Shinola Detroit Canfield on-ear review: Clean and crisp sound with one design issue

|
, ,

TA-ratings-91Chances are you’ve never heard of the Shinola Detroit Canfield on-ear headphones. I actually had never heard of Shinola Detroit as a company in general. Shinola Detroit dabbles in a variety of premium products including watches, bags, bicycles, and even jewelry. The company started out with watches and felt strongly about keeping its workforce in the United States. They settled on Detroit and they make their products here in the United States. Read on for the full review of the Shinola Detroit Canfield on-ear headphones.

Specifications

The Shinola Detroit Canfield on-ear headphones have the following features and specifications.

  • Transducer type: 40MM Shinola Dynamic Transducer
  • Headphone style: Closed-back, Supra-Aural ear cushion
  • Frequency response: 20 – 20,000 HZ
  • Nominal impedance: 32Ω
  • Sound pressure level: 105 DB ±3DB/MW @ 1KHZ
  • Total harmonic distortion: 2% THD @ 1KHZ
  • Efficiency: 120 DB SPL/V @1KHZ
  • Weight without cable: 0.73 LBS
  • Dimensions: 6.9″ x 7.5″ x 1.4″ | 17.5cm x 19cm x 3.6cm

What’s In The Box

  • Shinola Detroit Canfield on-ear headphones
  • Hard shell carrying case
  • Audio cable with inline remote
  • 1/4″ adapter
  • Pouch for cables
  • Manual and documentation
  • Certificate of authenticity

Design

Since it’s in the headline of this review, I am going to start off with the one design issue on the Shinola Detroit Canfield on-ear headphones. Adjustability tolerance. Simply put, these headphones need more adjustability. I found that at their maximum opening, they still didn’t cover my ears as well as I would have liked. And having to pull them down as far as I could cause the headband to push tightly down on my head. I didn’t find this to be comfortable for prolonged use.

Now on to the good things about these headphones. They are a very solid build with very solid premium materials used. You can feel the quality the second you take them out of the box. You can smell the real leather used for the headband and see the beautiful metal used throughout. The Shinola Detroit Canfield headphones are without a doubt one of the most beautiful looking pairs of headphones I’ve ever held.

Shinola Detroit Canfield
Very nice build quality.

Since these are wired only headphones there aren’t any sort of controls on them. You have 3.5mm jacks on both earcups and your headphone cable is labeled with L and R to make it easy to use. ProTip, most headphone cables locate the inline remote or mic on the right Y split. The earpads are also made of leather and are removable and replaceable. The headphone cable is braided and of high-quality as well. The inline remote and mic are also made of metal, a nice touch.

The included hardshell case is top notch and has a sort of canvas feel to it. The plush pouch for the headphone cables is nice but is missing a drawstring, that would have been good to have. There is zero creak or noise from any of the components, everything is tight and fitted well. Pretty much everything on these headphones is made of steel, aluminum or leather.

Overall, these headphones are top of the line in terms of looks, materials, and design. With the exception of my only complaint.

Shinola Detroit Canfield
Leather, steel and aluminum make up the bulk of materials.

Sound

The sound on this headset is clean and crisp with very balanced levels across all frequencies with a healthy emphasis on the bass. When I say a healthy emphasis on bass, I mean the bass frequencies seem tweaked a bit to deliver more punch. That’s not a bad thing if done right and Shinola Detroit really nailed the balance here for my listening taste.

Listening to everything from Pink Floyd and Frank Sintra to Lecrae and Coldplay delivered clear and concise sound with nothing muddy or indistinguishable. Turning the volume to full did not produce any distortion nor did I hear any indication the drivers were being pushed too hard but I wouldn’t advise listening at full volume.

Overall, the Shinola Detroit Canfield on-ear headphones really sound amazing. They’re well balanced throughout the frequency range but with some extra attention given to the bass.

Shinola Detroit Canfield
Not enough adjustability was my only real major complaint.

Call Quality

The headphone cable does come with a very nice inline remote and mic. Call quality was really good here, no complaints from callers about not being able to hear or sounding like I was in a tin can. No complaints at all here.

Price/Value

When I first got these for review Shinola had them priced at $499USD. I felt that price point was a little steep for on-ear headphones even with the great design these have. The company contacted me recently to let me know they lowered the price to a much more acceptable $350USD. At this price point, these headphones are very much worth it… if they fit you comfortably.

Wrap Up

I really enjoyed the sound of the Shinola Detroit Canfield on-ear headphones. They’re right up there with some of the other headphones I’ve used in this more “luxury design” category. Their one glaring flaw is not being adjustable enough for people with large skulls, such as myself. If your melon is smaller than mine and these fit you comfortably, they’re a great pair of luxury headphones.

*We received a review unit of the Shinola Detroit Canfield on-ear headphones for the purposes of this review.
Previous

Massdrop offers a Scrabble-themed mechanical keyboard

Buckle & Seam Sierra 15″ review: A most excellent leather messenger bag with a cause

Next

Latest Articles

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap