Samson SR850 Professional Studio Reference Headphones

Wow, just wow. TLDR right up front, these are fantastic headphones for the price. If you have any hesitation to buy them whatsoever, let me tell you that you won't be disappointed. Bass is a bit lower than some people would like, but hey they're open backs! My pair arrived in their retail box, which was kind of surprising as the box wasn't even sealed. Thankfully the headphones were undamaged and they appear to be brand new, although I honestly wouldn't care if they were used since they look fine. Included I was surprised to find a 1/4 inch (the big audio connector for amps and such) to 3.5mm adapter pre-installed on the unit. I was actually kind of worried that I accidentally purchased the wrong variant of these headphones, since the adapter looked like it was part of the cable. Thankfully my initial assumption was incorrect, and the adapter unscrewed revealing a 3.5 mm plug, although I must say the quality of this adapter is what fooled me. It's super nice and fits on the cable seamlessly! The fabric the removable ear pads are made out of is kind of strange, it's almost like a felt material but it doesn't have the same shininess to it. Nevertheless it is very comfortable for the price, and in general comfort of these headphones is quite good. The self-adjusting headband and whatnot is a straight-up clone of the AKG K240s, which certainly isn't a bad thing in this case. Samson have done a fantastic job replicating the design of the K240s while also managing to keep costs low. The non-removable cable is a bit of a downside, but the included cable is very high quality and quite long. Seriously I've never seen gold-plated connectors that look and feel this good. As an Australian drummer once said "they're are symphony of plastic, but AvE has taught me that not all plastics are created equal". That statement is definitely true here, as the plastic that Samson has used for the SR850s is definitely on the higher quality side. The headband is fake leather and the supports that house the audio cable for the other driver are made of metal (maybe aluminum?). Now, onto sound quality. Honestly when I had seen and heard all of the great reviews on these headphones I was expecting them to be quite amazing. Maybe it's not as dramatic as I expected, but these are my first pair of legitimately good budget headphones. The "sound stage" or 3D feel of the sound is definitely there, and while playing video games with gunfire or engines you can definitely feel the openness of the semi open back design. I particularly enjoy running around in Skyrim SE with them. I will say the bass isn't crazy heavy, but looking at the frequency response graph for these headphones they're actually somewhat more bassy than more of the higher end true open back headphones. This is fine for me though, I do like base but I understand the concessions that had to be made for these headphones to have such good soundstage. That's always been the trade-off for open backs, less bass and also way less noise isolation. And on that note, yeah they definitely don't block anywhere near as much noise as a set of earmuffs would, but I actually like that since I need to be able to hear things while I'm using my computer or listening to music on my iPod. As always with audio, it's very subjective and you may find that these are the best headphones ever for you, or you may hate them because they're not crazy bassy like most everything else made nowadays. (Looking at you Beats and Raycons!) I can't really find any other descriptive words to describe the mids or highs, because I'm really just a novice when it comes to audio. Maybe just... they're great! As far as durability goes I've only had them for a few days so I can't say much as to how I think they'll stand up over the long term. I will say that the non-removable cable is definitely once again a downside as far as durability goes, but if you're really invested in keeping your SR850s alive and you're handy with a soldering iron I see no reason why you couldn't add an aux connector connector. The headband and metal supports seem quite sturdy given the price, and I expect these to last for years to come. By then I'll likely have something better, but honestly if you're just into them for the looks, for content creators or streamers they look really cool and professional. I think if these things ever have some sort of catastrophic failure I'll either buy a new pair or attempt to fix these myself, as the design seems fairly simple. The ear cups are removable and seem to be fairly modular. I'm sure there are several replacements on various websites, and if you're handy with sewing scissors and a needle and thread you could probably even make your own if you were so inclined. I think some gel ear pads would be super cool to try with these, although I don't know if these headphones have enough of a cult following for some manufacturer to take on that challenge. Maybe if I'm feeling brave enough one day I will take apart the ear cup and speaker assembly to see how repairable they are from the inside, but for now I'm just happy to have a very good sounding set of headphones for my PC and iPod. 9/10, definitely five stars but a non-removable cable is probably the only downside. You'll know these aren't crazy bassy if you're in the market for open backs so that's not a downside in my opinion.

