Monster Elements Black Slate Wireless Over The Ear Headphones

Monster has a new soon to be released product in the Monster Elements Black Slate Over The Ear headphones. They already have the 24K, but Monster has expanded on that concept. Now they created the Elements Series, which is a completely wireless line that comes in three versions - over-ear, on-ear, and in-ear.  Colors, available are namely the Black Slate, and Rose Gold for now, with more finishes to come soon. They are scheduled to be available in June, but wanting to be included in our annual shootout, Monster sent over a pair of the Black Slate over the ear, with a MSRP of $400.

Features and specs:

Not yet on their website, but will be soon.

In Monster fashion, the Black Slate came shipped in a great looking color box with photos of the headphones and their specs. They were well protected, being shipped in their soft zippered carry case, that was held in a molded plastic insert. Materials used in the construction was mostly plastic with some metal and were excellent. The fit and finish are also excellent. The monster Elements are a top of the line series for Monster and it shows! They felt very well made in hand. I LOVE the metallic sparkle look of the Black Slate! And the memory foam earcups make them comfortable to wear.

Following the instructions was easy, and in no time at all I had the Monster Elements Black Slate charged and paired to my HTC One M9.  And as usual they also came with a separate audio cable.  So if the batteries die or you are wanting to listen to a non-wireless device, Monster has you covered.  The wireless performance was also very good.  I was able to go over 50 feet away with multiple walls between me and my HTC One M9, and the sound was perfectly clear.  I also really liked the touch sensitive Swipe Control, being able to control the music by moving my finger across the top of the earcup! It worked very well! Of course being able to listen to high res audio thru the USB Audio connection is also very cool. But how did they sound?

David Bowie: Let's Dance, kick drum was deep and played with very good authority and impact. Wood knocker was very woody and revealed a very wide soundstage. Percussion was nice and crisp. Vocals were the way Bowie should sound with excellent resolution in the timbre. Journey:Don't Stop Believing, piano sounded very natural, vocals were smooth like honey, with excellent resolution and texture. Kick drum had great depth, impact, and played with authority. Also Sprach Zarathustra: revealed a very nice rumble that was really deep and with really nice authority. Trumpets were really clean and silky smooth throwing a really wide soundstage. Imaging was excellent. Tympani played with excellent dynamics, impact and detail from the pad of the drum. Junior Wells: Why Are People Like That, the vocals had excellent resolution and texture.  Bass had excellent depth and authority. Piano sounded natural. Percussion was crisp, with nice dynamics and impact. Harmonica had excellent dynamics and harmonics. Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue, the clarinet had excellent resolution, woodiness and air. You could hear the breathing technique. Piano sounded very natural. Cymbals were very dynamic and crisp. Horns were smooth like honey and not brassy, with excellent harmonics. Bassoon had excellent texture and low end extension. Soundstage was wide with depth. Imaging was also very good.   

The Monster Elements Black Slate are an amazing product, with the excellent Monster sound!  They are very well made, very durable, and in true Monster fashion, provide an excellent sound with excellent performance of its other features. Monster continues to solidify its place in the headphone industry.  If you don't know headphones, with a purchase of a Monster product, you will get a great sounding product.  And with their excellent build quality, they will last a long time.  based on their design, features, quality, and performance, the Monster Elements Black Slate Wireless Over The Ear Headphones have earned our Editor's Choice Award.  For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.monstercable.com.