Somic HD MH463 Open-air Dynamic Pro Headphones (Black)

UPDATE: After some research seems my pair has different pads which in turn changed the way the sound, that's also why they don't sound like the frequency response graphs I saw on Head-Fi.
For refference I'd like to point you to Z Reviews's Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ4hRrnBn5c
Mine's pads don't look at all like those in the video they are larger (as in they fit all the way around your ears), and there is less space between the driver and your ear with these pads.
As a side note 'Metallica - Sad But True' really showcases the problems these headphones have, at least my pair I don't know if others have the same pads as mine or the pads in the video or even other pads... I guess these headphones are a gamble if you get the good ones or not.
 
UPDATE 2: Apparently disabling 'Set the same volume level for all songs' on Spotify solves MOST of their problems to SOME degree... I don't even... Now they sound pretty decent actually, tho drums are still a bit louder than the rest, but still have ssssssssibilance 
So I guess... if you have murder treble on your headphones disable that? it worked for me 
And so please take my review below as an exageration.
 
As my first review on Head-Fi I'll talk about the 'oh so praised Somic MH463'.
I used them for about a week and a bit and I mean really used them, not 1-2 hours a day.
I will compare them mainly to the Apple EarPods, because those are the (sadly) the best headphones I've had thus far. 
I'd also like to point out that I used the Somics with onboard audio and also an USB Soundcard, the sound was pretty much the same except i could turn them louder on the soundcard if I wanted.
 
Price: Thankfully I got my pair on sale for about $30, so at least I don't feel that bad for buying them.
 
Build Quality: Frankly I think they are built pretty good, and they even look great, the only problem I have is that on the left cup, the material on the ear pad began to peel off near the metal ring, which is weird cuz the right one is perfectly fine, and they are quite heavy I guess.
 
Comfort: Despite being heavy the comfort is on point, the headband has a really nice cushion and the ear pads are really soft and nice. Also I don't know if my ears are that big but the cups seem quite small as an observation.
 
Now for the juiciest part... The Sound Quality!
I've listened to alot of music from Metal to Indie Pop to Electro Rock, basically many rock and electronic genres. 
Now I said at the beginning that I will compare them to the EarPods and so let's begin
 
Lows: The Somics have definitely a tighter and more controlled bass than the EarPods, and you can actually hear the bass guitar pretty nice with these or at least you should be able to if the drums weren't god damn louder than everything!
Now from what I've saw the bass is slightly boosted all the way down to 50hz then it abruptly goes down.
 
Mids:  The vocals and synths that reside in the midrange are subdued comparing them to drums and even bass in general, because of course they are. That is when you don't hear sibilance.
And it only gets worse, the guitars are also subdued probably more than anything, now I am talking about about lead guitars not rhythm guitars those are fine, I guess that is thanks to the dip around 2k
The vocals also feel like they have only a body an high overtones which is what happens actually thanks to the 2k dip.
The EarPods definitely have much better mids with audible full vocals, guitars and synths. 
 
Highs: Now here lies one of the big problems, that being Sibliance but it's not normal sibilance it is mostly on 'sh' or 'f' and less on 's' and while this is annoying this is part of a bigger thing which includes rare harshness/metallic vocals thanks to the 8db peak at around 3-4khz which is also the cause for 'shibliance' and also vocals sounding louder at the beginning and at the end of singing a word from what I've observed while trying to EQ these.
And they have peaks at 5-6k and 11-14k area which adds to the sibliance problem while also being the problem for bloody loud drums and even cymbals in some cases while also making some drums sound tiny.
The Earpods don't have the best highs but they are there and don't have sibliance, better than the Somics.
 
Soundstage & Imaging: They sound wider than the EarPods (as they bloody should) but have worse imaging...
 
I only recommend these headphones if u want to hear drums (also cymbals) and bass above anything else and I mean anything.
If not use the EarPods if u have an iPhone or buy a pair, if u want actual headphones and not earbuds, buy the Sennheiser 202 II they are most likely better than these and cheaper
If not wait till you have more money and buy the Status Audio OB-1 if you want open. CB-1 if you want closed or the ATH M40x 
The Somics are just... not enjoyable you get some detail but its forced, the highs are bad the mids are pretty bad only the bass is good. Ooh and if it ain't obvious they are a nightmare to EQ (Using Equalizer APO)

Introduction
 
Hi! I'm new to Headfi here and this is my second review. I have just recently started to get interested in audio gear and am now trying to find the most cost-effective headphones/iem for people who do not have much money to spend or are not willing to pay so much for a headphone/iem. I listen mostly to electronic music, ranging from typical house bangers to hardcore drum and bass to ambient to trance. I listen to both mainstream and underground music.  I'm also a pretty hardcore fps gamer and play games most of the time and I listen to music on the go. I do my listening tests on a Sound Blaster Z with Foobar2000 as my audio player. I use only FLAC and ASIO is used as my output.
 
