Comparative review of sports headphone Monster iSport (+ competition results)

Manufacturer

Monster Cables Products - it's very popular in the US and Europe, but not the most well-known Russian manufacturer of high-quality audio. The company was founded as a design engineer Lee Noel (Noel Lee) in 1978 and currently is one of the most respected among music lovers and audiophiles brand, competing with major representatives industry.

Until recently, the Russian market has remained outside the zone of interest Monster, but now the situation is changing for the better, and we are especially pleased that Monster representation in Russia proposed wording Layfhakera to test their products and give it an objective assessment.

Classic vs Bluetooth

It is often possible to hear disputes concerning the superiority of one or another type of connection, but because we I wanted to better understand what is deprived and what user benefits, choosing between Bluetooth and wires. To this end, we decided to test the range of sports headphone Monster iSport: wired iSport Victory (7790 rubles in the official store) and Bluetooth-headset

iSport Super Slim (11 590 rubles in the official store).

Selected headphones are almost identical in design and have similar characteristics, which was confirmed during the tests. For this reason, we will talk about two headphones as one unit in cases where both models have proved to be the same, and when it detects some differences will specify them separately.

Headphones - this is very detached category personal audio equipment with high requirements for quality sound and ease of wearing. When it comes to sports headphones, then this accessory should be just perfect.

Sharp movements in all directions and an aggressive external environment are not the best conditions for the operation of the device, whose duty is to comfort broadcast music to the human ear. The shape and size of the ear, as you know, all different. It is therefore appropriate to choose the headphones so hard for the sport. We evaluated how well the Monster iSport adapt to different ears.

On the design and ergonomics

Both iSport are in the form "plugs" with additional locks, in which the role of elastic silicone spacers act.

Headphones are not afraid of sweat and moisture soaking quietly pouring water. The coating material does not become slippery when wet, making sure the headphones sit on the ground throughout the exercise, even when you sweat.

The kit includes a spacer in three sizes and five pairs of plugs with different diameters.

We specifically chose two testers: a male with typical men's ears, and a girl with a neat tiny ears. As a result, the largest and fourth spacers sized plugs were in the time of man, and the second in size plugs with the smallest struts approached the girl.

It can be concluded that the range of sizes is sufficient for comfortable wear and a man and a woman.

Spacer gently located in a recess of the ear, and a minute later wearing completely ceases to be felt.

Either we were lucky or really struts are anatomically designed and accurately follow the contours of the average ear. The pressure on the ear is ideally distributed uniformly. Earphones while kept very well, do not fly and do not lose the vacuum effect even when jumping rope.

In addition to the removable plugs and spacers, the kit includes a carrying case both models of volume of the porous material. For wireless iSport Super Slim also comes quite a long USB-cable for charging.

About wires

Unfortunately, great ergonomics headphones lubricated not the best performance of the connecting wires Bluetooth-model iSport Super Slim. For three-button control panel have no complaints, but it seemed to us that the wire is too hard and constantly strives to wring.

Retainer length allows for optimal positioning wire around his neck, but the image is not in this loop hangs freely and arbitrarily bent.

We are sure, whether the wire a little softer, it would not have happened.

Wired model iSport Victory, on the other hand, excessively thin "noodles." We did not test it for strength, but feels the wire does not seem able to withstand a strong short-term tension.

The plus wire iSport Victory goes further pin-locking, resistance to tangling and extreme lightness.

The remote control is the same as in the wireless model. Three buttons to control volume and playback.

Plug iSport Victory made qualitatively, correctly and rich. In our experience, L-shaped wires extending battery life is about three times, preventing the junction with the tip of the fracture. As a protection against corrosion using gold plating on the contacts.

About dimensions

Make a compact wired headphones and everyone can, but of Bluetooth-headset often sin unnecessarily large dimensions. The manufacturer need somewhere to place the battery and other details, which, in fact, make the design of slimmer. If the headphones are too bulging, then wear them with a headdress inconvenient and sometimes impossible.

