Fake or preproduction GM200 - stay away!!!
Finally, a full review of Takstar GM200!
I will be comparing to its predecessor Pro 82s and it's OEM counterpart - MH751.
They come in a thin box, without the famous Pro 80/82 case:
GM200 is a gamer-oriented headphone, so it adapts a bit more aggressive styling:
A look at the cables:
GM200 comes with 2 cables + a 2m splitter cable, MH751 come with just 1 cable and a short splitter.
GM200 accepts Pro 82 stock cables and replacement cables from Ali (including micced) - MH751 only works with its stock cable, and there are no replacement cables to find.
Also, MH751 cable "locks in" , making it not easily removable in case of an accident - if it will be pulled hard, both cable and the socket may get damaged.
Microphone on GM200 sounds the same as MH751, except for darker background.
Comfort:
Luckily, GM200 uses the same exact pads as Pro 82 - comfort is 10/10.
Strangely, MH751 comes with pads that look the same, but don't feel the same - they are not as fluffy as Pro 82/GM200
Isolation/Leakage:
Since the cups and the pads are the same as on Pro 82 - there is just as little leakage, and excellent isolation - not enough for bus/train, but perfect for a noisy office.
I think that MH751 provides similar results, despite inferior pads.
Sound Quality:
Bass is the region that makes all the difference from Pro 82 v2. Look at the FR below:
Down to 400Hz, GM200 and Pro 82 v2 are practically identical, but below that mark GM200 start following Fostex TH900 MK2 all the way down to 80Hz, where they do part ways.
However, even at 22Hz, you can see that GM200 has 6.2 more dBs of sub-bass over Pro 82, and TH900 has only 2.6dBs more than GM200
This is another proof that Pro 82's sound was modeled after TH900 MK2.
First, Takstar puts out Pro 82 v1 - a more audiophile version of TH900 MK2, with much flatter response - no bass boost and no mids crashing after 1kHz.
Then, they put out Pro 82 v2 - with even flatter response, thanks to getting rid of the treble peak too (just look at that 7-8kHz peak of TH900 MK2 above!).
Now, they create a perfect "audiophile basshead" headphone - the bass (including sub-bass) is almost at the TH900 MK2 level, but the mids are still flat, and the treble peaks are still gone - so no V-shaped signature!
Whoever is the engineer that tuned these 3 headphones - he deserves a medal!
Of course, quantity is nice, but what about the quality of the bass? After all, MH751 measures very closely to GM200 - are they both "audiophile basshead" headphones?
The answer is "no":
As you can see, MH751 is missing the bass ports. Don't forget, even TH900MK2 is just "semi-closed" - fully closed headphones can produce a lot of bass, but the quality will suffer.
Bass ports allow GM200 to improve the quality of the bass compared to MH751, without sacrificing isolation.
.
Bass hits equally hard on GM200 and MH751, but on GM200 it has a better definition
Bass is tighter on Pro 82, but "meatier" on GM200 - just like it is on TH900 MK2.
Mids and treble sound very similar on GM200 and Pro 82 - but the tonal balance of GM200 is warmer, shifting the timbre just a bit off - not by much though, it's still better than many much more expensive headphones.
The electrostat-like transparency of Pro 82 is slightly reduced on GM200 as well.
I would say that GM200 sounds closest to Sony Z1R - they both sound like a warmer version of Pro 82 with meatier bass.
GM200 would probably have the edge on bass control and timbre, while Z1R would definitely have wider soundstage - I don't have Z1R to A/B with me, have to rely on my notes and memory.
Amp/DAC advice:
Due to the shift in tonal balance, Pro 82's "synergy combos" don't have the same effect on GM200.
GM200 sounds better from more transparent DACs - Oppo HA-2 + O2 sounds better than SMSL Idea + O2.
SMSL IQ + O2 sounds even better, especially in bass definition.
SMSL IQ alone loses on bass quality compared to SMSL IQ + O2, the O2 adds better control.
Using Little Bear P10 with SMSL IQ can add a little "oomph" in the bass and some euphony in the mids - a welcome combination for many, but too much for me.
Where to buy:
EDIT of November 16th 2020:
New coupon codes (valid until April 30th 2021):
4$ discount for purchase of Pro 82, GM200 or FIIO BTR3K (as long as their pre-coupon price is not lower than 59$) - OEYU4DN9ST62
8$ discount for purchase of Pro 82 + FIIO BTR3K, or GM200 + FIIO BTR3K (as long as their pre-coupon combined price is not lower than 119$) - XXWDVYDNM42V
20$ discount for purchase of HF580 (as long as the pre-coupon price is not lower than 189$) - 3V6A1HOA8WIQ
These are exclusive codes, please don't share them outside Head-Fi!
Pro 82 v2 - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32808454492.html
GM200 - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33012705103.html
HF580 - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32997885429.html
FIIO BTR3K - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000849710696.html
Important: It's best to use Aliexpress Standard Shipping, because the store have experienced a few situations where Pro 82/GM200 was returned by the customs when using China Post, but never Aliexpress Standard Shipping. Also, it's A LOT faster now during the pandemic, as Aliexpress has direct deals with the local post offices in many countries.
Both SMSL IQ and P10 are on sale now too - IQ is down to 103$ from 140, and P10 is down to 58$ from 78$:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32847472836.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32882901310.html
Don't forget, the 99$ O2 is here: https://www.jdslabs.com/products/167/objective2-headphone-amplifier-b-stock/
Finally, a full review of Takstar GM200!
