[budahsacman]

First time post here so please be gentle >.<
 
I had been looking for a new pair of headphones to round out my new computer overhaul and also to replace my aging Sony MDR-CD60's.  These being my first venture into real headphones I don't have a whole lot to compare to..but wow.  
 
Let me start by saying that dealing with Dan was a real pleasure.  I purchased the Mad Dog + Comfort Strap and Dan was kind enough to offer the + leather Dog Pads at the intro rate. So far I am loving the setup.  The comfort level is 10/10
 
Setup is PC->ODAC->O2->Mad Dogs
I did opt for the VModa cable because I'm a sucker for looks and the braided cable has a really clean look coming out of the O2. 
 
I listen to mostly Rock and do a fair amount of gaming and these have really opened my eyes to a new world of audio.  Forgive me for not knowing all the proper lingo but the sound to me is crystal clear, the bass is pronounced and not overpowering and I hear things I've never heard before.  It's been a real pleasure re-discovering the music I grew up with.   I'll never forget being 14 years old and rocking Nevermind on a Sony Walkman.  Something in the Way is one of my favorite tracks and these really bring out that raw/somber emotion that I love.  A big thanks to Head-fi and to Dan for sparking my interest into a new journey of Audio.

 

[gelocks]

Welcome to Head-Fi!
 
And GREAT "first" purchase!
 
Enjoy!

 

[clairyvic]

Quote:

 
I'm not an audiophile either but I do have/had a couple of different headphones which I use for comparison and of course I have certain preferences regarding audio. For the Mad Dogs, I kept hearing that they could do Bass very well and I was interested in that aspect. I usually run my headphones through Tone Generators just to see how they extend (ranges). When I tested the Mad Dogs, bass was wobbly from 40hz down so I posted exactly that... that the bass was wobbly and could not get sub-bass with quality either... Dan noted the error and he knew which headphones were affected (it seems he does the Mods in batches I'd guess!). I think the same or a similar thing has happened twice. But since it seems Dan maintains good records, he knows which headphones are/were affected and who bought them.
 
Anyway, even if you receive something sub-par, Dan is very willing to help out, fix and ship back. He also offers 15-day money back guarantee so... you should be covered.

Tone generator, you mean so you can visually see where it's defective if at all? Where do you get one?
 
And
 
 
Quote:

 
I'm not sure how flexible the Vmoda cable is, but I strongly advise against tying knots in any audio or power cord.  If it's extremely flexible and you don't tie the knots tightly, then you're probably not damaging the conductors, but you're better off cutting the cord short and re-terminating one end.  You could also just loop the cord with a 3" radius and then keep it together with twist ties or velcro tie-downs.  I'm by no means the authority on the subject, but I have made several cords myself and worked with enough wire to know that it can and will break.

Yeah, it doesn't seem like it'll break, I just wonder what it's do to the audio quality. What do you mean by re terminating one end?

 

[clairyvic]

I mean I know what re-terminating is but I think different cables need different methods since it has to fit into the plug on the ipod. I guess that would require me to get a certain type of end and certain tool to re-terminate it? Although the knots are quite loose, not much more tight then if it just got tangled by itself.

 

[jazzerdave]

Quote:

Yeah, it doesn't seem like it'll break, I just wonder what it's do to the audio quality. What do you mean by re terminating one end?

 
 
Quote:

I mean I know what re-terminating is but I think different cables need different methods since it has to fit into the plug on the ipod. I guess that would require me to get a certain type of end and certain tool to re-terminate it? Although the knots are quite loose, not much more tight then if it just got tangled by itself.

 
If they're loose enough, you're probably not damaging the cord, just be careful.  It shouldn't adversely affect the sound.  I'm only concerned about bending the metal conductors inside.  For a $12 cable, they're definitely not solid-core wire, so the risk is minimal for your method of shortening the cord.  I probably shouldn't have bothered to bring up re-termination with so short of a cord.  If knots eventually break the cord, just buy another one.  It's cheaper than buying a new end, especially if you don't have the means/expertise to install it yourself.

 

[Janomin]

So, I bit the bullet and after the recommendations here and some research, purchased some Mad Dogs (with comfort strap and dog ears). Could anyone suggest some headphone amps that I should look into, taking into consideration I am in the UK. The most I'm looking to spend would be £500 (Musical Fidelity M1HPAP as this would match my current kit) but hoping for something less. There is a guy local to me who sells Schiit and Hi-Fi man amps, but no idea if these would be comparable, or work well with the Mad Dogs. Any suggestions?

 

[Dh1326]

Newbie here and apologize my poor english(Not my first language)
Just received my MD today and can't wait to put it on and hit play.
Wow ....not bad mid and high actully, I mena its really good indeed.
but hey.......................................where's the bass ??
I'm not talking about bass quality or texture, I mean quantity is really not enough.
I'm by no means basshead and I don't listen to bass heavy music,but compare to my he-500 or jh-13,my first thought is
that the Md is really a bass weak headphone, I must put MD on my head and press the can toward my ears a little to get proper quantity I need.
Is that clamping force problem ?(But I can't bend the headband cause it's rubber)
Any suggestion will be appreciate.

