The Somic V2's are one of the best headphones under 100 dollars, and certainly the best under 50. You might know these as the Status Audio OB1’s and that is because they are actually the exact same headphones, with the exception of a few logos here and there. Many people consider the Status Audio OB1s to be the best set of headphones for under 100 dollars, so these are almost a no brainer at under 50. Click here if you want to watch a video review:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yUQUzhXDlY
Design and build quality
The V2’s feel very well built, and I love the way they look. They have aluminum on various parts of the earcups, and a super solid headband with rotating joints that feel smooth and secure. The headband adjustments are very clicky, and they don’t slide around and extend by accident. The earcups can be rotated to lie flat on a table. They are heavier than most headphones, and a lot of the weight is in the headband. I’m not sure why they used such thick plastic here, and it’s probably the biggest complaint I have about these headphones overall. The cable comes out of both earcups, and it’s also non-detachable. The wire itself is nice and thick though, and I doubt that it’ll give up on me anytime soon. The cable is 3 meters long which is fine for use in a studio or at home, but you might have to keep most of it tied up if you plan to take it on the go.
Comfort
I found these to be pretty comfortable despite the weight, and I had no problem with wearing them for an extended period of time. I love the fabric earcups. They’re very thick, and my ears don’t touch the drivers at all. They’re soft on the side of my head, and I definitely prefer these over the pleather earcups found on most headphones. They do pick up dust and sweat however. Unlike the Status Audio OB-1’s, these actually come with an extra pair of pleather earcups if that’s what you prefer. They’re a lot shallower than the fabric ones, and I kept those ones on because my ears touch the drivers with the pleather ones. The padding on the headband is very thick, and makes up for a lot of the weight I mentioned before. The clamping force is absolutely perfect in my opinion, as it keeps the headphones planted on my head without causing any discomfort. This will vary from person to person of course, but I’m fairly happy with these in terms of comfort overall.
Sound Quality
You’d expect a pair of >$50 headphones to sound terrible, but these definitely surpassed my expectations. They’re surprisingly flat, even more so than the Audio Technica ATH-M50x’s that I’ve been using for the past few years. Everything is well balanced, and the sound signature is similar to that of a much more expensive pair of open back headphones. The lows are controlled while still managing to sound rich, and they don’t overpower anything at all. My M50’s are a bit more boomy and have better representation in the sub bass, but that’s to be expected on a pair of open backs. Mids are very clear and pronounced on these, and it makes vocals sound absolutely amazing. The mids help bring out fine details in songs, and it’s probably why these stand out so much at this price point. The highs are warm and comfortable to listen to at a reasonable volume. The V2’s don’t have the high range sparkle that the open Audio Technica AD series has, and the highs are definitely less pronounced than the mid range on these. They still sound very neutral however, and I love the way everything comes together to make a sound that is airy and thick at the same time. Other headphones at this price range simply can’t match the clarity of the V2’s.
These have an impedance of 54 ohms, which makes them a bit harder to drive than most headphones. They reached just the right volume on my phone, but those of you who like to listen at higher volumes might want to use a more powerful source.
Soundstage is noticeably larger than closed pairs, but certainly not the largest for an open pair. Almost all the reviewers who have tested these or the Status Audio equivalent agree that the soundstage is deeper than it is wide, and I have to agree with them. It’s still great for games, and I was able to pinpoint enemies in games like CS:GO and Battlefield 4. Games sound much more immersive with open back headphones, and I was really able to enjoy the excellent sound design in Battlefield with these!
Isolation and Sound Leak
These are almost completely open, so you will be able to hear everything in your environment, and everybody in your environment will be able to hear what you’re listening to. These are best used alone!
Conclusion
You simply can't go wrong with these; they’re by far the best sounding set under 50 dollars. Sound is clear and balanced, with decent soundstage. Build quality is excellent, and comfort is good in my opinion. If you were looking to buy the Status Audio OB-1’s, I can almost guarantee that you’ll be happy with purchasing the Somic V2’s at almost half of the price. Here's where to get them!: https://goo.gl/y5vzid
These were sent to me by GearBest on my request, and I would recommend that you pick them up there. Not because they sent these to me, but because they had excellent service and a reasonably quick shipping time to me here in Canada.
