The New Onkyo ES FC300 Headphone – AXPONA 2013

Onkyo is typically known for their home theater receivers but (like so many others before them) are now venturing into the personal audio realm with their new ES FC300 Headphone ($150).  The branding on the headphone seems deliberately more subtle than many of their (beats) competitors.  The overall finish and build seem quite pleasant for $150 by this reviewer’s benchmarks.  The flat-designed cable is detachable and supports the idea of less tangling.  The headphone itself boasts what Onkyo is calling a “dual chamber” design intended to create a better low end response.  They are a closed-back headphone and I did notice a sufficient amount of outside noise reduction when wearing them. Plugged directly into an iPod, the ES FC300 could be driven to loud levels.

I will leave my final observations regarding their sound until I have more time with them in a controlled environment and with components I am more familiar with.  I will say this however, from my initial impressions the sound is very promising considering the $150 price point. The Onkyo ES FC300 should be ready to ship in about a month.

http://www.uk.onkyo.com/en/products/es-fc300-90837.html