Accessories and Specifications
 
Driver diameter:                 Φ50mm
Impedance:                         45Ω
Frequency response:        8Hz~30kHz
Sensitivity( S.P.L):               93dB±3dB
Cord length:                         approx.1.6 meters
Net Weight:                           approx.≥388g
 
Inside the box contains a screw on 1/4 inch converter as well as a Velcro strip to tie the wire as to shorten the length of the wire as it is rather long. As you can already see from the specifications, it weighs approximately 388g, which is really heavy. 
 
Build Quality and Design
In terms of build quality, the MH463 is a mixed bag. Some parts of the headphone feel like that it's gonna break any second, while some other parts are really well built. The aluminium used for the ear cups and mesh side screams quality to me, but the rotating joints do not feel durable at all. Don't get me wrong, the plastic used is very high quality but due to the way this headphone is built, but the first thing that will be broken are the rotating joints. The headphone doesn't make any creaky noises when moved about though compared to most of the reviews that I have seen on Headfi. The metal headband and adjustments are solid feeling and a reassuring tactile feedback and click when adjusting it. The part that you should be most careful of are the joints that hold and allow the ear cups to rotate. I have used this headphone for a couple of months already and the screw holding the ear cups has already started to get loose. The problem can be temporarily fixed by re-screwing the screws holding the ear cups, but since the threads are already damaged, it would revert back to being loose again after some time. Do note that I had been an idiot and tried to make the clamping force of the headphones less apparent by doing the classic method that people do to reduce the clamping force of headphones. DON'T DO THAT! After prolonged use of this method, the threads in the screws that hold the headphone ear cup starts to get lose, and this damage is irreversible. Instead what I suggest you should do is to hold the headband and bend it the other way round and hold the headband in that bent position for about 10s. Rinse and repeat until you get your desired clamping force. This method is way faster and does not damage the joints holding the ear cup. The cable is fairly thick and has some memory on them but nothing too crazy. The jack is pretty solidly built with some heft and weight to them and looks very similar to high-end headphones priced at around $350. The design is OK I guess, it's nothing too special or eye-catching. Has a utilitarian but sorta gaming look due to the red accents.
 
Comfort
 
This headphone is very comfortable even with stock ear pads, as long as the clamping force has been reduced significantly in a way that the ear cups just kinda rests on your ears, so the soft ear pads can't depress enough to make your ears touch the driver of the headphone. Alternatively, you can just roll up some tissue and stuff it below the earpads. That works really well too. It still kinda gets hot using the stock ear pads, so expect to take off the headphone once in a while to cool down your ears. The weight of the headphone, however, can make your neck feel quite tired after prolonged use. The pleather headband is rather soft and it works well to distribute the weight of the headphone around your head. Your head won't feel the weight but your neck surely will. I live in a tropical climate which is hot and humid, thus after a few months of using the headphone the outer metal of jack has already become oxidised. The 3.5mm connector is still fine, though, probably due to the fact that I leave the headphone plugged in all the time into my sound card. The mesh also seems to have rusted a little so the material used there can better. Yes, I know this is unrelated to comfort.
 
