$200 Puro Pro hybrid over-the-ear headphones are almost perfect

These full-featured, flagship Bluetooth headphones impressed us mightily.

Read the whole story

 

[cogwheel]

Honestly I can't tell with these ones specifically, but there's a sort of unofficial standard that about 80% of headphone manufacturers follow that all have the same size circumference in their pad mounts which means that pads are generally cross-compatible and why Brainwavs lists about 80 headphones in their tested compatibility table for their pads (which I 100% recommend if you have oversized ears.)

Respectfully, that Brainwavz page is bullshit. It lists the same oval pads as working for both the Audio Technica ATH-M50 and Beyerdynamic DT-770. As someone who has owned both, they clearly are full of shit if they think there's reasonable cross-compatibility between those two. The ATH-M50 has highly oval earcups, while the DT-770 has perfectly round earcups. Further down the page, they list the same round pads for both the DT-770 and the AKG K240 (which I also own, I might have a problem), and the DT-770s have drastically larger openings in the earcups than the K240s, to the point I find the K240s uncomfortable for more than a few minutes while I can comfortably wear the DT-770s for hours. Further, their compatibility list amounts to "we found some random schmuck on the internet who somehow got our pads onto a set of headphones, here's a link", not "we've tested and it definitely works". They also offer some of their pads in both flat and angled versions with no guidance, and this can make a significant difference in sound.

Brainwavz has a fancy-looking website, but it sure looks like they're nothing more than another chinese company selling things that sort of fit, not things that are designed to work as well as OEM ones (except maybe their model-specific ones and their ATH-M line ones).

Keep in mind that this isn't a standard pad line, it's a frequently used mounting method (stretch a plastic lip over a plastic rim). Each real headphone manufacturer designs the pads themselves.

I'll note that they list the TaoTronics BH060 which look suspiciously similar to the article headphones which makes me think they'll also work here.

And as mentioned, those aren't listed on TaoTronic's website any more (I checked before my prior post!), and TaoTronics doesn't sell replacement pads!

(Edit: yes, this doesn't address anything about first-party pads, but given that the unofficial-standard size is so ubiquitous I think that companies that specialize in headphone pads should be good enough.)

There's no standard size. It's an illusion. There's a standard method of retention, as mentioned above, but that's where it ends.

Pad inner diameter, pad thickness, and pad material can have an easily audible effect on the sound of headphones (a real difference, not a delusional idiot "audiophile" difference). All of these attributes are very much not standardized. Seriously, compare some OEM ATH-M50 pads with some OEM DT-770 pads and you'd see just how very different they are.

 

[android_alpaca]

Why am I having such difficulty finding any real information about Puro Sound Labs?

Puro Sound Labs LLC is incorporated in Delaware as of 2/23/2015. Delaware Corp File Number 5660969

They are based in San Diego, California with 5-10 employees and their About Us mentions it is a family owned company founded by David Russell.

They have produced several brands of headphones, available as early as 2018 2016 on Amazon. The less than 1 year product release suggests significant R&D pre-incorporation, or rebranding of OEM headphones.

4 years ago, my wife was concerned about aircraft cabin noise damaging our child ears (it is what it is), so she bought a pair of Puro base on the fact that it was recommended by Wirecutter since they were reviewed as having good active noise cancellation (one of the few kid headphones that have it) and had built in loudness protection (as this review also mentions) to protect our child's ears from loud noises. Our child liked them so much that when the pandemic came and our kids were on Zoom all the time, my wife got a second pair for our other child... they've been using them since then.

I'm not sure why people are so caught up on the fact that a "Chinese knockoff" of a product is visually very similar to a name-brand expensive model. That's the idea behind a knockoff... it looks the same, but is cheaper because the internal parts are lower performance/quality. The point of these reviews is for an independent third party to test to see if the pricier products are indeed worth the money, or if they are simply rebadged knockoffs with a lot of marketing(i.e. Skullcandy or Beats).

