Nyx Erebos
Well-Known Member
Hi guys it's been a while since I last posted, a lot of (awesome) stuff happened in my life which among other things led me to Japan. Recently my headphones died on me so I went to Yodobashi (a huge tech store in Tokyo) to buy a new pair. I went in with a few models in mind from what I gathered from the internet but much to my surprise an extensive selection was in display and usable so I could choose with my own ears.
By the way I don't know what is the right section to post this kind of reviews.
A quick disclaimer before I start the review : since I could test them before dropping some money you can already know that I really like them. But even then I'm not the kind of guy to make reviews. Long story short when I tried them I had a grin of pure happiness that I couldn't contain, it was just too good. I must add too that I am not a professional reviewer so the only informations you'll get are from what I can hear.
All the songs I tried are in 320kbps quality and I listen to them loud enough so that the sound opens up (but not so loud that it could damage my hearing). I'm testing them right out of the box so maybe with a few hours in they'll sound even better.
I'll start with everything not sound related. They look bland but not ugly so they should be fine for most people. To be honest the build quality looks subpar compared to the price but I bought cheaper headphones (Pioneer SE-CL721 they're great for the price !) for running so they won't be worn in extreme conditions. They are lightweight so they don't move in the ear while walking which is great compared to a lot of bulkier products and overall they are comfortable. It is standard nowadays but there is a set of earpieces.
Now onto the good part :
Sacrifice unto sebek from Nile : their sound is huge and oversaturated which make them a good benchmark. The intro riff is huge and incredibly well defined. For the rest of the song the guitars really sit in front of the sound so the drums and the vocals feel a bit quiet. I think that the song was recorded that way because when I listen to user maat re for example the drums are a bit more present but the guitars loose a bit in definition.
Hood mentality from Ice Cube : snare, bass and vocals; straightforward so it's easier to hear flaws. Everything is pretty well defined but the tracks feel a bit blended together, you can't really isolate a particular instrument by focusing on it.
One drop from Bob Marley : the definition of the instruments is amazing, I'm hearing nuances I've never heard on the bass of this song. The clarity on the vocals though is just above average and the bass isn't as loud as I would have wanted.
From scythe to sceptre from Be'lakor : I like to use this song to test how the gear reacts to very aggressive highs and they do quite decent but definitely not perfect. If you hate those piercing highs in your ears don't worry it is only on this particular song that I had this problem.
Nerds on mushrooms from Infected Mushrooms : A bit of electro for the bass drum and bass drop. I almost can feel the texture of the sound on my eardrums. It feels reaaaaaaaaally good and there is almost enough bass.
Symbolic by Death : It is the intro of this song that made me grin my teeth out. The sound of the guitar is just godlike. Further in the song it feels like I'm being slapped by the snare and when it gets furious it stays pretty clean but it's not perfect in the most extreme moments.
Gua'iras De Lucía by Paco De Lucia : this one is just to hear how the headphones deal with very subtle changes in the sound. And they behave very well. You can hear the flair of Paco if each note and you can hear the strings vibrate (not only the note, but the string too).
Bleed by Meshuggah : another harsh one to test your headphones with. Here it's a bit weird, everything is pretty clean most of the time but from time to time it feels like the guitars ar merging and losing their clarity. But after the quiet part of the song the guitars come back in all their regal power and it sounds amazing.
9th symphony from Beethoven, conducted by Karajan : the instruments and the singers are great but the sound itself feel a bit narrow. When you listen to classical (and furthermore to this kind of piece) you want that impression of being in a concert hall and it kind of fails. I say "kind of" because it's not like all the instruments are all stuck in the middle of the room but they don't occupy the space either. During the last minute when it goes bananas everything stays crisp clear though.
Tooth and claw from Animals as leaders : AAL's songs cover such a huge tonal range that you can deduce a lot of things. The EX750 react very well but when everybody play every note the clarity takes a hit. The bit in question is from 0:30 to 1:05.
