I would like to thank Kanto Living for the opportunity to review this product. I have owned Kanto Living products in the past having purchased a pair of YU5 powered desktop speakers along with the YU8 subwoofer. I was very impressed with the quality of build and sound and was also pleasantly surprised to see that Kanto Living was out of Vancouver, British Columbia Canada.

When I was approached to do a review of the SX26 speaker stand it was excellent timing as I was living with less than ideal stands for my Jamo bookshelf speakers having them placed on two small Teak end tables. The end tables were far too low and being all wood and moderately light, sound vibration was clearly being transferred through to the wooden floor below. Even with the less than ideal Teak end tables as stands in my lovely studio apartment, with a big listening room featuring 11 foot high ceilings the sound was very good, but not optimal. It would only improve with being able to get the speakers elevated and more isolated from the floor. Enter the Kanto SX26, I opted to review the black version of the stand.

I will not be ascribing significant changes in sound quality of the speakers because of a speaker stand. Speaker stands aren't designed to tune a speaker, rather they are ideally to be neutral and not impart any introduced sonic qualities to the sound. Saying that, it should be noted that if one takes a bookshelf speaker and changes it's height so that it is better positioned at or close to the optimal ear level relative to the listening position, the sound will change. Regardless of that fact, the job of the speaker stand, in this case the well appointed Kanto SX26, is to provide a stable, attractive and as acoustically inert as possible platform for your beloved speakers. In the case of the Kanto SX26, in my opinion, job done, and done very well.

So accepting that the SX26 does exactly what it should, and it does, I will describe some of the things about this Kanto offering that I think should and will matter to potential purchasers.

Assembly: This was actually quite easy and I did it alone (although having another pair of hands would have been better and more fun). The stands were extremely well packaged, double boxed and even within the secondary packing box all the individual components were also well packaged. I had to do some work to get the shipping boxes open, but beyond a few curses being uttered, I gained access in a timely manner. I did need a screwdriver, sadly I forget the type, but I was easily able to find the right sized and style of driver head with my interchangeable driver set, almost ubiquitous in the modern household.

It took me about an hour to assemble both stands, and I was not rushing so it could be accomplished more quickly if somebody wished, or had a helper. I would say the experience of assembly was very straight forward and there were no surprises or hard to understand instructions so really anybody should be able to do this.

Materials and fit and finish: I think the Kanto SX26 stands are made from quality, and seemingly very durable materials. Okay, those base plates are extremely dense and heavy, which you would want and expect, but I was still surprised at just how heavy they were. I used to have a set of Atacama stands supporting my KEF R300s, and they were absolutely fine, but by way of direct comparison the Atacama stands were not nearly as robust feeling. I know at a certain point weight can be an issue when we think about product materials, but I feel that it is perfectly reasonable to suggest that a speaker stand should feel very well planted, and the Kanto SX26 feels well planted.

The metal components were well finished, blemish and burr free with no sharp edges. The only caveat here was that when using the included metal screws it did seem that the threading was being cut (finalized) while the screw was being driven into the channel. This is fine, and normal, but here I would like to have had a more premium feel. The threads were all tooled properly and things went in straight and with not too much effort, but even so I remember thinking that this step could have been better yet and given the market segment the SX26 is in, I almost think it should be expected. Very small thing to note, but I am trying to be balanced and fair.

I was really impressed with the accessory box of goodies where I found 8 spike units and 8 floor discs. These components felt and looked very precisely and well made, and when it came time to use them the results confirmed this. The isolation discs are quite attractive in their elegant simplicity, and again like the base plates, they feel very dense and substantial. I like that. I was pleasantly surprised that the spike system uses a pressure fitting approach with each spike unit being just the perfect size, wrapped in a thick rubber like material. The spike units push into the precisely tooled compartment in the base plate and it was nice that there were no screws required here. The fit was very precise and snug. The spike units would not fall out, but if you needed to pull them out you could without much trouble. Nice user friendly design feature I feel.

The SX26 retail package features two speaker mount plates and the larger of the two was just perfect for my Jamo speakers. Again, the materials felt substantial, were well finished and everything aligned precisely and easily. The adhesive foam pad designed to go between the speaker and the metal top plate is of a substantial density, well tooled and very easy to precisely fit onto the top plate. I like that when in place the foam pad guarantees that the metal screw heads needed to attach the top plate to the stand column will never come anywhere close to the speaker base.

I didn't use the included column cable directing feature. I actually forgot, how sad is that? Saying that, I did get a good look at the column and the cable section was well executed providing plenty of space and ease of use for sure. I fully intend to use this feature in the future, but suffice it to say that it is a well thought out and executed feature from the Kanto design team.

With the included allen key levelling the spikes, which I needed to do, was very easy. The hard discs with their silicon padding go against the floor and accept the spike into them via a well tooled depression that was very well finished and precisely milled.

Final thoughts and suggestions: I am very comfortable with my 4.5/5 rating of this product and I would be equally comfortable recommending it to family and friends. There is one key caveat that I will offer, and that it is important that you know exactly where you are putting the stands, and I mean precisely as after the fact moving them is not as easy as it should be. Consider in my scenario, on a wooden floor you absolutely will be using the floor isolation/protection discs. The issue is that they don't slide so when my stands needed to be moved, it took some doing. I ultimately found it possible to achieve, and I wouldn't say that it was difficult, but I do believe that it should have been easier nonetheless.

The floor disc should be made to include a super low friction floor contact material so that the stand with speaker could be easily slid into place and adjusted. This I would highly recommend Kanto consider doing as it would greatly enhance the user friendliness of the SX26. So when you are getting ready to use these fine speaker stands, and I believe that you will like them very much, just be prepared and plan the precise positioning of the stands ahead of time to minimize the potential challenge of making minor positional adjustments after the fact. Again, I was able to do so, but it would have been nicer to have been able to glide the stands over the floor with the speakers.

I know how important this is. I have some large Monito Audio floorstanding speakers with substantial spike feet and to make them easy to move I went to a hardware store and purchased some appropriately sized furniture sliders. Those allowed the spikes to get a nice deep bite without breaking through into the actual rounded face that touches the floor and now I can easily move my speakers whenever I wish. That convenience is in my mind a minimal functionality consideration.

Lastly, I would like to have seen a little more design flourish. For example, where the stand column attaches at the floor base, here you find a very subtle raised plastic ridge that seamlessly integrates into the column and it has the word Kanto tastefully placed there. I may have liked a subtle colour distinction to ever so slightly show the word Kanto. Just enough use of a colour here, not bright and bold, but understated and sophisticated. These are premium products and I think as a finishing design flourish that would be nice. Last but not least, after you are done leveling the stands via the base plate access holes, it would have been nice to have been provided with some pressure fit, but removeable black foam like plugs. While I absolutely get that the small holes are there to provide access to level the stand via the spikes, I still think after that tasks has been completed, it would be nice to be able to visually hide the holes.

Thank you again to Kanto Living for allowing me to access the SX26, I am absolutely thrilled to have them and without a doubt they are full value for the money. I didn't use the included fill bags that can go into the stand column to add even more stability and dampening, but that would also be another thing that had I been better prepared at assembly time I would have done. It really isn't needed though, these stands even unfilled are substantial and very sturdy.

I would like to thank Bluewave for having kindly allowing me to review their Get wireless headphone amplifier. I was very pleased to discover this little gem after reading a review of it elsewhere on the Internet. I am also very pleased as this little gem is designed and made in Montreal which is just a few hours away from me and a city I frequently visit.

While I have no issues at all supporting companies that manufacture in Asia and elsewhere, it is nonetheless nice to support something local. The fact that it is a locally made product has nothing to do with my positive rating, that is just a bonus I find satisfying on a personal level.

I have not taken my own images so I will resort to using images taken from Bluewave themselves.






Design, build quality and usability
I very much like the design. It is simple and clean looking and exactly what a device of this nature should look like in my opinion, unobtrusive. The build feels fine in hand, clearly it is not made to be treated roughly and dropped repeatedly onto concrete floors, but really, what is? I have full confidence that with normal handling and usage the Get will last. Everything feels tight and secure.

Usability I also find quite acceptable. I used the Get as it was intended, on the go taking public transit around the city. I used my Philips Fidelio M1 MKII with the Get as that is a wonderful sounding, and also truly portable headphone. I hope to review the M1 MKII soon if time permits, but I digress. The controls were well laid out, easy to use and I found that I didn't need to look, I just explored with my hand to see how natural the layout of controls was to use and I had no issues at all pausing, playing, moving to another track, everything just worked.

The one caveat I have echoes the experience of Currawong, the volume control I find is not the best to use with one hand adjusting as it can jump up quite quickly. On a few occasions the Get did suddenly get very loud on me. It is easy to avoid this from occurring, but the user should hold the get while adjusting the volume. This would not at all prevent me from really enjoying and buying the Get, but it is important to note.

I liked the clip and had no issues using it at all. I deliberately moved it around while travelling and felt that one handed it was quite easy to securely clip to pockets. I would also like to make an honourable mention to the little sound confirmations the Get provides when a connection is made, and when the Get is turned off. They are nice little user feedback cues and certainly a nice touch that tells me that Bluewave paid attention to detail. I like that in a company.

Bluetooth and USB
I used the Get almost exclusively via Bluetooth as that is by far and away my preferred connection option for a portable device and quickly becoming my go to even when at home. Yes, Bluetooth when done right can sound that good. The Get paired easily with my LG G6 which does have Apt x HD and the indicator light on the Get confirmed that indeed a Apt x HD connection had been made and this was confirmed by my G6 messaging. I had no issues with stability at all. I was able to move between rooms, leaving my phone streaming away with no penalty for doing so. When reconnecting with my phone the connection was very quick, perhaps the quickest of any Bluetooth device I have used. I like that.

The USB connection was likewise very easy to establish and I was able to go into JRiver Media Center 24 and set my output option to Bluewave Get (WASAPI).


