HD-681 Evo BK : Everthing they were rumoured to be

These cans are the reward for anyone does a little research and try new things and the pricing means it was a low risk proposition.

If you read the reviews, you'll see that very few people find fault with the sound : it's revealing, untainted (no apparent bias) and no apparent weakspots. The sound is warmer after several hours use and they are comfortable for long listening sessions.

In the interests of balance, I should point out a couple of tiny points that i like less : they are a bit large (but not heavy) and they look odd anywhere outside the studio. They are also semi-open - so there is noise leak if you're thinking about office use.

For those seeking comparision, or a frame of reference, I've retired my Grado SR 80's because of these. I previously liked Sennheiser PX100s, and Equation Audio RP21 and AKG eth55. These have the better sound, they are the most pleasing overall, and the cheapest by a mile. I havent heard better and for a comparable sound, you'd have to spend around 150 quid for something like Sennheiser HD25s - and I notice other people here rate them even higher !

The fact that Superlux do it for this price makes me very cynical of more establish brands and their pricing. Well done Superlux.