Basically, BloodyPengiun covered all of it, and I second it through and through. This is a must grab for any earbud lover, and yes, a [constructive] upgrade to the Vido, which may just be the best buds out there.

Though I must say, these will be better received for those who listen to modern, dance music.

For Jazz/Classic lovers, something in the mids may be left desired. Still, these are something to have regardless for what they can do for the money.

The Venture Electronics Monks +
 
Let me immediately get this out of the way now; Giant Killers?: Yes. End of Review.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Haha ok, ok. Let’s dig in a bit deeper. Ill elaborate for some of you who haven’t experienced the fun yet. I’m just gonna review these on the basis of my TEMPTATION to do so, despite there being already so many reviews rating these at almost 5 stars.
 

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DISCLAIMER: I was recommended the monks by my friends in India. No, I got nothing for free from VE (but yeah, for $5 they are kind of free, anyhow). I am not associated with VE or any of their affiliates/partners/selling channels or any of their friends or family members. I do not benefit in any way from this review or by giving any kind of positive opinions, neither will I suffer any consequences from any negative points I make here. All the opinions in here are my own, under no influence, and I undertake that I’m providing my honest feedback, and in no way aim to influence the Monks’ popularity or sales other than their own legit merit of quality, performance and craftsmanship.

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The VE Monks have now gained an almost cult status, and all for good reason. You get just the right, natural sound with that open sound-stage. At a 64 ohms rating, you still get effortless performance running off mobile devices with no need for an amp. The make is just the right quality for the money. But the sound quality you ask? It’s many times over the price… MANY… times… over. Every time you think about how much you paid for them, you'll be lost in relating that price to their worthy audio performance. Every time.
 
I got these for $5+$3 for shipping. In mainland China, they'd still be $5. What do you get for five dollars in this big, wide world nowadays? Not this kind of stuff. Not at this price, anyhow. Yet here we are.
 
In my arsenal over the years I’ve had many Sony buds and in-ears, a pair of Edifier buds (that came with my Transcend MP3 player back in 2003 or something - that’s what these are built upon), A4Tech buds, V-Moda Bass Freq, Razer Hammerhead Pros, Philips buds, KZ ZN1s, Xioami Piston Hybrids, and several stock phone buds from LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson. I’ve even heard many high-ends like Westones, those 10-BA each side, $1000 Noble IEMs and much much more… I’d easily take these over all else. Yes, even the Nobles. Call me crazy, or maybe I’m some mental cheapo. BUT… it’s $5. I mean maybe there’s no fair comparison, but I remember I didn’t get sound-stage on the Nobles the way I did on these. But anyhow, let’s not put up $5 against a $1000. The nobles are made God-like, and probably that alone may be an over $300 range caveat at the least.
 
Back to these $5s: What’s there to just not give these a shot? Skipping a sandwich or a milkshake? Just assume you bought two this morning and order one pair of these. You’ll save yourself from some extra calories and end up having a quite exemplary piece of audio equipment in the process.
 
But hey! These are BUDS. I know. Been there. Done that. Just like 2 months ago when these were recommended to me, I was like… BUDs? That’s so early 2000s. I recalled my experience and was like… man, the bass must suck. What about the fit? Yeah, that’s gonna be terrible. Everything’s like ear canal these days. I saw them on Massdrop and said to myself… wow. These guys are sure digging up the past. They wanna step in the Sony Walkman era. Duh!
 
It’s now twice that I have stereotyped and underestimated things. The Koss Porta Pros were my first underestimation. These are my second.
 
What’s in the candy-like package:
 
1 Pair of VE Monks
3 pairs of colored foams (full, donut etc.)
 
SPECIFICATIONS (that I copied off another headfier's review):
 
Type:                         Open dynamic ear-bud
Driver:                       15.4mm dynamic
Frequency Range:    8 Hz – 22 Khz (though I'd say, 30 Hz or so to 20KHz. I can't hear over 20KHz. Can you?)
Impedance:               64 ohm
Sensitivity:                112dB +/- 5dB (1mW)
Plug:                         3.5mm gold plated, straight jack (Really? How do you afford 'GOLD' within five dollars of total cost? Beats me. Anyways, fine.)
Cable:                       1.2m, TPE outer coat, 128 x 0.06 4n ofc copper
Weight:                     Approx 15g with single full foam covers
IEM Shell:                 Polycarbonate / hard plastic
 
DESIGN & BUILD:
 
At this point, you really have to look beyond all the bling bling. These aren’t those timeless looking, all metal buds that you’ll look supercool with on the street. Nope. It’s an old-school design. Everyone who looks at you wearing these will thing lowly of you. They’ll probably assume you couldn’t afford better gear and probably got them out of your last cereal box or with some real cheap Chinese phone you just bought online. The feel, though not that cheap, is still plasticy. No detachable cable. No new, eye-catching design. No luxurious build here. No sir.
 
It has a nice rubber cable. Doesn’t feel cheap or if it will break any time soon. Connector is nice. Don’t know if in this price it’s gold-plated, but who cares. Earbuds are plastic, dark transparent.
 
There is one thing that did happen to me though… maybe I manhandled my first pair, and it had rattling induced. The second pair I ordered, also seemed to have some rattling issue out of the box. What I did was replace the drivers from one pair to another, and now I have the right pair. Cost me $10 in total.
 
