These headphones also boast a long battery life, allowing users to enjoy their music for extended periods without the need for constant recharging. Additionally, the headphones feature a convenient built-in microphone, enabling users to make and receive phone calls without having to remove the headphones. While the fit is secure, there are better alternatives out there, such as Monster’s own iSport SuperSlim, which are a great value nowadays. Verdict As a pair of sporty on-ear headphones there’s plenty to like about the Monster iSport Freedom. The surprisingly lightweight design make them perfect for the gym and the bright, reflective exterior is great for running at night. It manages a faultless Bluetooth performance and the water-resistance is a real bonus especially if you get a real sweat on. We can at least be more glowing about its Bluetooth capabilities. There’s support for AAC and APTX high quality Bluetooth streaming and we had little problems of signal drop-outs or syncing with our iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8. The headphones fold down easily, collapsing at hinges just above each ear. You get a drawstring carrying pouch, a USB charging cable, and the aforementioned audio cable.

The company estimates battery life to be roughly eight hours, but your results will vary with your volume levels. Aside from the ear fins and tips, Monster includes a small drawstring pouch for the earphones, and a micro USB charging cable that connects to a covered port on the inline compartment. Performance These earphones aren’t subtle. The SoundMagic E10BT display better bass control, and more smoothness in the mids and treble, without sacrificing detail. However, I can’t deny that these really do the job for workouts. The result is sound with real energy and drive, even if the bass is just too juvenile to keep pace with anything more complicated than a “four to the floor” pulse.Connectivity is all taken care of over on the left earcup where small rubbery latches protect the ports for the headphone cable and microUSB to USB charging cable both of which are provided alongside a small carry bag and a cleaning cloth which will come in handy for the fluff-attracting ear cushions. Most of the wireless headphones and earphones I’ve used over the past 12 months (bar true wireless pairs) have demonstrated near-perfect Bluetooth performance. The Monster iSport Spirit are less reliable, and results seem likely to vary with the phone with which they’re used. Turbo makes music a few decibels louder overall, and seems to boost both bass and treble for a more energetic, cutting sound. While I’m not convinced it’s hugely different to upping the volume a few notches, it’s handy if you’re flagging a bit during a run and find a little volume will keep you going . While the iSport SuperSlim’s sound profile won’t be to everyone’s taste, there’s still plenty to like about them, if you’re willing to spend big on a pair of sports headphones.

It doesn’t take long after you prise them out of the box to realise that these are undeniably sports headphones. The neon green running through the interior of the headband all the way to the earcups ensure the Freedoms truly stand out. That’s before spotting the big reflective strip to aid visibility and make them ideal for night-time runs.

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The cable is surprisingly thin and doesn’t weigh very much as a result, making it less noticeable. It’s also pretty flexible, managing to deal well with the rigours of having the headphones thrown casually in my gym bag without any extra protection. A small travel pouch is included, but I didn’t find a need for it. The iSport Spirit’s entire sound is all about this sort of motivation. It’s aggressive, in a way that works perfectly for exercise. Overall, I really liked the Monster iSport Immersion headphones. As I said in the intro, I consider them to be among the best wired sports in-ear headphones available and I wouldn't hesitate to use these on a day-to-day basis. While they won't fit everybody equally well, I got a very secure fit and they stayed in my ears on all my 4-mile "test" runs. They fit more securely than the Polk Audio UltraFit 3000 in-ear headphones and sound better, with bigger bass and more detail. But the Polks, which sound pretty good, allow more outside sound in, which some people may prefer.

If you want headphones that will become a seamless part of your workout then you might find the tug of the remote control’s weight too distracting. The iSport Victory’s sound quality is reasonable for the money, but I wish there was more of a middle-ground between the two sound profiles. Such extras are a welcome addition in what are a fairly low-cost pair of earphones. The battery indicator is another such example. When you turn on the Monster iSport Spirits, a voice prompt tells you whether the battery level is ‘low’, ‘medium’, or ‘high’. We’re not dealing with scientific-like accuracy here, but getting a nod when you’re running low is helpful. The Optoma BE Sport4 earphones reviewed recently have a smarter design in this respect, since they actually fit the battery into the earpieces. In our opinion, the detail and finesse of the Monster iSport Victory are missing. However, there’s enough treble and mid-range to prevent it sounding muddy – which won’t alienate those who prefer a little more finesse. On the whole, sound was punchy and it didn’t become unstable when we cranked things up either. Although the Jabra Sport Pulse offer more balanced sound quality over the iSport SuperSlim, you’ll have to pay more for the pleasure.The problem with suggesting an alternative is that there simply aren’t any really great on-ear headphones that can offer the kind of features the Freedoms can. If you are happy to go in-ear there are definitely some great options like the Pioneer SE-E721 or the Sennheiser PMX-685i, which do have a headband-style design. If you are willing to spend big, then the Monster iSport Victory in-ears do a much better job than Monster’s on-ears. Verdict