Blackbox, created by Phitek Systems, a company that came out of nowhere with the impressive noise-cancelling i10 in-ears, is back with the M16 on-ears.
Oddly, they sound different depending on whether you have noise-cancelling on or off.
With it off, they sound distant and a bit cluttered, with treble sticking out a little more than it should. Vocals, meanwhile, are a little recessed.
Odd bassy wobble
There’s an odd bassy wobble when you activate the noise cancelling, but the balance is better this way. There’s still a lack of separation in the soundstage, though, with vocals and midrange parts arriving as a lump when tracks get busy.
But they are smooth, and stripped-down music shows a nice overall balance.
It’s nice to see a mic and three-button control unit attached, and the bundled adaptor lets you use the headphones as a computer headset for Skype calls.
See all our headphone Best Buys
Join whathifi on Facebook
Follow whathifi on Twitter
Blackbox M16 review
The Blackbox M16s are good at killing outside noise Tested at £165
What Hi-Fi? Verdict
Well-made and good at killing outside noise, but they could do with a little more excitement in their sound
Pros
- +
Good noise cancelling
- +
Apple remote and mic
- +
smooth, tonally balanced audio
- +
useful accessories
Cons
- -
Sound weak in passive mode
- -
rather cluttered delivery
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
