Submitted by insmek t3_11qkdmv in headphones
atyne_mar t1_jc4f54e wrote
Reply to comment by maXXXjacker in Monolith by Monoprice M1070 $200 (50% off) by insmek
Depends. They all have different strengths and weaknesses. In terms of resolving abilities, I would put them slightly below Sundara but above Phantom or HE5XX. Slightly above Verum 1 or HE400se. But again, it depends.
With lambskin pads, they have fun bass and casual warm tuning but an intimate presentation, kinda like a more V-shaped HD58X or warmer HE4XX. Having a bit more isolation they feel rather semi-open, similar to Verum 1. Their biggest issue is the weird midrange that lacks eargain so it's like there's a huge hole in the upper mids making them sound kinda nasal and compressed. But bass is really impressive and it's a great all-rounder.
I prefer them with velour pads. With them, they sound spacious and engaging. You loose the sub-bass, but upper mids are better filled, and the overall clarity improves. The dynamics is also better as they generally sound less dampened and more impactful, even more than Sundara. The biggest change is the soundstage - it's like the complete opposite of lambskin pads. Now it's a proper open-back. Significantly more spacious than Sundara, so it's more like HE5XX or Ananda, or given the midrange-oriented signature, more comparable to something like Avantone Planar or LCD-2C. Their overall tonal balance is actually pretty neutral but their treble is not smooth. It's like everything above 1k is a bit darker except for mid-treble so they sound warm, thick, and relaxed but also airy and sweet. That makes them a bit fatiguing and sibilant, but also my favorite for relaxing music like this because they bring out the best of it.
I wouldn't recommend them as your only headphone though (at least not with velour pads). I don't think they're comfortable enough to be used all the time. It's more like a sidegrade headphone that's great for specific use and I use them only when I'm in the mood for them and when I start to feel uncomfortable I swap them for something else.
maXXXjacker t1_jc4h0xo wrote
Thank you very much for this very detailed response. I have a really good idea now on what to expect from them having listened to each of the headphones you mentioned.
Much appreciated!
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