Mid-Fi Closed Portable Headphone Battle 2012 Discussion V3 [FINAL] - Page 13

IMO price/sound wise I give the ue's the win. akg's sound too harsh and the vmoda's bass is not as good as the ue's.

I am actuall relieved to read that the AKGs are too harsh so that I can remove them from contention.  I felt that way about the K550 and was thinking the Tiestos would have similar mids and highs to the K550 with more bass.  I really like the UE6000 and they might be a winner for me if the highs extended further.  My sweet spot is still the M-100.  However, that may change tomorrow when I receive my VTrue........

Right now I am auditioning both the M100's and the PSB. They are neck and neck right now. the PSB would have been a no brainer for me but I find there to be virtually no bass at all. They sound as crisp and clear as anything I have tried, are very comfortable, but a little heavy. The M100's are much lighter and have a more punchy bass. I dont need a lot of bass, but the PSB seems to really be lacking there. I sent back the momentums because they did not fit comfortably. I have the Amperiors on the way, hoping they can help break the close race between the two I am testing now.

I spent a great deal of time with M-100, PSB and Amperior.  My favorite is the M-100 and the headphone I own and use constantly.  I agree the PSB is a solid contender and you will be pleasantly surprised with their bass if you use an amp, like an E11.  IMO, Amperior isn't even worth taking out of the box and is vastly inferior to both M-100 and M4U1/M4U2.

Nothing on the pads.  Based on history, it seems like we hear about offerings from V-Moda with over-optomism regarding availability.

Logitech UE6000 were on display in BB. I actually like the fit. The earpads cover my whole ear comfortably without any pain or pressure. The looks are stellar. The feel too. The isolation was not that great when compared to the Bose on the opposite side though.

 

I cant say anything about the sound, since the BB music coming through the speakers sounded... 'mono'

 

There werent any boxes left. looks like these sell well.

Received my Velodyne VTrue tonight!

 

First impressions out of the box (my first impressions usually don't change much after extensive evaluation)

 

Portability:  They are heavy and bulky, plus they do not fold.  My M-100 feels feather light after wearing the VTrue.  Their weight feels comparable to Beats Pro.  Build quality is top shelf- solid aluminum and plush leather.  Since they were fresh off the UPS truck, the thick metal was very cold.  I had to search for plastic on this headphone and it is only around the dual cable inputs.  Cables are high quality cloth and seem relatively tangle-free.  Despite size and weight, they are reasonably comfortable.  They are very cool looking in person and feel luxurious.  VTrue is driven reasonably well from my Iphone and responds well to amping.

 

Sound:  These are clearly basshead cans.  Bass rivals my M-100 in terms of quantity and quality, maybe even a little more punch with VTrue without being boomy.  Mids are detailed and are also comparable to M-100 and UE6000. Mids also seem more forward. Highs are noticeably rolled off compared to the M-100 and even slightly compared to the UE6000, but not as dark as something like the Aiaiai TMA-1 or some of the Pioneer DJ headphones.  I would say these are excellent sounding headphones, but I need more time with them to determine if they are for me.  I consider my M-100s to be my go-to, multi-genre audiophile headphone even though they have been categorized as basshead cans.  I am actually looking for a secondary quality basshead can and will see if these meet my needs over the next few weeks.   If you are looking for a basshead can with deep, tight bass, good midrange detail and don't mind rolled off highs, you may want to check them out.  If I had to compare them to another headphone sonically, I would say they are a classy, improved ATH-PRO700MK2.  These have a luxurious feel that you don't experience with synthetic materials and Velodyne didn't skimp on the build quality.

 

^ side shots of the vtrue?

top down, they dont look that bad
the brown colour looks classy and contrasts nicely with the metallic visible parts

Finally a review of the Yamaha PRO 500.  The review sounds promising for bassheads.

 

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/blog/2012/12/19/review-yamaha-pro-500-headphone?page=0,1

Sometimes we can get over complex with observations and explanations.
I find direct headphone comparisons to be more telling and easier to grasp.

I can say that the m100 is much more alive and substantial in the mids compared to a lowly sony v6.

I can also say that the m100 also sounds superior to an m50,
In which it makes my ath m50LE sound dry and flat.
It may or may not have "reference" sound to some degree,
But I have to admit the m100 have the most enjoyable sound to me yet.

I hope to have my akg 167 soon to compare.

My gut feeling is that the majority of those who are raving about the K167 haven't yet tried the M-100.

 

...really?  I found the bass region of both M4U models to be slightly emphasized.  They do not, however, "inject" bass into places where it's not present in the content.  Source/amp?

Personally I don't think you should rule out the 1R. The sound quality surprised me and I find them to be very enjoyable cans. Sure the build is slightly questionable (I don't think it's that bad honestly - not built like a tank like the M50 but definitely better than many plastic toys out there) but as long as you take care of them you shouldn't have a problem. I invested in them, thinking I would try them and trade them up right away for another new headphone (M-100, M4U1, Momentum etc.) but in time I now find them indispensable. Not everyone will be a fan of their warmth and overall sound sig, but they tick so many boxes for me in a portable can while still sounding natural and balanced with sparkle but no fatigue - I'm finding it hard to get rid of them and probably won't. That said, I still intend to try the other portables at some point (when funds allow).
Edited by roma101 - 12/20/12 at 1:29pm