Somic HD MH463 Open-air Dynamic Pro Headphones (Black)

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(For reference, coming form SR850s w/ modified pads and Philips Citiscape Uptowns)

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBEG 

Came home from work to find a package from Hong Kong.

 

Packaging of the 463s is so-so. Looks kinda nice, feels kinda cheap, only accessories to speak of is a plug adapter. Whatever, I'm not buying packaging so this doesn't bother or disappoint me.

 

Build quality is nice. Heavier than the SR850s and Uptowns. Cable is much better than the Uptowns'. I like that the cups swivel to lay flat, but as these are open phones I probably won't be traveling much with them.

 

Sound quality straight out of the box... holy crap. First song is Crossfade's acoustic of "Falling Away" side-to-side with the Philips Uptowns, and I'm a little stunned. I now definitely understand what people have said about closed headphones sounding 'closed in' compared to open headphones, but even so I actually like the Somic's sound more (I've been loving my Uptowns, so this is a surprise that a less-expensive pair of headphones sounds notably better). Very good first impression for sound! Bill Withers' "Use Me" (one of my all-time favorites) doesn't sound quite as open, but I think it's the recording; the Uptowns suited that song a little better (made it more intimate, I guess). Bass is more or less comparable with the Uptowns with maybe a little less punch. Gonna need to compare with some 5FDP for that. "Breath of Life" by Florence + Machine goes to the 463's, no contest: the openness adds this epic quality to the song that was meant to be there, but doesn't quite show with the Uptowns. On DJ Fresh's "Louder" (the one, the only, Doctor P & Flux P remix), the closed Uptowns definitely have more impact and sound a little better, even though they lose a little detail to the 463's.

 

Comfort: first impression is cramped ears. The ear pads definitely need to be thicker and deeper. Gonna find a way to make this happen. The Uptowns are orders of magnitude better for comfort, and I actually know the meaning of that phrase!

 

 

Overall, I'm really liking what I hear. Big thanks to Joe (and 3AM insomnia) for introducing me to these bad boys.

The lacking of comfort is the only reason I can think of not to give these 5 stars. Even then, the sound quality, especially for the price, really tempts me to. But the comfort issue is a real one: the stock pads are not very deep anyway and compress very easily, leaving your ears cramped up against the driver grill/vent/thing. Replacing the stock pads with these from Turtle Beach ($14 shipped to the SE USA) fixes any problems one can have with their comfort. I can't speak to changes in sound quality at the moment, but at the very least they sound as good as they had before. The top headband is so-so; it can be better but isn't bad.

Not sure how to rate 'Design'. They do not have detachable cables, so I suppose that's a minus. The 3.5 plug is rather nice and secures in place very well. The cable is certainly long enough and doesn't seem to tangle easily or induce cable-related noise. The cups rotate so the headphone can lay flat, say in a backpack, which is a convenience I haven't had before. The top headband pleather pad can be improved by widening it, but it also collapses easily like the stock ear pads. I hear people complain about the creaking as you turn the ear cups but it doesn't while they're worn so I see no issue with them (except as a point if a "polished" product).

Find them. Buy them. They're worth every penny and many, many more.

First impressions of these bad boys (coming unamped from a Motorola Xoom, because I spent the week at my dad's, while my audio equipment spent the week at my mom's) were not good. The bass was boomy, the highs were non-existent, and the mids existed in a state of recession that could put 2010 USA to shame. The only thing that made them comparable to Sennheiser was a comically overstated veil. Despite this, I kept listening to them, finding these qualities to become less and less apparent over time. Yesterday, I tried them out again, and to my surprise, they finally started sounding like the HD600 competitors Head-Fi has been touting them as. Perhaps spending 6 hours outside in the Michigan cold while I was in school impacted their sound quality.

