[luvmusik]

OK, here we go, 50+ hours burned-in on M1060, got this done during USA tax season time-crunch ( !!! ), but it went far easier than thought it would -
 
Monoprice Monolith M1060 vs HiFiMan HE-400"i" vs HiFiMan HE-560
 
First, it's awhile since hearing Audeze LCD-2, but I feel the M1060 places right between the HiFiMan & Audeze house sounds.
 
Monoprice & both HiFiMan sets purchased new, all 3 function perfectly well.
 
Violectric HPA-V100 and also Lake People G109A amps both used (very similar ) back & forth.
 
Hi-end digital and analog front sources up to fine reel to reel machines in line. 
 
Much good here & some OK impressions.
 
The M1060 are worth their price, and are excellent in that level.
 
M1060 -
 
Critique - not ultra refined, lack some crispness, 4K to 6K Hz has both good and odd moments.
 
Dynamic events feel compressed, but overall character not dull nor veiled. Some minute distortion evident, congestion is apparent in very complex passages.
 
Bass layering is less than correct. Sub-bass is only "OK". Bass layering sounds artificial at times.
 
Balance from bass thru mids to highs is excellent.
 
Sometimes highs on certain performances are weird and imprecise.
 
Average width of soundstage,&  imaging is OK.
 
I feel Audeze (from memory) has better bass overall in all parameters.
 
HiFiMan sound signature has superior highs.
 
Seems to be possessing some Audeze-type warmth with somewhat near better HiFiMan highs as a cross sound, yet not bright and not exciting.
 
Mids are placed properly and are excellent in the mix with good imaging.
 
Has typical planar-type sound.
 
But, for the value, M1060 is an excellent performer.
 
As reference to hi-end loudspeakers, less exciting, less lively, with less sub-bass, extension, impact & thunder.
 
Foster(x) type sub-bass excels comparatively here.
 
HE-400"i" -
 
HiFiMan 400"i" - more lively, less subdued, clearer.
 
Superior bass layering.
 
More dynamics when present in performance.
 
About same soundstage width, but overall balance is more "natural" and less compressed.
 
Mids are a bit more backseated and less upfront than M1060, mids highlighted more in M1060.
 
The low and high ends of 400 "i" are more natural and less artificial.
 
HE-400"i" exceptional value.
 
M1060 is easiest to drive of the 3 hp's.
 
Detail in mids goes to M1060, for details in highs it goes to 400 "i".
 
HE-560 - 
 
Now, by far, the winner, in a higher league, is the HiFiMan HE-560.
 
The M1060 is definitely closer to the HE400"i" and further from the HE-560.
 
The HE-560 is far more refined in character.
 
Better details, balanced better from sub-bass up thru to high frequencies.
 
Has exceptional bass depth into sub-bass, yet not bass-head, it is audiophile level.
 
The bass layering and quality surpasses the other 2 hp's.
 
Highs are exceptionally natural and mids are better defined with far more detail.
 
Mids are less forward than M1060, yet more natural in tonality & timbre.
 
Instruments are spot on in presentation of timbre, crispness and tonality.
 
Bass is much cleaner.
 
Soundstage width and imaging is better.
 
Has best detail of the 3, closest to a hi-end loudspeaker from sub-bass, bass, mids thru and up into highs.
 
No bleeding of mid-bass into mids, very well defined.
 
Hardest to drive, scales very well with much better amps. Should have at least mid-level amp, or up  further, to achieve it's best presentation & maximize it's capabilities.
 
Has real-life zest & zeal to music, not compressed.
 
More presence, spaciousness and "air" apparent.
 
That's all.
 
Chose these planars in comparison as felt it was a good test, as 3 have some similar traits.
 
Other magnetic planars I can also test from my collection, but different are - 
 
Smeggy Thunderpants TP-1 Macassar (Madagascar) Ebony
 
Fostex T20RPV2 vintage (not new MK2)
 
Yamaha YH-100
 
Wharfedale Isodynamic (before it was badged ID-1)
 
Burson PMB-6
 
These last 5 are much different, with very highest respect for sonic character of Smeggy's.
 
These 2 Fostex & Yamy models are highly regarded on the HF Orthodynamic Roundup thread & top ortho list from thread.
 
The Wharfedale is I think the very 1st planar made, in this version particularly, & continues to impress.
 
Burson is OK & part of collection, bought on a whim.
 
I could test 1 or more of these others if someone is interested, but feel the 2 HiFiMan models as currently available are what most are interested in comparatively & can buy new.
 
Only wanted to run-off planars, as apples to apples test here.
 
Hope it may help someone.

 

[RMac]

Thanks for your impressions luvmusic! What I'm hearing is that the M1060 is a slight step down from the 400i and not necessarily the "LCD-2 killer" that we all crowned it for - however, that's not to say that Monoprice can't make refinements and release something in the 400-500 range to compete with higher end.  Remember HE-400 debuted at $400 and we all lapped it up.

