OneOdio Monitor 60 — inexpensive high-res audio certified studio headphones
OneOdio Monitor 60. Picture: OneOdio.
The Monitor 60 headphones are the first I’ve tested from audio company OneOdio and unlike so many other brands, these won’t break the bank, but are they any good?
The Monitor 60 has distinctively large earmuffs with super-soft faux leather that contain my medium size ears nicely. The headband also features the same soft leather and spongy foam for a comfortable fit.
Inside the headband is a metal band that adds strength to what is otherwise an all-plastic construction. There’s a decent amount of adjustability and just about the right amount of pressure on the earmuffs for a secure and comfortable fit.
Of course, the Monitor 60 is designed as a studio headphone and comes with a 6.35mm headphone jack on the left earcup and a 3.5mm jack on the other side to allow you to share audio with a second set of headphones. This is a handy feature and all of the cables required are included in the box including a 6.35mm to 3.5mm adapter, a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable with an inline mic and a carrying bag.
The all-black design is stylishly interrupted with chrome accents on the hinges and in the form of inner and outer rings on the grilles of the cans. Inside the speaker grille, you can see a subtle OneOdio motif in chrome — a nice design touch. Despite the use of a speaker grille, the Monitor 60 are not open-back headphones.
Lots of headphones are mostly plastic but the quality of the finish on the Monitor 60 doesn’t make them feel or look all that premium and in a way, that’s okay due to the relatively inexpensive price tag. Only time will tell if they can withstand the workhorse nature of a studio but if you’re only getting into studio recording in a home setup, I’m sure the build quality will hold up.
One thing I don’t love about the design is the way the cups fully rotate. I find that each time I pick them up I need to check and fix each earcup to orient them correctly. The positive is that they can be made very compact for easy storage.
In terms of passive noise isolation, the Monitor 60 is fine but there’s far more sound leakage that I’d like to hear on a set of studio cans, especially for recording. I used the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, iFi Zen Dac and Chord Mojo 2 and connected them directly to my MacBook Pro and a RedMagic 7S Pro phone using their 3.5mm headphone jacks. The 7S had no problem powering the headphones so they’re not difficult to drive.
The Monitor 60 is closed back but the soundstage doesn’t feel claustrophobic. The sound is relatively balanced but the imaging isn’t as distinct as I’m used to from more expensive headphones. In less complex tracks they do a good job and you can clearly identify each instrument, but on more complex tracks the delineation gets muddy, especially in the bass.
The vocals sound good although I felt the mids were a little unbalanced. The highs offered good clarity but were a little harsh and too prominent at times.
Overall, for the price, The Monitor 60 sounds decent and far better than many more expensive wireless headphones and you don’t need a power amp to drive them either.
The OneOdio Monitor 60 actually sound better than their price tag would suggest. I think OneOdio should improve the build quality, even if they were to charge twice as much because the audio quality is there to justify a price hike.
They don’t sound as neutral as the company claims but should be good enough for someone starting out in a home studio environment.
OneOdio €92 amazon.co.uk
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