[MattTCG]

^^ This. The MD's just seem to do the entire spectrum effortlessly. There is no true weakness IMO. Add a decent amp and you're golden. 

 

[sonitus mirus]

The isolation is huge for me as it effectively lowers the noise floor.  I normally listen to music when I am messing around on my computer.  My PC uses an Antec 900 case with the fans set at the medium speed.  I measure just under 60 dB (C weighting) with my SPL meter   Any fully open headphone would have to compete with the noise in the room, and all things being nearly equal, having a much quieter environment is an enormous advantage.

 

[anoxy]

Quote:

I'm on the waitlist for the HE-400 demo, but to the extent that I've fallen for my Mad Dogs, I'm not even sure I need to hear them anymore. It's one of the first times that my I really don't feel the head-fi hunger anymore.
 
Anything I play on these headphones is rendered flawlessly, and I don't find myself wanting anything more out of it. I used to be an IEM person a year ago and I was constantly buying new ones, finding flaws in each one I bought, and using those flaws to justify my inevitable next purchase. There is absolutely nothing like that I can nail on the Mad Dogs. I'm still curious about open sets, sure, but I can definitely live with what I have for a while, especially since I have an Asgard2/Bifrost coming soon.
 
Perhaps a decent pair of IEMs is in order for portability (though I use my MD's as portables, they're not 100% successful at it), but I think as anoxy said I'm truly at a sweet spot for a college student's private audio setup.

I'm a college student as well and that's where I'm at. Mad Dogs at home, and two CIEMs when I'm out and about. Don't think I'll want anything more for a long time. I even asked Justin to take me off the HE-400 demo list because I doubt I'd buy them with my Mad Dogs.

 

[jazzerdave]

Quote:

The isolation is huge for me as it effectively lowers the noise floor.  I normally listen to music when I am messing around on my computer.  My PC uses an Antec 900 case with the fans set at the medium speed.  I measure just under 60 dB (C weighting) with my SPL meter   Any fully open headphone would have to compete with the noise in the room, and all things being nearly equal, having a much quieter environment is an enormous advantage.

 
Too often this is ignored.  I find it very rare that I have a perfect environment.  For that reason, my Alpha Dogs get more head time than my LCD-3 or HE-6 -- a lot more.

 

[cn11]

Yep, agree. Makes it the perfect work headphone. 

 

[potatoos]

I originally posted this in the recommendation thread, and got the suggestion of SRH940. I then posted it in the Q701 thread and the people there made the Q701 sound like the right choice. I like the idea of the Mad Dogs, and would like to have a pair eventually, but would their laid back-ness be exactly what I am looking for? Keep in mind that accuracy is the main goal.

 
Source: 24-96 flac and 320mp3 (for the less available stuff) via foobar2000
              Fiio E17
 
Genres: Metal- mainly melodeath, stuff like Opeth (kind of melodeath), Be'lakor, Insomnium, but also technical death metal like The Faceless, as well as various metal bands like Anaal Nathrakh. Rap- Almost solely Eminem and Hopsin. Classical- Beethoven, Beethoven, Beethoven
 
Can preference: Circumaural, preferably closed but open if fine too, comfort is a plus, but not a serious consideration. I have a pretty big head, long hair, and facial hair, which can make a difference with seals. I where glasses, but can compromise (I made due for the longest time with my current/previous headphones).
 
Preferred sound signature: I love the sound signature of my Ety hf3 and Superlux HD662f, so I would say reproductively accurate with a flat curve. I don't mind somewhat harsh highs, and love detail, but overall accuracy to the way things really sound is the biggest thing.
 
Price range: Cheaper the better. I don't like buying used, and would be willing to save for a while if it is worth it. Preferably under $200, but like I said, I can flex quite a bit if the pay off is present.
 
Current headphones: Superlux HD662f which developed a crackling in the right ear. I have put thousands of hours through them, and Superlux is not know for build quality, so it is what it is, as well as Ety hf3. Love them both.

 

[Bananaheadlin]

lol sibilance on mad dogs lol

32 Kbps  mp3 ???

There's no need to mock. This is a collaborative forum, not a war zone. And its Spotify 320kbps and flac.

I do hear some on my Mad Dog, and I don't think it is from the track. I'll have to check thoroughly though. However, I don't think its the Mad Dog's fault. There's a reason I asked for the recommended mW for the MD and that's because with my current C421 that I have atm -- roughly 40 mW at 300 ohm, the only confirmed figure I have -- I think the insufficient power that the C421 provides may be the problem. I don't know how 40 mW at 300 ohms scale to the MD's impedance though as I really don't understand yet, so this is all just a theory.