But this still doesn’t hold me back to praise them all the same. What’s another five dollars for this kind of sound? Nothing, really…
 
So, just to get it out there, there is that risk of receiving a pair that may have some faults. Again, just a chance; check what policy they have for QA, warranty or other issues.
 
HANDLING & DURABILITY:
 
They’re not your usual throw-away-and-just-chill buds. I think I damaged one side of my first pair (the driver began to rattle), so I would urge you to be careful. Once you realize how good they are, you begin to take care of them a bit more than you would of your metal body IEMs or stuff. So I would strongly recommend taking care of them here.
 
If treated right, they will last. But well, for the money they’re at, you can always buy another… and another… and another. So relax. This is the kind of luxury you won’t really get.
 
Power handling is nice. I run these off my Samsung Note 5, and no… I don’t need an amp, unless I prefer damaging my hearing as or risk over-powering these buds. On my PC I’m using them over a Creative E5 or the Xonar DX/XD or any other chain with my fiiO E07k.
 
FIT & COMFORT:
 
The fit can be a bit of a challenge. As some other earphones and IEMs I have, these always require some turns, some twists and I may take em out and put em back again and do that a few times to get the adjusted right. If you move your head too much, the fitting will get loose. As such, I do not recommend these for working out routines, or a morning run, or skate-boarding. Even on the street, each step may make this a bit looser, and they'll have the urge to fall out, so you have to use them accordingly.
 
I don’t recommend using them naked, unlike some have suggested. That doesn’t seal that well at all (cuz of buds, you may not get that proper canal-like seal anyhow), so you lose bass and decibels too. And then they’ll keep falling out even more. To me, it's pointless.
 
Changing foams from those complete ones to donut ones is ideal for me and adds all improvements I'm looking for, in sound and fit. They then give me just the right amount of bass, and surprisingly, tone down the mids and highs for me a bit, too, for higher volumes - not to say that the mids or highs are in any way discomforting otherwise. The donut foams are also a bit more dense than those full foams so, they fit better and keep the sound inside more.
 
Comfort is just fine with them. You do tend to forget they’re there. There’s no sweating, and though it may feel a bit intrusive after some hours, it’s generally just fine. It feels much better to me now compared to ear-canals. Over the years, I adapted to those. Now the ear canal IEMs just feel so intrusive to my comfort.
 
ISOLATION & LEAKAGE:
 
Semi-open nature will surely leak some sound. What can we expect? And yes, isolation/passive noise cancellation is just average at best. At high volumes though, it works fine.
 
PACKAGING VARIATIONS:
 
They come as VE Monks +, and there is also an EX Pack for $10 (in pictures) that contains a dozen of those foams, some plastic holders and stuff, though I didn’t find much use for them. Old-school foam is just fine, so may as well get the basic five dollar deal.
 
There’s also candy monks for $15 I think for those who want a better, colorful cable and metal connectors. That’s probably worth the money too.
 
Here's the EX package:
 
 
 

 

 
 
SOUND QUALITY:
 
Remember how I said these will look cheap, and you’ll probably be asking yourself a few times over why you even bought these. What’s to them really? Why? Just why? That is… until you plug them in and press play…
 
The sound... that, natural, OPEN sound… Soon you’ll realize these are just more than you’d expected from em. Much, much more.
 
After DIYing together the right pair (as highlighted earlier), I realized they sound awesome just out of the box and burn-in doesn’t matter. Why? Cuz my previous pair had been burning in, and I swapped one of the drivers from the out-of-the-box second pair. I don’t feel any difference, nor did I between my burned-in and the brand new pair. So they’re just right out of the box.
 

1. SIGNATURE: The sound is natural, tending a bit towards a V signature. They’re near to neutral though. They’re fine, across the whole range. There’s nothing fatiguing. Nothing overdone. No sibilant sounds. No lack of bass, really… other than just some sub-bass. Honestly, if I need any more bass I just bring out my Fostex or JVC HA-SZ1000s. These come in 3^rd

 

1. The sound-stage is open and binaural. Instrument separation is quite nice. Well not like top-notch Hifimen or Sennheisers. But again, that’ll be too far-fetched a comparison – Apples vs…. Almonds?

 

1. MIDS/HIGHS: The mids and whatever is supposed to be forward, is forward. Vocals are great. Treble is just nice. Rolled up a bit.

 

1. BASS: Now due to their nature, the bass will be lower than expected. But it’s just right. After some adjustment to EQ (via Poweramp on my phone, and crystalizing through my Creative E5 DAC) though, the bass improved a lot! Except for sub-bass, and stuff below 30Hz, we will have a hit or miss. But I can’t really complain anymore after EQ. Everything’s in place. I usually bring down the 140Hz to 500Hz block. In general, the sass on these is like a 10% compromise compared to other closed-back IEMs for so much better overall sound. Only bassheads may have some complaints. But then again, an open-back Sennheiser HD5XX or a Philips Fidelio isn’t basshead gear.

 
These, for me, are for any genre. I’m mainly an electronic music guy. But I love any genre of music out of em. Anything, goes. Classical, OST, Trance, Progressive, House, Dubstep, Chill-Step, Trap, Chill-Trap, Tribal Trap… anything.
 
COMPARISONS:
 
Better sound than all that I have. These are indeed my go to in-ear/earphones. They get 97% use, whenever I’m not using headphones. And sometimes, even on my PC I end up using them instead of my cans.
 
