Today we are checking out OneOdio Monitor 80 open-back studio headphones.
Disclaimer: The sample for today’s review was kindly provided by OneOdio in exchange for my honest review. I’m not paid to say anything in particular about this product and all thoughts and opinions in today’s episode are my own.
OneOdio Monitor 80 is a professional over-ear open-back headphone and they usually retail for 99 US dollars.By the way, I have included a discount code in the description of this video that will give you an additional 20% off when you purchase Monitor 80.. The headphone arrives in a quite massive box. On the front of the box we have illustration of the headphones. On the back of the box we have a list of technical specifications.
In the box:
- OneOdio Monitor 80 headphones
- EVA Carrying case
- Two de-attachable cables
- And a manual
The headphones utilise 40mm drivers. The impedance is 250 Ohms and the sensitivity is 100 db which means this pair needs a source with a powerful headphone output. The weight of the headphones is 300 grams without cable.
Design & build
Despite having a foldable design and a carrying case, Monitor 80 are clearly intended for stationary use. The build is mostly plastic and this is a bit disappointing. The headband is made out of metal and is covered with pleather. The headband is quite wide and distributes the headphones weight quite well. The adjustment mechanism on the headband looks good and plastic swivel joints are reinforced with metal. Joints that connect the ear cups to the headband have a 45-degree offset angle, which is a smart idea that prevents ear cups from slipping down.
Besides adjusting vertically, the ear cups also rotate 90 degrees horizontally in both directions and when folded inwards, they make the headphones more portable. The left ear cup has a 3.5 mm connector and the right ear cup has a 6.3 mm connector.
The ear pads are massive and round in shape and they are made of velour. The outer diameter of ear pads is 100 mm and the diameter of the cut is 55 mm. The velour used is quite stiff, but still very nice to touch. The headphones are also foldable, and when they fold, the outer part of the first ear cup rests on the velour ear pad of the second one, which prevents it from scratching. Overall build quality is good for this price range, and the only thing that I didn’t like is that the swivels make a lot of squeaking noise.
Cable
OneOdio Monitor 80 comes with two cables and like other OneOdio models it has a very well thought-out cable system. The coiled cable is 1.5 meters long and it has 3.5 mm connector on one end and 6.3 mm on another end. The second cable is a straight one and it has 3.5 mm connectors on both ends. The headphones have both 3.5 mm and 6.3 mm sockets which gives you a lot of connection flexibility.
For example, you can connect the coiled cable with 6.3 mm end to headphones, and with the 3.5 mm end to your DAP. At the same time, you can just flip over the same cable and connect the 3.5 mm end to your headphones, and connect 6.3 mm end to your professional mixer or receiver for example. In addition this system allows you to connect the second pair of headphones to OneOdio Monitor 80. But remember that this changes impedance and depending on your source it can also change the overall sound
Fit & comfort
OneOdio Monitor 80 weights 300 grams without cable and are quite comfortable as they have a wide headband, it sits on the head quite well. Clamping force is above average, but it’s enough to provide seal and fit. The ear pads are quite deep, velour is a bit stiff for my personal liking, but they still provide a very comfortable fit for your ears. Despite living in a hot climate, the ear pads didn’t run hot which is a big advantage for me.
I have been using this pair for extended periods of time and didn’t experience any discomfort or fatigue, The only thing I noticed that after couple of hours I started feeling some pressure from headband.
OneOdio Monitor 80 sound overview
Please note that all the sound impressions that I’m sharing on my channel are completely subjective so please take them with a grain of salt
The headphones are quite neutral and lean sounding, but at the same time, this pair is not very analytical. OneOdio Monitor 80 headphones were designed for studio work, but they are great for casual listening too.
Low frequencies are full, fast and quite punchy. You can actually feel the impact from pretty much any genre of music which is important when you are working in a studio. Mid bass is more prominent than sub-bass here, it’s tight and has good energy and there is a minimal bass bleed into mids, which is really good. Sub bass has a good extension and depth, but it still rolls off a little bit early for my liking. The headphones have surprisingly solid, well controlled and energetic bass for its price range and the bass also has a good depth and clarity not to be lost in the overall mix.
The mids are just a bit recessed and I’d personally prefer a little bit more forward mids. On the other hand they have a good level of details and surprising layering for this price range. The lower mids are natural and enjoyable but they lack a bit of note weight. Upper mids are in my opinion a little boosted, and while they sound more forward, on some tracks they sounded too bright for my liking.
The timbre of instruments is quite organic and I won’t complain here as both vocals and instruments sound vibrant and alive on this pair. But I need to mention that on some tracks female vocals sounded a little harsh and lacking in details And I think mid-range could use just a little bit more details, note weight, and energy.
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Treble extension on OneOdio Monitor 80 is good, and it has some energy. It has quite a good clarity, but it’s still a bit soft and smooth, lacking some details and sparkle. I wouldn’t say the treble is veiled, but I wouldn’t call it neutral or neutral bright too. As I mentioned treble details are okay, but micro details retrieval is below average. This tuning is not fatiguing or sibilant at all, but with some tracks and high volumes the treble does have some edge.
At the same time on moderate volumes, the treble is still present and stands well in the mix. From the casual listening perspective, I myself would prefer more air and sparkle in the treble to balance the full sounding low end. But from a sound engineering perspective, I think that due to this tuning, these headphones won’t be tiring during long listening sessions.
Despite being an open back headphones, the size of the sound stage is average. It’s more deep than wide, but it sounds quite spacious, and creates quite a realistic audio performance, where the music sounds slightly out of your head. The instruments separation is great for the price range and the placement of instruments is correct. Details are just fine, but micro details are below average.
The timbre is accurate, and layering is on par with many pairs in this price category. Overall the soundstage and presentation on OneOdio Monitor 80 don’t punch much above its class.
Conclusions
OneOdio Monitor 80 are quite neutral and lean-sounding headphones. They were designed for studio work, but they are great for casual listening too.
Pros:
- Good comfort
- Well though-out cable system
- Neutral and lean sounding making them a good entry-level studio pair
- Detailed and energetic bass
- and a foldable design
Cons:
- Headphones are squeaking and build feels a bit cheap
- Not the best resolving treble
- and mid-range could use more note weight and details
While it lacks some technical performance, OneOdio Monitor 80 is definitely an upgrade over Pro-50 and Pro-60. It has quite detailed and full bass, vibrant mids, and a smooth treble and it’s good to see that with each next pair we are seeing an improvement in sound quality. But take into consideration that the headphones require some power to run and while it sounded okay with my FiiO X7 DAP, plugging them into my desktop stacks really made this pair shine.
Overall I think that if you are looking for a budget pair of open-back headphones, OneOdio Monitor 80 is a good place to start and you should definitely check it out, but don’t expect too much from this pair, as OneOdio needed to cut some corners to offer it at the current price.
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