Sound
 
Now for the meat and potatoes of the review, how do they sound? These headphones are fairly neutral, with a slight emphasis on mid-bass and mid-highs. The MH463 does require some time to burn-in (100hrs or so) though otherwise, this headphone will sound like some crappy treble cannons. After burning in it brings out the mids which seemed recessed, tamed the highs and made the bass open up too. I can say that in terms of the technical performance, this headphone are the best I have ever heard in the $50 price range. The bass packs quite a bit of impact, is well controlled and tight. For an open-back set of headphones, I am really surprised at how the bass performs, sub bass can easily be heard which is quite impressive as long as the track's main focus is the sub bass. It's more noticeable after equalising, though. This headphone responds really well to EQ and can be easily tweaked to your ideal sound signature. These headphones are surprisingly good for certain types of electronic music that have a punchy bass line. The mids are fairly neutral and cold, but incredibly detailed and have plenty of depth to it. The mid-highs are slightly boosted, which results in some sibilance in some tracks. This puts an emphasis on female vocals which sound incredibly rich and detailed. You will be listening to those mid-high heavy tracks, again and again, marveling at the sound that it produces. The highs are the only drawback (sort of) on this headphone. Don't get me wrong, the highs are still really good for its price and It extends really well, has a little veil to it but it sounds cloudy and grainy. The highs can also get a bit overbearing sometimes before substantial burn-in and sound edgy. However, after burn-in, the highs are accurate, very neutral, a little muted which is good but still sounding slightly grainy. This headphone really benefits from a proper DAC+AMP as using these headphones on my phone makes the headphone sound extremely lacking with very little detail. . Sound stage and depth are excellent on these as expected of an open-back headphone. Due to the sound stage and boosted mid-highs, these headphones are also really good for competitive gaming too. I was able to hear footsteps with very good positioning in CSGO. Playing BF4 was a great experience too as explosions and gunfire happening all around me had that impact and rumble that quite frankly many open-back headphones fail to achieve. Turning on surround in the BF4 sound options also seems to make the experience on the MH463 to be absolutely amazing. It sounded like I was there in the game itself. Compared to other closed-back headphones I tried, this headphone had the truest virtual surround experience. Closed headphones with the surround option just gave me a headache and made everything sound like it was coming from behind me. Overall I would say that these are a neutral, cold sounding pair of headphones. They don't sound lush or warm in any way due to the bitter highs. Compared to the M50's that I had a brief listen to, the M50 sounds, even more, colder than the MH463, with a more 'neutral' kinda smooth curve to the sound signature compared to the MH463. The MH463 sonic performance is very similar to the M50, although I personally feel it performs better than the M50 still due to its excellent mids and better extension in the bass. The M50 had a very 'in your face' kinda sound which I don't really like. The MH463 is sorta similar in that aspect too but to a much less fatiguing degree. This can be an aggressive sounding headphone depending on the kind of music you are listening to. Overall Somic did a great job of tuning these headphones to have a good balance that caters to both gamers and music lovers alike.
 
Conclusion
 
These are an excellent pair of cans that I recommend to anyone that already has a decent amp+dac combo already. The price to performance is unbelievable on these. They are definitely not headphones that are meant to be carried around and is strictly only for home use. These cans are suitable for everyone, whether you are a music enthusiast or a hardcore gamer, they are a fairly solid choice at $50 that far outperforms many gaming headphones and audiophile cans in this price range. They might not be totally neutral, with boosted bass and mid-highs, but for the price and detail, it's basically a must buy for anyone looking to upgrade their audio without burning a hole in their wallets.

I've always looked into "budget-fi" since I've got more interested in proper headphones thus making me get the CALs, Takstar Pro 80s and now the Somic MH463. I will be doing some direct comparisons between the Pro 80s and MH463 since the CALs aren't really in the same ballpark in terms of sound quality, but they're no slouches either. They're both regarded as the best solutions in their price range so I want to help future buyers to decide on which one to get. Keep in mind these 3 are the only "real" headphones I've owned. They're being powered by Xonar DG.
 
Price: Got mine from miniinthebox for 52$ shipped, they also offer tax and customs insurance and the shipping is done by DHL Express which makes it fairly fast. They did refund about 33$ which DHL charged for import duties etc. and I frankly wasn't expecting that. You can also find the Lasmex rebrand for a decent price if it's on sale. The Gemini's (Takstar rebrand) cost about 45$ if I remember correctly.
 
Build quality: These things are very well built, I've seen some people mentioning a couple of flaws but I haven't noticed any creaking or weakness in terms of build quality. The headband is sturdy, frames are built from aluminium and hard plastic and the cable is of adequate thickness. If I were to compare them to the Pro 80s I'd give a slight edge to the MH463 because I've got the coiled cable version of the Pro 80s which was a nuisance. There was also some background static on the Pro 80s, although it was barely audible you could still hear it if you switched volume from 0 to normal listening levels, I'm guessing the cable is probably at fault here. Overall they're both really solid in terms of durability.
 
Comfort: They're fairly heavy, but the headband has a decent cushion which takes care of that. The only thing I could see people complaining about is the ear pads. The foam is really soft thus making your ears touch the plastic grill that's protecting the drivers. Thankfully you can adjust these headphones to avoid that but it's still a possibility that if you have a bit larger ears you might feel some discomfort. The Pro 80s on the other hand have a thin layer of cushion in-between the drivers and your ears, however the pleather pads have started to wear off after about a year and a half of usage. I'd give the edge to Pro 80s here due to its weight, but they don't stretch as much as the MH463 so keep that in mind if you have a larger head.
 
Onto the sound quality, I've used them side by side so the margin of error is lower so I'll try and be as specific as I could.
 