Sound
When it comes to sound we are mostly describing the sound of the headphone used as frankly, unless the amp and DAC are poorly designed, or deliberately colour the audio output, they should mostly get out of the way. I found that M1 MKII used with the Get with Bluetooth between my G6 sounded just as I expected. I did not hear any evidence at all that the Fidelio was being under-powered. The sound of the Fidelio M1 MKII was not being altered in anyway that I could detect so that is great and what you want. The same thing happened when I used my Pioneer SE Monitor 5, it sounded like it should in terms of frequency response.

The takeaway is that if your headphone is reasonably easy to drive the Get should have no issue establishing solid control over the driver. As with any amplifier, the louder you go, the more complex the music and the more difficult a load to control the Get would be expected to lose control, but I suspect with a reasonable load (headphones designed to be efficient) this shouldn't be an issue. As I type I have the song Two Against Nature from Steely Dan playing at a pretty decent volume and I am hearing no issues.

I did not use the Get via USB nearly as much, but I personally think most users will use it via Bluetooth as that is it's forte. The connection with USB was very easy to make and sound quality wise I do feel that it gives up some clarity and dynamics as compared to Bluetooth. I say that based on limited time via USB so I do wish to qualify that statement. If the difference I believed I heard was indeed there, it really wasn't major at all. Again, the Get is first and foremost in my mind a Bluetooth device, but saying that it is a perfectly competent USB enabled device that should be expected to improve the audio performance of many onboard audio devices in entry and mid-level laptops. Yes, the Steely Dan sounds just great as I am coming to the end of my review. I just have to end while listening to Hotel California live as that is one of my core evaluation tracks. There we go, the Eagles are sounding darn fine right now, darn fine. The Get is getting the sound just right. Is it perfect? Of course not. Does it sound really good? Absolutely it does.


Conclusion and specifications
I think the Get is a great sounding device, certainly I enjoyed it and was very surprised by just how well it performed and I believe that it is a very worthwhile device in a quickly crowding space. The price point is perfectly acceptable, and frankly, if I was to consider that just a few years ago I would have to pay this price for a portable amplifier that didn't have Bluetooth, from that perspective the Get is a great deal. I have no reservation about recommending the Bluewave Get Wireless Headphone Amplifier to you. It is priced right, sounds great and is easy to use with an appropriate level of functionality so an easy recommendation. Thank you Bluewave for this wonderful little device and for allowing me to review it, I shall miss it when I ship it back to you!

The specifications are provided below:

Preamble
A few things before I begin, I have decided to not bother with pictures, at least for now. By this point there are many reviews ahead of me with fantastic images and I suspect most people skip past pictures so I feel that I am not short changing anybody in that respect. I do love the images others have taken and I am always glad that people take the time so my omission is not because I don't see value in reviews with images, quite the opposite, and if my review was one of the earlier efforts, I most certainly would provide images.

Spoiler alert, I love the FiiO Q5! I always look for two take away conclusions from a review, does the gear in question sound good, and would the reviewer buy the item or recommend that others do so. In the case of the Q5 my answer to both questions is an enthusiastic yes. The Q5 sounds fantastic, and I did purchase it and feel that it is one of the better purchases that I have ever made in audio. I did not give a 5 star rating simply on principle, I do not believe anything is perfect, but in all sincerity, to this point I have to say the Q5 has been as close to perfect as I have ever encountered.

I am working from a particular perspective/assumption, and that is that the Q5, like any well designed source, does not change the sound, or if it does, it must be very subtle. This is a good thing in my view. I am completely sure others will not agree and suggest otherwise feeling that the Q5 does change the sound, but that is not my take, nor do I feel that is what a source should do, that is the job of the headphone and or DSP that the user may use for personal preference. So if you are okay with this line of thinking, or at least willing to indulge me, please read on.

Design, build and ease of use
Attractive, elegant and simple, those are a few adjectives I would quickly throw out. The Q5 has a very nice heft to it and it feels wonderful in hand, and it fits very well in hand. I do not use it in hand often, but when I do I always notice and appreciate how solid it feels, and how ergonomically correct for me that it feels. In my mind, the size is just perfect. Perhaps not the most important factor, but nonetheless appreciated. I love the elegant simplicity of the lines, the Q5 looks to me both rugged and refined. It has that Hi-Fidelity look about it, and it somehow just looks like a piece of audio gear should look. It is quite aesthetic in my mind.

No need to go into a great deal of discussion about build quality. Everything feels solid, and it inspires confidence in me that this device is going to last. The volume dial is perhaps one of the most used physical elements and it is completely evident to me that FiiO took this aspect of the design seriously. The volume wheel is perfectly located, smartly tucked into a functional, and protective recess and it feels just right as I adjust it. The knurled edges and positive feel is greatly appreciated. I also very much like the fact that there is enough resistance that the wheel will not spin the volume up easily in case of accidental slips, but if I do try, I can manipulate it with one finger. Well thought out and implemented FiiO.

Every other functional element looks and works as I would want. All of the buttons feel substantial and made to last, and they all function smoothly and perfectly. Usability is very important to me, and out of respect for the reader I will not go into detail, but the build and engineering considerations that went into the Q5 controls are spot on and very well done. Button groupings are well thought out, positioned just right, easy to use and like the volume wheel, neatly housed in tactile and protective grooves. To use the title of a Radiohead song from Kid A that I just love, Everything in it's right place, that would describe how I feel about the layout of the Q5.

Two small quibbles. One, I would like to have the LED status light bar show activity at any stage of charging. My understanding is that unless the Q5 battery is at a certain state of discharge, the LED lights will not visually indicate charging is occurring. Not very important, but I do believe that the user should always receive visual confirmation that charging is occurring. Next, out in daylight I found it very difficult to see the LED light bar and as a result I kept turning it on and off as I was not able to see the lights. In fairness, I do know that my eyesight isn't the best, so perhaps that was at least partially responsible for this. In either case, it is simply a minor annoyance.

I had a little problem performing the update procedure initially, but I quickly recovered and found updating both the Q5 and Bluetooth firmware very easy to do. I very much like that FiiO has a well established track record of listening to customers and providing updates and bug fixes as required, and I feel that based on my experience having already completed a full update that I can easily live with the somewhat less intuitive update process. I am not saying there isn't room for improvement, but as it stands now I am quite confident that without too much trouble Q5 owners will be able to update their units. I will optimistically hope that this continues to be the case.


Bluetooth performance
The Q5 connected very easily to both my Dell laptop, and to my LG G6. My friends phone (a newer Sony) also had no issue at all pairing with the Q5. Reconnecting has always been very responsive and I have had no issues at all with this aspect of the Q5. I have tested the range and again not had even the slightest drop out when my phone is in another room, or in my pocket when I take the bus around town with the Q5.

I have been a big proponent for Bluetooth inclusion with audio gear for quite some time now and the Q5 is a great ambassador for Bluetooth. Personally, I think wired connections will be extinct in due time, and based on my experience having embraced Bluetooth for several years now, I will not mourn the inevitable passing away of wired connections. I do suspect that wired connections will be included, at least for the foreseeable future, but it won't be because they sound better than Bluetooth which was the case in the early days, rather the wired interfaces will be there for compatibility. That is the exact opposite relationship where Bluetooth was once provided as the alternative connectivity option, with wired connections being conceptualized as the primary and desired connectivity option. I would suggest that the audio reproduction quality we are currently enjoying is so good, that in multiple trial, blind listening tests, I suspect the vast majority of users would find a Bluetooth connection transparent as compared with wired, but I digress.

The Q5 via Bluetooth sounds simply fantastic, it has been rock solid stable for me, and it is easy as pie to use. What more could I ask for? I am not sure if there is a viable user scenario for me by which I would want the Q5 to also function as a Bluetooth transmitter, but intuitively I suspect that if that functionality was implemented, I would find a way to enjoy it.

Wired (USB) performance
I have used the Q5 with my laptop and it has been a breeze via USB, No issues at all getting the Q5 recognized on my Windows 10 install, rock solid stability when connected, and very responsive when reconnecting, almost instantaneous. I have not found any sound quality issues at all when connected via USB, it sounds just perfect to my ears. Currently I have not made use of other connectivity interfaces as I have no need to do so, but when and if I do, I will update my review.

Sound quality
This is where the rubber hits the road, and this is also where I will perhaps differ from many people. I feel that when describing the sound, frankly users are describing the sound signature of the headphone being used, in combination with the music they are listening to. To my ears, the Q5 does not colour the sound, what goes in is what comes out, and isn't that what we want? Do we really want our source devices audibly changing the sound?

I am not going to try to make the whole wire with gain argument as I do not have such a black and white view, nor do I know with certainty how acute my (or anybody's for that matter) hearing is to very small changes. Perhaps there are changes made to the sound, in the case of the Q5, if this is occurring, the changes are subtle enough that I will not say that I can hear them. I embrace both subjectivity and objectivity, but I do not pretend that I am some finely tuned audio reception machine capable of teasing apart tiny, granular differences. I will leave that respectfully to others who are confident in their abilities. It is not for me to deny, or confirm these skills in others. I can only speak for myself.

I have been able to use a few headphones that I know the sound signature of very well with the Q5 and I can say with complete certainty that in each case they sounded as I know them to sound across different sources, and they all sounded well driven. I have used the Sony Z1R, Pioneer SE Monitor 5, ATH M40x, Fidelio M1 MKII, Onkyo A800 and H900M on several occasions, predominantly my Pioneer, and as previously mentioned, they all sounded as expected, and they all sounded full and well driven. I used the Z1R balanced as it accepted the balanced cable from my Pioneer so both headphones were auditioned balanced (as well as unbalanced) using the same cable.

