So I am now able to compare the two AUREOLS directly. To evaluate the sound quality headphones, is notoriously difficult because it also subjective feelings play a role. Also, I do not presume to me to have perfect pitch. But I can say that both listener sound great for the price, where they differ significantly due to design. The REAL dissolves transparent, the bass is not as deep as the MASSIVE, but they are there. Conversely, the MASSIVE not limited to Bassgewummere, but also forms mids and highs from good. I personally like the sound of the REAL better.
The REAL is very lightweight and sits comfortably, but the shells fit just so to my ears. Adjusting the earpiece to his head on the metal feeds is easy and infinitely possible in a very wide range.
The massive is the exact opposite of the REAL: heavy and bulky, massive halt. But he folds up small due to its intelligent mechanism and can be better transported. For this, however, the cable must be removed beforehand. The extract of the MASSIVE must be sent to me at the greatest possible distance, so that it sits comfortably. But I also have a big head ;-))
When open REAL listening with the environment. However, if for example, a TV is operated in the same room with a normal volume, it covers the noise of the REAL emits outwards. The shield of MASSIVE is perfect, even at high volumes nothing penetrates to the outside. There is under the plastic pad over time quite warm. When operating at a mobile music source (in my case: Samsung Galaxy Note), the maximum volume is sufficient in both phones, but by no means excessive.
Actually, I had thought that there is no longer much potential for innovation in headphones. But the idea with the interchangeable connection leads is awesome and very convenient. When the REAL cable is plugged only into the left ear, the MASSIVE it can be secured by turning additionally a groove. The cable of the MASSIVE REAL also attached, but not vice versa.
When REAL, the two high-quality red-sheathed cables differ not only in length (1.5 m to 3 m), but also in the plug. The short cable has a 3.5 mm jack, the long it is 6.3 mm. A reasonable solution, because the long cable will be mainly be used for connection to a HiFi system which has usually a 6.3 mm connection. When MASSIVE both cables have a gold-plated 3.5 mm jack, which can be enlarged using the enclosed screw adapter to 6.3 mm. The shorter cable is a coiled cable, which I think is impractical because it is unnecessarily difficult in everyday use and can be extended only by train. The other is much too long for use with a portable music player or smartphone. Of course I could also use the shorter cable of the real, but that does not fit visually quite the black MASSIVE. I have therefore still worried me a commercially available, good connection cable (3.5 mm jack to 3.5 mm jack). Its length is a matter of taste, of 1 m to 1.8 m is everything. I hold 1.2m for ideal. You just have to make sure that the plug head is small enough to fit into the recessed connecting opening of MASSIVE.
My conclusion: For 170 you get not only a good set of headphones, but two in hell. But do we have a worry-free package for most situations and for different music. The massive visually gives quite a good impression when he looks also completely different from the comparatively fragile acting REAL.
Whether one of the white or black REAL like better, is a matter of taste. The white contrasts anyway perfect for MASSIVE. And if both handsets are too large or conspicuous to carry around in public, which can still pull the AUREOL FIDELITY into consideration