Conclusion : ultra defined would be the best way to describe these headphones. Although they are not for the hardcore basshead, the little bit of missing bass is traded for an incredible clarity. But I feel that this clarity was obtained by messing around with the highs so in the most demanding scenarios there is ironically a loss of details. Even if they are not perfect I think that they are incredible for the money.
By the way I don't know what is the right section to post this kind of reviews.
A quick disclaimer before I start the review : since I could test them before dropping some money you can already know that I really like them. But even then I'm not the kind of guy to make reviews. Long story short when I tried them I had a grin of pure happiness that I couldn't contain, it was just too good. I must add too that I am not a professional reviewer so the only informations you'll get are from what I can hear.
All the songs I tried are in 320kbps quality and I listen to them loud enough so that the sound opens up (but not so loud that it could damage my hearing). I'm testing them right out of the box so maybe with a few hours in they'll sound even better.
I'll start with everything not sound related. They look bland but not ugly so they should be fine for most people. To be honest the build quality looks subpar compared to the price but I bought cheaper headphones (Pioneer SE-CL721 they're great for the price !) for running so they won't be worn in extreme conditions. They are lightweight so they don't move in the ear while walking which is great compared to a lot of bulkier products and overall they are comfortable. It is standard nowadays but there is a set of earpieces.
Now onto the good part :
Sacrifice unto sebek from Nile : their sound is huge and oversaturated which make them a good benchmark. The intro riff is huge and incredibly well defined. For the rest of the song the guitars really sit in front of the sound so the drums and the vocals feel a bit quiet. I think that the song was recorded that way because when I listen to user maat re for example the drums are a bit more present but the guitars loose a bit in definition.
Hood mentality from Ice Cube : snare, bass and vocals; straightforward so it's easier to hear flaws. Everything is pretty well defined but the tracks feel a bit blended together, you can't really isolate a particular instrument by focusing on it.
One drop from Bob Marley : the definition of the instruments is amazing, I'm hearing nuances I've never heard on the bass of this song. The clarity on the vocals though is just above average and the bass isn't as loud as I would have wanted.
From scythe to sceptre from Be'lakor : I like to use this song to test how the gear reacts to very aggressive highs and they do quite decent but definitely not perfect. If you hate those piercing highs in your ears don't worry it is only on this particular song that I had this problem.
Nerds on mushrooms from Infected Mushrooms : A bit of electro for the bass drum and bass drop. I almost can feel the texture of the sound on my eardrums. It feels reaaaaaaaaally good and there is almost enough bass.
Symbolic by Death : It is the intro of this song that made me grin my teeth out. The sound of the guitar is just godlike. Further in the song it feels like I'm being slapped by the snare and when it gets furious it stays pretty clean but it's not perfect in the most extreme moments.
Gua'iras De Lucía by Paco De Lucia : this one is just to hear how the headphones deal with very subtle changes in the sound. And they behave very well. You can hear the flair of Paco if each note and you can hear the strings vibrate (not only the note, but the string too).
Bleed by Meshuggah : another harsh one to test your headphones with. Here it's a bit weird, everything is pretty clean most of the time but from time to time it feels like the guitars ar merging and losing their clarity. But after the quiet part of the song the guitars come back in all their regal power and it sounds amazing.
9th symphony from Beethoven, conducted by Karajan : the instruments and the singers are great but the sound itself feel a bit narrow. When you listen to classical (and furthermore to this kind of piece) you want that impression of being in a concert hall and it kind of fails. I say "kind of" because it's not like all the instruments are all stuck in the middle of the room but they don't occupy the space either. During the last minute when it goes bananas everything stays crisp clear though.
Tooth and claw from Animals as leaders : AAL's songs cover such a huge tonal range that you can deduce a lot of things. The EX750 react very well but when everybody play every note the clarity takes a hit. The bit in question is from 0:30 to 1:05.
Conclusion : ultra defined would be the best way to describe these headphones. Although they are not for the hardcore basshead, the little bit of missing bass is traded for an incredible clarity. But I feel that this clarity was obtained by messing around with the highs so in the most demanding scenarios there is ironically a loss of details. Even if they are not perfect I think that they are incredible for the money.