I mean personally I still buy $20-50 headphones, but I have limited ability to tell the difference myself so I might as well go with the cheap ones in case I lose them or our youngest child destroys them.

Anyways... Wirecutter review have a pretty extension "why you should trust us" and "how we tested" sections in their review to try and reassure you they made a fair amount of effort to be as objective as they could while testing. Below is a photo from their testing noise cancellation properties of headphones using a simulated ear and cheek.

 

[safetypin]

I read reviews (and I really liked this one), and I read more reviews, and after all these years I'm still sitting on the fence because I want to get it right the first time. Silly me, perhaps.

My recommendation is Bose QC35. I've been using them 6-7 days a week for 5-8 hours during weekdays, and a couple hours on weekends for more than 2 years (except vacations). Disclaimer: I'm not an audiophile. I think the sound is good, I like the boosted bass. I listen to a lot of podcasts, and a music when I'm not listening to podcasts. They're really great. Even after 2 years, the battery still lasts several days. I used to charge them for 30-60 minutes on weekdays (lunch break, pre-pandemic) and would never run out. Now, I still use them as a personal sound system working from home.

My only complaint is that the microphone picks up a lot of background noise. They're amazing. I imagine that the QC35 II is good too, but I can't speak from personal experience because the ones I got for Christmas are awesome. Actually, I can't remember if I got them 2018 or 2019. Might be 3 years. They're really good.

 

[xWidget]

I read reviews (and I really liked this one), and I read more reviews, and after all these years I'm still sitting on the fence because I want to get it right the first time. Silly me, perhaps.

My recommendation is Bose QC35. I've been using them 6-7 days a week for 5-8 hours during weekdays, and a couple hours on weekends for more than 2 years (except vacations). Disclaimer: I'm not an audiophile. I think the sound is good, I like the boosted bass. I listen to a lot of podcasts, and a music when I'm not listening to podcasts. They're really great. Even after 2 years, the battery still lasts several days. I used to charge them for 30-60 minutes on weekdays (lunch break, pre-pandemic) and would never run out. Now, I still use them as a personal sound system working from home.

My only complaint is that the microphone picks up a lot of background noise. They're amazing. I imagine that the QC35 II is good too, but I can't speak from personal experience because the ones I got for Christmas are awesome. Actually, I can't remember if I got them 2018 or 2019. Might be 3 years. They're really good.

I'm probably annoying some people in this thread by now, but to anyone considering Bose QC35's, please compare them side-by-side if you can to Sony WH-1000XM4's. I don't know how easy that is to do any more with the plague, but last time I went to a Best Buy (pre-plague) they had demo pairs of each out pretty close to each other. They go for about the same price and the general consensus with people who have tried both is that the Sony's have way better ANC and sound quality but somewhat more annoying controls and are a little heavier.

 

[Mr.Yuck]

I read reviews (and I really liked this one), and I read more reviews, and after all these years I'm still sitting on the fence because I want to get it right the first time. Silly me, perhaps.

My recommendation is Bose QC35. I've been using them 6-7 days a week for 5-8 hours during weekdays, and a couple hours on weekends for more than 2 years (except vacations). Disclaimer: I'm not an audiophile. I think the sound is good, I like the boosted bass. I listen to a lot of podcasts, and a music when I'm not listening to podcasts. They're really great. Even after 2 years, the battery still lasts several days. I used to charge them for 30-60 minutes on weekdays (lunch break, pre-pandemic) and would never run out. Now, I still use them as a personal sound system working from home.

My only complaint is that the microphone picks up a lot of background noise. They're amazing. I imagine that the QC35 II is good too, but I can't speak from personal experience because the ones I got for Christmas are awesome. Actually, I can't remember if I got them 2018 or 2019. Might be 3 years. They're really good.

BLOSE, all image & industrial design, mediocre sound in my opinion but I haven't tried those.

I haven't listened to anything with better noise cancellation than the Sony WH-1000XM4, which are astoundingly good. Try 'em.
Both set you back around $350

 

[Deleted member 174040]

Wirecutter review...try and reassure you they made a fair amount of effort to be as objective as they could while testing.

