The key innovation behind the Torque t402v headphones is a modular design that aims to please any listener. Torque is an up and coming audio company that brings innovation with a purpose. The t402v comes with one pair of on-ear pads and one of around-ear cups, both of which are magnetic and can be swapped out on the fly. These plush SoftRide memory foam cushions can also be configured to modify the frequency response for more or less low-end sound.
To be more specific, the headphones are using what Torque calls Passive Acoustic Valve Technology™ (PAVT), which uses subtractive equalization to physically cut specific frequency ranges to boost others. Simply put, the headphones have different perforated filters that you switch between, and they physically augment the low-end of the sound waves.
The mofi:fi modular sound is the end result of this, and it provides four color-coded options for different levels of bass to complement the gentle U-curve of the t402v’s frequency response graph. Across all different bass response levels, highs are crisp, and the soundstaging is fairly dynamic with a semi-open back design. The different levels of low-end each characterize the audio differently, and I will cover each one individually below.
Yellow: Skull rattling bass. This setting brings 808 kicks and cello to life, but it is also where the mids are the most recessed. Sometimes vocals will be muddled, but this is overall an incredible fun listening experience.
Blue: This setting is where the bass is just starting to rumble while the mids and highs are still smooth.
Red: My personal favorite setting is very close to the blue setting but just slightly more balanced. Low-mids have presence and highs stay crisp.
Black: The most balanced sound, which I must emphasize, still has great bass extension for listening to electronic music and hip-hop. A note to those still focused on reference use. This is the only mode you want to mix your audio with unless you want to fool yourself into thinking you’ve mixed your bass in just right. (Spoiler alert: you didn’t).
My testing for the over-ear listening matches this description as well. The smaller pads do make the sound feel a little less open, though, plus their design contributes to external sound leakage. Both pairs of ear cushions are incredibly comfortable, and the SoftRide memory foam always returns to form, no matter how much you tweak the fit.
Even on my larger head, I find the square ear cups engulf the side of my head, but if you ever find this uncomfortable, you can easily switch to the comfortable on-ear pads without forgoing too much audio quality.
The machined metal parts are incredibly durable and have nice brushed aluminum accents, but the spring steel reinforced headband is not well cushioned and causes me discomfort during extended listening. The ear cups swivel 95° and have just enough vertical articulation to wear them around your neck.
Obviously, Torque has put great thought into their innovative headphone design, but to say that it will please anyone is not an entirely true statement. These cans are obviously not for studio use, as they color the music in a way that would muddle a mixing effort. And more importantly, their high price is an obstacle that limits their appeal to a casual listener.
Torque’s flagship t096z in-ear headphones hope to attract an even wider audience with their portability and sound-shaping selection of silicone ear tips, but they too are quite expensive. Still, this adds credibility to the company’s mission, as they have created a new line of audio gear that is competitive with industry giants in terms of audiophile-grade sound.
For an avid listener who only wants to own one pair of headphones, the t402vs offer immense value, providing craftsmanship across the board. This goes right down to its detachable 1.4 m cable shielded in mylar, which also has an inline mic and controls for iOS. If you enjoy toying with your sound beyond fiddling with generic digital EQ, these headphones are a top pick.