Wow, just wow. TLDR right up front, these are fantastic headphones for the price. If you have any hesitation to buy them whatsoever, let me tell you that you won't be disappointed. Bass is a bit lower than some people would like, but hey they're open backs!
My pair arrived in their retail box, which was kind of surprising as the box wasn't even sealed. Thankfully the headphones were undamaged and they appear to be brand new, although I honestly wouldn't care if they were used since they look fine.
Included I was surprised to find a 1/4 inch (the big audio connector for amps and such) to 3.5mm adapter pre-installed on the unit. I was actually kind of worried that I accidentally purchased the wrong variant of these headphones, since the adapter looked like it was part of the cable. Thankfully my initial assumption was incorrect, and the adapter unscrewed revealing a 3.5 mm plug, although I must say the quality of this adapter is what fooled me. It's super nice and fits on the cable seamlessly!
The fabric the removable ear pads are made out of is kind of strange, it's almost like a felt material but it doesn't have the same shininess to it. Nevertheless it is very comfortable for the price, and in general comfort of these headphones is quite good. The self-adjusting headband and whatnot is a straight-up clone of the AKG K240s, which certainly isn't a bad thing in this case. Samson have done a fantastic job replicating the design of the K240s while also managing to keep costs low. The non-removable cable is a bit of a downside, but the included cable is very high quality and quite long. Seriously I've never seen gold-plated connectors that look and feel this good. As an Australian drummer once said "they're are symphony of plastic, but AvE has taught me that not all plastics are created equal". That statement is definitely true here, as the plastic that Samson has used for the SR850s is definitely on the higher quality side. The headband is fake leather and the supports that house the audio cable for the other driver are made of metal (maybe aluminum?).
Now, onto sound quality. Honestly when I had seen and heard all of the great reviews on these headphones I was expecting them to be quite amazing. Maybe it's not as dramatic as I expected, but these are my first pair of legitimately good budget headphones. The "sound stage" or 3D feel of the sound is definitely there, and while playing video games with gunfire or engines you can definitely feel the openness of the semi open back design. I particularly enjoy running around in Skyrim SE with them.
I will say the bass isn't crazy heavy, but looking at the frequency response graph for these headphones they're actually somewhat more bassy than more of the higher end true open back headphones. This is fine for me though, I do like base but I understand the concessions that had to be made for these headphones to have such good soundstage. That's always been the trade-off for open backs, less bass and also way less noise isolation. And on that note, yeah they definitely don't block anywhere near as much noise as a set of earmuffs would, but I actually like that since I need to be able to hear things while I'm using my computer or listening to music on my iPod. As always with audio, it's very subjective and you may find that these are the best headphones ever for you, or you may hate them because they're not crazy bassy like most everything else made nowadays. (Looking at you Beats and Raycons!) I can't really find any other descriptive words to describe the mids or highs, because I'm really just a novice when it comes to audio. Maybe just... they're great!
As far as durability goes I've only had them for a few days so I can't say much as to how I think they'll stand up over the long term. I will say that the non-removable cable is definitely once again a downside as far as durability goes, but if you're really invested in keeping your SR850s alive and you're handy with a soldering iron I see no reason why you couldn't add an aux connector connector. The headband and metal supports seem quite sturdy given the price, and I expect these to last for years to come. By then I'll likely have something better, but honestly if you're just into them for the looks, for content creators or streamers they look really cool and professional. I think if these things ever have some sort of catastrophic failure I'll either buy a new pair or attempt to fix these myself, as the design seems fairly simple.
The ear cups are removable and seem to be fairly modular. I'm sure there are several replacements on various websites, and if you're handy with sewing scissors and a needle and thread you could probably even make your own if you were so inclined. I think some gel ear pads would be super cool to try with these, although I don't know if these headphones have enough of a cult following for some manufacturer to take on that challenge.
