Amazing sound and look for just Php1,990!

If you’re in the market for good headphones but you’re on a tight budget then you seriously have to take a look at the new Superlux HD681 Evo. It’s actually one of the most affordable high-quality cans you can get these days at just Php1,990. Don’t let the price fool you though. The sound quality generated by the Superlux HD681 Evo can easily go head-to-head with the kind of audio headphones triple its price.

We were able to get a review unit from Superlux Philippines and we’ve been using it as our go-to headphones for home use in the last few weeks. We’d like to share our unboxing experience as well as initial impressions in this post.

Packaging: Kinda hard to unbox, hehe

At first look the Superlux HD681 packaging seems like your usual headphone box. However we actually had a difficult time trying to separate the carton box from the slip-on. For some reason we just couldn’t pull it out. Here’s what the box originally looked like:

And after trying several ways to get the inner carton out we just decided to go Wolverine-mode and mercilessly mutilate the slip-on so we can get to the cans. Here’s what it looked like after:

We popped open the carton box and immediately saw the Superlux HD681 Evo. Quite frankly we didn’t like the box and the over-all packaging. The brown carton felt soft and the same material was used as the holder/separator for the headphones itself inside (See photo below). We prefer the previous packaging style they used with their other products. This one just feels too cheap. It kinda does a huge injustice to the Superlux HD681 Evo.

Other than the cans, we found the usual manuals, stereo adaptor jack, and cable inside. Fortunately Superlux also included a nice black carrying pouch so you can quickly just stuff the Superlux HD681 Evo in it if you want to bring it with you. Coolness.

Initial Impressions on Build and Sound Quality

What the Superlux HD681 Evo lacks in presentation, it makes up for it in build and sound quality. Let’s start with the looks. The design is very modern with the huge ear cups hugging almost the whole sides of your face. The outer face in white will make you look like some sort of robotech pilot, hehe. Fortunately despite the size the Superlux HD681 EVO is still very comfortable to wear thanks to the plush pads and the soft self-adjusting flexible headband. It’s also great to note that they decided to go with detachable cables.

If you have any worries that the cans might break you can rely on the 1 year product replacement warranty. Not a bad deal right? It’s price really well and they still offer product replacement warranty.

So now let’s get to the juicy part – sound quality. At Php1,990 how do these cans sound like? Very, very, very good.

It has just the right amount of bass — the punchy kind that doesn’t overwhelm or muddle the over-all sound. Mids are clear and detailed and the separation is awesome thanks to the open soundstage. If you’re just after sound quality then you can’t get anything better for Php1,990. Superlux has truly outdone themselves with the HD681 Evo.

The only thing “bad” about it is that it’s kinda bulky. These aren’t the cans you bring with you while you’re malling or you’re going to do some walking. This is best left for stationary use — ideally either in the office or at home.