Not really sure how I can go into an in-depth review of headphones, but I am not sure anything I can say, can do these Samson's justice. I will just do a quick (after a few days) "first impressions" review for these. Pros: - Sound Quality: These headphones SOUND AMAZING ... granted I have never had higher end headphones myself but I am a fan of "clean" sound ... not overly basey (though that can be fun at times) or too much treble, that can sound "tinny" that way. These sound perfect, and I love the mids in these (I am OVERsimplifying this but say most of the instruments and vocals of a typical rock song), versus some of my bluetooth headphones where sometimes it sounds muddy or the vocalist (example) is in another room vs the rest of the band playing the music. I have randomly gone through my collection and listened to Jazz, Rap, Rock, and more ... and these sound great across the board. Some headphones tuned for base ... they can sound ok but with some genres like Smooth Jazz ... it doesn't sound right having an emphasis on base. These just sound so clear, with maybe one issue for some people (depending on personal taste and genre ... It's my first "con" listed below, and it's the base ...mainly for those people that love alot of extra base... i have to make that part CLEAR). I know some of my cheaper headphones people may laugh at ... say the Sony ZX100's or ZX110's may not have as great of a sound of these Samson's but one thing I love about the Samson's is that they dont "ruin" the other headphones I have ... like "these are so so great that anything else sounds bad now" ... these sound better but i am still happy with some of those other headphones too. I was sort of afraid that may happen, but glad it didn't. - The earpad/overall comfort: I cant say any headphones I have had are UNcomfortable, mind you, but these which are not the ones with the "Pleather" (like fake leather) earpads that I see some SR850 reviews posting that they came with. The SR850s that I got, have velour earpads that may not be as good as the Bravewavs ones I see people replace these with but ... I was expecting these to be "harder" and less comfortable then they are ... I may check out those BrainWavs pads, and maybe even buy a pair to have "on hand", but these default pads do NOT need to be changed ... they are great the way they are. Cons: - Sound (base ... if you are a "base-head"): just have to mention that if you are a "base head" needing extra base ... well these are not for you ... I'd RECOMMEND trying these to listen to your music as an extra pair ... but something like the SkullCandy Cruzher like series or The SoundCore series may be more of what you want. These are a good option if you have a more base heavy pair of headphones and you want to hear what all the bragging about these headphones are all about ... maybe for like rap you use those other headphones for jazz or soul music you use these ... in other wards "give these a try ... " sort of thing ... the BASE IS "there" but just not like some of my say Bluetooth headphones ... the base is done in a "classy" way .. a "clean" way, in my view. I also know the GREAT sound in these can be thrown off if there was more base ... it can be a delicate balance and ... the base may be EXACTLY WHERE it should be to not mess up the rest of the balance of these headphones. - this I will put here ... but it's not so much a con as a "gee i wish they did this" sort of thing ... I wish the REALLY GOOD cable ... was removable/replaceable ... but then again if it's really that good, you will not need to replace it. The cable doesn't look or feel cheap in anyway, and I dont want people to get what I am saying confused ... I just "wish" that this cable was removable. If something happens to it .. not counting people that may be able to solder something back on ... you would need to get another pair (which ... if my cable broke ... I 100% would get another pair of these SR850's .. they are worth it). -Appearance: I almost forgot this in the review. I have seen a few videos on these headphones and i have seen thumbnails ... they always looked ok, but I was more interested in the sound ... I can't comment about how they look on my head, but just having them in my possession ... they really look pretty good .. not my favorite looking headphones mind-you but ... they look better than I was picturing when I ordered them. Bottom Line: I dont think I have to say much here, as I obviously 100% recommend these, even to base-heads just as a "try these and listen to your favorite music, and hear the difference" sort of thing. I hear some people who do music professionally getting blown away with the sound and the price of these, together ... some say that reference headphones wise these have more base then others (say comparable AKG's)... but if you want that quality/type of sound .. with a pitch/bit of more base .. THESE ARE the ones to go with. "if your just listening to your music and you want SUPER GOOD quality, but aren't doing studio audio type stuff you need a true pair of reference headphones... these are the ones to get" .

