Yes, they have a very pleasant vintage sound, meaning that if you like sparkling highs, you'll have to bring your treble controls all the way up. They sound amazingly good that way. You can hear them for hours without getting tired. The black knobs on the side offer an interesting option. They rotate about 60 degrees, opening or closing the back side of the drivers. Use them open for deeper bass, or close them for higher power levels. Yes, it can play very loud. I have tender memories of this headphone, and had no idea they could still be found nowadays, which seems to prove its solid construction.