12345142
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2009
- Posts
- 823
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- 44
First things first: this is my first review, so please don't expect too much. My other headphones worth mention are Shure SRH440s, Sennheiser PX100s, Panasonic RP HTX7s and Etymotic ER6s, so I don't have much to compare to. I'm listening straight out of my Samsung Z5. I briefly thought of using my new P3, but that would be inaccurate; the P3's DNSe 3.0 improves the soundstage and clarity considerably, but it's done through processing.
Fortunately, the Turbines do sound great. Bass is very full and deep, and highs, for the most part, have some shine while being mostly sibilance-free. It should be noted that the bass does not overshadow the other frequencies in any way, although mids are naturally a bit recessed. Overall, this is a very forward-sounding pair, well-suited to my usual tastes of alternative rock/punk - Arctic Monkeys, the White Stripes and Franz Ferdinand, to name a few.
What most impresses me is how the Turbines render the impact of drums and vivid tones of guitars. That being said, calling them 'In-Ear Speakers' is definitely an overstatement; the soundstage is average for an earphone of its caliber - not very large, but with decent separation of instruments. One thing to take note of is that the Turbines are very loud/sensitive; they are the only pair that gives off audible hiss from my player, and the volume level I use them at is significantly lower than with my other headphones.
The Turbines come with a fairly good selection of eartips, aside from the lack of foam tips. The included case is also quite nice, although it feels squishy and is not crush-resistant, like Klipsch's or Ultimate Ears'. Personally, they fit well in my ears, with the small single-flange tips on. Being dynamic IEMs, the casings are a bit wide, if I do say so. The left earphone presses against the cartilage in front of my ear canal, which makes it sore after extended use; however, this is unlikely to happen to anyone else, as I doubt my ears are even fully grown yet!
I digress, though; young, discerning ears are going to be driving the next generation of audiophiles in a continually more compressed, low-bitrate world. Just for the record (no pun intended), I buy physical CDs and rip 192kbps WMAs.
I love the metal casing of the Turbines, and the earphones themselves feel very robust. However, the real caveat of these earphones, as commonly reported, is the cable quality. Just by comparing photos of the Turbines and the new Turbine Pros, the former's weaknesses are quite noticeable. Strain relief is terrible, as there is none whatsoever. The rubber sleeves on the earphones aren't secured properly, nor do they extend into the earphones.
I haven't checked, but the wire is probably tied in a knot inside the earphone, like many others, but as for the plug and the Y-split, they do not inspire confidence. The cable itself is rubbery, much like stock Apple earbuds, which isn't good as I prefer a more frictionless, plastic cable. In fact, the lower cable has actually frayed a bit in the Y-split on mine after less than two weeks of use. My three-year-old ER6s, what with their thin cables that I tie up relentlessly, haven't had any problems in this department. Consider this a defamatory step backwards for Monster, a cable company, no less!
Overall, while this is definitely not the first review, opinions remain similar: Good sound for the price, but a terrible build. This review might be rehashing what's already been said by other users, but let it serve as yet another piece of information for any prospective buyers.
Fortunately, the Turbines do sound great. Bass is very full and deep, and highs, for the most part, have some shine while being mostly sibilance-free. It should be noted that the bass does not overshadow the other frequencies in any way, although mids are naturally a bit recessed. Overall, this is a very forward-sounding pair, well-suited to my usual tastes of alternative rock/punk - Arctic Monkeys, the White Stripes and Franz Ferdinand, to name a few.
What most impresses me is how the Turbines render the impact of drums and vivid tones of guitars. That being said, calling them 'In-Ear Speakers' is definitely an overstatement; the soundstage is average for an earphone of its caliber - not very large, but with decent separation of instruments. One thing to take note of is that the Turbines are very loud/sensitive; they are the only pair that gives off audible hiss from my player, and the volume level I use them at is significantly lower than with my other headphones.
The Turbines come with a fairly good selection of eartips, aside from the lack of foam tips. The included case is also quite nice, although it feels squishy and is not crush-resistant, like Klipsch's or Ultimate Ears'. Personally, they fit well in my ears, with the small single-flange tips on. Being dynamic IEMs, the casings are a bit wide, if I do say so. The left earphone presses against the cartilage in front of my ear canal, which makes it sore after extended use; however, this is unlikely to happen to anyone else, as I doubt my ears are even fully grown yet!
I digress, though; young, discerning ears are going to be driving the next generation of audiophiles in a continually more compressed, low-bitrate world. Just for the record (no pun intended), I buy physical CDs and rip 192kbps WMAs.
I love the metal casing of the Turbines, and the earphones themselves feel very robust. However, the real caveat of these earphones, as commonly reported, is the cable quality. Just by comparing photos of the Turbines and the new Turbine Pros, the former's weaknesses are quite noticeable. Strain relief is terrible, as there is none whatsoever. The rubber sleeves on the earphones aren't secured properly, nor do they extend into the earphones.
I haven't checked, but the wire is probably tied in a knot inside the earphone, like many others, but as for the plug and the Y-split, they do not inspire confidence. The cable itself is rubbery, much like stock Apple earbuds, which isn't good as I prefer a more frictionless, plastic cable. In fact, the lower cable has actually frayed a bit in the Y-split on mine after less than two weeks of use. My three-year-old ER6s, what with their thin cables that I tie up relentlessly, haven't had any problems in this department. Consider this a defamatory step backwards for Monster, a cable company, no less!
Overall, while this is definitely not the first review, opinions remain similar: Good sound for the price, but a terrible build. This review might be rehashing what's already been said by other users, but let it serve as yet another piece of information for any prospective buyers.
