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M-Audio Q40 Impressions (long w/pics) - Page 9

post #121 of 742
2/14/08 at 9:15pm
I am now the proud owner of the Q40s. My intial impressions are pretty good, I'm still in the process of burning in, so i will reserve my final judgement untill I have some hours on them.

I must say you guys did a very good job of describing the can. In comparison I would say the bass is MUCH more present. The mids are a bit less "fun". I find the highs to be less present, I dont think they are of lower quality, just that the bass masks it a bit.

I'm listening to these unamped right now, so someone using an amp may have different impressions. So far so good...
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

M-Audio Studiophile Q40 Closed-back Dynamic Headphones
Powered by NexTag
Equation RP-21 Stereo Monitor Headphones
Beyerdynamic DT 990 - 600 Ohm
post #122 of 742
2/14/08 at 10:03pm
I'm so close to pull the trigger on these cans - you guys seems to have gathered all info I need, except how they actually looks in use. As I'm planning to use them both in the studio AND in the street, looks and size are important(to me anyway...). So if any of you owners would like to post pictures wearing the Q40s, it would be highly appreciated! This is the last step before purchase!
Thanx!
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post #123 of 742
2/14/08 at 11:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by epithetless View Post
Any updates on this, kind sir?
Sorry - I haven't forgotten about doing this comparison for you but I've been pretty caught up with working on my S² Audio stuff. I promise to try and get to this within the next day or so. Feel free to keep bugging me about it!
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post #124 of 742
3/2/08 at 5:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by warrior05 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by epithetless
warrior05...do you happen to have a set of pleathers lying around that you could compare the velours to? I'm hesitant to drop more money on velours on the chance they'll sound closer to stock than to the Beyer pleathers...I know we all hear things differently, but if you don't detect a difference between the pleathers and velours, then I'll know the latter probably aren't for me.
...

Sorry - I haven't forgotten about doing this comparison for you but I've been pretty caught up with working on my S² Audio stuff. I promise to try and get to this within the next day or so. Feel free to keep bugging me about it!
Well, since you invited more bugging... Have you had a chance to try this out, warrior05? I'd love to make my Q40s more comfortable without degrading the SQ/presentation.
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post #125 of 742
3/2/08 at 6:55pm
is there a website where you can get a good deal on the q40
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post #126 of 742
3/4/08 at 9:48am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by epithetless View Post
Well, since you invited more bugging... Have you had a chance to try this out, warrior05? I'd love to make my Q40s more comfortable without degrading the SQ/presentation.
Finally. Finally. Finally. I tried out this comparo last night. My apologies for taking forever and a day.

First off - my source was my Rockbox'd iMod playing FLAC files through my Pico. I started with the velour then went to pleather then back to velour. Both sets are Beyer pads. There is a difference and I think it really comes down to a matter of preference of sound sig since the Q40s sound pretty darn good with either one of them. The pleather pads accentuate the bass and brings it more to the forefront. In turn, it seems to overpower a bit. When I go to the velours the sound has a bit more sparkle and a bit more air. I'm somewhat of a basshead but I prefer the velours. If you want more slam - go with pleather/leather. If you want more of an open sound and don't mind the bass dialed back just a notch - go with velour. It is similar to the DT990s. I find the bass to be too much with pleather/leather and keep velours on mine.

I still have plans on operating on the Q40s. I want to try some ear chamber treatments to try and tighten up the bass a bit more. I also want to replace the internal wiring. And I just want to see the guts of these very cool headphones.
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post #127 of 742
3/4/08 at 9:50am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by faiz23 View Post
is there a website where you can get a good deal on the q40
I think your best bet for a good deal is on eBay. Look for a BIN with a Best Offer. You should be able to get them for around $115. Heck, try offering lower and see if they accept.
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post #128 of 742
3/4/08 at 11:34am
Thread Starter 
There's a pair up on eBay now with a BIN of $119 or Best Offer. I would suggest trying something like $105 and see what they say. You may get it for cheaper than I did.
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post #129 of 742
3/4/08 at 8:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by warrior05 View Post
Finally. Finally. Finally. I tried out this comparo last night. My apologies for taking forever and a day.

First off - my source was my Rockbox'd iMod playing FLAC files through my Pico. I started with the velour then went to pleather then back to velour. Both sets are Beyer pads. There is a difference and I think it really comes down to a matter of preference of sound sig since the Q40s sound pretty darn good with either one of them. The pleather pads accentuate the bass and brings it more to the forefront. In turn, it seems to overpower a bit. When I go to the velours the sound has a bit more sparkle and a bit more air. I'm somewhat of a basshead but I prefer the velours. If you want more slam - go with pleather/leather. If you want more of an open sound and don't mind the bass dialed back just a notch - go with velour. It is similar to the DT990s. I find the bass to be too much with pleather/leather and keep velours on mine.