It's not a review if it's completely objective.

It's a checklist.

 

[alexrdavies]

to anyone considering Bose QC35's, please compare them side-by-side if you can to Sony WH-1000XM4's. I don't know how easy that is to do any more with the plague, but last time I went to a Best Buy (pre-plague) they had demo pairs of each out pretty close to each other. They go for about the same price and the general consensus with people who have tried both is that the Sony's have way better ANC and sound quality but somewhat more annoying controls and are a little heavier.

I'd say that for anyone looking for their first set of noise-cancelling headphones, anything in the Bose QC or Sony WH-1000XM lineups will be a wonderful headset.

I have the Sony WH-1000XM3s myself, and they're wonderful. I know others with Bose QuietComforts who love them. They're the two standout makes in this area, and either will likely make you happy.

 

[TheBlackDickCheney]

With the word "hybrid" in the name, I thought it would be a combination of dynamic and electrostatic drivers, but apparently it's not.

 

[Jim Salter]

With the word "hybrid" in the name, I thought it would be a combination of dynamic and electrostatic drivers, but apparently it's not.

hybrid noise cancellation, not hybrid driver.

 

[Properjob70]

I don't know if I overlooked it in the article or if it wasn't mentioned, but using them with a 3.5mm connection makes it so it doesn't matter if they're charged or not, right?

You'd lose ANC & the on-ear controls wouldn't work but the analogue signal would make the drivers work

 

[Reaperman2]

As someone with a big head and big ears, I wish reviewers would describe themselves physically a little more instead of just saying, "They're comfortable."

I've sent back more than a few pairs of great headphones because they cause pain after like an hour, and I'm still looking for a perfect pair.

edit: My ATHM50XBT are close but not quite there. I've heard that the Sony makes larger ones, but Sony isn't getting any money from me ever.

 

[Billiam29]

My ATHM50XBT are close but not quite there. I've heard that the Sony makes larger ones, but Sony isn't getting any money from me ever.

If ANC isn’t a requirement for you, then you might consider a small Bluetooth receiver that you clip on your shirt or drop in a pocket. FiiO’s BTR series and the Earstudio ES100 are two examples if you’re unfamiliar with this type of product. These would allow you to expand your headphone search to many more “standard” wired products. You do have to start being careful that the amp in your chosen BT unit is capable of driving the headphone you select though.

 

[MaHawkma]

Thanks for the review Jim. Will probably give these a shot to use to listen to audio once we get back in the office.

 

[xWidget]

As someone with a big head and big ears, I wish reviewers would describe themselves physically a little more instead of just saying, "They're comfortable."

I've sent back more than a few pairs of great headphones because they cause pain after like an hour, and I'm still looking for a perfect pair.

edit: My ATHM50XBT are close but not quite there. I've heard that the Sony makes larger ones, but Sony isn't getting any money from me ever.

Anything that Brainwavs earpads fit onto is my recommendation, they're quite deep (size-wise). I use Sony WH-1000XM2's because the sound is that much better (at least to me subjectively) than anything else I've tried, but if I were to wear a pair of headphones for literally all day it would be my Audio Technica ATH-M50x headphones with angled Brainwavs fake-leather pads. The stock M50x pads touch my ear cartilage but with those pads there's at least a good 5mm of extra spacing, which I haven't been able to achieve with any stock pads ever. I would assume (but haven't checked) that they'd fit onto the bluetooth M50x's just as well as the passive M50x's.

I'll put up a small warning that moving headphones farther away from your head can mess up some of the acoustics for the headphones though. Most of them have a good amount of math treating the speakers as enclosed in two boxes, one of which is the headphone shell and the other is the space between the driver and your ear. If you increase the volume between the driver and your ear it will change the natural resonant frequency (normally used to extend bass frequency response) which can lead to a bit more peaking somewhere. Also the material matters: sealed pads like leather ones will increase bass and slightly muffle treble while fabric pads will absorb both bass and upper-treble. I think the leather-lined foam with small holes for breathability is the best general-purpose one.

