Deep well extended bass, intimate soundstage, rather clear sound, comfort
Unfortunately I do not have the packaging or accessories for the XB. I am borrowing these from a friend and the box has been since thrown away.
The first thing you'll notice is how huge the pleather pads are. They look rather silly to be honest, but actually provide a nice seal around the ears and help provide decent isolation. The pads are also very comfortable, though they get warm during extended listening. The headphones themselves are made of plastic, there's nothing special here but they feel solid enough. On either side of the headband where it adjusts Sony is written. Below that on the cups the model number and side indicator is given.
Each cup has a flat sturdy feeling cable coming from it that meets at the Y-split. The cables feel flexible and well made. The Y-split is simply a blank plastic almost rectangle that combines the two sides. The cable terminates into a gold plated 3.5mm L shaped plug which feels well made.
The XB500 won't bat any eyes with it's plastic build but it feels well made regardless. The comfort provided by the enormous pleather pads is fantastic and the XB500 sit light on the head while feeling secure. For the $50 these can be had for I haven't found another full-sized headphone that has the comfort the XB500 have. Above average build quality here.
These have had at least 50 hours of use from my friend so I jumped right in to listening.
The model is called the XB500, which stands for Xtra Bass. The XB500 do not fail on that department. These are certainly basshead headphones and are capable of pumping out some serious bass that's not only well extended, but surprisingly well controlled with good speed for the quantity. The bass is certainly the focus here and it gives the headphones a warm sound. On bass heavy tracks I find my ears vibrating, though the bass isn't as overwhelming as I would expect out of a headphone marketing itself as "Xtra Bass." The mids are surprisingly rather clear, but the upper mids are rather recessed causing them to feel as if they're towards the back. The highs are the weakest point of the XB500, there's really nothing special here. The highs are rolled off and don't make much of an impression.
The soundstage of the XB500 is rather intimate with decent separation and air to it. The XB500 have a nice balance of aggressiveness and finesse to them which is surprising. During live album listening I feel as if I'm in a nicely tuned venue and I'm rather close to the stage. Most of the crowds sound as if they're behind me. The XB500 have nice punch and energy to them making music very fun to listen to.
Rage's first album has long since been praised for it's excellent production qualities of it. The XB500 give this song a nice punchy feel to it with nice aggression. The vocals are definitely a bit behind the punchy kick drum and bass. The guitars have a nice crunch to them, but are a tad too laid back. The hi-hats of the drums are able to be heard but I have to actively listen for them, even the cymbals are really lacking. The XB500 have good energy despite their downfalls and I am nodding my head listening to this.
I absolutely love this song due to it's beautifully clear guitars and lively tempo changes. The guitar right away sound a bit too warm for this song unfortunately, the vocals are nice and intimate though. Once the bass comes in though the XB500 focus on that slightly drowning out the hi-hat hits, the snare drum is lacking as well. The harmonica in the right ear sounds clean and clear though, but only because the bass is panned to the left. Thankfully most of the other instruments are in the right ear, including the olde time piano which has nice clarity to it. The XB500 are a bit too bass heavy for this song to really shine, but it doesn't sound horrible on them.
Fantastic production quality is found here along with some minor details make this a fun song to listen to. The bass is strong, but not overbearing as Marley's voice sounds clear and smooth. The background vocals during the chorus even sound clear. The guitar is easily heard clearly in the left ear, while the drums are overall drowned out, but the percussion fills are nice and intimate sounding. The little guitar fills unfortunately are barely audible and it's hard to hear them. This takes away a lot of intricacies of the song as the guitar has plenty of little fills throughout the song. The XB500 though sound good with reggae, which generally focuses on bass as it is.
Since these are focused on bass I feel it necessary to pick a song with heavy bass. The kick drum has a massive amount of authority here rattling my ears every few seconds. The minor details in the song are lost, but the vocals and background vocal samples sound clear. The song has a lot of energy with the XB500 and is very fun to listen to hip-hop on these. Thumbs up.
This is a highly energetic song with a lot going on from various instruments. Unfortunately the percussion is almost drowned out by the too prominent bassline. The vocals are a bit recessed, but the whistling is heard clearly. The guitar is a bit recessed as well, but it works for this song as the guitar isn't the focus here. The horns sound energetic though despite being slightly recessed. The song is just too bass heavy through the XB500 though to fully enjoy it.
