Tascam TH-02 are decent-sounding critical listening headphones, but sub-par for everything else. Their build quality feels a little cheap and plasticky and they don't have the most comfortable over-ear fit. The small ear cups also don't seal the ears well enough to be a good option for commuting in loud environments. On the upside, they have a decent sound quality that may be worth their budget price for some listeners.
Our Verdict
Sub-par for most uses except critical listening. They have a mediocre build quality and a fairly straightforward critical listening design that lacks the features to be versatile for mixed usage. They also aren't the most comfortable, with relatively small ear cups that don't sit well on the ear and cause isolation and comfort issues. They won't be the best to wear for long listening sessions or for commuting in loud environments. On the upside, they don't leak much so they won't be too distracting at the office. Also, their no latency wired connection could be good for watching videos, but the cable may not be long enough for all home theater setups.
- Decent audio reproduction.
- Low leakage.
- Sub-par noise isolation.
- Mediocre build quality.
- Awkward fit on some listeners.
- Bass delivery varies significantly across users. Sensitive to glasses.
Decent for neutral listening. The Tascam TH-02 have a good bass that packs a fair amount of punch but it's a bit overdone and bleeds into the mid-range, making the sound quality a bit muddy and boomy. The elevated mid-range also pushes instruments and vocals to the front of the mix, which somewhat balances out the excess bass but gets fatiguing to listen to after a while. They also lack a little detail on lead instruments while sounding a bit sharp on S and T sounds. They're also fairly inconsistent and don't sit well on the ear. This changes their sound profile, so some listeners could be getting a lot less bass. On the upside, they have a decent soundstage.
Not ideal for commuting. The small ear cups don't efficiently prevent ambient noise from entering your audio. They also have no control scheme and though they do fold to be quite compact, they're still a hassle to carry around on your person without a bag.
Subpar for sports. They're lightweight and relatively portable but a bit too unstable for sports and high-intensity activities. They also don't have a decent control scheme, and the non-detachable cable could be bothersome during more strenuous exercises.
Below-average for office use. The Tascam TH-02 won't block the ambient chatter of a lively office from seeping into your audio. On the upside, they don't leak much at average volumes so they won't be too distracting to your colleagues.
Sub-par for gaming. These headphones don't have a mic or any app support. They're also limited by the range of their relatively short audio cable. On the upside, since they're wired, they have very low latency, although they aren't the ideal choice for gaming due to their lack of features.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Jul 04, 2018: Review published.
- Updated Jul 02, 2018: Our testers have started testing this product.
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The Tascam TH02 are somewhat decent budget critical listening headphones but quite mediocre for everything else. They aren't the most comfortable, and their build quality feels a little cheap and plastic and not as durable as some other models. On the upside, they have a moderately balanced sound and a fairly decent soundstage which makes them a somewhat suitable option for critical listening although their comfort level might be an issue for some. They also don't provide a lot of isolation so they won't be the best headphones to use outdoors in a noisy environment. See our recommendations for the best over-ear headphones, the best closed-back headphones, and the best headphones under $50.
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