First off, these need to be broken in a bit. Very harsh upper midrange and bass is a little subdued right out of the box. I let these play for about 20 hours straight in their own box at moderate volume. That seems to have smoothed out the upper mids a bit while making the bass a little better. But I still use the EQ function on my phone with a slight 60hz bass boost and 8khz attenuated slighty. Yes, soundstaging is superior to closed back designs and even with a slight attenuation on 8khz they still have better detail than my bluetooth headphones (Edifier W830BT). I hope they continue to improve as they break-in though [* they didn't] As for fit and comfort, they need better ear pads. Velour pads are a great idea but these pads are not soft. The velour on these pads remind me of the material that are on a lint brush. They look like they could be easily removed and upgraded. And the clamping factor is too much, however the wire framing is easily tweaked for more comfort. Keep in mind these are $30 headphones and are a screaming deal at that price. Even the more expensive brands suggest a break-in period. My set came with a 6ft cord so I don't understand some of the comments about short cords. Replacement ear pads might be a good investment. As to durability, I'm not clumsy. (UPDATE) I have since purchased a Fiio A3 portable headphone amp and the sound quality of the headphones did improve across the entire frequency spectrum. Seems they may be a tad underpowered by my Samsung phone. [*UPDATE - One year later] well, as is, these are still a tad fatiguing. Yes, very detailed, but on some music the upper mids and treble scream. I have recently modified these with a round, cotton makeup removal pad, which are a few mils thick and are exactly 50mm in diameter, placed right over the driver grill. The cushion is easily removed and so is the cloth inner cover and everything fits back over top. Really tamed the harshness without completely deadening detail. I'm reticent to recommend these things however, since most people don't have the time or inclination for modding, but as has already been mentioned, these aren't expensive (although I do see the price has gone up some). [UPDATE-2024] After letting these sit in storage for a couple of years I took these back out after purchasing a FiiO BTR-7 DAC/amp which, coupled with the FiiO Control app, can be meticulously tuned to make any headphones sound better than they have a right to. I finally got around to changing those terrible velour ear cushions for some good pleather ones (TaiZiChangQin $12.59). I just can't quit these things.

It's been a long time since I wrote a review for Amazon, but these headphones were worthy. If you read some of my older reviews, you'll know that I was a complete KOSS fanboy where headphones were concerned. I had been wearing Koss PortaPros & bought the slightly less expensive SportaPros for my Parents & Kids. Simply put I loved them ... But I had been wearing them for more than 5 years and felt it was time for a change. I was looking for something sturdier & heavier and was interested in going back to an Over Ear design,. I started looking at Koss models that fit those requirements, but soon started seeing other brands that were better rated & less expensive. These won me over with a combination of good reviews & price & I have to say I am more than satisfied. At first I was expecting a big difference compared to my Koss headphones, but that wasn't the case. Do they sound better - yes, but not so much as the casual listener would notice. But the more I used them, the better I liked them. As I said I was looking for over ear cans because I was looking for some passive noise isolation w/o having the additional circuitry for noise cancelling. These more than deliver in that respect. They provide a good seal in keeping outside noise out w/o COMPLETELY eliminating it. This is good for work so that you can get pretty immersed. but you can tell if someone is trying to get your attention. The other thing I noticed was that the sound was noticeably warmer than my beloved Koss'. This was especially noticeable when listening to good quality recordings with horns (I was listening to Big Big Train's "Victorian Brickwork".) The one concern I had was that these are semi-open backed & the sound "leak" would be distracting to the people