As a frequent flyer, I have tried just about every noise canceling headphone on the market. From the
Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones to the
Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B Active Noise-Cancelling Closed-Back Headphones to lesser known sub-$100 models like
Creative HN-900 Noise Cancelling Headphones. Monster is new to the noise canceling headphone market, but by pricing themselves at the $300 level, they are staking claim to the market position held so long by Bose. While my reviews generally don't include price, the price is an important piece of the positioning and must be considered in totality with the package.
I hope you find this review helpful even if it is not entirely positive on the headphones. Many personal choices go into such a big purchase, and my hope is to provide some additional data points to help you make your decision. You can jump to the bottom to see my conclusion, or review each category I evaluated. Since most measurements are subjective to comparison, I used the Audio Technica and Bose QC-15 for most comparisons.
Look:
These are certainly the most fashionable and aggressive looking noise canceling headphones I have seen. Both the Bose and Audio-Technica look like nerdy pieces of technology with gray plastic housing and black bands. The Monster Inspiration look downright cool. The rectangular earcups are a glossy black, and they are bracketed by shiny brushed stainless steel with the word "Monster" etched on them. The headband is interchangeable. It literally feels like a leather belt with magnets inside of it that hold it to the top. There is a second headband included, a shiny black leather alligator print band. You can order more styles from Monster's website. Hands-down, no noise-canceling headphone can match the cool factor. These will get noticed by your friends and seat-mates on the airplane.
The headbands are as varied as music lovers themselves. There is the flat black matte that comes with the headphones for the business traveler, a silver-spiked one for more of a "punk" look, different flags for every nationality, and some really cool ones like a pewter with mixed crystals. This is Monster's attempt to take a single design and market it to different listeners. It's a great concept and seems to work quite well.
Comfort:
These are the least comfortable noise-canceling headphones I think I have ever tried. The first problem is the weight. My Creative weigh 6.2 ounces. Better models like the Bose weigh 7.36oz and my favorite Audio-Technica are 7.7oz. Monster weighs in at a whopping 11.5oz, and trust me, on a long flight that weight starts to be felt. Whereas almost the entire noise-cancelling world uses a single AAA battery for power, Monster requires two AAA batteries. What can't Bose do with 1.5V that Monster can do with 3V? I have no idea why they need two batteries.
The ear cups are plush leather and are designed to be "over-the-ear", but I found that the passive noise cancellation from the cups was a major disappointment. In fact, the cushioning actually allowed the hard plastic of the speaker to rest on the outside of my ear and it hurt after while. Your mileage may vary based on head and ear shape, but I could not get these to be comfortable whereas normally I am fine with both on-the-ear and over-the-ear headphones.
Noise Cancellation:
Perhaps the most important metric is ability to cancel noise and I was not impressed at all. In fact, I had to check twice to make sure they were really turned on because the effect seemed minimal if there at all. To be sure, I handed the headphones along with the Audio-Technica to both my wife and my 8 year old daughter. Neither is really into this like me so they had no biases and didn't know what I was showing them. Both agreed the Audio-Technica made everything far quieter.
Also, the Monster seemed to have a dull low-frequency oscillation that bounces back and forth between the ears. It doesn't go away and gets rather annoying after awhile. Older listeners may not hear it, but my ears definitely picked it up.
Sound:
One of my complaints about the Bose is that they are too bass-heavy. I love the balanced sound of the Audio-Technica, and I recently evaluated a wonderful pair of Monster Diamond Edge that had a great balanced feel as well. The Monster Inspiration is really bass heavy and on some songs was just uncomfortable. The sound is good, and certainly better than my sub-$100 headphones, but not as good as my Audio-Technica or as the Bose. The bass and treble tend to pop with the middle sounding a bit muddy and distant. Classical instrumental didn't sound very good, nor did most pop-songs. The bass really thumped for hard rock, but was a bit high for my own tastes. This is subjective based on the listener, but it was too bass heavy for me.
Utility:
There are 3 cords included. One is a full ControlTalk cord with 3 buttons (up, down, center) for use with devices that support it. You can use it to control your phone, switch between music and a phone call, adjust the volume, etc. As is to be expected, you can take a call using the ControlTalk as a microphone. Another is a simpler cord with just 1 button for phones that don't support the full ControlTalk. The third cord is a normal phono cord that does not have a microphone on it. There are complete printed instructions as to how to use ControlTalk with the headphones.
Notably absent from the package is a 1/4" adapter (present on most other high-end headphones), or a dual-mono to stereo adapter, still present on some older airplanes.
Case:
The headphones fold inwards and fit into a case that is shipped like a half-moon with a zipper along the curved edge that closes it. There is a pocket inside to hold the cords. The case has a handle on the flat side and a small aluminum carabiner. Personally, I prefer the way the Bose and Audio-Technica headphones pivot to fold flat - it's a lot easier to put in a briefcase or carry on. The Monster Inspiration case is not as wide but is thicker due to the way the headphones fold. It is 3" thick compared to the Audio-Technica which are 1.75" thick. There's also no space for anything else like an iPod in the case. It offers minimal protection.
Packaging:
As is to be expected, the packaging is well executed. The cardboard box closes with magnets, and folds out to reveal the headphones inside with the instructions in a special cardboard slot in the case.
Conclusion:
I honestly cannot recommend these headphones if noise isolation or comfort are your top concerns (or if you don't like bass heavy headphones). I rate them 3 stars because they are aesthetically pleasing and feel far more solidly built than the Bose (which to me feel surprisingly cheap for $300). However, the Monster Inspiration weighs more than any other headphone I have evaluated, is less comfortable on my head, doesn't cancel noise as well as competitors, doesn't have a balanced sound, and costs as much as the Bose.
Aesthetically they look great, and for some fashion conscious buyers, they may be worth the money for the look. The interchangeable headband concept is well executed and will likely be very popular. If the look is important for you, you will likely be able to live with the limitations above or they may not bother you at all. The truth is that if I had never tried another noise cancelling headphone, I would be impressed with both the noise cancellation and the sound quality. I am spoiled by the existing market players, however, and know that Monster has not reached the level of what is available today from Audio-Technica and Bose. Hence, I rate the headphones 3 stars because while they are not for me, the sharp look and quality feel will make some buyers very happy.
Music, meet Fashion.Inspiration by Monster - Noise-canceling headphones with interchangeable headbands.Personalize your look through interchangeable headbands Active noise cancelling so you hear only the music Super-comfortable ear cushions for long trips Includes a ControlTalk cable for controlling music and phone calls from iPad , iPhone and iPod Includes bonus matching color Raptor headbandExpress the Way You Feel with Interchangeable HeadbandsCasual. Dressy. Stylish. Retro. All of these looks and more are available to personalize your Inspiration headphones. Easily switch out your headband to create a whole new look. Whatever your mood, Inspiration is there with a look to match. From patent leather to denim blue, you''ll never run short of Inspiration. (Designer headbands sold separately)Impressive Sound with Astonishing Noise CancelingThe latest in Monster technology brings you a headphone with exceptional noise-cancelling performance. Create your own perfect environment and enjoy your music anytime, anywhere. Just listen.Enhance Your Style with a Sleek, Modern, Over-Ear DesignFeaturing a brushed titanium finish with super-comfortable earcups to give you a look and feel that you can wear all day.ControlTalk Universal with Built-In MicNo need to go hunting for your phone. Track play/pause or take and make calls all from convenient in-line controls. Fully compatible with SkypeTM. "Made for iPod", "Made for iPhone" and "Made for iPad" mean that an electronic accessor