I have the YMHFPJ MX500 300 ohm buds. They sound a bit darker to me, though they’re the next best thing, and still better than all else I have. I still take the Monks over them. The MX500 also have a more narrower, closed sound in comparison.
 
Being mostly a can user (and that too, overear/circumaural ones), I must highlight that at this point, I end up comparing these to my EMU Ebony. In fact, I'd call these a smaller, portable version of my EMUs. This is crazy, it's HUGE..., and maybe some sort of blasphemy for some, this is what I think. Of course, EMU sub-bass and head massage is a much, much different matter, but for the rest of the sound signature, that's my closest comparison.
 
It wouldn't surprise me if someone calls them some sort of portable and smaller HD598s or stuff. I'd take the Monks over the ATH-M50x any time, and even over my Takstar Hi2050s (their mids sound a bit distant and are not forward), and many other on-ear and over-ear headphones if I have the option. They're an easy portable replacement for all my gear, and my GO-TO earphones/IEMs/buds.
 
CONCLUSION:
 
You’d be stupid to not have bought these. That’s my conclusion. Straight up, no bull. I hope they don’t mess with the price so that I keep buying them and become a regular customer .
 
I mean, here's Putin's response to the VE Monks :
 

 
PS: The lower photos are of my VE Monks with the cable that I modded using the YMHFPJ MX500's cable.
 

 

 

 

 

PS: Some content here may be a no-brainer for most but is just there for the less-informed. Please also ignore any errors, judgements. If you'd like to add something or comment, please feel free. It's possible that I may have missed something or have perceived something else differently.

Disclaimer: This is not a loan unit. I am not affiliated with EMU Systems in any way. The following review comprises my personal opinion and understanding of the product, and my own experiences. I have not been compensated or paid or influenced in any way while having written the following content. This review is strictly to be judged according to the retail price I got this for: $475. My final thoughts and take-away or any recommendations should be valued at that, and the whole game changes if the price goes higher, as naturally, more competitive options will have to be considered.

I'd like to thank our friend Chan from E-MU, our go-to guy for these cans, through and through for helping me here. I'd like to commend him for being a bona fides provider of these cans to many before me. Coordinating with him was silky smooth, and his support throughout was great. He gave me options to choose from (amongst the wood types) and thoroughly followed the whole order and delivery process. More people like him and E-MU will have a great audience.

These are the same cans as the E-MU Teaks, which is the brand name. They're officially called E-MU Wooden Series, I think the naming scheme isn't quite there yet, as these don't have a discrete product name; though don't be confused. They come with mainly the Teak wooden cups (hence the name). Alternate options are Rosewood and Ebony (the main competing option is the Massdrop/Fostex collab, which comes with Mahogany, Rosewood and Purple Heart, and just recently, Ebony, where their wood is much darker than E-MU's).

The following are with Ebony ear cups (chose this over Rosewood and Teak). People do actually say Teak are the best sounding, but I like the rarity and the dark, dense look of Ebony. In the end, it's not a night and day difference, but Ebony felt more... valuable to me. More cups with other wood varieties can be purchased later, though a privilege for existing E-MU Wooden Series owners only.



My pair was shipped from Asia-Pacific (Singapore) and I got them the next day here in Dubai. Thanks to FedEx, shipping was lightning fast.

SPECIFICATIONS:
50mm neodymium magnets with bio-cellulose/fiber diaphragm drivers.
Circum-aural (over-ear) design
Sensitivity: 106 dB
Impedance: 25 ohms
Max Input: 1800 mW
Cable: 3M OFC
Weight: 370 grams (without the cable)

The magnetic Flux is between 1 to 1.2 Tesla, similar to those Beyer Dynamic's Tesla drivers, and then some.

Aluminum + Magnesium alloy frame with a steel headband. Metal is incorporated in the band, the yolks, and the cups. The only plastic parts are actually the driver baffle and ear cup frame.
The design looks closed. It almost is... except they're not sealed. Through and through, these cans pay homage to the Denon D5000/7000 series, and overall, by all counts, they sit between the two, so you could probably call them the D6000. The frame is Denon spec, unlike the Fostex spec frame on the x00 series, and hence the frame and yolks are silver as opposed to Fostex's black.

PACKAGE CONTENTS:
Not much. 1) A pair of custom headphones. 2) A 3.5mm to 6.5mm jack. That’s it. But of course, I couldn’t ask for more... or could I?
Packaging was minimal. The headphones were well protected inside the package though. Foaming was nice - no bumps at all.







REVIEW:
The first thing any person would immediately notice after putting these on is how delightfully comfortable these are, despite the contained and relatively narrow room for your ears in the pads. Yes, the pads are not as open from the inside as Fostex TH-600/900/x00, but still very comfortable. How they’ve achieved this is with egg-protein based ear pads with a lot of smooth, comfortable cushioning inside the pads. It isn’t quite memory foam, but comfy. The foam is much thicker at the back end, kind of fluffiness that helps even more, angling the drivers towards the ear, and handling much of the weight behind the ears rather than balancing it around it.

The headband is not too thick and pretty straight, but again, I hardly felt any pressure of their weight. It’s astounding what they’ve achieved without any extra padding, and it’s simply not needed. Again, another feature that looks inadequate to the eyes but feels just fine.

