Manage updates with the Download AppMonster Turbine
Manufacturer: Monster Part number: 127593
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Monster's Turbine in-ear headphone looks, feels, and sounds like a much more expensive model.
Read more
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CNET editors' review
Monster Turbine price range: $99.99 - $179.99
- Reviewed by: Steve Guttenberg
- Edited by: Jasmine France
- Reviewed on: 01/16/2009
The good: Monster's Turbine in-ear headphone delivers excellent sound quality, with strong bass; robust, all metal construction; handsome carry case.
The bad: Eartip fitting may require patience.
The bottom line: Monster's Turbine in-ear headphone looks, feels, and sounds like a much more expensive model.
User reviews
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Just bought these...
by mjkinnyc on January 15, 2009
Pros: Great sound level, terrific highs, easy left - right identification, tangle-free cord, less than $100 online.
Cons: Bass can be better, no mic if used with cell phone / mp3 combo, no foam options for ear buds - can't use doing physical exercises <will fall out of ear>.
Summary: I have a pair of Shure SE530's which I love to use on my commute to and from work in NYC, and wanted a decent pair of headphones I ...
Summary: I have a pair of Shure SE530's which I love to use on my commute to and from work in NYC, and wanted a decent pair of headphones I could knock around with at the gym or doing some more physical activities <I'm a bit hesitant to use $400+ headphones at the gym>.
I love dance / hip hop music, and heard the Turbines were great for reproducing deep bass. Overall they are okay, but the fit just doesn't compare to those of Shure's. If they came with foam ear buds, my tune would change I have no doubt.8 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great all-around performer
by tstarn04 on March 10, 2009
Pros: Study build
Balanced sound, no need for amp.Cons: Cable microphonics
Treble sometimes a little "watery"
Limited sleeve selectionSummary: Full disclosure. I received the Monster Turbines as part of a "focus" group of sorts, so I did not pay for them.
My music collection weighs in at about 13,...Summary: Full disclosure. I received the Monster Turbines as part of a "focus" group of sorts, so I did not pay for them.
My music collection weighs in at about 13,000 pieces, in every possible genre and style. From country to classical, jazz to ska, I probably own it. So the Turbines have had their share of styles and musical forms to handle. A
In my comparison, the Turbines faced some formidable competition. I own the Westone 3s, a pair of Phonak Audeos (a relatively new, high-performance in-ear phone from a Swiss hearing aid maker) and a pair of Sennheiser IE8s.
I own and use four igital audio players (DAPs), including a Sony A818, a Microsoft Zune80, an Apple iTouch (2G) and the Sansa Clip.
Being a dynamic phone, the Turbines do not need a portable amp to sound their best. And with each of my music players, the Turbines mesh very well, especially the Zune80, which has no EQ and delivers, in my view, the best headphone out sound (sans EQ) of any of my players, with the Touch being a close second (bigger soundstage).
Dynamic phones require a burn-in period. I put the Turbines through 30-40 hours of pink nose burn-in after listening to them briefly out of the box. With dynamics, it?s a pretty good bet that the bass will be a little too boomy until the diaphragm settles down, and using pink or white noise on a constant loop (or just plain music, too) will break in the phones, settle them down. All my listening for this review was after the Turbines were burned in for 30 hours.
The Turbine bass is deep, rich and not boomy (as is the case with low-cost in-ear phones). It is subwoofer-like, but to me, you really can't say anything stuck in your ear is the same as hearing a good sub on a home system - just a completely different experience.
Suffice it to say that the Turbine bass is ear-pleasing, and does not drown out the mids and highs, which is a really impressive balancing act for a dynamic in-ear phone.
As far as punch, the bass, once it calms down after burn-in, is quick, neat, yet deep, without a mid-bass hump (another characteristic of poorly rendered bass in an in-ear phone).
Regarding clarity and detail, the Turbines deliver, especially for a single dynamic driver (as opposed to an armature driven phone). I?ve owned another pair of well-known dynamic phones, the Atrio M5s, and the Turbines clearly deliver crisper, cleaner details across the spectrum. I did sense a little bit of a ?watery? or sibilant edge with some treble presentations, on some tracks more than others. It's allmost a synthetic feeling listening to the highs/treble on occasion, but it?s not a deal-breaker.
The Turbines are at least on par with several phones I have heard or owned over the years. They definitely are not muddy and reveal music details with phones costing twice as much ? another plus for their price.
A few comments about build quality. The Turbine driver housing is excellent, a real slick bit of engineering and design. I wish I could say the same for the cable and strain relief. The cable is somewhat microphonic, but you can tame that through the use of a shirt clip. Also, I prefer an L-shaped plug, not straight, and also would beef up the strain relief both near the drivers and also at the plug. Today, users can be tough on portable phones, and it would be great to see a little more toughness in the build, certainly a more study cable ? especially from a company known for making AV cables.
