Whether you\u2019re a music professional or just an occasional listener, you likely know the importance of a good pair of headphones. Nowadays, there are endless amounts of wireless options. But a Bluetooth-connected pair of headphones isn\u2019t always ideal. First of all, you have to deal with charging. The internal battery needs to have enough longevity; you\u2019re responsible for keeping it topped off. Forgetfulness, a busy life or pure laziness can get in the way. Additionally, latency and transmission issues can be a real bummer. There\u2019s nothing worse than listening to your favorite song and having the audio cut-out or become distorted.<\/p>\n
For these reasons and more, many consumers are opting for wired-only headphones. Not only do you not have to charge them, most swear that they sound better. In fact, they typically do. Since they don\u2019t need to transmit audio wirelessly, there\u2019s virtually no lag, distortion or choppiness. Instead, a wired connection offers the best in audio quality. No delay, no batteries to worry about; just pure musical enjoyment! That being said, they aren\u2019t just for music, either. Most wired headphones are ideal for studio monitoring or recording.<\/p>\n
Take the new\u00a0OneOdio Monitor 80, for example. They\u2019re a new-release, hi-resolution professional monitoring headphone, packed with enticing features. If they\u2019re anything like the\u00a0OneOdio Studio HiFi\u00a0or\u00a0Monitor 60 headphones, we\u2019re probably going to like them.<\/p>\n
Today, we\u2019ll take an honest approach to the Monitor 80\u2019s and explore exactly what they have to offer. We\u2019re going to take a closer look at their overall build quality, the comfort they offer and most importantly; the sound quality they\u2019re capable of. In the end, we\u2019ll render a final verdict that\u2019ll ultimately determine if we recommend them or not. Without further ado, let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n
Upon their arrival, we were excited to test them out and see exactly what the Monitor 80 headphones were capable of. In the box, the headphones come packed in a hard zippered carrying case. With a clamshell-design, the case has just enough room for the headphones in addition to the two cables that are included. Notably, you also get a 9\u2032 (3 meter) long 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio (auxiliary) cable as well as a coiled 3.5mm to 6.35mm audio cable that\u2019s around the same length.<\/p>\n
Holding the Monitor 80 headphones in your hands for the first time, something is quite obvious. These are large, oversized headphones with super-plush ear cups. There\u2019s multiple hinges and swivels built into the design, letting you fold them up or wear them around your neck for DJing. In fact, each earcup can pivot a full 180 degrees, depending on your preferences.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re comprised mostly of ABS plastic with a metal internal frame. To be honest, the plastic makes them feel a bit cheap. It\u2019s a lightweight material that we believe should be a bit more solid. Regardless, we don\u2019t think it\u2019ll pose a problem unless you abuse them. That said, keeping them in the included carrying case is a good idea. Moving on, the headband is comprised of a pleather-like material with ample padding. Each earcup can be extended an additional 1.25\u2033 (each) so they\u2019ll fit with virtually any sized head.<\/p>\n
What immediately stands out the most is the velvet-like earcups. Covered in an ultra-soft fabric, each earcup feels extremely soft, supple and cozy. Placing the headphones over your head, it\u2019s obvious that OneOdio took their comfort into full consideration. That said, wearing them is a pleasure. The material they chose is favorable, in our opinion. Rather than using the same standard pleather in the headband, they opted for a unique take on some of the softest earcups we\u2019ve seen in a pair of studio headphones.<\/p>\n
Needless to say, these are very comfortable headphones. They seem to have the correct balance of pressure and size to fully encapsulate your ears and contain the soundstage on a personal level. The maneuverability they offer is excellent, too. They\u2019re highly flexible; able to conform to any listening style whether you\u2019re DJing or just casually listening. Quickly removing them or listening to one earcup at a time is easy.<\/p>\n
The left earcup has a standard 3.5mm audio jack while the right earcup sports a 6.35mm audio jack. Whichever you choose, it\u2019s nice to see that both options are available. Since these are not wireless, you\u2019ll need to determine which cable you want to utilize. Luckily, wired headphones will never need to be paired via Bluetooth; taking some headache out of the equation. Simply plug them in and you\u2019re good to go. No wireless connection or batteries to ever worry about!<\/p>\n
