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Methodology
Testing the Monster Elements headphones involved using them as my main music listening device on my smartphone (Sony Xperia Z5 Compact) for a period of one week. I listened to a number of different songs from varied genres as well as playing a couple of games to judge how they work in that respect.
Although not really what they are designed for, I also used the wired connection to hook them up to my desktop to give them a more broad gaming test.
Music
Musically the Monster Elements are pretty phenomenal. The overall sound is warm but crisp, with a lot of clarity even when the volume is cranked up to its maximum. That is quite significant too as these headphones get incredibly loud.
The manual warns that more than a few minutes with them maxed out with a loud song would be damaging to your ears and I firmly believe it. Traditionally those sorts of warnings seem overblown and headphone volume rarely feels like it stresses your ear drums that much. That is not the case with the Monster Elements however – be seriously careful when pushing them to their max.
Looking at different parts of the frequency spectrum, the bass on these headphones is excellent. You get a good mix of thumping bass and that ultra-deep rumbly bass too. The mids are strong, though of particular note are the highest frequencies as they come through very well indeed.
When listening to some haunting music from the likes of Cryo Chamber, this was particularly noticeable, suggesting that these headphones would be excellent for those who enjoy classical music, as well as atmospheric soundtracks.
Gaming
Although not particularly designed with gaming in mind, the mix of strong bass and overall clarity make the Monster Elements just as good at it. In games like The Room and its sequels, where creepy background noises drift in and out of the mix, they do a particularly good job.
However in games like Age of Empires or Subnautica on the PC, they worked just as well. Admittedly the headphone cable that comes with these earphones is rather short, so they are more suited to connecting up (wired) to a smartphone or laptop rather than the rear sound port on a desktop machine, but it is nice to see that it is doable in a pinch.
The “DJ” hinge system
Of course a decent quality Bluetooth USB adaptor would be a smart plan with these too and in fact, is something I would like to see more Bluetooth headphone makers include in their bundles – especially at the kind of price these cans come in at.
Comfort
As much as the sound quality of these headphones really is excellent, their feel while in use is a little more of a mixed bag. The ear cups themselves are beautifully cushioned by the memory foam. They fit neatly over your ears and do not rest too hard against your head. They do not get too hot either which is always nice to see from an over-ear design.
Where I was less impressed with the Monster Elements was the headband. The air padded silicon really does not feel nice against your head. Although it is sturdy enough that when in position you forget the discomfort after a few minutes – I had no real problem wearing these for a couple of hours at a time – the headband is not comfortable.
Perhaps it is my close cropped hair, but the headband really rubs uncomfortably against my head, especially when I first put it on. It is not a deal breaker in that it is something you can become used to, but when the ear cups of these headphones were so comfortable, it surprised me that the developers went for something entirely different for the headband.
More memory foam would have been perfect.
Extra Features
The noise cancelling ear cups do an absolutely fantastic job at isolating you from your environment. With a song at less than 50 percent volume I was barely able to hear a washing machine spinning at 1,200 RPM merely a couple of metres away.
As long as you do not mind being a little less aware of what is going on around you, the Monster Elements would be fantastic as a headset to wear for a commute on noisy busses and trains.
Also impressive is the microphone quality. It is hard to spot, but there is a small hole located next to the multi-function power button on the right ear cup. Despite having no boom you can be heard loud and clear on a call and can even control aspects like muting, hanging up, rejecting waiting calls and more through the little touchpad.
It can be a little fiddly and takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it it is quite intuitive.
That touchpad also means you can leave your phone alone entirely once you get these headphones going. Play, pause, skip and volume controls are all merely a tap away. It is a really neat and invisible system that adds a real note of class to these headphones.
Range is around five metres with doors and walls in the way, while a little further with a straight line of sight. Battery life is rated at 25+ hours and I have had these going for over 20 hours at the time of writing and there is no sign of them running dry yet.
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