The Sony XB500 are surprisingly clean sounding with good bass control. The upper mids and highs are certainly the weakest part of the sound from the XB500, but they produce a nice lively sound that almost makes up for it. The intimate soundstage has a nice feel to it and I'm really enjoying certain genres through these. The XB500 have a good build quality for the price and fantastic comfort thanks to the huge pads.
Most cheap bass oriented headphones tend to have slow and bloated bass. The XB500 manage to have decently controlled bass with great texture and extension on it. Bass heads looking for a budget option would surely be happy with these.
30 out of 33 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Got Wood?
Posted by Mark from New Jersey on 2011-08-16
Posted on
Woodees iESW100V Vintage w/Mic
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Wood, rich pleasing sound
Cons: Size, fatiguing slightly, build quality.
This is the first review in which I honestly couldn't use these stock. I had to use my Comply T400 tips to get a good fit. Other than that this review is written without an amp/DAC to let listeners know what they sound like stock.
Packaging
The packaging is neither exciting nor bland. It's what's expected for the price range. The Woodees come packaged in a cardboard box with a clear plastic window to display them. On one side the product features are listed such as: Natural wood housing for deep bass sound and Fashion-conscious ergonomic design. On the other side the specifications are listed as well as contents. On the back there's some more information and some contact information.
When opened up the accessories and headphones are in a plastic mold. Included are a pair of Woodees IEMs, 3 spare pairs of silicon tips, a faux leather pouch, a shirt clip, and a little interaction booklet. There's nothing special here, but there doesn't really need to be. The Woodees are on par with similarly priced IEMs, you get the basics and nothing more.
Design and Build Quality
I had a few impressions when I first opened these. The first was that the IEMs looked nice, the wooden color looks better than pictures. The gold clothed cable also looks nice as did the y splitter and straight plug. Lastly I couldn't figure out which was right and left since there are no markings, but I assume the Woodees logo should be facing out.
The IEMs themselves seem built pretty well, nothing amazing, they actually feel a little on the cheap end, but they seem like they'll hold up decently. The wood looks nice but the metal half of them feels a bit cheap, I suppose to keep the weight down though. I also noticed these are rather big IEMs, much bigger than the Dunu Ares, especially with my chosen tips. Even with the stock tips my friend thought they were a bit big. The cable is a nice touch, but it's a bit thin, I have no concerns of now with the cable quality though. The y splitter and plug are both made of the same cheap feeling metal on the IEMs, but look sturdy enough.
Once plugged in I noticed a lot of noise while plugging them in and out, I'm not sure if I got a defective model, but there's definitely build quality issues with the plug. Whether plugged into my MacBook Pro, FiiO E7, or iPod there's noise when the plug is twisted. The cable may look nice, but these aren't ideal for exercise. Even with the shirt clip enough microphonics were apparent to lower the music listening experience. It's not horrid, but it's definitely noticeable. Then came the problem of trying to get a good fit. Firstly I want users to know that these are deep insertion, but have a large nozzle, these are definitely not for those with tiny ears. If you can't get a correct seal these are going to sound absolutely horrid. After trying every tip and getting mixed seals with mediocre comfort I chose to use my trusty Comply T400. Thankfully they fit and I've been able to get a decent seal without changing the sound, surprisingly. Isolation with these is decent, but I can definitely hear outside noise with no music playing and can hear loud noises with music playing.
Overall the build quality is slightly below average in comparison to similarly priced IEMs such as the A151, E30, and Dunu Ares. They're not bad, but an iffy headphone jack and microphonics that aren't apparent in the other I've named are here.
Sound Quality
These definitely need burn-in. I've given them 50 hours before them settling in. They went from my least favorite to perhaps my favorite IEM over the A151. The sound is rich, powerful, full, natural and very musical, I honestly feel like I'm in the room with the musicians at times. These IEMs are honestly capable of reproducing any frequency to an astounding degree, without giving them an artificial feel some headphones can do. There's a rather decent soundstage for IEMs, I'm rather impressed with how open the sound feels compared to others. Songs feel like they have room to breath, which is one thing I've missed coming from my Ad900.