According to our measurements, iSport Super Slim protrude from the ear at a distance of no more than your own headphones thickness, that is, only 5 millimeters, and the overall streamlined design makes it comfortable to wear headphones with a cap and even helmet.

About sound

In both models, the technology is used iSport under the marketing name Pure Monster Sound. We do not know what it is, but we can evaluate the results of technological research engineers. Headphones issue is very clear, balanced sound with deep Nizami, with in the wireless model, as we thought, the bass a little richer.

Power enough with a large margin, while listening through a smartphone on volume of more than 50-60% of the maximum frank discomfort arises.

Soundproofing works great on both sides, but the wireless model iSport Super Slim blocks out ambient sounds much better.

Too good sound insulation can be a problem in sports next to the carriageway, and therefore for bike rides and other types of activity city ​​limits, we recommend wired iSport Victory, while iSport Super Slim more suitable for training in safe areas of the city and in the room.

outside sports

Sports headphones are called such only because it can operate in extreme conditions, without sacrificing comfort and convenience. These features allow them to act as ordinary headphones for every day. If you really comfortable in them to run and jump, then just sit back and go - even more so.

Problems can arise only after prolonged wear, so we conducted an experiment with a continuous four-hour listening to calm music in both models of headphones. Any negative effects during and at the end of the test was not showed. The experiment could be continued, but the charge wireless iSport Super Slim enough up to 4.5-5 hours. To exercise this time, more than enough, but for long-term daily listening to music without surprises better to take the wire iSport Victory or purchase a laptop battery.

Winner

It's time to take stock and to choose the best model of headphone Monster iSport.

Both candidates have shown the same high level of wearing comfort and compatibility with ear shells of different shapes and sizes.

At the same time iSport Super Slim unnecessarily rigid connecting wire that goes to minus device, but too apparent thin "noodles" wired iSport Victory - this is just an untested assumption which can not be considered objective shortcoming.

The default Bluetooth-headset outperform wired mobility, and in this case, freedom is achieved even without compromising size enhancement. During this iSport gets its two pluses.

Wires can restrict movement and are prone to fractures and ruptures, but a combination of good form and additional plug wire fixation raises great resource wired iSport Victory. Then put a minus not a hand rises.

Both sound great, but iSport Super Slim better bottoms, and is a definite plus.

Higher sound insulation iSport Super Slim makes them less suitable for cycling trips roads, but makes it impossible to hear what is happening around completely, and therefore explicit minus here not. In the iSport Victory model, it seems to us, has been made the perfect balance of music and hearing what is happening around, and that's a plus.

We wanted to give negative iSport Super Slim for a small battery life, but then I remembered that it still sports headphones are very light and compact. There is hardly a person who trains for more than five hours in a row, so the battery life sufficient here.

Simple mathematical calculation shows that on set of pros and cons with the minimum margin win wireless Bluetooth-headset Monster iSport Super Slim. So it goes.

Competition

We decided to play one headphone Monster iSport among our readers. The competition involves two models. The winner will choose the one that more he liked it. contest rules very simple.

1. Make sure that reside on the territory of the Russian Federation.
2. Join the official group «Monster Russia" in the social network "VKontakte".
3. Place on the wall of their profile "VKontakte" (profile must be the same that you entered into the group "Russian Monster") note: "Here they are! Headphones of my dreams! //lifehacker.ru/2016/05/26/monster-isport/».
4. Leave in the comments to this survey link to their record "VKontakte".

We take a closer look at each participant, make sure to follow the conditions of competition, exclude frank fakie and assign each comment number. Then, the random number generator selects a winner. The results will be announced on June 10 here, as well as in our groups in Facebook, «In contact with"and Twitter.

Results of the contest

Well, it's time to summarize. In order not to offend anyone, we will, as promised, have used the random number generator.

In general, the headphone Monster iSport won Pavel Platonov. That he left the 60th comment that meets our requirements.

Lady Luck was not favorable to you? Then buy headphones Monster official store with 10% discount. To do this when ordering enter the promotional code LH05MON. The promotional code is valid until 30 June 2016.

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