 

[davehutch]

It was certainly an LCD-2 killer for me. Listened to them side by side on Saturday and I enjoyed the added comfort and the wider soundstage of the M1060....not to mention the %60 less cost!
Just hope it doesn't fall apart now 

 

[heavyharmonies]

Another point of reference. Got back to my office this morning after burning in the M1060 all weekend and checked for cracks. Yup. Big honking diagonal crack through the rear pin of the left cup. Shining a light through it, it is a DEEP crack, not just a surface crack.
 
Back these go. Not going to risk it.
 
Note: I hadn't checked for cracks upon first arrival, so presumably the crack was already there, not caused by the 60+ hours of continuous playing over the weekend.
 
Disappointing.

 

[criticalJenn]

There's been many reports about the M1060 cracking along the wooden frame piece near the hinges (particularly over at reddit), and I think I've got a plausible explanation as to why that is:
the humidity and temperature for most users is vastly different than it is where they are manufactured in China, in tropical climate.
 
If you remember, Tyll Hertsens from Innerfidelity noted that the cups that came with the E-MU Teak headphones shrunk a little and he was unable to fit them on again after they had been off the headphones for a while - the same problem is occurring here, except firstly there is a whole lot of pressure being put on this part of the construction (unlike the E-MU, where it's just the resonance chamber at the back) and secondly, mahogany is a much lighter and porous wood than the ones used by E-MU (less important there, much more important here).
 
The ring is quite thin, and made from mahogany, which is a very light but porous wood, thus not very resilient on its own in dry climate - in more moist environments, it'll soak up quite a bit and become more flexible, though.
 
If they based all their calculations and construction off completely local testing, this'd explain why users in north America and Europe, particularly northern US, Canada and the Skandics are having issues with cracking.
For reference, albeit anecdotal, I'm part of a telegram headphone community, and one of the members just received his M1060 today, which has already developed tiny cracks around the hinges in the wooden frame - he lives in northern Sweden, which lies in the cold zone. It's cold, it's dry, and it's still winter up here, so this makes a lot of sense with my theory.
 
Another failure point is the fact that the pads are glued on, again, with the intent to last in tropical climate - living in temperate climate, or even the cold zone (I am up in Sweden and it is still winter here) might rapidly degrade the glue that holds on the pads. We will see how long that part holds up, but please for the love of god, find a different solution Monoprice.
 
I am not sure if cross-referencing other platforms is okay here, so please correct me if this isn't appropriate, but I have just posted a thread over at r/headphones about this also, and I'm looking forward to hear more people's impressions, particularly the ones from more warm and humid climates to verify whether that is in fact the problem, although it seems very, very likely.

 

[Maywind]

I'm curious for those that had their ear cups crack, how are you guys storing the headphones? Do you put them on a headphone stand, the type that causes the ear pads to compress on the stand? Or do you put them on a headphone hanger that lets the ear cups hang freely?
 
Do you store the headphones in a box? Or do you just leave them on your desk?
 
How long are your listening sessions with these headphones?
 
Just wondering if the storage method has anything to do with the cups cracking due to stress / tension on the cup pivots.
 
Edit: My left wood cup also cracked this morning. I've been storing the headphones on a hanger. It took 3 days for the cup to crack. What a shame.

 

[drwlf]

Thank you @luvmusik, a lovely read in its conciseness.

 

[manny49]

  I'm curious for those that had their ear cups crack, how are you guys storing the headphones? Do you put them on a headphone stand, the type that causes the ear pads to compress on the stand? Or do you put them on a headphone hanger that lets the ear cups hang freely?
 
Do you store the headphones in a box? Or do you just leave them on your desk?
 
How long are your listening sessions with these headphones?
 
Just wondering if the storage method has anything to do with the cups cracking due to stress / tension on the cup pivots.
 
Edit: My left wood cup also cracked this morning. I've been storing the headphones on a hanger. It took 3 days for the cup to crack. What a shame.

Kept mine in the carry box it came in.

 

[ashmodai]

It looks very much like we are soon reaching 100% of cracked phones in this forum at least ... Mine are still somewhere in Indiana waiting for ebay to forward the shipment to EU ... but it looks more and more probable that they will reach me pre-cracked
With VAT, import fees and international shipment, returning them for replacement will leave a 100USD hole at least which is a ....
With such a failure rate monoprice should call back all of them at his point.

 

[criticalJenn]

Addendum: while the exterior of the wood ring seems to be at least finished to some extent (likely one or two coats of oil, but nowhere to the degree you would expect, with figure popping etc), the interior seems to be completely rough and unfinished.
 
A theory to this would be that Monoprice take a cylinder of mahogany, then oiled up and partially finished the exterior, and cut off ring by ring, leaving the interior bare.
 
I compiled a little imgur album with the pictures of people's M1060s I saw flying about, one of the interior, in comparison to my test slabs of mahogany I use for woodworking - one of which is unfinished, one with a few layers of shellac on top, and one thoroughly oiled.
 
