Well, this has been quite the turn of events! I had auditioned a full-sized Monster headphone, which I felt rather negative about, but the Turbine Pro Gold (TPG from here on) caught me quite off guard. Overall, the TPGs are excellent sounding, have superior build quality to many earbuds and IEMs I’ve owned/seen and offer a wide array of tips for fitted comfort, so let’s explore what makes these so special! …After I make some tea.
 
Build Quality
 
Sorry, I made some toast too. Let’s put it this way, the majority of headphones, earphones and IEMs have are largely made out of plastic and other hilarious materials that make folks cry when they’re paying large sums of money for them, but when an enclosure is mostly made of metal, even if you can’t be sure of any sonic benefits, it makes you more confident in the design and stability—which I definitely feel in this case.
 
The cable is quite standard looking, although thicker than all of my other IEMs and earbuds. I’m fairly hopeful the cable should be secure given Monster Cable’s more prominent and common product next to the Monster Beats would be the, well, Monster cables… Did not see that coming!
 
Lens flare!
 

 
 
Accessories
 
Like opening a present on Christmas day… Without the socks! A sexy suede-like stitched envelope pocket and a snapping mouthed coin purse of sorts made out of the same material. Along with that, you get 11 pairs of Super Tips (gel and foam), 3 pairs of regular bulb tips and 2 pairs of triple-flange tips.  As if it weren’t exciting enough that Monster is throwing all these goodies at you, they also include a 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter and a very fine cleaning cloth. I feel it necessary to mention that my box had a new car smell upon opening; I had hoped they included a car in there too, but no luck on that end.
 
So many goodies!
 

 

 
 
Sound, Tips, Super Tips and Tipping the Pizza Guy
 
Now for delicious the cream filling of the review!
 
Upon arrival, I had a wee issue with the Super Tips... I think my post office kept the package in some odd heating area, and well, the tips sweat all over themselves or perhaps the box has a miniature built-in sauna I was unaware of. After scrubbing the tips down, I tried the array of them and found the smaller of each tip fit best. The gel and foam Super Tips gave me the best isolation and bass, so much so I turned on my TV to a loud volume, stood next to the speakers and could barely hear the news report. Although the Super Tips technically gave me the most sonic benefits, their snug fit became a bit too snug after a while of listening and thus I tried the smaller triple-flange tip which did not isolate nor allow as much bass, but damn, it gave me one fine fitting-- the best I've ever had for an IEM period. Chances are no matter what size of ear-hole you have, you'll find a tip that will fit... Yes, even you with the funny ears.
 
Let’s start at the bottom and move to the top. I was told the low end on the TPGs was exaggerated when compared to the Pro Coppers, but I definitely find that the bass quantity is very dependent on the tips used; for example, I found a heavier bass quantity while using the thicker foam or gel tips as well as better isolation, likely due to a more snug fit. However, I found the smaller of the triple-flange tips to fit best and sound more to my liking. The bass does indeed go low and one of my favorite albums supports this:
 
 
Ketama ft. Toumani Diabate & Danny Thompson – Songhai (FLAC)
Spanish flamenco and Mali kora
 

 
The final track on the first disc, Ne ne Koitaa, has a very subtle bass line (Danny Thompson, up-right bass) that comes in about 30 seconds into the track and the notes extend from below 50Hz to near mid-bass. The lower notes are very hard to hear clearly on headphones without a clear bass and even when heard on many headphones, don’t seem to mix as well as they do on the TPGs—the notes are pronounced and don’t simply murmur or sound like a tonally low act of flatulence. One of the first things I noticed with the TPGs was the treble; now I’m not one to get excited about a “sparkly” treble, but the treble was really, really enjoyable for me and I love me some fine kora (African string instrument) and in this case, Toumani’s kora sounds great! The kora is an instrument that can sound bright at times, but the TPGs do an amazing job of taming brightness while keeping life in the music.
 