 

[Dh1326]

Quote:

Newbie here and apologize my poor english(Not my first language)
Just received my MD today and can't wait to put it on and hit play.
Wow ....not bad mid and high actully, I mena its really good indeed.
but hey.......................................where's the bass ??
I'm not talking about bass quality or texture, I mean quantity is really not enough.
I'm by no means basshead and I don't listen to bass heavy music,but compare to my he-500 or jh-13,my first thought is
that the Md is really a bass weak headphone, I must put MD on my head and press the can toward my ears a little to get proper quantity I need.
Is that clamping force problem ?(But I can't bend the headband cause it's rubber)
Any suggestion will be appreciate.

ok , I bend the band follow by Dan's suggest(right above the cup) ,and it does help alot , Thanks Dan !

 

[mrspeakers]

You are welcome!  Heads vary in size and shape, and sometimes just a little adjustment is needed for proper fit.  If anyone ever has trouble with fit where light pressure increases the bass, drop me a PM.  It's not super common, but it's usually very easy to fix.

 

[aamefford]

Quote:

I'm not an audiophile, and it seems a few times there have been defective products only noticed because someone notices a lacking of bass or treble or something. How could I know if something is wrong? And I know I already asked this but since the Vmoda cable is still a tad long, will shortening it by tieing a few loose knots hurt the audio quality?

Throw a couple of small "loops" in the cable near your source, and tie them with a wire tie or Velcro cable tie.  I do that with 3 m cables, and it works fine. Knots tend to get tighter, not looser.  Eventually, it will fail the cable.
 
I have also seen photos of someone, somewhere on head-fi taking a couple of loops around the earcup, under the headband jount to take up space.  This would be really easy with the vmoda - couple passes around the cup, and plug it in.

 

[clairyvic]

Quote:

 
 
 
If they're loose enough, you're probably not damaging the cord, just be careful.  It shouldn't adversely affect the sound.  I'm only concerned about bending the metal conductors inside.  For a $12 cable, they're definitely not solid-core wire, so the risk is minimal for your method of shortening the cord.  I probably shouldn't have bothered to bring up re-termination with so short of a cord.  If knots eventually break the cord, just buy another one.  It's cheaper than buying a new end, especially if you don't have the means/expertise to install it yourself.

Well, hurting the conductors would hurt the sound...

 

[hawk1410]

Okay, its been about a weak since I've had the mad dogs. First of all I'd like to say that Mr speakers is awesome, not only is he offering a great product, his customer support is excellent. I'd originally ordered the mad dogs without the dogpads and a separate dog pad upgrade last week of august, expecting to get the mad dogs early and the dog pads later, which I could upgrade to myself. After finding out that it was gonna take the same amount of time even if I ordered the upgraded version with dog pads Dan contacted Me to offer to change my order to the mad dogs with pre installed dog pads, I think this was great customer support on his part.

About the Mad Dogs, as everyone has already said these headphones are great. The bass is a bit on the lighter side but extension and quality is great(superior to both he 400 and d5000 in terms of quality, not in terms of quantity though, inferior to LCD 2 in terms of both quality and quantity. Mid bass impact is hardly there. Highs on this thing are great, even though they're on the laid Back side. Both the he 400 and d5ks have more sparkle, although i think mad dogs have slightly more forward treble compared to the LCD 2. Mids are the best thing about the mad dogs, they're a bit forward compared to the neutral mids of the LCD 2(he 400 mids are close to neutral but just a tad bit laid back, d5ks are even more recessed). Soundstage is good for a closed can, but not as wide and deep as the semi open d5ks. Separation is ok, nothing too great. Comfort is also great, in fact this is one of the most comfortable headphones that I've owned. They isolate really well too. Right now I am really liking the mad dogs. These are like a less refined version of the LCD 2s, just wish the bass hit harder, as a bass head I can say that unlike the he 400, d5ks and the LCD 2 the bass on these will not satisfy a bass head like me, eq can fix it to a certain extent but I'd still say these have good bass but the quantity is not nearly on bass head levels.

I typed this only my phone, so there's a good chance auto correct messed up some of the words.

 

[jazzerdave]

Okay, so after listening to the Mad Dogs w/Dog Pads at CanJam today (Dan had his own booth, and they were also at 2-3 other booths) I can give two comments:

1) The new pads/mods make a real difference for the better.

2) Dan is even better in person.

 

[rezolver]

I have got 1 simple question, a YES or NO answer.
 
DOES the MadDog match the intimate sound signature of the LCD2's?
 
Regards,
a__k

 

[gorboman]

I've got my Mad Dog with Dog Pads yesterday, so I should give an update to my earlier impressions. I've paid about USD 365 for it in a local store here in Indonesia. I think it's fair if I think about international shipping and my local (dreaded) custom's  fee.
 
With the new Dog Pads, there are improvement on the bass section. I noticed there are more bass body and more punch. YMMV in terms of quantity. I also noticed that the overall sound is not as open or as forward as before. I think with the new Dog Pads, the MD have a darker sound signature. I feel the Dog Pads makes a less fatiguing long listening session. Sound stage is still not as wide as I like it to be, but I enjoy the depth. The Dog Pads are also more comfortable than the previous pads.
 
However I still think that it needs a little bit more bass body. I doubt that tinkering with the inside of the cans will get me to my preference sound. Thank God it comes with a detachable cable. I'm going to try experimenting with different cables. It's gonna be a DIY cable. Any recommendations for cable and jack materials to add more bass body and smoother high section?
 
Anyway, I should congratulate Dan for the New MD with the Dog Pads. They are worth it.