 

[Astphael]

A Micro-USB port in a 2020/2021 product should be considered a felony.

 

[phaedrus11]

FWIW the TaoTronics TT-BH085 and TT-BH090 both have USB-C and Fast Charging. Other users have pointed out that the Puro Pros could very well be a re-brand of those. The TaoTronics are $50 on Amazon.

I haven't used them so I can't vouch for them but it feels like it's worth noting.

I also feel like the comparisons in this review are lacking. I appreciate the comparison to the Sennheisers, but that's only part of the equation.

At $200 these headphones should be compared to the Bose, Sony, Apple (sort of) equivalents. What we want to know, is are these a good value in comparison to more expensive versions.

Is the audio quality, battery life, comfort, mic quality, build quality, comparable to their more expensive counterparts.

For instance, I'd rather have a pair of 'pretty good' sounding headphones if the mic quality was really good, than a pair of great sounding headphones with a horrible mic.

If they were $50 - by all means compare to them to less expensive options. At $200 - we want to know if it's worth $100 more for the Sony or Bose. Someone spending $200 on a pair of headphones is more likely to spend $300, than someone spending $50 is to jump to $200.

As noted, sound quality is a rather subjective benchmark (other than the scientific methods of measuring sound reproduction). With wireless headphones we really want to know how the whole package fits together, compared to competitive products in the same price bracket.

What I'm really interested in is whether there is a sub $100 pair of wireless headphones that match the more expensive ones.

 

[xWidget]

FWIW the TaoTronics TT-BH085 and TT-BH090 both have USB-C and Fast Charging. Other users have pointed out that the Puro Pros could very well be a re-brand of those. The TaoTronics are $50 on Amazon.

I haven't used them so I can't vouch for them but it feels like it's worth noting.

I also feel like the comparisons in this review are lacking. I appreciate the comparison to the Sennheisers, but that's only part of the equation.

At $200 these headphones should be compared to the Bose, Sony, Apple (sort of) equivalents. What we want to know, is are these a good value in comparison to more expensive versions.

Is the audio quality, battery life, comfort, mic quality, build quality, comparable to their more expensive counterparts.

For instance, I'd rather have a pair of 'pretty good' sounding headphones if the mic quality was really good, than a pair of great sounding headphones with a horrible mic.

If they were $50 - by all means compare to them to less expensive options. At $200 - we want to know if it's worth $100 more for the Sony or Bose. Someone spending $200 on a pair of headphones is more likely to spend $300, than someone spending $50 is to jump to $200.

As noted, sound quality is a rather subjective benchmark (other than the scientific methods of measuring sound reproduction). With wireless headphones we really want to know how the whole package fits together, compared to competitive products in the same price bracket.

What I'm really interested in is whether there is a sub $100 pair of wireless headphones that match the more expensive ones.

Oddly enough a lot of audio tech is at the mercy of Qualcomm. Certainly all the "true wireless" earbuds/IEMs that popped up all at once for almost exactly the same price are because that's roughly the price of the Qualcomm chip. They're kinda stuck using Qualcomm if they're going to use AptX at all, unless they're on the level of Bose or Sony that will do their own R&D for their own chips and just license the codecs.

Which is to say almost all the cheap headphones are going to be about the same and I wouldn't expect any standouts in any budget categories, at least for anything with Bluetooth.

 

[phaedrus11]

Oddly enough a lot of audio tech is at the mercy of Qualcomm. Certainly all the "true wireless" earbuds/IEMs that popped up all at once for almost exactly the same price are because that's roughly the price of the Qualcomm chip. They're kinda stuck using Qualcomm if they're going to use AptX at all, unless they're on the level of Bose or Sony that will do their own R&D for their own chips and just license the codecs.

Which is to say almost all the cheap headphones are going to be about the same and I wouldn't expect any standouts in any budget categories, at least for anything with Bluetooth.

