Review – Have you ever wondered about “audio” headphones and what justifies their $1,000 price tag? I know I have, but until now I never had the spare cash or opportunity to use a can of this caliber. Thinksound has shipped their new OV21 headphones, which they advertise as “Giant Killers” for less than half the price. Can they do it, or do you always get what you pay for?
What is it?
The Thinksound OV21 headphones are a set of high-performance wired over-ear headphones. They feature high-quality components and are tuned by acclaimed audio engineer and thinksound founder Aaron Fournier. They are designed to have a sound profile that matches what artists and engineers hear in the studio when making music, so they should be well-balanced and capable of delivering clear and accurate audio across the entire sound spectrum.
They use standard 3.5mm audio plugs and also include an adapter for 1/4″ plugs. You can use any electronic instrument or phone/tablet/computer with these plug sizes, but for best performance you’ll need a decent DAC (digital-to-analog converter) and/or headphone amplifier. I did most of my testing with the USB-C DAC+amp combo on a PC, where I experienced the best sound, but they also sounded fine on all the instruments and other gear I tested.
What’s in the box?
- Thinksound OV21 Headphones
- 2 x 4.5′ long detachable nylon braided anti-tangle cables (one with mic and controls, one without)
- Cloth Headphones and Accessory Bag
- 3.5mm to 1/4″ Plug Adapter
Hardware specifications
- Drivers: 45mm Dynamic
- Frequency Response: 5 Hz to 22 KHz
- Materials: Eastman Trēva™, Walnut, Memory Foam Earcups, Metal Headband and Frame, Gold Plated Stereo Plugs
- Style: In-ear passive noise isolation
Design and features
The first thing you notice when you open the box is the beautiful packaging, which looks like it’s been handcrafted with care and keeps the earphones safe in transit. It evokes the feeling of buying custom items from a small store.
The included bags look like canvas but are softer, and they’re made from a fabric that feels durable but doesn’t itch. A smaller package includes two cables and a 3.5mm to 1/4″ adapter. You can easily fit a smaller bag into a larger bag for travel.
The first thing you notice when you open the bag is the nice wooden sides. These are walnut inlays on both earcups and feature the thinksound logo on the right earcup (the left earcup is just clean wood with no logos or markings).
Speaking of markings, each side is clearly marked with L/R, and the bands can be adjusted with a click and hold point. I love that you can adjust to the perfect size and the headphones will stay that size unless you really hit them hard or change them on purpose. The frame is metal and everything feels durable (their 2 year warranty backs up the quality of the materials and construction).
The earcups have a soft memory foam padding that’s barely big enough to completely cover my large ears. A millimeter smaller, and they rub for a long time and feel uncomfortable.
On the top of the earcups you can see a small rubber bumper that prevents the earcups from rubbing against the headband frame, and some holes for acoustics (the earcups are “sealed” and almost no sound gets in, these The holes are for ventilation in the ear cups (drivers get in and out when doing their thing).
I couldn’t find any flaws at all on the review unit. Every stitch looks perfect and the tolerances between the different materials are tight. Plastic parts (like those on the ear cups) are made of Eastman Trēva™ – a bioplastic designed for audio resonance.
The logo is etched on the walnut inlay rather than printed on it, which looks very nice.
The padded headband also features a printed logo at the top. The headband is suitable for all day wear.
The 3.5mm audio jack on the headset is located on the left earcup. There are two cables to choose from: one is a simple 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable, and the other includes a microphone and single button inline controls on the cable (suitable for use with a phone so you can make calls and answer with a button /hang up).
Performance
<髒話已刪除>. I’ve reviewed more than a few quality headphones so far, but these are my first real experience with audiophile-grade headphones. From the first few songs I tried, like “Dream State” by Son Lux, I got goosebumps. This was a recurring phenomenon during the review period, even after weeks of use. Another phenomenon I’ve only experienced in the highest quality headphones is hearing noise and removing the headphones to check for the noise, only to find it’s in the song itself. The closed-back earcups block most external noises well. Every brush and every different part of the drum kit with your fingers on the fretboard can be heard as if you were sitting in the studio with the artist.
One of the things I noticed about this set of extremely balanced headphones is how the bass line that runs up and down the chord maintains a consistent level across the chord. With almost every other headphone I’ve used, you can hear some bass notes more “heavy” than others. I think this is due to the limitations of cheap headphone drivers and the lack of tuning. With the thinksound OV21, every instrument is balanced and clear, no matter what octave you play. Listening to a well-designed album sounds close to the end result the artist and producer wanted.
While you can use the equalizer to change the sound profile on whatever device you’re listening to, I’ve never had the urge to use it with other headphones. Every song sounds great, as do the movies and video games. I don’t have a bunch of $1,000 headphones to compare these headphones to, but thinksound claims their OV21 beat models cost three times as much per session in blind-tone testing.
I really have to think about any changes I will make on the thinksound OV21. I do wish they were a little bigger for my big head, but at the largest headband size they were comfortable for hours at a time. However, I think one more “click” would be a little better for me.
what do I like
- incredible sound
- Comfortable ear cups and headband
- very stylish look
what would i change
- Just one frame bigger fits my head
Final thoughts
The Thinksound OV21 headphones are an interesting product. My music library sounds better than ever, and I smile multiple times a day while experiencing new and familiar songs in such high quality. If you’ve always wanted better music production or enjoyment headphones, these are probably 1/3 the price of other similar models.
price: $399
Where to buy: Sisheng
source: Samples for this review are provided by Sisheng
