Thought it might be useful to start a thread on these new headphones, considering that there is a generally lack on information on them here on Head-Fi.
Pretty much, the current line-up of standalone Monster headphones are as follows:
NCredible NTune
Type: On-ear
Retail Price: $150
Diesel Vektr
Type: On-ear
Retail Price: $280
Diamond Tears
Type: On-ear
Retail Price: $350
Inspiration (Black/White)
Type: Over-ear Noise Cancelling
Retail Price: $330
My impressions:
NCredible NTune
From the information I can gather from the net, this line is endorsed by Nick Cannon, made as a casual, trendy audio accessory. True to the classic "Beats marketing strategy", the headphone is advertised as a highly advanced, high-quality headphone, "at an NCredible value".
Granted, the headphone is the cheapest headphone Monster has ever released, but to my ears it may as well be the worst as well. I am trying very hard to come up with positive points, but with such a flimsy construction, coupled with sound that makes even the Solo HD sound competent, there's really nothing much I can say at this point.
The frequency response of this headphone resonates unusually. I can't exactly pinpoint what the exact curve is like, but it sounded fairly imbalanced in the mid regions, with the painfully predictable mid-bass bloat. Treble is slightly subdued, with an early rolloff. The bass particularly, was the one that bothered me the most. Every bass note sent a low frequency shockwave that lingers beyond its rhythm, which made everything sound... well, weird, for lack of a better descriptor. Not exactly what I would like in something that I would be dropping hundred-and-a-half on.
Diesel Vektr
As its name implies, this headphone is a product of the partnership between Monster and a company called Diesel, with its "Noise Division", which I have never heard of till today. For those of you who don't know, Diesel is an Italian apparel company, specializing in clothing designs and yes, not audio.
Marketing lingo represents these headphones as a product of "Monster's secret experimental audio savvy with Diesel's iconoclastic design", traditional audio language of the "sizzling highs, irresistible mids and that throbbing base" (not sure with they intentionally want to use the defunct spelling of "bass" there) and get this, scientifically backed as well. Can't argue with science there.
My experience with the Vektr was... surprisingly tolerable. I was expecting some sort of screechy highs or unhearable midrange or something, but no. Still, the bass was, again, dominating the sound frequency, with a slightly recessed midrange. The bass (wait, sorry Monster, base) was of poorer quality than what I would expect from a near-$300 headphone, the details being muffled and fuzzy as compared to other similarly priced audiophile models. On that note, I would say that the Vektr, though not to the point of unlistenable-bility as that of the NTune, I wouldn't want to be the one having to pay full retail on that.
I haven't got a chance to audition the Diamond or the Inspiration, since they haven't arrived on my shores yet. If you guys have any impressions on them, please post 'em up. :)
Edited by crinacle - 6/3/12 at 5:18am
