Status Audio CB-1 Closed Back Studio Monitor Headphones with 50mm Drivers - for Music Production, Mixing, Mastering and Audiophile Use (Black & Gold)

My title pretty much sums up these headphones; they outclass headphones that cost considerably more.I purchased these headphones last year, but didn't want to review them until I had something to compare them to, and I have just the pair of headphones; the Philips SHP9500. I do not have any high-end headphones, and before the Philips I was only familiar with budget Samson headphones and some cheap random headphones I purchased from Amazon that were most likely made in China. I cannot compare these to expensive units from Beyerdynamic, Audio Technica, Sennheiser, Sony, AKG, Grado, Audeze, etc., and I don't intend to. However, I do have the excellent Philips SHP9500 which can cost anywhere between $20 - $40 more than these, and I can safely say that the Status Audio CB1s are the better pair, 110%. I will discuss what the Philips do better, then I will discuss what the CB1s do better.Comfort - The Philips are one of the most comfortable, if not the most comfortable pair of headphones I've ever owned or used. They almost feel like nothing is resting on your head, and the Status Audio CB1s, while comfortable, simply do not compare. The CB1s feel a tad bit heavier, but more than that, they don't rest on your head and over your ears like the Philips do.Build Quality and Construction - This is a toss up, because I think both are of roughly equal build quality. I lean towards the Philips a bit more for its aesthetics and sleep look, and I can safely say they look much better in person. Pictures do not do the Philips justice, at all. The Philips do have some metal in their construction, but otherwise 90% of it is plastic, while 100% of the CB1 is plastic. But, not the cheap feeling kind - they feel robust and durable. Where it concerns the cables, the Status Audio clearly provides better quality cables. The CB1s use a twist-to-lock-in 3.5mm jack on the headphones, and you get two, thick cables (one coiled, one straight) with two 1/4" gold plated adapters. The SHP9500 comes with a single, mediocre feeling 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable/jack with one 1/4", gold plated adapter - it's okay, and is nothing to talk about.Sound Quality - And this is where the Status Audio CB1s are 100% superior! Both headphones operate at around the same decibel, so volume matching them were pretty easy. While the SHP9500's are open-back, they really do not seem to provide a wider or deeper soundstage than CB1s. The Philips SHP9500 are brighter, and can even sound harsh at times, compared to the CB1. If you want neutrality, the CB1 is the way to go, as it is much flatter across the frequency spectrum. The bass on the CB1 is tight, and full, and although I think there's a small freq bump in the 40-50hz range, it doesn't sound artificial or forced. The low-end simply extends further down than the Philips, while maintaining a more neutral mid and high range, that doesn't sound hyped or forced, like the SHP9500'S. For a closed-back pair of headphones, these things sound just as opened as the Philips SHP9500, with better isolation and a flatter frequency response. Although the Philips can sound more airy, and give a crisp sound to female vocals and high freq instruments (crashes, hi-hats), it is solely because of the presence boost in the high freqs, and that crisp sizzle can quickly turn into harsh sibilance, especially if your ears are sensitive. For mixing, your ears will not be fatigued by the sound signature of the CB1s, while they definitely can become fatigued quickly using the SHP9500's. And of course, for monitoring, the closed-back system is preferred, as the CB1s have very little bleed/sound leakage.To summarise, the Status Audio CB1 is cheaper with comparative build quality, flatter more neutral response, deeper extended bass response, comparative sound stage, is less fatiguing and again, is cheaper. The ONLY thing the Philips beats the CB1s in, with ease, is comfort.Do yourself a favour and pick these up over the SHP9500's if you're deliberating between the two. If you prefer more airy headphones, then the SHP9500's are the way to go. If you're a mixing engineer or someone who prefers a more flat, neutral response, get the CB1s!

Sooo just to start i've been working professionally in the music industry for over a decade. I wanted some extra Headphones for my talents tracking vocals at my home studio. I have a couple pairs of audio technica M50x but i wanted some Cheaper yet quality pairs of headphones to have my talents use. Alright with that said lets talk about these bad boys. ***This review is only after a few days of testing.***1. It's Build is quite sturdy and it has some weight to it surprisingly Premium feel.2. You get two Chords a long one that will serve well for recording situations a couple meters long (I wish it was a tag longer but no complaints). There is also a Shorter Swivel Cable. I won't go into to much details with the nitty gritty minor quirks overall good here.3. it Lets just jump into the quality , it sound pretty good ssurprised little of course don't expect these to sound like a 100 dollar plus headphone BUT! they do sound pretty good . Nice clear sound in the frequency spectrum nice replication of lows etc. 'its a bit shallow of a sound when doing stereo work you may run into some problems here all in all they it does a magnificent job for the price.4. finally Comfort , it's i personally tested it for an hour or two but i 've had a couple 8 hour plus sessions with different artists thus far and they have no problem with it from my just feeling it on my ears for a while it's not the softest but again i got no complaints so it does the job well.5. Noice Cancellation for this is passive of course i got this for tracking vocals so spill is a no no for me. i don't particularly care to cancel out outside noises but it does a great job at that as i've had to tell the artistes to take off their headset sometimes while i was speaking and on the contrast it will also keep sound in quite nicely.Final takes great headphones for the price. if it lasts long will definitely be buying some more of them i hope this was helpful.