The second most obvious thing a listener will feel is that they’re… almost open back. You’d be amazed by the openness and airiness of the sound-stage. So, even though it apparently looks closed-back, it’s not. The baffle has holes in it, which let sound out, reflected by the inner frame and then let out by a this seam-like gap between the frame and the cups. Very thoughtful design (I think this design is just ideal for electronic or bass heavy music - retains both bass and sound-stage, well as much sound-stage as it can). The air leaks via a continuous gap where the wooden cups and the frame meet around the most widest edge of the headphones. It’s ingenious. Interestingly enough, they combine the openness, natural tone and sound-stage of open backs with the bass texture and punch of closed backs - a hybrid design aiming to achieve the best of both worlds.

I did check the Hifiman 400i at one time, and a lot of other AKGs, Beyer Dynamics and Sennheisers. Even the Audeze LCDs (2 & 2.5), though equally great sounding, have sound-stage and comfort issues. LCDs are indeed too heavy and longer sessions may be questionable. Hifiman HE-560, HE-X and HE-1000, have great sound but still lack that bass-ey punch, and of course, are not the same price-tier either. Most other closed-backs will have a much narrow sound-stage and sound less natural in the mids and highs. Then again... that price-point is another class.

These seem much lasting and much classier than most out there. They don't look vintage, but timeless. The metal + wood finish is very eye-catchy and aesthetically put together, and as practical as it is much visually appealing. Although there are more competitive headphones out there, but that’s the $1000+ league.



BUILD:
Needless to say, the build is great. The hardwood Ebony ear-cups are nice looking with a dark finish, and are strong and dense. The weight of the cups speaks for itself. The metal frame is solid. The wire is so thick and braided; such heavy cables are not quite rare for headphones of this price anyhow, and it reaches to the point of feeling like an overkill. Still, great from start to finish. Though these headphones aren’t mean for taking too much abuse, and care must be taken. I don’t think any owners would want to test their limits anyhow, after the amount of money they’ve spent.



SOUND:
This is where the buck stops. How do they sound? Phenomenal. I must tell you that I didn't have any burn-in on these. Apart from that, I have always witnessed that a good product is good, regardless of burn-in time. It should be great out of the box. If a product is bad, it'll be terrible out of the box and will remain terrible forever, so burn-in obviously plays a role, but with time. I guess it will help later in probably the easing up of the drivers and the cups and frames adjusting with use, and these are only expected to get better.

The sound is indeed very tight, because of the superior drivers as well as the high magnetic flux. Vocals are bliss. Sound stage is fantastic, for an almost closed-back pair of cans. It’s so good, it’s almost deceiving sometimes if I'm even wearing them or the sound is just coming from the speakers. Now again, good open-backs may still have a more open sound stage, but at the price of bass, so it's a trade-off really. These, however, fight very hard to be on par with openness. They attempt to satisfy all urges and never fail. The highs are great. The sound overall is indeed Hi-Res. The highs are a tad bit sibilant, but in a good way. There is no fatigue, which is great. The sound is very natural compared to most closed-back headphones. People would suggest that the sound may be similar to some good Beyer Dynamic cans. I wouldn’t disagree. But most of their builds are plastic-y, and I’m a sucker for better materials.

Bass is great. Just great. I have the JVC HA-SZ1000s which are… almost bass-gods. These are almost there. In extreme cases, the JVC will win, but I don’t miss much of the bass or punch with these on. Though one main point of comparison is that the E-MUs have a very forward sound. The bass hit and punch is right upfront. On the JVC though, the punch isn't there. Naturally, since the low-freq driver is housed BEHIND another driver, the lower-mid bass feels incomplete. On the E-MU it's very upfront, crisp and quick. Close up sounds are very intimate, again, without overpowering or muddying anything else, regardless of the frequencies.

With an open sound, almost bass-head level bass, and good, upfront, clinical sound, they’re just fun and glorious to listen to. They're towards a V-curve, so they're not flat.

Listening to most music that I have, regardless of the genre was great. Movies and soundtracks were great. Vocals are quite forward. Instrument separation is very nice. Stereo separation is extravagant. You can easily tell when the sound is in the middle, sideways or completely around in the ambiance.

COMFORT/ISOLATION/LEAKAGE/PORTABILITY/AMPING:

Due to not being completely sealed, there would be sound leakage, though still less than fully open-back headphones. The passive isolation is below average. They will not block outside noise. These are almost wear-and-forget types. Besides the weight, the balance and design is comforting enough for several hours of continuous, scot-free use. Though some sweating may occur in warmer weathers; the pads are not very breathable.

The stock cable is really, really thick and heavy. It’s quite long too. Portability with this cable is simply out of the question; too long, too heavy. The cable modding though, is the biggest catch here. I looked inside and made a few attempts, but the baffle and the frame have such a narrow space, there's no fair chance of having a jack inside the frame. Modding is gonna be tough, and I think in almost all cases, be an installation outside the frame rather than inside.

UPDATE: E-MU is bringing out an installation piece based around the 2.5mm female jack which will attach to the outside of the frame, so there. $50 extra for that, if you'd like it.

Amping is quite receptive on these. The run okay off a reasonable phone. In fact, the my Samsung Galaxy Note 5 feels almost like 95% of what I need in juice when I turn it all the way up in my PowerAmp App. A friend's iPhone 4 actually felt overpowering the cans, so Apple users rest assured by my standards.

