Last Minute Questions about Ath-M50

I don't think their bass is that powerful.  It definitely digs deep and that could be a lot to you if you're not used to listening to deep bass, but other than that it's not very powerful.

I don't think they're comfortable at all after 20 minutes-- mainly because of sweat buildup.

If you're gonna go for the HM5s, you might want to look into the Jaycar Digitech Pro Monitors. The Brainwavs HM5, Fischer Audio FA-003 and Digitech Pro Monitors all come from an OEM called YoGa. They're all the same headphones, except the Fischer comes with velour pads and the Jaycar is 1/2 the price shipped. 

The M50 has stronger bass and more sparkle with its "V" shaped EQ. 

The HM5 is more neutral but is also a bit bland. 

For my money the Shure SRH 840 is better than both.  It is neutralish with a slight mid-bass hump--much more balanced than the M50 and much more fun than the HM5.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gameaholic908 

 

Interesting... sounds appealing...how would you rate their comfort level relative to the other two headphones (M50 & HM5)?

The M50 is the most comfortable and has the best build quality.

The 840 is very comfortable to me, but not for everyone.

The HM5 has a very strong initial clamp.  I'm not sure if that is long term problem or one that is solved with some stretching with books and use over time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gameaholic908 

 

I've read about it, but i was quite skeptical. About the Jaycar, at 1/2 price, it seems a bit too good to be true...

If I read things right, people with much more knowledge and technical aptitude around here than I have looked at the drivers for all of the sets and found similar serial numbers, meaning that they came from the same company. Soundwise, apparently Fischer installs a layer of acoustic foam which does a little bit, but not much to alter sound quality (the pads would do more change than anything, really.) 

This really boils down to what kind of music you intend on listening to and how you like it presented. I'm probably not the most qualified to help you out, but I own the M50s, and I own the Superlux 681, which is a more bass-light headphone. The M50s aren't "boomy", but they are nice and punchy. It's not like the Beats, where they rattle off of your skull, but they can "bump" if the track is made to do that (see: a lot of modern dubstep, crunk music)

I'm really enjoying the SQ of the ATs, but again, I haven't heard anything said to be better, so I'm a bit biased. I don't consider myself a basshead, but these cans seem to be fairly neutral. Just be sure to get the new revision, the ATH-M50s got "re-launched" a few years ago and adopted a much more neutral frequency curve in the process. I listen to my pair comfortably for about 4 hours, and I don't get sweaty at all. Other people on head-fi can't wear them for more than 10 minutes. 

Your best bet is to demo both of them. I'm getting Jaycars in the mail in about a week and a half and would be more than willing to do a comparison for you, but it sounds like you'll have them ordered by then. 

Cool beans. Some "proof" about the HM5/Jaycar/Fischer/Lindy Premium Hi-Fi can be found here.


Do you have an amp? The HM5/Jaycar/Fischer/Lindy Premium Hi-Fi (all of which are really the Yoga CD-880) are 64 ohms, which means that they take up a good amount of power (less power requirements, more loudness, more power requirements, less loudness plus lower sound quality if unamped), more than a typical laptop/iPod out can really provide, plus they are HUGE and not the most portable-friendly.

Where will you be listening at? If you just plan on listening at home on a computer, and $150 is your budget, you might get better SQ by getting a nice Amp/DAC like the FiiO E7 ($80) and then getting the Jaycars ($70 shipped).

If you intend on using an iPod, then the M50s might be a better choice because they are only 32 ohms. I can power mine easily through my Motorola Android tablet and they get plenty loud and sound pretty nice.

I don't know about the Shures, but KG does, and he knows a LOT more about this stuff than me.

Good luck,
~Will

By dad and brother are in the engineers in the family, but I can tell you that just because a can has a low Ohm (resistance) rating, does not necessarily mean that it will play to its full potential out of a portable device--even if it plays at a loud volume.

The Shure SRH 840 plays well from my iPhone 4--but not at the high volume of some other cans.  I would say that the Shure, AT & Brainwavz (+ siblings) would all benefit to one degree or another  from a Fiio or other affordable and decent portable amp.  On the other hand I have a couple of Sonys and some other cans which play great straight out all portable devices I have tried.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KG Jag 

By dad and brother are in the engineers in the family, but I can tell you that just because a can has a low Ohm (resistance) rating, does not necessarily mean that it will play to its full potential our of a portable device--even if it plays at a loud volume.

 

The Shure SRH 840 plays well from my iPhone 4--but not at the high volume of some other cans.  I would say that the Shure, AT & Brainwavz (+ siblings) would all benefit to one degree or another  from a Fiio or other affordable and decent portable amp.  On the other hand I have a couple of Sonys and some other cans which play great straight out all portable devices I have tried.

Right, sensitivity is a big factor too, and there's probably some other stuff involved. Having said that, the sensitivity is pretty close (102 dB, 99 dB, and 105 dB respectively), so if I'm right, which I may/may not be, the impedance is going to be the biggest factor in loudness/power consumption here.

The M50 does sound better when I put it into my amp/DAC, but obviously a DAC is going to improve the sound quality, so I can't really say to what degree the actual "amp" portion is helping. Having said that, there's a lot of factors that will help me make any recommendations that I am totally not qualified to make.

They are as follows:

Where are you going to be listening at?
How do you have your "system" set up? (CD player? Computer? Do you have an amp? iPod?)

If you're going to do portable listening, are bulky size and having to carry a portable amp dealbreakers?
What genres of music do you like?

and lastly and most importantly

How do you like your music presented? (Bass heavy? Treble heavy? Any emphasis on any particular instruments?)

At this price point, there are so many popular headphones and ways to do things that it's pathetic. You could get the Creative Aurvana Live, the Sennehiser HD-25 II, the AKG K240 MKii, and so many other choices that it's completely insane. You could get a portable amp. You can get a cheap, but nice amp/DAC. You can get IEMs. You can do just about anything here, and there will be a headphone that will fulfill your needs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gameaholic908 

 

My listening devices are going to be my 13inch Macbook pro and possible iPhone at home. Not a bass head so i don't want too much of that but I'm looking for a a headphone that'll goes well with generally any type of music i throw at it. Does an amp really make that much of a difference? I was just going to close the books on my research.

I'm afraid the answer is the old familiar "that depends". 

What you have may or not push any of the 3 mentioned headphones as well and/or as loud as you want.  There are affordable (say about $30 to $80) amps and/or amp & dac combos that you can buy if needed.  On the other hand, it may be just fine out of your iPhone and laptop. 

There are other cans that are made to work well with low powered portable devices without the need for an amp.  Examples include the Sony MDR-ZX700 and the CAL!