As I said the lows are powerful. They make their presence known, but let me assure you that these are not for bassheads. The bass extends deep and sounds full, without being bloated nor without protruding into the mids like the SoundMagic E30 did. It's one of the most natural sounding lows I think I've ever heard, I honestly feel like I'm in the studio with a live band at times. From stand up bass' to electronically produced bass the Woodees bring them out to their full potential while making them sound as real as I've ever heard. The mids are smooth, clear, and when the songs aren't bass heavy nor high oriented, they shine. On acoustic songs these produce very natural sounding guitar or piano with excellent realism, the notes linger as they should and I can hear every string individually without a problem. For alternative rock they have enough attack to keep up with any fast guitar riff while having the punch to make the listener feel it. The vocals sound wonderful, clear and full, honestly these might be the most natural vocals I've ever heard as well. The highs are wonderful, but on a few songs I actually found them to be slightly fatiguing and a tad bit too forward. They aren't as forward as lower end Grado's, for instance, but they definitely extend well with good detail.
Radiohead - Idioteque
I chose this to see how the IEMs would handle an electronic song with many things happening in it, that had a slightly mid focused sound. The bass drum sounds absolutely wonderful. It is full, without bloat, perhaps the most natural I've ever heard. The mids sound wonderful, Thom's voice is easily heard around the same level as the kick drum in this song, which is where it's supposed to be. The various noises in the song from the synths and effect heavy guitars are fantastic, the panning on them, the detail, and they're perfect in the mix.
In comparison to the A151 for instance the kick drum has slightly more impact, but doesn't sound as full or natural. It doesn't extend as well. The vocals sound as if they're being run through another set of effects, slightly grainy, and might I say I notice a little sibilance? The highs sound a little pushed back in comparison to the Woodees. Honestly, the Woodees have these beat for this track.
James Blake - Limit To Your Love
Those who read my reviews will know I love choosing this song for a bass test. The vocals and acoustic piano honestly sound like they're in front of me on the Woodees. I hear the slight breaths of air in his voice after some longer notes and the pianos notes linger beautifully. The bass comes in and it's not rumbling my head, but it definitely extends deep. The bass has a fast wobble to it and I must happily say the Woodees keep up beautifully and they even handle the slight note changes in the bass better than any other IEM I've tried including the Apple Dual Driver IEMs, JVC Marshmallow, Meelectronic A151, SoundMagic E30 and HiFi Man RE0. When the second bass line comes in the Woodees handle these as smooth as butter. The bass is lush, warm, full, but guess what? While this strong bass is going on the vocals and piano sound absolutely stunning still.
On the A151 the piano suddenly sounds artificial, the notes aren't holding as long, the vocals sound nice, but a bit grainy on the edges, if that makes sense. The bass comes in and the A151 keep up with it fast, but compared to the Woodees I actually find them a tad bit bloated and the bass isn't as defined. The vocals and piano still sound great while the bass is going though. Overall the the Woodees have more quality bass, more bass definition, and a more realistic sound to them for this track.
Lady GaGa - Alejandro
The intro sound wonderful with the violin and the wind blowing. When the synth comes in it sounds "fat" which is a good thing. The drum beat has excellent kick to it, driving the song while the various synth noises are easily heard. The vocals, oh gosh the vocals. GaGa sounds as good as I've ever heard her. I hate to be overly redundant, but these sound as if she were singing in front of me. With the A151 I felt that they sounded a bit thin on this song, a bit overly processed, the Woodees are presenting to me this song the way it was meant to be heard.
Sara Bareilles - Come Round Soon
While the A151 played the acoustic piano back well and gave Sara's powerful voice a good show, the song sounded a bit thin. The bass just wasn't thick enough to give the song it's edge. There was also the slightest sibilance, but nothing to complain about. On the Woodees the music sounds wonderful, I'm rocking my body getting into it as I listen. The vocals though do show a bit sibilance unfortunately, but I feel it may calm down with some more burn-in. The note Sara holds though, no problems hearing that to it's absolute fullest. I can hear the slight wavering in the note, which is intended, and am absolutely stunned.
Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
Lastly let's see what some progressive rock sounds like on these. Porcupine Tree are known for wonderful production value and sound, which I'm happy to say the Woodees are showing. The bass and drums are punchy with an absolutely full sound that leaves nothing left to be desired. The vocals sound spot on, I saw these guys live three times and I feel like I'm back at the concert. The guitar has fantastic crunch to it while the drums bang along right next to it. This track simply sounds excellent over these.
Conclusion:
These headphones have gone from absolutely hated by me to my new favorite IEM. The packaging isn't much to brag about, I'd have loved to have seen a pair of bi-flanges for instance, included. The build quality could use for a slightly higher quality cable, something with less, or no, microphonics. I also wouldn't say no to a slightly smaller design, without compromising the sound.
