Monoprice M1060 2nd day quick impressions
So by now I've had a full day to listen to the M1060s and compare them to my LCD2 (the obvious competitor)
BUILD QUALITY
The headphones look nice and build quality is good for the price, the edges do seem a bit sharp on some parts especially the grills. Not a big deal but I did notice it at first. The faux leather pads are perfectly fine and very comfortable. The pads are glued on which is not good because it makes it very hard to swap and replace them (but the LCD2 are also glued on)
The mmcx connectors are a very poor choice for these headphones, however I have not had any issues with mine and they have so far worked perfectly fine.
The 4' cable is too short and did not come with 3.5mm to 1/4" adapter.
The cups swivel which is nice because one can lay the headphones flat (the LCD2s do not).
Oh, and that faux leather smell is to die for! lol (In all seriousness, it is very similar to a new car smell for those that want to imagine what the smell is)
COMFORT
The headphones are very comfortable. The weight is just about right, they are definitely lighter, easier to wear and more comfortable than the LCD2s. The pad openings are slightly larger than the LCD2s which I prefer because they don't get as close to my ears and make the soundstage seem more open and airy.
Compared to the LCD2, the LCD2 is heavier, feels more solid and is better finished but is less comfortable. The M1060 is a very comfortable headphone.
SOUND IMPRESSIONS VS LCD2
The more I listen to these, the more I enjoy them. They sound very similar to the LCD2s but everything seems just a little bit clearer, and slightly sharper which I am actually enjoying quite a bit. The bass and sub-bass seems to have similar quality, perhaps just a little bit less tightness and heft but that maybe because of the lighter weight of the headphone.
The sound quality of the M1060s is certainly very comparable to the LCD2s (maybe slightly better, maybe slightly worse depending on your sound preferences) but for the price they are a bargain.
It may even be possible that the driver in these is similar to LCD-X or LCD3 and that is why they sound slightly sharper than the LCD2s but I have never heard those before.
One more thing, the M1060s are a much better sounding headphone than their little brother the M560s
MODDING
I think these headphones are very well suited for people that like to mod headphones. The sound quality is very good and due to their relatively low price one could definitely improve them with mods. The glued on pads is a big negative but I think people can figure out a way to get around that.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I think for the $300 price these are a very good headphone and sound quality wise they compete way above their price class.
For those that are thinking of returning them I would say give them a chance. They really have grown on me and even with the crappy connectors and possible reliability issues they are worth a try. Monoprice has a 30-day return policy and you can always return them later.