Monster Inspiration

Tomtattoo

New Head-Fier
Pros: Fun sound, looks, lots of bass, comfort. no distortion.
Cons: Bass heavy., so it isn´t for everyone.
I was thinking about buying these cans when they were released, they sounded pretty good with my iPod, but i found the price too high, i thought i´ll wait. A few weeks ago i found a pair on eBay for 60$, brand new, i thought i risk it. Although i´m using an Fiio X3 II now, not my iPod, it was still a great deal. (With my iPod they still sound better tho, I´ll explain later). I opened the box, took out the headphones, plugged them in my Fiio, put on the song "Butterfly", from Brian Bromberg´s album Wood II, turned thevolume to max, and these cans blew my head off my neck. :D Wooooow. My first imressions were great, after half an hour i wasn´t THAT happy anymore. They can sound great. But, although i love deep, rich bass, these phones provide simply too much, overwhelming bass. The dynamics are amazing, the highs, mids are nice too, no trace of any distortion, even on extreme volume (in this sense these are probably the best cans i´ve ever heard), but even with low gain, equalizer off, the great quality FLAC recordings sound bass-heavy. So, if you are a true basshead, and you are looking for an affordable, good set of phones, give these ones a try. If your recordings are highly compressed MP3´s with low dynamics, then these Monsters are the ones for you. But if you are looking for a true hifi product, sort of linear sound, look elsewhere. I still love them,for certain recordings, as they are really comfortable too, so i haven´t regretted my purchase at all. Before i forget, i mentioned earlier that they sound better with my iPod Touch than with my Fiio. Yep, they do, because my iPod´s sound isn´t that dynamic as my Fiio´s, (and of course there are MP3´s on it, not lossless tracks), so in this case a bit "flat" sound provided by my iPod makes these Monsters more listenable, as that overwhelming bass isn´t there that much.
Criss969
Criss969
Any Monster products I have ever bought (only two) both failed me within a day, multiple times. Glad the headphones work for you, though! lol
Tomtattoo
Tomtattoo
Well, bad luck. I´ve got 2 of them, the Ncredible Npulse, and the Inspiration, the Npulse for years, and although i don´t use them a lot, never had a single problem with any of them.

Army-Firedawg

1000+ Head-Fier
Pros: Very well built, fun sound, fairly decent noise cancelling
Cons: Uncomfortable, exaggerated bass, small soundstage
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I must start this by giving a major shout out and thank you to Monster for giving me these headphones over 2 years ago. They were my first ever headphone in the $300 price range and probably played a role into getting me into this very rewarding yet very expensive lifestyle.
     As stated above I've had these headphone for a couple years now but honestly haven't put that many hours on them in respect to my others. So I've taken them out of their box and have been listening to them again this past week so I may finally write my way past due review.
 
 
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The Opening Experience
 
    The handshake into Monster's former flagship headphone was enjoyable and memorable, the box is well made and doesn't feel cheap. When opened you're greeted with a nice smell of faux leather from both the case and spare headband. Under the accessories section is the warranty and how to guide but inside the case you're greeted with very nice looking headphones that I must say are exceptionally well built,  you're also provided with 3 tangle free (flat) monster cables; 1 universal mic, 1 Apple mic, and 1 straight cable.
    A very nice handshake I must give due credit, for it's been over 2 years and I still remember the excitement I had opening these for the first time, which sadly is something I feel other “mainstream” brands let fall to the way side.
 
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Construction
 
These are built extremely well, better in fact than a lot of $500-$1,000 headphones I know of. The frame is almost entirely aluminum, and thick aluminum at that, which continues down to the driver casings themselves, which are your standard headphone quality plastic.
The cables are nothing special minus being tangle free flat cables, but they provide you with 3 options as mentioned above. Both the head bands and pads are replaceable which adds a good bit of longevity to the life of these for that’s usually the first thing to go bad. Overall I’m very satisfied with the construction on these and feel confident they’ll last for many years with respect to the treatment shown towards them.
 
 
Comfort
 
    One of the most important things under sound quality is how do they feel on one's head? The Inspirations use a foamy material in their ear cushions that I find a bit thin and could really use more of. I find that the foam pads almost immediately give way which leads to my ears brushing the cloth covering the drive units,  this in addition to these using a smaller square style cup makes them at times feel like supra aural headphones. This quickly leads to ear fatigue and then pain within a matter of only an hour or so which forces me adjust them or take them off altogether.
  The headband uses the same kind of  foam but is just thick enough as to not be uncomfortable. The clamping force however is where I believe these have the largest downfall. It’s not that it’s overly tight on my head as opposed to the angle at which these are restricted to moving; there’s just no mercy with them in regards to the up and down movement.
 
