MrSpeakers Alpha Dog:
A reference class Dog
Introduction
First, a disclaimer: I purchased the Alpha Dogs ($499USD, discontinued) with my own money after doing my own research and thus this is my independent (and highly subjective) opinion. A special thank you to @JerseyD of Inner Sanctum Audio for his advice and sale of these for an excellent price despite their discontinued nature.
Though I have some experience under my belt now with IEMs, this is my first review of full-sized cans on Head-Fi, and as such any and all advice on how to improve this review or future others will be highly appreciated. I'll try to keep things simple, practical, and relate what I'm hearing to music I hope others can recognize to put my impressions in context.
A little bit about me and my music tastes: I only got into this hobby in late 2014, slowly working my way up from budget and entry-level cans in an attempt to find my "holy grail" like many aspiring victims of this rabbit hole tend to long for. I was going through a pair of full-sized cans every week or two and always finding something that I couldn't live with or found wanting after. It wasn't until January of this year I was blessed enough to stumble upon MrSpeakers and his very popular Fostex T50RP modification and pet project, the Mad Dogs ($279USD, discontinued). This headphone simultaneously addressed issues I had with comfort, build, and sound quality from the first time I listened to them until this day and hopefully for years to come. Needless to say, I dropped all interest in looking for other equipment (until now) and I always felt the only upgrade I could find for them was another offering from MrSpeakers.
The Mad scientist himself. Sorry, I couldn't resist.
While I was on the hunt for headphones that took everything I loved about the Mad Dogs and added more treble presence for my own tastes, I was initially torn between the Alpha Dogs and Alpha Primes. I read through roughly 600 pages of forum posts and countless reviews before finally going for the Dogs which I felt were the safer option. I’d like to think that my wallet is half as grateful as my ears are.
My music tastes vary widely, but I would describe myself first and foremost as a mid-head and female vocal lover. Thus any headphones that are known to showcase the mid-range in music and offer it up front and center pique my interest. All of the sonic impressions below were obtained while running the Alpha Dogs in combination with the Objective2/ODAC combo. While the Dogs would no doubt benefit from even more power, I felt the O2 drives them very well, and efficiency is very similar to the Mad Dogs they are replacing. Without further ado, on to the review!
Accessories
A pretty impressive set of accessories are included with the Alpha Dogs, assuming you are lucky enough to source them new. Included is a single cable (balanced XLR or ¼”), a tuning kit which I will cover later, a hex-wrench for bass-tuning as well as a microfiber cleaning cloth, velvet carrying bag and headphone stand.
I will begin by saying I am not a massive fan of the stock cable. The mini-XLR connectors are great and the termination is fine and dandy, but the cable itself is just too short for most practical use. I am of the opinion that if you’re going to package a higher-end set of cans with a single cable, it should be on the longer side to suit most people since that is safer than including one that is simply too short. The Alphas are already a pretty heavy set of cans, and unfortunately this cable only adds to that weight to the point where I find my head tilting forward by itself due to its tug. While it is thick and sturdy below the Y-splitter, it is surprisingly microphonic above the Y-splitter and especially around the mini-XLR connectors. Really disappointed in this cable personally and I have already commissioned a custom one, but I am probably being harder on it than most will.
The tuning kit includes the not-so-patented ‘doggie treats’ from MrSpeakers which are composed of small dots meant to be placed directly over the planar magnetic driver to smoothen the treble as well as felt discs which are meant to be placed directly over the driver or inside of the earcup in order to darken the treble response. While all late production models of the Alpha Dogs seem to have some pre-installed dots in an effort to provide a flat response, users are free to experiment with a variety of different combinations to see what works best for them. This is a pretty cost effective and neat way to give users some customization over the treble response, so kudos to MrSpeakers.
The treats in question. I don't quite see the resemblance.
Also included is a microfiber cleaning cloth which you’ll want to use to keep the gorgeous finish on these headphones clean as well as a stand that is unfortunately too short to fit the headphones on unless the cables are detached. Still, it’s the thought that counts and one can easily prop some hard foam on top of it to remedy this.
Build / Comfort / Isolation
Despite being quite a large pair of cans, the Alpha Dogs are gorgeous and a lot less goofy looking than the obviously modded Mad Dogs. Sporting either a claret red or a dreamy deep space metallic black paint (you can guess which color I have) they really give off a premium feel both in the hands and on the head. The risers have been kept from the Mad Dogs but are now anodized black and have MrSpeakers written on them as well as L/R indicators. The stock Fostex headband has been kept as well as the well-received leather comfort strap, but the headband is now circular instead of the silly [ shape found on the Mad Dogs, though it can be easily bent if you prefer that.
Comfort is pretty much sublime on the Alpha Dogs. Perhaps it is the effect of brand new pads but they are somehow even more comfortable than my Mad Dogs despite being noticeably heavier. The added weight is evenly distributed, though it is certainly heavy enough that people who experience chronic neck problems will not be able to enjoy these for any extended period of time. Out of the box I did have to adjust the clamp, but it is as simple as bending the quite malleable headband to better mimic the identical headband on my Mad Dogs, and it is quite easy to undo this bending in case you go overboard.