I did not know that! Thank you.

 

[nehinks]

Ive been asking for volume limiting for decades.
Now make a set with mic included please - for gaming.

They make one! It's called PuroGamer; I shipped the review set I got on to Jeff Dunn to include in a gaming headphone roundup which should be coming here pretty soon.

Thanks for mentioning this! I go about 75% music, 25% chatting for work or gaming, so having a mic is important to me, and I could use a new pair in the next year or so. It's sad how cheap and crappy a lot of gaming gear is, or how afterthought mics are for good audio companies.

 

[Defenestrar]

> I should be very clear that my testing is subjective

<Snip>

It’s fascinating. Reviews of pricey headphones seems to really annoy a certain percentage of tech enthusiasts. It’s not just Ars, either.

Audio by definition is subjective preferences. For those without golden acoustic trained ears there are specs and price. As a musician headphone audio is squabbling about “differences” not real art-of-facts like tone, pitch and timbre. Even in live performance these elusive gremlins flit about from simply moving a coiled cord to straightened length.

When I run live sound I almost never put on my headphones - just if I need to solo something like when tracking down a problem. ("Luke -how many times have I told you not to stand too close to that incandescent light box? Your bass picks up RF noise when the lighting guy turns on the blinders!").

There's no substitute for using your ear to respond to how your setup puts out in that venue. You gotta move around the room too (before it packs with bodies - hard to do it when full) to know what the different spots sound like too. It doesn't matter how familiar you are with your amps and drivers, and even though you ring out a room, a set of reference phones aren't going to give you the exact response to changes from the board. You'll only hear what gets sent to the amp. They're a great tool, but can easily be abused as a crutch.

 

[safetypin]

I read reviews (and I really liked this one), and I read more reviews, and after all these years I'm still sitting on the fence because I want to get it right the first time. Silly me, perhaps.

My recommendation is Bose QC35. I've been using them 6-7 days a week for 5-8 hours during weekdays, and a couple hours on weekends for more than 2 years (except vacations). Disclaimer: I'm not an audiophile. I think the sound is good, I like the boosted bass. I listen to a lot of podcasts, and a music when I'm not listening to podcasts. They're really great. Even after 2 years, the battery still lasts several days. I used to charge them for 30-60 minutes on weekdays (lunch break, pre-pandemic) and would never run out. Now, I still use them as a personal sound system working from home.

My only complaint is that the microphone picks up a lot of background noise. They're amazing. I imagine that the QC35 II is good too, but I can't speak from personal experience because the ones I got for Christmas are awesome. Actually, I can't remember if I got them 2018 or 2019. Might be 3 years. They're really good.

BLOSE, all image & industrial design, mediocre sound in my opinion but I haven't tried those.

I haven't listened to anything with better noise cancellation than the Sony WH-1000XM4, which are astoundingly good. Try 'em.
Both set you back around $350

I definitely won't claim to know a lot about sound quality, and I also can't compare ANC between models. I saw a friend wearing the BQC35 headphones, and trusted his opinion (he's also a technologist, but also not an audiophile). I (used to) work in a medium sized office with extremely loud ventilation system and the the ANC blocks that white noise really well. It quiets the background noise well enough that I don't need to turn the volume down in order to feel surrounded by sound. It also blocks family noises pretty well if you're not using the microphone.My wife has snuck up behind me multiple times while I'm listing to something and doing the dishes and caught me by surprise. But to me the biggest thing that they excel at is comfort & longevity. I wear them for 3 hours straight, with glasses, and they still don't feel uncomfortable. They are wire-frame glasses, so not big chunky hipster plastic glasses. That might make a difference. I do this at least once a week, and I've been doing it for years.

I just looked at Sony's product page, and I have to say: they're looking pretty good. Auto pause when you take them off would be pretty sweet.

 

[Defenestrar]

Finding a quality pair of headphones not made in China is increasingly challenging.

