German Maestro GMP 400, GMP 450 and GMP 8.35D Summary Review

German Maestro Headphones Mini Review - Hand Built Hi-Fi & Studio Headphones

 

Source: http://blog.hifiheadphones.co.uk/2011/06/03/germanmaestro-handmade-hifi-and-proaudio/

GermanMAESTRO have been making speakers and headphones for years under the MB Quart brand. They now have their own HiFi and Pro audio brand founded by members of the management and leading employees of the recent German MB Quart enterprise. After the ultra successful MB Quart speaker Brand was purchased (and it’s operations moved to the USA) it was decided that the team responsible for the designs should carry on creating beautifully engineered German products.

 

Hand built in Germany and supplied with a 3 year warranty, the German Maestro headphone range is designed to be suitable for studio and home listening.

 

 

The GermanMAESTRO engineering team are continuing their tradition of best-in-class acoustic design, with all their headphones hand made in their renowned Obrigheim German factory.  Now their headphone products are here available in the UK.

GermanMAESTRO creates for audio enthusiasts

The German Meastro headphones are designed to deliver superior levels of detail, long term product durability, and high SPL capabilities for ProAudio. GermanMAESTRO promise nothing about their new listening systems will be anything less than extraordinary and say their goal is “ultimate satisfaction” for the end user.

 

“To hear is to distinguish. The human ear receives acoustic vibrations and translates every whisper, thunderclap and minute detail into the listening experience. When our auditory senses are stimulated by an acoustic source that satisfies the spirit, a feeling of true listening pleasure is achieved.” GermanMAESTRO

GermanMAESTRO seem to have a real love of invention and pursue new design technologies and materials in their search for excellence. The use of titanium, fiberglass reinforced ABS, unique Poly-comp cone material, and special crossover technologies were key to the development of this new range of headphones. Plastics which cannot tear or shatter and are near impossible to deform are used for the housing construction. Equipped with high-grade drivers, lightweight sandwich diaphragms and copper-plated aluminium voice coils, there are some serious ideas at work inside these cans. Some models, like the GMP400 and GMP450 Pro, have the driver suspended and isolated from the frame, just like a high end vocal microphone sitting in it’s nest. This is called “cardamatic suspension” and is designed to stop external vibration translating to the voice coil but also increases comfort for the wearer too.

It has become fashionable to claim products are used by the professionals, GermanMAESTRO headphones can genuinely be found performing a multitude of Pro Audio tasks. The GMP 8.35 D is part of the 8.000 Series which encompasses similar looking but differently featured pro models. Each model within the 8.000 Series has a distinct job and therefore individual features, they are diverse in application with uses from Pilot headsets to high end display units in National chain stores. There is a high impedance 8.000 Series model, the GMP 8.300 D, which has a nominal impedance of 300ohms and might be of interest to audiophiles or studio musicians.

Standout GermanMAESTRO models

GMP 400 - The GMP 400 is designed as an Open Back Studio mix tool and for Audiophile listening. Uncompromising sound reproduction with crystal clear trebles, rich detail in the mid-range and precise dynamic response of bass reproduction. The technical features are very impressive: Sandwich-diaphragm, copper plated aluminium voice coils, ear cups with cardamatic suspension. Immediately I find myself comparing the build, sound and feel to that of the Beyerdynamic DT880 250ohm (housing is near indestructible plastic rather than metal), there is plenty of space with excellent sound stage, tons of detail but a natural and ‘real’ weight to the sound. The DT880 is slightly more musical with a bit more speed and presence, slightly prettier sounding I guess. Pro Audio is the natural stomping ground for these very accurate cans, I believe they would make a fantastic mix tool with plenty enough definition to really get to the bottom of serious mix problems. For Audiophile listening a powerful well chosen amp (the drivers are 300ohm) will light up the GMP 400′, twinned with the excellent Icon Audio HP8 MkII they completely blew our pair of Sennheiser HD650’s away. Ear pads made of a top-quality soft velour and a gold plated screw on 3.5mm - 6.3mm Jack plug give an extra touch of comfort and functionality.

GMP 450 PRO - The GMP 450 like the GMP 400, the GMP 450 follows the specific needs of professional users in special environments, all the characteristics of the GMP 400 have been packed into an acoustically closed version. Ideally suited for a variety of studio applications and recording sessions where noise shielding is required. Perfect for monitoring playback during performance, although sound stage is inevitably shortened due to the closed back there is still a clean clear stereo image to work with, in fact it is surprising how much of the character of the open backed GMP400 the closed GMP450’s retain. Audiophiles who are listening in a room where noise from others will interfere with a listening session will find them similarly accomplished to an Audio Technica ATH-M50 or a slightly livelier version of Beyers excellent DT770 with much lighter housing. 300ohm drivers will again need a powerful amp, the model is finished with soft leatherette ear pads which musicians or any active wearer will certainly find practical.

GMP 8.35 D Monitor - The GMP 8.35 D Professional music production and monitoring is the intended application for this model, acoustically the GMP 8.35 D Monitor has dynamic bass response and overall transparency in the midrange with plenty of detail and control throughout. The headphone’s low-impedance and highly sensitive drivers are able to adapt to the widest range of equipment, at home with a mixing desk or your iPod. The sound is similar to a Beyer DT770 but a little brighter with slightly less weight at the bottom. Superior diaphragms with copper-plated voice coils create a precise resolution across the frequency-range. With a closed leatherette ear cup and one-sided cable design the GMP 8.35 D is the ideal partner for the project studio or Field Recordist. The GMP 8.35 D is constructed from durable PE material which makes them nearly indestructible. The padded headband and leatherette earpads create a really comfortable listening experience, they would work well as an everyday headphone for the Audiophile who requires awesome sound quality and low impedance with maximum durability for portable use.

The GermanMAESTRO Look

Apparently a favourite for many German engineers, their commitment to technical detail has enabled GermanMAESTRO to produce a range of accurate headphones which are not clinical in sound but actually quite natural feeling. They see their goal as providing the listener access to every nuance, an excellent sound experience for Audio Professionals or enthusiasts alike.

If I had to find a fault with these I would probably say that the Germans should have had a brief word with the Italians before they styled them, they do lack sex appeal. I don’t see this as a problem though. These days everything from your soap dish to your stapler has had the designer treatment. In a market where recent brands want (Justin Bieber) to convince you that their fashionable noise cancellers are actually studio headphones in disguise, many feel it refreshing when an object looks like it should. GermanMAESTRO have (intentionally or un-intentionally) given their range an Anti-Fashion appeal - they look like studio quality headphones because they are studio quality headphones.

More Information

Click here for more information on the GermanMAESTRO Headphone range.