Sine
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2007
- Posts
- 158
- Likes
- 12
Last month I decided I wanted a step up from my old closed cans; the M40s in my signature. I was looking for some warm, bassy and fun cans and settled on the PROLine 650 after a lot of research. Let me preface my thoughts on it by saying that I'm pretty much a noob when it comes to headphones, so take the following with the appropriate amount of salt.
My source is an E-MU 0202 USB fed by Apple Lossless.
Sound: The first thing I noticed was the tight, controlled, and enormous bass. The other headphones I've heard just give you the "bang"; these give you the "growl" and the "wham!" as well. Sorry if that's a bit vague.
The mids sound recessed to me; but the highs are strong and nicely detailed. Detailed enough, in fact, to not be very forgiving to poor quality recordings or MP3s. For me, it was a non-issue.
Imaging and soundstage are a little ambiguous - these cans seem to do well separating instruments, but they only ever sound like they're directly to my left or right. Not bad, but not exactly the 3D soundscape that S-Logic purports to have.
Techno, Alternative, Ambient, New Age, Pop, Rock, Jazz - all of these genres (to my ears) are ones that the 650 really does well in. It sounds exuberant and warm, with a bass quality that's absolutely addictive. The only genres I don't like these for are classical (needs a bigger soundstage) and metal (should be more forward).
But...: There are two things that really bother me about the sound. First, the empty midrange that I already mentioned. Second, they have a tendency to fall apart when there's a lot going on. For example, in Radiohead's "Exit Music (for a film)", it renders the strong bass impact in the second half but lets everything else turn to mush. Perhaps these are consequences of not using an amp - I don't know.
Build Quality: Some people take issue with this, but I haven't had any problems. Sure, it's made of plastic, but it's solidly constructed. My head's on the small side of what these cans can handle, though, so they're not exactly overstressed.
Comfort: I was going to write something here, but I think the following picture does a much better job representing my thoughts...
I don't know if it's the recessed midrange (earstrain?) or the clamping force, but something about these headphones makes them fatiguing to me. I can listen to them for about an hour before I have to take them off and have a break. Maybe it's just me.
As much fun as I've had with these headphones, I'm thinking about swapping them for a pair of midrange closed ATs (A900, W1000, ESW9, etc.) that will give me more midrange and a lot more comfort.
Well, that's a wrap! I hope this noob mini-review wasn't too dull or useless for you. If you have any comments, thoughts, or advice; they would be greatly appreciated.
My source is an E-MU 0202 USB fed by Apple Lossless.
Sound: The first thing I noticed was the tight, controlled, and enormous bass. The other headphones I've heard just give you the "bang"; these give you the "growl" and the "wham!" as well. Sorry if that's a bit vague.
The mids sound recessed to me; but the highs are strong and nicely detailed. Detailed enough, in fact, to not be very forgiving to poor quality recordings or MP3s. For me, it was a non-issue.
Imaging and soundstage are a little ambiguous - these cans seem to do well separating instruments, but they only ever sound like they're directly to my left or right. Not bad, but not exactly the 3D soundscape that S-Logic purports to have.
Techno, Alternative, Ambient, New Age, Pop, Rock, Jazz - all of these genres (to my ears) are ones that the 650 really does well in. It sounds exuberant and warm, with a bass quality that's absolutely addictive. The only genres I don't like these for are classical (needs a bigger soundstage) and metal (should be more forward).
But...: There are two things that really bother me about the sound. First, the empty midrange that I already mentioned. Second, they have a tendency to fall apart when there's a lot going on. For example, in Radiohead's "Exit Music (for a film)", it renders the strong bass impact in the second half but lets everything else turn to mush. Perhaps these are consequences of not using an amp - I don't know.
Build Quality: Some people take issue with this, but I haven't had any problems. Sure, it's made of plastic, but it's solidly constructed. My head's on the small side of what these cans can handle, though, so they're not exactly overstressed.
Comfort: I was going to write something here, but I think the following picture does a much better job representing my thoughts...
I don't know if it's the recessed midrange (earstrain?) or the clamping force, but something about these headphones makes them fatiguing to me. I can listen to them for about an hour before I have to take them off and have a break. Maybe it's just me.
As much fun as I've had with these headphones, I'm thinking about swapping them for a pair of midrange closed ATs (A900, W1000, ESW9, etc.) that will give me more midrange and a lot more comfort.
Well, that's a wrap! I hope this noob mini-review wasn't too dull or useless for you. If you have any comments, thoughts, or advice; they would be greatly appreciated.