[menuki]

Was looking for a good pair of closed back headphones and after trying a few including the Marshall Monitors, i still haven't found the right ones.
 

Then i stumbled on the Status Audio CB-1's. No audiophile reviews whats-so-ever but very very good ratings on Amazon. I like their motto.. its "No logos. No celebrities. Just sound."​

 

So i ordered the CB-1's and they will arrive on Saturday.. then i can post impression. In the meantime, does anybody own a set of any Status Audio Headphones?​

 

For the ones who are interested, here is their website and their headphones:​

 
Main website:
http://thestatusaudio.com/
 
CB-1:
http://thestatusaudio.com/products/cb1
 
OB-1:
http://thestatusaudio.com/products/ob1
 
The CB-1 sparked my interest because of their thick ergonomic earpads which are based on reviews, very comfortable. They also offer big 50mm driver which usually means a bigger sound. The OB-1 seem to be rebranded Somic mh463, headphones which are liked by the Head-Fi community. I already own good open back headphones, so i choose the closed back ones. The closed back ones also offer removable cable opposed to the fixed ones on the open back.
 
Found no infos whatsoever on Head-Fi so maybe someone has a pair of any Status Audio and may report back.  

 

[XERO1]

The HD Two also look seriously sweet for $99 bucks!
 
http://thestatusaudio.com/products/hd2

 

[menuki]

Received the Status Audio CB-1 and i have to say i am very impressed. These are very neutral sounding, infact the most neutral sounding headphones i heard to this date, comparing them to the T20RP MK3, Yamaha MT220 and a lot of others which are not monitors.
 
Here are some short impressions before i hopefully get to write a full review:
 
Built:
These are built with a lot of plastic. I'm not sure but i think the driver is behind an aluminium cup but the cup is covered by plastic. Overall nothing special for the price, though they are not built badly, just alpt of plastic. The killer feature though is that they collapse and the earpads actually seem very good in quality. Not memory foam, but very soft and comfortable. More to that later in comfort.
 
Comfort:
Very comfortable, though require some getting used though cause the pads are thicker on the backside.The pleather is pretty soft and the foam is too. Not HM5 pads soft and comfortable, but they are also more "minimalistic" than the HM5 which is a big plus. The thicker side on the back provides an overall improved comfort and when you look at the pads you see that they are angled which helps ALOT with imaging! More to that later.
 
(Keeping it short here. More to that in the full review):
Treble: Neutral und very non fatiguing, though not recessed or rolled of. A bit on the dark side but definitely detailed. For me its non-fatiquing treble > more "realistic" sparkly treble which pierces eardrums
 
Mids: Wow. I have to say that i never heard such good mids on a headphone this far period. The mids are not recessed at all and stand equal to the bass and highs. As far as my first impressions go, the mids are uncolored and are definitely the best thing about these headphones IMO ofc.
 
Bass: Neutral and maybe, just maybe a bit south of neutral, meaning its a tiny tiny bit recessed BUT i think its rather the fact i'm not used to really neutral sounding headphones so the bass seems to be a bit recessed. The bass is tight, punchy and very fast with very good transient response, it also reaches deep.
 
Imaging: Keeping it short, very good. The drivers are not angled but the earpads are so imaging improves. I can pinpoint the instruments very exactly on the soundstage and the imaging seems to be well done.
 
Overall: Neutral sounding, fast and detailed, magical mids, non fatigue treble, vast soundstage for a closed headphone, good built with alot of plastic though plus collapse-able for better storage, HIGH VALUE!
 
I'm also considering getting another pair just so i don't have to take them to my office every day. They are just that good and cheap. 

 

[Vatnos]

How did those CB-1's age for you? I got a pair myself... first impressions...
 
Pros:
-Neutral, if you like that sort of thing.
-Good detail, not many artifacts.
-Great sub-bass extension. The bass has a nice tactile quality to it.
-Comfy for the price, and even though they're plastic they have a good shape at least.
-Good cable, and I like that it's removable.
 
 
Cons:
-Coarse, not smooth! The sound is fatiguing from these, for me at least. Despite the fact that the treble isn't overemphasized, and there are no weird artifacts in it, there is a coarseness to the treble and upper mids that makes some types of music absolutely draining.
-The isolation is disappointing for a closed back.
 
 
Interesting notes:
-These are actually a rebranded version of the Somic MM163. If you want to see more reviews of this, I would give the Somic ratings a look, since they've been out for a few years. Those retail with a similar price nowadays. They also have the same pads/cable now. I should also mention that the asymmetric pads the earlier models had are gone, and they're using symmetric ones now.
 
-The burn-in on these is probably the most extreme of any headphone I've ever encountered. Out of the box they're boomy and bloated. After a couple days of use they tighten up and become much more neutral. I'm hoping the coarseness goes down with further burn-in. They are still fairly fresh.

 

[MisterMudd]

How did those CB-1's age for you? I got a pair myself... first impressions...

Pros:
-Neutral, if you like that sort of thing.
-Good detail, not many artifacts.
-Great sub-bass extension. The bass has a nice tactile quality to it.
-Comfy for the price, and even though they're plastic they have a good shape at least.
-Good cable, and I like that it's removable.


