Monolith M570 Over Ear Open Back Planar Magnetic Driver Headphone with a Plush, Padded Headband and Earcups,Matte Black

Let's start out with me stating that I did a lot research between the Sendy Aiva, Sivga P-ii, and Linsoul Blon B20. I really wanted the Linsoul, mainly because I have a pair of T2 Pro IEMs and I like them. It was a company I trusted, but I quickly realized that I would be waiting weeks for the headphones to arrive from China. So I looked at the rest of the lineup and "clones". I read all the forums and reviews, they all had one thing in common, Aiva's were the best and the Pii was next. But why? I noticed the grills, Pii cloned the Aiva's perfectly, what made it so different than the M570. It is the restriction of air! I luckily had some past knowledge with my Hifiman's HE-35x, sure, those are not the best, but they got me into the over-the-ear game. The HE-35x was upgraded with a filter from the previous model. This is important, because I looked at pictures of the box of the Pii and noticed they had a part break down of the headphones, how convenient! I noticed the M570 was missing something...a filter. Go figure, so I kind of sacrificed my HE-35x's filter and placed them in the back of the cups of my M570, super easy to do. Also, before you get mad, I was able to put back my HE-35x's and they still work and sound fine even without the filter. So why do this? I did hear the super high pitch vocals and way too airy or artificial soundstage. It gets rid of those and smooths it out to a headphone I can't put down. (Note, filter = some thing piece of felt padding that was between the earpads and drivers).Like others, I unboxed these beasts and fell in love with just the build. They are a bit hefty, but man are they really well built. I've worn them for hours while playing games and listening to music, I haven't had any problems. Transitioning to the ear cups/pads, I don't think you need to replace them with the Sendy Aiva's, I like the originals. They don't make me sweat and they are super comfortable. I still have the sound stage, so I'm not really sure of the problem that everyone makes them out to be.With the filter mod, the sound stage is less, but I'm used to that and like that. Honestly, it sounds like I'm listening to my Vienna Acoustic speakers or Fiio FA7 IEM's. I have listened to tracks that have directional sounds, and wow do these impress, I guess that's the benefit of the planar technology. They are fast and accurate. I've been playing The Last of Us 2 on PS4 with a Fiio optical converter to RCA connected to my Drop THX 789 amp, I can't believe how good these sound. Mind you, the sound stage sounds fine to me, but I'm not sure what some audiophiles are looking for. It's good enough for me when things sound like they are around me in different directions. It's no 5.1 or surround sound feel, but you do feel like you are front and center, or sometimes standing in the middle of the band. I think some people are looking for the auditorium sound, I rather just listen to my stereo bookshelf speakers for that.Other modification, I downloaded Equilizer APO and PEACE gui to utilized a Sendy Aiva EQ setting I found on a github page for a lot of different headphones. They are super clean now, I mean really clean. I find myself just sitting at my desk just listening to tracks over and over finding the details. Kind of neat. These are definitely different and fun. Also, one quick "mod", or note, I found that the headphones do sound a little better if you have them positioned correctly on your head and ears. For the ear pads, I make sure my ears are floating in the middle on the vertical position, for horizontal, I have the back of my ears just touching the very back of the ear pads. So the planars and ear pads are positioned more toward the front of my head. At this point, I like to tilt the top headrest half an inch forward or so. This gives it a little angle, seems to be the best resting and sounding position for me. I say, play around and see what works for you.The final quest or soap box note, is the amp. I noticed people saying they hear super high pitch sounds or not enough bass. The filter took care of the high pitch vocals and the shrills. However, I started on a Topping NX4 headphone dac/amp, it was clean and the bass was booming, but the mids were lacking. I was like, oh no, I need more mids...but these will still do. But of course as I kept falling down this rabbit hole, I noticed a reviewer Zeos and other people recommended the Drop THX 789 amp. Which mind you, he reviewed these headphones on that amp. This is a big deal, cause when I received the amp, I realized why. That amp is a neutral amp, meaning the low end bass isn't booming, but it comes through clean and when needed. The mids are now prominent and the highs are breath taking. I paired this with a cheap Aimpire AD10 clone of the Topping D10, something I got from Amazon Warehouse for $30 a while back and couldn't say no. This setup is definitely amazing. If I want boomy bass, I'll switch back to the Topping NX4. Otherwise, the filter, EQ and the new AMP is my favorite. Instruments and Vocals are definitely something to write home about. That's not all, it really immerses me in my games I've played and music. So last thing to note, the amp is defintely important, in fact they sound amazing and different on my Marantz PM6006, with good bass, decent mids, and great highs. I don't really use that since power is a premium where I live, so I like the lower wattage desktop amps. Plus, the Marantz is way better with the Bookshelf speakers than anything else, but that's a different story.If you want fun headphones, these are it. I'm not expert by any means, I just like a good clean sound. I do know some people have some vibration issue with these headphones from all brands, except the Sendy's...just a tip, some people say the 4 screws behind the earpads maybe too tight or not tight enough. I made sure mine were tight, but not too tight. Seriously you'll enjoy these headphones, don't let the negative reviews throw you off.

