Monolith M1070 Over Ear Open Back Planar Headphones - Lightweight, Padded Headband, Plush and Removable Earpads, 106mm Planar Driver, 60 Ohms, Black

I have the headphones on my head right now as I type this. I'll try to keep this as concise as possible...My headphone history - I started with superlux 681 evos, moved up to the SHP9500 and then up to hd6xx. I have been using a bravo v2 headphone tube amp almost exclusively for the past 3 years, and have been using those to drive the 6xx. I've found that the amp adds energy in the upper regions of music. I used them on the m1070 as well. I plan on getting another amp in the future, but for now this is what I have. Been using the m1070 for about 2 weeks. HD6xx I've been using for 3 years.Build - I think it's solid. Some slight creaking when I put it on my head on the left earcup (after a month this issue vanished). Can't isolate where it comes from, but they feel solid. I don't feel like the metal is TOO weak. You can bend them yeah, but I'm not trying to bend them and they don't bend on their own.Comfort - Things are heavy. but the pads are soft, and I have very thick hair. I think these are plenty comfortable. Not as comfortable as the 6xx. But while the 6xx is like 100 percent comfortable to me, these are about 85 percent there. When the music is going, or the game has started, I tend to not care. Cable is solid. Connections are good and tight.Sound presentation - Like being in a concert where the band is performing and you have front row center seats. The 6xx feels like I am the microphone, with the music being fed directly into to me, in a very pleasing and sweet way. These are also very sweet, but offer a different presentation. I feel like I can hear the room with this much better. These definitely out-resolve the 6xx. I think the soundstage is wider on the m1070, and the imaging to be pretty solid. Not insanely analytical, but if I am listening for it, then I will pick up the separation really well. Point being, I can hone in on whatever I want to hone in on. It doesn't force detail at me. These are quite enjoyable. These offer more bass extension than the 6xx. But these don't offer more highs than the 6xx. There is no veil that I can tell, so the upper mids are more forward on the m1070. But there is not a massive amount of air.TL DR: In comparison to the 6xx, there is better soundstage, better resolution, no veil in the upper mid range. The Bass and lower mids are more forward. I like the m1070 better for most music. But vocals on the hd6xx sound better overall. I like all aspects of music so I prefer the m1070.Gaming: These are awesome. The added impact of bass, strong soundstage and good imaging are solid. Great for immersion. Maybe doesn't isolate the high frequencies enough for twitch FPS shooters for pinpoint footstep sounds. idk, I don't play those games. I like my Role playing games.Conclusion. I like the m1070 a lot. They will be my go to for a while. But I am not getting rid of the 6xx. They are different, and can live together. But these put a smile on face as soon as I started playing music. Also, I REALLY didn't care for the pad swap. They were mega comfy, but the sound became very hot in the trouble, and the sweet warmth was gone. I don't regret this purchase at all. These headphone offered me everything I wanted - terrific immersion in everything that I cared for. I just wish there was a touch more air in the 10k + frequency range.EDIT: after a month use.I stand by almost everything as I had said before, but I felt like I should make a quick update about the pad swap. I've been listening to the velours for the past several hours. I like them more than I did before. Do I like them more than the pleather pads? I don't think so. They offer something different. I care for them now. Just as much as the pleather. I started noticing some VERY MINOR treble spikes on very specific tracks that were sharp with the pleather pads. When I switched to the velour, those spikes almost disappeared. Without measuring anything, here is what the velour pads offer: less soundstage (closer to a HD6xx width but with better imaging), but 10-15 percent more clarity. (Give or take depending on the song). The upper treble and air regions get more balanced and a little more forward presentation. Not too much. The detail of everything midrange and higher is more immediately noticeable. The sub bass impact goes down quite a bit. Not that the sub bass is gone; It just doesn't sound as full and powerful. Maybe the super low 20-30 hz starts to roll off sooner. But the clarity increase and treble evening is so darn good that it might JUST be worth it to some ears.Why did I add this edit? well, I like the headphones even more now. I like that I can just switch the pads and almost recreate that first "new toy" feeling when listening to music. I can see myself swapping back and forth every couple of months and just having fun enjoying music.2nd TL;DR: Velour pads are also amazing. try em' out for a few dedicated hours. You might be surprised. But damn are the pleathers still awesome too. It just comes down to preference, and its awesome that both options are included in the box.I know headphones are EXTREMELY subjective. I wish all of you the best in your audio journey!

The all mighty (and apparently controversial) M1070. So here's the deal...Right off the bat, I will say up front that I'm an audio snob, so only the best sound touches my ears. But this time, I was trying to be within a budget of $600, max.I will sum up these headphones in four groups: build, comfort, power and sound.BUILD:Awkward, but pretty. The could feel flimsy and don't have a very stable feel at all.. As mentioned by others, the headband has no tension out of the box.. The yokes are a bendable metal and by adjusting these to your fit, you'll get the tension. Really nice (fake?) leather headband, gorgeous cups. Nice, large and meaty cans overall with solid weight. Included case and cable is top notch.COMFORT:I find them really comfortable, especially by using the leatherette pads. The velour is comfortable as well, but thinner. So my dumb ears touch the planar protector if I use them. I could wear these headphones for hours.POWER:Not as demanding as, say Audeze or many higher ohm headphones. Plugging these into my Samsung S10 direct does not at all do justice for these cans. Putting my cheapo portable headohone amp (Topping NX1S) changes the game, for sure. My Cayin N5MKII DAP powers them beautifully in unbalanced output and even stronger balanced. My Onkyo integrated amp on my main stereo powers them out just fine and really makes them shine.SOUND:As I type this review, I am listening to Edit Select's "Reduktion" via balanced output on my DAP. The sound is amazing.A few things to note here.. mayhe the sound stage is a tad narrow.. These are NOT bright headphones, in any way. They are more lower and mid forward, but not at all burying the highs. Everything sounds warm and robust. Out of the box, they sound less intense, but I am a fan of equalizers and tone controls and never listen to my music flat. Ever. So if you bass heads want that 'umph', you'll find it here. You will just need to power them properly (not direct from your phone) and throw in an eq.The M1070's are the vinyl of headphones. They are warm, rich, inviting and robust. Really welcoming sound when driven properly and I have no complaints at all.I've compared these to: Hifiman HE400i 2o2o, Cleer Next Audiophile headphones and Sivga SV007. These cans blow all of the above out the water by far (though the HE400i has more high presence but absolutely nowhere near the low amd mid presence of the M1070). The only exception out of this bunch, I would say, are the Sivga SV007s, which are AMAZING headphones. Very similar signature as the M1070, but only with a bit more grain in the top end.Buy them, dammit.UPDATE:The M1070 comes with two sets of pads. Leatherette and Velour. The leatherette pads are very thick, which in return cuts down on clarity and treble. The velour pads bring that clarity, but cuts down on bass. The pads at the link below (great luck pronouncing its brand) are the PERFECT balance and great match as it brings the best of both worlds, both in comfort and sound.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G3D3P1L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_eR-VFbTKFV1W8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1