Being a closed headphone, isolation is quite good. They don’t exactly block out the entire outside world or give that claustrophobic feel when music isn’t playing, but I actually prefer that. When tunes are playing though don’t expect to be able to hear the doorbell ringing or someone calling you.
Sonic Impressions
“Music the way the artist intended.” I have heard this quote used to describe many a headphone, ranging anywhere from cold-hearted treble-cannon studio monitors like the MDR7506 to so-called ‘natural’ headphones such as the warm-tilted and soft-spoken HD600. While it is an ill-fated superlative, I have never found this statement to be more true for any headphone than the Alpha Dogs. They are truly a chameleon if relating reptiles to headphones (or in this case canines), their color-free sound really does not tilt one way or the other and to my ears adjusts itself to best reflect the music coming through them.
Perhaps the largest difference between Mad and Alpha, or at least the most readily noticeable is the absence of any sort of mid bass hump. In fact, the bass on the Alpha Dogs is very flat and extends satisfyingly well. I am sure some may find it lacking, especially those coming from or seeking after a “fun” signature. It may even strike some as unnatural or unnerving at first, but the simple fact of the matter is that the low end on the Alpha Dogs is never portrayed or exaggerated apart from what is actually in the recording. In comparison the midbass on the Mad Dogs seems bloated and the sub bass lacking. However, I do rarely find that the Mad Dog is marginally more musical in some melodic pop and rock.
I have to award the Alpha Dogs top marks for bass speed and texture, keeping up with every hit in complex percussion arrangements with the source of every beat easily identifiable. There is a bass port that may be tuned for those who want more bass (or perhaps even less?) but its adjustment is meant to be a one-time set it and forget it type thing and is not something I want to mess with, so I cannot comment on it’s effects.
"Waking up and getting up has never been easy..."
If you couldn’t tell from my avatar on Head-Fi, I am a huge fan of Elastica (the band, not the album). I am also a huge fan of 1995’s Elastica (the album, not the band). This 16-track debut would go on to be a chart topper in both the UK and US, and despite blazing by in an unforgettable 40 minutes almost every track could be considered a cult classic in its own right. While die-hard fans never quite got the second studio release they were hoping for, the group still secured their place in rock and britpop fame, at least in my humble opinion.
It’s safe to say I am pretty peculiar about how this album sounds through all my gear, and it is one of few I have actually bothered to source in lossless FLAC as I felt most 320 MP3 renditions were not good enough. It’s fast-paced delivery of front woman Justine’s effortlessly sexy vocals make it quite easy for cans to be unable to keep up, or worse, lose the vocals all together in a sea of distorted guitar and new wave punk. Thankfully, the Alpha Dogs speed is more alike to a cheetah than a dog as it replays every guitar solo, drum intro and addictive vocal hook without respite.
The mid-range on the Alpha Dog is neither forward nor recessed to my ears. While I am a self-admittedly biased mid-head, often in search of phones with unnaturally elevated upper mids, I find that the Alpha Dogs do not require this coloration in order to render vocals organically. Due to the fact that the rest of the response is so flat, vocals really do shine on this headphone when the recording calls for it, lending itself to a great experience with acoustic and folk music.
Some poorly mixed tracks will be played back that way, that is to say with the singer lost in a sea of guitars or other instruments. Other times some recordings will have the vocals pushed too far forward already to sound better on inferior gear, and this can get a little tiring on the Alphas. While it is a shame, it really is no fault of the headphones themselves, and it’s still better than having fatigue from an over abundance of micro details or treble in my opinion. I have heard others describe this phenomenon as a ‘glare’ but to me that implies an unevenness in the response and that simply isn’t true. It’s really something the listener has to experience for themselves to understand, but the bottom line is that it isn’t a major issue 95% of the time, at least for me.
Some poorly mixed tracks will be played back that way, that is to say with the singer lost in a sea of guitars or other instruments. Other times some recordings will have the vocals pushed too far forward already to sound better on inferior gear, and this can get a little tiring on the Alphas. While it is a shame, it really is no fault of the headphones themselves, and it’s still better than having fatigue from an over abundance of micro details or treble in my opinion. I have heard others describe this phenomenon as a ‘glare’ but to me that implies an unevenness in the response and that simply isn’t true. It’s really something the listener has to experience for themselves to understand, but the bottom line is that it isn’t a major issue 95% of the time, at least for me.
"Not yet twenty-one, from the land of the Rising Sun..."