For those not in the know: several major high end headphone manufacturers have over the last 2 decades moved their production from their respective countries of origin to China, presumably to cut costs. In all cases I'm aware of (was directly affected by, like my AKG headphones), the quality dropped off a cliff the moment production moved. There's a reason it's cheaper to produce in China, high quality components got swapped for cheapest possible option. To add insult to injury the prices remained the same and the companies for the most part did all of this without notifying customers.

It was frustrating.

Apparently some Chinese manufacturers have improved a bit, but I don't have experience with that.

From what I've seen it's not that the Chinese manufacturers are replacing parts in designs with cheaper ones, it's that the original companies are trying to cut costs both by having them manufactured in China and by using inferior parts in the same cost-cutting moves.

Outside of overpriced boutique snake-oil-tier audio, basically any high-end personal audio equipment is going to be made in or near China using primarily Chinese-manufactured parts. It's just the nature of electronics manufacturing nowadays.

For passive (i.e. non-Bluetooth) IEMs and presumably headphones as well, "chi-fi" has been extremely competitive. (Edit: check AudioBudget for frequency response charts as well as quick reviews.) My favorite IEMs (MEMT X5s) are $12 on AliExpress. Rather than baby a pair of Shures or something I just bought 5 and don't worry if I wash them or pull on them too hard. For people who for some reason think linear phase response is important, really good multi-driver balanced armature IEMs start at around $20.

That said, for over-ears, I don't think I'll find anything better than my Sony WH-1000XM2 any time soon (besides getting a newer version, but the improvements sound like they're pretty marginal) and those cost me $200 about 3 years ago for a refurbished pair. The fact that the article mentions that these OEM-rebranded headphones have audible pink noise means that they're worse than even the Sony XB950N1 (was $100 4-5 years ago) which I think actually have better sound quality than the XM2 at the cost of less comfort and not as good noise cancellation.

When playing music (as in with an instrument) I love my KZ quad drivers. For $35 I can get perfect clarity for everyone else on the IEMs. The frequency response isn't perfectly flat (like I'd want for studio work) but on the stage clarity trumps everything. Besides, the frequency response is still pretty darn good (bit of a boost in the vocal range - the rest is flat enough). The same setup with 1964 ears would be a grand (plus the mold fee from the audiologist - but I didn't count that for the KZs either). So until I make my living by music (sadly probably never) I'll be quite happy with the chi-fi that beats out every American consumer brand out there for a fraction of the price. Maybe once the kids are out of the house I'll spoil myself with something pro quality and American designed - but, as you said, it'll still probably be made in China.

 

[djjake]

Wow. I registered an account to say that these look _exactly_ like the $50-$70 Taotronics I've owned for a while now, minus the extra packaging box. This sounds like paying $150 for a logo to me.

Check out this review from the Gadgeteer and spot the differences:
https://the-gadgeteer.com/2019/08/20/ta ... es-review/

That's definitely the same chassis, at least. No way to tell if it's the same drivers without disassembling one pair of each, of course.

The only obviously missing feature is the SPL limiting—which seems to be Puro's big angle; AFAICT their whole line of products (and raison d'etre) is about volume limiting and hearing protection.

I have the Vipex headphones that look legit exactly like this with similar functionality. They're $25 (as of posting). IDK what feature would make the $175 difference worth it. Not an audiophile, but these headphones also sound really good, last forever, and the ANC is really good.

https://smile.amazon.com/VIPEX-Cancelli ... 2W2W&psc=1

 

[close]

Wow. I registered an account to say that these look _exactly_ like the $50-$70 Taotronics I've owned for a while now, minus the extra packaging box. This sounds like paying $150 for a logo to me.

Check out this review from the Gadgeteer and spot the differences:
https://the-gadgeteer.com/2019/08/20/ta ... es-review/

Exactly the same product for $69 instead of $200.

Puro:

Taotronics:

And as an aside, I know from one TaoTronics employee involved with designing those headphones that their main objective was building a low cost equivalent of the Bose QC35. Puro seems to have targeted building a high cost version of the TaoTronics.