Conclusion
I think the Monster Turbines are a winner, but could use a little refinement. Of course, the cosmetic suggestions are doable. And the treble issues I encountered may just be the way I hear them. The Turbines can do battle with some higher-end phones from Shure, Etymotics, UE and the other portable phone makers - especially for their street price of $149.5 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Best I've used
by bobd4 on August 16, 2009
Pros: Clear, concise and rich sounds and it really drowns out the ambient background noise
Cons: Wired, but that's not exactly since they aren't supposed to be.
Summary: Flying to VA with a layover in Atlanta, I found my existing ear buds could simply not drown out the sound of the engines on the plane. Walking around the ...
Summary: Flying to VA with a layover in Atlanta, I found my existing ear buds could simply not drown out the sound of the engines on the plane. Walking around the Atlanta Airport I discovered a location selling ear phones and other tech goodies. The salesman sold me on these because of their bass reproduction. I couldn't exactly test them for the noise reduction at that time but they fit securely enough in my ears so I thought I'd give them a try. At $120, I figured I was getting screwed on these but was feed up enough with not being able to hear anything on the plane I was ready to overpay.
To my surprise when I checked these on line later and found what I great deal I received, and at an airport no less, I was amazed. If you're in the market for top quality ear buds and don't mind paying a bit for them, these are fantastic. If you're in the Atlanta Airport, you can get a deal vs the on line dealers I've seen.3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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At last, killer ear buds!
by tommyshaw on January 23, 2009
Pros: Full range audio in a friendly small package
Cons: No complaints
Summary: I have always liked the space saving aspect of ear buds, and gotten used to the fact that if I wanted to hear any real bass I had to put ...
Summary: I have always liked the space saving aspect of ear buds, and gotten used to the fact that if I wanted to hear any real bass I had to put pressure on them to create a seal in my ears.
With the Turbines, I was able to find a pair of the rubber tips (included) that fit and with a little careful manipulation got them to fit snugly into my ear canals. Nice fat, full range sounds! The only thing better than this is an actual pair of headphones. At this year's NAMM show I tested them side by side with Monster's new noise canceling headphones (which not only kill most external noise but actually sound incredible and will be very useful in the studio) and the Turbines gave them a good run for their money. I will also be keeping these as spares in case one of my custom in-ear monitors goes out on future Shaw Blades dates.
I also like the carrying case.
TS3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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sound amazing but not long lasting
by newtechforme7 on October 7, 2009
Pros: The sound from these IEM's are amazing. deep bass that is distortion free.
Cons: THE LEAST DURABLE HEADPHONES I HAVE EVER OWNED! not even after a month of use, no signs of fraying or anything and then my right ear bud loses sound! The worst costumer service. talk is cheap monster!
Summary: If these earphones lasted more than a month I would highly recommend them. They sound great. I babied these things and everything. I have not had product with this price ...
Summary: If these earphones lasted more than a month I would highly recommend them. They sound great. I babied these things and everything. I have not had product with this price tag fail on me like these did. I was not impressed with the customer service at all. The website i purchased these earbuds from are authorized dealers and when i told the monster costumer service guy about them, they said that they weren't and authorized dealer. So after that whole disappointment i had to call the people i got it from and had to go through a lengthy process to even get them sent out. needless to say, monster makes great cables for TV's and speakers. I just wish they made their turbines as good as they make their cables. Other than the durability issues, there is no sound constest if u like bass. its about 60 percent bass and 40 treble. I've owned the klipsch custom-2's, sennheiser eh-250, bose IE triports, v-moda's and the list goes on (I love to spend money on new gear) these are by far the best sounding. Too bad they lasted the shortest.
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Everything they brag about and more...
by ginobambino65 on August 4, 2009
Pros: I bought these ear buds for my iPhone. The bass is truly unbelievable coming from such a small bud. They are extremely well-built and they are weighted nicely being made from metal.
Cons: As stated in the CNET review, getting the ear buds to fit correctly will take some time and patience. However, once you have the proper fit, you've got it made!
Summary: The crispness of overall sound and the depth of bass coming from these tiny ports will make a believer out of anyone. Their build quality seems to be top-notch as ...
Summary: The crispness of overall sound and the depth of bass coming from these tiny ports will make a believer out of anyone. Their build quality seems to be top-notch as well. If you are searching for a pair of high-quality ear buds, look no further... you've found your inner Monster!!!
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Poor build quality but they do sound wonderful.
by SFgadgetlover on April 14, 2011
Pros: Sound quality truly is amazing.
Cons: Poor quality construction
Not tangle freeSummary: I had these less than 6 months and the right earbud came unsealed. Monster apparently used inferior glue to hold the earbuds together. You can find other reviews from customer'...
Summary: I had these less than 6 months and the right earbud came unsealed. Monster apparently used inferior glue to hold the earbuds together. You can find other reviews from customer's who had the same problem. Instead of Monster shipping you a new pair with a postage paid envelope they make you ship them the busted earbuds first. For the amount of money they charge they should number 1. last longer and number 2. at least send you a new pair with a post paid return envelope.
These were to replace a pair of SHURE earbuds. SHURE makes top-quality fantastic sounding earbuds and they will send you replacements when/if they break. SHURE's earbuds screw together so they will never fall apart. Monster took a short cut and unfortunately for the consumer it shows.
