MONDO by Defunc: retro looking headphones with positively progressive audio delivery

I’ve had the same set of headphone on every night for the past seven nights, putting the final touches to an album I am producing via awesome vinyl creation site, Elastic Stage. The same set of headphones have served me well for the past couple of years but it’s always nice to introduce a new pair to the audio accessory fold.

So I was thrilled when a package arrived from MONDO by Defunc, a Swedish manufacturer of fine audio gear – so fine, their prices are generally in German when you go shopping for them online, and we know how seriously the Germans take their tech. I did, of course, find an Australian website for the brand and am glad I did – the prices here are that much friendlier!

The headphones themselves look like those old school ones, particularly the ones you used to get on aeroplanes to tune into the airline’s tinny sound system. Alas, MONDO by Defunc ‘phones are far from tacky technology – rather they deliver deep bass in a lightweight form that kept them on my head for most of the first day of unpacking them.

These on-ear freestyle headphones are easily paired to your listening device via Bluetooth and truly are a symphony of Swedish sound engineering and cool retro style. When fully charged, they offer up to 22 hours of playtime, and boast a rich sound experience and plenty of hands-on functionality.

Easily rotating controls on each side put the power of sound right at your fingertips, and here you can change follow, skip tracks, or go back to favourite ones. For the fully customised listening experience, you just need to download the MONDO app, where you can adjust your EQ settings to personalise your listening experience. I like my audio with Dolby Atmos on, and let me tell you, the journey of sound these headphones take me on is one well worth writing home about.

I took them with me on a trip overseas recently and, referring back to that album I’m producing, figured I’d listen to every track fully mastered, to see which ones would make the final cut on my record. The looks I got from fellow passengers whilst flying were ones of confusion at first – they thought I had somehow gotten hold of a pair of the aforementioned ye olde headsets, then realised something clearly more hip was sitting atop my head.

In full Atmos mode, I could hear every nuance of every song – a trippy echo here, reverbed bass there – you name it, the MONDO by Defunc headphones pick it up and play it back in full glorious stereophonic mode.

I’m also now testing my album tracks on the MONDO by Defunc Bluetooth Speaker, but that’s for another review, on its way soon.

In the meantime, check out the website of these masters of audio engineering and rest assured you’re investing in some quality audio product. I’ve worked within the music industry for decades, so I mean it when I say these headphones – which retail for under a hundred dollars – are seriously good.

Antonino Tati

For pricing and further information, visit mondobydefunc.com.au.

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