around me in the office. Thankfully, that is not an issue unless you REALLY crank the volume, and the sound on these is so clear its not really needed. My one complaint, really is not mine. The other reason I was looking at over-ear headphones was for my son. He has just started at college and was looking for similar noise isolation as I was. The only thing is that he listens to alot of hip hop & likes a lot of bass. In that regards I'm not sure he is really going to like these. The bass seems just fine to my ears, but I'm not sure they will be earth shaking enough for him. I'm taking them with me to see him this weekend so I will let you know. Additionally, I am looking at ordering a pair of Audio Technica M20's as well. If he likes the Samson's, I will take the M20's. if Not we'll just swap. Stay Tuned ... UPDATE: Okay, I got the ATH M20x's, thought they sounded better (although I prefer the fit & feel of these) but since the Bass response on the ATH's was better my son took those & I got the SR850's back. BUT, that's not the end of the story. A friend recently bought an expensive Fiio headphone amp, that I liked a lot. But I was not about to spend 4 times the cost of my headphones on an amp ! But I started looking at their product line & ended up buying the Fiio E6 (you can find my review on Amazon as well) for less than 30 bucks. Paired with these, I think they sound better than the ATH M20x. Granted the if you added the Amp to those, I think they would once again come out on top, but I am not planning on buying the Amp for my son (he can get his own) and I thought these were more comfortable than them anyway. So everyone is happy !

TLDR If you just want great sound for an absurdly low price, everything else about these headphones will be totally fine. Any complaint I have about these is purely to demonstrate that there are reasons to buy more expensive headphones if they fall within your budget. But for what these go for, I whole-heartedly recommend these for anyone who doesn’t know if the advantages of open backs are worth it, aren’t sure how much they want to spend but still want something that sounds good right now, is a just starting audiophile, is a creator on a budget, and/or wants a second/backup pair with little to no compromise on sound. SOUND Purely based on sound, these punch so far above their weight that I really don’t care much about any of the other features. There’s not a ton of presence in the low end, but it is clear enough for anyone buying/expecting open backs. Absolutely fantastic for instruments and vocals, some of the clearest sounding mids/highs I have enjoyed for <$200. The overall stage is impressively wide and rich. I genuinely got confused listening to these at first because I kept hearing things from different parts of the room or my house, but it was actually just parts of songs I had never heard before. There is something magical about being able to hear things from far away clearly without that clarity crushing it into the vocals/instruments. There’s a good amount of sparkle in the top end can be harsh to some. I would recommend running these for 20-40 hours, either while listening or even just running off your phone overnight for a week, and then reevaluating. It’s not magic, but it can take a little edge off the top. If it still sounds harsh up in the stratosphere, I actually recommend lowering the volume before EQing these. When I was first burning these in, I found these harsh. But I realized that the high sparkle was giving a shimmer to percussion and synths that I had flatly not heard with other headphones before. I strongly recommend being open to what these do in the highs even if feels like too much at first. Synths and bass are okay, but don’t suffer in these areas any more than my more expensive headphones. Where I will say the bass excels here ties back into hearing things from far away with clarity with losing distance/space. Echos sound incredible on these, so real percussion resonates more than I’m used to hearing. It gives the bass more density without being louder or punchier. At <$40, I am genuinely shocked with how much I gravitate towards these for sound. BUILD/DESIGN The entire build is plastic and doesn’t feel amazing, but somehow still feels and looks better than <$50 headphones from big companies (e.g. Sony, skullcandy jbl, etc). Granted, the design is completely derivative of a much more reputable brand, but for two Andrew Jacksons I couldn’t care less. The plastic headband isn’t the most rigid in the world, but the design makes the auto-adjusting faux-leather headband work easily and securely. By using a wired design instead of a solid headband, the unit is remarkably light. The earcups swivel in 360 degrees, albeit not very far. The 3.5 jack is very sturdy, but the side leading into the headphones is just okay, given it’s not replaceable. The earcups don’t feel great to the touch and have a crunchy sound when compressed, which can be annoying when adjusting or putting them on. This did get better over time after being worn in however. COMFORT All these factors considered, the headphones are just okay in terms of comfort. For how light these are, I’m a little surprised that these create a slight amount of pressure on the top of my head. Obviously everyone’s fit will be slightly different, but the trade off with an auto adjusting headband is that the pressure on the faux-leather that pulls the band up is applied directly to the user. I thought the band was uncomfortable at first, but if I adjust the headphones, I actually find the cheap part resting against my head almost imperceptible. It’s only when the pressure has been applied long enough that I begin to notice. It’s not enough to stop wearing necessarily after short-medium listening sessions, but certainly worth adjusting every once in awhile. While I’m lukewarm on the pads in terms of build, they do a great job of keeping the headphones in place while in use. Despite feeling/sounding crunchy, I actually didn’t mind them for comfort. I thought I would feel the cheapness pressed right against my head, but just like the faux-leather band, it’s not the material itself that gets comfortable. In this case, the semi-on ear and tendency to sweat are more uncomfortable than the cushions themselves. The size of the cups belies that depending on your ear size, part of the cup may rest on your ear. While this is more preference, I think more people will notice sweating in these. It’s by no means horrible, but pretty much unavoidable. THE REST The cable is more of a studio length, but not a big deal. These run at 32 ohms, which is important because at this price, you can’t be recommending headphones that require a dac that costs more than the headphones themselves (that being said you can use a better dac, and yes, they sound even better). That coupled with the autoadjusting headband means anyone can pick these up and they will sound/feel great. You don’t need extra equipment or to fiddle with the fit, they just work. They sound great with content, Spotify, flacs, with or without a dac, with everything and in every way. I use these for two main cases: going for walks and listening to music with other people. For $35 i don’t worry about damaging my more expensive headphones while I’m out and about plus I can hear my surroundings clearly and walk safely. When I’m listening to music with other people, I can talk to them about the music without hearing my own voice in my headphones. While these are two very specific cases, I hope they demonstrate that these don’t need a perfectly quiet room to sound amazing, even though that’s obviously where they sound the best. I’ve been learning that hearing music in all its spaciousness interacting with the literal world around me often sounds better than a perfectly isolated, but relatively stuffy closed back. I used to think I preferred balanced sound across the board, but these have a bass roll off and sparkle in the highs that bring out a side to many instruments I didn’t realize I care about. These headphones add a shape and quality to different sounds that have broadened the way I think about and appreciate listening to music.

These are so insanely unimaginably good. The only SLIGHT issue is that the sub bass is a LITTLE QUIET. They are super clear and the treble is FANTASTIC. They are semi-open back so you can't use them in a loud place without ruining the music though, buy that's just how open backs are. Also please don't worry when you get these and the connector doesn't fit a normal headphone jack, there's an adapter screwed onto the cord out of the box to save packaging I imagine, just screw it off. They're also very comfortable.

