******End of life update******
It's now April 2020, 2.5 years into owning these and using them daily. The joint above the left earcup broke, which makes that side want to bend outward away from my head. They are kind of still usable, but only until I order a replacement. I'm debating whether I want to get the same ones again or try something new. They are cheaper now than they were when I bought them, so it's still a pretty attractive value proposition. I'm mildly disappointed that they didn't make it to 3 years even, but at the price I feel like they are excellent headphones. I'll leave this review at 5 stars.
However! I just noticed that they have reinforced the yoke for the 2018-2019 models. That might help this issue. If you're considering these and you're okay with the downsides I mention in the original review, I say go for it!
******9-month update******
I still love these headphones. The sound quality has stayed remarkably stable and they still feel comfortable and like new, even though I use them every day. They are even cheaper now than when I bought them (I got them for ~$220), and I still highly recommend them.
One issue: The cable has some problems. It badly wants to twist and kink, no matter how many times I straighten it out. The cable also seems to be failing somewhere, as the sound cuts out periodically in one or both ears. Thankfully, the cord can easily be replaced, which I intend to do. A lot of headphones would be trashed at this point when the cable goes bad, but the replacement cord should extend the lifespan. I'm disappointed that this is happening only 9 months in, but it ultimately does not significantly tarnish my original 5 star review. Original review below:
****************
Some impressions after about a week with these headphones:
Pros:
+ Sound quality is excellent overall
+ These are by far the clearest headphones I've ever heard. Somehow I never realized that my previous headphones were so... muddled? And I've owned a variety of <$200 headphones and earbuds of different brands.
+ The instruments/parts are distinct. That's the best way I can describe it. Each individual instrument can be easily picked out. It's a nice experience.
+ There's a sense of space - there is height and depth to the music. In one song, I could tell the cymbals were positioned higher than the drums were. Maybe I'm full of it, but it struck me immediately!
+ The EQ is very balanced. If anything, it is skewed toward the treble.
+ I can't hear any distortion or muddling, even from "typical" music sources like Spotify or YouTube.
+ They are comfortable to wear for long periods of time.
+ The cord is replaceable, which should help the headphones last longer!
Cons (ish):
- Initially, I thought the bass was weak. The more I listen, the more I can tell that it's just that the treble and mid are so clear they can be heard better. If you prefer heavy bass boost, you probably won't like these. That being said, I listen to many kinds of music, including rock and metal, and the bass is sufficient for my ears.
- You absolutely could not use these in a public place. They are open-back headphones, so the sound leaks by design. I'm told that's good for sound quality, which may very well be true. I use these at home in my office, so it's not a problem for me, but anyone in the same room would know exactly what I'm listening to. Do not use these around others.
- They might be a touch quiet right out of the box. They were fine for me, but when paired with my Schiit Fulla amp/DAC, they do get louder. It's not a drastic problem, at least from my desktop, but a phone could make it even quieter. If you tend to blast your music at high volumes, you might need a cheap amp or amp/DAC combo.
- The included cord is a little short.
I cannot say much about longevity, since I've only had them a week. They seem well-constructed and I don't have any concerns about build quality so far.
Overall: I am stunned at the quality of the sound these headphones put out. I got them for $220, which is an absolute steal. Others have said they are well worth it at $400 (which is what they used to be), and I don't doubt that a bit. If the open-back design doesn't bother you, bite the bullet and get them!
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Reviews with images
The early opinion.