 
Muse – The Resistance (320kbps)
Rock-pop w/ electronic aspects
 

 
 
Muse likes to toss a lot of ambient noises and heavy bass rhythms in their music headed by a strong vocal spectrum. Again, the most likeable aspects of the TPGs I find in this case are the lively treble and prominent bass. As opposed to my test with Ketama’s Songhai album, the vocals are now much more relevant and I find a short fall for the TPGs, the vocals don’t entirely sound fully encompassing or acoustically real on this album, however, I ran into a similar issue with my Sennheiser IE6s, so I can’t be sure if that’s really a particular issue or an issue that plagues IEMs in general; I’ve confirmed this issue over the past month or so while swapping between circumaural headphones and my IEMs. Soundstage/headstage becomes apparent in many of the tracks off this album with the help of those ambient noises I mentioned earlier and as most IEMs and earbuds give an inner-head soundstage, the TPGs mostly exist in there but I find a lot of ambient noises will still appear in different directions outside the head. I think most folks will enjoy the bass more than anything off this album while using the TPGs.
 
 
Flogging Molly – Float (FLAC)
Irish-celtic folk-punk
 

 
I love the violin and banjo in this album, especially in the title track Float, which I coincidentally must correct myself that this song is able to create that encompassing sound I spoke of while going over the Muse album. Near the end of the song, there’s a background vocal over the chorus that is placed upward and downward on the soundstage giving a more encompassing sound. The way that the violin flows across this entire album, and doesn’t sound shrill (as I’ve experienced with some headphones), brings a blissful smile to my face every time.
 
 
Kenny Dorham – Quiet Kenny (FLAC)
Trumpet jazz
 

 
 
With the treble standing out so much on both the album and TPGs, I was a wee bit worried on how this album would stand up given that I’ve had some sad encounters making this album nearly unlistenable due to how shrill Kenny’s trumpet can sound at times and, sadly, my favorite track, My Ideal, is a prime example of being too bright for comfort on some headphones. Thankfully, the TPGs fall just short of being too bright for my liking with Quiet Kenny—but “just short”, is still worrisome for prolonged listening.
 
 
Conclusion
 
With prominent bass and treble these are awesome in-ear monitors, however, the mid-range is slightly buried under the two, kind of like a Boston Cream doughnut with only a dab of cream inside instead of a sea of deliciousness to match the icing and dough. I didn’t experience any sibilance that I couldn’t blame on the album’s recording and nor was I entirely fatigued at any time.
The MSRP is a bit high, but like every other headphone out there, there are authorized dealers out there that you can score a good price from. My Sennheiser IE6s were found for less than the average street price of the TPGs, but I would easily pay the difference for the Turbine Pro Golds. Between the myriad of accessories including the array of Super Tips, hefty 6.3mm adapter (which I shall use for just about any applicable headphone) and envelope pouch (that I haven’t left home without), I would highly recommend the Turbine Pro Gold IEMs.
 
 
Super Conclusion
 
8/10 - Like getting hugged in the ear.
 
 
 
Love,
Evan

Nothing beats the morning light hitting the dark sanguine coloured cups on the W10vtg.
If you want to skip the breakdown of these headphones and decide if they're for you, ask yourself if you like warm musical mids with a little bite on the high end-- if you answered yes, buy these headphones if not just for the headphone woody history and for the piece of art that they are. 
 
Sound: The trick to getting the best out of these headphones is really dependent on the fitting. If you don't get your ears in just the right position inside those lovely leather pads, then you're missing out on a world of awesome. I was rather disappointed with my first listen as I didn't take the time to view the fitting diagram included, so the sound was a bit thin and bright. After wedging my ears around, the mids instantaneously became incredibly more apparent and full of life.
 
This headphone is very musical and therefore majority of vocals, strings and brass instruments do wonders with it. This is a bit of an interesting signature as usually warmer headphones I've tried were very forgiving because of it, but with the more detailed highs on the W10vtgs, static and pops from older recordings stand out like a box of hobos in a fashion store.
 
