Foreword

This won't be a review, because I don't know how to write 'proper' audiophile reviews and I have almost zero knowledge about hi-fidelity audio (and music, for that matter). What it will be is a plebby's long-winded thoughts about the product.

 

Purchase and Delivery

Got 'em for $55, thanks to the price drop from $120 to $75 on Drop, and a forgotten $20 coupon I dug out from my inbox.

 

Delivery via FedEx -- from East Coast to West Coast -- was one day late, but I'm not complaining. I'm just happy it arrived in tip-top condition, and that I now have the headphones in my hands. Er, around my head.

 

Details

Meet Totoro. Totoro'll be my stand-in model because it's a lot more strapping than I am.

This is how the headphones will look like on a Totoro head. Now you know.

• Open Back Headphones
• Hybrid Synthetic Leather + Velour Earpads
• Thin Leather Headband
• Retails for $120
• L-Shaped 3.5mm Connector (6.25mm Connector Included)
• Other Details on Drop.com

 

First Impressions - Physical Product

Build quality is more than satisfactory, but I haven't stress-tested the joints or tried to rip the product apart because, er, I'd like to keep it as my daily driver, thanks.

 

Cable is encased in (I'm assuming) some plastic or rubber material. While it is fairly thick, I already spot some creases in the cabling. Will have to think about getting some paracorded replacements in the future.

Oh, wait, wait, wait, what's that? An L-shaped connector?!

I LOVE L-SHAPED CONNECTORS FOR MY HEADPHONES/EARPHONES, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND BLESS YOUR EVERYTHINGS--

 

The headphones are easy to adjust, and although the leather headband is thin, I don't notice it at all on top of my head (had to feel for it with my hand to check that it was still there). Though, I do have fairly thick hair, so that could be an influencing factor.

 

The thing that bugs me is this:

I just know I'm going to have a love-hate relationship with the hybrid leather-velour earpads.

 

They're as soft and comfy as Totoro's tail (wait, not like that, pls), and they fit snug around my head even with my glasses on -- not crushingly tight, but not awkwardly loose either. My problem with them is that they're dust magnets, and cleaning them is going to be a pain because they aren't completely velour or completely leather. With all-velour, I can run them with a lint roller and dunk them in some water with detergent. With all-leather, a good wipe-down and some leather conditioner will usually work out fine.

 

What the flippin' heck do I do with some fabric-leather hybrid?

...Ah well, that's Future Me's problem. I'll figure something out.

 

Oh, and here's my pleb solution for the no-headphone-stand problem:

Ta-daaah~

 

First Impressions - Audio

I don't test out audio often, but when I do, I use TUMENECO's and GET IN THE RING's songs as my benchmark. Specifically, this list of songs in this specific order:

Let's get the clichéd phrase out of the way: "I've noticed sounds that I've never noticed before after putting on these headphones." I'll dampen down the significance of that with some extra context: for the past 6+ months, I've been using a budget headset I got for $6 from my previous roommate (these unbranded ones, to be exact). For my portable setup, I've got Audio Technica's ATH-CKX9iS (L-SHAPED CONNECTOR, THANK YOU), and while it's served (and still serving) me well for close to three years now, the cable is too short for me to use it comfortably with my PC.

 

Not going to go in-depth with the audio analysis because I doubt my ears are that sensitive, I don't know what to look for while listening, and it'll feel like I'm posing. What I will say is that upbeat songs feel more lively, loud and heavy songs feel more intense, and both instrumentals and voices have good clarity to them.

 

Oh, and with the HE-35Xs being open back headphones, your roommate working in the living room beside you will maybe perhaps probably definitely hear the music you're blasting out while you're testing out your headphones for your not-review. He hasn't said anything, so I'm not 100% sure about this, but I'm like, 99% positive. 

 

Final Thoughts

Overall, incredibly happy with my purchase. The Drop + HIFIMAN HE-35Xs are a good and comfy pair of entry-level audiophile(?) headphones, especially for $55 or $75. That's almost or less than the price of a branded gaming headset, I think? Just don't think too hard about cleaning it. Maybe I'll grab some after-market earpads, damn it all.

 

If you want 'em too, now's as good a time as any to grab 'em! I'm guessing it'll be another "until stocks last" kinda thing. Unlike a bunch of other Drop products, the estimated ship date for this one is still pretty reasonable -- within a week, assuming you live in the U.S., and they ship out from a warehouse in New Jersey.