The MH463, after burn-in (literally) sounds wonderful. Highs are present, but not "sparkly"/obtrusive. Lower mids (especially male vocals) are a bit recessed, but they do an excellent job at bringing female vocalists to the forefront. Soundstage is wide, obviously, with this being an open-backed headphone, but not to the point of sounding "gimmicky". Bass packs a definite punch, but can get a little sloppy on tracks with a lot of low bass (that "boom, boom, boom" crap). As the bass is this headphone's major problem area, it goes without saying that the MH463 perform best with acoustic, classical, rock, and other genres that don't involve subbass.

Only one small problem. Although the Somics sound excellent...that's about all they do right. The build is creaky and rigid feeling (I feel like these things are going to snap in half every time I use the extenders). It is very obvious that Somic spent their money on R&D and drivers, leaving accessories (no case or spare pads) and features (don't expect a detachable cable here) to their more costly competitors. They also shipped a bit...dirty, with residue and other white/grey "gunk" all over the housing. Gross. This isn't necessarily something to complain about, however, as making these cut-backs allows Somic to offer $150+ dollar sound at a $50 price point. Unfortunately, due to this mindset, the Somic MH463 falls victim to having the worst pads ever. Seriously. I can't wear these things for more than 20 minutes without my ears bursting into flames. They also rest awkwardly on the ear, making my ear tips and lobes very uncomfortable. 

Fortunately, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 has some of the best pads ever, and they just so happen to fit the Somic MH463. I just worked this one out, so I can't give a 100% review of the sound, but it seems to circumvent the bass issues with this headphone quite a bit. 

This is one of the best "sound quality for buck" headphones out there. Just understand that when you purchase these that sound quality is all that you are getting. As we are audiophiles, this shouldn't be much of an issue. Unfortunately, I don't see this headphone serving the needs of people who have other needs. At the end of the day, this is a $200 headphone in a $50 package, but it's still very obvious that it comes in a $50 package.

SOUND QUALITY: 

BASS: Loud, boomy, and kind of obnoxious in bass-heavy genres without M50 pads, but is punchy and articulate in more "natural" ones.
LOW-MIDS: Slightly recessed and distant, but still hefty and with a good amount of "body" to them.
HIGH-MIDS: Exceptional. From 350-700 Hz, the MH463 is unstoppable. Airy, a bit sparkly, and right at the forefront, which is exactly where they should be. The high-mids truly set this headphone apart from everything else I have heard. 
TREBLE: It's here, it exists, it does its job, and it leaves. Not harsh or grating, nor recessed and hollow, the MH463s treble gets done what it needs to get done. You'll know when a vocalist breathes or a drummer hits a hi-hat, but it's not painfully obvious unless the track calls for it.
SOUNDSTAGE: Wide, inviting, definitely not intimate. Things that are hard panned sound like they're coming from about 95-100 degrees left or right (slightly over your shoulder). Everything fills in quite nicely.

BUILD/FEATURES:

DURABILITY: Not great, it appears. This headphone employs a similar strain relief to the M50...and seeing how my M50's strain relief broke, this is definitely vulnerable. Don't move your head back and forth too much while listening, because the MH463s creak like there's no tomorrow. Also, the extenders are very rigid and tight, sort of like the JVC HA-S400. Perhaps they just need to be broken in. 
COMFORT: Without the M50 pads, the MH463 is unbearable for more than 30 minutes to an hour. However, they do have a well-cushioned headband, so once the M50 pads are on, they are an absolute breeze to wear for long periods.
APPEARANCE: They look...decent, I guess. Save for the residue, they appear pretty plain and standard.
ACCESSORIES: Hope you like 1/4 inch adapters, because that is all you're getting.

Overall, this is a must-own for all audiophiles and a must-avoid for everyone else. If you can get past some build quality and comfort issues (I cannot stress getting the M50 pads enough), then you will be treated to one of the best sounding headphones you can purchase for under $200, let alone $50.

EDIT: Turtle Beach X12/X32 pads are much more comfortable than the M50 ones. They can be had from Turtle Beach's website for about $13 shipped to the US.