Maybe if I'm feeling brave enough one day I will take apart the ear cup and speaker assembly to see how repairable they are from the inside, but for now I'm just happy to have a very good sounding set of headphones for my PC and iPod.
9/10, definitely five stars but a non-removable cable is probably the only downside. You'll know these aren't crazy bassy if you're in the market for open backs so that's not a downside in my opinion.
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From the manufacturer
SR850 Semi-Open Studio Headphones
Samson SR850 Semi-Open Studio Headphones are designed to provide a linear frequency response making them extremely accurate and great for critical mixing or for music playback. The headphones high frequency response is smooth and sweet, and the bass response is warm and tight, thanks to the proprietary 50mm neodymium drivers. The semi-open, circumaural design reduces ear fatigue and is easy to listen to during long mixing or listening sessions. The SR850 employs soft velour ear cushions that are comfortable and fit snugly over most any ear, and the self-adjusting band ensures a good fit. Whether you are recording, mixing or just kicking back and listening to your favorite tunes, the SR850 headphones are an ideal choice.
Equipped with 50mm high-sensitivity drivers with neodymium magnets, the SR850 headphones offer exceptional sound quality and clarity so you can mix with confidence. A wide, flat 10Hz–30kHz frequency response allows listeners to hear audio the way it was intended to be heard with a clear dedication to audio accuracy and maintaining a true and natural sound.
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Studio-quality soundDesigned as superior reference headphones for studio use, the SR850 present listeners with an airy high-end brilliance, a true mid-range that highlights subtle changes and low-end delivered with punch and pronounced depth. Rugged build and premium durability ensure these headphones meet the demands of critical sessions whether tracking, mixing or mastering. |
Studio ComfortSR850 combine an ultra-lightweight, over-ear design with plush velour ear pads and a self-adjusting headband. These elements of comfort ensure hours of fatigue-free listening and that your attention will always be on the music. |
Semi-Open AdvantageThe perfect mix of comfort and authentic sound makes the SR850 headphones perfect for musicians, podcasters, and streamers in the studio. The semi-open design featured on the SR850 delivers a wide sound stage with solid bass response and extended highs, resulting in a truly dynamic listening experience. |
Compare with similar items
 | AKG K52 Headphones | Philips SHP9500 HiFi Precision Stereo Over-Ear Headphones (Black) | SENNHEISER HD 559 Open Back Headphone - Black | Philips Over Ear Open Back Stereo Headphone Wired with Detachable Audio Jack, Studio Monitor Headphones for Recording Podcast DJ Music Piano Guitar (SHP9600) | |
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| Customer Rating | (6466) | (5601) | (9424) | (2267) | (19) |
| Price | $34.99 | $43.45 | $74.99 | $79.16 | $64.99 |
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Yejey Audio | PHOTOTECH | WORLD WIDE STEREO | PHOTOTECH |
| Color | Black | Black | Black | Black | Black |
| Fit Type | Over-Ear | Over-Ear | over_ear,headband | Over-Ear | — |
| Headphones Form Factor | Over Ear | Over Ear | Over Ear | Over Ear | Over Ear |
| Item Dimensions | 8 x 8 x 4.8 inches | 9.25 x 9 x 4.45 inches | 6.7 x 7.9 x 3.9 inches | 8.1 x 3.95 x 10.25 inches | — |
| Item Weight | 1.28 lbs | 7.06 ounces | 0.66 lbs | 1.50 lbs | — |
| Special Features | Adjustable Headband,Lightweight | Lightweight | Lightweight | Detachable Cable,Lightweight | over ear |
Great sound, cheap build. Broke after a few months
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2022
