[Gofre]

(Original post by XO*)
I see you on every single headphone thread criticising beats. Have you actually listened to them, or are you just jumping on the bandwagon which consists of many people who can't afford them and are jealous (not saying thats you).

Yes they may be overpriced, but forgetting about the price ask any audiophile and they will tell you they're a good headphone for the rap/hip-hop genre.

I only criticise them when they are mentioned and it's relevant, I don't just spout off about them indiscriminately. But yes, Mixrs aside I have used the entire line numerous times. My flatmate owns the Solos so I have easy access to them. I've used the Studios several times at different places and the Pros were briefly on display at an audio store close to where I used to study. The Pros match what you're saying- they sound good, in fact they sound very good, but are grossly overpriced.

The Studios and Solos, on the other hand. Do not sound good. Bass is flabby, uncontrolled and leaks into the mids in the name of pure impact. The midrange is recessed as a result, and the upper frequencies roll off stupidly early. Soundstage is tiny and separation suffers on any track that could be called busy, which mean that at points you're just floored by a brick wall of indistinguishable sound. The reason people think they suit rap is because rap music is arguably the most lyrically driven genre, there is less in the way of actual music to reveal their shortcomings whilst having a boomy bass most potential Beats customers are after. Other headphones do it even better, Denon and Grados headphones typically have a crisper midrange to better bring out male vocals, while Audio Technica and Sony both have headphone lines (Which I've recommended above) which can blow your socks off in terms of bass presentation without compromising the other frequencies anywhere near as much as Beats do.

You're wrong about audiophiles saying they're "good but overpriced", most people who will give themselves that title actively dislike them for the same reasons I've mentioned above. I have no doubt there is a degree of snobbery surrounding them, but I can point you towards numerous audiophile sources that review dozens of headphones and finding some fashion cans they love and some they hate. I've never seen Beats fall into any category but the latter. There have also been companies that have gone from being reviled to respected, most notably V-Moda (Skullcandy have made a lot of headway too with their Mixmaster Mikes), and Monster's own line of Turbines are very popular, so it's not like the community is set in it's ways either.

(And about affording them, I'm about to drop £275 on a set of cans and that's considered little-league to most audio enthusiasts, jealousy's rarely a factor =P)

[James A]

(Original post by Gofre)
I haven't heard much in regards to comparisons between the Uptown and Downtown, just that the entire line of Citiscape headphones got tons of praise from audiophiles at CES. One thing I did find while looking around is that the Editor-at-large at Head-Fi, arguably the biggest audiophile forum on the internet, is currently using them as his primary portable headphone. Considering he previously said he alternates between a £180 set of Sennheisers and a £230 set of Beyerdynamics, the fact that he finds a £60 pair good enough to use as his daily headphones is praise enough for a lot of people. I can't speak for Phillips' older products, but the new lines of headphones have been noted for great build quality (Although one of those lines were built from the ground up to be ridiculously sturdy), and the Downtowns are supposed to be very durable so I assume that follows into the over-ear variant (:



They're designed from the ground up to be a dedicated DJ headphone. For that they're great, for standard listening, not so much. They supposedly have a very exaggerated sound signature, with lots of bass while the higher frequencies roll off very early to emulate what crowds in a loud nightclub would be hearing. In short they don't make for a particularly good headphone for personal use, but then again they were never meant to be =P if that's the kind of design you're after then I'd recommend saving up a bit extra and going for the Sennheiser HD25-1 ii, they're an extremely popular portable headphone (Arguably the most popular) and sound incredible from the brief time I've had with them.



What do you mean, like a way to use them on the go more comfortably?

as in, a way of tucking the cable or wrapping it which i currently do but is there like a holder/case where i can put the bulk of the cable into?

[Gofre]

(Original post by James A)
as in, a way of tucking the cable or wrapping it which i currently do but is there like a holder/case where i can put the bulk of the cable into?

The only thing I've seen dedicated to this function is the Wishbone, which ships internationally (:

[James A]

(Original post by Gofre)
The only thing I've seen dedicated to this function is the Wishbone, which ships internationally (:

nice one, cheers.

[simoncino]

I appreciate they won't be AMAZING at all, especially given their price - but are UrbanEars Plattan's any good?

CNET said this, which attracted me :P

If you mainly listen to hip-hop and are concerned with bass, volume, style and price, the Urbanears Plattan headphones could be a suitable option.