Design and build quality
The V2’s feel very well built, and I love the way they look. They have aluminum on various parts of the earcups, and a super solid headband with rotating joints that feel smooth and secure. The headband adjustments are very clicky, and they don’t slide around and extend by accident. The earcups can be rotated to lie flat on a table. They are heavier than most headphones, and a lot of the weight is in the headband. I’m not sure why they used such thick plastic here, and it’s probably the biggest complaint I have about these headphones overall. The cable comes out of both earcups, and it’s also non-detachable. The wire itself is nice and thick though, and I doubt that it’ll give up on me anytime soon. The cable is 3 meters long which is fine for use in a studio or at home, but you might have to keep most of it tied up if you plan to take it on the go.
Comfort
I found these to be pretty comfortable despite the weight, and I had no problem with wearing them for an extended period of time. I love the fabric earcups. They’re very thick, and my ears don’t touch the drivers at all. They’re soft on the side of my head, and I definitely prefer these over the pleather earcups found on most headphones. They do pick up dust and sweat however. Unlike the Status Audio OB-1’s, these actually come with an extra pair of pleather earcups if that’s what you prefer. They’re a lot shallower than the fabric ones, and I kept those ones on because my ears touch the drivers with the pleather ones. The padding on the headband is very thick, and makes up for a lot of the weight I mentioned before. The clamping force is absolutely perfect in my opinion, as it keeps the headphones planted on my head without causing any discomfort. This will vary from person to person of course, but I’m fairly happy with these in terms of comfort overall.
Sound Quality
You’d expect a pair of >$50 headphones to sound terrible, but these definitely surpassed my expectations. They’re surprisingly flat, even more so than the Audio Technica ATH-M50x’s that I’ve been using for the past few years. Everything is well balanced, and the sound signature is similar to that of a much more expensive pair of open back headphones. The lows are controlled while still managing to sound rich, and they don’t overpower anything at all. My M50’s are a bit more boomy and have better representation in the sub bass, but that’s to be expected on a pair of open backs. Mids are very clear and pronounced on these, and it makes vocals sound absolutely amazing. The mids help bring out fine details in songs, and it’s probably why these stand out so much at this price point. The highs are warm and comfortable to listen to at a reasonable volume. The V2’s don’t have the high range sparkle that the open Audio Technica AD series has, and the highs are definitely less pronounced than the mid range on these. They still sound very neutral however, and I love the way everything comes together to make a sound that is airy and thick at the same time. Other headphones at this price range simply can’t match the clarity of the V2’s.
These have an impedance of 54 ohms, which makes them a bit harder to drive than most headphones. They reached just the right volume on my phone, but those of you who like to listen at higher volumes might want to use a more powerful source.
Soundstage is noticeably larger than closed pairs, but certainly not the largest for an open pair. Almost all the reviewers who have tested these or the Status Audio equivalent agree that the soundstage is deeper than it is wide, and I have to agree with them. It’s still great for games, and I was able to pinpoint enemies in games like CS:GO and Battlefield 4. Games sound much more immersive with open back headphones, and I was really able to enjoy the excellent sound design in Battlefield with these!
Isolation and Sound Leak
These are almost completely open, so you will be able to hear everything in your environment, and everybody in your environment will be able to hear what you’re listening to. These are best used alone!
Conclusion
You simply can't go wrong with these; they’re by far the best sounding set under 50 dollars. Sound is clear and balanced, with decent soundstage. Build quality is excellent, and comfort is good in my opinion. If you were looking to buy the Status Audio OB-1’s, I can almost guarantee that you’ll be happy with purchasing the Somic V2’s at almost half of the price. Here's where to get them!: https://goo.gl/y5vzid
These were sent to me by GearBest on my request, and I would recommend that you pick them up there. Not because they sent these to me, but because they had excellent service and a reasonably quick shipping time to me here in Canada.
