[wu wei]

I recently auditioned the P7, P5, Sennheiser Momentum, Sony MDR-1R and the AKG K550 and I felt the P7 was the most balanced sounding out of the bunch. They sounded a little dry in the lower treble and sibilance was a little bit of an issue but overall I liked them much better than the others. Also the P7 had the most bass weight, MUCH better than the K550, which sounded anemic in that area.

 

[Jazz1]

So I finally pulled the trigger on the P7's last night and took them home. My God they are a beautiful pair of headphones. Even my wife who could not care less about headphones was amazed by the packaging, elegance and construction. Connected to my iPod classic and compared them to my Momentums and M100's. The Momentums definitely sounded more forward and crisp while the P7's were recessed. Instrument separation was done equally well, with the P7's possessing a massive soundstage in comparison without sounding they had just pumped up the reverb factor. Compared to the M100's, they sounded similar with the M100's sounding more veiled even if more forward. The bass on the P7's is beautiful, I would say just as fast as the M100s without the XL pads. I am hoping with burn in, if such a thing in fact exists, the P7's will sound more forward as the bass slightly settles. On construction and beauty alone, they are worth every penny.

I'm wondering if fellow HD-650 owners might be drawn to the P7 for an alternative portable/closed headphone for the attributes you describe? I know I'm in that category. Listening to "Congo Square" on the Eric Clapton 2013 Crossroads CD (even the mp3 rip) sounds good. I'm going to rip AIFF later and try it again on my desktop rig. By the way this CD is great even if you think you've done the Clapton thing. The guest artists are great!
 
The construction if fabulous, and the case looks so flawless I was convinced it was pleather, not leather, but everyone is saying it is leather. It looks so good I'm afraid my spouse is going to steal it as she likes those high end purses

 

[Sonido]

^ I was wondering the same thing but with LCD-2 owners. I've heard for those going from HE-500 to LCD-2 find the LCD-2 too dark and they dislike it at first and it takes a few weeks for them to appreciate it.

 

[MacedonianHero]

  Personally, I don't experience a veiled or dark presentation with the P7.  P3 & P5 on the other hand...

Bingo!

 

[LFC_SL]

Same thing has happened to me. After near daily commute weekday use since purchasing the metal ring has slid off on the plug. Does not seem to affect and appears to be there for cosmetic reasons. Poor glue job mind. Good thing there is a spare cable in the box. Aside from being replaceable. Maybe aftermarket cable an idea if still rocking these next year

 

[Romani]

I'm wondering if fellow HD-650 owners might be drawn to the P7 for an alternative portable/closed headphone for the attributes you describe? I know I'm in that category. Listening to "Congo Square" on the Eric Clapton 2013 Crossroads CD (even the mp3 rip) sounds good. I'm going to rip AIFF later and try it again on my desktop rig. By the way this CD is great even if you think you've done the Clapton thing. The guest artists are great!

The construction if fabulous, and the case looks so flawless I was convinced it was pleather, not leather, but everyone is saying it is leather. It looks so good I'm afraid my spouse is going to steal those high end purses

Yeah I'm not sure about the cans you've mentioned as I haven't heard any of them. I think side by side comparisons are a good indicator. I have definitely gotten used to the beautiful mids of the Momentums so most other cans I've heard seem recessed. Having said that, last night I finally got try them out of my external Roland PC sound card and boosted the equaliser in the mids and saw them really shine. So they have the capability to go there just not out of my ipod classic with limited controls over the sound spectrum. They weren't lying when some reviewers classed them as dynamic. They are stunning with the right source.

I will try the album you've mentioned and agree they are of an immaculate construction . I had to look at the storage pouch to see if it was the real deal too. Interesting enough, when I bought them from Apollo Hifi, a store in Australia, I noticed the stickers on the top and bottom of the box weren't the original circular ones. I also noticed there is a dent on the leather on the top of the headband slightly off centre and have no idea whether it's because of the way they were packaged or manufactured. I suspect it will take the right shape over time given it's a soft part of the headband. I don't really suspect them to be previously used, however it seems that the distributor to this particular store inspected them before supplying

 

[Sonido]

Does anyone know if the pads are removable?
 
Edit: Nevermind. Nice magnetic design.

 

[Speakerphile]

  Does anyone know if the pads are removable?

Yes, they are.  The attach magnetically, just like the P3 & P5.  

 

[Wyd4]

Hey all,

I currently have the Mr Speakers Alpha Dogs but I am looking for a pair of portable cans.
I did some quick reading in the thread but there are 33 pages haha.
 
