Shinola Detroit is a name you don’t hear much in the headphone world. My first experience with the company’s products was with their Canfield over-ear headphones. My review of those headphones praised their sound but found their fit lacking. Now, we have the Shinola Detroit Canfield over-ear headphones in for review. Is the bigger brother a better fit? Find out in the full review of the Shinola Detroit Canfield over-ear headphones!
One thing before you dive into the full review. If you’re averse to paying a lot of money for headphones or if you need Bluetooth capability, these are most certainly not the headphones for you.
Specifications
The Shinola Detroit Canfield over-ear headphones have the following features and specifications:
- Transducer type: 50MM Shinola Dynamic Transducer
- Headphone style: Closed-back, Supra-Aural ear cushion
- Frequency response: 20 – 24,000 HZ
- Nominal impedance: 41Ω
- Sound pressure level: 105 DB ±3DB/MW @ 1KHZ
- Total harmonic distortion: 1% THD @ 1KHZ
- Efficiency: 115 DB SPL/V @1KHZ
- Weight: 0.99 LBS
- Dimensions: 6.9″ x 8.3″ x 1.7″ | 17.5cm x 21cm x 4.3cm
What’s In The Box
- Shinola Detroit Canfield over-ear headphones
- Hard shell carrying case
- Audio cable with inline remote
- 1/4″ adapter
- Pouch for cables
- Manual and documentation
- Certificate of authenticity
Video Review
Design
When we tested and reviewed the Canfield on-ear headphones we felt the adjustability tolerance was low. Simply put, the on-ear version didn’t have enough adjustability to fit my head. I found that at their maximum opening, they still didn’t cover my ears as well as I would have liked. Having to pull them down as far as I could caused the headband to push tightly down on my head. Of course, I didn’t find this to be comfortable for prolonged use.
I am very happy to report that the Shinola Detroit Canfield over-ear headphones have a better adjustability tolerance. I was pretty nervous about trying these on but I found that the ear cups covered my ears nicely. Although the fit is just barely there as I did have to adjust them to their maximum opening. Still, this is a huge improvement over the on-ear version.
One thing I didn’t cover with the on-ear version was clamping force and headband comfort. The clamping force of these headphones is fairly normal and comfortable. I never felt like there was too much pressure pushing in on my head and ears. The headband is comfortable but with prolonged use, it does start to become noticeable that it is there.
Like the on-ear version, these 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 feel and see the beautiful metal used throughout. The look of the headphones isn’t much different from its little brother, still very attractive.
Being that these are wired headphones, there are no physical controls on them at all, just a headphone jack in each cup. The headphone cable is a braided wire and is of premium quality with the tips marked L and R for proper placement into the headphone jacks. The inline remote and mic are made of aluminum as is the housing around the 3.5mm headphone tips.
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 which 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 as premium looking and feeling as their price tag and they one-up their little brother by providing a better fit.
Sound
The sound on the Shinola Detroit Canfield over-ears is clean and crisp with tweaked bass frequencies delivering a bit more low-end punch. It’s not overdone at all. In my opinion, it’s a nice amount of tweaking to help keep the low end strong enough to hold up the rest of the frequencies. The highs and mids are nicely balanced while vocals are clean and clear, with cymbals and higher frequencies instruments cutting through nicely.
I listen to a lot of different music from Michael Jackson and Pink Floyd to Lecrae and Metallica. The Shinola Detroit Canfield over-ears delivered clear and concise sound with nothing muddy or indistinguishable. This is very evident when listening to Pink Floyd given that The Floyd have always liked to layer their music, often with background effects that can be hard to pick up on.
Everything sounded very balanced at low and higher volumes. 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 over-ear headphones really sound amazing. They’re well balanced throughout the frequency range but with some extra attention given to the bass.
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.
Price/Value
Since these are the bigger brother of the on-ears with larger drivers and slightly bigger dimensions they will set you back a few more dollars. With an MSRP of $450USD, these are certainly not for every buyer. I don’t think your average user is going to want to spend this much on headphones. For those who don’t mind the price point, I think there is definitely great value in the sound and fit here.
Wrap Up
Much like the on-ear version of these headphones, I really enjoyed the sound of the Shinola Detroit Canfield over-ear headphones. These really do compete with other headphones in their market category. I really enjoyed the sound of the on-ear version of these headphones as well, but their fit could be an issue for some. Because of that, I think the over-ear headphones are the Shinolas you want. That is if you don’t need Bluetooth and don’t mind paying a good chunk of change.