I noticed no attenuation in my audio memory of these headphones sound signatures, or with sound stage. There may perhaps have been the slightest change in sound stage depth via the Q5, but here again, the perceived change (narrowing of field) was so slight that frankly it could easily be explained simply by the fact that I was listening for changes so expectation bias (which is an absolutely 100% scientific fact proven by mountains of research so not even debatable unless one decides to invalidate scientific inquiry altogether). Again, I digress.

I have several time tested songs that I listen to new gear with, my audio calibration tracks so to speak. I make sure that all of the fundamental aspects of musical instruments are covered, acoustic, electronic, female and male vocals, horns, woodwinds, purely sampled music (I love electronica) and purely acoustic. I listen for cymbal naturalness as a great test of treble accuracy (I have played drums off and on for well over 30 years now). I like the bell hits and body strikes to be tonally realistic (within reason as after-all, these are recorded sounds not live in the room with me).

I have several test tracks where string reverberation is evident and I listen for the naturalness of these sounds and how well notes decay. I love female vocals and as such I feel the reproduction of the female voice is a true test of audio reproduction and the Q5 in combination with my headphone pairings did not disappoint. I heard exactly what I have learned to expect with my headphones. Bass tones are full where they should be, fast to decay or slow and spreading as the source material provides. I do not hear the Q5 changing anything, and that is exactly what I want and expect from my sources.

I have tracks with electronic/acoustic fusion which again is a great test of audio reproduction and I make sure to play complex and busy musical pieces looking for separation and instrument layering abilities. Again, I found no evidence that the Q5 isn't doing exactly what it should be doing, everything is in it's right place. I am going to provide a short list of my test tracks for you, this should give you some idea of the range of music that I use to evaluate a piece of equipment. I do not at this time listen to classical or opera via headphones, so you will notice an absence of any such material. I use speakers for those particular genres when I do listen to them. Here are some of my standard test tracks, many of them I am sure will be recognizable to you.

Hotel California (live): Eagles
One Trick Pony: Holy Cole
Negative Girl: Steely Dan
Warpigs: Black Sabbath
When We Were Free: Pat Metheny
Badman's Song: Tears for Fears
Slip: Deadmau5
Bye Bye Blackbird: Saint Germain des Pres Café collection (wonderful collection of music, get them all)
The Chain: Fleetwood Mac
Grandfathers Waltz: Bill Evans
Take Five: Dave Brubeck
Tea Leaf Prophecy: Herbie Hancock
Tundra: Amber Rubbarth
Chan Chan: Buena Vista Social Club
Let You Down: Dave Matthews Band
Smile: The Crystal Method
Supertramp: If Everyone Was Listening
Song of the Stars: Dead Can Dance
Obsession: Dosem
Drive: Joe Bonamassa
Cryogenic Dreams: Phutureprimitive
Loveeeeeee Song: Rhianna
Bridge: Slowly Rolling Camera
Two Months Off: Underworld
Six Feet Under: The Weekend
Distant Green Valley: Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble
Brain: 9Bach
The Grudge: Tool
Under Neon Lights: The Chemical Brothers
El Macho: Mark Knopfler
Run Like Hell: Pink Floyd
Dreaming While You Sleep: Genesis

Concluding thoughts
I am perfectly content with everything about the Q5 to this point anyway. With the default AM3A amplifier module attached there seems to be more than enough power for any moderate to easy to drive headphone. I do typically listen at about 85dB to 90dB sustained, so certainly loud (but short sessions). I like the impact of louder playback volumes, but I also did listen at more modest volumes and I found the Q5 was still engaging.

I don't know if you will share my impressions of the Q5, or agree with my beliefs about what an amp and DAC should do, but I do believe that the Q5 is very, very good sounding, it is easy to use, well built, it looks great, the form factor is pretty darn spot on, and with fabulous Bluetooth available, I just feel the Q5 does it all, and it does it just as it should do. The Q5 is certainly capable of being your daily and main headphone driver, at least with the proper headphone impedance (I did not test high Z, or very low Z loads) but as a portable system, I just can't imagine needing more.

I look forward to using my Q5 every-time that I turn it on, and that is a great sign to me. Yes, as always happens, eventually I will want to try something else, that always happens with me, but when I do it won't be because the Q5 doesn't sound fantastic, it will be because I want to try something new.

I remain on the fence in some respects, maybe even subtle sound signature differences are there and I respond to them, even if at times it is hard to tell exactly what is different. Audio memory is notoriously short, and not as accurate as we like to assume, but I do know that audio signatures can be tailored, and there may be source devices with deliberate flavouring (the Mojo comes to mind, I very much liked it) so while I say the Q5 isn't coloured, it could be, but if so, it is modestly so, and well done at that, and I do not hear any very obvious colour added by it.

I am glad that I followed the Q5 thread from the very beginning, and I would like to congratulate FiiO for the considerable achievement that the Q5 represents. Well done FiiO, well done.

First I have to thank x Relic x for inviting me to join the Canadian leg of the Hugo2 tour and for I'm sure a great deal of work behind the scene coordinating things. I of course must also thank Chord Electronics for making the tour possible. I own the very capable Mojo and after being shocked at the sonic capability of that little gem I just had to spend some time with the Hugo2 and spoiler alert, I wasn't at all disappointed.

What I elected to do for my review time was essentially use the Hugo2 as default as possible. I left the filter on the default neutral presentation and I didn't use cross-feed. For me, I expect the super stereo effect of headphone use and frankly rather enjoy it. I use and love 2 channel audio so when I want the true stereo effect of speakers, well, I use speakers. That isn't meant at all to disparage those who use and enjoy crossfeed, I'm sure it can be very well implemented and enjoyable. For me, knowing my leaning toward non-crossfeed listening I felt the best use of my time with the Hugo2 was simply to use it like I do anything I own.

I don't think I need to post the technical specifications or elaborate unboxing pictures, I have little doubt others will do so and I enjoy those type of reviews as well. I did take one picture of the Hugo2 kit as I received it.


My photography skills leave a little to be desired so such as it is this is what I ended up with. As you can see, the Hugo2 retail package comes with several cable options to allow you to bring in a digital signal. I elected to use USB and for my review that is the input method I used exclusively.

I did test the Bluetooth functionality of the Hugo2 and it was excellent. I am a huge fan of Bluetooth and I commend Chord for such a solid implementation of Bluetooth. The pairing was swift and remained rock stable throughout.

I elected to not spend much time on Bluetooth as in my mind as great as Bluetooth is, the vast majority of those interested in the Hugo2 would not be using wireless in all likelihood. However; Chord, please, continue to implement Bluetooth in all of your products moving forward, it is a very worthwhile connectivity feature, in fact, I would consider it essential and expected in the contemporary marketplace. I hope anybody who does use the Hugo2 would at least tries out the Bluetooth functionality as it most certainly deserves to be appreciated.

The build quality, fit and finish was nothing less than impressive. Holding the Hugo2 in hand was a pure pleasure and as silly as some may find such an observation, it kind of matters. We experience our gear on multiple levels and the tactile details are an important part of things. I actually really like the interface controls.

For those who care about such things, the retail packaging is very nice, functional and adequate without wastefully allocating resources the buyer will pay for into less than needed packaging bling. I like the sensibility displayed by Chord here, put the money into the product, not into opulent, but ultimately fairly useless packaging.

When I first started reading reviews about Chord products I thought the little colourful (Canadian/British spelling of color) rolling lights were interesting, but I dismissed them as mostly marketing and gimmicky. I have actually grown to appreciate the controls and find them extremely easy to use and frankly rather intuitive. I don't think I need dwell on this much as anybody seriously prepared to welcome a Chord product into their system is probably already aware of the control choice.

So from a usability perspective the Hugo2 was nothing short of excellent and I actually rather enjoyed the controls so two thumbs up. One caveat is that the included USB cable attaches very snugly on the computer port, perhaps too snugly, but I did not have any problem besides having to hold my laptop from moving when attaching and detaching the cable.

I had no driver compatibility issues with my Windows 10 system running JRiver Media Center 20 and when I used Tidal for streaming there of course was also no issue at all using the Chord driver.

I elected to use my Audioquest NightOwl headphone throughout as I have recently acclimated to the signature and frankly really enjoy it so my sound impressions of the Hugo2 are a reflection of that pairing and your results will vary depending on the headphone(s) you use.

The Hugo2 is a very impressive sounding piece of kit. The background has that rich dark silence that I like. There just did not seem to be anything out of balance in the sonics. The sound stage was very nice and natural. Not too narrow, nor exaggerated, just well, right. I did do some comparison to my NAD rig which features the very competent and well received M51 DAC and for amplification I connect directly via a speaker tap cable to my NAD M3.

I mention this as when I look at the comparatively tiny Hugo2 you almost expect there to be a difference. I have to say there wasn't. I did my best to level match and I only used a few very familiar test tracks of mine and damn if the Hugo2 didn't hold it's own perfectly which in my mind is quite a feat from such a small footprint device. Certainly gives you pause when you wonder why we buy much larger footprint kit, but I digress.

There were a few things that really struck me about the Hugo2. It is an agile sounding device with fantastic and natural sounding decay that really helped with the bass response and allowing transient notes to be expressed, but not exaggerated. I have played drums off and on for over 30 years and I also have attended many live shows of all sizes and flavours, and as such I have heard many instruments in many settings. The tonality of the Hugo2 is very natural and accurate. Sorry to use such a vague descriptor, but yes it is a very musical and very easy to listen to.

I have a favourite test track Bye Bye Blackbird from disc 2, volume 6 of the spectacular Saint-Germain des Pres-Café collection. This track has it all, simple slow passages, rumbling string bass, wind instruments, fantastic percussion and cymbal work, topped off with female vocals that are closely miked. The Hugo2 simply nailed every aspect of the presentation. Cymbals had that proper cut through quality without brashness or glare, the percussion was tight and authoritative with drum heads sounding like drum heads. The upright bass that can be very powerful and with some pairings I have heard it through, almost over-powering, but with the Hugo2 it was spot on and tight. The wonderful breathiness of the wind instruments was as well done as I could imagine or have heard to date.

