Final Revision : 10 : 20 : 2018
Ok, I have the Adam Studio Pro's strapped on my head.
Arrived about 40 mins ago.
Thank you FDX and Sweetwater Sound.
Wanted to give you first impressions, as im not a true believer in "burn in", as i have experienced ZERO improvement with most headphones and a limited improvement with a few, over time of use.
Some swear by it, and thats fine,... so you keep swearing,... and i'll keep saying what i just wrote.
My opinion is that if it sounds BAD right out of the box, then burning it in is just a "mind game" device being played on you, for the most part, in general, by some creators of these products who hope that by the time you have them on for 150-200 hrs, you will have forgotten you have the option to send them back.
Im now switching to Random, "off the cuff", comment mode, vs, trying to do an incredibly organized sounding review, as in the end, you only want to know about.:
1. Build
2. Comfort
3. Sound
4. Bass & Treble & Mids
1.) Build Quality : is , functional,..... headphones are.... "decent plus +"... regarding how you will feel if you buy them and upon first unboxing look, as you won't call these "feel and look like super high end quality".. as they have a lot of hard plastic involved in their frame.
2.) I would suggest that they have a similar aesthetic look of BeoPlay H6's, if that set of headphones was 90% plastic, as these are not a large headphone, as the 40mm Drivers & Design didnt allow for a larger cup, apparently.
3.) Packaging : is Beyerdynamic unimpressive-like,.... but the zippered case is ok, and you get (2) the coiled cord and the shorter straight cord, both with Gold plug ins, and you plug in, twist, and you are pretty much locked and loaded.
4.) Headband is comfy after you pass the 15 min mark, and the headphones, which are quite light, don't disappear once they are strapped on but after 15 mins there is a minor upgrade in comfort as they adapt to your head's shape.
5.) Ear Cups ??? Interesting, as they are hard, and are not what you would describe as shallow or deep, and they will not make large ears extremely happy. You will want to get softer cups, or, i predict you will suffer the consequence, as by the 2nd day i had these, they hurt my ears.
Now, i could adjust and try to compensate, but, unless you want to take a chance on bending the headband, these will feel too tight.
I would describe the firm Cups as over the ears, but, not outstandingly so, and they will get warm if you are not sitting is a nice cool room with the AC involved in the summer.
6.) Comfort on my head, that is use to larger heavier headphones..... i would rate as a 6.5
This rating is solely based on the ear cups which do not sit in a friendly way on your ears and the clamping pressure of the band, which is unfortunate.
Ok, lets get to the meat of the mini review, and find out if you want to get these.
1.) Do they sound good?
Yes, they are a $400 + dollar sound, and they do not drill holes into your eardrums using piercing treble as i was expecting to experience with this product based on a bit of prior frustrated history i have with the maker's other designs.
These are not headphones you will return because the Treble is an Icepick inside your skull........no worries.
But, they are absolutely not a relaxed top or a "rolled off" treble designed product, and they do not push the mids forward, and, they do not have a scooped sound, nor a U sound......they are quite balanced by good design, and overall their sound is North of neutral.
Do you love the Audeze EL8's both closed and open?...Then dont buy these, as these are much more balanced and open sounding, and have a lot more treble response, and as compared to those, the mids are sterile and not nearly as warm.
These are better then average regarding keeping outside sound out, tho not like Bose QC35's of course, but, they are fairly impressive in this area.
Ill give you an example....When i use my 17" Macbook Pro Laptop (sitting in my lap) to play a CD, i can't hear the CD Drive spinning, or if i can, its so so so very slight.
2.) Are these ADAM Headphones more for listening pleasure, or for mixing and tracking?
I vote they are quite more interesting as a listening device then i had presumed before arrival, and they would probably suit a PRO who understands how to adapt to their headphones when mixing. So, if you are wanting to mix using closed, then these would be a very decent opportunity.
3. ) Can you describe their sound and also, can you give us an idea about their sound ?
I would describe their sound as being balanced, with a lot of crisp precision involved regarding how they portray instrument reproduction.
Yes, they are accurate, and quite revealing, yet they are not a warm sounding headphone experience.
The Adam's monitor house sound is crisp and airy, and these are exactly that in a headphone, with a nice bass response.
4.) Do you feel "boxed in", and is the soundstage small?
I don't have the feeling that im listening to a device that is making the music smaller or more shallow. So, this is a good sound design that pays attention to soundstage and instrument separation, and balance, and resolution.
5.) How are the Mids?
Very decent...Not scooped nor recessed., accurate, and with enough personalioty to satisfy the person who prefers acoustic guitar, folk music, and classical music.
Similar to the Senn HD800's, these represent the brighter side of the sonic landscape which allows a lot of detail to be heard and enjoyed., tho this is not what everyone is going to love.
6. ) How is the treble?.
I would say these are created by a design soundsmithe who is not afraid to give you some treble, while understanding when the line between "crisp" and "sibilant" is being crossed, = so back off a little, go no farther, yet take it TO that line and do thyself no harm.
I personally would rate their sound as crisp tho accurate, as they offer ample treble and provide a bass response that is very engaging.
I feel that when you speak about "flat and neutral", you are dealing with losing too much bass and treble at the expense of getting the midrange very very very accurate.
So, it becomes a trade off to get to "flat and neutral".
These are, in general, sonically crisp and accurate, and are not midrange heavy or "U" shaped.
7.) How is the Bass.???
Ah.....ah.........hummmmm, well, have no fear, these are not Basshead cans, yet there is ample (more then Aeon Flow's or HD600s) , but, its kinda unique. Their low end gives the impression//sense of a small sub being involved in the sound room that these 2 cups are building around and inside your head. And that is the best way i know hoq to explain it.
Let me just say that its not that you'll hear more bass response, but you'll notice a lower freq bass response that is in there and its very attractive.
I think that most people who listen to these, will really like this feature, and find it unusual that a closed set of fairly inexpensive Cans can offer it.
Bass is good here, have no fear.
Should you buy them?
You should if the thought of a very "crisp and airy" sound, does not drive you into a cold sweat and seizure.
You could if you are able to deal with a very snug fit and ear cups that are firm and mildly uncomfortable.
My "go to" headphones are usually Audeze X's, or HIFi Man HE500s, so, to my ears, as compared to those, these are a decent sonic match, and offer more treble then the Audeze X's, and i really like the Treble in the Audeze X's which are my favorite headphones.
So, You should buy them if you can afford to have a lot of headphones and this is important to you, = that you keep finding more headphones to try...., or, if you are wanting a modestly uncomfortable closed set that sound good, and will allow you to mix and master your tunes with a very decent level of accuracy.
Sonic Bang for Buck ratio regarding these Adams is a solid 7.9 for their sound, and a 6.5 for their overall comfort level.
Not highly recommended due to their lack of comfort issue.
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