Status Audio CB-1 Studio Monitor Headphones

From mid 2016 and up CB-1 have been updated/changed with non curved pads which were changed because of feedback and actually they are now thicker, and with the recent update, now they have a little branding on a right cup "sacb1-sm", which obviously stands for "Status Audio Closed Back Studio Monitors". Be aware that CB-1 are on a bigger size and they are chunky headphones, but at the same time they are really light-weight, purpose use are definitely for Home and Studio. In sound CB-1 are definitely better overall sounding than a M50X which have amped up Bass, unpleasant highs and zero soundstage, even Sony MDR-EX650AP in-ears have a much better soundstage, CB-1 compete/compare in price to M40X, but modified M40X are really something worth looking into if you are more on audiophile-side and wiling to spend a bit more money to have something really insane for the price. The biggest downside of CB-1 is slightly lacking mids and a bit of bass and I think it is because of lacking clamp, just by softly touching each side, you can hear instant improvement in overall sound, because that makes a better seal, maybe in a future Status Audio will improve on this too. Build quality is not as good as other more expensive ones in materials of course, but clearly a very good and impressive build quality as for the price, zero squeaky sounds, but have to mention that cables easily transfers rubbing sounds, while moving, touching cable, no matter what cables you use. Best headphones up to 60-90 Euros easy, going to and beyond 100 Euros territory there are a better options obviously, in sound, build quality and whole package, like modified M40X, they are absolutely insane for the price, but of course they require more money for the good pads. Lastly, they seem to sound slightly harsh with highs and a bit bucket-like with not so great separation right out of the box, but! after some burn-in they liven up by a notch, after heavy/burn-in use, paired with a good DAC/Amp and high-res FLACs they sound really amazing and very balanced, highs softened up, separation and imaging improved by a lot, really clear and neutral, with a really nice and clear bass. In addition, they can be easily equalized to your liking. Got them while on Lightning Deal, so at that price range there is no competitor. Big bonus for Status Audio impressive customer service.

Stumbled across these while looking for a reasonably priced set of headphones for my farther-in-law. Anyway, after looking at the reviews I decided to take the plunge and give them a go. They arrived as expected next day. The external packaging is quite attractive and only the cheap injection moulded insert inside lowers the quality feel of the packaging. I would suggest a 'velour' type moulded insert would elevate the quality feel. Anyway, initial impressions of the build and feel are very good, I simply did not expect them to be this well made. If I had any criticism it would be that the headband material looks rather cheap (because it's very shiny). They are sturdy and easily adjusted, The supplied leads look a good quality and with decent gold plated connectors. The ear padding is substantial and quite deep, making them very comfortable and good at blocking out external noise. I connected the up to assorted hardware sources with a variety of music from vinyl, CD, hi-rez and low-rez compressed audio. WOW! I was not expecting what I heard - very clear and accurate precise audio with good deep and controlled bass, nice mid and clear treble and all the detail the average person would want. On some tracks I heard things I had never heard before via any method of playback and a couple of tracks gave me goosebumps.No colouration or muddiness that I could hear. Compared back to back with my Grado SR60 headphones, I would say these have a similar sound, but with a little more kick in the bass, but for more comfortable on the ears. I did note that they presented a slightly lower volume at a given level than other headphones I own. In summary, these are staggeringly good for the price and compare favourably to headphones costing at least treble the price (and maybe more but I don't own such esoteric phones!). I'm now going to buy a pair for myself. ** I am not easily impressed, but these literally 'blew my socks off!' Unreservedly recommended! **

Gotta be honest, while I really do like how these feel. They're comfortable and they sound very good. The build quality isn't entirely what I expected. I know this is a more budget oriented option for "professional" headphones. But I've had headphones before around this price that feel a lot more sturdy. The earcups are adjustable but they wobble around very easily, the plastic feels quite cheap, creaks when moved. I rarely feel confident in moving these around too much. Onto the positives though, while the build quality of the headphones themselves left me quite lacking. The two included cables are very high quality and sturdy feeling. The included adapter screws in and feels locked in tightly, and it has plastic locking nubs on the headphone end to ensure that the cable doesn't come out unless you want it to. Both cables feel great and work great. The audio quality itself is about how anyone would describe it in the other positive reviews, I wouldn't disagree with any of them, they sound great. In conclusion The headphones are very good. They sound exactly as they should for the target market, they're comfortable to wear for long periods of time. (I use them both at home and outside for at least 10 hours a day with no issues), and the only problem I have is that the housing feels a bit flimsy. But they should be fine as long as you aren't reckless with them.

