Music and headphones. Two things I love and two things that I can’t live without, especially living in NYC. Over the past few weeks I’ve had the pleasure to be using Monster Products limited and most exclusive headphones they have available…the 24K’s. These things are big, loud and GOLD. These are the headphones that I rock most often (really everyday) and for different reasons. Check out why.
Unboxing & Design
The look and the design of the 24K’s are about being big. It’s a basic design, and with basic I’m talking about simplicity, less is more here. The 24K’s are about the fashion and sound than a focus on design like with their DNA or Inspiration series headphones. It’s shiny, its gold and it’s all beautifully packaged with some nice accessories when you open that box.
On the inside you get an assortment of essentials to use with these headphones. You get the ControlTalk headphone cables that allow you to talk on your phone with clarity, as well also getting a set of tangle resistant coil cables which are more for the DJ’s. They’re definitely helpful if you need a little extra slack on your cable or you just hate tangles. You get a 1/4 inch adapter for the headphone jack for studio equipment and receivers. If you’re a DJ you’ll love these for the tangle free cable. Lastly you get a carrying pouch which is the one thing in this box that bothered me. You would think for $300 bucks that Monster would spring for a really nice carrying case but instead we get this bag which I think cheapens what is a really nice set of headphones. The ear cups on the 24K’s swivel back instead of fold so I’m assuming that’s why they went with the bag but at least you get a carrying case with Beats Solos which are the cheapest of the Beats series so, go figure. Monster in their second wave should give the people who buy these a hard shell case or at least a nicer case, not this cheap bag. Oh well. You win some you lose some.
Once you get past the accessories and go a little further, finally you see that gold and those huge ear cups and they tell the whole story. You can’t help but feel like a little kid, just a little bit when you see these things. I pulled the headphones out of the box and I gave them the long stare. The first thing I noticed was, for a set of headphones this size they’re surprisingly light yet sturdy. I put them on and they felt good, right away. They sat comfortably on my head due to that cushioning on top and the cushioning of the ear cups. It didn’t really feel like I had a huge pair of headphones on my head at all. I turned on my music and I was OK.
The 24k’s are designed to be like I said, loud, not just in regards to the sound but with the bling as well. You get a set of headphones that are fashionable, sturdy and well designed. They’re inspired by a multitude of different celebrities primarily rapper Meek Mill and It’s the millennial generation that these headphones are out to attract with the 24K logo on each ear cup, that Monster logo on top, comfy ear pads for long hours of loud music and did I mention gold? Everywhere I go I get asked about my headphones because they’re eye catchers. People love the way these things look when I wear them.
Sound
With a set of headphones this big you expect to get BIG sound but that isn’t always the case and also it’s not always necessary. The 24K’s did give me somewhat of a balanced mix with the sounds from my music thus far.
I tend to listen to a variety of musical genres and it’s a good way to gauge how your music sounds. I go back and forth between Nas, Mobb Deep, Tribe, Coldplay, Deadmau5, Queen, Idol, Hendrix, Marvin Gaye and the list goes on.
I got some decent mid-range sounds and high treble with the vocals being pretty clear. Bass is what these headphones produce but not so much that it drowns out and muffles your music, it’s balanced with a little extra. I do prefer some knock in my music and I tend to like my music a little bass heavy, maybe its the 90’s era in my system, but for those who like a bit of a flatter more in sound you may find that you’ll have to do some tweaking with your EQ to maybe help in getting the sound you’re looking for but that would be the only reason to use the EQ. If the EQ can’t help you with the sound then maybe these headphones just aren’t for you.
Final Thoughts
The 24K’s are a solid set of headphones audio wise aside from being a fashion statement. Are they worth $300?, Well that’s up to you and your budget. I have a pair and I must say I do enjoy these headphones, I like the sound and I’m a flashy New Yorker so I love the look with that gold so Monster didn’t really have to sell these headphones to me. That’s what these headphones are all about just the fun of having them, bumping that good music and that’s that. Audiophiles we love you but these ain’t for you, you’re too critical. The 24K’s are fun, plain and simple. Are there better headphones as far as the sound is concerned?, sure but some of them are really expensive, some of them that aren’t expensive are really ugly. You get a mixture of style and good sound with the 24K’s and $300 bucks may seem a little steep but sometimes it costs. You can pick these bad boys up at Best Buy, Zumiez, Amazon, Villa and some of your other favorite retailers. Cop a pair enjoy that sound.
