D3athangel
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2011
- Posts
- 67
- Likes
- 12
Hey all, this is my first post ever on Head-Fi so I'm not much of an audiophile myself but I am learning day by day. I decided to do a review on the Monster Turbine, which is currently the third pair of IEMs I own, the first one being the Sennheiser CX 400-ii.
Note: The music used to review these earphones are mainly metal music, from Melodic Metalcore to Melodic Death Metal. I do not listen to any other genres apart from metal, so I cannot give any information on how these will sound with other genres.
Source used for review: iPod touch 4G (unamped)
Songs used:
Nothing Left - As I Lay Dying
Alone - Bullet for My Valentine
Wait For You - Atreyu
Pacing Deaths Trail - In Flames
The Mirror's Truth - In Flames
Enter Dog Of Pavlov - Soilwork
Throes of Perdition - Trivium
Like Light To The Flies - Trivium
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS:
Firstly, I have to say the box they come in is very big. Although they do not come with many accessories, the box is decent. Monster provides you with three sizes of regular silicone "mushroom" tips and two sizes of silicone triple-flange tips. The Turbines also come with a nice protective case for storing them. And of course you get the earphones themselves.
At first, I had some trouble with getting a good seal. I finally managed to obtain a good seal by trimming the triple-flange tips, in order to make them bi-flanges. Out of the box, the Turbines seem to produce a lot of low-end bass, which also had a lot of impact. The mids were nice and forward compared to the more recessed mids of my CX 400-ii. The highs were decent and were neither shrill nor harsh.
BUILD QUALITY:
The Turbines are nice and sturdy with their all-metal housing. However they do seem pretty heavy compared to my other IEMs, but I actually like the weight of them, it makes them feel more sturdy and strong. The earphones are color-coded for discerning between the left and right one; the blue being left and red for right. I love the black chrome color of the housing, it makes it attractive while still making it fairly discrete. The cable feels really nice, although many of you might disagree. The cable seems to be less tangle-prone compared to the cable of my CX 400-ii. The 3.5mm plug is gold-plated to prevent static during contact. Overall, I feel pretty confident of the build quality of these IEMs.
COMFORT:
Despite the fact that I'm not too used to the trimmed bi-flange tips, they seem to sit pretty comfortably in the ears, and they never fall out. They isolate extremely well compared to my CX 400s. The Turbines do stick out a bit but not too much. They feel very comfortable during use.
SOUND QUALITY:
Bass: There is a lot of the low-end bass present and this gives the bass a lot of impact. There is not much of mid-bass making these earphones sound more balanced than bassy. The bass is detailed, quick and controlled, with very little decay. There is little bass bleed into the mids. The bass can be said to be "boomy". The bass extends very deeply. Nevertheless, the bass is not bloated and does not block out the rest of the details of the music.
Mids: The mids are very forward and make the music very engaging and "fun". They are nicely coloured and clean, with no audible distortion. They make the music more melodious and lively. Vocals are clean and detailed.
Treble: The highs are nice and present throughout, and aren't harsh or shrill. They may not have much detail but they are still crisp and light.
Soundstage: These IEMs have a wide soundstage, which is slightly forward compared to my previous earphones.
Overall, these IEMs are nicely detailed with a nice balanced sound signature. Instrument separation is decent. These retail for about USD$180 and this at price point you are seriously get bang for your buck. The Monster Turbines are a great upgrade from my Sennheiser CX 400-ii, and if you can get these for less than USD$150, I would greatly recommend them. So far, these are the best In Ear Monitors I have ever listened to.