As a music producer/songwriter I'm always looking for that neutral sound that can represent sound as it is. Saw the reviews on these headphones and I had to try them. As in comfort, not going to write too much on it, they are VERY comfortable !!!! I mean very, so that will close this topic!!! Build quality -> is somehow decent...Id's say !!! They will last, as long as you'll not kick them around playing football, or to throw them around , playing with your pets or kids lol .... pretty decent build quality! Sound quality - > The truth from my experience is that the headphones are very accurate,warm sounding in the low and mid range frequency area, but there is a problem in the treble freq area where it needs correction (pretty big peak at 6k and 9k and there is a drop at 10k - 20k) ....BUT!!! ... using the headphone's sound profile I managed to correct the treble peaks with the APO Equaliser and that way it gives the almost flat sound to it which makes the headphones almost a perfect sounding little toy, how about that ??? . Also, sound stage is phenomenal, so I have almost nothing negative to add to it!!!! With the correction in the treble they became my first priority for mixing and even for few attempts of mastering just because they represent low and mid frequency almost perfect in my opinion! I had to give them a 4 * evaluation just because I had to make the correction myself to make them sound almost perfect. I have the Audio-Technica ATM-M40X (which, years ago I taught they are good reference headphones and they are NOWHERE NEAR !!!), also the Brainwavz HM5 (which are amazing reference headphones), AKG K141 (one of the clearest accurate flat sounding headphones I've heard) ...and still when it comes to overall representation of freq response (with the correction mentioned in the treble) I'd probably pick the Status Audio CB-1 over them, probably anytime, just because they are sooo freaking good!!!!! It is not a big value for the price, it's a HUGE value for the price. After using them for a while now, personally I'd recommend it to everyone ! Honestly don't miss these babies!!!! VERY glad I bought them and I'll definitely use them in the future (with the treble freq corrections ofc) !!!!! BUY THEM !!!!

These headphones have really good sound quality. The detachable and replaceable leads are of the best quality and I saw no depreciation or wear on them in the life of the product. They are reasonably comfortable. The problem is the headphones themselves have poor durability. The swivel joint broke on both ears first after about 18 months. I glued them together and that worked for a while. They broke again, so I used a soldering iron to melt the plastic. They broke again so I added cable ties and that kept it together. Then the adjustable headband broke. More glue and tape. Then the ear pads coating wore away and the earcup bracket snapped and that was the end of it. In total 2 years of occasional use. In summary a great audio performance but they really need to get a durability testing system set up so the design can withstand standard use for a reasonable length of time.

My first listen was disappointing, I bought these on the strength of reviews, the main one being Logan on Tek Syndicate who has had the opportunity to test many more pairs of headphones than I could. He is also a music producer so knows how to listen properly. My first impression was that they were too sharp, too clinical and had no warmth but that soon changed. I tried again a couple of days later but this time with better quality source material and with the gain lowered a little to reduce distortion then made some slight adjustments to the EQ and realised that these are far better than I first thought. After a few more hours listening and a few more minor tweaks with the sound settings I can honestly say that they have grown on me immensely. What I hear is clarity, definition and subtlety that makes these a real pleasure to listen to, every instrument, every voice, every note and every beat is perfectly defined. Firstly the treble is super sweet, it has a quality that is hard to describe. It's not harsh or splashy (trashy), it has a pureness and accuracy that I have rarely experienced before. The mid-range may be a bit too up-front for some and it's this that needs to be EQ'd mostly (IMO) but it definitely brings vocals, guitar and piano to a whole new level of clarity. Then there's bass, a broad spectrum of beautifully smooth, well rounded and clearly defined richness that is lacking in many more expensive headphones. It's never muddy or vague, it doesn't bottom out or boom and it's not over damped or too tight. The accuracy across the range of frequencies is incredible ! The overall mix might be a bit too clinical for some as every instrument can be heard individually and pinpointed in the soundstage which feels quite small. Having a closed back design does restrict the soundstage quite a bit although it does not feel claustrophobic at all. If you are looking for pure power and like to listen at ear splitting levels with heart thumping bass then look elsewhere, these are not for you. These produce the best experience at more moderate listening levels and definitely benefit from a dedicated amp. When plugged directly into a laptop or computer even with a high quality soundcard they will disappoint but through a good quality amp they are excellent ! I think the best way to describe the experience is comfortable, the headband, the ear cushions and the sound quality are all extremely comfortable and understated, perfect for late night listening to your favourite music. Great studio monitors and ideal for analyzing your mix. I think these would sound great with vinyl.