Though the lack of portability (with stock cables) clearly makes it obvious these are a desktop/studio/home solution. For amping though, any average fiiO to any higher, more powerful is just fine, as not a lot of power is needed. Don’t worry if you don’t have one. DACs? Well, take your pick there.

TAKE-AWAY:
If you’re an electronic music enthusiast, look no further, at least for this amount of money. These, or the Massdrop/Fostex x00, even the TH-600/TH-900 (though much pricier) may just be too good for electronic music. But like I said before, anything besides these, if better, is in the $1000+ league. I can proudly say that these are ideal and best bang for the buck at this time for electro/dance fans. If you go to Massdrop though, then there is a wait time; the purchases take more than a month to about three to eventually ship.

If you can spare the cash, and want em this week (which you should), go for these. You won't be disappointed... at all. In fact, you may as well give yourself a pat on the back that you did. Talk to Chan. Get em in 3 days. And then just enjoy 'em.

Are they worth it? Definitely. Sound and build both vouch for it.

At the end of the day though, sound is a very subjective domain, and my review and opinion is strictly to be taken with a grain of salt. Some may find solace in something else, but reality couldn’t be too farther from the truth. Though I’m certain they’re almost as good as I say they are.

Guess what you’d need after buying this kind of stuff though: A damn good looking headphone stand; probably one of those wooden ones to suit this masterpiece.


----------------------------------

5 DAY UPDATE: The single best thing about the Fostex/Foster OEM phones is the driver. A bio-cellulose/fiber/paper cone composite (depending on which one it is) driver is being used in these and those Denons, new ones and old; they're all using similar diaphragm-based drivers and not those standard PP or mylar ones. This diagram and the driver as a whole is simply superior. The build of the phones is nice, I admit. Metal and wooden backs. But the acoustics being used are nothing extra-ordinary or too different from standard engineering designs. It is the drivers playing the most important and critical role and dominating the science behind the sound here. I've had A/B listening with these and all my other cans. These are like miniature speakers. I couldn't tell if my speakers were playing or if it were these. Well part of that was because of their non-sealed enclosure... but the sound resolution was very high. The sound and feel was like that of the paper or Fiber or Kevlar cone of speakers. With these diagrams, it's like they've the shrunk speaker sound into headphones. I believe those other walnut ones by emu as well as two good cans Denon still makes have this may have that speaker-like punch at the bass and great hi-res sound.

The Senn 6xx remain slightly inferior as they don't have these drivers. The bio-cellu dias help with the bass... the kick... the resolution... the vocals; instrument positioning and separation is simply stunning on these. It's like having surround sound, and during moments when bass was punch, quick and dead center, it felt like they had a dedicated bass unit or a sub. But the bass was never too slow. The kicks were thick and tight. Bass on my other cans... even if I raise the volume on them... is simply thin. And the resolution is different and a lot inferior. The mids are either veiled or too piercing otherwise. The smoothness and naturalness in the bio-cellulose drivers is simply... Oh la la.

I will not abstain from recommending looking into Denon AHMM400, EMU Walnut for your next upgrade, tomorrow or next year or ever if you want more portable cans with a very similar sound signature (although with a closed back I believe).

I remember when I once demo'd the AH-D7100 at a meet. I felt this in the sound. And now listening to the Fostex/EMU I'm reminded of that speaker-like sound feel. Due to 1) such drivers, 2) a leaky design and 3) Tesla magnetic flux, the E-MUs conquer the best of both, open and closed worlds. I believe it will be hard for Hifiman cans and even other planars to compete with these at this price-point, open back or closed.

These are end-game class headphones. The sound and the build is so nice that you may not be wanting to upgrade for years on end once you have these, unless you really mess them up somehow. They will ask for some respect and careful handling though, as though not quite indestructible (like those V-Modas, and definitely not German Maestros), they're one hell of a purchase and well-worth the money.

TESTING EQUIPMENT: ASUS Xonar DX/XD, chained with a fiiO E07K / Creative E5 (yeah, not a complete audiophile yet, but this gear is enough for these cans, trust me).



















UPDATE 1:

Finally modded the removable cable on the cans, and made aesthetic mods to the cups:















UPDATE 2:

I just had a cup-less drive of my cans. And damn, am I impressed.

Bass is often compromised with no cups. Bass, you ask? Damn, it's all the same. Still tight, and they will shake your ears just the same. Neutrality is added, and I had some improvement in sound-stage too. Damn, these 50mm bio-cellos are the sh!t man.

At this point, I will declare, cups or no cups just have 5% difference in sound. I'm gonna say for me, it's just a cosmetic thing and protects the drivers. I would even have just a mesh over the drivers instead of cups and still be happy all the same.







UPDATE 3:

Finally modded the damn stock serpent/anaconda **** with mmxc connectors. The stock cable is great, no doubt, but it's a good damn anaconda.





UPDATE 4:

Hopefully my final rendition of all mods... there's too much going on in there (dampers and stuff) which I just can't list here... Anyhow, it's semi open.

Despite how much l loved them, in longer sessions, they sounded veiled compared to say the Hifiman He400i or the Massdrop/Sennheiser HD6XX, so I tested them cup-less. Few things here, few things there, and here's my findings:

- Bass is still the same. Yup. Even without the wooden cups, these beautiful drivers deliver the same amount of low end. In fact, I'm thinking maybe the bass has increased in volume... (shhhhh). I don't feel it's any less tight. It's the same good damn bass. And they still shake and give you eargasm... ahh... ah that's the stuff.... aaaahhh....

