These cans do live up to the advertising: they're a solid choice for first-timers. My audio sensibilities aren't any better than those of a complete newbie, but as best as I can try to discern, these headphones sound no worse than my first pair, the ATH-M50, which costs 3 times as much.
I enjoy the semi-open back design; it feels slightly less claustrophobic than what I'm used to hearing, but that's pretty much the only difference I can tell.
I enjoy the semi-open back design; it feels slightly less claustrophobic than what I'm used to hearing, but that's pretty much the only difference I can tell.