Lows: The bass is of decent quantity, it extends fairly well and it's definitely tight. The Pro 80s on the other hand felt boringly flat and just didn't have that oomph I prefer. Mind you I don't like bloated bass, it just felt that the Pro 80s lacked in it to the point of hearing completely new bass lines I haven't been able to pick up before, and now with the MH463 it's easily distinguishable from the rest of the spectrum. I wonder if the HI2050 lack in bass even more.
 
Mids: Male vocals are a bit recessed at first, but it completely changes  after burn-in. They're more detailed, full bodied and more up front. I always thought this was where the Pro 80s shined, but the MH463 sounds better for me overall, it just depends what kind of a sound signature you prefer. I would describe the Pro 80s as a bit more warmer and intimate, whilst the MH463 is more detailed and impactful. The high-mids is their strongest point and female vocals sound amazing. 
 
Highs: The treble is natural, they did sound slightly brighter because I was used to the Pro 80s and CALs signature which was a bit warmer but now I just feel like I've been missing out. Detail and clarity is much better, although not exceptional. 
 
Soundstage: Amazing. Didn't expect this much of a change coming from Pro 80s, and even though we're talking about closed vs open headphones it's still miles above the Pro 80s. Instrument separation is really good, the soundstage is airy, positioning is on point and the depth is also very good. The Pro 80s have that intimate (although very good for closed cans) soundstage with decent instrument separation. 
 
Verdict: The MH463 just feels like a step-up in terms of sound quality compared to Pro 80. It has them beat in every area except comfort in my opinion but you can get other pads for that. You can easily pick up details that you couldn't notice with the Pro 80s and everything sounds a bit more natural and brighter but not fatiguing. Just give them some time to burn-in so that the mids can open up a bit more, and everything else gets tighter and more controlled. The Pro 80s are also easier to drive.

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Me: I am a 21 year old student living in a small town in India. I would like to call myself a music enthusiast, rather than an audiophile. I was inspired by music since childhood, and as the time passed, the passion of music grew in me, and that subsequently led me to join Head-Fi. Eventually, I found the pleasure of listening to music mainly by the HD600 and recently, by the seductive LCD2 headphones, and realized the true components of recorded music. I usually like to listen to Indian Classical Music along with Bollywood songs. My main listening genres include classical, vocal, instrumental, jazz and sometimes pop.

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Intro:  Somic is a headphone manufacturing brand headquartered in Guangzhou, China. Somic was established in 1999, it is one of China’s oldest and largest headphone brand. It has obtained the esteemed ISO9001/2008 and other such certificates for its ability in manufacturing.
 

 
Somic currently has a wide range of budget headphone offerings, which it also OEM’s to other brands. The MH463 is their flagship headphone.
 

 
Specifications of MH463:
 
Drivers: 50MM CCAW coil
 
Rated Impedance: 45 Ω
 
Frequency Response: 8 ~ 30,000 Hz
 
Sensitivity: 93dB

Weight: 388 Grams
 
Plug: 3.5mm with screw on 6.5mm Gold plated
 
Cable: 1.6 Metres, Fixed & non removable.

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Let us see what the MH463 has got for us,
 
Packaging and Accessories: The MH463’s arrive packed inside a black cardboard box. Once the case is flipped open, The MH463 is seen resting behind a plastic window. Nothing fancy, basic accessories included. But each and every part has a premium quality and feel to it.
 

 

 

 

 

 
List of accessories in the box, which include the following: 
 
Screw on ¼” Converter: To plug in the MH463 in the 6.5mm headphone jacks.
 
Velcro: An velcro to tie up the lengthy cable when not in use.

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Design and Build: The MH463 has a great build quality. The entire housing shell is made up of high quality forged aluminium & fibre. It isn’t painted, but is anodized, which is again a step forward in engineering. These are not light in weight, and feel fairly (but not excessive) heavy on head.  Headband is made up of steel, covered by a pleather cushion. Earpads are pleathers. These are fully open, and over ear headphones, and the design/calculations has been extremely well carried out.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Cable has a very good build. It is light, flexible and does not get tangled. I could not notice the presence of any microphonics. Plug is straight and gold plated, and is very well built. The stock cable does a great job in transferring signals along with great transparency. But the cable is fixed & not detachable.
 

 

 

 

 

 
Previously, many users had reported creaking frames or similar issues, and as of now, most of those issues have been addressed & solved by Somic, and I cannot observe any creaking movements.

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Comfort:  MH463’s are very comfortable to wear in general, owing to its oval earcups and very comfortable clamp, long yokes, the MH463 is literally fits well all enthusiasts. It can be made comfortable for long sessions by upgrading to a better earpads.
 