- Long term fatigue: gone. I used to have some sort of a choking or claustrophobic feeling before at louder volumes. No more. Sound can leak, so my ears can breath better, and there's no choking anymore.

- Airiness: gone up. It's more airy now, and much better, pretty much like my open back cans.

- Stage: improved. Things sure have opened up a bit more. More outside the head now, and more enjoyable.

- V-Curve: It's become more flat... i mean, they're still V, but it's much, MUCH better.

- Highs: tamed. Yup. The slight... offness in the highs that used to bug me once in a blue moon, will not bug me anymore.

- Naturalness: Yup, they sound more natural now.

- Weight: Much less... I can feel it much less, and that adds to comfort. Yup. FTW.

So overall, things have undeniably improved, and I will keep my [prized] ebony cups in the drawer for occasional use I guess.













So after much experimentation - I think I will settle for an open-back mod for these.
Will revise my 'cups' - but so far, for sonic delivery, these are doing very well.

PS: trypophobia alert lol. Not as bad in person though...

Ok guys... got by pistons out of BA+Dynamic Driver curiosity. I am impressed.

Packaging was great, considering. Contained 1) Pair of Earphones, 2) Extra Buds.

Build is nice. Real nice. Metal built, nice, sleek and smart. The CNC milling has been done nice. Wires are rubber up until a connector, then sleeved/nylon. The connector is really, REALLY solid and 7exy.

Now the sound... Well I have come to a point where BAs or Dynamics don't sound too different to me. I heard a $1600 10BA Noble pair, and a couple of Westones. What used to be mind boggling to me at one point when I used to looked at UEs or similar custom BA offerings, is just normal to me now. And it's become the same for most planars vs. competing dynamic driver based phones too.

Anyhow, BA don't mean like, super stunning sound. No. Good dynamic phones and excellent thought-out acoustic designs may as well do the same for you. And this is what's happening here. Although I like these a lot, and for the money they hardly hurt (yeah, that's the primary selling factor here), my KZ ZN1s are a bit better. In every way. More clarity, more forward mids and highs, and even more bass. Maybe that is since they are dual driver too (with one dedicated to bass). Or maybe the Pistons have a bit more controlled everything, and low SPL and sensitivity. Still, it's a subjective thing. Much is based on people's preferences, and I may not be any less affected by this curse than anyone else.

Anyhow, not a bad purchase regardless. If someone tells me the Piston 3s are better (even though they'd have to compete a lot, LOT more, technically), that... may... be... possible. I still skipped those for these because I just wanted to get a damn BA based pair. So there.

Bass: Nice. Enough. Not super basshead bass, but good on all genres.
Highs: Very nice. Subtle. Not piercing AT ALL. That's a good thing.
Mids: Good. Balanced. Upfront. Not perfect or monitor like, but not bad either.

Overall the sound is warm.

-----------------XIAOMI Pistons Hybrid
Build: 8/10
Sound (in-ear to in-ear comparison): 7/10
Isolation: 7/10
Features (Packaging, Accessories): 6/10
Look & Feel: 8/10
Value for Money: 8

----------------KZ ZN1/ZN1 Mini @ $ 15
Build: 6/10
Sound (in-ear to in-ear comparison): 8/10
Features (Packaging, Accessories): 6/10
Isolation: 6/10
Look & Feel: 6/10
Value for Money: 9



----------------V Moda Metal Bass Freq @ $25
Build: 8/10
Sound (in-ear to in-ear comparison): 5/10
Features (Packaging, Accessories): 6/10
Isolation: 8/10
Look & Feel: 7/10
Value for Money: 7

----------------Razer Hammerhead Pros @ $22
Build: 9/10
Sound (in-ear to in-ear comparison): 6/10
Features (Packaging, Accessories): 8/10
Isolation: 8/10
Look & Feel: 8/10
Value for Money: 7

----------------Brainwavz M5 @ $25 via MassDrop.com
Build: 8/10
Sound (in-ear to in-ear comparison): 4/10
Features (Packaging, Accessories): 9/10
Isolation: 6/10
Look & Feel: 8/10
Value for Money: 5
PS: These just SUCK. Don't get em, unless you want a nice carry case, extra tips, clip and ****. For the sole purpose of SOUND, they just SUCK! Borrow the sibilan(ce) from ATH-M50, multiply that by 5, and take away half the BASS. If you want some flat **** with a lot of sibilan(ce), be my guest.

That's my summary.

Do I recommend these for the money? Hell F'in Yes!




















 

The legends are for real...



The JVC HA SZ1000/SZ2000 lineup is one to look out for. Interesting as it is, they were first introduced as audiophile class LIVE headphones. They slowly faded away into the bass-head class, and are much respected there.

Personally, I think they’re pretty, pretty damn good. I will go in as much detail as I can here, to help those who would wanna know what to expect.
Why did I buy these when I already have a good headphone wardrobe? Well, 1) I wanted a little more bass – solid bass, and nothing bloated or cheesy. 2) These cans are now a collector’s item. I’m sure they’ve been discontinued, despite the pair I got is oven-fresh, and has 0 traces of being on a shelf for a few months. It’s just good as new, and feels maybe they’re still in production. Anyhow, I wanted to collect these regardless, and believe me you when I tell you this: these are keepers for sure. I may as well get another pair – that’s how much I’m loving them. Though good headphones won’t run out any time soon, these may not always be around, hence all the reason to buy them anyhow.

