[guicnovaes]

  Update on the Marantz Pro MPH-2's: I've had them burning in for ~80 hrs now, and tonight plugged them into the Lake People G109A (a truth-telling HP amp) and took them for a spin. And wouldn't you know--they sound  very good.
 
These $39.99 headphones basically do nothing outright wrong, and get many things right. They're less "U-shaped" in frequency than my other cheap headphone fave, the Yenona's. Indeed, an expressive/accurate midrange is the Marantz' best quality IMO. With them, I hear a wider range of subtle sounds, especially percussion and various  effects buried in softer instrumental tracks, than I have with any other headphones (the Yenona's, TH-X00's, Fidelio X2's, JVC HZ-1000's). 
 

 
Pharmaboy, You have mencioned the TH-X00 in this post. Just for curiosity, how do you compare the sound of the Marantz MPH-2 with the that of the Fostex TH-X00?

 

[yvfed1]

 

Do these look like the real deal? The price seems too good to be true compared to all other sellers.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/282360560731

Seems legit, the price is lower probably because the seller is located in hk

Well, this thread compelled me to buy BossHIFI B7 from this seller, cici10086. I shall report back once I received the phones.

 

[Pharmaboy]

   
Pharmaboy, You have mencioned the TH-X00 in this post. Just for curiosity, how do you compare the sound of the Marantz MPH-2 with the that of the Fostex TH-X00?

 
Really interesting question. I'll start by acknowledging the mahogany TH-X00's cost ~8X what the Marantz MPH did ($399 for Massdrop TH-X00's vs ~$50 for MPH-2's). That seems to imply an unfair comparison. But reality isn't that simple or linear (bear in mind I haven't heard the TH-X00's since I sold them last August):
 
TH-X00's:

1. Build/appearance: Pretty--as of May, 2016, the best I'd seen in headphones, with pretty mahogany cups, nice headband, above average earpads
2. Fit/comfort: Well above average w/relatively light clamping pressure, no big hotspots, etc. I'm reasonably sure the angled earpads were leather or lambskin vs pleather. I had a little trouble getting a good seal, but then I usually do w/angled pads.
3. SOUND:
   1. The bass really got my attention. I'd never heard sub-bass, and these headphones have that. The rest of the bass was quite good (deep/impactful), but subtle qualities like sound of strings (stand-up bass, electric, etc), "roundness" of bass notes, etc, weren't quite as good as the only other headphones I had then, the Fidelio X2's. The bass also went down slightly in level as it got into the midrange.
   2. The midrange seemed recessed to me (I was still learning headphones then), but not bad overall.
   3. Upper midrange: trouble here, with a peaky quality setting in.
   4. Treble: real trouble for me here w/elevated, bright treble. Notes also didn't separate well...some grain/roughness in the treble. Things like massed violins in classical music didn't sound they way they should IMO. Lots of detail, but not great clarity or listenability
   5. Dynamics: plenty of dynamics, but in the peaky upper midrange & treble, that actually made the tonal issues seem worse
   6. Soundstaging: average at best. With wooden cups, I expected a more spacious rendering of music, but that's not what these headphones do

 
Net/Net: I found the TH-X00's to be a rather neutral, dynamic, exciting HP. But it lacked any quality of warmth or roundness of notes in bass & lower midrange; and was just too bright/aggressive for me.
 
 
Marantz MPH-2's:

1. Build/appearance: Not in the same league as the TH-X00's, of course--lots of plastic & pleather. But I find the Marantz, with its gold-on-black color scheme, to be rather handsome (and better than the other ISK MDH9000 clone I owned, the LyxPro HAS-30)
2. Fit/comfort: Above average. The clamping pressure is slightly more than I like, but not enough to be aggravating. They're relatively light/easy on the head. No hotspots. The earpads are (for me at least) very comfortable--relatively soft and plenty deep. Easy to get a good seal.
3. SOUND:
   1. The bass is excellent & enjoyable.  Less sub-bass here than the TH-X00's, but the rest of the bass range (where the music is) instantly satisfies. Bass is deep & impactful, but also has a subtle quality of "roundness" and air in the notes, which billow, then tail off as they do IRL.There'as been discussion here whether the bass is elevated or not. I find it to be moderately shelved up, but not in way that intrudes, and w/o any peaks/bumps. To me, the bass is very pleasing & accurate.
   2. The midrange seems just about right to me, not recessed or hyped. There plenty of detail and a pleasaing sound quality in the midrange
   3. Upper midrange: again, just about right--detailed yet pleasing. Voices sound like voices.
   4. Treble: I've heard all kinds of music on the MPH-2's and the treble always satisfies. It's level, un-hyped, with plenty of natural-sounding detail
   5. Dynamics: not at all lacking, but also not dramatic & noteworthy. Music flows in a natural way IMO.
   6. Soundstaging: certainly better than I expected for the price--also better than the TH-X00's. Like everything else w/this design, the soundstaging is above average and sounds "right."

