Good evening everyone. This is my review of the M-Stage Headphone Amplifier.
The review is being conducted in conjuction with Charles, my trained Space Monkey from the Planet Zazvor, using a fully burned-in AKG K702 and an iPod Nano with a Fiio L3 LOD (line out dongle). The M-Stage has about 50 hours use and was warmed up for... well I got to drinking Pilsner Urquell in the sunshine with Charles today and forgot about it, so a goodly long time. So there.
For your reading pleasure I've, (I mean, we've), assembled a playlist of songs you've never heard of, but which in our best estimation represent a lovely smattering of tunes that show off what a great set of cans can do when matched up with an amp that eHarmony said was a Perfect Match.
I've always been partial to tube amps because to me they have a more "musical" sound, which perhaps denotes less accuracy I guess. However, it is a more liquid, "warm" sound signature that to me is very pleasing. Needless to say, perhaps, quality solid state amps appear to present a crisper, more accurate(?) sound perhaps, and in any case the sound to me between the two seems very distinct from each other, at least in my experience. But the bottom line was finding an amp that is correctly matched to the K702 in order to give it the power and drive it needs to reach its full potential. Or, at least closer, in my small budget range.
I think the M-Stage takes it in style. Read on, and see what you think.
Metal
Starting off with... wait... (Charles, put that beer down. DOWN Charles. How many times... come back here with...)
Staring off with Farewell from Avantasia, the M-Stage immediately shows off its crisp (that word again) attention to detail, with vocals clear and present in the foreground and guitar chords clear and distinct. The one thing that immediately caught my attention with the M-Stage from the moment I first heard it was that silence is truly silent with this amp. As I understand, that is called the... I forgot what's called. Oh, Charles said it's the noise floor. (Yes, yes he can talk. But only out of his rear end, so it's a bit awkward to chat with him).
Anyway, the noise floor is very quiet, presenting an utterly quiet backdrop for all aspects of the music; like a dead black backdrop for an otherwise brightly colored painting. I think perhaps a higher quality amp could do even more, as the M-Stage at times seems straining to do more than it actually can. But what it does is truly amazing and "pure," in the truest sense, especially considering the price. It's no Grace, but then again it's 1/5th of the price of a Grace.
Next up is The Serpentine Offering from Dimmu Borgir (the name of a volcano in Iceland, BTW), where the details unfortunately seem to get a little muddy, but I wonder if that's mainly the production. Every detail is gloriously clear, but then again Black Speed Metal isn't exactly about production values.
Mellotron
I wanted to go back in time to check out some Mellotron offerings, so one of three songs Charles and I chose was Now In This Fairyland from White Willow, my very favorite band actually, (Chuck disagrees, but what does a monkey know anyway? Even if his race has mastered interplanetary travel), and it's never been more gorgeously presented. Followed by, uh, what else? The Musical Box from... well I don't even need to mention who it's from. (PM Charles if you're not familiar, and he'll FedEx you a banana).
One thing I have to say is that the K702 is really a headphone that showcases music in every sense. I would very much like to hear this with a Grace, just to see what music truly sounds like as it was recorded. (Then immediately I'd go back to a Woo or a Glow to see what music wants to sound like). I realize it's a true 'love it or hate it' headphone, but the ability of the K702 to honestly separate tracks of the recording are amazing. Every instrument, every pan, every vocal or effect is placed in it's own distrinct spot. And with the silent noise floor of the M-Stage, each individual sound really comes forth in an exciting way! And as you all know, the K702 being famous for its sounstage, the entire presentation when put together in one big bang does not disappoint!
In addtion, I've not heard the K702 bring vocals and midrange so present into the foreground before as it does on the M-Stage. While listening to 1971 Genesis, each track again is gloriously separated yet brought together in a beautiful, Space Monkey pleasing way. And I hear that monkeys from the Planet Zazvor are really atune to this kind of thing, so it's not just me that thinks so. In any case, I've been listening to this song so long... well I saw it live by Giraffe, that's how long... and I've never heard it sound so awesomely good. Yeah!
Bringing our vintage journey to a gorgeous close is again White Willow with Leaving the House of Thanatos, from my Desert Island CD, Ex Tenebris. It's not only the precise production, and the distinct vocal styles, and the Mellotron that makes this album, but the drummer is a real studied percussionist whose every note is pinpoint accurate and thoroughly... what? WHAT? You don't agree? Well tough. Hey give me back my headpones, you crazy little monkey!
Ahem.
Headsets ("is everybody in?")
Suspended in Dusk from Type O Negative, probably in the Top 10 best headphone songs of all time, again shows the true quality of the M-Stage at this price point, with a deep black noise floor and incredible separation and soundstage presentation. If you ever wanted to test out a headphone's soundstage potential, this is the song, (and this is the album actually), and the M-Stage really does quite a job with the impossibly hard to drive K702.
Hunter from Dyonisis follows in the same vein, a Gothic metal tune with tons of atmosphere that unfortunately seems to get lost in what the M-Stage seems to do least well, except that I feel it's truly my source and not the amp. When I choose an EQ setting on my iPod things tend to clear up. The M-Stage is rather a dark sounding amp... which proves well most of the time with the bright K702, especially with Vocal Trance that can really shred the ears if the amp is also too bright. Darkness tends to do that genre really, really well actually. But with darkly produced tunes it overemphasizes the production values and presents a sound that can tend to rather muddy. Again, proper EQing I imagine would clear things up, the problem with the Nano being that by choosing any EQ setting at all, the sound is immediately distortred - a huge flaw in Apple's design.
