Grab your own pair on Amazon
I've tried several different brands of budget to mid-range headphones and Sound Intone has their fair share of different ones out there. Unfortunately this is the second one I've tried from them and while I don't hate them, I don't love them either. I wouldn't tell anyone to stay away but it's just so hard to recommend them compared to other things I've seen at the same price point.
Build- Let's get this out of the way right away: the build is where I have the most issues here. Besides the chrome plastic buttons that I expect to start flaking before my eye nothing seems cheap. If you're wanting something that looks good you could certainly do worse. They have a modern design that adds a little color for some fun and flair. The first thing I noticed when putting them on was that there is absolutely no swivel for the cans to move to fit your head. Unless I'm a freak-of-nature(possible) I'm pretty sure the sides of most people's heads are not perfectly parallel. Cheaper sets tent to just flex enough to get by and better ones incorporate a swivel but these are too rigid and last the needed feature. That means they press more on the back of my ear and are a little raised in the front. You can imagine this could cause comfort issues after a while but there is another related issue; the top band. Zero padding whatsoever. There is a thick but flexible rubber sheet contacting the top of your head but nothing else. It seems like it would be so easy to throw some cheap foam in. Besides those complaints I do appreciate the ability to fold to make it smaller and protect the speakers. Ear padding is sufficient.
Function- Fear not concerned shopper, I like the sound. Not blow-you-away sound but I've encountered some headphones that I didn't even want to listen to and I have some Yo-Yo Ma playing as I write this and it's enjoyable. Overall a nice balance but I wouldn't mind a little more in the lows. I like to play the beginning of "Mama I'm Coming Home" and it sounded nice without evidence of struggling but could have used a little more on the sustain.
To recap if someone told me they found a deal on these I probably wouldn't even mention my reservations but if they asked for a recommendation I'd probably lead them elsewhere. If you're just going to use them for real short periods comfort may not be an issue but there just seems to be at best missed design considerations and at worst cost cutting. I still like the sound but I know they can do better. I received this product at a discount in exchange for nothing more than my honest opinion.
No comments:
Post a Comment