That is a Segway into another aspect of the Hugo2 sonics that really stood out for me, the grip and control of the bass frequencies. The decay and speed of bass is just excellent and timbre and tonality again are sublime to my ears. I also listen to a fair amount of better quality electronic music where speed and driver control is important and on many occasions I just had to smile as challenging passages of bass intensive information were handled with aplomb and precision. The micro edge details were really present, but as importantly the scale of the notes and the power was never sacrificed at the altar of detail retrieval.

I think vocals may be presented ever so slightly forward, but I say that feeling it is a positive attribute. The all important midrange, like the bass, is treated with respect and authority. I actually think that if I had to say anything about the comparison with my NAD rig, I may actually give the edge in vocal presentation to the Hugo2. It was vivid with a hint of warmth which really is required in my mind in the midrange. I listen to a fair amount of female vocals and I enjoy listening to the micro details that really make a recording of a vocal performance sound less processed.

Again, I have to say that I could find no fault at all with how the Hugo2 presented midrange information, or frankly any sonic information. The Hugo2 just sounds solid and poised, yet with an inviting and subtle liquidity to it, a hard to define character that I think many of us identify as musical and involving.

Unreservedly I think the Hugo2 is an exceptional sounding device, shockingly so for such a small footprint. If I didn't need to power speakers or at times power hungry headphones, I could easily have the Hugo2 and be done with it. It checks all my boxes, fast and deep bass with great control and tactility, fabulous detailed and non-fatiguing treble that lets me hear the nuances of cymbal hits from bell to body, and perhaps most importantly a rich and inviting midrange where so much of the music lives.

I won't even begin to make any kind of is it worth the cost statement, that is just so subjective, but I will say this, if I could afford the Hugo2, I would not feel I overspent if I was able to acquire this lovely device. I hope that you the reader have an opportunity to listen to the Hugo2. The team at Chord voiced an engaging and technically very competent and sophisticated device that fits in your hand. I was very sad to pack this little gem up and thoroughly enjoyed every second of my listening time.

 
Edit: just upped the star rating as I swear before there were only 4 stars available and not 5. Either I'm crazy or something odd happened. Either way I bumped the rating up to reflect this. You would think I would notice this so I am pretty confident something was not quite right when I originally was presented the stars to rate with.
 
Before I begin, I would like to qualify my star rating. I would be very comfortable providing a 4 star rating when I consider the performance obtained using a modest parametric EQ adjustment (-4db) centered at 90Hz. I will provide more detail regarding this later in the review when I discuss the low frequency performance of the H900M. The specifications are as follows:
 
Impedance: 16ohm
Sensitivity: 105dB/mW
Frequency Response: 5Hz-40kHz
Driver: 50mm, closed architecture dynamic driver
Cable:  ​1.3m oxygen-free copper low-impedance twisted cable with inline microphone, 3.5mm termination with included 1/4" adapter
 

 
​** The above frequency response is obtained using a HATS (Head and Torso Simulator) analysis.
 
A little about me:
​Just to provide some context, I am 48 years old at the time of writing and I have been pursuing and enjoying fine quality audio playback through headphone and speaker systems since the early 1980s. I have been playing drums off and on for over 30 years and have attended many live concerts ranging from Judas Priest to Dave Brubeck. Currently I consider myself to be a modest bass-head, favouring a musical headphone that can stray from neutrality in the low frequencies as long as the quality and overall tonal balance of the headphone is respected. Musically I am an omnivore and enjoy a wide variety of genres; however in the last three years I have become rather enamored with electronic music and Nu-Jazz which makes up the majority of the music I currently listen to on a daily basis. However, for testing purposes I always listen to a wide variety of styles to ensure I am hearing the headphone's adaptability.
 
Comfort and Design:
​The H900M is in my mind a comfortable headphone. If I had to give it a rating I would say comfort is a respectable 8.5 out of 10. The clamp force is appropriate and creates a nice seal. The headband seems to distribute the pressure nicely due to a well padded and wide design and the ear cups are while not plush, certainly adequately padded with synthetic leather and memory foam construction. Design wise as with the A800 I very much like the aesthetics and feel that the H900M has a retro art-deco vibe with clean bold lines and a simple form with a tasteful and understated black and gold colour scheme. The box is simple and no money is wasted on bling (although a simple travel pouch would be a nice addition).
 
The construction is solid with machine milled aluminum cups and a smooth metal height adjustment mechanism that retracts into the headband. In hand the H900M feels very well made and substantial and my handy digital kitchen scale tells me that with cable the H900M comes in at 413 grams. I find long listening sessions no problem at all so despite the weight (which does seem appropriate to me) the H900M wears well. It certainly could be a mobile headphone although as I use mobile headphones out and about on public transit it would be a little large for my tastes, but I know for many people, mobile means transportable and easy to wear moving around and the H900M certainly can be mobile in that sense.
 
Sound Signature & Quality:
All listening was done using a Chord Mojo and JRiver Media Center with lossless music. Overall the H900M is a well done contemporary sound signature moving toward warmth and weight of sound as opposed to neutrality. Despite the emphasis on low frequency and weight of sound, the signature still feels quite balanced top to bottom. Personally I like this approach and feel it lends itself to a fairly wide cross-section of music and listening environments. I did not deliberately test with poor quality recordings; however the breadth of material used was wide.
 
Treble:
The treble is well extended and generally rather well done and grain free. I typically like to use cymbal work as a frame of reference as I'm very familiar due to years of playing drums and listening with speaker systems. I did not find the H900M to be fatiguing at all, or to excessively emphasize sibilance. I have one test track where the female vocalist puts a very deliberate emphasis on the s sound when she sings part of the chorus "... putting on the ritz". The vocals are rich and close miked and obviously a Z can sound like an S as sung so it is a great example of recording induced sibilance. I feel the H900M neither softened or emphasised this aspect of the performance, but most certainly it did reveal it, as well it should.
 
Cymbal work cuts through clearly and sounds natural as do the high notes in strings and vocals without overwhelming the music. The bells on cymbals have a nice voice to them and when cymbal work moves to the body it is equally clear and well presented. I have spent more time looking at the graph and comparing to my listening notes and it makes sense why the treble doesn't come across as bright or fatiguing as there are a few well placed dips that seem to work rather well and the treble amplitude remains well balanced with a bump around 3kHz and dropping off there after. I actually find the treble to sound well integrated, pleasant and properly extended. While I like bass energy and some warmth, I also love detail retrieval and in so much as treble plays a part in detail presentation, the H900M is well accomplished in my opinion. Last time I tested my hearing I could hear up to 14kHz still so despite getting older, my hearing acuity is still good. I actually stopped going to rock concerts a few years back as I wanted to preserve what hearing I had left for as long as I can. It seems evident to me that the strong low frequencies allow the treble to be perceived as well balanced, and this is again the reality of listening; musical elements are heard together not in isolation so graphs can only tell you part of the story of a headphone.
 
Midrange:
Again, the midrange seems to me to be coherent and well integrated into an overall balanced signature. Voices have nice timbre and presence to them with plenty of nuance and detail. I like listening for micro detail in bass guitar, snare drum work, piano and synthesizer passages and as with all musical instruments, the frequency spectrum portrayed by the middle frequencies is crucial to accuracy and enjoyment and the H900M really seems to be bang on target here. I never got the sense that the low frequencies were more than very modestly bumping up against the midrange detail that I expected. Guitar and bass string reverberations against the fret are quite nice. I used several pieces of music where such features are important and I always felt pleased with the quality and quantity of the midrange. I listened to some wonderful Alexis Cole, Slowly Rolling Camera, Diana Krall, 9Bach, Fleetwood Mac, Holy Cole and other midrange rich performances and the H900M is most certainly not going to be accused of sucked out midrange and is very capable of rendering the female voice quite nicely.
 
Low frequency:
Here is where I will find some fault with the H900M, but ultimately qualified, and not fatal fault. As far as my testing reveals, there is some excessive bass energy that can be revealed around the 90Hz range. It can produce a droning effect when the music has plenty of amplitude in this area, and I found with prominently mixed acoustic bass in a recording, this trait would be most evident and could be detrimental to the sound. As you would expect layering and separation can suffer when this range is overly prominent and at times that was the case, but again, we aren't talking significantly. I assume this is a design trade-off and fairly typical for an affordably priced closed design headphone (at least in my experience). This was easily corrected in the majority of cases with a simple EQ cut. I used EasyQ and centred my cut on 90Hz attenuating the amplitude down by -4dB with a spread of one octave. In my mind this is a very reasonable amount of effort to be made given the overall very positive bass performance the H900M is capable of.
 
As I mentioned in my introduction, I listen to quite a bit of electronica, and otherwise bass centric music. I love drums and strong, rhythmic bass lines however they are created, so a headphone must be very competent in this respect to work for me. I would say that the bass quality of the H900M can be realistically compared with the Fostex TH600 which I owned and rather enjoyed. I think the nod for layering and control of the low frequencies would go to the TH600, but not by a wide margin at all. The mid-bass is as indicated by the frequency graph north of neutral, but well controlled and capable of surprising detail. Songs such as The Chain by Fleetwood Mac on the re-mastered 35th anniversary of Rumours, or Steely Dan's Negative Girl have plenty of mid-bass information where detail is still there to be had and the H900M was up to the task. This held true for everything I threw at it. Yes the bass is emphasized, and yes, those who prefer neutral sound signatures are not likely to appreciate the signature of the H900M as much as I do, but for those like me who enjoy a well done, weighty, bass-competent signature; with some modest EQ tweaking the H900M is frankly a top performer in my experience in this price range.
 
