The sound is jaw-dropping if you are used to the garbage that ships with portable music devices. I popped in someheadphonesCDs, from classical to metal, and the lack of rumble in the bass and the clear highs were a treat. Remember, I'm no audiophile (yet) but even to my tin and uneducated ear, the difference was easy to hear. Violins in "Adagio for Strings" were strong and clear, gone was the low rumble in the deep bass of Zep, and I even began to truly note the shortcomings of the audio in some MP3 and "oldies" recordings. Sound in games was great, and I caught some nuances in first person shooters that improved my play. I was now aware of the shortcomings of all the other cheapo headphones I had used, including the Coby unit, that until now I hadBose headphones considered "good enough". They just flat out sound better across the full range of sound, from low to high. I was a bit surprised that I could max out the volume on my computer without making the HD201s too painful...perhaps they are designed withcheap headphones more power in mind than my system delivers. My portable CD player drives them to about the same volume levels, loud, but not ear shattering. They might not satisfy those looking for super booming bass or earsplitting volume, but perhaps an amplifier might change this.