 
The clamping force and headband angling is very well implemented, and clamp force is very adaptive & accurate without exerting undesirable pressure on our skull. The yoke is also long enough to provide a good comfort for enthusiasts with longer/larger heads. Even though MH463’s are fully-open headphones, these leak sound, but not as loud as majority of open cans.
 

 
The stock earpads of MH463 lack in ventilation hence are uncomfortable for ears & cause sweating. So in my opinion, it is necessary to switch over to HM5 velour pads, which are very economical at 20$ a pair. This step ensures in a big step up in comfort. The MH463 is quite heavy feeling can when worn over head, because it weighs 388 grams (result of a great build). This is the only real con (unavoidable) in comfort area.

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Sound:  The MH463 has a neutral character, with a slight emphasis on upper mids. I really liked the way MH463 presented itself sonically. Overall character is such a way that, lows are really accurate and tight; hence focus falls on mids to highs. This helps us to better retrieve the details, pick out instruments and gives us a sense of increased air and soundstage.
 
Burn in: These improve a lot with time. Let’s say a playback of 100 hours provides audible improvements, along with relaxed and adopted clamping force. Bass prior to break-in is slightly more sterile, and eventually it becomes more in body, Mids will sound more open, airy and slightly more forward. highs which were ‘noticeable and aggressive‘ become slightly more smooth and natural, soundstage opens up by a margin.
 
Lows: are very accurate, tight and refined; have a strong impact. Depth, and extension is moderate.
 
Mids: sounded slightly recessed at first listen, but with burn-in, mids open up and get slightly forward and pleasing.
 
Highs: Very are clear, detailed, and in just about the exact quantity required.  I can describe highs not as ‘bright’ but as ‘right’
 
Soundstage: The MH463’s soundstage is airy, spacious, and 3D like. Depth is excellent. Instrument separation, detail retrieval is very good. According to my observation, these cans sounded good in every genre I tried, but particularly excelled in instrumentals, and classical. Vocals were good if not great. I can say the MH463’s are not forgiving to poor recordings. Hence these are revealing and resolving.

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Comparison: The MH463 holds an unbelievably great value and price/performance aspect, it is unmatched by any open back headphone within 100$. Not only that, its performance, build, comfort is very much comparable to sub 200$ headphones.
 
Hence, I will pick Sennheiser’s HD598  & Audio Technica’s AD900X as MH463’s chief competitors, even though latter ones cost more than twice the price of MH463 at 60$ shipped. All these are low impedance, and easy to drive, open and over-ear cans.
 
HD 598: By comfort & build, these are really superior, owing to their light weight construction, velour earpads and a softer headband. But by sound quality, HD598 falls slightly behind MH463 in the area of precision, instrument separation, clarity & soundstage. But these are slightly easier to drive than MH463’s. HD598’s are available at around 150$ in amazon.
 
AD900X:  Again, edges out the MH463 in terms of comfort, build, and also sonically outperforms the MH463, but these cost three times the price of MH463. At 170$ shipped, It is one of the best can available in the price range, but MH$63 simple offers a great value and a near-performance in 1/3^rd of its price.
 
So, ultimately without a second thought, The MH463 has a tremendous value, impressive sonic performance, & reigns as the King of sub 100$ cans, and competes very well with sub 200$ headphones.

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Amplification: These MH463’s are rated at 45 ohms, hence are designed to be power efficient, and can be run by weak sources .The need for a dedicated headphone amplifier is comparatively less, although a dedicated amp can improve can sound quality by a good margin. O2/ODAC setup brings out the best in MH463’s. Or even a 30$ homemade cmoy brings out the potential in them.

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Conclusion:  The MH463 can be considered as a wonderful set of headphones. It has an exceptional price to performance ratio. I am really impressed. The MH463’s are a pair, which I feel everyone should probably try out in their audio journey, because they’re a great pair in their own right. I can whole heartedly recommend them to anyone who loves audio. From a budding music enthusiast to a studio mixer to a veteran audiophile. Nobody can really regret buying the MH463.  With these, even an average music enthusiast can afford to listen to quality music.
 

 
 
The Pros: 
 
1) Build Quality: The MH463 has a great all-metal/fibre build.
 
2) Sound quality: Sound presentation here is very neutral, with slight emphasis on upper mids and is very much helpful for critical listening as well as musical pleasure.
 
3) Value:  Sheer and unbeatable value & one of the best price to performance ratio headphones one might encounter.
 
