Price Paid:  $250.00 from J&R music world

Summary:
One of my greatest purchases ever!!! These really make me fall in love with the music I listen to. Normally I just plug them straight into my laptop headphone jack and they still sound great. They sound better and better every day and make everything else I listen to sound empty by comparison.

Strengths:
Full soundstage
Great Bass from a set of headphones
Durable and attractive
Hours of tireless listening

Weaknesses:
Could be more comfortable, though now that I have broken them in they are a lot better that they were

Price Paid:  $300.00 from online

Summary:
I bought these based on the reviews here, and paired them with a X-Can headphone amp, an Arcam CD-23 players, and McCormick pre-amp, pure silver sound interconnects. Initially, I was really disappointed. The sound was muffled. I purchased the Cardas replacement cable, which helped, and mounted the X-can amp on ceraballs, which also helped. But most of the improvement in sound came from just letting these break in for a several weeks. Now the sound is outstanding, excellent detail and balance. The phones are very comfortable as well. Great for late night listening after the rest of the house is asleep.

Strengths:
Sound quality, comfort, craftsmanship.

Weaknesses:
Poor quality cable, but is built to be easily replaced. Buy the Cardas upgrade and you will be happy.

Price Paid:  $0.00 from superfi

Summary:
I've had enough of all these reviews saying how great these phones are. They aren't. They are not uncomfortable, have a reasonable level of detail, and convey timbre well (you will get the feel of the insrtument) but that is not music. They have poor timing. Despite the detail, they often come across as veiled. They do not convey music. For example, listening to track 6 on Chick Corea's Works, the bass line is completely divorced from what everyone else is playing. On the other instruments, the notes appear to be being played at random instead of as a musical whole that hangs together and makes sense. I rarely listen to them because after a very short time I get bored, as they simply do not play music. Unfortunately 99.9% of hifis are the same, which is why these aspects are rarely reported (and why reviews tend to be of such little use). I cannot see how they could be recommended for jazz, as jazz is a genre that needs these qualities, and is usually very demanding of a system. Perhaps classical may play more to their strengths.

Summary: to the casual listener, or the listener with a system that simply makes sounds and not music, you'll like them. If you are not greatly bothered about PRAT and simply want timbre, you'll probably be ok with them. But otherwise, stay clear.

Used with Naim CDS2/XPS, 82/HiCap, 250, SBLs, Headline

Strengths:
Timbre, detail.

Comfort ok (for me at least)

Weaknesses:
Timing.
Music.
Failure to convey any sense of a musical whole.

Price Paid:  $200.00 from ebay

Summary:
very overrated headphones, i find them dull,not involving,and somewhat dark sounding,im using them with a creek obh21 headphone amp maybe there not a good match with the creek headphone amp,im playing with the arcam cd 73 and denon 2900 player and they still give the same results,and for some to compair these headphones with 8,000 speakers they got to be on something,i own a pair of b&w 703 speakers($3,000) and they blow these away in every category,i know there different in certain areas namely imaging, soundstage but even with not good acoustics in our room there still alot better.I think grado headphones have a better sound i just dont like the upfront forward sound on them.Maybe im not a heaphone person afterall,overall i much prefure really good speakers. One more thing alot of people say these are good for classical music well let me just say i own over 300 classical cds from london decca to other labels some have very good sound others dont these headphones are not that good with classical music there better suited with pop or jazz mostly because of that lack of seperation and detail.

Strengths:
pretty good bass,somewhat open midrange,OK SOUNDSTAGE

Weaknesses:
TO DULL,LACKING SEPERATION AND DETAIL,EVERYTHING SOUNDS CLUMPED UP.NOT THAT GOOD WITH CLASSICAL MUSIC,BETTER WITH POP OR JAZZ.OVERRATED

Similar Products Used:
GRADO 125,SENNHEISER 580

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ntranby

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
2.43 of 5, 14.00 votes

Price Paid:  $450.00 from 450

Summary:
I would consider myself an audio professional. These are the best phones I've ever owned (although not for on the job, since they're open eared).

Strengths:
Will find flaws in whatever recording is listened. Be prepared, they're not forgiving headphones. But that's great in my book.

Weaknesses:
Non-forgiving. If the bass is off on the recording/performance, these guys will expose it. Weakness in some book, not in mine.

Similar Products Used:
Sennheiser HD280 Pros
Sony MD series (all) (3560s, etc.)
Most professional monitoring cans