Wow. Gotta write these babies up! These 'phones are outstanding for the money. Mind you, I am an old ambulance driver/EMT and my hearing is shot from siren noise over the years. I need the best headphones I can afford to get the most from my stereo listening to overcome the constant high-pitched tone in my ears from tinnitus. The sound definition from the Samson SR850 is unbelievable. I wasn't expecting much from a thirty-something dollar headset, but the reviews were pretty good, so, why not try a pair? The connection hardware is a light weight but sturdy cord with a combination 1/8" (3.5mm) and 1/4" (6.3mm) gold plated plug. The 1/4" plug can be unscrewed from the inner 1/8" standard plug, giving you plug-in versatility. The connecting cord to the 'phones is long enough to allow you to have good separation between the computer or amplifier and your head, without any limiting constriction between the sound source and your head. They cord is much lighter than most quality headsets that feature heavier coiled cords. The SR850 is lightweight, comfortable, and the fidelity of the sound is as perfect as my old ears are capable of hearing. I would describe the sound as crisp and well defined in clarity. I began the initial test with the tank battle game World of Tanks Blitz. The echo of the gun could be heard booming across the valley and the sound is realistic, down to the thump-boom of the shell hitting home. The engine sounds of the tank were rumbly and the muffling when the hatch was closed made you feel like you were surrounded by the low rumble of the engine and the crunching of the tracks outside the armor shell. Very realistic. Next up was music. The lovely harmonies and sweet instrumentals of the bluegrass band, The Cox Family. Outstanding clarity and very well balanced with these headphones. The lyrics were crisp and not muddled at all, even better than my $200+ studio headphones. And, because the head cups are semi-open, I can still hear the sounds in the room around me. Voices come through very clearly compared to my closed ear studio set. You get very good situational awareness with these 'phones. The cans are lightweight and comfortable as well; the velour padding helps a lot. The only drawback is entirely personal. On my head, I need just a little bit of padding so the headband does not fit too low and I am sure I can find stick-on padding to add just a bit of vertical crown support. One thing that helps are the spring-loaded over-the-head wires that allow the headphones to fit securely to the sides of your ear. The padded earcups are rounded so they fit well over the ear and you can adjust the earphones so they sit "just right" on your head and the circular form does not impinge on your ear like some of the rounded-rectangular inner profile cups do if you need a little forward or backward "swing" to find that "just right" sweet spot for the headband on your head. The headband is a separate piece from the support rod/wires and is wide enough to be pretty comfortable and secure, but a little bit of padding atop the crown would help. All-in-all, if you purchase the Samson SR850 it will be money well spent. I am going to get another pair as a spare, they are that good, and that affordable. They definitely won't break the bank!

I purchased these brand new in August, 2022, so...a year and four months ago from when I'm writing this review. I purchased them for listening to music, and as a person who is very picky about sound quality, I've been very, very happy with these. Very balanced, clear sound with enough bass for my liking. Really, as many people have said here, the sound quality hits above the price point. That being said, I have not been happy with the build quality, and I am NOT hard on my phones. They essentially live on my desk, connected to my computer. I'm not transporting them from place to place, I'm not commuting with them, I'm not working out with them. They live an easy life, but I've had two problems with them, one which has finally killed them. The first problem is that the foam cups fell off and I couldn't get them back on. I had to purchase replacements for them, which was still a pain in the butt to install (and they would periodically fall off), but I could live with that solution because I liked the sound quality. The second, newest issue has basically killed the phones. The wires connected to the 3.5mm jack must be coming loose, because the sound quality changes as I move the cable around. Unfortunately, the cable is non-detachable, which is a real bummer, because that would solve the issue. I could just buy a replacement cable. But I can't. The fix will require me cutting off the old jack and soldering a new one in place. Not sure it's worth it. Might just get something else with detachable cable. Bummer. Soooo....they've lasted 16 months. Is that good for $40? That's for you to decide.

I did buy these at a discount but I think they are still good value at full price. I had 400 USD earbuds before and I learned background lyrics to one of my favourite songs that I had never heard before. It has a very crisp sound, particularly with bass. I am sure there are things in the song that I couldn't hear, particularly in the upper register, but it is impressive for the price. The cord is long, the measuring tape in the photo is set on 2½ meters. I went for a walk and put it in my pocket. If you have average to small sized pockets this would not be feasible. The fit is a weak point. The size has to be adjusted by tightening a tiny screw so it will fall off someone with a small head and no tiny screwdriver. The cup is also perfectly circular, which I am sure is great for the acoustics but not the same shape as human ears. It is technically only over-ear for me if I tuck them in.