Let me preface this by saying I've only had about 12 hours with these headphones. Naturally I will be spending much more time with these for a myriad of reasons but until then I thought I should try and give you a review of my first impressions......because they are stellar.As per other reviews that I have done I want to break this down into subsections and tackle each one with the amount of attention and detail that both I can provide and that they deserve. If you want the condensed version however, skip to the end of each section where I'll provide a summary sentence and a grade.1. The Unpacking and design.2. Durability3. Aesthetic4. Comfort5. SoundI. ShapeII. StageIII. QualityLastly, before I begin I want to let you know that I run a FiiO X1 DAP (Digital Audio Player) with the FiiO E17k DAC/AMP (Digital Audio Converter) and run .flac or .wav files.1. Unpacking and Design: Arrived in it's own cardboard box with pictures on the side. I knew what this product was before I even opened it. Inside the Cardboard box it was snugly held by bubble wrap and Styrofoam-esque spacers. It was put in there with care and adequate protection. The actual box itself was covered by a sleeve that once removed showed a moderately eloquent interior hardbox case with the HiFiMan logo on the front. They put a decent amount of effort into making a pretty good looking box for not being metal, and I was adequately excited to see what was inside. Opening it revealed the literature and a black spacer still hiding the essentials deeper within. Understanding the value in this product I did take the time to read the instructions (short and sweet) before going on, as was probably intended. The 1 year warranty specifies that it only applies if you take care of them as THEY suggest you do, which whether good or bad, was interesting none the less. after pulling back the spacer "the crown jewel" was finally revealed snugly in deep foam. With some effort I was finally able to pull out these headphones expecting them to be at least two to three times the weight they actually were. Make no mistake, these headphones are deceptively light. At the bottom of each earcup there is a small jack (2.5mm) to plug in the right and left channels respectively. They look...concerning. I question the durability of those connection ports, but they worked just fine, so far. The cord itself is thick after the channels converge it's similar to a moderate quality subwoofer cable thick. But strangely...it's also pretty short. The right angle at the output end is always good to see, but this is a strange cord to be sure. Also included is a 1/4 - 3.5 mm adapter. The design choice is somewhat deceptive also in the amazon pictures. This is not a black headphone. It's a midnight blue/purple gloss on the cups and a black support bar and leather adjuster. Also this is an open back headphone, so don't expect to take this anywhere but maybe a different room in the house. The adjusting band has plastic with a white H on the outside face, and it's pretty tight to the metal so you'll know when you move it a click or two. The cup holders are plastic arms that do not collapse, so they don't really get much smaller, but it's not like these are designed for portability.Summary: Open Back, non collapsible 180 degree rotational (all the way to flat either direction) dual channel to 3.5 right angled short & thick cord. Midnight blue in color, plastic adjusting bands and 1/4 to 3.5 adapter (B+)2. Durability: Though the band is durable and the cord is not hardlined these are as open backed as open backs get. If you put your hands over the back sides of the cups themselves the stage changes DRAMATICALLY. There's a lot of plastic in places that makes me uncomfortable too, so if I would associate a term with reference to the durability of these I would probably use "delicate". I'm happy to see that they have changed from the screw in proprietary cable to the 2.5mm cable for this model which gives you more options as far as cord swapping in the event that you need to but these are certainly not an out and about style headphone.Summary: Build is solid, but too much plastic, open backs (C-)3. Aesthetic: These headphones were certainly not engineered for good looks. While the cups themselves look nice The metal band is going to protrude far above the leather band giving you an rather odd look. The caveat to this is that these weren't exactly engineered with style as a priority, but rather comfort. That's not to say they look terrible, because they certainly don't, but they do look extremely odd and they will turn heads (though perhaps not in the good kind of way)Summary: Stabilizing band creates a strange retro-look. These aren't a fashion statement (C)4. Comfort: Conversely, while these were not designed for style they certainly WERE designed for comfort. Super light, extremely comfortable and the clamp force isn't overbearing at all. These feel like a pillow on your head and I can easily listen for hours with no fatigue whatsoever. They really took some time in the comfort department, and you can feel it.Summary: Supercomfy, not overly hot, near 0 fatigue, reasonable clamp force. (A)5. Sound: This is the main category for me being that sound is usually what headphones are all about. At the end of the day if they can deliver