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    Sound
    
    For those who don’t know, the Inspirations were originally designed to be the Beats Executive headphones before they split into their own entities. So one can reasonably expect these to be very bass biased but the big question is, does the bass flow well or is it overpowering enough to bleed into the rest of the sound?
  A big thing these have going for them is the NC function with an integrated amplifier which allegedly increases the overall sound quality in addition to just eliminating annoying background noise, so from here I will split the review into two section, with and without the noise cancelling feature.
 
        Treble
 
    I’ve been listening to quite a few tracks that focus on the treble and I really want to say that the highs are pretty neutral BUT with the exception (or addition whichever way you look at it) not sounding lively at all. I don’t want to call the treble on these dead but they just do nothing for me. While listening to “Lindsey Stirling: Elements” this song usually really gets me going but with these all I got was a meh. Another characteristic is that the highs peek fairly early and then quickly recess. This can be an issue but for those sensitive to treble spikes, they may appreciate that aspect. Lastly, I notice the lower treble right above the upper mid range really doesn’t separate well, which I blame the powerful bass for dragging the response curve down.
 
        Treble w/ NC
 
     When the amp is kicked in I do notice the highs extend a little further but the meshing of the lower treble upper mids actually worsen for the bass gains a big step up and bleeds its bias even further.
 
        Mids
    I’m actually quite surprised on how clean the mids are. I do notice a slur towards the lower end due to the powerful bass but still find them quite enjoyable. The vocals come through cleanly and if you’re a fan of the sax these play very kindly with them. The only drawback I’ve ran into is when I’m listening to a female vocals who has a really high pitched voice, she gets toned down a slight amount.
  
   Mids w/ NC
 
    Pretty simply put, the mids get louder. I can’t tell any audible difference in quality other than dB.
 
        Bass
 
    The main focal point of the Inspiration’s. When these are placed upon your head and the play button is hit you’ll feel an immediate hit with somewhat exaggerated decay. The bass response is very heavy, punchy and overstated. Do keep in mind that like the Beats, the bass does overlap everything so bass lovers, eyes front.
 
        Bass w/ NC
 
    With NC turned on the bass gains a notable dB increase along with a stronger punch to it, but I feel it’s mainly due to volume gain.  A down side I noticed is the bass also sounds slightly muddier.
 
        General audio impressions
 
    The soundstage is very close but I won’t call them intimate; that term I like to use for audio that is sensual and relaxing. I found these pretty good gaming headphones, the positional cues are quite accurate and transmute channels very well,  however determining how far away things are were somewhat difficult. As previously stated the transitional abilities from left to right channel is amazing, easily competing with some of my higher dollar open cans.
  I don’t get a real good sense of transparency or realism when listening to these, my personal preference is to relax and enjoy the music being presented before me but these just play music. On a different note the energy transfer is awesome. When I’ve some upbeat music playing I can’t help but snap my fingers and tap my feet (or maybe even dance if I’m feeling froggy enough).
    
 
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    Conclusion
 
    I wish I could say I’ve enjoyed my years of owning these but it wasn’t until recently that I brushed the dust off the box to give them another listen. Though I did regain some appreciation for them I still found them to be too bass heavy for my personal tastes.
    The noise cancelling feature on these works pretty well and can very efficiently drown out (or drastically lower) the loud noises of the airport overhead announcements and peoples ambient murmuring. Truthfully I rarely ever use the NC function because the built in amp makes things too loud and extends the bass way more than I care for.
    The built quality is top notch and should be able to withstand even the busiest of people and the sound will definitely appeal to both bass heads and treble sensitive people with it’s strong and upfront sound signature.
 
Till next time my friends, also make sure to check out my unboxing video here, and my full video review here!

uouo47

New Head-Fier
Pros: bass, and sound
Cons: comfort, and looks
i had this pair and it used to get super uncomfortable after 15 minutes of wearing them. Honestly if you like rap, techno, dubstep, or hiphop I would go get the VModa crossfade LP2 for $100 off of microsoft.com because they are usually $140  on amazon.

Klipschfan

New Head-Fier
Pros: Clear, detailed, tight bass, sparkling highs, clear mids, comfortable, premium design
Cons: Slightly expensive, heavy
First of all let me say these headphones look incredible! Some headphones need to include a paper bag to put over you head when your in public but not these, you actually want people to notice them! :D Sound quality is top notch but maybe slightly too sharp, details are clearly heard and separation is apparent in the instruments. Bass is very polite and tight with no booming like the Beats line of products. Packaged very well. Overall I can say they are well worth the price and should be on your radar when looking to buy a new pair of headphones.

imagic

Head-Fier
Pros: Very good noise cancellation. Removable cable. Extremely comfortable. Truly full-range. Stylish. Excellent sound quality.
Cons: Monster "brand" and former association with "Beats" made me wary, at least initially.
Dear AKG 701, I really enjoyed our time together. Our long-term commitment yielded some amazing memories. I appreciate your ability to turn heads, even to this day. You are a ravishing work of Austrian art and science. 
 