There are obvious reports about quality issues on some of the Monoprice headphones. I think that goes with the territory when their business model is to simply undercut everyone else. With that said, the headphones are very well built with the caveat being the metal can easily be bent where the cans meet the headband. I can also see a possible area of issue with the 2.5mm connection to each cup as the interface is extremely tight. I just don't unplug the 2.5mm plugs.Sound is amazing and a little on the bright side. My initial impressions that they were a little thin on the bass but I "burned them in" over a couple of nights and the bass impact seems to be much better. These are very detailed and often have me turning my head because I think someone or something is making a noise beside me but it's actually just the sound stage and hearing things in the music I haven't heard before.These are big and little heavy but that is obviously indicated in the specifications so to knock then on that isn't fair.I normally use these in the office and have tried to use them in bed before I go to sleep but they are just a bit too big for that use case.I do get a bit of a hotspot on my head where they touch but this happens to me with nearly every pair I have.These are very handsome and I really like the dark stained wood.My consensus on these is they are an extreme value. I purchased a "used" pair from amazon warehouse and I can't see anything that was wrong with them. If one takes care of these I don't see a reason why they wouldn't last a long long time. Some of the build quality is very reminiscent of my dad's old headphones from 40 years ago as far as the weight and materials. There are a few build quality "concerns" that I have as mentioned above, but at this price point a manufacturer will need to make concessions.I'd highly recommend these for someone that is getting into the planar magnetic headphones. I wouldn't say they are portable but for a set of desk or listening room cans these are extraordinary. I'd still run them through an amp or dac/amp dragon fly type device. My mobile devices will drive them but not to their fullest potential.At $300 they are worth it. Used from amazon warehouse was an absolute no brainer.

I bought these from the Amazon Warehouse but review stands - mine just had minor cosmetic blemishes (as disclosed).I was looking for a new set of headphones primarily for listening to music. I'm not sure exactly how these crossed my radar but Monoprice has been a good brand (I own a bunch of cables and 3D printer from them) and the reviews for this model were excellent across the board. So my observations:1. These are a every high quality set of headphones. Construction is solid and quality materials throughout - metal, leather (pleather?), real wood, very solid, everything feels good and high quality.2. They're heavy…but comfortable. All those premium materials and over-ear cups add up - these are heavy headphones - 520g (~1lb2.5oz) but I found they fit very well and the weight was taken by the generously padded headband which is adjustable in very positive 1/8" clicks. These are for sitting and listening, not running around though. The stock ear cups seal well and are very comfortable, and the woven faces prevent sweat that you'd get from leather ear cups on skin.3. The sounds great - obviously this is subjective and dependent on a variety of factors/taste, but they perform extremely well for this price. Flat, consistent sound from ~30Hz up to 15.6kHz (in my case - I can't really hear anything above that). Bass is not thumping but that's not really my taste anyway and planar probably aren't the way to go if you want really heavy bass anyway. Mids and highs are crisp without being shrill. I didn't notice any ringing that others have mentioned. The combination or open-back and planar elements give a very open, spacious sounds - there's lots of room to breathe in these and overall a very good listening experience.4. Cord is 7' long and completely removable (there are 2.5mm jacks for each cup that click in very securely) and the 3.5mm jack also includes a screw on 1/4" jack. It's a nice flexible cable with over woven sheath and metal connectors - high quality like the rest of the headphones5. Only minor quibbles are the cup pivots are a bit loose - just a touch of resistance here would be nice, and the weight is a lot - if they could have shaved a few ounces off it would have made them even more comfortable. Maybe a slightly longer cord but 7' isn't too shabby.6. They need a bit of juice to run them - from an amp no problem, but out of my computer they're a bit quiet, and I imagine on a phone or similar they might need a dedicated headphone amp to get enough volume.Overall an excellent set of headphones for chill listening sessions and even at full price a great value for the performance.

