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DEAL WATCH: Keurig K-Express | 22% off $69.99

Keurig has changed the face of coffee, and snagging one of these for less than $70 is a solid deal. Read Review

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  • Introduction

  • Comfort, Design & Features

  • Audio Quality

  • Conclusion

  • Science Introduction

  • Tracking

  • Frequency Response

  • Noise Isolation

  • Other Tests

  • Introduction
  • Comfort, Design & Features
  • Audio Quality
  • Conclusion
  • Science Introduction
  • Tracking
  • Frequency Response
  • Noise Isolation
  • Other Tests

Introduction

Comfort, Design & Features

Opening the box will call back memories of Han Solo's unfreezing from his carbonite prison in Return of the Jedi, but once freed from their equally form-fitting and shiny plasticine encasing, you find many goodies. Namely, two cables, 1/4th inch adapter, carrying pouch, assorted documentation, and of course, your headphones.

If you're a fan of brushed metal, these headphones will absolutely catch your eye. To their credit, they mix rounded edges and industrial texturing very well, though they are huge. Just keep in mind that if you do buy these, they will absolutely be the prominent feature on your head. With a metal exterior, well-guarded plugs, and removable/replaceable cables, these headphones are certainly durable. We're not going to take an array of punishments to them, but they should survive getting whacked around in a bag or case. Just please don't test this for yourself; they're expensive.

Velodyne made sure that when you put these headphones on your skull that you'd never have to want for more padding

Velodyne made sure that when you put these headphones on your skull that you'd never have to want for more padding. However, you should be aware that these headphones are heavy. Not quite a pound, but enough to make their presence on your head very obvious. Additionally, the fit seems to be a bit difficult, as there's a small gap in front of the ear where the headphones are meant to press against your skull, which can lead to problems if it doesn't seal to your head. Over time, that rather notable heft will start to press that leather-clad band into your skull with increasing annoyance.

Audio Quality

All things considered, these headphones really are not all that bad from an audio quality standpoint. However, their pricetag might be a bit mismatched with what quality you can expect. In particular, the issue with getting a good seal between the headphones and your skull will define how well these headphones perform for you, and if your head isn't shaped the correct way, your mileage will vary.

High-frequency notes will sound down to half as loud as the rest of your music

Regardless, high-frequency notes will sound down to half as loud as the rest of your music. So, you can expect the high notes of a piano, harp, and piccolo to sound much quieter than they would on a set of studio headphones. Anything lower than that will be fine, though there is a reasonable bit of bass emphasis.

Even if the power sum of the distortion is a little on the high side, it’s nowhere near where it would become annoying or even audible, so you should have no extra unwanted bits added to your music. There's a tiny bit of distortion in the lowest notes, but it's very tough to hear as a human.

Conclusion

If the last five years have proven anything, it’s that high-fashion headphones makes headlines, and price isn’t always the main concern. With the ubiquity of designs like that of the Beats and Apple products, consumers looking for an alternative aesthetic are starting to see more options come their way, and that’s where the Velodyne vTrues come in. With a sleek, brushed-metal exterior, you’re certain to turn some heads with these cans.

At the end of the day, these are most suited to someone who places fashion and durability above all other concerns. The audio certainly leaves a bit to be desired, but it's not bad. The difficulty in getting a good seal can be frustrating, as well, and the comfort of the fit may or may not be what you're looking for.

That being said, everyone’s ears and heads are different, so if you do have the opportunity— try these on before buying. Couldn’t hurt, anyways: when the most important issues arise from the fit, it's the smart thing to do to make sure you won't suffer from them. If you’ve read the review and are fine with taking the plunge, definitely consider the Velodyne vTrue.

Science Introduction

While they didn't score the best, these headphones aren't too bad. However, there are foibles aplenty. No major issues, just a few things to be aware of.

Tracking

Despite keeping it together quite well in the low end, the channel preference starts to tilt to the right channel in an increasingly pronounced fashion the higher in frequency you go. The error maxes out near 6dB, while audible to the trained ear, it as extreme as say, a 10dB shift in preference which would make your music twice as loud in one ear than the other.

Frequency Response

This frequency response is actually not too bad: it's mostly okay until you get to 2-7kHz, at which point the highest octave of a piano, harp, or piccolo will sound 5-10dB quieter than the rest of your music. While that's a huge drop, it's not terribly uncommon in headphones, though not at this price range. However, tracking issues do exacerbate the problem in the left channel, making the underemphasis a bit more severe (up to 15dB).

Noise Isolation

Due to a list of factors, the {{ products(514a0c1e98fb9eebda00046d).undefined }} doesn't really keep out a ton of sound, but anything that's high-pitched will be all but blocked out. You'll still be able to hear engine noise around you, for better or for worse.

These headphones also leak quite a bit of sound out into the aether as well

As much as they let a bunch of noise in from the outside world, these headphones also leak quite a bit of sound out into the aether as well. The annoyance factor is lessened if you get a good seal, but it's tough. We'd recommend not listening to things at a high volume. If you like to blast your music at a high level, the {{ products(undefined).name }}s have the theoretical ability to flood your inner ear with sound at a level of 117.959dB before reaching an annoying distortion level of 3%. Still, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that you really, really shouldn't do that to your ears, as you probably don't want tinnitus or noise-induced hearing loss.

Other Tests

Meet the tester

Chris Thomas

Chris Thomas

Staff Writer, Imaging

@cthomas8888

A seasoned writer and professional photographer, Chris reviews cameras, headphones, smartphones, laptops, and lenses. Educated in Political Science and Linguistics, Chris can often be found building a robot army, snowboarding, or getting ink.

See all of Chris Thomas's reviews

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