I'll start off by saying I am by no means an audiophile, just a kid with some money and a passion for music.
These headphones, as far as I can tell, have more prominent mids than most headphones. They really bring out vocals and instruments, but the highs aren't too harsh like most pairs, and the low/bass frequencies are there as well. For an open pair, I'm surprised by the bass. It's nothing like a closed pair, but the bass has impact nonetheless. A very balanced (and amazing-sounding sound) overall!
If you have a closed pair of headphones and you'd like to imagine how much these leak, get an open pair of headphones and hold them off your head. They isolate literally no noise at all. I can hardly tell I have them on right now as I type this. So if you live in a house with others, be careful if you're shy about your music selection as people in the next room may hear your music at loud volumes. Even at low volumes in a quiet room your music can be heard across the room.
As far as gaming, I mostly play Battlefield 4 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. These headphones get the job done. Much better than my DT770s, which already have a broad soundstage (for a closed pair, too!). I can hear instruments around me in some well-mastered songs. Some people say these headphones don't resolve well with poorly encoded MP3s or 128kb/s, but it's not too bad, really. Although, lossless is still worlds better.
These are one of the most comfortable headphones I've worn. They're even more comfortable than the DT770s from beyerdynamic. These headphones don't clamp at all, while the DT770s put some pressure on the top of my head after a few hours use and it stars to hurt. I'd say the only thing wrong with the comfort of these is the cable. It's just the spot where the cable comes out. That thing that holds the cable in place. I don't know what it's called, but that thing can irritate my shoulder at times because of its placement. Other than that, very comfortable headphones.
While we're talking about the build, the build quality is pretty nice, except for one thing. It's not that they feel cheap, but the way they're held together kind of bothers me. I feel that the "poles" that support the "3D Wings" could snap at any given moment if handled incorrectly. I don't know what they're made of, but I can easily squish them and even bend them a little bit, but I'm afraid too much tension (like from a 3 foot fall at the wrong angle) could kill these headphones. Without that support, you're going to have a hard time wearing these headphones. I hang my headphones by these poles. Also, the 3D Wings things are really better with rubber bands. It's not awful without them, but it gives you much more support at the expense of pulling a few hairs out here and there (albeit looking a little bit silly, as well). Maybe I have a small head, but the earpads kind of hang off the back of my head ever so slightly. I don't even notice until I feel back there, but, since it's an open pair, this really doesn't change the sound at all.
Overall, I'm impressed with these headphones. They go for around $160 in some places, but can easily be had for $145 or less if you catch the price drop on amazon. They usually drop in price on amazon for about a day, then go back up to $160. If you don't care too much about bass and prefer a much more balanced sound with spacious soundstage, I highly recommend this pair. The only reason I had to give it 4.5 stars was because the non-removable cable and slight worries with the build. Get these if you're in the market for open-backed gaming headphones and if you listen to classical/rock/well-mastered music. They're an amazing value from a highly-reputable brand.
These headphones, as far as I can tell, have more prominent mids than most headphones. They really bring out vocals and instruments, but the highs aren't too harsh like most pairs, and the low/bass frequencies are there as well. For an open pair, I'm surprised by the bass. It's nothing like a closed pair, but the bass has impact nonetheless. A very balanced (and amazing-sounding sound) overall!
If you have a closed pair of headphones and you'd like to imagine how much these leak, get an open pair of headphones and hold them off your head. They isolate literally no noise at all. I can hardly tell I have them on right now as I type this. So if you live in a house with others, be careful if you're shy about your music selection as people in the next room may hear your music at loud volumes. Even at low volumes in a quiet room your music can be heard across the room.
As far as gaming, I mostly play Battlefield 4 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. These headphones get the job done. Much better than my DT770s, which already have a broad soundstage (for a closed pair, too!). I can hear instruments around me in some well-mastered songs. Some people say these headphones don't resolve well with poorly encoded MP3s or 128kb/s, but it's not too bad, really. Although, lossless is still worlds better.
These are one of the most comfortable headphones I've worn. They're even more comfortable than the DT770s from beyerdynamic. These headphones don't clamp at all, while the DT770s put some pressure on the top of my head after a few hours use and it stars to hurt. I'd say the only thing wrong with the comfort of these is the cable. It's just the spot where the cable comes out. That thing that holds the cable in place. I don't know what it's called, but that thing can irritate my shoulder at times because of its placement. Other than that, very comfortable headphones.
While we're talking about the build, the build quality is pretty nice, except for one thing. It's not that they feel cheap, but the way they're held together kind of bothers me. I feel that the "poles" that support the "3D Wings" could snap at any given moment if handled incorrectly. I don't know what they're made of, but I can easily squish them and even bend them a little bit, but I'm afraid too much tension (like from a 3 foot fall at the wrong angle) could kill these headphones. Without that support, you're going to have a hard time wearing these headphones. I hang my headphones by these poles. Also, the 3D Wings things are really better with rubber bands. It's not awful without them, but it gives you much more support at the expense of pulling a few hairs out here and there (albeit looking a little bit silly, as well). Maybe I have a small head, but the earpads kind of hang off the back of my head ever so slightly. I don't even notice until I feel back there, but, since it's an open pair, this really doesn't change the sound at all.
Overall, I'm impressed with these headphones. They go for around $160 in some places, but can easily be had for $145 or less if you catch the price drop on amazon. They usually drop in price on amazon for about a day, then go back up to $160. If you don't care too much about bass and prefer a much more balanced sound with spacious soundstage, I highly recommend this pair. The only reason I had to give it 4.5 stars was because the non-removable cable and slight worries with the build. Get these if you're in the market for open-backed gaming headphones and if you listen to classical/rock/well-mastered music. They're an amazing value from a highly-reputable brand.
