Monster has been on a rampage of sorts with a wide variety of headphones over the course of the last two years or so. I’ve had the chance to test out quite a few of their products, with the Monster DNAs being among my favorite headphones.
As the company has pumped out headphones and earbuds to compete with a host of companies who have dabbled in the market, now come the N-Tune headhones. Originally released late last year, Monster has dished out a new color palette for the headphones dubbed as new “candy colors”, and there are many. Available in blue, red, orange, green, red and purple, the N-Tunes appear to be taking a stab at the audio style found in the Beats headphones.
Designed alongside Nick Cannon, the N-Tunes are quite comfortable to wear and lightweight, which don’t seem to be the case upon first glance. The ear cups look bulky, but once they’re on, they feel as if they were actually smaller. I did notice right away that there is no way to fold the headphones over, like you can with a few of Monster’s other headphones, but the headband is very flexible and durable, as I did twist and bend the headband quite a bit.
I have to say that overall, I dig the design, in that they’re certainly a fashion statement and they sit on-ear, so for those who have larger ears, these are not meant to be over-the-ear. During my extensive tests, I listened to a healthy dose of music to see where the headphones did best, and where they needed a little bit of work.
During my listening sessions, I found that Flo Rida’s “Wild Ones” sounded clean and punchy, with the N-Tunes providing plenty of bass, more so than I expected to hear. Sia’s singing came in clearly too, though perhaps the highs were a bit of a miss. When I threw in AC/DC’s “Shoot to Thrill”, I again was met with a solid dose of low frequency audio, with bass guitars and drums pounding through the ear cups.
Listening to music without as much natural bass, such as Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” and John Mayer’s “My Stupid Mouth”, the headphone’s bass was slightly overwhelming, and by that I don’t mean that it was too much bass, but some of the instruments and vocals were drowned out ever so slightly. Audio purists may have an issue with it, but for those who dig bassy sounds, the N-Tunes will be right up their alley, as it was for me.
The headphones also use ControlTalk which is a universal button that can be used to control music and phone calls, and is compatible with the iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices. The in-line control is small but easily accessible.
While the N-Tunes could benefit from a little more detail in the highs, the mids and lows are powerful and will sound great for those who like ear-pounding sound.
At $149.95 for the pair, the N-Tunes are flashy but with solid sound quality that feature a unique look. If you’ve listened to a pair of Solo Beats by Dre, you’ll know what to expect, but with a bit more bass and little extra comfort.
Final Score: 4 out of 5
via Examiner National Edition Gadgets & Tech Channel Articles http://www.examiner.com/article/review-monster-n-tune-headphones?cid=roadrunner