If Monster would have spent half of what they did on the over the top packaging they could have built a world class product. Instead they have a crappy product to go with their crappy reputation.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Brilliant.
by Mediaslave on December 17, 2010
Pros: Read below! Summed it up nicely I think.
Cons: Pricey. Also...pricey. :D
Summary: Its amazing the difference a good set of headphones will make. I've always bought cheaper ones, around the $40 mark. This was my first set of expensive phones, and ...
Summary: Its amazing the difference a good set of headphones will make. I've always bought cheaper ones, around the $40 mark. This was my first set of expensive phones, and I'll never go back.
Sound quality is excellent. I was concerned that they'd be all low end, and miss the highs, but thats not the case. I use a creative Zen, and with its EQ I have them matched perfectly so that I get a wide range of sound.
The buds are mint. They are light enough that they aren't cumbersome, but solid enough that they don't feel like they'er going to fly out. The multiple rubber bits help you customize them to your ears nicely too.
The cord is a softer rubber, and doesn't transfer sound when it rubs on a coat zipper. Its also far less intrusive than other headphones that I've tried.
Monster's support is excellent as well. I had an issue with my frist set (one of them cut out) and Monster took care of me quickly, and politely. Excellent service.
I can't say that I'm going to buy a ton of Monster stuff as I find the cables to be silly overpriced marketing fluff, but the headphones...I'm sold. Great investment.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Above average ear buds with good balance!!
by mykone on December 15, 2010
Pros: Nice clean crisp highs and mids with decent bass which does not over power the overall spectrum.
Cons: A MUST!!! You must find the right earbud to use which will give the property fit in your ear to really appreciate the earbuds.
Summary: As a DJ, I listen to music all the time. I usually use headphones for DJing, but I needed some earbuds for the ipod. I was debating between the Monster ...
Summary: As a DJ, I listen to music all the time. I usually use headphones for DJing, but I needed some earbuds for the ipod. I was debating between the Monster Turbines and the Dre iBeats. A friend had the iBeats and I tried them. They sounded good, but were bass heavy. With the understanding that these were primarily marketed to the Hip Hop community, bass heavy would of been expected. Bass was definately something profound in these earbuds to the point where it would mask the mids and highs at higher volumes.
So I decided to buy the Monster Turbines (after reading numerous reviews about it) and would return it if I didn't like it. Out of the box I immediately tried them on (like a kid at christmas). My first impression.... SUCKED and was definately going back. There was no bass at all and sounded awful when I turned the bass up on the ipod and raised the volume. So I remembered in some of the reviews that I had to fit the earbuds properly. There is a video on Monster's webiste about this.
So I tried all the different earbuds one by one. It has been 2 weeks now since I've had these and I think I've found the right earbuds. Once you do... the sound is INCREDIBLE!! The balance between the highs, mids and lows are amazing. Highs are crisp and clean. Bass is there and is loud and clean, but not overpowering. Totally different sound from when I first tried them on. And I'm happy with them!!
I would give it 5 Stars for the sound... but had to take away for some of the effort it takes to get the sound perfect. I can't stress it enough... if you are buying these earbuds (and I would recommend them), YOU HAVE TO GET THE RIGHT FIT TO GET THE RIGHT SOUND!! Every time I put the earbuds on, I have to adjust them as to get the right sound. It's not a "put-on and ready-to-go" type of earbud. But once you have the right size earbud and fit it perfectly in the ears... IT'S AWESOME!!!1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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These things are awesome
by jaydeesea95 on December 13, 2010
Pros: Great sound
great price
look greatCons: Cable durability
casesSummary: Im not going to write a long review because it's not necessary. These are great buds. I am a musician, i know music. For 150$ they out-sound buds of ...
Summary: Im not going to write a long review because it's not necessary. These are great buds. I am a musician, i know music. For 150$ they out-sound buds of cost 300$. But the cable feels to fragile. That might be my only concern, plus the cases that are provided suffocate the buds. I feel like when i place the Headphones in the case that i am shoving them in a area that is too small.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Monster
- Part number: 127593
- Description: Unlike other headphones that can't reproduce deep bass, Monster Turbines accurately reproduce even the lowest bass notes without distortion. You'll hear thunderous low-end for incredible sound with every kind of music, from the thumping bass beats of hip hop tracks to the deepest pipe organ notes in classical compositions. Monster Turbines truly deliver the big sound, power, and clarity that you'd expect from full size high-end speakers. That's why we had to call them speakers, not headphones.
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Product Type Headphones
- Color Black chrome
- Recommended Use Portable audio system
- Additional Features Gold plated connectors
Headphones
- Headphones Type Headphones - Binaural
- Headphones Form Factor In-ear
- Connectivity Technology Wired
- Sound Output Mode Stereo
Connections
- Connector Type Headphones ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm )
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included Headphones cable
- Included Accessories Protective case,
Ear tips kit
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Monster products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Monster
- Address:
455 Valley Drive, Brisbane, CA 94005 - Phone: 1-877-800-8989