This product: JVC HA-SZ1000-E


The Jap was nice to send me a sachet of Japanese Green Tea which my bro had

 
 

 
 
 
 
BRIEF:
[DISCLAIMER] I've made an aesthetic Game of Thrones mod to my cans.

My pair cost my $129 (brand new, boxed), all exclusive, shipped directly from Japan. Now that’s good stuff. It’s the best price you can get at this moment.

Contents of the package were:
1) Pair of JVC headphones
2) Instruction Manual/Warranty Card
3) Carry Pouch (like the M50x).
 
It was set in a nice velvet cloth over plastic.

A brief on the mechanism: for those who don’t already know, these cans have a dual driver configuration. Each ear-cup has a concealed 55mm low freq driver at the back, and a 30mm medium/high freq at the front. The housing and acoustics use what they call the Kelton method.









Lifting the ear-cushion, you’ll find the front driver with two bass ports at a distance from it. Those ports bring in the lower frequencies. It’s quite, quite effective, and works like a crossover; the higher frequencies on the bass driver have been cutoff and no high frequencies from it reach the front.
The pair weighs in at around 460 grams. The outer ring is metal. The cups are some good, solid quality plastic, those the cups are glossy and finger print magnet type.
 
 

BUILD & FORM FACTOR:
These cans are clearly over-ear (circumaural). They’re big. Portable? No. I would never suggest that. They’re tight, and heavy, and may be a bit portable in colder countries. In warmer ones, they’ll just be an oven on you head. Plus too much movement will knock them off your head. The cable is attached, and the connector is big and chunky. These are manly, chunky phones that should stay in the man cave. In my photos you'll see the cans with the Logitech G502.


 
 



They are chunky. But they do feel good. Everything aside, the moment you pick them up, you'll feel your money. They feel expensive. They clearly look expensive. They look professional. They have that reminiscence of a good, powerful and heavy denon receiver and the typical, soild Japanese feel is there.
Mostly plastic, the thick metal ring at the back of the cup is a nice solid design element as well a hold for the cups. The cups swivel up and down, the first hinge attached moves left and right. A bigger hinge attached moves in the folding or unfolding position. This hinge slide over the metal reinforced headband. A lot of hinges. A lot of movements. But at the hinges, the weakness of these cans shows. These cans are a bit delicate and will require love and care. Is it easy to break them? Yes. Heavy and fragile is a recipe for disaster for the wild bunch. But if taken care of, they won't break too easily. I have more flimsy cans and they've never really broke. It all depends on how you care for them.
They don't swivel, and at no point can you bring the cups close up to each other. The putting away mechanism is like Beats; you fold both cans inside the band one by one and collapse em like that.
 
 

THE SOUND:
[DISCLAIMER]: Before I talk about the sound, I have to tell you. You need an amplifier. Period. No two ways about it. Use a good damn soundcard which has an amp, or a separate dedicated amp. Don’t shame these. Don’t shame yourself. If you ain’t gonna amp these, don’t buy em.

Now this is where my bucks stop. I want my cans to be solid and durable. But more than that, I want them to sound nice. What’s the use of all the bling, tech jargon and mumbo jumbo or that class A luxury if it’s gonna sound like ****, right? Audio enthusiasts should know better.

Highs are great, non-fatiguing. To an extent, these cans are monitor-ish too. They will certainly highlight loose recordings, other noises in the background, like when you know the mic has been turned off and on (in vocals, or when you know the track is using samples). So, recording elements will reveal themselves. The ATH-M50 does have better and clear highs, though sometimes kind of fatiguing. Though I’ve modded my M50s so, I don’t have that problem anymore.

Highs may not be as good as some open cans, like some AKGs or Sennheisers. It is a bit of a compromise. Not much. I just fell right into them, and don’t feel left out. Mids are better than ATH-M50s. Now that’s a feat. When I myself swore by the ATH many times, the JVCs are even better. Mids are more forward.

For the first time, I can actually appreciate the dual driver design. It's perfect. The bass is separate and doesn't even get mix with the smaller driver, hence creating no inter-modulation/frequency distortion. JVCs succeed almost flawlessly in doing that. And that is the true motive behind a multiple driver design.

Bass? Bass you ask. Really? I can’t put this in words. You have definitely got to get a chance to listen to these. 99.999% of the headphones in the world will have inferior bass to these JVCs. The rest .001% is what? Fostex X00. Audeze LCDs. Maybe some Hifiman. And I’m not sure… I’M NOT CERTAIN if they will have better bass. No. Maybe these JVCs are on par. Maybe, just MAYBE, the JVCs are better. Yup. Nothing may come close the solid, punchy, tight bass the JVCs have. Bloated? The JVCs don’t know what that word means. I’ve tried countless cans. And I have not heard such low, sub-bass before. Hell, some of my music, is sounding pretty different now. And that’s all in a good way. This clearly is because of the configuration used. They have subwoofers in them, and you just can’t get that arrangement in cans – almost never. Though there are some options out there now. Those options have not been tried and tested so exhaustively yet, nor are they at this silly price point.