On the other hand the sound, after 50 hours or so of burn-in, has turned these into my favorite IEMs. What I found artificial sounding on the A151 sounds natural here. These IEMs have a strong powerful sound that I've found good with any and every genre, though Jazz and Classical fans will have their lips in a grin the whole time, I feel. I highly recommend these, especially if you're willing to buy the Comply T400 tips for them.
Sound Quality
Comfort
Look & Feel
Durability
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Great Entry Level Bargain
Posted by Mark from New Jersey on 2011-08-16
Posted on
Audio Technica ATH-AD700
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Clarity, comfort, mids, highs, soundstage
Cons: Bass is weak
This review is written from the perspective of the Ad700 stock. No amp or DAC used in order to give readers and idea of what to expect out of the box because the average user won't have one.
Packaging:
The packaging was a cardboard box with a plastic window once the box door was opened. The headphones came placed on a plastic cardboard stand. The only extra included was a 1/8->1/4 adaptor. For the price this is what I expected. I would expect a bit more given the $250 MSRP, but that's rarely the price anyone will pay for them.
Comfort:
I can not express the amount of joy I had putting these on after getting used to my Grado Sr80i. These super aural headphones weren't as comfortable as the Beyerdynamic Dt770 I had tried before I bought these, but I doubt many would complain. The wing technology in combined with the soft velour pads make these headphones feel like they aren't there at all. Even hours after wear there was no sweating, itching, or discomfort.
Some users complain that they are unable to get a good fit, but there is a rubber band mod many users have found useful.
Design and Build Quality:
These aren't the most durable feeling headphones, but in my year of use every day for multiple hours they have held up just fine. They aren't designed for outdoor, so using them responsibly inside will definitely keep them in good condition without problems. They do creak slightly, but only when I put them on. The wing design is brilliant to me, they automatically adjust to my head for a great fit. Overall I'm pleased with the feel of these, especially for under $100 most users get them for.
My one complaint about the design is the questionable color choice. I listed it as a con, I don't mind, though I know it turns others off.
Sound:
My first headphones were the Grado Sr80i, I wound up selling them for the Ad700 due to comfort issues and the bright sound being too fatiguing. The first thing I noticed in sound was that it was much more surrounding than I had imagined. If the Grado Sr80i are similar to being at the front in a concert, these are easily more so towards the back. The sound surrounds you and has a pleasant airy sound to it. For the price I have no found a pair of headphones that compares. This gives the Ad700s great instrument separation.
The highs are pleasant. They are clear and prominent without being overbearing nor fatiguing. The mids are also very clear, slightly pushy, but flow into the highs quite well. The lows are the bane of this headphone though. I'm not a basshead, but even I was slightly saddened about the lack of bass. There is bass, and it's definitely tight and accurate, but it doesn't extend far at all, and lacks the impact necessary for bass heavy music. Due to the lack of bass I also found these to be less engaging than I had hoped.
Overall these headphones are amazing. The highs and mids are clear, and the sound stage is unrivaled for the price. I found they sound best with clean sounding music, especially female vocals and acoustic music. They are definitely not limited to that though.
Value:
The value is rather hard to judge due to the prices on these changing rapidly. For under $100, which they can be found at, they are hard to beat. I feel they lose less value over $100 though, but only because they are regularly found in the $80 range. With that said I highly recommend these for under $100, while suggesting to wait if they are higher than that unless you are really impatient.
Please keep in mind my ratings are in comparison to similarly priced headphones, not $1,000 headphones.
Sound Quality
Comfort
Look & Feel
Durability
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These Cost How Much?
Posted by Mark from New Jersey on 2011-08-13
Posted on
Superlux HD668B
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Stunning clarity and balance
Cons: Slight clamping, build feels a bit cheap
I chose to review these with my FiiO E7 with my E3 LOD to my iPod Classic as they definitely need some juice. The E7 is able to power these to comfortable listening levels though without a worry.
Packaging
The Superlux HD668b came packaged in a rather cardboard box which I actually found to be pleasing to look at on the front. It's not eye catching, but it doesn't need to be. It simply says Superlux on the front with the model number and "Professional Studio Standard Headphones," with a picture of the HD668b taking up the rest of the space. On either side of the box the included contents are shown with many languages present to tell the information. The back has technical specs in various languages with a serial number and contact information.
The packaging isn't flashy, but I actually really like it. It is classy and old school and has a charm about it I really like. The box is also rather thick cardboard, it doesn't feel cheap.
