INTRODUCTION

   Much like hardcore gamers who always like to use the highest-end graphics cards to enjoy playing their favorite games at their maximum audiophiles are also after the best possible set of headphones to enjoy listening to their favorite tunes and watching their favorite movies. Looking back now although I’ve used and tested countless headsets and headphones i still haven't found the "one" suitable for me. Many have come really close but personally I’m one of those people who seek perfection (the jack of all trades) in every possible aspect so although I’ve really enjoyed the audio reproduction of quite a few headsets/headphones i can't say the same about their design, comfort and build quality. So while the quest for the best headphones out there continues for me TDK was kind enough to send us their STi710 High Fidelity Headphones with iPhone control and after 2 weeks of testing we can finally upload this review.

   TDK Life on Record, a leading global brand with a rich audio legacy, is dedicated to personalizing and enhancing audiophiles’ ever-evolving digital music lifestyles. TDK Life on Record audio products are carefully crafted to focus on performance, marrying a clean, striking design with the precision and flexibility of modern technology. This world-class line of premium audio products delivers a warm, authentic, high-fidelity entertainment experience. The TDK Life on Record logo is a trademark owned by TDK Corporation and is licensed exclusively to Imation Corp., a leading global developer and marketer of brands that empower people to capture, save and enjoy digital information. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

  A few years ago the only thing carrying the name TDK in the consumer market was their high quality storage media (CDs, DVDs, BDs and Flash Drives) but largely thanks to Imation that changed a couple of year back and so TDK entered the audio market with a bang not only due to their excellent and very innovative portable speakers but also because of their audiophile grade headphones. So after testing two of their best portable speakers we just had to take a thorough look at some of their headphones the first of which is the quite compact STi710 High Fidelity Headphones. TDK has equipped the STi710 with two 40mm dynamic drivers featuring a frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz, 114dB sensitivity and 32Ω impedance and an in-line Omni-directional microphone with a frequency response of 30Hz-16KHz and -58dB sensitivity right next to a volume/track/answer/end controller compatible with the iPhone line of smartphones. Specs-wise the STi710 doesn't really seem to offer anything special that we haven't seen before so let's dig a little bit deeper.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

TDK ships the STi710 inside a black box that seems to be dressed with leatherette. A thick piece of paper is placed over the box showcasing the product at the front while at the rear we see the features list in 7 languages.

The headphones are nicely placed in a formed piece of plastic inside the box while the rest of the bundle is placed right beneath it.

I was a bit surprised to see that the bundle contains just the basics so aside the STi710 in the box you will also find a carrying pouch, the user’s manual and a warranty paper.

THE STI710

Focusing on comfort the new STi710 is quite compact and weighs just 209g (even less than the Jabra REVO).

To showcase the size of the STi710 we did place it right next to the REVO wireless by Jabra and as you can see there are some similarities as to their design.

The position of the earcups is not fixed and that gives them more flexibility (increased comfort). The TDK logo is also placed on their exterior and looks quite nice.

Left and Right markings are present on the interior right above each earcup.

Although the headband can extend almost 3cm on each side there aren’t any markings present (not important but it could come in handy for some people).

Much like the REVO wireless the STi710 can also fold thus reducing their size and making them very easy to store or carry.

For the earpads TDK has used leather for coating and fabric for the interior.

The headpad may not be particularly thick but it's quite comfortable.

Although not the best looking one the in-line controller is very easy to use so we have the +/- to control the volume and the tracks while the center button can be used to answer/end calls.

The 3.5mm mini-jack is gold plated as expected from a high end product such as the STi710.

CONCLUSION

   Some of you may wonder as to why we started comparing the STi710 with the REVO Wireless and the answer is very simple, we did so due to the somewhat many similarities we found between both headphones/sets. First of all the design of both units is very similar and if that wasn't enough they also share the same measurements, are almost the same in weight, can fold, have almost the same earpads, are almost equally sturdy and last but not least share the same drivers specs-wise at least (40mm/20Hz-20KHz/32Ω). However after listening to both units for almost 2 weeks it's quite clear that they aren't identical in performance. You see the STi710 audio reproduction is very crisp and natural with excellent mids and highs and plenty of volume but for some weird reason it lacks the bass levels of the REVO Wireless something that let me down a bit. Of course this is easily noticed if you listen to bass rich content and since i do like listening to heavy metal from time to time this is a small drawback for me. Even the iSO wireless earphones by Antec Mobile Products produced more bass (but are severely inferior in every other aspect) so my guess is that TDK probably did this on purpose to improve the overall audio clarity of the STi710 and to eclipse distortion at very high/max volumes something which they have succeeded at a small price however. Quality-wise the STi710 is almost as sturdy as the REVO Wireless so you need not worry there. The only tiny drawbacks is the rather small earpads that need getting used to and the quality of the in-line controller which is not really on par with the rest of the unit (not that I’ve seen much better with other headphones). The in-line microphone on the other hand was a nice surprise since it worked a lot better than we had hoped largely thanks to the correct positioning on the cable (distance from the mouth).

   The one thing we didn't really like when we first checked the STi710 product page was its recommended price tag of USD199 which just seemed a bit much for the 3rd best headphones in the TDK arsenal. However after snooping around the current price tag in stores seems to be set at around USD90 inside the USA and 80Euros inside the EU although current availability is extremely low (something that we hope TDK resolves soon). Bottom line i really doubt you can find anything as good as the STi710 High-Fidelity Headphones With iPhone Control (both in terms of audio and build quality) at least not around the price tag they currently retail at and that's why we give them our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Clear/Crisp/Accurate Mids/Highs
- Plenty of Volume
- In-Line Omni-Directional Microphone
- In-Line iPhone Compatible Controls
- Foldable Design
- Gold Plated Connector
- Price (Current)

CONS

- Bass Levels
- Availability (Current)