[Achlys]

Yeah, polarity is definitely matched between drivers at least. Here's another version of the polarity test that I did at home. You can see the MM100 is the only one that dips negative when the positive pulse track is recorded through the headphone via microphone. The monitor speaker and ATH M50X both swing positive first in response to the positive pulse.

I should note that I am driving the MM-100s via the included MM-100 cable. Just a 1/4" TRS to a 1/8" TRS into the left ear cup.



I don't really get that headphone wiring diagram. Can we have tips, rings, and sleeves labeled? What are the circles? The speaker input connectors?

I really wonder why they would make a supposed professional monitoring headphone have this issue. I wonder if MM-500 suffers from this issue because my LCD-5 doesn't. I can easily hear the difference between correct vs inverted absolute polarity in blind tests and believe it is important to maintain correct polarity.

There are many headphones with inverted polarity. Some Audeze Models (LCD-1, CRBN) also Stax headphones…

LCD-1 measures with correct polarity on InnerFidelity: https://www.stereophile.com/images/ifmeasure/AudezeLCD1.pdf

Also Bob Katz claim that inverted polarity on electrostatic headphones is incorrect. The audibility is caused by cochlear hair cells not responding to the negative half of a waveform.

Do you know why they are designed this way?

In my blind and informal investigations, inverted absolute polarity can give the false impression of certain aspects such as soundstage, but it comes at the degradation of perceived fidelity. It is important to note that you likely need to be fairly well trained to be able to detect this reliably in most songs.

@squibble can you please check if the polarity issue applies to both of the inputs on the headphone?

 

[squibble]

The first image is cable into left input, and the second image is cable into right. These were done on a CRYSound measurement device which are essentially flat plate measurements.

 

[holden4th]

Email from Addicted to Audio:

Thank you for your pre-order. The current ETA is by 27/10/2023. We will dispatch the order to you immediately, upon its arrival. Please let us know if you can’t wait for this and we can get this cancelled and refunded for you.

So it looks like it might be on its way sometime after the end of next week. Time will tell. Having only ordered it this week I understand that I am at the back of the queue. Patience is a virtue and I'm happy to wait if I have to. I am just hoping it has something close to the sound signature that so entranced me with the LCD1.

If it does then I will be selling my Ananda Stealths

 

[pecotunkA]

So, are they ever coming to Europe ?

at this point I am no longer interested in purchasing the MM-100. that may change in the future if it is available in-stock, but I can't spend $680 while not being able to try the product and being told it will arrive "when the shipment arrives". I think your best chance of getting it ASAP is to pre-order from Audeze directly. I have a feeling they will prioritize pre-order shipments over retail stock shipment.
one thing that was the nail in the coffin for me was reading a comment on reddit that said ordering a Maxwell now (that has been in production for awhile) resulted in a 1 month waiting period.
edit: I intentionally ignored this thread for 1 month hoping to come back and see some kind of pick up in pace possibly with announcement of batches being sent to retailers, but it seems like units are still crawling off the factory and there is little to no change from before. maybe I was being too optimistic.

for now I decided to spend my money on the Meta Quest 3 instead with next day delivery.

to be fair though seems like this delay in production is not exclusive to Audeze. I was briefly interested in the Moondrop Para and predicted it would be available "fulfilled by Amazon" 10 days after official release date ( when checking "Date first available" details on Amazon this was the case with the Venus, 10 days for local Amazon stock to appear). but after 20 days past I realized it wasn't going to happen. looking at the 3rd party ShenzhenAudio seller listing on Amazon now, if you order from them right now the delivery date estimate is 1st December at the earliest (over 1 month away).

 

[thermos]

Email from Addicted to Audio:



So it looks like it might be on its way sometime after the end of next week. Time will tell. Having only ordered it this week I understand that I am at the back of the queue. Patience is a virtue and I'm happy to wait if I have to. I am just hoping it has something close to the sound signature that so entranced me with the LCD1.

If it does then I will be selling my Ananda Steal

They are SO much better than LCD1. I am more impressed with these the more I use them.

Btw I have mastered with them and it was a breeze. No eq. Also the pads don’t bother me at all for extended sessions.

 

[holden4th]

They are SO much better than LCD1. I am more impressed with these the more I use them.

Btw I have mastered with them and it was a breeze. No eq. Also the pads don’t bother me at all for extended sessions.

How similar is the sound signature to the LCD1? I remember the LCD1 having a quite neutral approach and really likes this. In your opinion if I liked the LCD1 would I also like the MM100?

 

[HAydin]

LCD-1 measures with correct polarity on InnerFidelity: https://www.stereophile.com/images/ifmeasure/AudezeLCD1.pdf
Also Bob Katz claim that inverted polarity on electrostatic headphones is incorrect. The audibility is caused by cochlear hair cells not responding to the negative half of a waveform.

I think this is the old LCD-1 (First audeze headphone) i measured my LCD-1 with in ear microphones, the polarity was inverted.

 

[HipHopScribe]

I think this is the old LCD-1 (First audeze headphone) i measured my LCD-1 with in ear microphones, the polarity was inverted.

Yeah, Tyll had left and InnerFidelity was essentially dead before the newer LCD-1 came out. Impedance also doesn’t match the newer model

 

[thermos]

How similar is the sound signature to the LCD1? I remember the LCD1 having a quite neutral approach and really likes this. In your opinion if I liked the LCD1 would I also like the MM100?

Good question. There is something about the high end that is similar to lcd-1, it’s revealing in a certain way. But the tuning and resolution slays LCD-1. Just better tuned, bigger sounding, better low end. LCD-1 without reveal were a bit uninspired imo, with reveal they were great. These are like a bigger proper audeze headphone with LCD-1 traits.

 

[karloil]

In a country where I can easily audition gears before purchasing - I still decided to do a blind buy (well, pre-order )

There's something that appealed to me ever since Audeze announced the MM100 months ago - been patiently waiting to hear it. It didn't turn up during CanJam SG. So I'm like a lot of people here - I just rely on reading and watching any article/video that I can get my hands on. But alas - as soon as my preferred shop posted the pre-order link, I jumped the gun

Need to patiently wait again until stocks arrive But really looking forward to this item.

 

[marekm]

I wrote to Santa about the MM-100, but he was sceptical and suggested that I have a word with Easter Bunny or return to him next year

 

[bonnei100]

Good one, marekm! Seems Santa is being kept in the dark on availability like most of us . Do the sponsored fan boys have any news on that for us mere mortals? Will there be MM-100s under the x-mas trees around the world this year?

@ karloil: "I just rely on reading and watching any article/video that I can get my hands on" - yes, we all do, but that's getting a bit old by now, isn't it?

Lately nobody affiliated with the company have come out and set the record straight on reported polarity issues? Getting correct MM-100 information from Audeze has been a struggle since the launch, for both distributors and potential buyers - and still is months after they were first presented at trade shows.

What happened to Sankar's "I agree with you, we have to be better in communication when things change and we will try to be better going forward"?

 

[karloil]

@ karloil: "I just rely on reading and watching any article/video that I can get my hands on" - yes, we all do, but that's getting a bit old by now, isn't it?

Yep, no choice for the rest of us but to rely on them....for now.

I'll just pass time (trying to forget I already pre-ordered it) by listening and enjoying music using my other cans.

 

[bwardrop]

DMS review of the MM-100 just dropped:

 

[HAydin]

DMS review of the MM-100 just dropped:

Why don't they just use raw Graphs?
Nobody can read this compensated bullsh*t