Reviews by fiskadoro

fiskadoro

New Head-Fier
Pros: Really well balanced sound; Comfortable; Well made and designed; In-line mic with solid cable
Cons: Could be too quiet; Cable is not detachable; Sound leakage (but I'm OK with this as I wear them on the street), Philips app is a little clunky
Got these for $20 on Woot. They're exceedingly comfortable on-ear headphones with memory foam that feels soft and cushioned. The cable is thick and just the right length for a portable device and only emerges from one side of the phones (too bad it's not detachable). The looks are classy: the aluminum is shiny but not garish, the red trim is barely noticeable but a nice touch nevertheless, and the black headband is soft and comfortable and easily adjustable. The build quality is very solid and the earpads swivel flat with a reassuring click.
 
Onto the important stuff: sound quality. Well, once again, I'm no audiophile but these sound great for portable device listening. The Android app you can download adds a bit of boost to the overall sound character without messing things up too much (unlike like a lot of EQ apps). You can adjust the sound profile (more warmth, less bright, etc.) in-app. They have nice highs, good mids (which I really appreciated in a world of bass-heavy headphones), and just enough bass punch to make them sound good without being overbearing. Going back to some other headphones I own, I realized how muddy and "boomy" they were compared to these. However (and this is a big issue for me) they just don't seem 'driven' enough. This could be down to my particular device, but even when I crank the volume to its highest level it's just not loud enough out on the street (but fine indoors). Music is OK, but I can't listen to any spoken word out and about because it's just too quiet -- bummer, but your mileage may vary, and some smartphones may have stronger volume. However, other headphones I've tried don't have this issue.
 
If you can snag them for a similar price, they're worth picking up. The added advantage of being able to answer calls, start/stop music or forward/backward tracks is nice for Android device owners.
 
Sure, these aren't going to match high-fidelity cans and they're specifically aimed at portable use after all, but I'm very impressed for the price. The retail cost (around $70) is too high though, but I noticed even Amazon has them for much less.

fiskadoro

New Head-Fier
Pros: Good sound; bass-heavy but not too imposing; comfortable, in-line mic, thick cord
Cons: Not attractive; stick out way too far and look "blingy"
So, first off, I saw these on sale in Target for around $40 so they were an impulse buy. I think they originally retailed for a lot more, but I'm guessing you can get as good (if not better) quality on-ear headphones for the $150 asking price. But, heck, for $40 they were worth a shot.
 
Now, the sound quality of these is pretty good. They seem quite bass-heavy like Beats, but definitely not as bad or overpowering as those. They're actually quite balanced and after a bit of burn-in they've improved, but I'd still prefer a bit more sparkle at the top end (sorry - I'm not audiophile/expert so forgive my terminology). I've used Sennheiser headphones before which offer a more balanced sound, but without the thudding bass. The Monster NTune are also very comfortable with a memory foam headband and they don't pinch, resting nicely on the ears with no pain. They have an in-line mic for mobile use (it's just a single button affair) and the cord is thick and rubbery and can be detached. It only attaches to one side, so that's convenient.
 
But here's the thing: they're just not that pretty. The shiny, blingy "spinny rim" look made me feel very self-conscious when walking the streets and they also stick out a long, long way, so I resembled the Katamari guy in that old video game. I really wish they were a little more subtle, because for mobile use these are comfortable and sound good. As vain/stupid as it sounds, I just can't deal with the shiny plastic and red/silver accents, which is a shame. They're clearly youth-oriented, and that's cool, but just beware of that if you buy 'em.
 
So, instead, they've become my at-work headphones and the convenient mic means I can use them for Skyping. They work well for just general music use listening to tunes off my Mac and are comfortable to wear for long periods.
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Lorspeaker
Lorspeaker
when i place the cups further back on the ears, the clarity improved, less boomy...for 40bucks its a great wheeler...
sports rims on the ears..:p
wburton
wburton
thats what I do when I wear my friends. I dont like them that much though. I prefer my $50 S500's
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