Monster Diamond Tears Edge headphones review

The Diamond Tears Edge headphones are the brainchild of Monster and JYP. While I'm not the best authority on the Korean pop music (K Pop) scene, I definitely know my headphones, and love eye-catching pieces of technology. That's why I had to get my hands on the Diamond Tears. You see, normally, when talking about headphones, you start out by focusing on how they sound. With the Diamond Tears Edge, we'll start with the unique look. Click on through to check out our full Monster Diamond Tears Edge headphones review.

UNBOXING THE MONSTER DIAMOND TEARS EDGE HEADPHONES

In the box:

• Diamond Tears Edge on-ear headphones
• 3-button ControlTalk remote headphone cable
• 1-button ControlTalk remote headphone cable
• Headphone cable
• Carrying case
• Monster Headphone Shine cleaning spray
• Cleaning cloth

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

As to be expected from Monster, which has upped the quality of its headphones packaging over the past half-decade, the box is incredibly high quality, with white velvet cradling the headphones. It feels like you're opening something from a jewelry store.

Not a single photo in the our review can capture the reality of what these headphones look like. The way the light hits them and shines through is awesome. Monster doesn't use tinted plastic, but instead relies on a more advanced vapor deposition procedure to achieve the effect. They're definitely eye-catching, which, depending on who you are, is something you'll absolutely love, or something that will make you look for more subdued alternatives. Complementing the pinkish-glimmering diamond band are solid white leather ear cups.

One note on fashion - the primary color of these is "pink on white". In US fashion, these would likely be seen as a woman's color, but that would definitely vary based on culture and country. There is also an alternative black Diamond Tears model as well for those who want something more masculine.

The top headband is a shiny metal band under a soft silicone surface. The one downside of the silicone on top is it does tends to attract dust and must occasionally be wiped clean.

Even the cabling adds to the look. They're clear with a silver wire in the middle, with white connectors at the ends. Lastly, there's a small bottle of "Monster Shine" and a soft cleaning cloth to keep the headphones looking their best.

USING THE DIAMOND TEARS EDGE

First, let's talk comfort. The Diamond Tear Edge is straight up amazing. It's rare that you put on a pair of headphones that are this comfortable. These are on-ears, not the larger over-ear headphones that are a bit more bulky. You can also pivot the fit to adjust to your head. We found the fit to be nice, and the seal was good enough that we didn't miss active noise canceling.

One nice feature is that the headphones have a jack on the right and left ear, similar to the Monster DNA headphone line (see our Monster DNA headphone review.) This allows you to do two things: you can pick which ear the cord falls off depending where you wear your devices is, and the unused one acts as a pass-through so a friend can share the music with their own headphones.

Monster includes three cables with the Diamond Tears. One is a full ControlTalk with three-button remote for use with devices that support it (iOS devices support this fully, while Android devices can be hit or miss.) You can use it to control your phone, switch between music and a phone call, adjust the volume, etc. As is to be expected, you can take a call using the ControlTalk as a microphone. The second cord is similar, but incorporates a one-button remote instead for phones that don't support the full ControlTalk. Both have a nice diamond on the microphone to complete the look. The third cord is a normal headphone cable without a microphone or remote control on it.

SOUND

Often big headphones suffer from too much bass, thanks to the precedent set by the Beats by Dr. Dre line. The Diamond Tears Edge don't have this problem, thankfully. They excelled when tested with classical music, current pop songs, and even some Christmas music--nice, full sound. The vocals were clear without being drowned out by bass, but the instruments came through full and clear.

However, fans of hip hop and hard rock may be let down with the more subdued bass performance. It's not to say the bass isn't there, but some people like big headphones to be bass heavy.

CARRYING CASE
Monster includes a soft case with a drawstring closure. It feels like it has a bit of padding and the inside is satin-lined with 2 netted pockets for the cords. The headphones fold inwards at the cups to make them compact enough to store.

CONCLUSION
While many write off Monster as simply the company that produces overpriced HDMI cables, it's important to look past that these days if you're a music lover. The fact is that Monster now makes some of the best consumer headphones that you can find, both from a sound perspective, and from the fashion viewpoint. The look of the Diamond Tears Edge is amazing, but more importantly, they sound perfect for pop music and classical. Heavy metal and rap listeners may not like the balance, that may be beside the point, since we don't imagine many hard rockers would love the styling anyway. For everyone else, if you want a pair of headphones that sound good and will make you stand out in the crowd, the Diamond Tears Edge simply can't be beat.

You can pick up the Diamond Tears Edge now on Amazon for $207, a 41% discount.