I've owned these about nine months now. I'm a huge audio nerd, and I love these headphones!

Quick points:

- frequency response is incredible.

- you won't need a DAC -- they're very sensitive (efficient).

- sub-bass is present, if a little quiet, but

- they can take MASSIVE amounts of sub-bass if EQ'd

- great for people who are sensitive to treble

- they're really comfortable -- I can wear them for hours, with glasses

- their floppiness takes some getting used to

- they isolate sound pretty well

- you'll want to buy a different cable (there's an awesome 1.2m braided one on Amazon for $12)



They sound /so/ flat. ("flat" here refers to a graph of their frequency response, where a "flatter" graph gives a sound that's de-emphasized across the frequency spectrum -- it doesn't make some notes too loud and others too soft, just reproduces them exactly as they were recorded.) They respond to EQ really well, but I don't feel the need to use EQ on any part of the range besides sub-bass (and only for trap, future bass, etc.). Of course, their response isn't the most even and flat (according to professional measurements I've found), but it's really, really great. What is emphasized makes detail (2kHz to 6kHz) just a little more present, without being harsh. To my ears, a lot of headphones in this price range and higher sound too harsh because they emphasize treble too much. I had that concern with these at first, but for my ears, they're right on the edge without going overboard -- just about perfect.

You can practically use them as speakers with a mobile device -- they're that sensitive. You definitely don't /need/ to use a DAC with these.

I love sub-bass. I listen to a lot of trap, future bass, and misc. edm where the subbass really needs to speak. These headphones start to roll off around 70Hz, but not so drastically to where these styles aren't enjoyable without an EQ. I could go without EQ on these headphones, but I don't. What's great about these is that you can throw all the sub-bass boost you want at them and they still perform superbly. I use as much as +25dB at 31Hz (on a 29-band EQ) and they handle it excellently. In that regard, I give in before they do. I recommend AIMP if you're on Android so you can dial in the bass just how you want it, if you're into that sort of thing.

With other types of music and with podcasts, audiobooks, etc, I don't even think to use EQ with these headphones. Acoustic instruments never sounded so good before, or so true-to-life. And with podcasts, you can really hear the differences in the different microphones people use; it's incredible.

They're really comfortable for me. I have a large head and I wear glasses half the time, and even while wearing glasses, I can wear these headphones for hours at a time with minimal fatigue. The earpads and headband are nice and soft, and the earpads reach all the way around large ears. My partner has a small head and seems to find them comfortable, though they can slide around a bit on their head. When I'm moving around a lot, I find I need to really tighten them up to get them to grip when I tilt my head down. This became a non-issue for me as I got accustomed to them.

Due to the flexible nature of the design, they are especially floppy. You really can't pick them up quite like normal headphones, and putting them on is necessarily a two-handed affair. The first time I picked these up at a demo, they seemed to abandon my hands. You can't pick them up by one earcup and slip them on one-handed. I find I have to grab both cups or both ends of the headband and then put them on. But that's intentional. Sometimes you want to just pick up one ear and listen for just a second, like when you're trying to dial in something in a recording. For that purpose, the rest of the headphones fall to the side out of the way, and it's very convenient. I was actually frustrated by this at first, but after using them for some time in several different scenarios, I'm glad for the flexibility.

Other design notes: they seem durable and they've never appeared to even start breaking. I am gentle with my equipment, and I kept from forcing the hinges when the headphones would flop out of my hands for the first week I used them. I absolutely love that they fold up. This is eminently convenient for putting them in bags and taking them places.

The sound isolation is pretty good. Even on airplanes I've found that I don't have to turn the volume up too much. They easily block out conversations and even that one guy who doesn't know he talks too loudly. Adding bass seems to help this.

The cable situation is pretty bad. It's kind of weird to include two giant studio-length cables with headphones that will also be bought by average consumers. That being said, I bought a compatible braided cable on Amazon for $12, and it's awesome. It locks into the headphones, it's just the right length for everyday use, and it seems really durable. You'll probably want to buy one if you ever move your headphones from your desk.



I really love these headphones, and I highly recommend them for all purposes.