I will be comparing to its predecessor Pro 82s and it's OEM counterpart - MH751.
They come in a thin box, without the famous Pro 80/82 case:
GM200 is a gamer-oriented headphone, so it adapts a bit more aggressive styling:
A look at the cables:
GM200 comes with 2 cables + a 2m splitter cable, MH751 come with just 1 cable and a short splitter.
GM200 accepts Pro 82 stock cables and replacement cables from Ali (including micced) - MH751 only works with its stock cable, and there are no replacement cables to find.
Also, MH751 cable "locks in" , making it not easily removable in case of an accident - if it will be pulled hard, both cable and the socket may get damaged.
Microphone on GM200 sounds the same as MH751, except for darker background.
Comfort:
Luckily, GM200 uses the same exact pads as Pro 82 - comfort is 10/10.
Strangely, MH751 comes with pads that look the same, but don't feel the same - they are not as fluffy as Pro 82/GM200
Isolation/Leakage:
Since the cups and the pads are the same as on Pro 82 - there is just as little leakage, and excellent isolation - not enough for bus/train, but perfect for a noisy office.
I think that MH751 provides similar results, despite inferior pads.
Sound Quality:
Bass is the region that makes all the difference from Pro 82 v2. Look at the FR below:
Down to 400Hz, GM200 and Pro 82 v2 are practically identical, but below that mark GM200 start following Fostex TH900 MK2 all the way down to 80Hz, where they do part ways.
However, even at 22Hz, you can see that GM200 has 6.2 more dBs of sub-bass over Pro 82, and TH900 has only 2.6dBs more than GM200
This is another proof that Pro 82's sound was modeled after TH900 MK2.
First, Takstar puts out Pro 82 v1 - a more audiophile version of TH900 MK2, with much flatter response - no bass boost and no mids crashing after 1kHz.
Then, they put out Pro 82 v2 - with even flatter response, thanks to getting rid of the treble peak too (just look at that 7-8kHz peak of TH900 MK2 above!).
Now, they create a perfect "audiophile basshead" headphone - the bass (including sub-bass) is almost at the TH900 MK2 level, but the mids are still flat, and the treble peaks are still gone - so no V-shaped signature!
Whoever is the engineer that tuned these 3 headphones - he deserves a medal!
Of course, quantity is nice, but what about the quality of the bass? After all, MH751 measures very closely to GM200 - are they both "audiophile basshead" headphones?
The answer is "no":
As you can see, MH751 is missing the bass ports. Don't forget, even TH900MK2 is just "semi-closed" - fully closed headphones can produce a lot of bass, but the quality will suffer.
Bass ports allow GM200 to improve the quality of the bass compared to MH751, without sacrificing isolation.
.
Bass hits equally hard on GM200 and MH751, but on GM200 it has a better definition
Bass is tighter on Pro 82, but "meatier" on GM200 - just like it is on TH900 MK2.
Mids and treble sound very similar on GM200 and Pro 82 - but the tonal balance of GM200 is warmer, shifting the timbre just a bit off - not by much though, it's still better than many much more expensive headphones.
The electrostat-like transparency of Pro 82 is slightly reduced on GM200 as well.
I would say that GM200 sounds closest to Sony Z1R - they both sound like a warmer version of Pro 82 with meatier bass.
GM200 would probably have the edge on bass control and timbre, while Z1R would definitely have wider soundstage - I don't have Z1R to A/B with me, have to rely on my notes and memory.
Amp/DAC advice:
Due to the shift in tonal balance, Pro 82's "synergy combos" don't have the same effect on GM200.
GM200 sounds better from more transparent DACs - Oppo HA-2 + O2 sounds better than SMSL Idea + O2.
SMSL IQ + O2 sounds even better, especially in bass definition.
SMSL IQ alone loses on bass quality compared to SMSL IQ + O2, the O2 adds better control.
Using Little Bear P10 with SMSL IQ can add a little "oomph" in the bass and some euphony in the mids - a welcome combination for many, but too much for me.
Where to buy:
EDIT of November 16th 2020:
New coupon codes (valid until April 30th 2021):
4$ discount for purchase of Pro 82, GM200 or FIIO BTR3K (as long as their pre-coupon price is not lower than 59$) - OEYU4DN9ST62
8$ discount for purchase of Pro 82 + FIIO BTR3K, or GM200 + FIIO BTR3K (as long as their pre-coupon combined price is not lower than 119$) - XXWDVYDNM42V
20$ discount for purchase of HF580 (as long as the pre-coupon price is not lower than 189$) - 3V6A1HOA8WIQ
These are exclusive codes, please don't share them outside Head-Fi!
Pro 82 v2 - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32808454492.html
GM200 - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33012705103.html
HF580 - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32997885429.html
FIIO BTR3K - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000849710696.html
Important: It's best to use Aliexpress Standard Shipping, because the store have experienced a few situations where Pro 82/GM200 was returned by the customs when using China Post, but never Aliexpress Standard Shipping. Also, it's A LOT faster now during the pandemic, as Aliexpress has direct deals with the local post offices in many countries.
Both SMSL IQ and P10 are on sale now too - IQ is down to 103$ from 140, and P10 is down to 58$ from 78$:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32847472836.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32882901310.html
Don't forget, the 99$ O2 is here: https://www.jdslabs.com/products/167/objective2-headphone-amplifier-b-stock/
Using "Khadas Tone Board" as a DAC and O2 as an amp, will show the true speed and accuracy of GM200.