I have read reviews of boomy bass and muddy audio from these headphones.

As point of reference my favourite headphones I have/had in no particular order are as follows:
 
Mr Speakers Alpha Dog
Mr Speakers Mad Dog 3.2's
Audeze LCD 2r1
Sennheiser HD650.
 
Do you think these portables would suit what I am after?

Thanks for any advice in advance.

Scott

 

[Speakerphile]

  Hey all,

I currently have the Mr Speakers Alpha Dogs but I am looking for a pair of portable cans.
I did some quick reading in the thread but there are 33 pages haha.
 
I have read reviews of boomy bass and muddy audio from these headphones.

As point of reference my favourite headphones I have/had in no particular order are as follows:
 
Mr Speakers Alpha Dog
Mr Speakers Mad Dog 3.2's
Audeze LCD 2r1
Sennheiser HD650.
 
Do you think these portables would suit what I am after?

Thanks for any advice in advance.

Scott

Well, they're not planar-magnetic, but they are definitely not muddy either.  I also wouldn't say they have "boomy" bass.  Most reviews would say the opposite, in fact.  
 
I thought they had fairly balanced sound, especially for a sealed headphone.  They also do not suffer from the same veiled presentation that the P3 & P5 suffer from.  They are really quite detailed.  Very comfortable in my opinion as well.   

 

[Wyd4]

  Well, they're not planar-magnetic, but they are definitely not muddy either.  I also wouldn't say they have "boomy" bass.  Most reviews would say the opposite, in fact.  
 
I thought they had fairly balanced sound, especially for a sealed headphone.  They also do not suffer from the same veiled presentation that the P3 & P5 suffer from.  They are really quite detailed.  Very comfortable in my opinion as well.   

Thanks for the feedback.
I guess I have been a little spoiled regarding bass quality in the cans that I have had.
I am more interested in quality of bass and extension over quantity.  (even though I love the HD650's).
I love the flat frequency response of the alpha dogs.
When you say they have a balanced sound, would you say reasonably flat response?
 
I have also heard/read that the p7 needs some time to settle, which tames the bass somewhat, which could have been the issue with the reviews I had read.

Thanks

Scott

 

[Sonido]

How many hours of burn-in do these headphones need?
 
I personally find the KEF M500 more neutral than the P7, at least out of the box. The M500 has a deeper sub-bass extension. Also, I find the M500 to have natural vocals, especially female, where the P7 has colored female vocals to me. Once again less than 15 hours burn-in. After playing around with the pads, including taking off the P7 pads and slipping it onto the M500, I think a lot of the boominess is pad related, and that space creates reverberations. This reverberation also causes the sound to become slightly veiled in general. The only thing I have against the M500 is that it's on-ear and uncomfortable to me, and also it has a much smaller, almost two-dimensional soundstage compared to the P7. I also believe this is due to the pads. The M500 with P7 pads clamped on improved a lot in the soundstage department.

 

[Speakerphile]

  Thanks for the feedback.
I guess I have been a little spoiled regarding bass quality in the cans that I have had.
I am more interested in quality of bass and extension over quantity.  (even though I love the HD650's).
I love the flat frequency response of the alpha dogs.
When you say they have a balanced sound, would you say reasonably flat response?
 
I have also heard/read that the p7 needs some time to settle, which tames the bass somewhat, which could have been the issue with the reviews I had read.

Thanks

Scott

They do have slightly emphasized bass response.    I don't like to compare a home-based open headphone to a portable sealed one, but the P7 will have more bass than the HD650.  Overall they don't sound very similar.  

 

[Wyd4]

They do have slightly emphasized bass response.    I don't like to compare a home-based open headphone to a portable sealed one, but the P7 will have more bass than the HD650.  Overall they don't sound very similar.  

Yeah obviously I wouldn't compare open and closed cans.
At the moment I use the alphas which are closed. But obviously ortho's.
I will have a listen to them on Monday and see what I think.
My only concern is the shop where I am testing them is brand new stock so if anyone has any info on how they change after burn in I would be eternally grateful

 

[Sonido]

Yeah obviously I wouldn't compare open and closed cans.
At the moment I use the alphas which are closed. But obviously ortho's.
I will have a listen to them on Monday and see what I think.
My only concern is the shop where I am testing them is brand new stock so if anyone has any info on how they change after burn in I would be eternally grateful

Improved vocals that are more natural is the most noticeable thing so far 30 hours in.