Review: Meters OV-1 Headphones
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22.11.2017

Review: Meters OV-1 Headphones

Link Audio | linkaudio.com.au | Expect To Pay: $588

I’m fairly certain most of you will have heard of Ashdown Engineering, especially those bass players among us. They are very well known for their bass amplifiers, cabinets and preamps, and with a host of the world’s best bass players using Ashdown amps, it’s easy to realise that they make a quality product, even if you haven’t heard one yourself.

Catch up on all the latest music gear reviews here.

So, when a new brand of headphones called Meters was being sent to me for review, I had no idea what to expect until I opened the package to find they are in fact made by Ashdown Engineering. Meters represents Ashdown’s first step into the world of personal listening and they’ve not just stepped in, but more so dived head first with this one.

Ashdown amps are well known for the classic VU meter that adorns the front facia, so it is no surprise that this is included on their new headphones. Both sides of the headphones feature a built in VU meter that is backlit and lets everyone in the room know just how exciting your listening is. Yes, there are actually working VU meters on the side of your head when you wear these headphones.

It’s a little out there, and may not be for everyone, but they do look strangely at home with the classic design featuring a brushed chrome and tan leatherette finish. Of course, you can switch off the meters so you don’t have two glowing windows either side of your head, but where’s the fun in that? Naturally, it shouldn’t be all about what they look like. Really, it comes down to sound in the end, and they sound great. In standard mode, which requires no charging from the USB cable prior to use, they offer good isolation and clear audio reproduction with plenty of bottom end. Plus, these are very comfortable headphones for long listening periods.

They’ve certainly put plenty of thought into this package so that when you buy a pair of Meters headphones, you’ve got what you need and it’s all very nicely presented. Three cables are included with your headphones. There is a USB cable, along with two cables that terminate in 3.5mm TRRS connections for use with smartphones and other media players.

One of these cables has an inline volume control for easy adjustment of levels, and a 6.5mm TRS adaptor is also included. This all comes in a very elegant presentation box with a slick carry case for taking your headphones out on the road with you. On top of all this, the Meters headphones offer an ANC noise cancelling option with playback. When engaged, it successfully reduces environmental noise from within your listening space.

This really becomes evident with no music playing as the sounds within the room simply disappear into the background, although what sounds like a subtle pink noise can be heard when no music is playing, which of course plays a part in masking the external sounds. Of course, this melts into the mix when playback resumes, so it isn’t really anything to be concerned about.

All you need to do is choose the right cable and sit back to enjoy quality sound from very comfortable headphones.

Thanks to our friends at Link Audio, we have a pair of these fantastic headphones to give away. Find out all the details about how to enter here.