Physical characteristics & appearanceThere’s no getting away from it these are big headphones. And heavy – weighing around 480g. By comparison your average headphone weighs around 300-350g or thereabouts.
Construction is solid consisting of an aluminium headband, stainless steel ear cups and robust abs plastic. These are handsome looking headphones with a reasonably premium feel to them.
The metal headband is surrounded by a wide soft pleather wrapped foam headband which distributes the weight extremely well over the head so there is minimal feeling of downward pressure, although some do complain about neck strain after prolonged use due to the overall weight of the ‘phones.
The ear cups are heavy and the headband is non-ratcheted which can result in the cups sliding down during use, which is annoying. I wrap a small elastic band round the slider just below each cup to ensure this doesn’t happen…an inelegant solution but one that works. It's possible that Final may have improved things over time but if my experience of their IEMs is anything to go by they are a company that isn't particularly responsive to these kind of things....but your audition may help answer that one!
CableThe Pandora uses a bespoke 1.5m dual entry detachable cable. Relatively thin but seems robust enough.
Final employs a simple locking mechanism (just insert and twist 90 degrees to lock) which is good in terms of ensuring a stable connection but perhaps to avoid damage it’d be better to have a cable that just came straight out when it is was yanked hard.
Replacement stock cables will set you back around £40 or you can buy a 3m version for approx. £50.
The only 3rd party cables I’m aware of are made by Alo Audio and they are very pricey ($300ish before shipping & import costs). Some folk have made their own DIY balanced cables but I think that involves modifying a stock cable. Can find some more info on this for you if it's of interest.
Comfort / padsThis is probably the most opinion splitting aspect of the Pandora and the reason why many either don’t buy them to begin with or decide to sell them on.
As mentioned the headband itself does a fine job and aside from the overall weight the biggest factor in terms of comfort will be the pads used. Comfort is highly subjective of course but I’ll give some impressions based on my experiences (and what I’ve gleaned from other owners):
Type B stock pad (aka ‘low repulsion’) ‘Limited time’ pads that were originally supplied with the Pandora. To my ears they provide the best sound quality but a combination of the shallowness and suppleness of these pads means that the VI’s rigid plastic driver grilles really mash your ears. Also have a tendency to get a bit warm with prolonged use.
Some hate the comfort whilst others, myself included, find them fair. I don’t think anyone would ever describe them as incredibly comfortable though!
If you have read any professional reviews of the Pandora listening was likely done with these pads fitted. Reviews describe what I hear with Type B.
Type A stock pad (later production Pandora and I believe also used on Sonorous VI)Slightly deeper pads which mean the ears make minimal contact with the driver grilles and they offer improved comfort to the Type B. If you see someone saying the Pandora is comfortable they likely tried them with these pads. Equally if you hear someone say the Pandora sounds like **** they likely tried them with these pads
I only used my pair for an hour or so as I passionately dislike them. In my humble opinion they ruin the sound signature of what is a very capable headphone and make it sound like a lesser one….one I would not pay money for irrespective of price.
To my ears these pads make the VI sound rough, aggressive, bright (markedly elevated upper mids / treble) and vocals just sound ‘wonky’. Bass becomes more emphasised too I think and more thumpy with less definition.
Shure SRH1540 ‘alcantara’ padsWhilst I’ve not done much in the way of comparison these are my preferred pads. They are close enough to the Type B pads sound wise for me and improve comfort greatly.
The alcantara material is very soft and is also very breathable owning to a number of perforations so your ears don’t become overly warm with extended listening. Not cheap at around £40 a pair although in fairness the stock pads cost about the same.
Impressions on sound will be based on these pads but should give you a good impression of Type B as well I think.