Once you have them over your ears, you can feel the isolation that the oversized earcups provide. Although these aren\u2019t ANC headphones, they provide a soundstage that passively isolates your surroundings with ease. We began testing the Monitor 80 with some of our favorite tracks on Spotify. We eventually played a massive assortment of music through them, to get a clear idea of what they\u2019re capable of. Needless to say, the sound is rich, high quality and realistic. No matter what kind of music we threw at them, we were pleased to find accurate resonation, a proper balance of highs and mids with a rich low-end capable of thunderous bass and vivid realism.<\/p>\n
Internally, there\u2019s a pair of high-impedance speakers that are each equipped with an advanced high-precision etched diaphragm. Paired with large 40mm drivers, the sound is extremely pleasing. Bass is never over or under-powered while remaining clear for the high and mid range to excel within the soundstage. In fact, the soundstage seems particularly wide; ideal for studio recording or audiophile listening with perfect accuracy. Even when we cranked the volume up, distortion never seemed to occur. Speaking of volume, the Monitor 80 can get LOUD! Ultimately, this means you can wear them around your neck with the cups facing upward and still clearly hear the music.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, we do not have an amplifier to test them with. That said, OneOdio actually recommends that you use them with an amplifier to ensure the highest fidelity sound possible. Regardless, we don\u2019t think it\u2019s a necessity, but it would ensure the ideal scenario the manufacturer designed them for. However, even with the standard 3.5mm auxiliary cable, the sound is wonderful \u2013 realistic and high quality.<\/p>\n
As we said earlier, we\u2019re not a huge fan of the choice of plastic OneOdio used for the Monitor 80. It just feels a bit cheap and lightweight. Although it keeps the overall weight down, we would have liked to see a heavier plastic or better yet, aluminum or steel. Regardless, we don\u2019t feel like they\u2019ll break prematurely, given they offer plenty of flexibility. The inclusion of a hard carrying case is nice to have. When not in use, place them in it and you\u2019re assured protection from all angles.<\/p>\n
The Monitor 80 headphones are ideal for the studio. These aren\u2019t meant for outdoor use or during workouts. Simply put, there\u2019s no water resistance or any kind of durability rating given. OneOdio simply claims that they \u201cspent hundreds of hours designing, testing and perfecting every product.\u201d However, they didn\u2019t seem to offer any specific information as to exactly which \u201crobust\u201d material they used in the construction.<\/p>\n
Overall, they seem to be decently well-made. Our one complaint about the cheap plastic is our only qualm. Everything else seems to be well thought out and executed with high quality construction in mind. We\u2019re a big fan of plush earcups and believe they provide enough durability for several consistent years of regular use.<\/p>\n
Moving on, you\u2019ll notice there\u2019s no external controls. In our opinion, this is a good thing. Extra buttons would seemingly provide a more-cluttered design that you might accidently touch while adjusting them or moving them on or off your neck.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0OneOdio Monitor 80 headphones\u00a0are well-designed in most regards. These are oversized, studio-style headphones with plenty of adjustability and comfort that seems to go a long way. The velvet ear pads are our favorite unique feature. It\u2019s something we haven\u2019t really seen before, and that\u2019s what we like; innovation\/trying new things!<\/p>\n
The sound they produce is wonderful. We have no complaints about the audio quality they provide, even though we have yet to test them with an amplifier. If we did, we\u2019re confident the sound would only get better. However, the plug-and-play ability they provide is much more favorable than a pair of Bluetooth headphones. Sure, one might say the wires can get in the way, but for home, studio or DJ use, wired headphones are the way to go.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, we weren\u2019t big fans of the plastic they used in the construction. It gives off a bit of a cheap feeling while everything else about them screams high quality. Regardless, we wouldn\u2019t exactly consider them to be fragile; just be cautious and keep them in the carrying case when not in use.<\/p>\n
OneOdio always delivers when it comes to budget-friendly headphones. The Monitor 80 are no different. In most regards, these are an easy recommendation. We wouldn\u2019t hesitate to suggest them to anyone looking for pristine audio quality with some of the softest, most-plush earpads we\u2019ve ever experienced. Sure, you could spend twice as much and get a bit better build-quality, but we truly feel they\u2019re going to provide years of enjoyment to all who own them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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