Don't take me wrong though, I really like the Mad Dog and Dan is a great person.

 

[gmoney9438]

Well, it could be your source/amp. The AD8620 op amp is excellent in detail retrieval and imaging, but it is known to have very sharp treble for those who have a bit more sensitive ears. I've tried it and I personally prefer the AD8066 over it. The AD8066 has smoother treble and a bit more bass kick and extension. 

 

[Kamakahah]

C5 has equal output power to that of c421, and we know from measurements and subjective results that c421 and C5 are well suited to driving 90+ dB/mW headphones. IEMs and common 32-250 ohm dynamic sets are okay for C5. It’s not meant for your planar orthodynamics.

 
*Sad face*. Still looking for a decent portable amp or amp/dac for the Mad dogs that won't empty my bank account.

 

[gmoney9438]

CEntrance Dacport maybe? 

 

[Kamakahah]

Quote:

CEntrance Dacport maybe? 

 
Maybe. I'm debating on the usb connectivity. I really want something I can use without being stationary. 

 

[gmoney9438]

some of the guys here think that the E07K or the E17 drives it to decent levels. I haven't tried this though. Maybe someone can share their experiences? 

 

[Kamakahah]

Looks like the E17 or E12 might be a decent option, but that's just based on specs. Maybe i'll wait and see what the E18 has to offer when it is finally announced.

 

[vaed]

Quote:

I originally posted this in the recommendation thread, and got the suggestion of SRH940. I then posted it in the Q701 thread and the people there made the Q701 sound like the right choice. I like the idea of the Mad Dogs, and would like to have a pair eventually, but would their laid back-ness be exactly what I am looking for? Keep in mind that accuracy is the main goal.

 
Source: 24-96 flac and 320mp3 (for the less available stuff) via foobar2000
              Fiio E17
 
Genres: Metal- mainly melodeath, stuff like Opeth (kind of melodeath), Be'lakor, Insomnium, but also technical death metal like The Faceless, as well as various metal bands like Anaal Nathrakh. Rap- Almost solely Eminem and Hopsin. Classical- Beethoven, Beethoven, Beethoven
 
Can preference: Circumaural, preferably closed but open if fine too, comfort is a plus, but not a serious consideration. I have a pretty big head, long hair, and facial hair, which can make a difference with seals. I where glasses, but can compromise (I made due for the longest time with my current/previous headphones).
 
Preferred sound signature: I love the sound signature of my Ety hf3 and Superlux HD662f, so I would say reproductively accurate with a flat curve. I don't mind somewhat harsh highs, and love detail, but overall accuracy to the way things really sound is the biggest thing.
 
Price range: Cheaper the better. I don't like buying used, and would be willing to save for a while if it is worth it. Preferably under $200, but like I said, I can flex quite a bit if the pay off is present.
 
Current headphones: Superlux HD662f which developed a crackling in the right ear. I have put thousands of hours through them, and Superlux is not know for build quality, so it is what it is, as well as Ety hf3. Love them both.

The Mad Dogs are fairly flat, but I'm not sure if I would call them completely accurate, as accurate might imply analytical/cold, which the Mad Dogs are not. I'm not sure what would constitute accurate since my headphone knowledge is limited, so there you go.
 
BUT, I do listen to all the metal bands that you've listed, and the Mad Dogs sound wonderful on them. Particularly, the album of your avatar, the MD's sing on "Of Petrichor Weaves Black Noise"; the guitars and drums are weighty and sonorous, everything is well separated, and they can certainly keep up with all the layers that the song presents. The new alpha pads have brought the midrange of the cans forward; I was worried too that the laid-backness would've been an issue but either I don't know what laid-back means, or it hasn't really made an impact on my listening experience.
 
Detail is certainly not a problem on these cans at all; they're pretty revealing, as on many other albums I can actually hear ugly distortion on electric guitar tracks that I haven't heard on any other headphones (in particular, Alcest)
 
Here's a picture of their frequency response:
https://www.mrspeakers.com/image/data/mrspeakers/LCD2_DP_AP.png
 
The green are the LCD-2's,
The red are the old dog padded Mad Dogs
and the blue are the new alpha pads they come with.

 

[MattTCG]

Quote:

some of the guys here think that the E07K or the E17 drives it to decent levels. I haven't tried this though. Maybe someone can share their experiences? 

 
Both of these amps paired with an ipod as source will do quite well with the MD's. The e017 is slightly better across the amp section but I'm not sure that it's worth the $40-$50 price difference. 
 
The MD with Alpha pads is slightly easier to drive so I'd have no trouble recommending the e07k. The hardware EQ is nice is you want it. Portability is great as is the battery. Very versatile device.