I still have plans on operating on the Q40s. I want to try some ear chamber treatments to try and tighten up the bass a bit more. I also want to replace the internal wiring. And I just want to see the guts of these very cool headphones.
Thanks, warrior05! No apologies needed, as I know this is just a hobby for us all...

My main gripe with the Beyer velours was that the midrange became unpleasantly distant-sounding (an effect no doubt intensified by the boomier bass) -- Did you experience any of this with the velours? Sonically, the stock M-Audio pads give me exactly what I'm looking for (a smooth and up-front sound with no strange boosts or suckouts along the frequency spectrum). Would you say the Beyer velours maintain that quality?

P.S. I would love to see the results of any Q40 excavations/modifications you perform in the future....
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post #130 of 742
3/25/08 at 1:30pm
i stumbled upon this pair of M-Audio Q40 headphones at a store today while looking for some ultrasone headphones, i liked what i listened today from it quite alot, it had strong deep bass like the AKG K518dj but not as overpowering as it, but slightly less 'fun' than the akg, but still certainly very good sounding, i can clearly say that this is a Basshead headphone, this could juz be the step-up from the k518dj....but i have to audition the ultrasone hfi580 or dj1 1st if possible b4 i decide which to buy again....i'm juz surprised that this Q40 headphone is not getting enough airtime at the forum~ also it seems to be the 1 and only headphone being made by M-audio, strange becoz i thought that they would have more than 1 headphone, but that is juz what i saw at their website....
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post #131 of 742
5/5/08 at 5:21am

Crappy connectors?

I just got these headphones (M-Audio Studiophile Q40).. and would now like to know if there's something fundamentally wrong with the cable/headphone connectors or if I just got a bad specimen, because the headphone connection is really loose, it won't screw on or lock in in any way. I can't get any sound out of them unless I explicitly press the connector against the headphone with my hand. Feeling quite frustrated right now, was expecting quite a lot more from these since I had read posts and reviews that said the make was quite robust.. I'm now thinking about returning them instead of trying to get a working one.

By the way, with every headphone I've had, it's been the cable that's given up, the most recent of these is the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro, which I got the Q40 to replace. The cable inside the other ear cup had twisted against the plastic and cut it (probably a little soldering could fix it if I had the know-how)
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post #132 of 742
5/5/08 at 4:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jha View Post
I just got these headphones (M-Audio Studiophile Q40).. and would now like to know if there's something fundamentally wrong with the cable/headphone connectors or if I just got a bad specimen, because the headphone connection is really loose, it won't screw on or lock in in any way. I can't get any sound out of them unless I explicitly press the connector against the headphone with my hand. Feeling quite frustrated right now, was expecting quite a lot more from these since I had read posts and reviews that said the make was quite robust.. I'm now thinking about returning them instead of trying to get a working one.
I'd say claiming a fundamental defect with the connectors is a bit far-fetched at this point. My connection has been fine. I find I have to firmly push the plug up into the jack in order for the threads to catch, and then keep pushing as I screw the plug in, but the cable has no problem staying put at that point. It's not unlike the way one has to continually press down on a child-proof cap to unscrew it from a medicine bottle. My guess is a replacement Q40 wouldn't have the problem you're experiencing with your current one.

By the way, I finally purchased a set of velour DT770 pads to try them with my Q70, and while I much prefer their sound to the pleather DT770 pads (it's much closer to stock, with just the slightest drop in bass impact), I have reverted back to the original M-Audio pads simply because (1) I still like their sound the most, and (2) the velour pads, being a bit shallower than the pleather Beyer ones, didn't prevent my left ear from touching the inner foam -- which was the point of seeking new pads in the first place. I've resigned myself to less-than-perfect comfort for superior sound.
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post #133 of 742
5/5/08 at 5:11pm
Thread Starter 
I echo epithetless' suggestion. I have 2 pairs, 1 that I modded and 1 stock for comparison purposes, and both were fine in regards to the cable screwing into the left ear chamber. As for the cable itself - I can't stand it and recabled mine the same day I got it.
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post #134 of 742
5/5/08 at 5:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by warrior05 View Post
As for the cable itself - I can't stand it and recabled mine the same day I got it.
What did you recable with, if you don't mind my asking? And did you go crazy with the internal wiring, too?
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post #135 of 742
5/5/08 at 7:18pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by epithetless View Post
What did you recable with, if you don't mind my asking? And did you go crazy with the internal wiring, too?
I first just made a replacement cable but then I went whole hog and broke them down and replaced the internal wiring as well. I used what I always use for my recables - Mogami high definition mini quad. Honestly, wasn't a huge jump in SQ. Bit more bass control and extension. The nicest difference came from treating the ear chambers with some felt. Gained some soundstage that was surprising.
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

M-Audio Studiophile Q40 Closed-back Dynamic Headphones
Powered by NexTag
Equation RP-21 Stereo Monitor Headphones
Beyerdynamic DT 990 - 600 Ohm
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