let me start off by saying these are my first pair of audiophile headphones.   when i bought these i had no idea what to expect. right out of the box they sounded okay so i gave them a week to burn in and they have sounded great ever since. it wasnt until i recieved them that i was told they were made for acoustic and classical music " =(, i listen to rock ". but they work great for alternative, progessive, experimental, ambiant, and hardcore rock. but not for metal. overall im very pleased.