JVC HAM55X High Quality Xtreme-Xplosvs Headphones

down right junk not worth more than $5.00. the bass (a thing these are sold for) is non-existent. the headphones are heavy with little to no headband padding and crappy earpads, the wire is literally a few strands of very thin wire wrapped in rubbery plastic. sound quality is CRAP. did i mention all of the cheap plastic its encased in ?

I purchased the XX's about a week ago, so I've had time to fiddle with them for a while. Let's just jump right in with the sound. Unequalized, these sound like you're listening to a set of desktop speakers through a piece of wood. Not great. It's very muffled. But, the bass is very present, even the sub bass. Hence, the "Xtreme Xplosives" moniker. However, once properly equalized, they open up quite a bit. There is a slightly airy feeling about them, as if the sound is trying to break out of the earcups, but again, they still have a muffled veil stopping them. It's strange. They aren't entirely open or muffled, just somewhere in between. However, when paired up to a FiiO E11, highs become more piercing, bass shows more presence, they become more alive. This is with the EQ setting to max. They become very fun to listen to, but not for long periods of time. The clamping force on these bad boys is quite much, especially if you have a wider head like I do. The worst part about the headphones, honestly, is the construction. 100% PLASTIC. The only visible metal are the screws that hold the headband together. And speaking of the headband, after just 2 days of indoor use the headband won't stay fully retracted. The weight of the earcups pulls the right side headband adjuster down about 6 clicks. Good job, JVC Quality Control Department. 2 DAYS. Anyway, moving on. I purchased them at Marshalls, a discount retail store here in the southern states. I gave a big $20 for them. I didn't know what exactly to expect. I had previously owned a set of XX earbuds, and I loved them. They were like Sony XB500 in-ears. After about 3 hours of burn in, I finally started listening to them, and a week later, you now have my review.

TL;DR Version: Plastic $20 headphones that need equalization to sound decent and may or may not lose headband adjustment after a weekend.

I bought these a year ago now and they are holding up great with my Vector Research amplifier. Bass is on 10 Mid on 6 and treble on 8. They sound fantastic and don't make any buzzing noises. I wear these on the bus ride to school which is an hour and thirty minute ride and they sit comfortably on my head the whole time. My friend and I did a headphone play-off and everybody said that mine were clearer and less distorted than the beats while they having head shaking bass (if amplified of course). These did not disappoint me.