"Mad Dog" by MrSpeakers, modified Fostex T50RP review - Page 273

This is probably the wrong place to ask about comparisons, since all the dedicated fans of the MD will be on this thread and all the dedicated fans of the HE-400 will be on that thread. However, here's a quick summary of what most have said between the two: The MD is a brighter, some say more neutral, headphone, whereas the HE-400 has a bit more low-end response. The MD has better imaging and better pinpoint accuracy, but the soundstage isn't as wide as the fully-open HE-400. Comfort opinions vary because the two cans are built radically different from one another in terms of earpads: the HE400 has thin velours reminiscent of Beyer or Sennhesier gear; the MD with Alpha Pads are more like the pillows of an XB500 or MDR-1R, for example.

Isolation will definitely not be any issue at all with the MD; they isolate fantastically well even with the old Dog Pads. The Alpha Pads make it even better. If you're considering your new cans for use on the train or in a public area, the Mad Dog definitely has an advantage to the hear-all, broadcast-all open design of the HE-400 (obviously).

Good luck!

After having to return both the Sennheiser Momentum (small cups caused comfort issues) and the Sony MDR-1R (creaking and jack rattle due to poor build quality), I've been reading into the Mad Dogs.

The most important feature of a headphone to me is comfort. Having demoed or purchased close to a dozen units in the $200-300 range over the past few weeks, I'm shocked how often comfort is ignored by the manufacturer. Are Mad Dogs the kind of headphones you put on and forget about (like the MDR-1R)? I ask this because I see they weigh 400g, which is about double that of the 1R and Momentum, which I can't imagine that being comfortable. I need something to get me through several hours of listening at work.

There is a more about than the weight of a headphone will cause uncomfort of the head, you have to consider thing such as: weight distribution, clamping force, size of the pads, personal preferences, etc.

I have tried on other headphones such as Beyer & Sony & Sen, yes they are very light compare to Mad Dog when you first wearing it, but the fact that I am using my Mad Dog to watch movies without feeling any discomfort. Hope this help.

As someone else mentioned the AD700 is a very good can, so that would be part of the issue of not hearing a huge difference. The other issue is that you'll need a decent desktop amp to get the MD to perform at it's best. To my ears, the MD scales well...meaning the better the amp the better it will sound. 

Something like the fiio e09k would give you a nice start and really open up with the MD for you. It would also work well with the AD700. 

gL!!

This is probably the wrong place to ask about comparisons, since all the dedicated fans of the MD will be on this thread and all the dedicated fans of the HE-400 will be on that thread. However, here's a quick summary of what most have said between the two: The MD is a brighter, some say more neutral, headphone, whereas the HE-400 has a bit more low-end response. The MD has better imaging and better pinpoint accuracy, but the soundstage isn't as wide as the fully-open HE-400. Comfort opinions vary because the two cans are built radically different from one another in terms of earpads: the HE400 has thin velours reminiscent of Beyer or Sennhesier gear; the MD with Alpha Pads are more like the pillows of an XB500 or MDR-1R, for example.

Isolation will definitely not be any issue at all with the MD; they isolate fantastically well even with the old Dog Pads. The Alpha Pads make it even better. If you're considering your new cans for use on the train or in a public area, the Mad Dog definitely has an advantage to the hear-all, broadcast-all open design of the HE-400 (obviously).

Good luck!