in this department, it's usually easy to overlook other shortcomings and these certainly do. When it comes to these headphones no other headphone I have can really compete. To give reference I own the following (shown by best sound to worst):Sennheiser 598sAudio Technica MSR7sSennheiser HD25-I II'sBeyerdynamic Custom One ProsV-Moda M-100sSennheiser Momentum V1.0Audio Technica MTH50X'sSennheiser Urbanite XL'sBose SoundTrueV-Moda Crossfade LP-2'sAstro A40Razer Kraken Pro'sSkullcandy HeshSkullcandy CrushersI. Shape: These like the MSR7s (Audio Technica) have a Reverse V (best representation " ^ ") style shape with emphasis on the midrange and a stunning clarity. These are not Basshead headphones, period. Though while the bass is not under represented, it is not over represented as is the custom with some of the more bassheavy headphones I know of (M-100, Urbanite, MTH50X) these are far more analytical and clear than other headphones I can compare to especially in the mid range.Summary: ^ Style, Midrange emphasis, not for Bass only fans, clear and accurate (A+)II. Stage: The soundstage I have on these beats every headphone I own. If a song has a fade from left to right you're gonna know. If it has a channel preference, you're gonna know. If the sound is separate in each channel, you're gonna know. IMO, the 598's though good, really just don't come close to the feeling of depth for the soundstage that is given from these headphones. The best way I can explain it is, turn your head to the left and look at the wall, then face forward, then turn your head right and look at the wall without any music. Make sure that there aren't any monitors in those three directions because when you turn the music on, you're going to think that there is.Summary: Best stage I own, best in price range so far, nothing compares. Very deep. (A)III. Quality: The devil is in the details, and the details are in this headphone. Everything you're looking for in your music, and some things that you aren't are going to be heard through these. They aren't muddy, they aren't forgiving of poor quality, and you are going to hear everything. External sounds are a major buzzkill with open headphones, and these are no exception. You are going to hear people talking in the other room, and they are going to hear what you're listening to if they are close or you have these turned up to "11". They're clear, crisp and precise. Again, emphasis is going to be on the mids with this headphone so those are gonna shine the best, but that doesn't take away from crisp and sometimes sharp highs and clear lows.Summary: Best that I own, very detailed, not forgiving, bleed sound like a dying animal.Please don't hesitate to ask any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. But not as happy as I was with this purchase. To be fair, in closing I got them at a special discounted price (66% off MSRP) but had I known the sound prior to purchase I would have likely paid full anyways.
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Daniel Rw
Excelentes Audífonos estoy enamorado!
Reviewed in Mexico on May 27, 2021Color: GrayVerified Purchase
Daniel Rw
Reviewed in Mexico on May 27, 2021
Resumen
Excelente calidad de sonido en general, muy abierto, textura y timbre genial, muy detallado, excelente soundstage, posicionamiento(imaging) y separación de instrumentos, gran rendimiento de bajos bien controlados, medios cálidos y placenteros, agudos detallados, aunque algunas veces pueden ser filosos y molestos, sobresaliente construcción de la estructura metálica de la diadema(headband), buena estructura de plástico reforzado de los sujetadores de las carcasas(yokes), excelente construcción de polímero ABS de las carcasas(housing) y magnífica construcción de los drivers(imanes y membrana), mala calidad del cable, las almohadillas se despegan del aro de plástico que las sujeta, la banda de piel sintética(headstrap) de la diadema(headband) se descarapela, buena respuesta de la compañía por garantía.
La razón por la que le doy 5 estrellas aún teniendo características en contra es porque en verdad amo su sonido.
PROS:
* Excelente calidad de sonido en lo general
* Excelente soundstage, posicionamiento(imaging) y separación.
* Bajos presentes, bien controlados y con excelente textura(firma de sonido magnético planar).
* Buena extensión de bajos sub bass, sin ser exagerada.
* Bajos sólidos y bien controlados.
* Revelan muchos detalles.
* Medios cálidos y espaciados.
* Agudos espaciados.
* Timbre increíble.
* Generan muy poca fatiga auditiva(con pequeña modificación).
* Excelente clamp force(fuerza de agarre a tu cabeza).
* Muy cómodos.
* Se pueden amplificar(drive) con iPhone u otros dispositivos portables (35 Ohms).
* Extraordinario valor por el precio(probablemente no encuentres nada mejor en ese rango).
* Buenos audífonos para segunda referencia en mezcla y masterización, revelan una buena o mala producción de audio.
* Sonido neutral con respuesta considerablemente plana.
* La empresa respondió muy bien por garantía de cable y almohadillas.
CONTRAS:
* Agudos a veces filosos y molestos
* Construcción de la banda de piel sintética de la cabeza(headstrap) defectuosa después de un tiempo.
* Construcción de las almohadillas defectuosa después de un tiempo
* El cable es muy delicado y se daña rápidamente.
Pros.
