OneOdio Monitor 60 Review
Affordable 'Pro' headphones without the 'Pro' sound
Verdict
Many will like the OneOdio Monitor 60 extra thick and soft pads, but their sound doesn’t have the control or tonal neutrality to suit the “pro” jobs OneOdio claims they were made for.
Pros
- Soft, squishy pads
- Includes three cables
- Foldable cup design
Cons
- Muddled imaging
- Poor bass control
- Not precise enough for the studio use they are advertised for
Availability
- UKRRP: £88
- USARRP: $89.99
- EuropeTBC
- CanadaTBC
- AustraliaTBC
Key Features
- Removable cableYou get three cables in the box, a portable length one with a remote, a 3m cable and a coiled one.
- Dual inputsThese headphones have two cable inputs, one a 3.5mm socket, the other a 6.3mm one — highly unusual in a pair of headphones.
- 50mm dynamic driverLike most headphones of this size, the Monitor 60 use 50mm dynamic drivers.
Introduction
The OneOdio Monitor 60 are “studio headphones”, which in this case means they are not wireless and include multiple cables for different uses.
I wouldn’t recommend them for anything studio-related, though, as their undisciplined sound is not up to the job. Classic studio brands like Shure, Beyerdynamic and AKG offer far more precise and coherent audio, which is essential for mixing, and more enjoyable for casual listening too.
The OneOdio Monitor 60 may be a decent fit for movie-watching, though, thanks to their chunky bass and super-soft pads. They retail at £94 officially, but are available for around £80 online.
Design
- Super-squishy pads are comfortable
- Includes three styles of cable
- Fold-in cups
The OneOdio Monitor 60 are large headphones with unusually thick pads. This is partly to reinforce the vision of the pair as a pro studio headphone.
Some of the outer parts have much more of a gamer headset sensibility, though. Take a look at the grille on the back of each cup. This has no real function, because these are closed back headphones.
The logo under the grille is also more like a tattoo design than the kind you typically see on studio headphones.
OneOdio also makes some strange moves in the hardware. The Monitor 60 have two cable sockets, one for a 6.3mm jack, another for a 3.5mm one. This is a bit bizarre. While studio headphones typically deal in 6.3mm connections, that refers to the terminal at the end of the cable, not the socket in the headphones themselves.
OneOdio seems to be trying to prove something, and is going about it in a rather strange way.
I’m not going to throw shade on the accessories package, though. You can three cables in the box. There’s a standard length one with a basic in-line remote, a 3m length one and a coiled cable with a 6.3mm jack on the end.
All three use the 3.5mm input on the headphone themselves, which has a little plastic securing ball inside to avoid you pulling the cable out too easily.
From a visual perspective, I’d pick almost anything Audio Technica, Sony, Beyerdynamic or Sennheiser make at this level over the OneOdio Monitor 60. The Beyerdynamic DT770 are just an order of magnitude more classy. But these headphones’ comfort is decent.
The extra-thick pads use soft protein leather and relatively low density foam, which makes them depress readily to conform to your head shape. Some claim these are memory foam pads, but they do not have the slow spring back of 100% memory foam. Still, they are super-soft and provide a decent amount of passive isolation.
I find the headband a little less comfortable, but still comparable with other studio-style headphones of this grade.
The OneOdio Monitor 60 have heavy duty-looking dual cup hinges that let them swivel around by 180 degrees, and fold into the headband. A big pair like this is never going to be all that portable, but a fold-up style will be useful if you plan of using them for DJ’ing.
This reminds me of the classic Audio Technica ATH-M50 headband, but it’s chunkier and, comparing the two, I think Audio Technica may use higher-quality plastics.
Sound Quality
- Limited imaging clarity
- Bass tramples on the mids a bit
- Power, yes, but not much subtlety
OneOdio says the Monitor 60 are made for “studio pros”, but they are a bad option for anyone looking to do any careful listening.
Their bass is poorly managed, resonant and boomy, encircling the sound like the foam pads sitting around your ears. While not dramatically oversized it sounds in conflict with the mids, tending to make the Monitor 60 sound cluttered and confused, lacking in the sort of coherence you need in a pair for any kind of home studio work.
It’s not hugely fun bass either, with no notable bonus power right down in the lowest sub-bass zone. More fun than a clinical studio headphone? Sure.
The mids sound recessed, sitting in the shadow of that bigged-up bass and the somewhat forward (and even slightly coarse) lower treble that manages to tease out a good amount of detail considering the low-end makes the Monitor 60 sound quite muggy in general. There are dual emphasised spots in the upper bass and treble here, an easy route to sound with a good perception of power and detail.
However, imaging is confused, leaving different instruments unable to claim their own distinct section of the stereo sound field. There’s also little differentiation of “height” in arrangements. Side-by-side with the Shure SRH840A, the OneOdio sound imprecise and vague. Sure, there’s a certain power to their style, almost like a wall of sound — and width is good for a closed pair — but even for listening purely for fun they sound too muddled for my liking.
You can tame the bass using EQ through a PC or Mac, but the mids still tend to sound a little hollow after doing so.
There are too many other better alternatives to make the OneOdio Monitor 60 a good buy. In the past I have mostly used models slightly higher up the price pecking order, like the Audio Technica ATH-M50X, Shure SRH840, AKG K701 and Beyerdynamic DT770. All of those are significantly better, and at least slighter more expensive. But the Audio Technica ATH-M40X and Shure SRH440 are generally well regarded and are available at a similar price to the Monitor 60’s.
Don’t be enticed too much by these headphones’ Sony Hi-Res sound logo. They are more proof it is little more than a marketing tag.
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Should you buy it?
These large headphones have extra thick, extra soft pads for a plush feel — good for at-home use. You also get three cables in the box, for extra versatility.
The Monitor 60 are made for “pro” style mixing and monitoring use, but they don’t have a flat enough tonality or perceptive enough imaging to make them adept at such a job.
Final Thoughts
The OneOdio Monitor 60 are not great studio monitor headphones. They lack the precision and control the more traditional hifi and studio headphone brands provide, often at a similar price.
Resonant bass is the primary issue here, and stereo imaging is muddled as a result.
There’s decent power to the Monitor 60, though, and the triple cable accessory pack seems generous considering their cost. They may be a good fit for mixed PC and TV use, as a result.
How we test
We test every headphone we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
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Tested with real world use
Tested for several days
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FAQs
These headphones are wired only. They do not support Bluetooth.
They are highly sensitive, and even a basic headphone socket will drive them at a good volume.
These are closed back headphones, so sound leakage should not be an issue.
Full specs
Jargon buster
Hi-Res Audio
Hi-Res audio is referred to as a standard as well as a marketing term that describes digital audio files of better-than-CD quality (16-bit/44.1kHz).
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