I currently have the wonderful Sony MDR Z1R as my main closed headphone, but despite this competition in the house the H900M has surprisingly been able to earn head time. The Z1R as it should, does everything better, but at $2299 MSRP against the $299 price suggestion for the Onkyo offering, I don't think this should be surprising. Percussion has plenty of attack and weight and tonality is quite good. I think the transients are for the most part also very good allowing the H900M to be clear, but here is where the performance may give some up to a more neutral bass signature. The perceived speed of the Onkyo is also quite good I find and given my love of electronica, this is certainly important to me. Decay can at times be a little elongated, but again, this is not of a magnitude that I consider to seriously impede the enjoyment of the H900M, nor does it make it sound slow and congested and certainly not unanticipated with a closed architecture.
 
Soundstage:
This is another pleasant surprise with the H900M, it actually has rather good sound stage presentation. The depth is good, but the width is better. I find the height to be quite acceptable and in terms of a spherical, around your head presentation the Onkyo fairs well. It certainly isn't going to make you give up your favourite open back headphone, but when you need a closed headphone you aren't going to feel claustrophobic and boxed in either. The center image is fairly strong, but not so rigid that vocals can't push outward. I use Tundra (among other tracks)by Amber Rubarth to assess soundstage (thank you to Brooko for having introduced me to this track) and the instrument placement and sense of space is quite acceptable. It isn't like the 800S, but the H900M also has more weight and isolation so at times these trade-offs are just fine with me.
 
Again, you will find what is in my mind a reasonable design trade-off and lose some layering and separation as compared against a properly executed open design, but you gain bass impact and weight to notes. Will the H900M be for you? I certainly don't know, but I think you should give it a listen. The H900M is a well presented, cohesive and musical sound signature. Perhaps it isn't for the accuracy nut, or for those seeking the last word in clarity and refinement, but on these metrics the H900M is still quite acceptable, and for those who want to just listen and be involved with an engaging contemporary sound signature, I personally feel the H900M is full value for the asking price. I look forward to hearing what others think about this excellent offering.

 

 
 

The ONKYO A800 is a very impressive headphone indeed, and I believe it has the potential to really earn a following among headphone enthusiasts. To be sure, we are in an unprecedented period where companies are putting significant time and R&D effort into producing capable headphones, and among this sea of excellent headphones it is a challenge to really stand out, but I think a case can be made that the A800 does indeed have standout quality.
 
As always, I like to offer a little detail about myself to provide some user context to this review. I am now 48 years old and still possess quite good hearing. I like a wide variety of music, but in recent years I have really started to gravitate to electronic genres and Nu Jazz offerings. I do like to listen at fairly high playback volume, certainly louder than anybody I know, and due to this I do tend to use shorter listening sessions so rather than listening for say two hours at a time, I will typically listen for several shorter sessions that would total two hours perhaps. I feel this has helped preserve my hearing. I have played the drums off and on for over 30 years and I enjoy listening to all instruments, but I do tend to notice drums, cymbals and bass guitars and perhaps focus on them a little more intently.
 
It was suggested to me that I should include basic specifications, which of course is true so here they are: impedance 32ohms, sensitivity 100db/1mW, frequency response 4Hz - 40kHz, 50mm multi-layer diaphragm.

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Build quality, looks and comfort
 
The A800 certainly is a well-made product, feeling very substantial and solid in hand. Without the cable my handy digital food scale tells me that the A800 weighs in at 439 grams, by way of comparison my LCD 2F weighs in at 582 grams (sans cable). Styling preference is of course rather a personal thing, and for me, I very much like the A800’s aesthetics. I remember seeing images of the new ONKYO headphone lineup I think in late 2015 and the looks were striking. My friend and I both feel the A800 has an almost Art Deco vibe which I think is rather compelling. The shapes are simple and yet bold in scale and the brass/gold accent trim helps set off these elements without being distracting. While certainly bold enough, the overall aesthetics of the design is understated with a certain distinctive and sophisticated aplomb. The main housing for the drivers is an aluminum chamber crafted through a meticulous, multi step process.
 
I suspect the wide headband will not please everybody, but for me it is actually a feature I found appealing and it is rather well done. When worn, the headband does not feel big at all, it is quite comfortable and I don’t even notice it on which I think is a good thing. The padding is ample and provides nice cushioning. An advantage of a wide headband is the distribution of weight and lack of small contact points so combined with the leather wrap all in all the headband is a winner in my books.
 
Now we come to the transducer cups and cushions. They are comfortable, but not plush and forget about them comfort, but most certainly not uncomfortable in the least. During testing I have actually worn the A800 for longer sessions than I normally do and comfort has never been an issue, in fact in general it has been a strength. However, I can perceive for lack of a better way to describe the sensation, the cup shape under the cushions, but I can’t explain why this is. The cushions on the cups are quite nice and more than adequate so it isn’t that the cups are improperly padded. The clamping force is exceptionally well done I feel, snug enough for a solid seal, but not at all uncomfortably tight. I am sensitive to clamping pressure and the A800 seems to strike the perfect balance of tension and comfort.
 
I like the sizing adjustment mechanism. The metal brackets that slide out from inside the headband covering are a unifying matte brass/gold colour and look very well machined. The mechanism seems to be very smooth and secure, and once a size is set it seems to stay in place. Longevity of any design is always a question that only time can answer, but if I had to guess I would think the mechanism is solid and will stand up to use.
 
Another feature that I like quite a bit from a practical and aesthetic perspective is the detachable, dual entry ribbon cable. In keeping with the design choices the cable is a pleasing brass/gold and black pliable material. The cup entry for the 3.5mm jacks are nicely recessed and the two cable ends have a supportive rubber frame that runs up most of the side of the barrel offering another subtle design element as well as I assume making it easier to grip the barrel. The right cup is marked with a red plastic insert in the jack opening and the matching cable end is also denoted with a red stripe around the barrel as are both pole notches on the tip. The left cup and cable end receives the same attention, but as might be expected black is used rather than red. The jacks connect easily and firmly, and they do not move once in, unless you move them so the security of the connection is without question. I am unclear how easily other 3.5mm dual entry cables would fit, but it is entirely possible that after-market cables properly terminated would work as well. A technical contact I have corresponded with suggested that ONKYO opted for this style of cable as it provides some advantages such as: "consistent electrical characteristics such as impedance, inductance, capacitance, crosstalk and time delay".
 
The cable is a Y style with the yoke down low so as not to make the cable pinch in on your neck or face. The 3 metre (9.82 foot) length cable is unobtrusive and I have grown to like the ribbon cable approach. It is smooth, light enough and seems to resist getting kinked up. For some it may be a little long if you sit right next to your amp, but even if so, the cable is so unobtrusive and light that you simply gather up some of the excess and let it go down between your legs to the floor. That is what I have been doing without an issue. I like the brass/gold barrel with the name ONKYO on the ¼ jack as well. I don’t typically like bling and I feel the A800 is tastefully detailed while having character. It should be noted that the ear cushions, or pads as is perhaps the more common name, are indeed replaceable and can be ordered from ONKYO customer service centers.
 
It is quite clear to me that ONKYO again spent a great deal of effort considering fit and finish and as with the H500BT that I have also reviewed, the results seem excellent to me. I have no issue giving a grade of A for build quality/functionality and looks, and a B+ for comfort. I want to give comfort an A, but the sensation of the cup shape is the only quibble with comfort I have, but minor as it is, it still must be noted.
 
 

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Sound signature/quality
 
Listening for my review was done using JRiver Media Center 20, lossless FLAC/ALAC files, and a WASAPI connection to my iFi iDSD Micro. I have used the A800 with my NAD M3 and speaker tap cable with my NAD M51 DAC, and while the results were impressive I feel the Micro was the more “typical” device so I elected to use it exclusively. I may in the future have the chance to see how the ONKYO HA-200 DAC and amp synergize with the A800, but that is down the road yet.
 
Sound stage and separation
 
Borrowing from Brooko’s playbook I also used Amber Rubarth’s song Tundra to test sound stage. This is a fantastic binaural recording featuring acoustic instruments. The spread of the instruments is simply stunning. The piece has a haunting and brooding quality to it, but it is ethereal and beautiful. The wonderful and richly plucked acoustic bass floats nicley up in the top left while the distinct and sculpted hand slapped percussion fills in the bottom of the sound-scape coming from low and behind you. The wonderful fiddle passage sings out vibrantly from the top right of the stage. In all others tests of sound stage the A800 shows itself to be an excellent performer with ample depth, width and height, all well balanced. I would like to add that I have always found that the mastering of the material really determines what sound stage potential exists for the headphone to reproduce, and at times I think we forget this. Most of the music I listen to I would not characterize as having exceptional sound stage, and when I listen to tracks such as Tundra that becomes quite apparent.
 
So when given actual sound stage to work with the A800 displays top-shelf ability, convincingly recreating the sense of space and dimensionality captured in the recording.
Instrument separation is no less impressive, individual instruments in complex musical passages are all distinctly carved out, but not in a disorderly fashion, the A800 is able to allow the individual elements room to breathe without becoming simply isolated elements, but rather like distinct brushstrokes on a canvas that flow together to form an image. The A800 exhibits the best of what I have always come to expect and most enjoy in a good open back design: a greater sense of tonality with air and detail.
 
Bass Performance
 
This is most assuredly the stand-out strength of the A800. Bass is solid and impactful, responsive with enough speed to be nimble, but enough decay to sound natural. Percussion and stringed bass instruments are revealed in a well scaled and convincing manner. I am a bit of a bass head, I can’t deny that, and I feel the bass quantity is excellent and the quality is no less accomplished. This is no one-note flabby bass, it is tight, articulate and capable of portraying the full detail captured in the recording.
 