Looked cheap and ears get hot.. so I returned it. But its good for its price of $50ish

De lo mejor que puede haber en audífonos de calidad para trabajar con DAWs, hago covers y con estos audífonos monitoreo todo lo que grabó en reaper y también los uso para escuchar música y son excelentes, no colorean ni los graves ni los agudos, son realmente planos, se me han caído al suelo y se me han mojado y siguen funcionando perfectamente, solo cuiden el cable porque es lo único que podría fallar con el tiempo pero a 3 años de uso no me han dado problemas

Los he probado en varias fuentes (tablet, teléfonos móviles, ordenador) y en todos da un sonido realmente bueno y con volumen adecuado. Los bajos estan presentes sin oscurecer el resto. Los agudos son bastante notables. Dicen que con el uso ("quemado") se van suavizando. Por mi están bastante bien así. Los medios no se quedan atrás, siendo muy definidos. He leido que tras unas 200 horas mejoran mucho y se hacen aún más planos. Yo llevo usándolos unas 20 horas y genial. Los materiales no son lo mejor del mundo, pero parecen resistentes. Las almohadillas son de velour, no de simil de piel, y no les veo mucho problema. Si no fueran muy duraderas, son fácilmente reemplazables. Lo de que aprietan en exceso, molestias por la diadema... a mi no me aprietan nada, y la diadema no hace ningún daño. Al contrario, los encuentro bastante cómodos. Hay quien los deja abiertos en la caja durante unos días, para que se ensanche, pero a mi no me hizo falta... y mi cabeza es generosa... En fin, una muy buena compra por 39 euros.

Recentemente un amico ha deciso di acquistare delle cuffie da utilizzare al pc e la prima scelta è stata una cinesata anonima (almeno per me) ma con tanto di 90 recesioni positive qui su Amazon. Qualità ? Per 30 euro semplicemente vergognosa. Ma la gente è davvero sorda ? Tagliando la testa la toro ha optato per una Logitech che notoriamente in ambito pc fa oggetti di buona fattura...in ambito pc. 60 euro che non suonano male ma non fanno certo gridare al miracolo. In occasione dal black friday Amazon ha abbassato il costo di questa cuffie che da tempo mi incuriosivano e che dalla prima revision sono anche migliorare quindi mi son detto...perchè no! Al massimo le rimando indietro altrimenti si rimandano indietro le Logitec. Confezione ---------------- Abbastanza economica ma non mi aspettavo molto di più : la cuffia, un 'manualetto' da ben 5 pagine e un adattatore da 6.35mm. Qualità costruttiva -------------------------- Quando le ho viste la prima volta non mi hanno entusiasmato. La fascia autoregolante è si comoda (AKG insegna) ma è davvero di plasticaccia infima, sembra rompersi alla prima occhiata...fortuna che non è necessaria al corretto funzionamento delle cuffie. Ottima la sceltà dei padiglioni in velour che vanno a sostituire quelli presenti nella precedente revision, segno che alla Samson ascoltano le critiche e i consigli della gente. Non solo sono più comodi da indossare ma al contrario di quanto si possa pensare non fanno sudare anche se li avrei preferiti leggermente più morbidi (sono comunque compatibili con i ricambi delle AKG K240). Il cavo (2.5m) è di qualità sufficiente ma mi è sembrato troppo rigido e alla lunga non è mai un fattore positivo, ottimi i jack. Appena indossate sembrano leggermente strette ma in realtà l'archetto esercita la giusta pressione e dopo i primi minuti il fastidio scompare. Qualità audio ------------------- Le cuffie mi avevano incuriosito perchè su alcuni forum esteri c'è chi le paragonava addirittura alle Sennheiser HD650 (350 euro). Possono delle cuffie da 30 euro suonare come cuffie da 350 euro ? Io ho le confrontate direttamente con le HD650 ascoltandole prima su un amplificatore dedicato (Schiit Valhalla 2) e poi sull'uscita audio di un semplice pc. Una piccola premessa è doverosa : Samson non costruisce le cuffie e se cercate