After losing sight of units for sale of this particular headphone I finally came across a few and I didn’t let these get away this time.
These ‘headphones’ work more like earphones because of their disconnected nature but you cant really call something with 40mm drivers an earphone so they’re right to classify this as such.
Inside the box you will find the headphones, extra driver paddings, and a 1 meter extension cable which is really important as the integrated cable reaches only up to 0.6 meters which is nowhere near enough to reach a pocket when standing up.
The units connect to the ears through a clip which snaps into two positions (open and close):
Extra detail was given to the integrated 3.5mm connection as well and is finished in a very nice stainless / white gold which complements the gold plating on the connector:
As headphones though, of course the quality of sound is what is important here. The indicated frequency response is 14 to 24k Hz which is just below and above the human threshold; I have tried a number of headphones and while these do not have the depth that bass inclined phones have, the low frequency response is very audible, this is quite ideal for me because I value clarity more than depth. I daresay my ATH-EC700 still maintains the upper hand in clarity but not by a mile; The powerful bass and exceptional clarity in concert with the coverage provided by the 40mm drivers make for an experience similar to all my previous units combined and enhanced. It even feels as if there is an active noise cancellation in effect when the volume is sufficient.
In the photo above you can see that the phones are discreet enough. The diameter of the units are just a little over 40mm which means that the case was engineered very close to the drivers and that in itself makes for a very nice accessory.
Its not all good however as the clips are quite tight and it almost feels as if you were wearing a pair of clip-on earrings on the opposite side of your ears. I’ve been wearing them for close to three hours now and the strain is quite considerable. It might let off eventually but that remains to be seen… or felt. Initially, or until your ears acclimate, these might be good for non prolonged use… the upside? You’ll definitely not fall asleep with these on.
Pairs of these and a few other phones by Pioneer are going for half or more off. If you’re looking for one or simply would like a pair, head on over to your nearest retailer… supplies are a bit scarce but they’re there. Retail price of the SE-EX9 is 3490Php.
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