My first high end headphone at super low price. It went up more than double the price after buying it. My previous hp are m40x, grado sr60e and shp9500. The M570 completely blows them out of the water even if you combine the best of the 3 headphones. I have no previous experience with such level of quality to compare but the clean sound, tight bass, clear highs, fantastic imaging and texture of the sound is really a stunning experience. 5 stars is not enough for this headphones. My ratings thou is for the whole buying experience and customer service. I would be willing to pay another usd 100 for considering my conservative spending on audio. Great product.Update.. Having listen to more headphones, M570 has a weird scoop out mids... Need eq

Previously used products include, Hyper X Cloud (Takstar Pro 80), Phillips SHP9500, HD599.I bought these used for effectively 90 dollars, I probably would not keep them for 300 but at 150 I consider these a pretty stellar deal. There is an intermittent resonance issue (ringing issue) at 880HZ , it seems more prominent when I plug and unplug the headphone. There is a channel imbalance issue at certain frequencies that is unnoticeable with most songs. Unless I am actively listening for it I do not notice it. I listen to alternative rock, soft rock, a little edm, a little hip hop.Much more clarity in these headphones than the HD599 and SHP9500. The HD599 is much more relaxed sounding (darker/warmer) in comparison. I am powering these with a K5 Pro, and they seem to be doing a great job. I find the bass very present and tight?, maybe a little on the bassier side (I am no audiophile) but it seems to complimented by a clear highs. I would not consider these "bright" headphones, brighter than HD599s but not as bright as SHP9500s. When not facing the ringing/resonance issues these are an absolute great set of cans IMO. At 150, I'm not sure if you can do better, at the 90 bucks I paid, it was a steal.Not the greatest for watching youtube videos, weird accentuation to voices. Some describe it as listening to voices through a tube. Playing FPS games, its pretty amazing. I can detect direction relatively accurately, even in comparison to the HD599 (which are pretty accurate). So I would say these are music and FPS headphones, but perhaps not so good for youtube or movies? (I haven't tried watching movies).Comfort is lacking a little for me, I'm a smaller person, so this might not be an issues for you. I find the headband could be thicker as I have it on the minimum settings and feel it more on the side of my heads than the top of my head, so there is a lack of even weight distribution. These are relatively heavy headphones. The HD599s are so incredibly light and hugs my head so perfectly in comparison.

I am very impressed by the audio quality of this headphone. At 220 dollar it is almost a no brainer, nothing comes close.Sound isolation: These are open backs, so you know there is almost no sound isolation. In fact, compared to my HD598 Sennheiser it is even worse. You can hear outside as if you are not wearing a headphone. These are not for publics. Actually if you listen at high volume sound will leak out and people will hear your music. Know what you are getting yourself into, these are for home use, not public.Build quality: These are very sturdy, almost like a tank. The head band snaps in place with precision and crisp sound, and you know these are well build, unlike every other Monoprice headphone known for their shitty builds. These even surpass the M560 I previous used, the paint is much more durable than that. I am very satisfied in this regard.Sound quality: The accuracy is excellent. The soundstage is not as wide as bigger headphones, but they are sufficient. The audio has minimum decay, it is very fast, a signature of planar magnetic drivers. The bass is fast with no lag. The sound is clean and crisp. The imaging is very precise, in video games like Overwatch and BF1 it may as well be legal wall hacks. The mids are somewhat recessed, meaning vocals and speech are lower volume compared to instruments in the environment. The treble is sharp, high pitched, yet not harsh. However for some more sensitive it could be too much to bear in some tracks. This headphone can produce extremes in the frequency spectrum. If the audio is poorly mastered, you will hear them, and the headphone will not be forgiving to tone the error down, you will hear exactly it is. The separation of instrument is excellent. You will hear things familiar songs previously not heard on a cheaper headphone.Things to improve:There seem to be driver imbalance at 500-700hz, where one side is quieter than the others. I tolerate it because it is a discount Sendy Aiva at third of a price, but I can't stop noticing it.There is not enough padding on the headband. The headphone is heavy, so it needs more padding than usual.The headband is too wide. At that point the angle of the head make weight distribution problematic. Narrower headband would also be lighter I would imagine.

As a longtime audiophile, I've heard, own (or owned) several headphones ranging from 30$ to thousands of $ (from Koss ksc75, Shure sh440, Hifiman 400i, Ananda, Audeze 2c, Focal Clear all the way to up to Electrostatic systems like koss ESP950 & Stax offerings) and these m570's are among my favourite headphones overall, be it sound quality/technical abilities, to comfort level and overall value. These truly punch above their weight class, and are a steal when on sale (bought a 2nd pair as a backup on sale during the holidays for only 150$!... Crazy for such an amazing headphone).I've had no "ringing" issues with either of my pairs and my original pair is fairing well after a year of daily use (pads are holding up and are easily replaceable).If you're on the fence about these because of some of the "ringing" issues mentioned by others; don't be, just trust your ears and give these a try... They might just become your endgame headphone (and save you a ton of $ in the process).P.s: like most planar drivers; these heaphones do require some burn-in time to settle into their final sound, so given them a few days of low volume music playback before placing final judgement on their sound.