I ordered these headphones after reading and seeing many good reviews on the internet so I sort of knew what I was buying into but for the price of these headphones I feel I got far more than I expected. The headphones come in a really nice retail box and first impressions count and the nice box helps straight from the off, these would make a fantastic gift coming up to Christmas for any music lover. Let me say I'm no audiophile I just know what I like and I'm not much good at waxing lyrical about things like timbre, brilliance, sound stage or separation etc but what I can say is I really love these headphones, they sound fantastic on my iPad and fantastic on my Moto G4 Android phone so that,s my two portable devices they are great with, they are easily driven from both of these. I have also used these headphones with my PC that has a dedicated headphone amplifier and the sound just blew me away, I have tried them on my dedicated headphone amp a cheap S.M.S.L sApII and they sound really really good, the level of detail from these inexpensive cans I cannot believe. My normal pair of headphones are AKG K451's that I have always considered pretty good they just don't compare to these Status Audio ones. I know they are mainly constructed out of plastic but they still feel solid and robust and I guess plastic is to be expected at this price point, in any event they are so comfortable and the sound is so good I don't care about the materials used. I did take them round to a friends who is big on his audio equipment and he compared them to his KEF M500 headphones, he know has a pair of these CB'1s such was the impression they made on him. These are fantastic sounding headphones for the price and I love them.

I bought my pair of CB-1s in August of 2017 and have been using them almost every single day for music production, gaming and watching films since then. Sound: The sound of these is something I still really love. Being studio monitors, they have a much flatter response than most consumer headphones like the Sennheiser HD series or gaming headsets like the HyperX Clouds, so depending on the style of music you listen to, you may prefer something with brighter or bassier sound signatures. It will all come down to personal preference in the end, but if you're into music production then getting a good pair of flat-response headphones is always a good idea (the idea being that if your song sounds good on studio monitors, it'll sound good on anything). The noise cancellation is good but you can still hear what's going on around you. I actually prefer this, but again - personal preference. Sound does leak out a little bit when you're wearing them, but it's not too bad. Build quality: As you can see in my photos, my headphones have been through a lot. I've traveled with them to studio sessions and LAN parties, and I'm ashamed to admit I've dropped them more than a few times. The blue cushions are custom ones which I purchased less than three months ago. The original cushions lasted a good 15-16 months before they started deteriorating and leaving little black specks on my head whenever I wore them. Luckily they are a semi-universal shape and I could just buy a pair of cushions designed for ATH headphones. The ear cups can rotate just over 90 degrees to better fit on your head. After about 22 months, the screws holding this part together fell out and left my earcup hanging loose. I managed to screw it back together, but since then it keeps falling out as if the screws have rounded off. In the photo you can see my elegant solution to this problem: a cable tie. I've been meaning to replace this with a black one, but I don't really care how it looks at the moment. Accessories: The headphones came with two cables: one springy, one long and straight. I used the springy cable for the first 6 months but then one ear stopped working, so I switched to the straight cable which I've been using ever since. One of the best things about these headphones is that the cable is detachable, so I've also purchased an in-line mic attachment for gaming which I use all the time. Summary: The sound quality is amazing, especially for the price. The build quality is better than average: I've owned these for over two years and other than the usual wear-and-tear that comes from daily use, they're only just starting to fall apart. I've paid more for headphones that have died in less time. Easy to customize with different cushions and cables, but the cushions and cables that come with it are also excellent. All in all the best pair of headphones I've ever owned. ____________________________________________________________________ EDIT AUG 2020: Almost exactly 3 years to the day since purchasing these headphones and using them every single day, one ear has finally died. They served me well and I highly reccomend them for people looking at this price bracket. I've replaced them with a pair of DT770 Pro's which have a significantly higher build quality than the CB-1's and noticeably better frequency response (certainly in the bass).