I listen to a great deal of electronica, Nu Jazz, jazz and progressive music from artists such as Bluetech, Phutureprimitive, Deadmau5, Steely Dan, Toto, Holly Cole, Peter Gabriel and Joe Bonamassa (to name only a few) where all flavours of bass are well represented. From plunging deep digital samples such as found in Pitch Black’s newest song Invisible Chatter to the tuneful acoustic bass in Bye Bye Blackbird from Vol. 7 CD 2 of the wonderful Saint-Germain Des-Pres Café collection. From Deadmau5 to Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, everything I threw at the A800 simply made me smile. Bass will not be an issue with the A800 for you, that I am quite sure of. If a bass-head-lite such as myself can enjoy the ONKYO with the likes of an LCD 2F (2016 driver) and a TH 600 on hand that should say something.
 
Percussion when the detail is captured in the recording will have all the nuances and tone of the drum heads; hand slaps have that special quality and snap, and a kick drum will cut through a mix with the proper roundness and weight. Transients bass notes which are of course essential (as are all transients) are very distinct with the attack and decay phases quite evident. Good transient rendering really helps add to instrument separation and detail perception and here I find the A800 simply shines. I just can’t imagine anybody not being delighted with the bass capabilities of the A800.  Bass as deep as 40Hz isn’t just a flutter, it has meaningful amplitude so even the deep end feels present and accounted for. In reality, headphones can’t fully portray sub bass, but being able to produce clean bass low into the range helps a headphone create the sense of sub bass that our brain uses to fill in the missing information and in my experience this is no small feat to pull off for a headphone.
 
Midrange
 
The midrange is where the emphasis on detail retrieval starts to become obvious. Relative to the bass, the lower midrange is slightly less emphasized, but very present. Take a look at the frequency response graph provided by ONKYO as assessed by HATS (Head and Torso Simulator) analysis. It shows a sensible rise in level through low, mid and upper mid-range with some dips; enough so that it will be present and just enough forward as to allow mid centric elements in the music to occupy a balanced place in the sound. Midrange is where the music lives they say, and if this is true the A800 is a balanced sounding, yet somewhat tilted forward headphone, not forcing things right up in your face, rather preferring to get close enough to have detail and textures fill out the sound. Vocals are to my ear very well done with presence and tonality spot on. Muriel Zoe’s voice is immediate and rich in Bye Bye Blackbird (Saint-Germain Des-Pres Café Vol. 7) a closely recorded vocal track which is always challenging to reproduce without becoming overpowering, grainy or strident.
 
For sure, detail is a double edged sword. If the recording is edgy the A800 has the resolution to reveal this, but we audiophiles are a hardy and adventurous lot, who live by the mantra "nothing ventured nothing gained". Many people I know would rather hear what is actually in a recording than have a smoothed and sanitized interpretation created for them. I have to admit that I fall somewhere in the middle as in recent years I have come to slightly prefer a little warmth in my headphones. Again, here the A800 is rather pleasing, with enough bass energy and a sensible approach to midrange, so much so that there is just enough warmth to balance the detailed nature of the headphone while not straying anywhere near smearing of detail.
 
Electric guitars retain their bite such as found in the most excellent song Summertime in the Void by Canadian progressive rockers I Mother Earth. Equally well rendered are the lovely analogue tones from the guitar work of Pat Metheny in the song When We Were Free. Brass and woodwind instruments are also extremely well portrayed in pieces such as To Know This by Alice Russell (Saint-Germain Des-Pres Café Vol. 7) and Tu from the stunning album Portraits of Cuba by Paquito D’Rivera.
 
Treble
 
Cymbals have a wonderful shimmer and clear dynamic ping, cutting through the mix without being strident and brash. As I mentioned earlier, many years of playing drums has I like to think helped me acquire an ear for well-done cymbal reproduction. The treble is clearly well extended; however, it has a natural and controlled tonality and always feels well integrated and balanced with the rest of the frequencies. Edges of notes and the micro energy carried forward by treble are clear and distinct, crisp and bright in the good sense like the bite of an apple with just a hint of juicy tartness on a sweltering summer day. Of course the treble sensitive may have another perspective, and for the record, I am at least somewhat treble sensitive. At times I found the TH 900 could be a little bright for me as was the HE 560. I think the A800 is slightly mellower than either of those offerings but still highly capable of rendering energy and clarity.  
 
The treble is detailed enough that as the reader will know, if there is grain or stridency captured in the recording, the A800 will not hide this. With exceptional recordings the A800 is rich and clear, grain free and detailed; however, if the recording is not up to snuff you should not expect the A800 to put rose coloured glasses over the sound (why would you want that anyway?) risk and reward as I like to say. Hi hats sound so very natural and effortless, as I write this line I have yet another fantastic track from Portraits of Cuba playing, No Te Importe Saber with simply delicious cymbal work that the A800 makes me feel I could pick up some sticks and start playing them.

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Conclusion
 
The A800 is a very engaging, detailed and vibrant headphone, at home plumbing the depths of glitch and hip hop, or rendering the rich and complex interplay of a small scale jazz ensemble. Jack of all trades and master of none? Not at all my friends, the A800 is masterful to my ear with quite a bit of music and solid across the board, an accomplished generalist and stealthy specialist. I think those who favour contemporary music, but find closed designs to have a propensity for “boom and bloom” and dread the resultant obscuring of detail will really appreciate what the A800 brings to the table. I did not test with classical music as I really am not a consumer of that genre despite being able to appreciate and enjoy it.
 
In a marketplace crowded with interesting and excellent sounding open headphones the A800 certainly deserves a respected place at the table and I think may even wow it’s way to some acclaim.  With the A800 I have been actually able to hear details in my music I had failed to appreciate before, all in an eminently musical and approachable signature. I like when a headphone helps me tease out new sonic nuggets from old favourites and the A800 has done that for me. Will you hear the A800 as accomplished and musical as I hear it? I don’t know of course, but I have high hopes that you might. I am very impressed with this headphone and as such I have no hesitation recommending you try it for yourself. I feel the A800 has all of the fundamental basis for high-quality sound reproduction well covered and there is no reason it shouldn’t charm you as it did me. I would like to thank Gibson Innovations and ONKYO for allowing me the opportunity to review this accomplished headphone.
 
Tracks Used for listening
 
Amber Rubarth ~ Tundra
Holly Cole ~ One Trick Pony
Fleetwood Mac ~ Dreams
Bye Bye Blackbird ~ Muriel Zoe (Saint-Germain Des-Pres Café Vol. 7)
To Know This ~ Alice Russell (Saint-Germain Des-Pres Café Vol. 7)
Joe Bonamassa ~ Drive
Negative Girl ~ Steely Dan
Paul Simon ~ Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
Dave Matthews Band ~ Say Goodbye
Daft Punk ~ Fragments of Time
Pitch Black ~ Invisible Chatter
Phutureprimitive ~ Ripple Effect
The Crystal Method ~ Black Rainbows
Deadmau5 ~ Alone With You
Pat Metheny ~ When We Were Free
Avicii ~ Hey Brother
Depeche Mode ~ Clean
The Reign of Kindo ~ Hard to Believe
YoYo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble ~ Distant Green Valley
Junkhouse ~ Jesus Sings the Blues
I Mother Earth ~ Summertime in the Void
Paquito D’Rivera ~ Tu

 
I am very glad that ONKYO released their new line of headphones into the North American market this June. I had been very curious about trying the ONKYO sound, but knowing new models were soon to arrive I didn't want to dabble in the previous models so I decided to wait. I had also owned and was suitably impressed with the ONKYO DP-X1 DAP so my instincts told me that ONKYO headphones might just float my boat. Spoiler alert, the H500BT really does float my audio boat. In fact, I think I may enjoy this as much as I do my Beoplay H7, which is quite the compliment as many who frequent these forums know that I think quite highly of the H7.
 
Briefly, I am 47 years old and I have been using and interested in better audio and well recorded music since the early 1980s when my father came home with a very nice Pioneer turntable and integrated amplifier matched with a pair of rather sweet sounding Celestion speakers (we still have the two Pioneer components and they work great to this day). I was hooked and I have been chasing the audio dragon ever since it seems. My taste in music is fairly diverse; however, in recent months I have been very focused on Nu-Jazz, EDM and electronica. I have spent two weeks listening to the H500BT daily with a fairly diverse range of music and I feel rather confident that I have fully acclimated to the signature of the H500BT. As well, despite my age, I still have very good hearing so for what that is worth, I thought I should throw it out there for your consideration.
 
 
Looks, Build and Comfort
I actually rather like the looks of this headphone. It certainly isn't flashy, but it is elegant looking in it's simplicity which is just fine with me. Like the H7, but perhaps even more-so I would describe the H500 as understated looking. For those who really don't want to draw attention to themselves when out in public you most certainly will feel very comfortable with this headphone on. Some may take this as negative, but I don't - in terms of build the H500BT is quite light and makes use of plastic for all the housing as far as I can tell. The detailing is in keeping with the overall design and rather minimal, but again, in a very modern and clean way, not in a thoughtless, poorly produced manner.
 
The headband has nice positive adjustment clicks and is made of metal with what for me is a quite an adequate amount of material padding (faux leather I believe, but I'm not positive). The ear-cups are nicely attached via a simple round stainless steel rod with the right side being marked with a subtle red stripe around the top of the cup rod. I actually feel that despite the light weight, the headphone has a nice solid feel about it. ONKYO clearly intended this as a dyed in the wool portable so the profile and weight of the H500BT is spot on in my books. ONKYO marketing literature says that the cups are rigid and will minimize vibration greatly. I have to agree, and I will admit, I was surprised myself as when I first held these small, light-weight headphones I was worried about housing vibration. I no longer worry about that.
 