Build Quality / Comfort: The leather pads are very comfortable, although it took some getting used to as it kind of feels like some giant leather lipped monster is sucking on my ears due to the squished seal the pads form... Not that there's anything wrong with being ear-smooched by leather monsters. The wings are interesting and never having used a winged AT headphone, I didn't know what to expect... particularly the destruction of any hair style you may have going. They're very light with nearly no pressure to the top of the head. Build quality of the wings are questionable as they feel like if I tugged too hard on them, they would snap like an organic carrot in the mouth of a hungry walrus. I should note that these headphones are fourteen years old... I was shocked when I saw the condition as they didn't look fourteen weeks old. Regardless of whatever faults it may have, the previous owner made them last this long and out of all the threads I reviewed before their purchase, not one person complained about build quality. Also, those wood cups create a certain romance in one's eye that would make any lover jealous.
 
Bottomline: There really isn't too much of a reason to not give these a try if you can find them (this is the harder part) and for a reasonable price. Worst case scenario, you could always get back what you paid, if not more. Again, if you like warm mids with a bite in the highs, these are for you.
 
- Evan
 
 

I bought these a few years ago and I must say that I'm impressed how long they have lasted considering the price and how many cheap earbuds I've short-circuited over the years. I like the simple black/silver streak design and whatever they used to keep the cables connected in the enclosures is amazing as I literally run into work, shove my earbuds into my pocket without any care and get on with my day-- I usually have to untangle them after work, but still, they've withstood at least two years of horrible abuse and that is pretty much what I wanted; a durable listenable earbud. 
 
It may have lived up to its job, but has a few annoying features. The first are the foamies; I put them on snugly, they fall off... I put them on again, they fall off and I lose them somewhere. The same thing happens to the second stock pair, so I steal some foamies from the cheapo buds that came with my cellphone... Of course, I didn't have much luck there either. Sound is much clearer without the foamies and mid-range details shoot up, but bass takes an even greater hit and things can get quite bright sounding depending on the song or player.
 
The accessories included are a little impractical for the busy person as fitting the earbud's driver fronts into a little rubbery slab, coiling the cable around it and then putting them into a little pleathery/plastic pouch isn't some thing I want to spend the time doing before running onto the work floor.
 
BOTTOM LINE:
 
If you want some cheap durable little bastards that just won't quit, with sound better than your run-of-the-mill iBud, then you could do worse than the MX560s.

PROS:
 
It sounds pretty good with a nice warm analogue sound and is recessed in the highs making it very easy to listen to for a long time without fatigue. The large screen is great for the movie watcher, but I personally enjoy a large screen just the UI's face. A fully customizable background is a nice personalized touch and the UI is quite straight forward and minimalist. The buttons, although a bit flimsy after a while's use, are very straight forward for controls and make track changing and volume adjusting from the pocket quite easy.
 
CONS:
 
Battery life is the huge killer for this device. It's listed as having enough power for 12 hours of music and 3.5 hours for, which turns into half that after a few years. A company could make the greatest device in the world, but if it can't stay powered for too long, then you can't enjoy it!
 
Proprietary software is rarely fun to deal with, whereas drag and drop is straight to the point and get me enjoying the product that much faster!
 
No FLAC support.
 
IN SUMMATION:
 
Sounds, looks and feels great for the price, but be wary of a terrible battery and no FLAC support. I'd recommend it for someone who drops/breaks their devices a lot or for someone who doesn't frequently listen to music on the go and wants something with a nice large colourful screen.
 
 
- Evan

Even though I have several cans that do many things better than the K601, I still found this to be my go-to headphone for some laid back listening before and after work. AKG engineered a winner in regards to comfort and engaging mid-fi sound reproduction that just does not get fatiguing.
 
This headphone is all about the mids! Not particularly detailed and therefore fairly forgiving, but very involving and musical. Bass is light, but packs a small punch and one can appreciate that it goes deep. Highs are a apparent although a little rolled off on the very top end, but this helps it keep its laid back signature.
 