 
Net/Net: IMO this is a real over-achiever design that sounds way better than anyone could expect, given its price. Everytime I use the MPH-2's, it's the same thing: I quickly forget they're on my head and just hear music. I've owned 3 examples of this design; they all sound exactly the same. From day-1 I felt these could be used for professional monitoring use because of their overall balanced, yet listenable sound.
 
I recently found the MPH-2's to demonstrate another positive quality: they scale way up when fed signal from big-time/powerful amps. I have 2 amps w/what I regard as very distinctive/interesting sound signatures, though in totally different ways (Audio GD SA-31SE; and Violectric V281). Using each w/the MPH-2's, they sounded even better than usual and clearly conveyed the distinctive spatial/tonal qualities of each amp. This impresses me to no end...one could hardly expect $50 closed-back headphones to scale up & match amps like this--but they do.
 
(in fairness, that's a test I couldn't perform w/the TH-X00's, as I didn't own these amps then).
 
BTW, the only Fostex design that currently interests me is the E-MU Teak (based on the same frame as the TH-X00's), based on it's reportedly epic bass capabilities and smooth, pleasing overall sound.

 

[jux Tpose]

Great write up, Pharmaboy. I haven't listened to the fostex headphones, but I totally agree with your evaluation of the mdh9000 clones. It was your write ups that got me interested in them, thank you very much. They are now my go-to headphones, both in my studio and for personal use.

 

[robervaul]

Hello everyone, I'm looking for a decent pair of Chinese DJ headphones to purchase. What would you guys recommend?

Thanks =]

 

[Pharmaboy]

  Hello everyone, I'm looking for a decent pair of Chinese DJ headphones to purchase. What would you guys recommend?

Thanks =]

 
Well, if you've been reading this thread, my recommendation won't be a surprise: I recommend any of the ISK MDH9000 clones. Not sure which of these are available in Brazil, or how much they cost. Here they're usually in the $50-$75 range (sometimes a little lower if there are sales):
 
ISK MDH9000: I'm [tryyu sure this was the original & the others are clones (but I could be wrong). It's on Aliexpress for $65.99:
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Isk-2016-New-MDH9000-Professional-Hifi-Hd-Monitor-Headphone-Computer-Recording-Monitor-Headset-Free-Shipping/1747003_32627926530.html
 
LyxPro HAS-30: Just found this on Amazon for $59.99
https://www.amazon.com/LyxPro-HAS-30-Headphones-Professional-Entertainment/dp/B018Y5CVO0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491440199&sr=8-1&keywords=lyxpro+has-30
 
Stellar Labs HC-5985: These certainly look like ISK MDH9000 clones. The picture doesn't show the locking input jack for the cable, but the odds are pretty good it's the same as the others. This is the cheapest @$39.99...but I don't know anyone who owns this, so can't be 100% sure abou it:
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/STELLAR-LABS-HC-5985-/35-5985
 
Marantz MDH-2: I bought my 1st pair at MusiciansFriend.com for $39.99. Now they're up to $99.99, but will be on sale at some time. Here they are on Amazon for $55:
https://www.amazon.com/Marantz-MPH-2-Professional-Studio-Headphones/dp/B01E75MKRY
 
They're identical in sound and almost identical in appearance, except for tiny cosmetic details, color, branding.
 
My favorite is the Marantz. I like its appearance best, and IMO its earpads are better in subtle ways. I gave my 1st pair to my brother, bought another. In between I owned the LyxPro, gave that to a friend.
 
Excellent sounding, balanced, above-average in comfort, inexpensive (and DJ-style).

