If you want lightweight, high-sensitivity on-ear headphones for monitoring and one-ear listening, choose Sennheiser HD 25; if you need folding, over-ear cups and a long attached cable, choose Turnstile Audio TAPH100. For small ears, the Sennheiser is the more compact-looking on-ear option on paper, while the Turnstile offers padded cups that sit around the ears. Neither is an in-ear model, so fit—not an earbud-style tip size—is the key distinction.
Sennheiser HD 25 vs Turnstile Audio TAPH100 at a Glance
• Sennheiser HD 25’s strength: lightweight construction, high sensitivity, and a rotatable capsule for single-ear listening. Trade-off: it is an on-ear wired design with no noise control.
• Turnstile Audio TAPH100’s strength: padded, pivoting cups, a folding design, passive noise control, and a 9.8-foot attached cable. Trade-off: its cable is attached rather than detachable.
• Choose the HD 25 if you want a lightweight pair for monitoring, DJ use, or listening with one ear uncovered.
• For small ears: compare the HD 25’s on-ear fit with the TAPH100’s over-ear cups; the sheets do not provide cup or headband measurements, so they cannot guarantee a fit.
The HD 25 is a wired, on-ear headphone built around practical monitoring and DJ-friendly features. Its listed high sensitivity and ability to handle very high sound pressure levels make it a plausible match for loud listening environments and monitoring tasks. Those traits describe what the design is suited to; they do not mean every listener needs to play it loudly. The sensible takeaway is that it is made with demanding audio use in mind, not just casual listening at a desk.
Its light weight and design are called out as suitable for long periods of use, while the rotatable capsule gives you the option of listening with one ear. That can be useful when cueing tracks or when you want to keep one ear open to your surroundings. The single-sided cable keeps the lead coming from one side, and the cable is detachable, a practical distinction if you value the option to remove or replace it. The HD 25 Plus also includes an additional straight cable and another pair of soft earpads, along with a pouch.
For someone researching the best in ear earbuds for small ears, this is an important category distinction: the HD 25 is not an earbud or in-ear monitor. It rests on the ears. Its listed 70-ohm impedance and 6.35 mm jack also make it worth checking what connection your listening device supports; the included screw-on adapter connects the 3.5 mm plug to a 6.3 mm jack.
How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-18 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
Who should skip it: Skip the HD 25 if you specifically need over-ear cups, built-in noise control, or a long attached cable.
The TAPH100 is a closed-back wired studio-monitor headphone with padded cups that are described as over-ear. The cups pivot and fold, which gives the design some flexibility when adjusting the headphones or packing them away. Its passive noise control may help reduce some surrounding sound through the closed-back fit, but it is not active noise cancelling. The sheet does not specify how much outside noise it blocks.
The TAPH100’s 50 mm drivers and 18 Hz–22 kHz frequency response are concrete specifications, but they do not tell you exactly how it will sound to your ears. The product information describes the sound as clear, bass-infused, and distortion-free. That emphasis may suit someone who wants a fuller low end for music or monitoring. The padded headband and cups are also part of the comfort-focused design, but no measurements are provided to show how the cups fit smaller ears.
If you are shopping for kids headphones for small ears, neither sheet establishes that either pair is sized for children. Both are described for adults, and neither provides child-specific fit information. The TAPH100’s over-ear shape may be the preference for someone who dislikes an on-ear pad, but it could feel too large for a particular wearer; the available specifications cannot settle that question.
Who should skip it: Skip the TAPH100 if you need a detachable cable, a rotatable single-ear capsule, or a confirmed fit for a child or especially small head.
• Best for lightweight, long-session use → Sennheiser HD 25. Its listed design is very lightweight and intended to remain comfortable over extended periods.
• Best for one-ear monitoring → Sennheiser HD 25. The capsule rotates for single-ear listening, a useful feature when you want one ear free.
• Best for a detachable cable → Sennheiser HD 25. Its single-sided cable detaches; the TAPH100’s 9.8-foot cable is attached.
• Best for folding storage → Turnstile Audio TAPH100. Its cups fold down, and they pivot vertically and horizontally.
• Best for a longer cable run → Turnstile Audio TAPH100. The listed cable is 9.8 feet long, which gives more reach than a short desk-side lead.
• Best for a 3.5 mm connection and lower listed impedance → Turnstile Audio TAPH100. It has a 3.5 mm connector and 32-ohm impedance; the HD 25 is listed at 70 ohms and includes a screw-on adapter for a 6.3 mm jack.
• Best for passive noise control → Turnstile Audio TAPH100. It is listed with passive noise control, while the HD 25 has none. Neither is described as having active noise cancelling.
• Best for a small-ear fit based on the information available → no guaranteed winner. The HD 25 is on-ear and the TAPH100 has over-ear cups, but neither sheet gives fit dimensions. Try to confirm the physical fit before choosing if that is your deciding factor.
My Verdict
Start with the kind of fit you actually want. “On-ear” and “over-ear” describe different ways the headphones meet your head, but neither term tells you whether the pads will suit your ears. The HD 25’s on-ear placement may be appealing if you prefer not to have a cup surrounding the ear. The TAPH100’s padded over-ear cups may feel more enclosing. Because neither product sheet includes cup dimensions or a small-ear fit range, avoid treating either as a guaranteed answer for a particular head shape.
Next, consider where the cable needs to reach. The TAPH100’s 9.8-foot attached lead is useful when your audio source is farther away, but the fixed cable means you cannot simply disconnect it from the headphone. The HD 25’s cable is detachable and single-sided, which gives you a different kind of convenience: easier removal when storing the headphones and more flexibility if you want to use the additional cable included with the HD 25 Plus.
Connection details matter too. The TAPH100 has a 3.5 mm connector and a listed 32-ohm impedance, described as suitable for mobile devices. The HD 25 is listed at 70 ohms and comes with a screw-on adapter that fits a 6.3 mm jack. Check the ports on the device or audio equipment you plan to use rather than assuming the same connection setup will suit both.
Finally, be precise about noise cancellation. The TAPH100 is described as providing passive noise control, which comes from the headphone’s physical design and fit. The HD 25 lists no noise control. Neither sheet describes active noise cancelling, Bluetooth, or wireless listening. So if you are searching for active noise cancelling bluetooth headphones for small ears, these two wired models do not match that complete feature request. They are better compared as wired on-ear and over-ear options with different fit and cable priorities.
No. Both are headphones, not in-ear earbuds. The HD 25 is on-ear, while the TAPH100 has padded over-ear cups; neither product information sheet provides dimensions or a specific small-ear fit guarantee.
Which one has active noise cancelling?
Neither is listed as having active noise cancelling. The TAPH100 is described as having passive noise control, while the HD 25 lists no noise control.
The TAPH100 has a 3.5 mm connector and a listed 32-ohm impedance, which its product information describes as suitable for mobile devices. Check that your device has a compatible headphone connection; the HD 25 is listed at 70 ohms and includes a screw-on adapter for a 6.3 mm jack.
The HD 25 has the clearer feature match because its capsule rotates for single-ear listening. The TAPH100’s listed strengths are its folding and pivoting cups, passive noise control, and long attached cable.
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