Mission - Summer is approaching here in Adelaide/Australia, my daily headphones are the Digitech's from Jaycar. I still love these can's but they become uncomfortable to use on really hot days! So I needed to find an alternative.
I already have a pair of Klipsch S4 at work so I decided to look around in that general direction. Cutting to the chase I found/bought the Thermaltake Isurus!!
I purchased them off Ebay through a business that sells mainly computer gear for $60 including shipping. I received them a few days later and now the wait was over.
First impressions - Taking them out of the package I immediately noticed the size of the units, compared to the S4's they were pretty 'bulky' but solid. The tips were already fitted and what seemed to be a medium sized tips. They do come with 3 different sized tips. I tried the smallest tips but ultimately ended up using the largest ones because of better fit/sealing/sound.
Plugged in to my Fiio E9/E17 I fired them up, so based off my 'First Impressions' the sound I was hearing was harsh and nasally!! But I did get very nice bass which probably need some breaking in. Which was the next thing I did.
Burning them in with a bit of music/white noise/pink noise/sine/sound sweeps the Isurus really started to come alive! It was only after a few hours (10 hours perhaps) the harshness receded and I was hearing some very lovely sounds.
Sound impressions - After initial break in I really enjoyed the 'Big' sound you get from the Isurus. The bass and mids are very present and the treble doesn't smash my ear drums (I find my S4's are very shrill and ear piercing at times).
Bass - I loved the bass/sub bass, it is tight and polite but still gives you that extra dimension in the music. I'm no bass head but I wouldn't go without it! I did find that changing the tips to the larger ones and making sure they sit in your ear with a tight seal gives a better overall sound and helps the lower end really come to life! You get a lovely rumbling from certain tracks and really adds that extra weight to the music.
Mids - My first impression after breaking in is that they are blended in well with the bass. Listening to a few heavy metal tracks, electric guitars sound really nice and grunty with the singer bellowing along at the same level. I feel the mids might come out more after further use but we will see. Overall I love the clarity and presentation of the mids and complements the bass really nicely.
Highs - At first the highs were very shrill and quite harsh, after burn in I found they have settled down quite a bit. The harshness is now subdued and while listtening to some progressive/electro/trance tracks I really enjoyed the highs and gave the overall sound some extra detail. The highs are what they are and I feel it adds that lovely sparkle to the track you're listening to! Last thing I will mention about the highs is that after a long sessions of vegging out to music not once did I find them too brighter or uncomfortable!
Soundstage - I found the soundstage quite impressive and feels great, I felt it gave the music a nice airy feel and you do find sounds buzzing around your head from time to time. I get a great sense energy and beat which is quite musically alluring. I have not had the chance to try these in games yet simple because I'm having such a great time with the music! But I will be picking Black Ops 2 very soon and I have a feeling these will sound awesome but we'll see!
Comfort - I state before they are quite large but the piece that goes directly into your ear is fine. I found that I needed to insert them and them twist so they sit firmly in your ear. Now others might not like this but I was fine with that and even after a few hours I was still comfortable. One thing I'm not a fan of was the asymmetrical wiring I wish they came the same length for both ear piece but it's not an issue.
Conclusion - Well from my first impressions for the money they are fantastic, my Klipsch S4 cost me $120 at the time and I dare say I love the Isurus more than the S4's (S4's are the only thing I have that I can compare the Isurus too!). I really enjoyed the overall sound quality and I felt quite satisfied! I've listened to quite a few different genre of music and I was happy how the Isurus handle them!
Closing up I will be using these as my daily's and shelving the Digitech's, I'm that impressed with the Isurus!! So summer should be here and I should still be able to enjoy my music/gaming at my computer desk. Good times!
P.s I hope this helps those that come to this place in search for knowledge and guidance. Thank you to DSnut and others that have pioneered the way for others like myself to follow!
I already have a pair of Klipsch S4 at work so I decided to look around in that general direction. Cutting to the chase I found/bought the Thermaltake Isurus!!
I purchased them off Ebay through a business that sells mainly computer gear for $60 including shipping. I received them a few days later and now the wait was over.
First impressions - Taking them out of the package I immediately noticed the size of the units, compared to the S4's they were pretty 'bulky' but solid. The tips were already fitted and what seemed to be a medium sized tips. They do come with 3 different sized tips. I tried the smallest tips but ultimately ended up using the largest ones because of better fit/sealing/sound.
Plugged in to my Fiio E9/E17 I fired them up, so based off my 'First Impressions' the sound I was hearing was harsh and nasally!! But I did get very nice bass which probably need some breaking in. Which was the next thing I did.
Burning them in with a bit of music/white noise/pink noise/sine/sound sweeps the Isurus really started to come alive! It was only after a few hours (10 hours perhaps) the harshness receded and I was hearing some very lovely sounds.
Sound impressions - After initial break in I really enjoyed the 'Big' sound you get from the Isurus. The bass and mids are very present and the treble doesn't smash my ear drums (I find my S4's are very shrill and ear piercing at times).
Bass - I loved the bass/sub bass, it is tight and polite but still gives you that extra dimension in the music. I'm no bass head but I wouldn't go without it! I did find that changing the tips to the larger ones and making sure they sit in your ear with a tight seal gives a better overall sound and helps the lower end really come to life! You get a lovely rumbling from certain tracks and really adds that extra weight to the music.
Mids - My first impression after breaking in is that they are blended in well with the bass. Listening to a few heavy metal tracks, electric guitars sound really nice and grunty with the singer bellowing along at the same level. I feel the mids might come out more after further use but we will see. Overall I love the clarity and presentation of the mids and complements the bass really nicely.
Highs - At first the highs were very shrill and quite harsh, after burn in I found they have settled down quite a bit. The harshness is now subdued and while listtening to some progressive/electro/trance tracks I really enjoyed the highs and gave the overall sound some extra detail. The highs are what they are and I feel it adds that lovely sparkle to the track you're listening to! Last thing I will mention about the highs is that after a long sessions of vegging out to music not once did I find them too brighter or uncomfortable!
Soundstage - I found the soundstage quite impressive and feels great, I felt it gave the music a nice airy feel and you do find sounds buzzing around your head from time to time. I get a great sense energy and beat which is quite musically alluring. I have not had the chance to try these in games yet simple because I'm having such a great time with the music! But I will be picking Black Ops 2 very soon and I have a feeling these will sound awesome but we'll see!
Comfort - I state before they are quite large but the piece that goes directly into your ear is fine. I found that I needed to insert them and them twist so they sit firmly in your ear. Now others might not like this but I was fine with that and even after a few hours I was still comfortable. One thing I'm not a fan of was the asymmetrical wiring I wish they came the same length for both ear piece but it's not an issue.
Conclusion - Well from my first impressions for the money they are fantastic, my Klipsch S4 cost me $120 at the time and I dare say I love the Isurus more than the S4's (S4's are the only thing I have that I can compare the Isurus too!). I really enjoyed the overall sound quality and I felt quite satisfied! I've listened to quite a few different genre of music and I was happy how the Isurus handle them!
Closing up I will be using these as my daily's and shelving the Digitech's, I'm that impressed with the Isurus!! So summer should be here and I should still be able to enjoy my music/gaming at my computer desk. Good times!
P.s I hope this helps those that come to this place in search for knowledge and guidance. Thank you to DSnut and others that have pioneered the way for others like myself to follow!
