Turbo-Charged
In-ear headphones or "earbuds" were once the red-headed stepchild of the audio community, a convenience and nothing more, a portable sound solution that could be stuffed into a pocket with little fear of breakage, and replaceable at the local drug store for ten bucks in the worst-case scenario. But as with the iPod dock product category, a hardy few manufacturers have endeavored to raise the performance ceiling, preconceptions (and price tags) be damned.
Monster is alternately billing their new Turbine Pro Headphones as "In-Ear Speakers" and "the first high-performance in-ear headphones," which will no-doubt invoke the ire of rival manufacturers of big-ticket competitors. Turbine Pro was designed with the hands-on involvement of The Head Monster himself, Noel Lee, who has been working closely with noted musicians and music producers for several years, and ultimately he aimed to deliver reference-quality sound in a portable device good enough for professional use, and for us everyday audiophiles to enjoy, too.
Imagine if you will a set of loudspeakers shoved into your ear canal, without the pain and embarrassment, and the lofty goals of the Monster Turbine Pro Headphones come into perspective. These little guys pull together several different technologies, none more important than the drivers. While exact specifications have been difficult to come by, we can say that the "speaker" inside each earpiece is a single low-mass, ultra-wide-bandwidth driver built of "new materials."
Some high-end earbuds utilize multiple drivers, but Monster claims that their Turbine Pro offers the responsiveness, nuance and power that heretofore only dynamic speakers could deliver, even fulfilling much the same function as a subwoofer, achieving a true 20Hz tone. The 24-karat gold contacts maximize signal transfer and resist corrosion, and the ultra-fine, super-flexible MicroStrand conductors further enhance the audio reproduction with their ultra-low impedance.
Designed to Last, and Look Fine
The November launch of Turbine Pro also marks the introduction of Monster's new high-performance "SuperTip" eartips to keep noise out while also keeping more of the music inside our heads. Tips can be an underestimated link in the portable audio chain, and need to be properly tuned to the headphone. One obvious difference is the size of the opening at the very tip, significantly larger than the usual pinholes I see on many earbuds. Alternate sizes and styles of tips are included (triple-layered tips, foam tips) to satisfy all tastes, but the SuperTips are indeed super comfortable, providing a snug seal that does an excellent job of blocking out ambient noise, as field tested in Manhattan and some of the more obnoxious spots in Central New Jersey.
The high-density all-metal construction of the housing around the driver helps reduce resonance, but it also results in what Monster is calling one of the most durable in-ear headphones ever made. Add to this the tough strain relief where the cable meets the earpiece--a common stress point, particularly in active use--and you can see where they gain the confidence to offer a one-time-use Lifetime Replacement Guarantee: Break 'em and Monster will send you a new pair.
Durability and performance aside for the moment, the single sweetest aspect of the Turbine Pro, as with the original Turbines before them, is their unique esthetic that pokes visual fun at the distinctive style of Monster Cable's "Turbine" plugs (from their RCA cable line). Whereas those plugs serve the clear purpose of better grabbing the A/V jacks of our gear, that same style on the earpieces is just to look cool, and is no doubt amusingly familiar to Monster-philes. For Turbine Pro, these accents will be available in gold-tone metal with coordinated black chrome, or in copper with bright chrome. A step-up model also features the ControlTalk headphone cable, which can be used with select iPods, the iPhone and most other smartphones for both music playback control and hands-free calling.
Bring the Big Sound
I find myself watching movies on-the-go more than ever, and of course it's always more convenient to bring along little 'buds versus over-the-ear headphones, but would they be up to the task? Flattening the Oscar-nominated 5.1 sountrack of Wanted down to only 2.0 (compressed, yet!) for iPod viewing means that left and right need to convey a lot more detail, more layers, and do so convincingly. The quick reaction of the drivers expertly captured the busy action, with all of the intricacy I was hoping for, ample power, and never once did I fret for any "loss" versus the original track. The resulting soundfield actually displayed a spaciousness that seemed to extend way past the two small earpieces.
Reproduction of MP3 and AAC music was effortless, with a pleasingly broad dynamic range. Highs were pure, without distortion; mid-range was solid, with spot-on vocals in a variety of genres; and the low-end was stellar, not just for the momentary, visceral power but its ability to sustain low-frequency notes as needed. The rain in The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me" almost seemed to envelop me, and I could hear its slow fade gently maintained as the song progressed. Elsewhere, I could feel the trebly slide of fingers on guitar strings and the relative thump of a kick drum.
With the use of my own adapter (not supplied), I plugged into my home theater stack's dedicated CD player to push these 'buds to the next level. Granted, such portable headphones were not intended for this use, but would Rocky actually be running in the sand during his rematch with Clubber Lang, or was Apollo Creed just getting him to flex all his muscles in Rocky III? The a cappella re-imagining of The Beatles' "Because" on the Love CD now includes the flocking of birds, the buzzing of a fly which seem to travel across the soundstage in three-dimensional space, separate from the singers. The character of each of the voices blended into the harmony is also cleanly, wonderfully distinct. Consider this, the home listening portion of the test, to be passed with flying colors.
Turn-Ons
Turn-Offs
Final Thoughts
I threw a variety of demanding content at the Monster Turbine Pro In-Ear headphones, and they handled it all with power and precision that at times exceeded my expectations. The price is the only real sticking point--although there are more expensive models out there--but if you're looking for a no-compromise earbud for high-end portable enjoyment, you've found it.
Where to Buy
Manufacturer's Specifications
What's in the Box?
Manufacturer's Contact Information:
Monster Cable Products, Inc.
455 Valley Drive
Brisbane, CA 94005
ph: (877) 800-8989
Website: www.monstercable.com
Where to Buy:
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