I do not usually like on-ear headphones, I seem to be pretty sensitive to the pressure. To give a frame of reference I found my V-MODA XS to actually hurt a little after about 10 minutes of wear. I am happy to say that this is not at all the case with the H500. The ear cushions are very nice and feel firm, yet supple. The fit was interesting at first with me thinking I wanted to manipulate them on my ear more, but almost right away the way the cups sealed on ear felt just right. I get the sense that the design team actually spent quite a bit of effort on the fit and feel and with an excellent result. So there you have it, this is a true portable wireless headphone that feels very comfortable on. Although I haven't as of yet bothered using it wired the cable that does come with it is a rather attractive two-tone colour scheme with twisted copper and black wires with a nice solid rubbery feel that I suspect wouldn't kink up and drive you nuts. I use Bluetooth almost exclusively now so wired performance wasn't my focus for this review. I will update the review in time as I do intend to test both wired and phone call performance, but the cable that was included with my review sample curiously does not have the inline microphone so that will have to wait. Not a big deal for me as I never use headphones for calls, they are for music listening first and foremost.
 
I will say that given the price point that I feel at least a soft carry bag should be offered along with the H500. I won't hold ONKYO to the standard that Oppo set with the excellent travel case that comes with the PM3, but that would be ideal. While well made I do feel that as a portable some protection is warranted for those who like to put a headphone in a bag where damage could occur. As for weight, the H500BT weighs in at a cool 191 grams so very portable indeed.
 
Bluetooth
 
As is the norm for Bluetooth headphones these days the H500BT is Apt X compatible and sports the usual Class 2 range of 10 meters. In my testing the stability of the Bluetooth connection was rock solid walking around my house while leaving my LG G3 on the kitchen table. My typical real-life range test is to go into the bathroom which is about 25 feet away and loosely close the door with music streaming from the kitchen. The H500 performed flawlessly here and it has never even given me the slightest drop out of any kind to date so that bodes quite well. I had briefly had some problems connecting via Bluetooth, but upon further testing I have been able to determine it wasn't the H500 at fault so given this new information I have to say that I have never experienced connection issues that were related to the headphone so that is a positive update.
 
I like the controls on the right cup which includes touch controls for pausing, starting music, adjusting volume and moving through tracks. I have become used to this set-up rather quickly and I don't think I would want to go back to button based controls for such core functions. The buttons to turn the power and Bluetooth on have a very nice solid feel to them that suggests longevity. Time will tell. I have found the battery life to be excellent although I have not tested it beyond about 8 hours of music play before I charge it again. For me, if I can get 8 hours of music I'm happy. ONKYO states that battery life for music is up to 16 hours and I think I will test that out, but given how loud I play music I do not think that rating is for me, I can only assume it is for moderate volume settings which is the typical way such ratings are done as I understand things.
 
Sound signature and quality
 
The H500BT has a sensible contemporary, portable sound signature. What does that mean? Well, I hear the bass as being sensibly elevated from mid-bass into the upper-bass. This I consider contemporary in that it strays away from the purist pursuit of neutrality. I actually have grown to prefer a well done contemporary signature as opposed to a signature that is ruler flat. Yes, I realize the theory holds that ruler flat response will appropriately portray the various frequency amplitude. Despite that, I have grown fond of a sensible elevation in the bass if it: does not become muddy; isn't emphasized to the point of being distracting; and if it has enough quality to render texture, speed and tonality appropriately. I can tell you I tried liking the Denon AH GC20; however, that particular Bluetooth offering had bass that was so overcooked it really unbalanced the sound signature. The H500BT feels nicely balanced. I have been playing plenty of acoustic music, piano and female vocal jazz and plenty of electronica and across all of these varied uses of bass I really, really enjoy the way the ONKYO presents bass. I listen for timbre and attack with percussion as I have played drums for I think 30 years now. Not surprisingly I very much like to follow the bass guitar in music and when I listen to Diana Krall or Steely Dan I can very easily, and distinctly hear the instruments well separated, but also integrated into the music. I have some really richly recorded music that makes use of acoustic bass and I remain firmly impressed at the level of detail I hear with the ONKYO. The sound of the strings being plucked and how they reverberate is quite good and has a lovely naturalness about it. This is an interesting characteristic as there is no denying the mid bass is elevated; however it would seem that ONKYO tuned the H500BT so that despite this meatiness the sound can still breathe and not feel congested.
 
The H500 has plenty of bass quantity, the quality is in general very good, perhaps not mastering level clarity, but this is after all a headphone for enjoying and getting lost in music, not analyzing it. I do not think you can hold a portable to that standard as these designs do need to provide some extra weight and density to the lower frequencies simply to compete with background rumble. I take public transit buses and trains everywhere, and I walk all over the city as well so I use this as a true portable and I think it is almost perfect in that capacity. Even when I sit at home and use it I feel the quality is high enough that if I wanted to use it critically to explore the music in that way it would not be put to shame at all, far from it.
 
Yes, a lover of neutrality would I'm quite sure have a different perspective, and I would caution such a person that they would need to be aware that the tuning is not neutral. However, because the overall tonality is well balanced the H500 does not sound congested or purely "fun", it is actually a very well tuned headphone to my ears. In keeping with the contemporary signature the midrange is also slightly forward, but I think these are very yummy mids, quite clear and rich. Moved forward enough to give that slight warmth and weight to music, but not so much so as to obscure nuance or get right up in your face. I am adding the following detail as it relates to the midrange. Given even more time with the H500BT if you love vocals you will be very impressed with the way this headphone can render voices. The treble is simply marvelous, I'm a huge fan of the treble. Vibrant, well balanced into the overall signature, well extended, detailed and never strident or sibilant. Readers should note I listen at full volume so if anybody is going to hear undue distortion or grain it will be me. I think the H500 holds itself together extremely well feeling poised and in control top to bottom.
 
Now I like big components and I have no issue with spending a couple of grand for a DAC, but I have to admit that I am very impressed with the DAC in the ONKYO. Maybe I am imagining this, but whatever amount of the signature can be ascribed to a DAC, the H500 sounds very similar to the tuning of the DP-X1. There is quite a bit of detail, but I perceive it as not at all edgy or bright, just a fuller rendering of the edges around the notes and instruments. I find the instrument separation to be again excellent and spatial cues are right where they should be. Somehow all of the energy and detail comes together very cohesively and very musically to my ears. The H500 gets to a decent volume and only quieter masters such as Portraits of Cuba by Paquito d'rivera need more amplitude for loud listeners. With contemporary recordings volume will not be an issue for anybody I'm sure. The H500 is a very efficient headphone with a rated sensitivity of 105db and sports a 16ohm impedance so this is a headphone that is phone friendly if you want to go wired.
 
I find that soundstage is very dependent upon the piece of music, but taking this into account I would say that the H500BT fares quite well with good width and depth of stage (slightly better width) with a fairly around your head effect when the mastering permits. It is a smaller driver, closed and on-ear, so don't think it is going to give anything like an HD 800 stage, but again, this is a closed portable and within those design parameters I think the soundstage is actually good, perhaps quite good. Some recordings from my favourite Nu-Jazz collections Saint-Germain Des-Pres Café (there are 17 volumes, many are double CD volumes) are simply jaw dropping in detail and staging and the ONKYO really shines with these often challenging pieces of music which incorporates electronic and acoustic instruments with vocals. I highly recommend these collections by the way, well worth the investment.
 
If you are in the market for an excellent sounding, well made true portable wireless headphone, while I of course can't guarantee you will share my enthusiasm for it, I have no problem stating here for all the world to see that I believe the ONKYO H500BT is a top-shelf offering. Now I just have to try the 50mm open back A800! Well done ONKYO, well done.

 
I don't often feel compelled to review products, but for the BeoPlay H7 I will happily make an exception. Briefly I will explain why I opted to go wireless; spoiler alert, it was because of the wires! I am a true portable user in the sense that I primarily use my portable gear on the bus commuting to school and around the city.
 
I was constantly having issues with cables getting caught on seats, on other passengers, and just the constant annoyance of always needing to be cable aware and adjust the cable. The final nail in the cable coffin came not long after I received my gorgeous and extremely well made PM3 balanced cable from PETEREK (a shout out to the man is always due). I was getting off a train with a crush of other students (I'm an older university student) when a guy brushed past me quickly in the crowd. My cable got caught on his backpack and bang, in a flash the cable was ripped out of the PM3 cup. I was very lucky that there was no damage to either the cable, or the headphone. That was the last straw, almost from that moment I decided I would never have a cable for portable use again, never. I began researching and trying a few Bluetooth headphones and have now settled on the H7 as my current portable headphone.
 
Build, looks, basic features
The headphone is very well made which I don't think will surprise anybody given the price and that it is a Bang & Olufsen product. Everything about the design looks and feels like you would expect and I personally find it to be a very attractive and somewhat understated looking headphone. I won't go on about looks or build quality as I think most readers will be able to accept that B&O do indeed bring it with design and build quality.
 
I find the B&O H7 to be extremely comfortable, perhaps ever so slightly loose, but I have a small head (big brain though). However, the seal is excellent and those lambskin ear-pads are to die for, literally I guess if you are a lamb, poor things. I can't imagine anybody having a problem with comfort at all, but I think my ears are moderate sized so I would think somebody with larger ears may find the pad openings too small - the openings are about two inches top to bottom, and side to side.
 
I don't care about packaging or accessories very much, this has never been a concern of mine. You get a USB charging cable, a short and fairly thin 3.5mm (both ends) cable without an inline mic/volume control, again, something I personally couldn't care less about. There is a travel bag which I have yet to use and a 6.5mm adapter for use with a desktop headphone amplifier. Basic stuff, no wasted money on superfluous accessories you likely don't need.
 
I really like the toggle switch for Bluetooth operation on the cup, it feels very well made, is nice and discrete, easy to use by feel and it works very well. Pairing has been very easy every time I have tried it with a new device, very responsive. The BeoPlay website indicates that the H7 has Bluetooth 4.1 and also the codecs for AAC, Apt X, and Low Latency so I will have to assume that is accurate and there is no reason to think it isn't. I have found the stability of the Bluetooth to be rock solid always, and the range is quite good. I frequently wander around the main floor of my house and just leave my LG G3 in the kitchen.
 
