I bought these headphones quite a long time ago now, perhaps back in 2009 or so, so it's been around 10 years since the writing of this review. Here are my long-term impressions of these headphones.
Sound
Note: I usually listen directly from my MacBook pro with 320 kbp/s MP3s and have a really. I listen to a wide variety of music, but most often I listen to metalcore, hardcore, metal, EDM and hip-hop. I don't use EQ.
Bass
Punchy, deep and powerful with good, fast response. This especially comes through with big bass booms in EDM and metalcore.
Mids
Relatively even response here. Nothing overpowering.
Highs
Solid response on the treble. Sometimes the highs can feel overwhelmed by mids and bass.
Soundstage
This is where these cans really shine. I've never experienced such an awesome, massive soundstage on closed-back headphones. Seriously it's mind-blowing at times with well-recorded music. I've seen others remark on how amazing the surround effect is on movies, but I use these for listening to music, not TV/movies/gaming.
Overall
For my uses, these cans have a great sound profile and the soundstage is incredible. It really makes me enjoy the music I listen to.
Comfort
This is where these headphones really fall short. The band is uncomfortable. Period. It's heavy and not quite comfortable on my head even after 10 years of use. The squeezing problem I saw in other reviews doesn't seem to be an issue for me, even though I have a large head. Maybe due to the years of use?
I will have to shift the headphones around as I wear them for a long time since it can cause some weird skull pain on the top of my head. You can also get sweaty ear syndrome, but I think that's a problem with any closed-back cans. I could see these being really uncomfortable for long gaming sessions, if that's what you're buying them for.
Build quality
These are solid headphones. I've used them for quite a long time, as I mentioned above, and have never had any problems. The only issue is that the pads are starting to crack, but they're still totally usable. I'll look at replacing them. No problems with the cable or anything (which really surprises me because I'm not very gentle on them). The backs have gotten scuffed and scratched over the years but still look pretty decent.
Conclusion: After 10 years of use, I can say this was a solid purchase. They might not be the best value for what I paid (~$250 if I remember correctly), but it was my intro into higher quality headphones and have proven to be a worthy companion over the years. I'd still recommend them, especially if you're like me and love a big soundstage without buying open-backed cans.
Sound
Note: I usually listen directly from my MacBook pro with 320 kbp/s MP3s and have a really. I listen to a wide variety of music, but most often I listen to metalcore, hardcore, metal, EDM and hip-hop. I don't use EQ.
Bass
Punchy, deep and powerful with good, fast response. This especially comes through with big bass booms in EDM and metalcore.
Mids
Relatively even response here. Nothing overpowering.
Highs
Solid response on the treble. Sometimes the highs can feel overwhelmed by mids and bass.
Soundstage
This is where these cans really shine. I've never experienced such an awesome, massive soundstage on closed-back headphones. Seriously it's mind-blowing at times with well-recorded music. I've seen others remark on how amazing the surround effect is on movies, but I use these for listening to music, not TV/movies/gaming.
Overall
For my uses, these cans have a great sound profile and the soundstage is incredible. It really makes me enjoy the music I listen to.
Comfort
This is where these headphones really fall short. The band is uncomfortable. Period. It's heavy and not quite comfortable on my head even after 10 years of use. The squeezing problem I saw in other reviews doesn't seem to be an issue for me, even though I have a large head. Maybe due to the years of use?
I will have to shift the headphones around as I wear them for a long time since it can cause some weird skull pain on the top of my head. You can also get sweaty ear syndrome, but I think that's a problem with any closed-back cans. I could see these being really uncomfortable for long gaming sessions, if that's what you're buying them for.
Build quality
These are solid headphones. I've used them for quite a long time, as I mentioned above, and have never had any problems. The only issue is that the pads are starting to crack, but they're still totally usable. I'll look at replacing them. No problems with the cable or anything (which really surprises me because I'm not very gentle on them). The backs have gotten scuffed and scratched over the years but still look pretty decent.
Conclusion: After 10 years of use, I can say this was a solid purchase. They might not be the best value for what I paid (~$250 if I remember correctly), but it was my intro into higher quality headphones and have proven to be a worthy companion over the years. I'd still recommend them, especially if you're like me and love a big soundstage without buying open-backed cans.