Dear Pioneer HDJ-2000, our brief time together was a fun fling. I couldn't find anything to complain about, until one day I simply gave you up without a second thought. What happened there? Oh yeah, I forgot... I met a Monster.
 
OK here's the deal—last week I thought Monster = Bad. Now I think Monster = Good. It's that simple. My search for a pair of headphones that I can honestly describe as accurate, full-range, dynamic, detailed, and comfortable is over. After auditioning over a half-dozen pairs of cans in the $200-300 range, I found my ideal pair—and it was the last pair of headphones I thought I'd ever buy: Monster Inspiration

First: I think the Inspiration sounds best in passive mode, with NR turned off. Another pair of headphones I tried out recently—the UE6000 from Logitech—sounded better in passive mode as well, but was unacceptable in active mode. That's not the issue with the Monster Inspiration. Active mode sounds excellent. It's just that the Inspiration can take advantage of a good headphone amp in passive mode, and sound better than what the built-in circuitry is capable of. In other words, they are a great set of traditional cans. 
 
In fact, the Inspiration in passive mode is so good, I have no issue with retiring my AKG 701s. They are thoroughly outclassed by the Inspiration in terms of sound quality. No competition. The fact that the Monsters can be switched to active mode and run off a phone is an ancillary bonus—the main revelation is how good they are in general.
 
After allowing for about 20 hours of break-in, I'm in audio heaven with the Inspiration—especially at-home and listening in passive mode through a Roland Quad-capture 2X2. One of the most notable qualities is the tight, accurate nature of the bass. In fact the sound is very similar to my four-subwoofer home system—not a hint of boom, just an uncanny ability to plumb the depths. Expansive soundstage and precise imaging is what truly sets the top-of-the-line Monsters apart from lesser offerings. The sound is never, ever "trapped inside my head," instead the Inspiration paints a properly-sized audio hologram. If the recording has depth cues and uses phase tricks, the result is surround-sound. If the recording is traditional stereo, the soundstage is projected forward. The illusion of sitting in the sweet-spot of a truly great stereo system is maintained.
 
After a lifetime of scorning Monster, now I find myself proselytizing on its behalf. I guess the company was "Inspired" to "Beat" the competition. My ears are very, very happy.
 
*There is a passive version that costs $50 less. 
imagic
imagic
I'm not going to make an absolute statement to that effect, at least not yet. I will say they are more captivating, and more fun to listen to. The AKG will still outperform with acoustic instruments and recordings that don't dig too deep. When it comes to electronic music, dance music, hip-hop, etc. the Inspire beats the K701—no question. The K701 is anemic is the bass dept., while the Inspire has bass response is tight as well as deep.

I will perform some critical listening comparisons after 30 hours of break-in.
imagic
imagic
It's official. The K701 is retired from active duty for music listening, replaced by a combination of the Monster Inspire, and a pair of Denon AH-D600. It will live on as a comfortable way to watch online tutorial videos, and talk to my mom on skype.
dabtpa
dabtpa
Thanks for the info. I just ordered a new pair (blemished box) from Monster Direct off of eBay for $99. Figured they would be well worth a "C" note.

KarlDanninger

New Head-Fier
Pros: No need for an amp, booming lows, exaggerated highs, multiple cables, fair build quality
Cons: rectangle design sometimes isn't comfortable, gimmicky replaceable band
These have a very unique soundboard, and shouldn't be written off as some over exaggerated pair of over-ears.
 
I've had these for over half a year, and they are actually very interesting to listen through.  Everything sounds different, and crisp.  Sometimes the highs are a little muddy, but the booming bass never distorts no matter the volume.  
 
Just try these, they aren't for everyone, but they shouldn't be dismissed so easily.
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Mheat122134

100+ Head-Fier
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Johntheone
Johntheone
Thanks! Bought twelveteen ^_^
takato14
takato14
Give more than 5 letters and maybe I'll take you seriously. Idiot.
Makiah S
Makiah S
I might do a proper hating on these soon. My local Office Supply store has a nice return policy... I could use a good Monster Bashing day! Plus it might be nice to hear there new products... maybe ONE day they might actually sound half decent
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