[Product Review] New DS-73 and DS-74 headphones from Direct Sound!

Direct Sound is a headphone brand for which Sound House is the distributor, and the brand recently released two long-awaited new models of monitor headphones.

Direct Sound has gained popularity among drummers and musicians who perform on live stages for their high sound insulation headphones.

Their flagship headphones released so far have been characterized by their high sound insulation and have become popular among musicians who need to monitor their sound in loud surroundings. Direct Sound headphones are used by famous musicians overseas and are quite famous.

This time, the headphones that they released are monitor headphones intended for use in music production and recording. The lineup includes the semi-open headphones DS-73 and the closed-back headphones DS-74.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the DS-73.

The DS-73 is Direct Sound’s first semi-open headphones. The mesh housing is a unique design for semi-open headphones, and the red color of this DS-73 pair looks impressive.

Moreover, only the R side of the inner earpad is red, making it easy to distinguish left and right. There is no need to check for the L and R on the headband to see if it’s left or right. It seems these headphones are designed for professional use.

The headband is quite flexible and spreads out quite a bit, giving it a comfortable fit for large heads. The side pressure is neither too strong nor too weak; I wear glasses, but I didn’t feel it was too tight.
My first impression of the sound quality is that the sense of volume of the low frequency is clear and very easy to listen to, even though they are semi-open headphones. Unlike many open-back headphones, the DS-73’s doesn’t lack punch, but they capture the presence of bass and bass drums well. It is pleasant to listen to and the sound resolution is also solid, so each individual sound can be heard clearly. Since the sound quality is good, I think it should be easy to balance the entire piece of music.

Now, I’m going to take a look at the closed-back headphones DS-74.
The size feels the same as the DS-73’s on my head. The housing is a closed-back type with silver coloring. The ear pads are thick and go over the ears, so they are quite comfortable to wear.

The sound quality of these DS-74 headphones is typical of monitor headphones. The sound is flat in both low to high frequencies, and no range is emphasized but remains even. The sound resolution is also sufficient. The closed-back type makes the sound insulation excellent, and these DS-74’s are recommended for monitoring or recording in places where ambient sound is a concern.

Both the DS-73 and DS-74 models are now available for purchase at Sound House!
Also, take a minute to look at both of these models in Sound & Recording Magazine! (in Japanese only)