The Cons:
 
1) Comfort: This is definitely a downside considering the weight of 388 grams, which is on heavier side. .Also, the earpads needs to be changed/upgraded for a better comfort and listening experience.

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 At budget prices there is not much one can expect from headphone manufacturers. These budget headphones have to balance pricing and performance to be competitive but the Lasmex H75 Pros ( rebranded Somic MH463) seem to have found a decent balance. They don’t look overtly “plasticky”, maintaining a reasonably reassuring build. The metal band that runs across both headphone frame is pretty sturdy and the remaining parts are made of tough plastic. A three year guarantee is greatly admirable and definitely helps the buyer to be more confident with the headphone, ofcourse this may depend on the rebranding vendor. The headband also seems to add considerable weight to the headphone, which makes it heavy over extended listening sessions The markings on the metal band help in making quick adjustments and are much appreciated by users like moi! The headphones have an impedance of 45 ohms and have a 50 mm driver. The large driver makes the headphone quite substantial to look at and most definitely also plays a role in the well resolved sound the headphone puts out (more on that later…). The headphone has an open type construction meaning, there is going to be leakage of music to the surrounding, the size and open nature of the H-75 Pro will mean you would ideally be using these indoors. A 3m cable terminating in a 3.5mm stereo plug with a 6.5mm adapter completes the Lasmex H75 Pro.The earpads cushions are unusually too soft and do tend to compress too much. Though that may not affect all, users like me (not small ears!) have comfort issues. The earlobe tends to rest on the hard plastic containing the drivers and causes comfort problems during extended listening periods. Yet another discomfort is  the sheer weight of the headphone itself! The plastic lining bearing the branding “Lasmex” covering the headband seems to be the culprit, you can always remove that to increase comfort and probably replace it with a third-party headband cushion.
 

Firstly, a big thank you to Joe for helping me get a pair of MH463s . I've had them now for over 4 months. These are my thoughts.

Out of the box I was impressed: They looks pretty nice, there's reassuring weight to the construction and comfort is serviceable. The body is mostly metal. As established though, long term comfort isn't great: the cups are just too shallow. Most will probably buy with this in mind though, as did I, with intentions of rectifying in the future. There are some issues with frame creaking when turning your head too - can be slightly annoying.

Concerning recent balancing discussion: I can only assume it's a bad batch. I assume mine must be from an earlier production run given the timeframe of buying them from Joe. I have no imbalance on mine. I'm pretty sensitive too. My first pair of M50s had it, and I sent them all the way back to the US for a replacement.

Sound is very good. Lots of space and instrument separation, with a fairly flat response. Nothing seemed recessed or highlighted; I like this. All elements of my music seemed to be given ample representation. The 50mm drivers provide enviable sound and presence. Bass is there, and provides a nice thrum for guitar or atmospheric background drone when called for. If anything, this is where there a bit of bias in the sound. Nothing overbearing though.

After burn-in/100hrs is when they really shine though!

I would leave my set cycling through my songs nightly. This lasted about a week. Didn't really use them much during this period. When I first did though, wow, I was very impressed! There just seemed to be much more harmony in the music, more cohesion. Not muddy, but full-bodied. Nice and lush and weighty. Separation was further improved, and with a nice smoothness to the vocals. Sibilance is gone too. Coming through the E17 with LOD - I was blown away. The audio quality improved noticeably, and it responded wonderfully with the bass and treble settings.

I had put them on par with my HM5 rebrands originally (which I rate highly), but now, MH463 is king! Done some comparisons and the music just sounds more alive with the Somics. More impact, more space. Instruments and voice are more present. HM5 are no slouch, but these just outclass them.

GET THEM! ...and give them a chance too . Out of the box they may not sound like anything special, but given the right treatment, they can sound wonderfully grand. Which brings me to my next passage - how I fixed comfort issues:

As mentioned, the cups are too shallow (they're actually nice and plush however). You can replace with other pads, like from the M50 or the Turtle Beaches for example, or plump the existing pads yourself. I was hesitant on deciding because personal preference varys wildly on the best pad replacement. A lot seem to feel it negatively colours the sound too. I decided to stuff the pads instead.

I originally tried cotton wool, foam and tissue. All worked to differing degrees, but had shortcomings. I had got along on tissue, but they compress and move too easily. It always seemed like a stopgap option. Recently, while wearing the Somics mind you, I was absentmindedly squishing together some silicone earplugs I'd picked up for 50c on clearance. I found they moulded together almost like play dough - awesome! I was having fun messing around when it occurred to me I could use them on the headphones. I took the whole packet and made two strips of equal length and width. They look like snakes. I then sort of moulded them to the underside of the cushion on the cups. It worked surprisingly well. Because they're malleable, but also keep their shape, theyre perfect to act as support. Additionally, the silicone will affix it in place and won't shift. The creaking is better too. When done it raised the cushion padding upward without squashing. The ear pads are now still soft, but raised from the driver housing.