(Charles reminds me that we are totally open to having a quality EQ run between our source and our amp, or amp and headphones I'm not sure which is better, and a guide to properly setting it). A little emphasis on the treble could only benefit the M-Stage with my current setup.
And I wrap up this section with New Millenium from F5, another (tragically!) unknown offering that boggles the mind with it's headphoneocity! Sound literally everywhere in the AKG, and driving double bass that shakes the brain loose from its motor mounts.
Acoustic / Vocal
I wanted to include some acoustic/vocal arrangements, so I chose the classic (cough) Under the Greenwood from the Poxie Boggards, (but of course?) to begin. Not the best production, but the fact that the M-Stage points that out is pretty great. Still sounds great though, with of course the acoustic traditional period instruments sounding impressively great. See them live at the Renaissance's 50th Anniversary Faire this year in Los Angeles, I'll be there! (So will Charles, he says, if he can extend his visa. I'll be dressed as him, and vice-versa).
Cassandra from Theatre of Tragedy takes acoustic to a more modern, Gothic level, but shines ever so brightly with this setup. It is truly a headphone lover's delight, as is the entire album, Aegis, what I feel is the best CD they ever produced. (In this case, thankfully, Charles agrees as I'm tired of stopping my review to debate with him). This is another example as well that the M-Stage has what it takes to truly give the K702 the power it requires to twist full throttle forward and put some miles on that dead desert road.
Vocal Trance
Since Charles and I prefer Vocal Trance 90% of the time we listen to headphones in general, our review couldn't be complete without some great examples of the toughest in the genre for headphones to reproduce... I wouldn't say accurately, but "funly." If you ain't movin', the music ain't groovin'. That's pretty much my rule on any song, club, or audio setup.
And starting off with Again from Kim Leoni, the M-Stage really begins to show off big time with its fat, digital solid stage sound. The heavy synthesizer sampling and drum samples give the bassline a thick, meaty soundstage upon which Kim's vocals shine, jump and spring to life. I know, cheesey. But really! Even if you hated Trance you'd be movin' to this tune, I promise.
How could this be complete without Nadia Ali's Crash & Burn, my headphone bass tester, and the tune Charles likes to shower to... when I can get him to, that dirty monkey. Crash, like some of the best produced Vocal Trance tunes, is a song that literally tickles the ears with its constant L/R panning, designed to elicit passionate emotional response. (And boy does it).
Pop
Of course I had to include some pop, and instead I chose something heartfelt and real, V Bezreti from Aneta Langerova, whom I got the privelage of seeing this Summer live in the Czech Republic. Aneta won the Czech "American Idol" show, and was offered a full blown contract with a commercial record company if she'd continue doing her more "pop" tunes. She turned it down, in order to pursue her own music her own way, and went on to become a national heroine and a commercial success. And yes, she sounds great on the M-Stage, with her vocals continuing to be a surprise to me in bringing the mids/vocals to the forefront of the K702 which seems to be the hallmark of the M-Stage's presentation style.
Summary
I hope you enjoyed this review and that it gives you guys who are thinking about the M-Stage a clear idea of what it's strengths and main weaknesses are. For the price point, I don't think you could go wrong at all. It truly is a great, great amp, as long as you enjoy a darker sound presentation. It does everything an amp is supposed to do perfectly, even bringing the hard to drive AKG K702 to what I feel is its full potential, especially at this price level.
Extremely clear instrument separation, beautiful, intimate vocals and a gorgeous seating position right in the midst of the band from the front row. Powerful bass all the way through the lower spectrum. (Highs tamed, do note, and would benefit from an EQ in my opinion, at least with the K702 which I think is saying a lot). Again with the K702, and me being very picky with it to boot, the M-Stage provides a gorgeous and ample soundstage, pleasing and fun with nothing lacking at all. In fact it does quite a job showing off a lot of music I wouldn't normally be able to enjoy quite so much.
Not sure if I left anything out, please post if you have any other questions about it. I enjoy this amp thoroughly, and would only ask advice in putting an affordable EQ into the mix to bump up the highs a little, as to my personal taste, without compromising the M-Stage's awesomely silent noise floor.
Now, just a bit Charles wanted to add to this review in his own words:
TREMBLE EARTHLINGS, OUR MIGHTY MONKEY WARRIORS ARE POISED TO TAKE OVER YOUR PUNY PLANET AND ENSLAVE YOUR WORTHLESS RACE, PUTTING AN END TO YOUR INGLORIOUS HISTORY AND YOUR BIZARRE LOVE OF ORANGE COLORED CRISPY SNACKS AND SENSELESS TV SHOWS WHICH FEATURE ACTRESSES WITH THE THOUGHT POTENTIAL OF CHEESE POPCORN! WE WILL PUT A SWIFT END TO YOUR ARMIES AND YOUR EMPTY TEXTING RITUALS, AND RETRIEVE ALL OF YOUR BREWED BEVERAGES FOR USE IN OUR CHILDREN'S SWIMMING LESSONS!
OK... That was Charles who bids you a warm goodnight as well.
Edited by Kouzelna - 3/6/12 at 11:04pm
