I'm envious of the people (person) with the JP model of the headphone, this STEEZ logo plastered to the side of the earcup is kind of intrusive while the JP version doesn't have this and is simplistic as ever
Sound Impressions time. I've had these headphones for about 30 hours now. Burned them in around 28, listened for about 8 of the 28. For referencing, the bass knob is not where it will be when I do the actual review, it is currently 25% up (which is my preference). For comparison purposes to the SOL Republic Tracks and P3 it will be pushed to the max (I'll do an additional at 25% for the P3s as well). That said, this will be a
long post.
Another note I should add. The 808 and the STEEZ (or Steez)
are the same headphone as the SE-MJ751I. That is the name of them in the US, and both names are easier to type than the SE-MJ751I or MJ751 or MJ751I or... You get the point. Steez and 808 are just quicker to type.
Sound Impressions: The general signature of these is a warmer, sweeter sound.
- Bass: This is really fun bass that packs and punch and keeps the impact while doing it. There is no doubt that these were target of the headphones. Rumbles work hard and can rock the whole sound apart while the impacts are subtle, but strong. There is no problems with bass presence either. The texture is really something else on these though. If I were to choose one weakness of the bass, it'd be the bass punch. I'd want a little more punch and a little less impact. At this level, the bass will never intrude upon the mids, so there is nothing to worry about there.
- Mids: The mids are focused on as well as the whole signature is pretty balanced with one another. The higher mids are the focus here, creating plenty of energy. With this energy comes good detailing. Clarity is pretty good throughout, but can use some work in some areas of the lower-mids. Vocals are sweet and shine with good dynamics overall, however, they will not fix up sibilant singers. Timbre is decent as well, but not spot on. Separation isn't at its best though as similar sounding instruments can blend together at times. Sound stage is not really as large as some would like it. It's not artificial, but it's also not large.
- Highs: The highs do have a bit of sparkle to them, but can't hold the energy that the sweeter midrange does which can make them seem a little lost at times. The treble really doesn't extend as much as needed either due to their tendency to decay quicker than I'd like. There really is little sibilance, although the highs do have a slight crispness to them. Detailing and separation are quite good on these, and splashes sound natural and not overdone. The highs have their problems, but aren't really bad; I'd still say they are good despite needing some work.
Comparison to Bowers & Wilkins P3
Bass set to 25%
- Bass: Although still there, the bass texture of the P3s outdo that of the STEEZ. The P3s also offer much better bass punch as well. However, the P3s have the tendency to overcook the low end at times, while the STEEZ does at this level. The 808s on the otherhand will outdo the P3 in terms of overall impact. Both do have sort of a boom to them, but the Steez has things under control. Overall, the Steez, despite having a bigger sub-bass presence is better controlled than the P3s overall. While the P3s are more musical than the 808s, they aren't perfect all the time. The 808 on the otherhand may not be the best, but doesn't ever do anything wrong, and that's what makes it win the round. It doesn't mess up.
- Mids: We begin talking to different animals at this point. The Steez offers a sweet sound that just screams with energy while the P3s are a warm, smooth, lush sound to them. However, the P3s do win in terms of having better dynamics (not saying that the Steez' dynamics are bad, they are actually pretty great, the P3s are just a tad bit better). Detailing is slightly better on the 808 while clarity on the P3s is better overall, despite having the warmer sound. The Steez and BWs switch places here as the 808s can be sibilant at times while the P3s are never sibilant. P3s take this.
- Highs: The highs on the B-dubs extend beyond what the Steez does (just goes to show that 28k response means little to nothing for the Steez ). The smearing effect is set to a minimum on both as separation is top notch. Detailing and clarity is good on both as well. The main differences are the energy and extension between the two. The P3s carry a bit less energy to them, but seem refined overall. The P3's highs aren't overshadowed by anything while the 808s are. P3 takes the highs as well.
Bass set to MAX
- Bass: The addition of about 7 dB of bass into the deepest lows still remains more controlled with the STEEZ, although it now can be a bit much at times. The lows of the 808 are still more controlled than the P3 simply because the bass increase occurs not in the mid-bass, but the deeper sub-bass. A sense of impact is increase, as well as overall boominess. However, it still hasn't reach the levels of the P3 due to the better mid-bass presence it has. The P3s still perform better with a tighter punch while the 808 behaves itself in control of itself still, despite having absolutely 0 punch now (it's all impact). Texture is a little better as well, however, presence has improved vastly for the STEEZ. The bass is really a toss up now between the Steez and the P3s.
- Mids: The increased bass does lots to the way the midrange is perceived. For starters, they lose a lot of energy, but still keep good dynamics and energy to them. A bit of warmth has been added to aid the sweet sound. The lower mids are now better balanced with the higher mids. Overall, the mids have been balanced a great deal. Detailing remains the same and there really is no improvement anywhere. Clarity in the lower mids have been enhanced nicely, however, the higher mids seemed to lose a bit of their buzz to them. The sibilance has gone away completely as well. As stated earlier, the P3s still have slightly better dynamics. However, that's all that separates them. I would actually say the P3s take this one once more, but only my a smidge.
- Highs: The highs lose more energy here once more as they are still shadowed by the midrange, but as well as the deepest lows now. Separation is still nicely tuned on both headphones. Detailing is as it was before, same with clarity actually as well. The only downside is that they add to their main weakness, they lose energy and become more covered with the addition of more low end. P3s take it again.
Comparison to the SOL Republic Tracks
Bass set to MAX:
- Bass: Veiling are the lows of the SOL. The SOL have more of a mid-bass focus like the P3, but aren't able to dig as deep as either of the two headphones at hand; P3 or 808. The 808s still show much more restraint despite having the boosted, deep low end. They both lack punch entirely and just go after the bass impact. The SOL is noticeable stronger though. Texture-wise, they both perceive texture similarly, but the 808s dig deeper and further which allows more detailing to come into play. 808s win by a long shot.
- Mids: The mids are overshadowed by the lows in the SOL, the 808s do no such thing at all. Clarity, detailing, even timbre is well improved when you step from the SOL to the Steez, so it's really not much of a competition. The SOLs offer a much darker sound to them, while the 808s are warmer now (due to the bass increase), but still have much more energy to them. The Steez also have better dynamics in general. Once again, the Steez best the SOL in just about every category here.
- Highs: OK, there still is life in the Tracks. They offer a much better high end, despite being more relaxed than the Steez. They offer good sparkle, but extend further than the 808s and don't die as quickly. Clarity and separation are about equal. Detailing is a different story though as the Steez can perform the snare snaps much better than the tracks. I would really call the high end a wash overall.
What amazes me most about the Steez is that it's able to compose itself so well, even after boosting the deepest of lows so much. Are they perfectly controlled after boosting? Absolutely not, but they still do a great job.
After writing all this, the next impression you'll hear will probably come from a full length review (1-2 weeks time). If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer. If any clarification is needed, let me know. It's about midnight right now, so I may not have written in the most clearest of terms (or made a few typos)
