I'd like to start this review off by thanking http://audio46.com for the opportunity to win this headset from their Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/OrbHeadphones and providing me with my first pair of Beyerdynamic headphones. It was an exciting experience winning something like this!
In this review, I'm just going to concentrate on the elements that most people are really wondering about. This headphone has so much going for it that I could spend all day writing about it.
Sound:
***(2nd Custom Sound Slider setting, and probably most peoples preferred setting) Clean and punchy. Bass is nice and full giving a slight subwoofer type sound. Vocals, no matter the setting of the Custom Sound Sliders, are slightly tinny, lack body, and become more withdrawn in the mix as you open the sliders to reveal more bass. It's not really too much of an issue though. They still sound very good overall, but it's definitely of note. 2nd or middle setting provides the best balance of sound. One could probably just set it there and leave it, but it is fun to play with the sliders and take note how the sound changes from song to song.
The other settings are as follows:
(1st) Very little bass, bright, thin sounding. I don't really find any use for this setting besides closing up the ports to make your experience more isolated. I don't find music enjoyable on this setting, but could prove useful if listening to primarily vocals in content such as podcasts.
(3rd) Bass isn't much more than the 2nd setting, but it's certainly less controlled and tends to get fluttery on some songs. There is also a sense that the other musical elements withdraw into the foreground and there is a loss of overall detail. I found this setting useful to warm up songs with very little bass.
Soundstage is average for a closed on ear. Not much to say about this aspect. It's not bad, but not great either. I don't see much people having too much an issue with this aspect of the sound.
*I want to make it clear that despite the critical comments in relation to the sound, I find this headphone to be very enjoyable to listen to. It's very forgiving and will still sound good with lesser quality files and streaming. I just want to be honest about all the little nit picky things many of us audiophiles notice. For the price, these headphones perform VERY well and are actually quite impressive!
*I think some people would be wondering if the audio pass through feature degrades the sound quality when in use. I'm happy to report that it does not! Anyone looking to use this feature need not fret.
Build:
Mixture of plastic and metal elements makes this headphone seem very robust. Hinges seem strong. Replaceable headband cushion is a very nice detail that I wish more headphones had. I haven't seen this aspect of the headphone mentioned anywhere else so I wanted to make note of it.
Comfort:
Initially, I found these headphones to be uncomfortable. It was a combination of a stronger than normal clamping force and the flattened top of the headband making it uncomfortable on my ears and the top of my head. As time goes on I'm getting used to it, but these are not lengthy session use headphones. If I could compare the fit of these to any other headphone, I'd say they have a similar fit to the Beats Mixr. It's an overly tight DJ fit. I don't suggest stretching the headband out manually or attempting to bend the headband. The headband isn't very flexible, and I could see it breaking with too much force.
Conclusion:
No headphone is perfect and without it's particular flaws. Those in the hobby definitely know this, or soon will. Despite a few issues, the Custom Street is a great buy. It's got a very enjoyable, forgiving sound. The customizability makes it interactive and fun. It comes with a lot of accessories including a hard zippered case (wish there was a pocket of some sort in there to store the cable nicely). This model is pretty much a Beats By Dre competitor, and honestly, I think it's a much better buy than Beats. They have more clarity than Beats, and still provide a nice low end thump. If you want to buy something in the Beats lane of portable fun headphones definitely consider these!
In this review, I'm just going to concentrate on the elements that most people are really wondering about. This headphone has so much going for it that I could spend all day writing about it.
Sound:
***(2nd Custom Sound Slider setting, and probably most peoples preferred setting) Clean and punchy. Bass is nice and full giving a slight subwoofer type sound. Vocals, no matter the setting of the Custom Sound Sliders, are slightly tinny, lack body, and become more withdrawn in the mix as you open the sliders to reveal more bass. It's not really too much of an issue though. They still sound very good overall, but it's definitely of note. 2nd or middle setting provides the best balance of sound. One could probably just set it there and leave it, but it is fun to play with the sliders and take note how the sound changes from song to song.
The other settings are as follows:
(1st) Very little bass, bright, thin sounding. I don't really find any use for this setting besides closing up the ports to make your experience more isolated. I don't find music enjoyable on this setting, but could prove useful if listening to primarily vocals in content such as podcasts.
(3rd) Bass isn't much more than the 2nd setting, but it's certainly less controlled and tends to get fluttery on some songs. There is also a sense that the other musical elements withdraw into the foreground and there is a loss of overall detail. I found this setting useful to warm up songs with very little bass.
Soundstage is average for a closed on ear. Not much to say about this aspect. It's not bad, but not great either. I don't see much people having too much an issue with this aspect of the sound.
*I want to make it clear that despite the critical comments in relation to the sound, I find this headphone to be very enjoyable to listen to. It's very forgiving and will still sound good with lesser quality files and streaming. I just want to be honest about all the little nit picky things many of us audiophiles notice. For the price, these headphones perform VERY well and are actually quite impressive!
*I think some people would be wondering if the audio pass through feature degrades the sound quality when in use. I'm happy to report that it does not! Anyone looking to use this feature need not fret.
Build:
Mixture of plastic and metal elements makes this headphone seem very robust. Hinges seem strong. Replaceable headband cushion is a very nice detail that I wish more headphones had. I haven't seen this aspect of the headphone mentioned anywhere else so I wanted to make note of it.
Comfort:
Initially, I found these headphones to be uncomfortable. It was a combination of a stronger than normal clamping force and the flattened top of the headband making it uncomfortable on my ears and the top of my head. As time goes on I'm getting used to it, but these are not lengthy session use headphones. If I could compare the fit of these to any other headphone, I'd say they have a similar fit to the Beats Mixr. It's an overly tight DJ fit. I don't suggest stretching the headband out manually or attempting to bend the headband. The headband isn't very flexible, and I could see it breaking with too much force.
Conclusion:
No headphone is perfect and without it's particular flaws. Those in the hobby definitely know this, or soon will. Despite a few issues, the Custom Street is a great buy. It's got a very enjoyable, forgiving sound. The customizability makes it interactive and fun. It comes with a lot of accessories including a hard zippered case (wish there was a pocket of some sort in there to store the cable nicely). This model is pretty much a Beats By Dre competitor, and honestly, I think it's a much better buy than Beats. They have more clarity than Beats, and still provide a nice low end thump. If you want to buy something in the Beats lane of portable fun headphones definitely consider these!