bene in giro troverete moltissimi modelli che sono esteticamente identici. Il vero produttore è Superlux, azienda di Shanghai che in occidente è un signor nessuno ma in realtà produce oggetti di discreta qualità da tempo. Ha iniziato come oem per AKG, Samson, Presonus e probabilmente anche Beyerdynamic e alla fine è arrivata anche da noi con il suo marchio. Nello specifico le SR850 anche se assomigliano alle Superlux HD681 sono in realtà i cloni delle Superlux HD668B. L'azienda dichiara una sensibilità di 98dB quindi non certo elevata per delle cuffie e una risposta in frequenza dai 10hz ai 30khz...e le marmotte fanno la cioccolata! Scherzi a parte non è specificato da nessuna parte il range in dB quindi è un dato che non dice praticamente nulla. Il confronto sul pc mette subito le cose in chiaro : non sono dei giocattoli e suonano bene. Surclassano le Logitech G430 in tutto mentre rispetto alle HD650 iniziano i primi dolori : - Sono meno sensibili ma la loro impedenza è molto bassa quindi a parità di volume suonano più forte (nota positiva per chi le volesse utilizzare sul cellulare) - Le medio/basse frequenze sono ottime e assolutamente all'altezza - Le bassissime frequenze latitano. Non solo i 10hz sono un miraggio ma sono un miraggio anche i 30hz... - La gamma media o più in generale le voci sembrano leggermente arretrate ma è un dettaglio davvero molto lieve - Le alte frequenze sono si dettagliate ma purtroppo presentano dei chiari problemi di sibilanti e questo è sicuramente il difetto principale. Alla lunga l'ascolto diventa stancante e già dopo 30 minuti si inizia ad abbassare il volume (è un brutto segno) Il confronto sul Valhalla mi ha sorpreso, mi aspettavo che le differenze si amplificassero e invece... : - Quando l'impedenza non è più un problema si sente la minore sensibilità e le HD650 suonano davvero molto più forte a parità di volume - Le medio/basse frequenze sono rimaste ottime - Le bassissime frequenze qualcosa hanno recuperato e si inizia a sentire qualcosa intorno ai 30hz ma è comunque chiaro che le HD650 fanno dei bassi un loro cavallo di battaglia - La gamma media è di pari livello e in alcuni casi la preferisco alle HD650! - Le alte frequenze si sono leggermente arrotondate, il problema delle sibilanti rimane ma è più accentuato. Morale della favola : recuperano terreno quando la sorgente inizia a salire di qualità mentre io mi aspettavo il contrario! A livello di microdettaglio la differenza con le HD650 è lieve anche se aumenta all'aumentare della dinamica (ma tanto le ultime canzoni sono incise con una compressione imbarazzante quindi è un finto problema). Reggono bene il volume ma iniziano a comprimere ben prima delle HD650 quindi non c'è da esagerare o si impasta tutto. Conclusioni ----------------- Quindi suonano come cuffie da 350 euro ? L'azienda le vende come 'cuffie professionali da studio' e forse il loro vero problema è proprio questo : tendono a restituire un suono analitico, tendenzialmente freddo e in alcuni casi non riescono a coinvolgere. La prima volta che ascoltai delle Genelec dissi "Che suono!", poi ascoltai la stessa canzone su delle ProAc ed esclamai "Che musica!". Ecco...questa è la differenza tra un'ottima cuffia da 30 euro e una da 350 euro : la prima suona bene (molto bene) ma la seconda ti immerge nella musica e trasmette emozioni e il perchè è davvero difficile da spiegare, si può solo provare. Ho avuto modo di provarle per qualche ora anche con delle Beats (non ricordo il modello perchè le ritengo tutte ciarpame) e posso confermare che a 28 euro sono eccezionali, nel rapporto qualità/prezzo surclassano le HD650 che in 10 anni sono aumentate di ben 100 euro! Un caso più unico che raro che dimostra comunque la qualità altissima delle Sennheiser e di conseguenza di queste Samson. Ovviamente le Logitech prendono la strada del ritorno...le Beats non lo possono più fare altrimenti...