iheartbass
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2011
- Posts
- 27
- Likes
- 10
Hello fellow Head-Fiers!
I've had the AIAIAI TMA-1's for a few days now and while it was love at first sight once I actually moved in with them, and had a chance to spend some time together, things got really uncomfortable. I'll start by listing the good, followed by the ugly.
These are gorgeous headphones! I love the looks and styling, and the packaging is also a nice touch. The sound is phenomenal for the genres I listen to. For the past 2-3 years i've been listening to EDM (Mostly Trance) 99% of the time. I only have the Monster Turbine Pro Copper as a benchmark but in terms of sound I am incredibly satisfied. This sexy beast has deep, controlled, textured bass that never seems to slow down no matter how complex the basslines get. <3. I'm not very familiar with all the audiophile lingo so I really can't think of how to describe the mid and high frequencies. Compared to the MTPC, I would say all the detail is there but just presented differently. Some refer to the sound as dark and its somewhat true in that the higher frequencies are a little recessed, but even the micro-details are present at higher volumes or with EQ (Which they handle incredibly well!). This is where the love story ends.
So after we go at it and get to enjoying some jams together, the pain becomes apparent. First its the top of my head, where the headband rests. The band has no cushioning at all and becomes painful after as little as 10-15 minutes. Next come the ears. While they don't exert an excessive amount of force they still cause my ears to hurt around the outer edge right where the pad meets my ear. Combined they lead to a headache in as little as 25-40min. This is a deal breaker.
I'm really heartbroken. I thought I had found the cans of my dreams only to find that they are very uncomfortable (For me anyways). Im $170 poorer and am left with a pounding headache. So now the question comes, what should I do? Im looking for a closed set of cans with a sound signature similar to the TMA-1 or the MTPC, what do you guys suggest?
UPDATE - 8/7/11
Sorry for the loooong wait for an update, but I have good news and potentially advice for prospective TMA-1 owners.
After posting, I got some interesting replies from the community. Jerg posted, " ...pressure is force over area, it's uncomfortable because area (of contact) is too small."
I found this to be very accurate and it inspired me to reshape the headband in order to maximize contact with my head. In doing so they did in fact become more comfortable, but still not ideal. It also came with unexpected, but in the long run very favorable, consequences. The coating began to peel. First at the very top center of the headband where the most tension was occurring and continued to peel more and more every day. So I sent them in. Were it not for the amazing sound quality, I would have cut my losses and sold them as soon as I got the new pair. But, I gave them another shot and they have redeemed themselves. They fit completely different now. No longer do I receive painful headaches but instead I can wear them comfortably for hours. The only explanation is that the previous owner molded the band to fit his head and did so drastically, to the point where it wasn't going to ever fit me ideally.
So long story short, buy them NEW, or at least with the original receipt so you know that your covered.
Thanks everyone for your replies and good luck with fulling your audio dreams!
I've had the AIAIAI TMA-1's for a few days now and while it was love at first sight once I actually moved in with them, and had a chance to spend some time together, things got really uncomfortable. I'll start by listing the good, followed by the ugly.
These are gorgeous headphones! I love the looks and styling, and the packaging is also a nice touch. The sound is phenomenal for the genres I listen to. For the past 2-3 years i've been listening to EDM (Mostly Trance) 99% of the time. I only have the Monster Turbine Pro Copper as a benchmark but in terms of sound I am incredibly satisfied. This sexy beast has deep, controlled, textured bass that never seems to slow down no matter how complex the basslines get. <3. I'm not very familiar with all the audiophile lingo so I really can't think of how to describe the mid and high frequencies. Compared to the MTPC, I would say all the detail is there but just presented differently. Some refer to the sound as dark and its somewhat true in that the higher frequencies are a little recessed, but even the micro-details are present at higher volumes or with EQ (Which they handle incredibly well!). This is where the love story ends.
So after we go at it and get to enjoying some jams together, the pain becomes apparent. First its the top of my head, where the headband rests. The band has no cushioning at all and becomes painful after as little as 10-15 minutes. Next come the ears. While they don't exert an excessive amount of force they still cause my ears to hurt around the outer edge right where the pad meets my ear. Combined they lead to a headache in as little as 25-40min. This is a deal breaker.
I'm really heartbroken. I thought I had found the cans of my dreams only to find that they are very uncomfortable (For me anyways). Im $170 poorer and am left with a pounding headache. So now the question comes, what should I do? Im looking for a closed set of cans with a sound signature similar to the TMA-1 or the MTPC, what do you guys suggest?
UPDATE - 8/7/11
Sorry for the loooong wait for an update, but I have good news and potentially advice for prospective TMA-1 owners.
After posting, I got some interesting replies from the community. Jerg posted, " ...pressure is force over area, it's uncomfortable because area (of contact) is too small."
I found this to be very accurate and it inspired me to reshape the headband in order to maximize contact with my head. In doing so they did in fact become more comfortable, but still not ideal. It also came with unexpected, but in the long run very favorable, consequences. The coating began to peel. First at the very top center of the headband where the most tension was occurring and continued to peel more and more every day. So I sent them in. Were it not for the amazing sound quality, I would have cut my losses and sold them as soon as I got the new pair. But, I gave them another shot and they have redeemed themselves. They fit completely different now. No longer do I receive painful headaches but instead I can wear them comfortably for hours. The only explanation is that the previous owner molded the band to fit his head and did so drastically, to the point where it wasn't going to ever fit me ideally.
So long story short, buy them NEW, or at least with the original receipt so you know that your covered.
Thanks everyone for your replies and good luck with fulling your audio dreams!
