First of all, you may not realize how huge these things are. They are massive. How big? Well... Roughly the same size as the K7** series from AKG. But without the small "nub" that can be found in the AKG design -- instead the driver enclosure extends back roughly an inch. I can almost guarantee a "holy crap" moment when you unbox them.
Audio Chain & Other HPs:
ODAC + Objective 2 (1/4 jack, rear mounted power, 1x gain) > TS-671, K7XX, ATH-TAD400
Ergonomics:
The clamping force is pretty tight at first, but it loosens to a comfy hug over time. You can always stretch 'em if you're in a rush. The velour pads are pretty comfortable. Not top of the line, but more than adequate. The cups swivel to fit. The cable isn't removable, but I don't consider that a problem at this price point. The 1/4 jack is a nice touch. Less crosstalk never hurts.
<-- Ratings:
Note that I set audio quality, comfort, and design a bit lower than what is displayed. This is a glitch that hasn't been fixed for years... Fix your crap, Head-Fi.
Materials & Electrical:
Well.. They're cheap. Don't discount fit or build issues. My pair has an overly tight swivel joint, but it's still usable. Just don't beat up on them too much. I think the first failure point will be the elastic in the headband.
These don't act like 120 ohm headphones on the gain knob -- if I were guessing I'd put them around 80. -shrugs-
Sound:
The selling point on these is their balance in heavy mixes -- they're my favorite all 'rounder. I sold my other headphones; these are what I'll use until I get some HD600s or Hifimans.
Unlike most headphones, which emphasize or drown out certain parts of a mix, these seem to allow perception of all tracks at once. I doubt they are flat F.R. headphones, but some sort of magic is at work in the sound signature. I'm pretty sure the midbass is recessed, but I find that satisfactory when listening to most consumer oriented audio because it emphasizes midbass. The midbass that they possess feels pretty tight too.
They're only detailed in the treble. Mids and bass aren't muddy, but they aren't "detail monster" grade. Every now and then during burn in/ear adjustment/pad adjustment they would sound hollow (like someone humming music in a public restroom) but that went away -- it turned into more of a concert hall sound. Visualizing my place in the hall puts me in the center of the second or third row.
Treble is sparkly and clean. I love it. Great with guitars.
Mids are warm-average and improve with break in.
Mid-bass is passable, but sub-bass is right where I want it. Good stuff -- especially for an open air set. There is a lot of punch, but not gobs of volume. I can hear the bass in Metallica's "...And Justice for All," which is astounding.
Soundstage is great. So is separation. I am particularly fond of where the vocalist is placed -- close enough to feel intimate, but far enough to sound like the singer isn't right in front of your face.
They leak sound like crazy. If you need desktop speakers in a pinch, hook these up and crank them.
Conclusion:
Blah blah great for the price blah blah. You've heard it all before. I won't bother hyping them. They're cheap enough to try without crying over if you hate them, so buy a pair.
