By Sherwin Loh

THIS brand might be a new player in the headphone market but the folks behind it are no strangers to audio quality.

The hardware is made by Monster Cables, the company that turns out those expensive, gold-plated connectors for high-end audio devices.

Its sound design bears the style of sound engineer Dr Dre, a noted rapper and producer for artists like 50 Cent and Eminem.

In other words, sound quality comes first. This probably explains why, as a noise-cancelling device, it lacks the punch of the Bose Quiet Comfort 15 (QC 15), even though it shines in the sound department.

As the headphones are not meant to wrap around the ear but just cover them, the noise-cancellation features are not as robust.

Turn onjust the headphones without any music playing and you will hear a very low level hiss in the background.

Though it disappears the moment you turn up the volume, its presence might irk those who just want ultimate peace.

Surprisingly, with its more rigid built, the leather cushioning offers a comfortable experience, with only slight pressure on the ears - even after half an hour of use.

A hard plastic exterior and metal trimmings suggest the device, which runs on dual AAA batteries, is built for rugged use.

So one wonders why the battery cover twists open rather easily and the catch seems somewhat flimsy for a high-end product.

Build aside, you cannot fault this gear for its acoustics. From pop, rock to electronica, the music delivery was sweet and clear.

Perhaps it has to do with volume sensitivity: The lowest volume on Dr Dre corresponded to mid-level volume settings of the QC 15.

Turning up the volume levels on Studio did nothing to distort the audio quality and bass of the music, with full, rich hums and drums.

Acoustics are also properly defined, be it a singer's voice, the accompanying guitar strums or the tinkling of the ivories in the background.

Final say

Rich in music delivery with decent noise-cancellation functions, this headphone shines.

For more The Straits Times stories, click here.