M-Audio Q40 Impressions (long w/pics) - Page 5

Why not, allow me to let these guys burn in for at least 20 hours or so and I'll try with my limited head-fi experience to report back to you guys.

warrior05, can you please compare how the q40 and D1000 sound unamped, say straight from an ipod?

Ya I did see post 26. What about the Q40, is there a significant difference when you listen to them unamped?

I just sold my DT770/80 and am looking to buy either the Q40 or the D1000, in fact I was about to order the D1000 before I came across this thread.

Has anyone else tried the Q40 yet? Seems Amazon increased the price of the D1000 from $99 to $137-148. So I'm going to wait till it decreases and hence have time to make up my mind between the two.

warrior05, which do you prefer - the DR150 or the Q40 unamped? I know one is open and the other is closed, but a comparison will be helpful.

I'm surprised there isn't more info on these on head-fi so far, but I'm receiving a pair of these as a gift in 2 days. I'll report on them in a week or so.

warrior05, you began your post by saying that the Q40 captures the sound of the BX-8's in a pair of headphones. Can you say a little bit more about how your Q40 sound compared to your BX-8 speakers? Obviously there will be some categorical differences (closed headphones vs. near-field monitor speakers) but maybe you can comment on whether the sound signatures are similar.

I just received a pair of M-Audio BX8a two weeks ago from a fellow head-fier. With my Q40's arriving in a couple days, maybe we can compare notes. If the Q40 has a very similar sound signature to the BX8a then I am pretty sure I will like them (I have not heard the BX-8 though). My current two pairs of "studio monitors" -- AKG K240 Studio and Equation Audio RP-21 are too colored to have the accuracy that I am looking for in a pair of closed headphones.

Just received my Q40's this weekend. Initial impressions have been very favorable. Headphones didn't seem to require much burn in, if any.

Initial comfort is good. Clamps harder than K240 Studio, but not as hard as an RP-21. Sounds more accurate than both the K240 and the RP-21. Huge huge bass that is not bloated -- definitely the feature that sticks out in my mind. They sound more like studio monitors than hi-fi headphones.

Going to bring these to work this week and give them a thorough torture test to see what they can handle well.

I'm looking forward to your impressions. Also please try and do an A/B test with the RP-21, if possible.

I'm eventually going to do a shootout between K240 Studio, RP-21, and Q40, since they are all studio headphones that people could use for listening use. I'll include a low-fi rig (computer + mp3, no amp) and a hi-fi rig.

But until then here are some more impressions (these are not from A/B listening tests):

- Q40 sounds like a very accurate/flat headphone. They are almost completely uncolored, and whatever color is there I could not describe in words. The only other headphone I have that comes close to being as accurate would be the DT880 (2003 version). To my ears, the Q40 has more accurate treble, whereas the DT880 has a slightly bright treble. I would say the RP-21 are less accurate than both Q40 and DT880, and primarily suffer from artificial-sounding highs. K240 Studio would be the least accurate, with a very warm sound signature and rolled off treble (the anti-DT880!).

- Q40's physical comfort is about as expected. To me, the vinyl ear cushions and headband are about as comfortable as I would expect from this type of headphone. In comparison, the RP-21's headband is less comfortable because of a lack of padding, but the RP-21 has fairly comfortable earpads as well. Q40 has slightly less clamping force than the RP-21, which to me is a plus. But the Q40 is still less comfortable than the comfort champion in this category, the K240 Studio. If I had to guess, I would say I could listen to the 3 studio monitors for the following lengths of time comfortably:

• RP-21 ............. 2 hours
• Q40 ................ 4 hours
• K240 Studio ..... 6 hours

- Q40 is similar to the RP-21 in how it responds to source and amplification changes. Both sound very good out of low-fi sources, but are good enough to show improvements in source when you go to a hi-fi source. On the other hand, both Q40 and RP-21 do not seem to respond much to amplification, perhaps because they are both very efficient headphones. In contrast, the K240 doesn't sound very good out of low-fi sources, and shows a huge improvement from amplification, probably a sign that it demands more power than the other two.

If you have any specific questions about the Q40 vs. RP-21, please let me know.

Q40 stock cable

Some notes about the stock cable... I haven't experienced the same problems that others have had with the stock threaded headphone cable that comes with the Q40. It is exactly as warrior05 described on Post #1, threaded on both sides.

I find the threaded connector to screw in very easily into the left earcup of the Q40. It takes a couple extra seconds but it's easy to tell when it's all the way in. I have never had a loose connection or been unable to tell whether it was making a good contact. I like the screw-type connector better than the RP-21's connector, which has a notch which acts as a locking mechanism. But my favorite type of connector is the mini-XLR type that the AKG K240 Studio has. Like regular XLR connectors, it has a notch on the outside which pops up when the connector is in. There is no ambiguity this way about whether it is connected or not.

The stock cable is too long for portable use but appropriate for home/work/school use. It also appears to be slightly microphonic (if you rub the wire with your hand, you can hear it in the earcups), but not enough to be annoying.

Overall, I think the stock cable is acceptable but doesn't really impress me. It serves its purpose adequately, and it's nice that it detaches for storage or transport. I like the universal threaded cable because it will make aftermarket cabling easier than say the RP-21, which would require a custom connector if you want it to lock correctly.

I'm interested in the soundstage and sound leakage of the Q40 as compared to the RP-21. Also, I assume your shootout would include a detailed bass/mids/treble comparison. Based on what I've read, the RP-21 seem to have good slam in the low end which makes them ideal for music like metal. What type of music does the Q40 excel at? How does it handle classical music?

And have you used the Denon d1000 or d2000?

What type of sound leakage (or isolation) are you looking for? Both RP-21 and Q40 offer reasonable isolation. I have an SPL meter so I can measure leakage if you want.

In my shootout I'll do a detailed bass/mids/treble comparison. My initial impression is that the Q40 is the most accurate in all 3. But I'll test with different types of music to see if that holds up.

Being a studio monitor headphone, the Q40 doesn't seem to excel or do poorly at any one type of music. It seems to do a very good job of rendering instruments accurately. Unlike the high end AKG/Grado/Senn/Beyer, which are voiced in a particular way, the Q40 sound very flat so they don't seem made for one particular type of music. They do seem fast enough to keep up with metal, but I need to do more listening to confirm.

I've never heard the Denons.