Cons:
-Coarse, not smooth! The sound is fatiguing from these, for me at least. Despite the fact that the treble isn't overemphasized, and there are no weird artifacts in it, there is a coarseness to the treble and upper mids that makes some types of music absolutely draining.
-The isolation is disappointing for a closed back.


Interesting notes:
-These are actually a rebranded version of the Somic MM163. If you want to see more reviews of this, I would give the Somic ratings a look, since they've been out for a few years. Those retail with a similar price nowadays. They also have the same pads/cable now. I should also mention that the asymmetric pads the earlier models had are gone, and they're using symmetric ones now.

-The burn-in on these is probably the most extreme of any headphone I've ever encountered. Out of the box they're boomy and bloated. After a couple days of use they tighten up and become much more neutral. I'm hoping the coarseness goes down with further burn-in. They are still fairly fresh.

Thanks for the detailed information. I ordered a pair today. Can't wait. Couldn't believe the 94% rating on 5 Star reviews on Amazon. Seems to be high value. We'll see. They are currently $67 on the status audio website with a discount code.

 

[Vatnos]

Thanks for the detailed information. I ordered a pair today. Can't wait. Couldn't believe the 94% rating on 5 Star reviews on Amazon. Seems to be high value. We'll see. They are currently $67 on the status audio website with a discount code.

 
I am preparing a new review of them. I have Philips SHP9500s as well and I've been going back and forth with the two, trying to decide what I like better. When I have a more objective analysis I'll post reviews for both.
 
I took a huge risk with the CB-1s. They're not as vetted as a lot of other things out there, but I needed closed cans for travel, and nothing else under $200 really ticked all the boxes I cared about. I'm very pleased with them. The treble becomes less coarse with a good DAC by the way. That was one thing I figured out after a week or so. They're very sensitive to different DACs and amps it seems.
 
They are very neutral but the bass extension and the soundstage make them a lot of fun.

 

[MisterMudd]

I am preparing a new review of them. I have Philips SHP9500s as well and I've been going back and forth with the two, trying to decide what I like better. When I have a more objective analysis I'll post reviews for both.

I took a huge risk with the CB-1s. They're not as vetted as a lot of other things out there, but I needed closed cans for travel, and nothing else under $200 really ticked all the boxes I cared about. I'm very pleased with them. The coarse treble is nonexistent with a good DAC by the way. That was one thing I figured out after a week or so. They're just very sensitive to bad DACs.

They are very neutral but the bass extension and the soundstage make them a lot of fun.

Man, I can't wait. I have been strictly open - back cans for the last few years with my Philips Fidelio X2, SHP 9500, Sennheiser 598, a few Koss models, and recently ear buds. I've had the Audio Technica M50 for years as there are times, like traveling, that I prefer/need a closed-back phone. Was a good starter headphone when I got them, but I find them to be a little grainy now. Also, they have always been small for my ears. So for the last several months I have been on the search for some good, and less expensive, closed headphones to replace them. The Status Audio CB-1 ear pads look so plush I couldn't resist. And I am still stunned at the high percentage of 5 Star reviews on Amazon. Though very skeptical of ratings, I couldn't pass these up. If they have any measure of bass extension at all, the Sennheiser HD598's are out the door. Just excess in my collection at this point. When the new cans come in and I have had a little time with them, I will report back.

 

[Vaga Liki]

Hi all, I'm very interested in buying these headphones. Seems like the sound signature and detail match what I'm looking for. How would you rate the durability of the headphones and cables?

I'm ready to buy them or maybe the SOMic originals (despite the ugly logos) but I need to know that they won't just conk out on me in no time. If I spend $80 it should be well-spent and one time only.

 

[Vatnos]

Durability - None whatsoever. They're made from cheap plastic that feels flimsy. They're holding up well for me but I would be worried if they ever experienced violence. The headband... I'm not sure if it even has metal in it.
 
Cables - Very good. Thick, great ends, nice coating, 3mm and mini TRS ends. Similar to AT with the 3ft curly cable and the 10ft straight cable. You may want a 5 ft cable instead. The TRS locking mechanism appears identical to the one on Audio Technica headphones, so I suspect you can swap cables between them.

 

[Vaga Liki]

Do you really think it's worth $80 then?

I don't want to be tantalized with stellar sound and then the headphones conk out after a year or so.

 

[Vaga Liki]

Is there anything that sounds like the CB-1 with the wide frequency range and neutral sound but with better build quality?

 

[Vatnos]

Are they worth $80? Yes. Though I think you may be able to find them for less.
 
Z-Reviews - https://www.reddit.com/r/Zeos/comments/57ml11/guide_gaming_headphones_mics/
 
Tek Syndicate - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WRSv_4ylVI
 
Are there better built closed headphones that sound as good and are as comfy? Of Course... but not under $100 it seems like, unless someone out there knows a secret.

 

[Moochibond]

Z-Reviews - FULL REVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_BxKsGurII

 

[Vatnos]

It's funny he says you can have these and then shp9500s and have a complete set of closed and open. That's exactly what I did!
 
Spent a lot more on amps than on the actual headphones.

 

[Reginald II]

I'm planning to buy CB-1, what decent DAC should I buy for these?