El sonido es genial, muy abierto, bien balanceado y neutral, tienen mucha claridad, su textura es placentera y cálida sin dejar de ser excelentes para la escucha crítica y analítica, el soundstage es sobresaliente, el posicionamiento y la separación son justos, generan excelente sensación tridimensional, tienen buena profundidad y altura pero no a un grado impresionante. Los bajos son bien controlados y concisos, muy rara vez llegan a ser retumbantes(boomy bass) o exagerados(depende de la canción obviamente, hay canciones con sub bass muy difuso y molesto), por el contrario, son nítidos y exquisitos, la extensión del sub bass es buena, aunque no son audífonos con bajos monstruosos. Los medios son cálidos, orgánicos y presentes, exponen muy bien las voces y los instrumentos acústicos, revelan muchos detalles y proporcionan momentos muy placenteros. Los agudos son espaciosos y con buena textura aunque, aquí encontramos uno de sus problemas, en muchas canciones son filosos y molestan al oído, creando fatiga auditiva, lo que yo hice para solucionar este problema fue agregar un pedazo de fieltro al fondo de las almohadillas, encima de la tela delgada que da al driver, como lo hace Massdrop en sus Ether CX o Dan Clark(Mr. Speakers) en sus Ether C flow, y problema resuelto, no generan fatiga auditiva en lo absoluto y puedo escuchar música por horas, aunque se pierde una minucia de soundstage, pero en realidad vale la pena este truco. Creo que con esta modificación el sonido en todo el espectro es redondo y sin fallas y tendrás una experiencia audiófila sin ninguna duda.
También me han funcionado como referencia de audífonos en mezcla y masterización, tienen una respuesta considerablemente plana y reflejan bien lo que está en la producción, aunque es injusto lo que voy a hacer, pero comparándolos con monitores de estudio como los JBL LSR305, no son tan distantes en neutralidad, digamos que están al 70% de su neutralidad y comparándolos con audífonos de estudio como los Beyerdynamic DT770, son por mucho mejores para analizar y tomar decisiones en general.
Contras.
El cable que viene es muy delicado, a mi se me daño como a los seis meses, fuí cuidadoso con él pero no de forma extrema y obsesiva y se daño muy rápido, a lo que me puse en contacto con la empresa para exigir garantía y respondieron de inmediato enviándome un cable idéntico de reemplazo, ahora cuido mi cable de reemplazo de forma exagerada y obsesiva, jamás lo aplasto, doblo imprudentemente o enredo y afortunadamente me ha durado 2 años, pero continuamente estoy con la preocupación de que empiece a fallar. Ahora bien, las almohadillas se despegaron del aro que les da forma como al año y dos meses, y el producto estaba a fuera o casi fuera de la garantía, no recuerdo bien, pero contacte a Hifiman y me enviaron un repuesto sin problemas desde China, cabe resaltar que yo soy muy cuidadoso con mis productos y nunca abusaba de las almohadillas jalándolas o quitándomelas de golpe, todo era suavemente. Y la última sorpresa que tuve, fue que la banda de piel sintética que va sobre la cabeza se empezó a descarapelar de arriba y a soltar levemente de abajo, como a los 2 años 6 meses de uso(en las fotos se aprecia), y como ya estaba fuera de la garantía, no reclame nada, resalto que jamás la expuse al sol y no vivo en una zona con clima extremo. Otra cosa es que las almohadillas son difíciles de quitar y de poner así que tengan cuidado, porque se pueden desprender del aro. El cable es de 1.5 metros y podría dar problemas de largo para quien tiene su equipo de sonido en escritorio pretende grabar conectandolos a una interfaz con ellos.
Conclusión
Una maravilla de audífonos con sonido exquisito y abierto, rico en detalles y prestaciones acústicas(soundstage, separación, posicionamiento, rango dinámico), se puede manejar con dispositivos portátiles debido a su bajo Ohmiaje. No he encontrado algún otro producto de ese nivel y que en reseñas hablen tan bien de él por ese precio, y encima de todo esto, ahora Hifiman ha lanzado la versión 2020 a 170 dólares, y según la compañía, tiene los mismos drivers pero con diferente headband y aros(yokes) de donde se agarran los cascos(housing).
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C. Leroux
Great planar driver headphones for a great price
Reviewed in Canada on June 3, 2019Color: GrayVerified Purchase
CN
superb upgrade from koss kph30i
Reviewed in Singapore on August 19, 2023Color: GrayVerified Purchase