Lo que se dice de los audifonos es real, calidad /precio suenan muy bien, un sonido "divertido" con frecuencias muy equilibradas, buena escena sonora y claridad de instrumentos, buenos para monitorear o para un home studio, vienen con 2 cables uno de 3 mts y otro de 1.5 mts aprox mas un adaptador de 6.3, si los conectas directo al telefono y eres de los que le sube a todo puede que les llegue a faltar un poco de volumen, en cuanto a construction, es todo plastico mas no se ven "chafas", cumplen en ese apartado, los pads son comodos y profundos pero la circunferencia de la oreja puede que no le quede a alguien de orejas grandes, las copas giran completamente lo que lo hace comodo al dejarlos en el cuello, no cansan tras usarlos mucho tiempo pero el material de los pads si puede hacerte sudar, por el precio valen mucho la pena. Pd no le hagan caso al comentario de que no son originales

I had been hearing about these headphones for a while and finally decided to give them a shot. I own a few other pairs of fairly high end headphones so I'm pretty picky, but these still managed to surprise me. The sound is extremely clear and accurate, with nothing being overly emphasized. They have good, accurate bass, but they're not bass heavy, and the mid range sounds amazing. I've used them for movies, music, and gaming and they hold up equally well for each task. I think Status is aiming for these to compete with the ATH-M50's, and having owned both, I think I would actually go with these. They're way more comfortable and in my opinion the sound signature is just a little bit clearer and more neutral. The earcups are also really well cushioned and create a good seal around your head. Comfort is a really important factor for me and these are some of the most comfortable headphones I've ever owned. I also found the noise isolation to be really good. They're not noise cancelling, but I would confidently use them on a commute or in a crowded office. There are a couple of minor downsides, however. One is the construction, as they sometimes feel a little cheap and you can hear some plastic creaking when you rotate the earcups, but I don't get the sense that they'll break easily, and I'm sure the cheaper materials are used as a way of keeping the cost down. Two, even though I found them to be very comfortable, I can see how the clamping force might bother some people after a while. I've felt much worse, but I can still see how it might bother someone. Three, both of the included cables are definitely meant for home use as they're quite long and the 3.5mm jack is rather large and probably wouldn't be easy to plug into a phone and travel with. I wish they would have included at least one cable that was a bit more mobile friendly. They do make them, but you have to buy them separately. Overall I'm extremely pleased with these, they're much better than a lot of headphones that cost twice as much. If you're looking to get a really good pair of headphones for under $100 that you can use for pretty much everything, these are a really easy recommendation.

One Word - GET IT I guess thats two words. But they deserve ALL the positive reviews. Great sound, period. Use them with a DAC for the best experience.

greattt sound but not great build, still very worth it

海外テック系youtuberが一時期コスパ高いヘッドホンとしてべた褒めしていたりamazonでのレビュー数、評価ともに高いですが、なぜかamazon jpでは全くレビューがついてないこの商品。 ちょうどそこまで高価でないヘッドホン探していたので買ってしまいました。 音いいか悪いかは個人の趣向によりますが、私の感想としましては、かなりフラットで各トラックの解像感が高く、聴き分けやすいかんじでした。モニタリングヘッドホンとあるのでその通りの音だと思います。 3.5mmのプラグがストレートものと、バネ状にぐるぐるしたもの2個ついてます。3.5mmプラグをフォーンケーブルサイズにする変換プラグが1個付属。 小さめサイズですが作りは安っぽくなく、結構堅牢そうな感じです。きしきし軋んだりするパーツもなく工作精度高いです。 あと箱。箱高級感ありますね。 このお値段ならお買い得なのではないでしょうか。amazon usより日本amazonのほうが今は値段も安い珍しい商品です。