Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have a headphone addiction. There are dozens of pairs on my shelves waiting for me to choose from. They range from high end Sennheiser HD-600s (my all around favorites) to Beyer Dynamic to AKG to the dozens of Fostex T-20s I have in my studio. But I'm always looking for the next pair that will satisfy my collecting needs. These Pioneer Steel Wheels are the latest addition to my stash. They look great and are closed cup design so they block out a respectable amount of ambient sound (like a drumset or loud TV). The ear pieces are somewhat small and don't fit over the ear like larger designs but they were adequate and comfortable enough for shorter listening periods, although I can image they would feel like a vice grip after a few hours. The build quality of the headphones is fine but the cable is about as cheap as any I've seen and it's much too short for anything but iPod listening. The wire is thin and the mini-plug feels like it will break if it's subjected to long term use or any sort of accidental mishandling. I also had an issue with the headband not being large enough for my head. I had to move it from the top of my head to the back but I'm really tall with a large noggin and doubt most people will have a problem. But all that really matters is how these headphones sound. Well, they sound odd. The top and bottom end are really hyped and the midrange is scooped out creating a comb-filtered sound. You know that hollow sound you get when you cup your hands over your ears or listen to something through an empty cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels? Or imagine taking an equalizer and cutting 4kHz by 12dB and boosting the bass and treble all the way. I guess the philosophy of that design is to give you that humungo sound the kids dig but I find it annoying. The majority of music is in the midrange so these headphones actually reduce most of what you want to hear in leu of creating a hyped, thumping, sparkly sound. But remember you're sacrificing the vocal, snare drum, guitars, piano and most every other instrument to achieve that boombox sound. Not my thing. So, except for the headband that's nearly too small, the cable that's thin, cheap and too short and the hyped sound that emphasizes the top and bottom end and lacks midrange these headphones are fine. But the $80 price tag seems high to me. I've bought other phones for that price and gotten much more out of them. In fact, these are just about the worst sounding $80 headphones I have. I suggest looking at Sennheiser or AKG for amazing sounding alternatives at the same price point.