Pretty pleased with the solution! Very comfortable now. I'd advise you to try it out, at the least. I couldn't notice any sound changes. It's probably a placebo, but it seems to improve the isolation. Again, probably a placebo

Here's some pics. I used Macks waterproof earplugs. You can feel when applying under the cushion the opening for the drivers. There's a circle that enclosing the entire section it. Just make sure you push the silicone back from this. Should be just behind. Check it out:







Kinda compliments the colour too

Link to review thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/637699/50mm-driver-open-air-full-size-cans-pop-out-of-nowhere-sound-amazing
 
Additional notes:
1. Stock sound is neutral with elevated bass but very natural mids and treble and great soundstage.
2. Changing to leather Hifiman pads and taping over the 4 vents around each driver enclosure increases subbass to awesome levels; however midbass to low mids also elevated causing boomy sound
3. The following EQ can be applied to the cans modded in (2) to approach a very natural, neutral sound with very powerful subbass:
 

Copied from here:
 
(For reference, coming form SR850s w/ modified pads and Philips Citiscape Uptowns)
 
Quote:

bbeg said:

Came home from work to find a package from Hong Kong.
 
Packaging of the 463s is so-so. Looks kinda nice, feels kinda cheap, only accessories to speak of is a plug adapter. Whatever, I'm not buying packaging so this doesn't bother or disappoint me.
 
Build quality is nice. Heavier than the SR850s and Uptowns. Cable is much better than the Uptowns'. I like that the cups swivel to lay flat, but as these are open phones I probably won't be traveling much with them.
 
Sound quality straight out of the box... holy crap. First song is Crossfade's acoustic of "Falling Away" side-to-side with the Philips Uptowns, and I'm a little stunned. I now definitely understand what people have said about closed headphones sounding 'closed in' compared to open headphones, but even so I actually like the Somic's sound more (I've been loving my Uptowns, so this is a surprise that a less-expensive pair of headphones sounds notably better). Very good first impression for sound! Bill Withers' "Use Me" (one of my all-time favorites) doesn't sound quite as open, but I think it's the recording; the Uptowns suited that song a little better (made it more intimate, I guess). Bass is more or less comparable with the Uptowns with maybe a little less punch. Gonna need to compare with some 5FDP for that. "Breath of Life" by Florence + Machine goes to the 463's, no contest: the openness adds this epic quality to the song that was meant to be there, but doesn't quite show with the Uptowns. On DJ Fresh's "Louder" (the one, the only, Doctor P & Flux P remix), the closed Uptowns definitely have more impact and sound a little better, even though they lose a little detail to the 463's.
 
Comfort: first impression is cramped ears. The ear pads definitely need to be thicker and deeper. Gonna find a way to make this happen. The Uptowns are orders of magnitude better for comfort, and I actually know the meaning of that phrase!
 
 
Overall, I'm really liking what I hear. Big thanks to Joe (and 3AM insomnia) for introducing me to these bad boys.

Click to expand...

 
The lacking of comfort is the only reason I can think of not to give these 5 stars. Even then, the sound quality, especially for the price, really tempts me to. But the comfort issue is a real one: the stock pads are not very deep anyway and compress very easily, leaving your ears cramped up against the driver grill/vent/thing. Replacing the stock pads with these from Turtle Beach ($14 shipped to the SE USA) fixes any problems one can have with their comfort. I can't speak to changes in sound quality at the moment, but at the very least they sound as good as they had before. The top headband is so-so; it can be better but isn't bad.
 
Not sure how to rate 'Design'. They do not have detachable cables, so I suppose that's a minus. The 3.5 plug is rather nice and secures in place very well. The cable is certainly long enough and doesn't seem to tangle easily or induce cable-related noise. The cups rotate so the headphone can lay flat, say in a backpack, which is a convenience I haven't had before. The top headband pleather pad can be improved by widening it, but it also collapses easily like the stock ear pads. I hear people complain about the creaking as you turn the ear cups but it doesn't while they're worn so I see no issue with them (except as a point if a "polished" product).
 
Find them. Buy them. They're worth every penny and many, many more.