Yeah, you guessed it, I’m gonna talk about female vocals some more. Donna Burke is the embodiment of “Big in Japan”. Despite being a Perth native, since first moving to Japan in 1996 and supporting herself by teaching English; she’s done tons of VO work for anime, video games and even Japanese TV commercials. Her voice has even been used since 2005 on the Shinkansen bullet train system for announcements. Despite receiving vocal education and training, her solo discography is still unfortunately tiny. None of this however impacts my immense enjoyment of Blue Nights (2005) which plays like a groovy Jazz tape you’d expect to play in an obscure corner of Yodobashi Camera. Donna’s voice is capable of carrying immense emotion as well as high peaks, and the Alpha Dog is more than capable of rendering it. Heck, the jazz arrangements aren’t half bad either. Jokes aside, outro track Goodbye Nakamura is a litmus test I run through a lot of gear to test vocals. An emotional tale of a Japanese diver who was never able to make it home to his wife-to-be, the Alpha Dog has no problem conveying these emotions and passes this test with flying colors.
I would not describe myself as a treble head and I often embarrass myself trying to describe this part of the FR, but I find I do prefer brighter signatures overall. While the original Mad Dogs were nothing short of dark, the Alphas have a much better treble presence in every way. Early impressions and reviews of this headphone were often laced with complaints of sibilance or peaky high frequencies. Since then, MrSpeakers has implemented the use of tuning dots or ‘doggie treats’ which are basically intended to smooth over these peaks, and to my ears eliminate any sibilance at all.
The highs on the Alphas really were a treat to me after being accustomed to their darker sibling for so long, cymbals sound great and have just the right amount of decay; while singers holding the right notes can send shivers down your spine. Those more partial to darker signatures can experiment with combinations of the included felt discs and tuning dots to achieve their ideal signature, but the default setup for your pair should be pre-tuned for the flattest response.
"This is a tale of Robin Hood in reverse..."
When it came time to write this review and choose the three albums I would be covering, I was faced with a pretty difficult choice. Usually I like to pick EPs that showcase the strengths of a particular headphone, but since nothing really sounds bad on these I was pretty much given free reign of what to choose. Bad Religion’s True North (2013) seemed to be as good a choice as any, and at least it doesn’t have the female vocals you’re probably sick of hearing me rave about by now. There is not much to say other than this album sounds amazing on the Alpha Dogs. The deft and often vulgar transmission of vocalist Greg Graffin’s political commentary and drummer Brook Wackerman’s restless collisions doesn’t have the Alpha Dogs breaking a sweat. This album is particularly more enjoyable on the Alphas versus the Mads thanks to the clean up of the bass frequencies and, as a result, increased speed.
I’m not a soundstage fanatic, in fact most of the time I skip discussion of it entirely. It’s just my personal preference for things to be intimate. If I wanted that out-of-head experience I would listen to speakers instead of headphones. Snobbish as I may be, it is still prudent to discuss soundstage with these cans since they certainly don’t have the same characteristics as most closed cans. I wouldn’t go so far as to say they sound like open headphones, but the 3D-printed cup enclosure as well as the distance from the driver provided by the plush Alpha pads really does give a sense of space in music that even I can appreciate. That being said, the Alpha Dogs are not the final word in cohesion or instrument separation. Perhaps it is a result of the flat tuning having all frequencies on the same ‘plane’, but layering and depth certainly do suffer on this phone. While it doesn’t impact my personal enjoyment too much it is still noticeable, and it does seem to be a common complaint. I am going to emphasize however that these were only my impressions with the Objective2, and it is quite likely a beefier amplifier with more power will increase the transparency greatly.
Pros
Cons
Summary
I apologize if this came across as a lengthy review, this simply isn’t a headphone you can easily summarize in a few words, and I feel as though I have chapters more to talk about even as I am hammering away at the conclusion. I’ll try and break down the key points in bullet form:Pros
- Truly neutral and well-extended bass
- Razor-flat mid range and wonderful vocal reproduction
- Easily tunable and crisp treble
- Excellent comfort via thick leather pads, head strap and adjustable clamp
- Overall value at price point for closed cans
Cons
- Stock cable has too many issues (If you're picky like me)
- Quite heavy (Better hit the gym and work those traps)
- Lack of mid-bass hump may detract from 'realism' (It's not really real though, is it?)
- Not the final word in transparency or layering (I wouldn't go as far as to say congested)
- Discontinued (Oh the humanity!)
So that just about sums it up, while I spent a great deal of this review talking about how track dependant the various aspects of the response can be for these headphones, I only meant that in the nicest way possible. It is unlikely you’ll have to throw out half of your library to enjoy these cans, but you may want to double-check the recording quality of some of your favorites once you hear them on the Alphas.
I personally find that these headphones more than any other allow me to focus on my music and what I’m listening to versus listening to my gear. So much so that on my second night of ownership I found myself staying up exploring new music entirely as simply listening to a library I was already familiar with was not good enough. If that sounds exciting to you, then for this price the Alpha Dogs cannot be beat. If you’re after a colored or V-shaped response suited to your personal music preferences, then it’s possible the Alpha Dogs will be too dry for your tastes.