equipboard's Studio Setup

Unboxing & First Impressions

The Status SM-CB1 box is a little nicer than what you would get in a pricier $100-150 Sennheiser headphone, which is a nice surprise. Inside you'll find the headphones, two detachable cables (3 m straight and 3 m coiled), and a 1/4" adapter. The cables have a locking mechanism to keep them firmly attached to the headphone.

Fit & Finish

The design of the SM-CB1 is a mixed bag. On one hand, they feel more solid than the Sony MDR-7506, but not quite as refined as Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. They are made of plastic, and there are no large logos or branding to speak of (which either makes them look more generic or more sleek - you decide).

The cushion on the headband is passable, but the ear cup padding is massive; they're like big pillows. The thickness of the pads makes these look pretty massive on the head. The ear cups are able to swivel out in one direction.

Comfort

Because of how thick the ear pads are, the SM-CB1 are pretty comfortable. We expected our ears to burn up after a while, but long-term comfort was great. No undue pressure was placed on our head.

Sound: Studio Production & Mixing

The sound of the Status SM-CB1 is extremely good for a closed-back studio headphone in this price range. This is definitely a budget headphone that definitely doesn't sound that way.

We did extensive testing of these versus the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro and the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, and could not discern any immense differences. All 3 are more or less neutral but none of them sound exactly alike; the Beyerdynamic have a certain warmth and roundness to the bass, and the Audio-Technica have mids so detailed that you almost feel like you're listening to everything live. The Status SM-CB1 sits somewhere in between.

The soundstage is pretty good and decently wide considering they are closed-back.

Sound: Casual Listening

Nothing stops the SM-CB1 from being excellent headphones for casual listening, aside from maybe that they make your head look pretty wide because of the large ear pads! The choice of straight vs. coiled cable is much appreciated. Their high comfort level means you don't have to take many breaks while enjoying your movies, music, or games.

Bottom Line

The Status SM-CB1 are an outrageous value for studio headphones. In the headphone world we tend to consider Sennheiser HD280 PRO or Sony MDR-7506 budget-priced, but not every musician or sound engineer can or wants to spend $100.

Status proves that it doesn't have to have "Sennheiser" or "Beyerdynamic" on the ear cup to be considered an excellent studio headphone, and they have produced a model that can contend with headphones twice its price.