Inside is an instruction manual, the Superlux HD668b headphones, a cloth carrying pouch, a 3m cord, a 1m cord and a 1/8th to 1/4 adaptor. Nothing excessive, but well packaged. I'm happy with the included items and couldn't really ask for more.
Design and Build Quality
When I read some reviews on these I thought they looked beautiful, a nice mix of Audio Technica and AKG. When I received them I noticed the pictures were very flattering, it's not that the Superlux HD668b look bad in person, it's just easy to see that they are rather cheap looking. They still look fantastic, but the plastic and rather cheap construction is apparent.
The feel of these is rather cheap plastic with faux leather pads and thin metal wires as opposed to the thicker ones on the Ad900. For $50 though I can't blame Superlux, they obviously can't spend a huge budget on the quality of materials in the way Audio Technica can, especially when they're focused on the sound. Overall though, while they look cheap, I don't see any problems with durability. The removable jack on the left earphone is a nice touch, 2.5mm female plugs into the headphones. The cable is a bit thin and cheap feeling, but there's no problems I have with it sound wise or durability wise so far. I will say that I wish Superlux included a medium cable as the 3m is a bit too long and the 1m is a bit too short. I like that it terminates into a straight plug though.
When worn they do get a bit hot, despite the semi-open design, which really feels like a closed design and offers decent isolation. The pads do get a bit hot and there's some clamping which has cause my listening sessions to be kept around 1 hour or so. The clamping isn't huge, but it's definitely apparent. Overall though they feel decent on the head, I'm simply used to open headphones, noticeably my Ad900 which are amazing in comfort.
Overall I feel like Superlux did a good job with obviously a small budget. They feel and look good for the price, but it's apparent they had to skimp somewhere when compared to my Audio Technica Ad900.
Sound Quality
I really couldn't believe my ears for these. I let them burn in for 30 hours as Kevin at Superlux has informed me and put them on. "Wow, these cost how much?" Was my initial reaction. The sound is fantastically balanced with amazing clarity and a natural sound, that rivals my Ad900. While these are labeled as Studio Monitors don't let that fool you, I'm having a lot of pleasure listening to these, they aren't as music as my Ad900, but are more musical than my Ad700 and HD558. The bass extends well and has a nice full warm sound, it does lack impact though for electronic music such as drum and bass. The lows do leak a little into the mids a bit, but only so slightly as to make them sound a smudge recessed. The mids are full sounding with excellent clarity. They don't have the forwardness my Ad900 have, but they do a wonderful job for rock music regardless. The highs are a little tame, but they extend well. By tame I mean that they aren't piercing or overly bright. They still extend well with excellent clarity. The soundstage is great, it's not as big as my Ad900 or Ad700, but it definitely gives the music some room to breathe. Time to listen to some tunes!
Modest Mouse - Doin the Cockroach
While this song is admittedly lo-fi, I chose it because of it's quick pace and distorted guitars. The bass line is something I don't think I've ever heard properly, in-fact on my Ad900 it's barely noticeable. On these I hear it wonderfully, without it muddling the mids. The vocals and guitar sound wonderful. The vocals sound astoundingly natural, the guitar is able to be easily picked out through it's hazy distortion and sloppy playing. The headphones are able to keep up with the tempo no problem. Everything honestly sounds absolutely wonderful and natural on these.
James Blake - Limit To Your Love
The vocals and piano sound wonderful on these, absolutely wonderful. The notes ring out with a nice naturalness and clarity, nothing artificial sounding here. The heavy bass definitely extends well, but there's no rattling in my ears. I hear the bass and the headphones are able to keep up with the quick pace, but there's no feel of it. These definitely aren't for bass heads, but they do reproduce the lows wonderfully without muddling up the rest of the frequencies in this song.
Feist - I Feel It All
I chose this because it has a lot going on and is a nice sibilance check. The drums, acoustic guitar, tambourine, electric guitar and vocals all sound wonderfully natural. There's no hint of sibilance, which is fantastic. This song is a good test for sibilance and the HD668b pass. Feist's voice simply sounds wonderfully silky smooth.
High Contrast - Return of Forever
I chose this liquid DnB track to see how the Superlux would handle a fast paced song. The song has a nice balance in it. The repetitive bass line sounds right where it should be, the quick drum beat is sound as it should it doesn't feel slow or bloated and the miscellaneous sounds are easily apparent. I definitely like the HD668b for electronic, though I feel the Ad900 have a little more impact than the 668b making me choose them for dnb usually.
Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
This song has a lot going on in it, a lot of instruments. The various hand drums and shaker sound wonderful at any part of the song and remain a strong backbone for the rhythm of this song as the bass piano and vocals come in. The song sounds very natural and no instrument sounds more present than the next, at any point of this song I'm able to easily discern an instrument from the next. I'm very impressed for this song.
Conclusion
While the build quality and comfort isn't superb it's definitely more than average for the price from my experiences. The build quality is about on par with the Audio Technica Ad700, for instance. The looks are fantastic, I love the AKG/Audio Technica hybrid look. The detachable cable is also a very nice addition. The sound quality is superb with these, they easily rival $100 headphones and I find myself reaching for them over my Ad900 at times, they completely make my HD558 obsolete in my opinion, I'll never reach for them again.
If you're looking for a cheap, good looking headphone with excellent sound quality to price ratio look no further. The only problem you'll run into is finding a place that stocks these.
Sound Quality
Comfort
Look & Feel
Durability
38 out of 40 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Amazing For the Price
Posted by Mark from New Jersey on 2011-05-09
Posted on
Audio Technica ATH-AD900
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Light, clean sound, comfortable, great value.
Cons: Not for a basshead.
This review is written from the perspective of the Ad900 stock, no external amp or DAC to give readers an idea of what to expect if they buy these without an amp/DAC.
Packaging:
I was rather unimpressed at the packaging a pair of $400 MSRP headphones came with. They come in a cardboard box with a "door" which opens to display the headphones through plastic. It looks rather nice, but it leaves something to be desired. Included was a 1/4'' adapter and a plastic headphone stand. I expected that some extras would be included for the price, perhaps extra ear pads, but just the bare essentials were included. Everything was secure and safe though, and the plastic headphone stand does include the model number which shows when the headphones are placed on them, so it could be worse.
Comfort:
I've worn a lot of headphones and these are definitely one of the most comfortable, especially for long sessions. Once these headphones are placed on your head you will barely notice them, they are that light. The velour ear pads are rather soft and they do not cause any additional heat like leather sometimes does. Some users complain about their ear touching the driver, I had this problem as well when I first got these. It took a bit of experimenting to find the perfect way to wear these, but now my ears fit perfect with the sound actually sounding better in this new fashion than I'd been used to. Overall these headphones are very comfortable and I have no problems wearing these for 8 hours sessions.
Design:
You're either going to love or hate the wing design depending on your head. Some users complain that these are too loose, but these users have found some ways to fix this problem. These headphones are built solidly, no creaks, or loose parts. As for looks, I'll leave that for you to decide, but I think they look great.
Sound Quality:
Best for the price, hands down*. There are no headphones that compare to the clarity, soundstage, and balance these headphones have. I've tried many headphones since I've bought these, and many before I have, but there was always something I felt missing from the music and these headphones have it.
The lows are exactly what I look for in a headphone. They are tight, punchy, accurate, and fast without interfering with the mids. These headphones can keep up with any genre without a problem, from drum and bass to jazz. While I find the bass to be wonderful, it does leave something to be desired when listening to bass heavy genres like dubstep. For every other genre these headphones are more than enough for the average listener in the bass department.
The mids are where these headphones shine. The clarity is simply astounding and there's a brilliant airy quality to it. Though they have an airy quality, they are by no means "laid-back" they are very engaging and aggressive without being in your face. These honestly put Grado's famed mids to shame for me.
The highs are wonderful as well, the mids blend perfectly into them for a fantastic balance. Airy, clear, and accurate are how I would describe the highs, with no sibilance. The highs shine on these without causing fatigue.
The soundstage is one of the best, if not the best, under $500. The sound is vast and airy with fantastic imaging. The instrument separation is phenomenal on these headphones. On a properly recorded album I have no problem picking out each and every instrument at any point during the song.
*Best for the price is highly dependent on how much you're paying for these since the price fluctuates highly. They range from $200-$300 depending on when/where you buy them. For $200 I challenge someone to find me a better all around headphone, for $300 it gets tough, but I still maintain my claim.
Value:
As I said earlier the price on these ranges. For $200 I would snatch these up in a heartbeat if I was purchasing headphones for a friend. For $300 it gets tough, but mostly only because I know they can be found cheaper. These headphones are well built, comfortable, have fantastic sound quality, and come with a stand/adapter. What more can you ask for?
Please keep in mind my ratings are in comparison to similarly priced headphones, not $1,000 headphones.
Sound Quality
Comfort
Look & Feel
Durability
31 out of 33 people found this review helpful. Did you?
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