Nokia collaborated with Monster on the Purity HD On-Ear headphones with the goal to make them an all-around performer delivering great sound for all genres.
Their elegant modern design compliments Nokia's Lumia Windows Phone, but you can listen using any device with a 3.5mm jack.
Included are a carrying case and two flat tangle-free cables resembling rubber strands of fettuccine. One has an inline microphone, and 3-button remote functions for volume, track, and call control. The remote functions of this cable only work if you have a Windows Phone device. The mic though still worked superbly on my iPhone. In fact most folks I called were surprised to learn I had been using a hands-free mic since many tend to pick-up extraneous noise. The mic performance shamed that of my Klipsch Image S4i headset.
The other cable has just the mic. Thanks to the removable cable design, you can supply your own cable that has those remote functions. I just ordered V-Moda's 3 Button SpeakEasy cable so look for more on that later.
The headband was snug enough for me to run in them. The pivoting cups have very soft and cushy ear-pads that made them quite comfortable. The Purity headphones fit on the ear rather than over the ear. This in addition to a tri-folding design makes them quite compact.
To my ears, I felt they punched ample, but not blunt force bass. They seem to project the middle range and vocals to the center of the sound stage. That's not to say they lack bass. It is quite satisfying, but it is tuned to support the the main stage rather than overwhelm it.
The Nokia Purity HD headphones are one of the best sounding on-ear headphones I've heard. I wished I could have listened to them alongside the highly vaunted and similarly priced Crossfade M80 headphones from V-Moda. The M80 headset is often praised for tank-like build quality. While the Nokia headset has good build quality, but the use of lightweight plastic is definitely short of V-Moda.
These aren't bargain bin cans at $200. But if you are in the market for headphones that sound this good, look cool, feel comfy, and travel well, these are worth putting on your list. If you are flexible on color, I've seen them as low as $125 on Amazon.
Matthew Fortner has been at The News & Observer since 2002. He has a passion for gadgets, cutting-edge technology and all things geek.