 

[mysticalcat]

Can we get all the world's governments to outlaw the USB Micro-B connector as a crime against humanity? How much more suffering must we endure?

I got sick of it and swapped over to Keutek magnetic cables and tips (Lightning, Micro USB and USB C). Now all of my devices have the appropriate tip installed and all the cables around the house and in the car provide power no matter what device it is.

 

[madmax559]

Anyone managed to replace batteries in any of these headphones ?
Especially the Bose qc 35/II

We have a couple of pairs at home that we use and like very much
and I don’t like the idea of discarding an expensive pair of headphones after the battery goes out in a few years

 

[artvandelayIIII]

As a double sided (USB-C/Lightning) purist, I will wait for version 2.

Seriously. I don't know how it's possible that in the year of our lord 2021 I'm still coming across brand new electronics that ship with this abomination of a connector.

 

[bonzen]

For all of you upset by micro-usb-b ports, look at getting magnetic cables, then leave the adapter in the device and the magnetic cable end can attach in either direction

I like the gen-x cables from amazon, but there are several options

I did not know I wanted that, ty!

 

[Defenestrar]

For all of you upset by micro-usb-b ports, look at getting magnetic cables, then leave the adapter in the device and the magnetic cable end can attach in either direction

I like the gen-x cables from amazon, but there are several options

I suppose leaving the adapter in would be almost as good as leaving in the moisture/dust cover that fits into the slot of my current headphones. If I'm really worried about pulling out the existing gasket, a little RTV could make it hermetic.

 

[everdred]

I'm not sure why people are so caught up on the fact that a "Chinese knockoff" of a product is visually very similar to a name-brand expensive model. That's the idea behind a knockoff... it looks the same, but is cheaper because the internal parts are lower performance/quality.

That's an odd interpretation of the comments posted before yours. It seems that people are concerned that this is an expensive knock-off — possibly entirely a rebadging — of an established cheaper model.

 

[Defenestrar]

I'm not sure why people are so caught up on the fact that a "Chinese knockoff" of a product is visually very similar to a name-brand expensive model. That's the idea behind a knockoff... it looks the same, but is cheaper because the internal parts are lower performance/quality.

That's an odd interpretation of the comments posted before yours. It seems that people are concerned that this is an expensive knock-off — possibly entirely a rebadging — of an established cheaper model.

You know, sometimes knockoffs still use decent - not top shelf not bottom of the bucket - parts. Look at the long history of Behringer following whatever Mackie did. Every now and then the knockoff companies come out with a top tier product on their own or finally learn enough from reverse engineering to do their own thing and do it well. The Behringer x32 is case in point. I used to mix on a Soundcraft SI, but at half the price the x32 is an extremely nice deal and I don't really miss much from the Soundcraft (well, except muscle memory whenever I switch).

 

[garmon]

I stopped reading at micro-usb. That is all I need to know.

 

[android_alpaca]

I'm not sure why people are so caught up on the fact that a "Chinese knockoff" of a product is visually very similar to a name-brand expensive model. That's the idea behind a knockoff... it looks the same, but is cheaper because the internal parts are lower performance/quality.

That's an odd interpretation of the comments posted before yours. It seems that people are concerned that this is an expensive knock-off — possibly entirely a rebadging — of an established cheaper model.

Yes... I literally address that concern in the next sentence of my post (which you conveniently edited out)... here's the rest of my post.

I'm not sure why people are so caught up on the fact that a "Chinese knockoff" of a product is visually very similar to a name-brand expensive model. That's the idea behind a knockoff... it looks the same, but is cheaper because the internal parts are lower performance/quality. The point of these reviews is for an independent third party to test to see if the pricier products are indeed worth the money, or if they are simply rebadged knockoffs with a lot of marketing (i.e. Skullcandy or Beats).

