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Superlux HD 681 vs Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7B

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When comparing Superlux HD 681 vs Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7B, the Slant community recommends Superlux HD 681 for most people. In the question“What are the best headphones?” Superlux HD 681 is ranked 5th while Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7B is ranked 53rd. The most important reason people chose Superlux HD 681 is:

The HD681 will not put a lot of strain to your neck and head, even for long periods. Coming in at around 220 g, they are relatively light. This is due to the use of plastic as the primary build material, along with small metal tubes on the headband frame instead of large plastic or metal parts.

Specs

TypeOn/Over-Ears

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Pros

Pro
Not tiring to wear

Pro
Bass and treble are emphasized

These headphones have what is called a V-shaped sound signature where the bass and treble is boosted while the mids take a backseat. The bass is powerful, deep and satisfying. Listening to bass heavy music will certainly be a good experience. The boosted treble makes audio detail up front, so nuances in the music can be clearly heard.

Pro
Fairly wide soundstage

Due to the semi-open design, the sound is not completely trapped inside the ear cup housing. This gives the sound a wider, more natural feel.

Pro
Exceptional mic

The microphone has good clarity and can actually be used for tasks other than talking on the phone - like recording podcasts on the go for example.

Pro
Comes with two different cords

One cord comes with an inline mic and with controls, and the other cord is your standard audio cable. This inclusion not only allows you to pick a cable to best suit your use-case for the headphone, but this also ensures that you have a spare cable should one get damaged.

Pro
Good bass reproduction, warm mids and smooth highs

The bass of these headphones is pretty good. Bass drum hits have good power to them, yet they do not muddy up the sound. The mids are warm and forward, and should present vocals and mid-range sounds quite well. The highs do not have a lot of sparkle, but they are clear and present a good level of detail.

Pro
Can effectively cancel out noise

With these headphones it will be much easier for you to focus on your music, or whatever it is that you are listening to. Combined with the closed back design, airplane/train/bus engine noises are effectively cancelled out.

Pro
A good number of accessories are included

Along with the two headphone cables, you get a carrying case, an airline adapter and a 6.3mm plug. These should help make the headphones easier to transport and also make them compatible with a wider range of audio sources.

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Cons

Con
May feel cheap and flimsy

The plastics used in the construction of these headphones are not of the best quality. They feel flimsy and will often flex and rattle.

Con
Thin ear pads may cause comfort issues

The ear pads are made of cheap feeling synthetic leather which can get warm rather quickly. To potentially add more discomfort, the cushioning inside these ear pads is quite thin, and can hurt the area around your ears when worn for many hours straight.

Con
Mids can be lacking

Some may find the mids to be inadequate. Vocals, guitars and other sounds in the mid-frequencies may sound distant or too soft.

Con
Treble can be harsh

While the bass benefits greatly from the V-shaped sound signature, the highs are boosted by quite a lot, and can make the treble sound too harsh for some. Cymbal hits for example can be too washy and near distorted and can be fatiguing.

Con
Requires an amp for optimal volume/sound quality

If you really want to get the best sound quality as well as volume from these headphones then you will need a decent headphone amp. The impedance of these headphones is quite high at 300 Ohms, so these require a good bit of power to function optimally.