Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Full disclosure, I'm not exactly a full-blown audiophile. However, I couldn't seem to find anything resembling a more audio-quality focused review for these on head-fi and other sites, so I figured I'd do a brief(ish) sound overview. Going into this I wasn't expecting much, and to be honest, I didn't get much. But I'll try to convince you why that's okay, and these are still a pretty good buy, imo. The following is for the "normal" EQ mode, which in reality isn't all that normal whatsoever. Tests were done using lossless FLAC files through a mid-range DAC. Whether or not you believe in burn-in, I did let them play for a little while before doing any testing. Starting at the low end, it's a bassy mess. Sub-bass is actually alright, maybe slightly overtuned. Mid-bass becomes a terribly bloated, muddy monstrosity and to add insult to injury, it's boosted to appalling amounts. Very unpleasant. Lower mid to midrange follows similarly and sounds slightly closed. Moderate to severe congestion issues with bass, and it even bleeds a bit into higher mids and presence range as well. As a result, vocals are less than desirable. Everything sounds relatively laid-back even at high volume. Also, there's an AWFUL sibilance somewhere around 2k-3kHz, leading some hi-hats to sound almost like white noise. The highs beyond that are just decent. They can get a little glassy and bright but they hold up nicely otherwise. Overall, these headphones have a complete disregard for balance (which I expected) and hold a very typical V shaped signature. Clarity is barely passable, and soundstage is unimpressive. After a bit of EQ, they do sound better, but of course, that is up to the user. No type of aptX seems to be supported. Audio performance is slightly (yet noticeably) better wired, but Bluetooth connectivity is great and hissing is kept to an impressive minimum. The bass boost function is there, but why anyone would choose to use it is beyond me. The ANC is alright; it doesn't do the sound quality any favors. So far the review been pretty negative, but keep in mind the price and intended purpose. For a pair of $60 Bluetooth cans from a company that's basically still a baby in the audio industry, these are honestly not bad. What they lack in sound they make up for in build quality, comfort, and ease of use. I bought these to use on the subway, walking down the street, etc. and they perform very well in those environments. They were never meant to be studio monitors. The ear cushions are very soft and offer many hours of listening before getting uncomfortable/hot. Media and volume controls are tactile and easy to use. Construction is solid - creaking/microphonics at the hinges are not present when moving around. If you're using these outside or near other people, chances are that the surrounding environmental noise will cover up the sub-stellar audio quality anyways, even with the ANC on. At the end of the day, I'd still recommend these for anyone who wants a comfortable and convenient pair of wireless headphones. They feel very nice, and even smell kind of nice right out of the box.