The sound is amazing for the price, don’t get me wrong, but the cable broke after a few months of light use. One of the parts of the stress reliever on the top of the cable broke and just recently I noticed the cable itself broke in the same place revealing the wires on the inside. This has caused some problems like sound only coming out of one ear. The 3.5mm to 1/4 in adapter is also defective in my case, it only plays sound through one ear. How do I know this isn’t just the fault of the faulty cable? It also does this to my Beyerdynamic DT770 and my apple EarPods. If you do want these I’d recommend spending the extra few bucks and buying some AKG K240’s. They are of similar design (because these are a clone of the K240’s) and similar sound quality but better build quality, even with the modern ones made in china.In summary, these kinda suck and you’d be better off getting K240’s or getting these and soldering a better cable on/soldering a connector on like mmcx or mini xlr so you can put your own cables on these
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2022
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Txema
De los mejores auriculares por debajo de 80€
Reviewed in Spain 🇪🇸 on April 17, 2018
Txema
Reviewed in Spain 🇪🇸 on April 17, 2018
Los Superlux 668b y los Samson SR850. Son dos auriculares cuya diferencia principal con los 681 y los EVO son los bajos potenciados y bastante más amplitud de escena musical (es como si el escenario donde se reproduce la música fuese más ancho, dando así sensación de espacialidad y no de que los instrumentos estén muy juntos entre sí) Además de lo anterior, son muy buenos separando nítidamente los sonidos, este factor se llama imaging, y sumado al anterior produce una sensación de espacio que es sumamente importante a la hora de posicionar enemigos en un videojuego o incluso viendo una película o al escuchar música cuyo factor espacial sea importante.
A grandes rasgos ya estaría hecha la review, pero... Oh no... En éstos últimos hay un pequeño problema, y es que hay unos mejores que otros en todo.
Ha sido una sopresa encontrar estas sensaciones porque la verdad es que en la mayor parte de foros de internet se posicionaban en favor de los Samson SR850, para mi enorme sorpresa me he encontrado que no solo no es cierto sino que además es completamente al revés.Los Superlux 668b tienen un pequeño problema, los bajos potenciados, lo que no deja de ser irónico porque esa pequeña "b" en 668b, significa balanced, osea, balanceado/equilibrado, lo que viene a decirnos que su frecuencia de respuesta será más plana. Pero aquí es donde viene lo importante, los Samson SR850 tienen una respuesta tremendamente parecida a los 668b solo que sin estar tan refinados, me explico:
Recordemos que los Samson son unos Superlux con un chasis ligeramente distinto, dicho ésto paso a comentar en qué se diferencian y porqué los 668b son superiores a los SR850.
En los SR850 los graves son más retumbones debido a una mala gestión de la cápsula del modelo original (668b), el transductor (altavoz) es el mismo, pero parece que nuestros colegas de Samson han tocado donde no debían. El que los graves sean más retumbones se traduce a más distorsión armónica en todas las frecuencias, lo que nos roba detalle. Los medios, por el fenómeno anteriormente descrito, les falta presencia y claridad, es como que se les echa en falta que realmente estén ahí. Me imagino que ya os podréis imagina qué pasa con los agudos, y no es otra cosa que la consecuente pérdida inevitable por la distorsión del conjunto.
Para rematar, tienen un pelín menos de escena que los 668b, y ésto puede ser debido perfectamente a que como el conjunto está distorsionado, el factor imaging no es todo lo bueno que pudiera, lo que produce una sensación de inexactitud en separación de frecuencias.
Lo bueno que tienen los Samson es que directamente te vienen con los "velour pads" o lo que es lo mismo, almohadillas de tela aterciopelada, de lejos las más indicadas tanto por sonido como por comodidad. Para el resto de Superlux, excepto en algunas ediciones de los EVO, tendremos que comprarlas aparte, lo que supone un gasto más aunque no sea muy grande. Otra ventaja que tienen los 668b es que el cable es del mismo estilo que el de los EVO, por lo que lo podemos cambiar cuando tengamos otro que queramos poner, ya sea por calidad o por comodidad para reducir o aumentar la longitud del mismo.
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Ari Guest
Great, Studio Quality Sound, at a BARGAIN!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 24, 2018Mr. S. A. Quincey
Excellent, a headphone story...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 20, 2017