Anyways... Wirecutter review have a pretty extensive "why you should trust us" and "how we tested" sections in their review to try and reassure you they made a fair amount of effort to be as objective as they could while testing. Below is a photo from their testing noise cancellation properties of headphones using a simulated ear and cheek.

My point is that I understand that there is a worry for them being rebadged low quality/performance item... but the entire point of this review is the see if that's true or not. So either people are just posting saying "hey there is a knockoff that looks exactly the same." without bothering to read the review. Or they read the review and completely don't trust the review when he says that the build/audio quality is good and are still fixated on the visual similarities of the product.

 

[EdipisReks]

I walk around with a pair of Bose NC700, and have a pair of HD-800S running off an excellent DAC and single-ended-triode amplifier as my desktop setup (I have a long history in audio, and a big pair of maggies running off naim is my real system). These headphones, as reviewed, sound like an awful use of $200.

 

[jey9]

What codecs do these use? I think it should be included in the article.

I have a pair of BT noise cancelling headphones that only use AAC and SBC, which is fine for my phone, but becomes a pain in the ass when I want to use it with my receiver because it's extremely difficult to find BT transmitters that transmit AAC. There's plenty that receive AAC but basically all of them only transmit aptX.

Which means to use my headphones with my receiver, it has to use SBC which is the worst option.

 

[wiz420]

What codecs do these use? I think it should be included in the article.

I have a pair of BT noise cancelling headphones that only use AAC and SBC, which is fine for my phone, but becomes a pain in the ass when I want to use it with my receiver because it's extremely difficult to find BT transmitters that transmit AAC. There's plenty that receive AAC but basically all of them only transmit aptX.

Which means to use my headphones with my receiver, it has to use SBC which is the worst option.

That's a really good point... I followed the amazon and purosound links, and neither seem to reveal codecs in the specifications.

 

[Korios]

My old over-the-ear semi-crappy Philips headphones recently reached the end of their semi-miserable lives (technically their half lives, since only the right earphone died) so I was looking for some new better and sturdier headphones.

I am unable to spend $200 (nominally 165 € here, but practically 190 - 200 € due to the very high VAT of my country and other "costs" added on top..) for headphones, so I was looking for something in the 75 - 90 € range, 100 € tops.

Your review of the Puro Pro headphones guided me toward the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro II "monitor headphones", which I found in an audio shop not very far from where I live for a mere 82 € ($100), shipping included! I looked at the German Amazon for price reference and the prices started from 100 € (plus more for shipping) so I was good with my local shop. Usually it's the other way around..

I was not aware of the difference between "monitor" and "commercial" headphones but with a little research I understood it well (apart from having better build quality and being sturdier monitor headphones are more comfortable to wear for long and have a "flat" frequency curve -i.e. no frequency is boosted or suppressed compared to the others- which was exactly what I was looking for).

 

[D10genes]

Sennheiser HD-600s wired. There is still nothing better than these old cans at the sub $500 price point. If I’m really listening, I put these on. If it only needs to sound good but not great then a lot of other headphones are fine.

 

[Zeros]

from the 540 words describing the audio quality, it surely lacks a lot of fine details.
Can anyone tell me the audio quality with proper metrics like from rtings.com?
What is the sound character ?
Bluetooth codec supported?
stable bluetooth connection through different room or well isolated backpack? Supposedly streamed from DAC in the backpack or from pc in game room to living room.
How good the low, mid, and high range?
How is the imaging?
The soundstage? open spacious and so on not 1 sentence comparison to other headset.

Without those details, how can I compare with for example Sony WH-1000XM4? I once had XM3 and while its good but the sacrifice in sound quality is still unacceptable with me. Fortunately its well reviewed and I bought it fully knowing the details.

 

[Pellaeon]

As several other people noted, these may be a rebrand of some significantly cheaper headphones. I have a pair of Boltune-branded headphones that look exactly the same as these, and they only cost $70.
They have the same buttons, same female voice, same pairing sequence, and active noise cancellation. I'm not an audio expert, so I don't know if they sound as good as these, but it's suspicious.