When they tell you these are like a 10” or 12” sub attached to your ear, they’re not kidding. I was able to hear 20Hz to 30Hz without a sweat. Plus, Renholder’s Now I Know (Underworld/The Mechanic OST) has 10Hz-15Hz or so. You don’t exactly hear it. You FEEL it; ear massage at its best.
Some BT tracks have low bass. Hans Zimmer’s music often has low bass. Bass in movies and music, both sounds crazy good. There’s a lot of other music in my folders that I tried, and lot to be impressed off. The xx's Together, Way Out West's Melt (Remix), Royksopp's What Else Is There (Trentemoeller Remix), Zedd's Codec, Tiësto & Bobby Puma's Making Me Dizzy, Jamie xx's Gosh were all clear, and deliver unparalleled bass and sub-bass experience. Haywyre & Zeros's Permutate is an excellent musical benchmark that will examine high notes, strings, hi-hats and cymbals, while throwing real heavy bass on the speakers, with reverb, phasing and choruses. Nice way to check your gear.

People talk about Jay Z's No Church in the Wild, and that sounds good too. The Nordic Sound's 2L Audiophile Reference Recordings album has DSD512 tracks, classical at top notch DSD quality. Violins and Pads sounded excellent, with Church organs going nicely deep and smooth.

In short, I don't know what genre these cans won't go well with. They're good with all genres, and again, the dual driver configuration is to commend for this, since it's easily able to deliver frequencies separately, without mixing anything up.

GRIPES:
Of course, nothing’s perfect. For some odd reason I’m, for the first time, okay with the gripes, and even though they exist, I’m indifferent. Still, these cons may apply to some other people out there, so I’m gonna put it out there.

Cable is attached: this is a standard gripe for many, and I’m with them. I can do a cable mod, but the attached cable is so good, I don’t even wanna mess with it. Maybe it makes sense. These cans are for home or studio use, and that simply would suggest not to mod the cable. It’s a good, thick cable, with a very nice, solid connector. The cable is as thick as the ATH-M50, and you’d have to be a wild animal to break, tear or mess anything here. So, it’s not that much of a gripe.

There are comfort issues. This is the one area where some more work could be done. The weight isn’t much, despite half a kilo resting on your head, but the clamp force an adjustment is still something you’d have to work with. I don’t know what pads would fit these, amongst those that I have, am I’m not sure about the JVC XX pads (ones with the M4XX/M5XX) just yet. Maybe I’ll get some later, but there’s a chance they may change the sound for worse, as I’ve seen this happen. For now, I’m good. But, longer sessions may cause discomfort.
Squeaking sounds. Yup. This pair may squeak a lot. My brand new ones do squeak due to certain movements. I’ve heard used pairs in online videos squeaking like grandma’s bed. Though, once they’re on the head, they won’t be moving much. You adjust them, and when you stop, no squeaking. It may be a gripe for some. Nothing you can’t look past though.

THE TAKE-AWAY:
Some folks at headfi who’d swear with these cans as much as some other sometimes don’t know what they’re talking about. Almost everyone does agree undeniably that the bass is the best on these cans, and these fall in the Top 10 or even the Top 5 bass cans in world... ever made. I got an M-Audio HDHM50 based on the some guys’ recommendations and I was thoroughly disappointed. Different opinions go around. The same is on many other platforms I’m on. Trouble is, hardly anyone can give you an actual opinion of these cans, how they sound on different genres, what to compare them to and stuff.

Are they worth it? For the sound alone, I’m taken away. I’ve listened to countless tracks. There’s some good electronic music in there, plus OSTs in general, and a lot you can listen to benchmark your cans, or just listen to stuff. The folder is constantly updated.

I… AM… IMPRESSED. They are so clear. Music as artists intended? That’s what Dr. Dre’s Beats suggest. Well, these are the ones for it. Sometimes I think the artists themselves should listen to their music on this.

For someone who listens to electronic music – these are the best cans. It doesn’t even matter at the price point. Anything that’s even better than this is gonna be at the $400+ category.
Once you turn the music on and fall in, all the gripes go away. You just forget them. You just focus on the good, beautiful music and super strong bass that flows into your ears, making you aloof to the world around you. And that is where a pair of good headphones wins; when it just takes you away.



 
 

 
 




























 
EDIT: After countless pad swaps (even though only few options are there for pads on these), I've chosen the Brainwavz HM5 Hybrid ones.
 
Which did I check? Sony XB700/XB1000, Brainwavz Angled (Sheepskin and Pleather), Velour Pads etc.
 
The good: sound has become much more natural and less fatiguing that stock. Driver distance relaxes listening. Any sibliant mids or highs are improved. The sound is better than ATHM50x now, and almost 80% Fostex x00/EMU. yes. I think increasing driver distance is essential here. Comfort issues have improved (but check below). Other than that, most issues have now been resolved.
 
The bad: volume has come down. Amping requirements increased. Bass punch and vibration is a bit reduced as well. But this, for better, natural sound and less fatigue is not too much of a price. Raise volume to reach similar levels, and bass is not completely lost. Though since these pads are thicker, comfort issues do remain. Clamping force is a bit more now, so longer sessions do have discomfort. Put em down every 30 minutes or so. Comfort isn't the bright side of these regardless.
 
Despite the above, I approve Brainwavz HM5 pads for these.