The interior of the second and third picture appears to be more rough than even my bare slab, which was only planed and lightly sanded at home.
 
 
I will include a picture of the interior, exterior, the blank slab and the oiled slab of mahogany for easy comparison in here, but I recommend you check the entire album.
 
 
Exterior:
 

 
Interior:
 

 
Thoroughly oiled mahogany (notice the way the figure pops, darkens and lightens in different places under the light reflection):
 

 
Blank mahogany (planed, lightly sanded with 320 grit):
 

 

[Herring01]

Now waiting for some custom cables, which I feel the MMCX was a very weird choice for full size planars as someone who doesn't have any loose connection issues I do appreciate the break away quality since rolling over the cable with my desk chair won't torque on the actual headphone. It just pops the connection out which is pretty solid otherwise.

 

[Herring01]

  I personally think that the quality control issues are being a bit overblown, at least for units that have come defective, that isn't to say that the 1060 will actually hold up for the full 5 years. I personally have had no issues with my pair. I think that those who have had defects are speaking louder than those of us who are just lurking in the thread and havn't had any issues. If I had bad connectors i would be the first one to say so in this thread, but since my pair is fine I haven't said anything.
 
Second: I haven't seen this posted, but for all of you looking for a decent balanced cable, fiio makes this silver one for like 30 dollars and it's got prime shipping. You will just have to get an xlr adapter unless you plan on using trrs. At the least it is a quick and relatively cheap solution and probably better than the stock cable.
https://www.amazon.com/120cm-Replacement-Cable-Headphones-Silver/dp/B01HP9EU0O/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1488694889&sr=8-7&keywords=mmcx+cable

I think you might be right, though all evidence is anecdotal.
 
2 of my friend and I all received a pair from the first batch, I'm in OH and my buddies are both in Oregon. So far none of us have any QC issues whatsover, my only issue is that I regret buying the Audeze brand pads since the stock ones are so much nicer than I expected. Back to back with LCD 2's I prefer the LCD appearance and just ever so slightly their sound. The 1060's are noticeably lighter and more comfortable and sound almost exactly as good. Personally I feel a comparison with the 400i would absolutely be a favorable for the 1060's which actually have a better quality from what i've seen so far. It sucks that many are experiencing loose connectors and cracked wood but out of the three of us none has had an issue. If my cup cracked I would probably put some kind of hard epoxy/adhesive over the crack and move on because for 300 dollars these things shine. Color me a very satisfied buyer, I may some day pickup an lcd III or an ether flow but these are working out for me in a big way.

 

[Ghost Pack]

  I'm curious for those that had their ear cups crack, how are you guys storing the headphones? Do you put them on a headphone stand, the type that causes the ear pads to compress on the stand? Or do you put them on a headphone hanger that lets the ear cups hang freely?
 
Do you store the headphones in a box? Or do you just leave them on your desk?
 
How long are your listening sessions with these headphones?
 
Just wondering if the storage method has anything to do with the cups cracking due to stress / tension on the cup pivots.
 
Edit: My left wood cup also cracked this morning. I've been storing the headphones on a hanger. It took 3 days for the cup to crack. What a shame.

Mine sit open in the box they came in. No pressure that I can tell.

 

[Kerry56]

  Addendum: while the exterior of the wood ring seems to be at least finished to some extent (likely one or two coats of oil, but nowhere to the degree you would expect, with figure popping etc), the interior seems to be completely rough and unfinished.
 
A theory to this would be that Monoprice take a cylinder of mahogany, then oiled up and partially finished the exterior, and cut off ring by ring, leaving the interior bare.
 
I compiled a little imgur album with the pictures of people's M1060s I saw flying about, one of the interior, in comparison to my test slabs of mahogany I use for woodworking - one of which is unfinished, one with a few layers of shellac on top, and one thoroughly oiled.
 
The interior of the second and third picture appears to be more rough than even my bare slab, which was only planed and lightly sanded at home.
 
 
I will include a picture of the interior, exterior, the blank slab and the oiled slab of mahogany for easy comparison in here, but I recommend you check the entire album.
 
 
Exterior:
 

 
Interior:
 

 
Thoroughly oiled mahogany (notice the way the figure pops, darkens and lightens in different places under the light reflection):
 

 
Blank mahogany (planed, lightly sanded with 320 grit):
 

Cutting rings out of solid mahogany would leave a very weak structure.  If this is what they are doing, I wouldn't expect many of these to last the five year warranty period at all.  They would have been much better off using plywood with a good veneer.  Or laminating strips on a circular form.

 

[criticalJenn]

  Cutting rings out of solid mahogany would leave a very weak structure.  If this is what they are doing, I wouldn't expect many of these to last the five year warranty period at all.  They would have been much better off using plywood with a good veneer.  Or laminating strips on a circular form.

 
 
The part about cutting them off like that is just a theory so far, but it'd explain the raw interior.
 
Either way, this is.. raaather suboptimal, I'd have preferred if they went with aluminium, magnesium or a high-quality plastic instead.