[Pharmaboy]

Closed or open?

What sound signature are you looking for?

Big head, little head?

On ears or over ears?

Portability for wearing out in public, or home/studio listening only?

"Big head, little head?" (?)

2 headphones?

 

[Pharmaboy]

Well, they arrived.

As it turns out, they do have branding on them. The Stellar Labs logo on the outside of the cups. After listening to them over the last week, and AB'ing them with the OneOdio's, I can say with some certainty that they were worth the money! Impressions? For those interested, I mainly have compared them to the OneOdio's.

The Stellar's are deeper; both in the detail and bass departments. Not as dark as the OneOdio's, either. I do prefer a darker sounding headphone though, but I wouldn't describe the Stellar's as sibilant or grating. Just enough treble, and I actually find them a nice complementary pair to switch between them and the OneOdio's.

The Stellar's are definitely more comfortable for longer sessions, to me. My pair of HM5's finally 'gave up the ghost' after years of faithful service (boohoo, I miss them) and I find the Stellar's give a similar feel on the head. Yes!

I'll stop before I write a whole review on these, as a lot has already been said about them. Final word if I were to choose between the two; the Stellar's for their comfort and deeper/longer/more critical listening sessions. The OneOdio's I will continue to use for when I'm going out, as they feel lighter on the head, are smaller, and have more relaxed sonic character.

Next I intend to experiment with the semi-open grille mod, as described by @Slater

If you do that semi-open grille mod well (w/no issues/problems), I think you'll like what you hear.

 

[Slater]

"Big head, little head?" (?)

2 headphones?

Some people with melon heads can’t use certain phones, and others have tiny child-sized heads where phones don’t even fit!

Case in point - @trellus just sold his X2 because his head was too small for them.

So yeah, a good fit is just as important as good sound

 

[Pharmaboy]

FYI, there's a flash sale at Musicians' Friend. My old headphone/pal, the Marantz MPH-2 (my favorite of the ISK MDH9000 clones) is on sale there for $39.00--the best price ever from this vendor. It's probably US-only, but still:

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro...rofessional-studio-headphones/j33425000000000

 

[Pharmaboy]

Some people with melon heads can’t use certain phones, and others have tiny child-sized heads where phones don’t even fit!

Case in point - @trellus just sold his X2 because his head was too small for them.

So yeah, a good fit is just as important as good sound

I like the way you tactfully didn't rise to the bait of my borderline sleazy post!

I'm a melon head (perhaps even a watermelon head).

A large head story: when I first started listening to my gorgeous pre-owned but perfect condition ZMF Eikon, I knew they were the largest earcups I'd ever had on. None of it is suspension, frame, swivel, etc. These earcups are all wood & simply massive (wide & deep). So that first night, sitting there in my glory, loving that Eikon sound--and suddenly caught sight of something out of the corner of my right eye. I whipped around to see what was coming up behind me--nothing. It happened again--spooked again. Finally I turned up the lights, relaxed my eyes, and could just barely see the outside edge of the right earcup w/my peripheral vision.

That's how big those earcups are. And it only happens because I have a big head...

 

[mbwilson111]

I like the way you tactfully didn't rise to the bait of my borderline sleazy post!

I'm a melon head (perhaps even a watermelon head).

A large head story: when I first started listening to my gorgeous pre-owned but perfect condition ZMF Eikon, I knew they were the largest earcups I'd ever had on. None of it is suspension, frame, swivel, etc. These earcups are all wood & simply massive (wide & deep). So that first night, sitting there in my glory, loving that Eikon sound--and suddenly caught sight of something out of the corner of my right eye. I whipped around to see what was coming up behind me--nothing. It happened again--spooked again. Finally I turned up the lights, relaxed my eyes, and could just barely see the outside edge of the right earcup w/my peripheral vision.

That's how big those earcups are. And it only happens because I have a big head...

Where is the photo of you wearing those? It seems to not have uploaded correctly.

 

[zedbg]

Hello, can you recommend me a MDH9000 replacement pads ?

 

[Pharmaboy]

Where is the photo of you wearing those? It seems to not have uploaded correctly.

(hah!)

Where I live, cameras aren't allowed...

 

[jlcsoft]

Hi,

I am new in this forum. I have an audiotechnica m50x, and I´d like to try some open headphone like the grado sr80e, but a cheaper Chinese version if possible. In Amazon Spain de grado sr80e costs 129€. In there any grado like Chinese headphone?.

thxs for your help.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Hello, can you recommend me a MDH9000 replacement pads ?

The link below should do the trick:
https://www.lyxpro.com/products/lyx...for-lyxpro-has-30-leather?variant=40215491026

FYI, the LyxPro HAS-30 is one of 5 or 6 nearly identical "clones" of the MDH9000. I owned an HAS-30, since given to a friend--it looked/sounded identical to my 2 Marantz MPH-2s & Akai Professional X50 w/HAS-30 pads on it. The only differences between all the clones are very minor color/branding things.

 

[RikudouGoku]

Hi I am looking for a chifi headphone that can replace my audio technica ath-m50x, max budget 200 usd. I only use Iems so I do not know much about headphones, but my prefered sound is harman target/neutral just like my Moondrop KXXS.

I will however use the headphones for gaming but if it sounds amazing with music then that is good.

Currently looking at the Blon B8: https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLON-BossH...sr_1_1?keywords=blon+b8&qid=1570449555&sr=8-1

edit: playing with Fiio M11 or Asus xonar u7

 

[RikudouGoku]

Can also consider the thieaudio phantom if it goes on sale on 11/11 and if it really is much better than the blon b8/other recommendations.

edit: playing with Fiio M11 or Asus xonar u7

 

[MaDMaxiBo]

Closed or open?

What sound signature are you looking for?

Big head, little head?

On ears or over ears?

Portability for wearing out in public, or home/studio listening only?

i love bass in songs when listening Pop or club music... alternative and country i like generally.
big head, not litte or not supersized, normal or a bit bigger.
over ear or on ear doesnt matter actually, just used over ear takstar hd5500 for years. if it is strong, will not be easily broken by my 2 years doughter than i can try on ear.
using at home.

thanks.

 

[Kouri]

So while modding my HAS-30 for a more open back, I realized the shell design's a bit different from the Akai 50X that Slater demos. A 42mm grille won't fit without cutting, and the bevel prevents any sort of press fit, so I'll be gluing in a ~35mm grille instead.

I happened to have a few of these louvers left over from another project (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QC2I2KA/ ). The 25mm cylinder can be pulled out with a pair of pliers, leaving me a 35mm vented disc that's just a hair under the flat diameter of the shell once the logo-mounting bump's ground out.

Currently waiting on the matte black paint to dry on 'em before I remount and share photos.

All that said, I loved the sound these originally had, but find the newly opened vent to make them too bass-heavy now. I'll re-try the velour pads that came packed with the phones, but I expect that to drop the bass too much (they sounded hollow last time I tried them with the stock shell), so I may go for some Brainwavz round hybrids next.

 

[Slater]

i love bass in songs when listening Pop or club music... alternative and country i like generally.
big head, not litte or not supersized, normal or a bit bigger.
over ear or on ear doesnt matter actually, just used over ear takstar hd5500 for years. if it is strong, will not be easily broken by my 2 years doughter than i can try on ear.
using at home.

thanks.

My vote is the ISK MDH9000, or one of its many rebrands:

Akai Professional Project 50X, Stellar Labs HC-5985, Marantz MPH-2, Freeboss MDH9000, LyxPro HAS-30, Neewer NW-9000