Monster is one of the better-known headphone brands out there, and for good reason. The company offers a range of consumer products, and they’re generally very good value for money. Monster is no stranger to in-ear headphones — as we saw with the Monster Clarity HD in-ear headphones — but it recently refreshed a number of its headphones, including the Monster iSport Victory headphones.
As the name suggests, however, these aren’t just in-ear headphones. They’re sports-focused headphones — meaning they’re targeted at runners and gym-goes who might be on the hunt for a pair of great-sounding and portable headphones that don’t fall out too easily. Can the Monster iSport Victory headphones live up to that challenge? We put them to the test to find out.
Design
The Monster iSport Victory headphones have a pretty typically “Monster” design, but that’s not a bad thing by any means — they look quite nice. The headphones definitely live up to the “sport” in their name, offering mixtures of colors that might not be classified as “sleek,” but would certainly fit into the “fun” category. The pair we received are mostly black with light green highlights and a white and black cable. In interesting mixture of colors, to be sure, but it looks quite good in this case.
On the end of each in-ear unit, you’ll find a clear Monster logo, which is pretty standard for headphones like this. Speaking of those in-ear units, they’re quite large — but thankfully the attached ear wings help prevent them from easily falling out.
Part way down the right side of the cable, you’ll find a three-button control remote, which includes the standard volume up/volume down buttons, as well as a multi-use center button for managing calls and playback.
In the box, you’ll find the headphones themselves, as well as a small carry pouch, a microUSB charging cable, two extra sets of sports wings, and a total of three pairs of ear tips, including the ones that come installed on the headphones. It’s a nice slew of accessories, and there’s really nothing extra you should need.
In general, the Monster iSport Victory in-ear headphones look good and offer a nice selection of included accessories.
Comfort
As mentioned, the Monster iSport Victory in-ear headphones are pretty large, and that can be an issue when it comes to the comfort level of the headphones.
All in-ear headphones get comfortable after long listening periods, and these headphones are no exception to that rule. We found that listening for more than an hour got a little uncomfortable — thought that won’t be a problem for those using these to go on shorter runs and quick trips to the gym. We recommend you experiment with different ear tips to try and maximize comfort, as it could really help.
Thankfully, we didn’t have any trouble with the headphones falling out, which is largely due to the included sports-wings, which fit into your outer ear and hook the headphones in place.
In general, the headphones would be more comfortable if they were smaller — but the bright side is that they don’t fall out easily.
Sound
Monster is known for offering headphones that sound great. Sure, they don’t sound natural — but that’s not the point to them. The Monster iSport Victory in-ear headphones are no exception to that. They don’t sound all that natural, but they sound awesome nonetheless.
As is often the case with Monster headphones the bass is deep, powerful, and punchy. These are the kinda of headphones that fans of big bass will enjoy. Kicks hit you in the face, while bass synths and guitars are powerful and deep.
The mid-range is also pretty well-tuned. There’s a clear dip in the mid frequencies compared to the lows and highs, but in this case it sounds pretty good. The low-mids are present-enough to not take away from the powerful low end, and the high-mids offer enough presence to vocals and guitars to compliment the high-end.
Speaking of the high-end, it’s very clear on these headphones. The high-end is perhaps the most overlooked section in the frequency spectrum, but Monster has avoided that pitfall with the Monster iSport Victory headphones. Perhaps the only downside to that is that at times the high-end was a little too much, and some cymbals got a little shrill for our liking.
The soundstage on these headphones was fine, although nothing to write home about, and the headphones didn’t generally distort much until the super-loud volumes, at which you’re probably damaging your hearing and should turn the volume down anyway.
Performance
The Monster iSport Victory headphones are pretty standard in the performance department. They connect to your devices through Bluetooth and offer a standard range of 10m, or 33ft — although that will vary depending on obstacles between you and your listening device.
When it comes to battery life, Monster says the headphones will last 8+ hours, which is pretty good for wireless in-ear headphones like this. It’s not amazing, to be sure, but it’s a lot better than some other offerings.
Conclusions
The Monster iSport Victory headphones are a classic Monster offering. They look pretty good and are built well, and sound great. The comfort level of the headphones does leave a little to be desired at times, but overall these are a great pair of headphones at an excellent price, and if you’re looking for a pair of in-ears that have enough bass to pump you into action, these might be the right ones for you.
So what other options should you consider at this price? The JLab Audio Epic2 headphones are slightly better all-around headphones, but they don’t achieve the same sound quality as the Monster iSport Victory headphones. Alternatively, the MEE Audio X7 headphones are another great pair of sports-focused headphones, which come in a little cheaper too. Still, the Monster iSport Victory headphones sound a little better.
Because of the sound quality on offer, these headphones get the Headphone Review Bronze Medal.
| Store | Price |
|---|---|
 |
$99.95 |
 |
$99.95 |
| Monster | $99.95 |
| Frequency response | Unknown | Active noise cancellation |
No |
| Driver size | Unknown | Noise attenuation | Unknown |
| Driver type |
Dynamic | In-line controls | Yes |
| Design |
Closed | Microphone | Yes |
| Sensitivity | Unknown | Eartip material | Gel |
| Rated impedance |
Unknown | Magnet material | Unknown |
| Total harmonic distortion |
Unknown | Water resistance | “Sweatproof” |
| Rated input power |
Unknown | Battery life | 8+ hours |
| Maximum input power |
Unknown | Wireless distance | 10m (33ft) |
| Wireless connection |
Bluetooth | Cable length | N/A |
| Wired connection |
No | Case type | Pouch |
| Detachable cable |
N/A | In-the-box |
|
| Weight | Unknown | Colors | Black, green, blue |