Steven Slate Audio VSX Platinum Edition

When I decided to buy these it was somewhat of a gamble mentally, there was a variety of people's thoughts on how good they are, whether they were "snake oil" or one of the best purchases you could make for improving the mix and master quality of your music. After owning them for about a month I have fallen into the latter camp. They are incredible, and aside from my FL Studio All Plugins version license they are the best music purchase/investment I have ever bought.

The only downside I think these headphones have is that it is impossible to demo how they are going to sound to you based off of YouTube videos or reviews etc. This is thanks to the software aspect designed for these specific headphones and the fact that it is calibrated to every batch of thousand VSX headphones sold (you input the first 2 digits of serial number when you set up the software).

You are basically reliant on second hand information as to how good they are, and this very nearly ended up putting me off buying them, but I am so glad I grabbed them in the end. They were the best Christmas present I could have gotten for myself last year.

If I was given the option to trade these in for a pair of current gen Audeze or a set of 30k USD costing studio monitors I wouldn't take either. The VSX's versatility is unmatched compared to either. They are the perfect mixing solution for a small home studio in an untreatable room and where noise complaints can be a thing, and I don't think any amount of extra money could buy something better.

As an added bonus they are incredibly comfortable and I am happy to sit and wear them for hours of mixing time, they are also the best performing pair of headphones at lower volume levels of any I have ever owned.

I was choosing between the VSX and a pair of studio monitors and ultimately decided to go with the VSX. It did not disappoint! This tool is absolutely insane for bedroom studios or any studio without proper acoustic treatment. An added benefit is the portability, which is virtually impossible with monitors.

The only downside is that the materials used seem to be of lower quality. Compared to the DT-770, the plastic on the VSX feels flimsy (though it does get better with time), making it necessary to handle the VSX with great care, especially given the high price. Additionally, I found them less comfortable than the DT-770. After a couple of hours, the VSX becomes uncomfortable, whereas I barely notice the DT-770.

Despite these issues, the sound quality makes the VSX the best option for mixing and mastering for me. However, I wouldn't recommend using them for recording or casual listening if you have another pair of studio headphones available.