Monster Elements Bluetooth Over-ear Wireless Headphones Review

Monster might not be a company that you are particularly well versed in as a hardcore KitGuru gamer/hardware enthusiast, but it is one you should hear more of in the future. Quite literally because it produces high end headphones. The Elements are Bluetooth connected and are designed to offer a more full sounding experience than the likes of Apple's recent Airpod design. Featuring a classy metallic finish, wireless and wired functionality, high quality sound and a foldable frame, these cans certainly tick a lot of boxes. How they fare under our scrutiny, though, remains to be seen. It is worth mentioning right off of the bat that this is a £300 pair of headphones, so consider wisely before tempting yourself with their flash looks and (probably) decent sound. Of course, if you like to drool over high-end hardware as we do, read on. Showroom beautiful finished. Available with both wireless and wired functionality. DJ style hinges on both left and right sides of headphones. Space saving, easy fold down design. High intelligibility microphone. Memory foam cushions for a comfortable, noise cancelling listening experience.. Hard case included. The packaging for the Monster Elements is simple, but effective. The box has a unique shape which folds open to give you access to the interior - of course locking itself up with a magnetic lid. Details of what the headset can do and what you get along with it can be found on the back, along with a keyed diagram of the headset in action. There are a pair of documents inside the pack, giving you the usual spiel for how you are a smarty pants for buying this product, as well as a quick set up guide. Along with the headphones themselves you also get a large, cloth carry case. It is much better than your average bag, as this one actually retains some shape, so is likely to offer more than just cosmetic protection to your expensive headphones while in transit. It is not going to stop big impacts, but you can rest assured that it will offer a modicum of protection. Other additions include a 3.5mm cable, a micro-USB charge cable and a USB converter so that you can charge these from a standard USB port. The Monster Elements are a pretty snazzy looking pair of headphones. This is the Platinum Black version so features a muted, but reflective colour scheme. It has a sort of smokey chrome look to it, which while great at picking up finger prints looks like a good mix between professional and cool. The frame is light but sturdy, with enough flex and give that nothing feels brittle or easy to break, but likewise is held in place securely so will be unlikely to become loose over time. The ear cups are rather reflective owing to their shiny top coat, but feature the Monster logo at their centre. However the right hand side is rather different. It comes with this curious card cover to start with, because it is important to let you know that this is where you can control the headset without touching your phone. Built into the ear cup (the flat section just below the Monster logo) is an invisible touchpad. Swiping up or down controls the volume, while multiple taps can pause, play or skip tracks forward. You can even answer a call using it. Inside the ear cups are padded with leather coated memory foam and are very plush, with a soft surface. The interior features a small L/R logo to let you know which way around the headphones go. If you want to have a look at the interior of the ear cups it is nice and easy. You just take hold of one and twist. Replacing them is just as simple and yet they do not feel loose and do not fall off during use. The hinges on this headset are very different from what we are used to with our gaming gear. Monster Elements feature a completely foldable hinge which lets you fold them up for easier transport, but they also swivel around in what Monster describes as "DJ style" which could come in handy if you need to fold either or both cups out of the way. The headband on these is air filled silicon and is far less plush than the ear cups. I wonder what the reason for switching materials was when the memory foam is so soft and spongy. The exterior maintains the same reflective black with a large Monster logo. Anyone looking at the top of your head will certainly know who made this set of cans. On the left hand ear cup you can find not a microphone port, but a 3.5mm cable connector. Should you run out of battery or simply not want to use the wireless function - perhaps in a busy area - then you can plug yourself in the old fashioned way. The opposite earcup features a small microphone hole, the micro-USB charge port and a multi-function power button. Methodology Testing the Monster Elements headphones involved using them as my main music listening device on my smartphone (Sony Xperia Z5 Compact) for a period of one week. I listened to a number of different songs from varied genres as well as playing a couple of games to judge how they work in that respect. Although not really what they are designed for, I also used the wired connection to hook them up to my desktop to give them a more broad gaming test. Music Musically the Monster Elements are pretty phenomenal. The overall sound is warm but crisp, with a lot of clarity even when the volume is cranked up to its maximum. That is quite significant too as these headphones get incredibly loud. The manual warns that more than a few minutes with them maxed out with a loud song would be damaging to your ears and I firmly believe it. Traditionally those sorts of warnings seem overblown and headphone volume rarely feels like it stresses your ear drums that much. That is not the case with the Monster Elements however - be seriously careful when pushing them to their max. Looking at different parts of the frequency spectrum, the bass on these headphones is excellent. You get a