Playing music too loud might cause this Genius to break.
Genius isn't a name you really think of when thinking of headphones - nor any audio gear, really. In fact, they're a rather unheard-of name downunder, and have only recently been brought into the country, so we whacked a set on our melon and had a listen.
Claiming to be "Professional Hi-Fi Studio Headphones" on the box, these have twin 40mm neodymium drivers (one in each cup) with a frequency response of 20 - 20,000Hz. They use a standard 3.5mm audio jack but also come with an adapter to 6.5mm.
Cable length is roughly one-and-a-bit tech writers, also known as about 2.5 metres in the old measurement system (very outdated now, we suggest you stick with the techwriter method). This is rubber-coated, with a gold-plated connector at one end, and a volume control consisting of a single slidebar mounted in a thick plastic box. The cable itself is very prone to kinking, as the rubber catches itself and twists around very easily.
The ear pads are made out of faux leather with foam inserts but annoyingly they're not secured very well, and can slip off just in the process of putting the darn things on! Underneath the headband is also some more padding, but it's made of denser and better quality foam and is decently comfortable. The cups themselves are made from very lightweight (and very cheap) plastic, and are secured to the headband with the plastic tabs - this is very flimsy, and is likely to be snapped off without too much force on it at all.
Audio quality lacks bass, and seems far away. The positioning is pretty average, with the higher and lower frequencies muddied into one another, giving a very lacklustre listening experience. After a few hours of listening to them, we emerged back into the real world and everything sounded much better - something you really don't want to happen.
Issue: 111 | April, 2010