I am amazed how to this point I have not had any issues even wandering about 30 feet away and through a closed door when I say go to the washroom with them on. Yucky I know, but there you go, I do it so judge me all you want. I at this point have not experimented with how many devices it can pair with at a time or anything, sorry, I should have before doing this review, but I tend toward simplicity in much that I do, and audio is not different so I never consider myself a features "power-user" like Giogio for instance who as we speak is in the process of turning himself into the singularity with all things Bluetooth. Personally I think he is going to drive himself over the edge, but before he goes we'll all learn a great deal about Bluetooth from him.
 
I have not tested the battery to the point of it failing, but the claim of 20 hours battery life seems plausible (but I would also assume that may not be at full volume). Another strong feature if you ask me is that the battery is replaceable! Now that is customer focused designing, and it isn't a proprietary battery form factor either if I remember correctly, so replacing if needed should be easily done. As for the touch controls on the right cup, I have only used the touch controls a little, but my experience has been positive and I feel they are sufficient if not ideal. I do tend to switch tracks on my phone and not with the cup touch controls, but I do pause/play and adjust volume with ease using the touch controls.
 
Sound
So how does the H7 sound? Well to my ears they are almost perfect, certainly for me. I tend to prefer a slightly fun, contemporary signature with the bass slightly north of neutral. I am going to be describing the sound in wireless operation at first so unless I mention wired, you can assume the sound is being described with Bluetooth engaged.
 
My overall impression is that the H7 is a very articulate, balanced and coherent sound signature well extended in both directions. The bass is of very good quality and quantity and for a 40mm driver I am pretty darn surprised that it actually has impact. The decay is nice and crisp so the H7 feels quite quick to my ears and the bass is solid and not even remotely of the dreaded one-note variety. I am continually delighted how easy it is to track and hear the distinct notes in the lower frequencies. The H7 sounds bigger than I really expected. I have owned the TH 900, D7000, and a Z7 recently as well as a PM3 so I do like my bass quantity, but it needs to have solid quality and be able to reveal texture and timbre as well. I could never live with bass than is overly pronounced to the detriment of adjacent frequencies, loose or flabby bass.
 
I find the H7 really comes up the middle with I'm sure not the last word in bass accuracy and clarity, but it just seems to strike the perfect balance for my tastes and I feel it exhibits very good control and low distortion. I can listen to the nuanced, but strong bass lines in Steely Dan's Negative Girl perfectly as well as enjoy the depth of deep bass as commonly found in electronica of which I am a very big fan.
 
I have also played drums for more than 30 years and I can tell you with a great deal of confidence that the H7 can properly render percussion just wonderfully, and it is able to maintain a nice separation with the bass guitar, or deep synthesizers. I am actually very impressed with the level of separation and clarity of the H7 while still presenting music as a very coherent image. And keep in mind this is with the amp on full, I never turn it down and I consider this a testament to the quality of that tiny amp and the implementation that going full-out all the time it remains musical and sounds completely at ease. The DAC must be equally competent as it seems to grab plenty of detail with just that perfect hint of warmth that I like.
 
The mids seem very well done, not back in the mix, nor forward, just right as far as I can tell. Female vocals are excellent and rich with lots of yummy texture. And going back to the bass for a moment, it has a nice roundness to it, a certain liquidity that I find very appealing. I listen to a moderate amount of vocal rich music, but these days mostly it has been Diana Krall and Holly Cole. I really think the H7 shines with such material, small to mid sized musical arrangements with lots of space, but complexity to the pieces. I find the detail is very compelling, but not distracting in the sense that I find it very difficult to analyze the music instead I end up just listening to the music. In my books, that is a very good sign.
 
The treble is just perfect to me, cymbal work is gorgeous and energetic, but never fatiguing or shrill, never. Now, I am going on 48 so perhaps younger ears might perceive the treble differently, but despite my age, I actually think my high frequency acuity is still pretty darn good. The treble is vibrant enough to give music that immediacy and engaging quality, but again, in keeping with that Bang & Olufsen sound, it has just that right sense of musicality and richness to it. I actually do prefer the H7 to the PM3 though I'm sure others may not reach that opinion. I like the sound stage very much, I do feel it is larger than the PM3 in all directions, but soundstage isn't something I really focus on so I will put that out there as a disclaimer. I do find spatial cues are excellent and the instrument placement and separation is certainly up to snuff with any closed portable I have tried.
 
To sum up the sound signature, an engaging, musical and consistently balanced approach that can bring the bass when called for. It hits the bass sweet spot for me as a modest bass head, but I doubt a true bass head would be completely content with the amplitude of the bass. They would likely enjoy it's speed and tonal quality, but perhaps want more impact. For my needs it is just right, too much bass can punish you with bass centric music and I will always trade a few db of amplitude for more balance and accuracy, but again, the bass can't be lean. 
 
Of course this is subjective, and I have no idea if you will enjoy the H7 as much as I do, but I would feel safe suggesting you give it a try. I purchased from Amazon and had I not loved it, I could have returned it for a full refund, return shipping paid so if you are at all inclined to try the H7, see if you can get it through Amazon. The price I paid was in Canadian dollars by the way and included shipping.
 
Lately I have been using the H7 with my iDSD Micro and I can confirm the H7 scales very nicely. It is a 40mm driver so there will always be that limitation, but saying that I again will state that I find the H7 can play bigger than I would expect, so for certain the design of the driver and dampening is likely exceptional. I'm sure it won't measure as a reference device, but I would be willing to go out on a limb and suggest it measures quite well given the design goals.
 
I do sincerely hope that Bang & Olufsen come out with a 50mm driver design with this signature as I do feel an even bigger driver could really help take this already amazing sound signature to the next level and really make it a versatility king as desktop amp users will likely want that extra scale that only a larger driver seems to bring to the table.

Okay, so I ended up picking up the M40x as I needed a headphone that was reasonably priced, would likely sound good (based on having heard an M30 and an M50) and had a long cable for my home cardio workouts. Yes I jump around and make a fool of myself. I tried doing this with my HE 560, but the cable is far too short, plus they are a little big. Truthfully I didn't expect a great deal from the M40x as the last time I heard an M30 while decent, it did seem a little flat sounding overall. So totally colour me very surprised by the M40x. I have the V-moda XS which would be the closest headphone in terms of tier by price that I currently own. I will not be doing any direct comparisons in this mini review.
 
As you can see by the fact that I gave the M40x a full value rating I consider it money very well spent indeed. Comfort wise I have no issues at all and find it comfortable enough. I strongly prefer over ear designs and while the XS has less clamping pressure than my M80, it isn't without some pressure. There is perhaps a slight bit of clamping pressure with the M40x, but it has not resulted in me feeling any discomfort and I have it at the smallest setting possible. I find the ear pads quite comfortable, but certainly not luxurious, but seriously, for the price what should I get, supple leather?
 
The swivel cup feature drives me nuts sometimes. If I take the headphones off and rest them around my neck which I often do, the cups swivel and it can require I take them off of my neck to get them back in position. Minor quibble, but worth mentioning.
 
The M40x has a very good, cohesive tonal balance that works. I would characterize them as having a somewhat mid-bass centric signature which works quite well as you would expect. I like the tone and timbre of most everything. Vocals are nice, perhaps a slight hint of sibilance, but very minor effect. As has been mentioned by others, percussion sounds quite nice (I'm a drummer and I tend to notice percussion). I find the M40x to have a decent balance of speed and sustain so that notes don't reverberate too long, or drop away too quickly. I have been playing plenty of electronic music with the M40x as well as some harder rock music and my stand by reference Steely Dan cuts.
 
The mid-bass is very nice if a tad un-differentiated, but very nice. I like to pay close attention to the bass lines in songs and just today I listened to Achtung Baby by U2 which made use of very prominent bass energy as an omnipresent soundscape throughout much of the album. This album is a tough task to handle in this respect as the music can start to clump and bass lines will merge into a bloom. What the M40x did here was quite commendable. I found that to very acceptable levels the bass energy wasn't mud and when the bass lines were mastered to come out and be distinct, they were there and had plenty of detail. Certainly not reference detail, but very engaging. In fact, if I was forced to use one word to describe my overall impression of the M40x I would call them engaging.
 
The sub bass isn't as well defined, feeling a little lost in the mix, but still present enough and with enough control to add to the character of the signature, but certainly not a strength per say. The mid-bass will make the music very inviting while the adequate deep bass performance ensures that you don't get muddy performance when the music gets busy. The bass, be it mid or deep isn't the last word in control or articulateness, but it is by no means unaccomplished and certainly full value for the money.
 
The treble is tilted forward, but while I may say there are times when it feels a tad etched in detail, I have not found it to be strident or fatiguing at all. In fact, I am surprised that I like the treble as much as I do. Cymbal work is very nice and the edges of notes have some nice energy to them. I put on some fairly aggressive rock and I found that the M40x really held it together and didn't feel overmatched at all. Overall the M40x is tonally balanced, meaning the sound signature is cohesive and musical. I am floored by how good they sound. The soundstage seems okay to me, I was expecting it to be very close, but it seems to be decent. I can actually listen to music for long periods of time (by my standards anyway) and if the soundstage is too close I usually find I need a break as I feel closed in by the music. To this point anyway I haven't felt like that with the M40x. Edit ** Just now listening to River The Joni Letters I did find the soundstage too narrow. This is the first time I really noticed it which makes me wonder if it is in part the album mastering? I will compare with my HE 560 and update.
 
As my review title suggests, I feel the M40x delivers beyond the $109 CAD I paid for them. I feel they are a decent all-rounder with spots of very good performance. I really like the M40x with electronic music and when the music is well mastered I find the quality very high indeed, certainly more than what I feel a headphone in this price range would be expected to deliver. Well done Audio Technica, well done indeed.