Not balanced in the sense of reproduction, but very balanced in the sense that it does almost every genre well.  If you're looking to take a jump from $100 headphones to $200 headphones and are looking for a laid back headphone as described above, then these are your guys. Note, you'll want an amp with a bit of a punch as the K601 is power hungry, although note that matching synergy is important as I found them to sound better via my Travagan's Red amp (with AD743 opamps) rather than HiFiMAN EF5 which is far superior in the power category.
 
 
A brief review, but if you have any more questions, just ask!
 
- Evan

Fang from Head-Direct has made a real winner here, although not perfect.
 
PROS:
 
Excellent packaging off the bat with the box including extra sets of cable connectors, in case you DIYers want to make your own cable. The brown leather headphone is quite comfortable as the bottom is padded with a thin layer of memory foam type material. The pads are nice, firm and covered in a black velour fabric and putting the finishing touches on the comfort levels, you have the adjustable cups.
 
The sound quality is very clear and delivers impressive levels of details. The reproduction is slightly warm and has a nice full sound. Bass has a great response for an open headphone, being nice and punchy, and keeping with the rest of the headphone, quite clean. Mids are forward, clear and thanks to that touch of warmth it produces, you get a lovely full-bodied sound that makes acoustic sound vividly real and really complement almost any stringed instrument be it guitar, violin or kora.
 
CONS:
 
Highs are a little forward, which can be a hit or a miss for some folks depending on preference (i.e. preferences in laid back reproduction or forward rockin') and for some may cause some fatigue for extended listening.
 
A large issue with the HE-5s being production variations. Although some apparently not affected, there have been issues with sibilance (this has been compared and confirmed between Head-Fiers with one sibilant model and one normal model) as well as wood cracking. Fang from Head-Direct was great with helping those afflicted by the defects by replacing their models with new ones. The second and later batches of HE-5s were given a star-shaped dampening between the pads and drivers, this came very quickly after the first batch before many complaints were filed about sibilance, so hard to say if that was a contributing factor or not.
 
The connectors have been an issue for some of us as their connection rarely seems solid. Even with the connector firmly tightened in place, a quick brush from a shoulder or shirt collar causes a quick short in sound to the touched channel. Annoying, but not a frequent issue.
 
 
FINAL THOUGHTS:
 
The HE-5 is a wonderful headphone with lovely combination of modern and classic aesthetics and it's a shame to see the model be replaced so quickly (see HE-5LE) as I'm sure there will be some folks who prefer the sound of the current model to the new model. The issues may sound annoying on paper, but are easy enough to live with if you're listening in a stationary position and even if not, they sound is well worth the trouble for some.
 
As there was only a limited quantity made and HiFiMAN has a bright future ahead of them, it may be worth picking up a pair of these used as soon as you can before they disappear and become a fabled collector's item.
 
HE-5LE:
 
Fang has introduced a new model of the HE headphone series that is another orthodynamic headphone with an identical overall build to the HE-5, but with black plastic enclosure, buttons and a black leather headband. The driver has changed, so the sound will be different than the HE-5's.
 
 
Fang, thank you for your hard work!
 
- Evan

These are gorgeous headphones that show off both Pioneer's stellar engineering and prowess in vintage music reproduction.
 
I found my pair to be very mid forward while light on the low end, a bit recessed on the high end and clarity is lacking; all though this creates a warm and forgiving coloration. A few of us considered the pads to thank for the lack of clarity as they are basically tiny pillows that are filtering the music. If you're a fan of some great, but sadly, poor quality music (classical, blues, jazz, etc.), I find that these really do help you gain that feel of playing them off an old record player-- they're very forgiving so even with the cracks and pops from the song's recording, they still manage to make the song lovable.
 
To be brief: they're great and exciting if you're looking for something new, a restoration project, a modding project (please inform us / contact me if you plan on mods!) or even work well as a displayed object in your house or office to express your love for the hobby as they really are beautiful looking classic headphones. They are not a headphone to be missed by the vintage lover!
 
Those looking to buy: eBay often has a few auctions a week for the SE-L40s, so keep your eyes open and look for a good price and a good condition pair.
 
- Evan