At a time when every single company makes headphones it is no wonder that Onkyo also want to contribute to the lucrative market of portable sound. Onkyo is best known for its fine hi-fi components and home theater receivers, but has extensive experience in loudspeaker manufacturing too. Although it was long ago they've mastered the acoustics and technology more than well enough to be able to build good headphones.
Onkyo ES-HF300
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Sound Quality - 80%80%
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Features - 70%70%
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Comfort/Usability - 90%90%
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Build Quality - 80%80%
SUMMARY
You’ll get a nice sound and super comfort, and you can play anything with Onkyo’s affordable ES-HF300 headphones.
In other words, it comes as no great surprise that this pair of closed headphones for less than $200 sounds good.
The black headphones are also available in white and has a subtle appearance, with the large ear cups made of aluminum. The quality is generally good, but with cheap plastic parts. The comfort is also good, but the pad diameter is not large enough to reach all the way around your ears. You can lay the ES-HF300 completely flat, but not fold them. The transparent and detachable cable included has no buttons or microphone for smart mobile phones, and the contact has a very thick plastic coat around it which can be a problem if you have a case that covers the headphone jack on your phone.
When you put the headphones on your ears, preferably so they sit slightly forward on the ears, with the edge of the pads against the external ear, you get a good balanced sound. This also made the midrange sound the most transparent. Diana Kralls voice sounds just as silky as I would expect, and the piano's tone is clear and timbre rich. There are plenty of details and I feel that there is fine definition and focus even further up the frequency range.
The sound of the double bass is round and full, but the solo in ‘East of the Sun‘ sounded sketchy compared with Philips X1 and Sennheiser Momentum. ES-HF300 doesn´t quite keep up when the tempo increases, and the same happened with the Dave Matthews Band’s ‘Shake Me Like A Monkey‘.
The treble could have more 'airiness', which usually accentuates, for example, strings and female voices natural sound character. Despite this, the balance is very good. There is a very nice dynamic contrast in the Onkyo headphones, which can also play quite loud, without it neither sounding unpleasant or lacking in more pressure.
Conclusion
It is well worth listening to the Onkyo ES-HF300. They sound very good with all kinds of music, and you can not complain much about the sound. Most of us can do just fine with it a little too warm and fuzzy bass that actually benefits some recordings. The headphone's build quality is very good, they have a competitive price and are comfortable to wear for longer listening sessions. A very good option in this price range then, and for all kinds of music.
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- FEATURES
- SPecIFICATIONS
- IN ThE bOX
• New 40 mm (1 9/16˝) Wide-Range Titanium Drivers for Clearer Sound
• Dual Chambers for Deep, Well-Defined Bass
• Tough Aluminum Driver Housing and Hanger Arms
• 6N Oxygen-Free Copper Cable Protects Signal for Pure Sound
• Detachable Cable for Easy Replacement
• Tough Elastomer Cable Sheath Resists Tangling and Reduces Touch Noise
• Gold-Plated MMCX and Mini-Stereo Connectors
• L-Shaped Reinforced Stereo Plug
• Folding Design for Portability
• Adjustable Padded Headband
• Comfortable and Stylish Leatherette Earpads
• Compatible with Most Media Players
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