So last time I spoke about the Inspirations by Monster I gave a little insight of where the Monster brand was going and how the Inspirations fared from a few minutes of listening to songs and getting a slight feel of them. Now I have been able to get a full feel of the headphones from how it sounds with different types of music and wearing for extended amounts of time as for checking for comfort levels. The pair being reviewed is the Passive model which have noise cancel features but not full on. The Active models are supposed to provide more noise cancelling.
“Look & Feel”
As you can see the Inspirations are an over the ear” pair of headphones. They feature rectangular cushion ear cups that depending on your ears will cover them(as i have small ears) or press up against them. The cushions themselves have a pretty good feel to them and applying any pressure resting comfortably. I like the design themselves. I feel they have a more classic appealing look than other designs on the market.
Wearing them for long lengths of time I didn’t really experience any discomfort in them but at times wished they were a tad bit lighter as can get slightly heavy on the head. Another thing that bothered a bit is the cups can seem jittery but that can take in try to adjust to people’s heads and comfort levels. Once put on they are firm.
As I mentioned in my prior post it looks they have taken a page out of the book of Sol Republic with the customization of the headbands. The Inspirations with an all black leather pair that matches with the style of the head and ear cushions of the device. The second headband is a glossy snake-skin like headband. Look pretty good if that tickles your fancy. Otherwise additional headbands can be bought ranging from $24.99 to $49.99. Who thought you be buying accessories for headphones? You be surprised a lot of people like to match things up, etc.
The coolest thing I’ve seen from getting a pair of headphones is the Inspirations come with three yes three pair of audio cables. The first is a Control Talk cable for Apple which provides a mic and audio controls(volume up/down and play/pause), the second is a ControlTalk Universal cable for Android which gave you play/pause feature and mic. Wish the Android one had volume controls but I know Android is a complicated bunch. The last is a StraightAudio 3.5mm cable. Just the fact you have three cables at your disposable is great. Most times with headphones the cables are the first to go. Least with this you would be needing new ones anytime soon. Another nice feature is the headphones have audio jacks on either side so can work to your benefit.
A zip up carrying case is included to put in your Inspirations, with a climbing hook attached. Guess if ou want to put on your pants loops or bag.A cleaning cloth to keep them smudge free is also inside. Although they aren’t really fingerprint magnets to begin with. Inspirations can be easily snapped closed and put inside.
“Good for your Tunes?”
No matter how you try to dodge the question. Do they sound better than Beats By Dre(Studio)? Which are known for enhancing the bass of your favorite tracks and providing with a better sounding experience. After sitting around and testing them. I’d have to say so. Even cranking the Inspirations to the highest volume possible I didn’t really get any type of distortion with some of the biggest bass crankers from Rick Ross-{Stay Scheming”, Kanye West’s “Mercy”, and Wiz Khalifa’s “Black & Yellow”.
From Muse’s guitar ridden “Uprising” and not to leave vocals out, tested out with Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” they sound great. The quality provided by these are impressive. You would think they would just focus on the beats and bass of the tracks but they push out a richness to the vocals of the artist at the same time. electronic tracks such as “Turn It Down” By Kasade
Testing with some Classical tracks and some of the other spoken word/songwriter tracks they didn’t sound as good. I mean I can admit with these headphones that isn’t what you’re aiming to listen to anyway. But just an idea for the audiophiles that want to be able to listen to ANYTHING.
Last thing is the Passive version of the Inspirations seem to provide a decent noise cancelling experience. Enough where I don’t think the Active version is necessary. I have tested these in the busiest of places from near highways to the NYC subway system. But to each its own with this.
“Conclusion”
Great sound quality featuring incredible bass can help give the Inspirations by Monster a place on the flowing market of headphones. They could be lighter and more comfortable on the head. Also they aren’t for the ultimate music purist but excellent for the modern-day music listening party.
Monster’s Inspirations are available now at monsterinspiration.com and run you a nice premium price of $299.99