good mix of thumping bass and that ultra-deep rumbly bass too. The mids are strong, though of particular note are the highest frequencies as they come through very well indeed. When listening to some haunting music from the likes of Cryo Chamber, this was particularly noticeable, suggesting that these headphones would be excellent for those who enjoy classical music, as well as atmospheric soundtracks. Gaming Although not particularly designed with gaming in mind, the mix of strong bass and overall clarity make the Monster Elements just as good at it. In games like The Room and its sequels, where creepy background noises drift in and out of the mix, they do a particularly good job. However in games like Age of Empires or Subnautica on the PC, they worked just as well. Admittedly the headphone cable that comes with these earphones is rather short, so they are more suited to connecting up (wired) to a smartphone or laptop rather than the rear sound port on a desktop machine, but it is nice to see that it is doable in a pinch. The "DJ" hinge system Of course a decent quality Bluetooth USB adaptor would be a smart plan with these too and in fact, is something I would like to see more Bluetooth headphone makers include in their bundles - especially at the kind of price these cans come in at. Comfort As much as the sound quality of these headphones really is excellent, their feel while in use is a little more of a mixed bag. The ear cups themselves are beautifully cushioned by the memory foam. They fit neatly over your ears and do not rest too hard against your head. They do not get too hot either which is always nice to see from an over-ear design. Where I was less impressed with the Monster Elements was the headband. The air padded silicon really does not feel nice against your head. Although it is sturdy enough that when in position you forget the discomfort after a few minutes - I had no real problem wearing these for a couple of hours at a time - the headband is not comfortable. Perhaps it is my close cropped hair, but the headband really rubs uncomfortably against my head, especially when I first put it on. It is not a deal breaker in that it is something you can become used to, but when the ear cups of these headphones were so comfortable, it surprised me that the developers went for something entirely different for the headband. More memory foam would have been perfect. Extra Features The noise cancelling ear cups do an absolutely fantastic job at isolating you from your environment. With a song at less than 50 percent volume I was barely able to hear a washing machine spinning at 1,200 RPM merely a couple of metres away. As long as you do not mind being a little less aware of what is going on around you, the Monster Elements would be fantastic as a headset to wear for a commute on noisy busses and trains. Also impressive is the microphone quality. It is hard to spot, but there is a small hole located next to the multi-function power button on the right ear cup. Despite having no boom you can be heard loud and clear on a call and can even control aspects like muting, hanging up, rejecting waiting calls and more through the little touchpad. It can be a little fiddly and takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it it is quite intuitive. That touchpad also means you can leave your phone alone entirely once you get these headphones going. Play, pause, skip and volume controls are all merely a tap away. It is a really neat and invisible system that adds a real note of class to these headphones. Range is around five metres with doors and walls in the way, while a little further with a straight line of sight. Battery life is rated at 25+ hours and I have had these going for over 20 hours at the time of writing and there is no sign of them running dry yet. The Monster Elements are a truly exceptional pair of headphones. They are jam-packed with features that are all backed up by absolutely phenomenal sound quality, operating entirely wirelessly. They are a near perfect set of cans. The big standout with these is how good they sound, regardless of musical or game genre. I particularly like the classy touchpad controls and the twistable ear cups make it really easy to remove one ear cup while still listening in - something that can be quite handy if you are trying to finish that game but your spouse really needs to tell you something right then and there. Battery life and the on-board microphone are also excellent - there really is very little negative to say about this headset. But of course there are some things. The headband is the big one. I will have to ask Monster what the company was thinking as I cannot fathom choosing this (admittedly very grippy) genuinely quite uncomfortable rubber for the headband. I would be debating with myself whether to give these a 10/10 if it simply had memory foam on the headband instead. Granted, it is hard to award such a score to a product that is priced so far out of what most people can afford, but the best of the best deserve to be awarded as such. The Monster Elements headphones are perhaps the best sounding wireless headphones I have ever used, with an innovative control mechanism, long battery life and some neat features. I just wish the headband did not feel like it was pulling on your hair when you put it on. You can buy the Monster Elements directly from the manufacturer for 350 euros (around £300). Discuss on our Facebook page HERE. Pros Sounds absolutely fantastic regardless of genre - particularly strong highs. Unique, hidden touchpad controls. Comfortable ear cup fit. Long battery life. Good stealth microphone quality. Very portable. Cons Headband feels like it pulls on your hair. Very, very expensive. KitGuru Says: Even though I do not particularly like the headband cushioning, it is easily overlooked as these are truly fantastic apart from that one wrinkle.