 
First impressions of these bad boys (coming unamped from a Motorola Xoom, because I spent the week at my dad's, while my audio equipment spent the week at my mom's) were not good. The bass was boomy, the highs were non-existent, and the mids existed in a state of recession that could put 2010 USA to shame. The only thing that made them comparable to Sennheiser was a comically overstated veil. Despite this, I kept listening to them, finding these qualities to become less and less apparent over time. Yesterday, I tried them out again, and to my surprise, they finally started sounding like the HD600 competitors Head-Fi has been touting them as. Perhaps spending 6 hours outside in the Michigan cold while I was in school impacted their sound quality.
 
The MH463, after burn-in (literally) sounds wonderful. Highs are present, but not "sparkly"/obtrusive. Lower mids (especially male vocals) are a bit recessed, but they do an excellent job at bringing female vocalists to the forefront. Soundstage is wide, obviously, with this being an open-backed headphone, but not to the point of sounding "gimmicky". Bass packs a definite punch, but can get a little sloppy on tracks with a lot of low bass (that "boom, boom, boom" crap). As the bass is this headphone's major problem area, it goes without saying that the MH463 perform best with acoustic, classical, rock, and other genres that don't involve subbass.

Only one small problem. Although the Somics sound excellent...that's about all they do right. The build is creaky and rigid feeling (I feel like these things are going to snap in half every time I use the extenders). It is very obvious that Somic spent their money on R&D and drivers, leaving accessories (no case or spare pads) and features (don't expect a detachable cable here) to their more costly competitors. They also shipped a bit...dirty, with residue and other white/grey "gunk" all over the housing. Gross. This isn't necessarily something to complain about, however, as making these cut-backs allows Somic to offer $150+ dollar sound at a $50 price point. Unfortunately, due to this mindset, the Somic MH463 falls victim to having the worst pads ever. Seriously. I can't wear these things for more than 20 minutes without my ears bursting into flames. They also rest awkwardly on the ear, making my ear tips and lobes very uncomfortable. 

Fortunately, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 has some of the best pads ever, and they just so happen to fit the Somic MH463. I just worked this one out, so I can't give a 100% review of the sound, but it seems to circumvent the bass issues with this headphone quite a bit. 

This is one of the best "sound quality for buck" headphones out there. Just understand that when you purchase these that sound quality is all that you are getting. As we are audiophiles, this shouldn't be much of an issue. Unfortunately, I don't see this headphone serving the needs of people who have other needs. At the end of the day, this is a $200 headphone in a $50 package, but it's still very obvious that it comes in a $50 package.

SOUND QUALITY: 

BASS: Loud, boomy, and kind of obnoxious in bass-heavy genres without M50 pads, but is punchy and articulate in more "natural" ones.
LOW-MIDS: Slightly recessed and distant, but still hefty and with a good amount of "body" to them.
HIGH-MIDS: Exceptional. From 350-700 Hz, the MH463 is unstoppable. Airy, a bit sparkly, and right at the forefront, which is exactly where they should be. The high-mids truly set this headphone apart from everything else I have heard. 
TREBLE: It's here, it exists, it does its job, and it leaves. Not harsh or grating, nor recessed and hollow, the MH463s treble gets done what it needs to get done. You'll know when a vocalist breathes or a drummer hits a hi-hat, but it's not painfully obvious unless the track calls for it.
SOUNDSTAGE: Wide, inviting, definitely not intimate. Things that are hard panned sound like they're coming from about 95-100 degrees left or right (slightly over your shoulder). Everything fills in quite nicely.
 
BUILD/FEATURES:

DURABILITY: Not great, it appears. This headphone employs a similar strain relief to the M50...and seeing how my M50's strain relief broke, this is definitely vulnerable. Don't move your head back and forth too much while listening, because the MH463s creak like there's no tomorrow. Also, the extenders are very rigid and tight, sort of like the JVC HA-S400. Perhaps they just need to be broken in. 
COMFORT: Without the M50 pads, the MH463 is unbearable for more than 30 minutes to an hour. However, they do have a well-cushioned headband, so once the M50 pads are on, they are an absolute breeze to wear for long periods.
APPEARANCE: They look...decent, I guess. Save for the residue, they appear pretty plain and standard.
ACCESSORIES: Hope you like 1/4 inch adapters, because that is all you're getting.

Overall, this is a must-own for all audiophiles and a must-avoid for everyone else. If you can get past some build quality and comfort issues (I cannot stress getting the M50 pads enough), then you will be treated to one of the best sounding headphones you can purchase for under $200, let alone $50.
 
EDIT: Turtle Beach X12/X32 pads are much more comfortable than the M50 ones. They can be had from Turtle Beach's website for about $13 shipped to the US.