 

[robervaul]

   
Well, if you've been reading this thread, my recommendation won't be a surprise: I recommend any of the ISK MDH9000 clones. Not sure which of these are available in Brazil, or how much they cost. Here they're usually in the $50-$75 range (sometimes a little lower if there are sales):
 
ISK MDH9000: I'm [tryyu sure this was the original & the others are clones (but I could be wrong). It's on Aliexpress for $65.99:
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Isk-2016-New-MDH9000-Professional-Hifi-Hd-Monitor-Headphone-Computer-Recording-Monitor-Headset-Free-Shipping/1747003_32627926530.html
 
LyxPro HAS-30: Just found this on Amazon for $59.99
https://www.amazon.com/LyxPro-HAS-30-Headphones-Professional-Entertainment/dp/B018Y5CVO0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491440199&sr=8-1&keywords=lyxpro+has-30
 
Stellar Labs HC-5985: These certainly look like ISK MDH9000 clones. The picture doesn't show the locking input jack for the cable, but the odds are pretty good it's the same as the others. This is the cheapest @$39.99...but I don't know anyone who owns this, so can't be 100% sure abou it:
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/STELLAR-LABS-HC-5985-/35-5985
 
Marantz MDH-2: I bought my 1st pair at MusiciansFriend.com for $39.99. Now they're up to $99.99, but will be on sale at some time. Here they are on Amazon for $55:
https://www.amazon.com/Marantz-MPH-2-Professional-Studio-Headphones/dp/B01E75MKRY
 
They're identical in sound and almost identical in appearance, except for tiny cosmetic details, color, branding.
 
My favorite is the Marantz. I like its appearance best, and IMO its earpads are better in subtle ways. I gave my 1st pair to my brother, bought another. In between I owned the LyxPro, gave that to a friend.
 
Excellent sounding, balanced, above-average in comfort, inexpensive (and DJ-style).

Thanks ever so much.

For me, the best way is the Aliexpress.

 

[jux Tpose]

There's also a clone called Freeboss MDH9000, available on Amazon for $42. It has the same earpads as the Marantz. And it comes with 2 cables. These are a seriously good deal! I hope you have no issue getting the to Brazil, I see aliexpress is sold out of the ISK

 

[crabdog]

There's also a clone called Freeboss MDH9000, available on Amazon for $42. It has the same earpads as the Marantz. And it comes with 2 cables. These are a seriously good deal! I hope you have no issue getting the to Brazil, I see aliexpress is sold out of the ISK

ISK MDH9000 is still available at the TakstarAudio store on aliexpress:
 
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/ISK-MHD9000-Fully-enclosed-Monitor-Headphone-for-DJ-audio-mixing-recording-studio-monitoring-with-3M-Spring/314156_32653982447.html?spm=2114.12010612.0.0.mnddzG

 

[Slater]

  Hello everyone, I'm looking for a decent pair of Chinese DJ headphones to purchase. What would you guys recommend?

Thanks =]

Does it have to be Chinese?
 
The Philips SHL3300 is a ridiculous deal for $17-$19 shipped from Newegg (via Amazon, ebay, or their website). It's DJ style, and for the price and value it provides, it walks all over just about everything under $80.
 
I own 2 pair, and they are easy to mod for even better sound - removable jack mod, semi-open mod, pad swaps, plastic grille mod...
 
There's an active thread about them here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/697813/review-philips-shl3300-dj-headphones-most-underrated-headphone

 

[guicnovaes]

Really interesting question. I'll start by acknowledging the mahogany TH-X00's cost ~8X what the Marantz MPH did ($399 for Massdrop TH-X00's vs ~$50 for MPH-2's). That seems to imply an unfair comparison. But reality isn't that simple or linear (bear in mind I haven't heard the TH-X00's since I sold them last August):

TH-X00's:

• Build/appearance: Pretty--as of May, 2016, the best I'd seen in headphones, with pretty mahogany cups, nice headband, above average earpads
• Fit/comfort: Well above average w/relatively light clamping pressure, no big hotspots, etc. I'm reasonably sure the angled earpads were leather or lambskin vs pleather. I had a little trouble getting a good seal, but then I usually do w/angled pads.
• SOUND:
  • The bass really got my attention. I'd never heard sub-bass, and these headphones have that. The rest of the bass was quite good (deep/impactful), but subtle qualities like sound of strings (stand-up bass, electric, etc), "roundness" of bass notes, etc, weren't quite as good as the only other headphones I had then, the Fidelio X2's. The bass also went down slightly in level as it got into the midrange.
  • The midrange seemed recessed to me (I was still learning headphones then), but not bad overall.
  • Upper midrange: trouble here, with a peaky quality setting in.
  • Treble: real trouble for me here w/elevated, bright treble. Notes also didn't separate well...some grain/roughness in the treble. Things like massed violins in classical music didn't sound they way they should IMO. Lots of detail, but not great clarity or listenability
  • Dynamics: plenty of dynamics, but in the peaky upper midrange & treble, that actually made the tonal issues seem worse
  • Soundstaging: average at best. With wooden cups, I expected a more spacious rendering of music, but that's not what these headphones do

Net/Net: I found the TH-X00's to be a rather neutral, dynamic, exciting HP. But it lacked any quality of warmth or roundness of notes in bass & lower midrange; and was just too bright/aggressive for me.


Marantz MPH-2's:

• Build/appearance: Not in the same league as the TH-X00's, of course--lots of plastic & pleather. But I find the Marantz, with its gold-on-black color scheme, to be rather handsome (and better than the other ISK MDH9000 clone I owned, the LyxPro HAS-30)
• Fit/comfort: Above average. The clamping pressure is slightly more than I like, but not enough to be aggravating. They're relatively light/easy on the head. No hotspots. The earpads are (for me at least) very comfortable--relatively soft and plenty deep. Easy to get a good seal.
• SOUND:
  • The bass is excellent & enjoyable.  Less sub-bass here than the TH-X00's, but the rest of the bass range (where the music is) instantly satisfies. Bass is deep & impactful, but also has a subtle quality of "roundness" and air in the notes, which billow, then tail off as they do IRL.There'as been discussion here whether the bass is elevated or not. I find it to be moderately shelved up, but not in way that intrudes, and w/o any peaks/bumps. To me, the bass is very pleasing & accurate.
  • The midrange seems just about right to me, not recessed or hyped. There plenty of detail and a pleasaing sound quality in the midrange
  • Upper midrange: again, just about right--detailed yet pleasing. Voices sound like voices.
  • Treble: I've heard all kinds of music on the MPH-2's and the treble always satisfies. It's level, un-hyped, with plenty of natural-sounding detail
  • Dynamics: not at all lacking, but also not dramatic & noteworthy. Music flows in a natural way IMO.
  • Soundstaging: certainly better than I expected for the price--also better than the TH-X00's. Like everything else w/this design, the soundstaging is above average and sounds "right."

Net/Net: IMO this is a real over-achiever design that sounds way better than anyone could expect, given its price. Everytime I use the MPH-2's, it's the same thing: I quickly forget they're on my head and just hear music. I've owned 3 examples of this design; they all sound exactly the same. From day-1 I felt these could be used for professional monitoring use because of their overall balanced, yet listenable sound.

I recently found the MPH-2's to demonstrate another positive quality: they scale way up when fed signal from big-time/powerful amps. I have 2 amps w/what I regard as very distinctive/interesting sound signatures, though in totally different ways (Audio GD SA-31SE; and Violectric V281). Using each w/the MPH-2's, they sounded even better than usual and clearly conveyed the distinctive spatial/tonal qualities of each amp. This impresses me to no end...one could hardly expect $50 closed-back headphones to scale up & match amps like this--but they do.

(in fairness, that's a test I couldn't perform w/the TH-X00's, as I didn't own these amps then).

BTW, the only Fostex design that currently interests me is the E-MU Teak (based on the same frame as the TH-X00's), based on it's reportedly epic bass capabilities and smooth, pleasing overall sound.

Great and detailed review/comparasion! Thanks again.

Does it have to be Chinese?

The Philips SHL3300 is a ridiculous deal for $17-$19 shipped from Newegg (via Amazon, ebay, or their website). It's DJ style, and for the price and value it provides, it walks all over just about everything under $80.

I own 2 pair, and they are easy to mod for even better sound - removable jack mod, semi-open mod, pad swaps, plastic grille mod...

There's an active thread about them here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/697813/review-philips-shl3300-dj-headphones-most-underrated-headphone

I have to agree with you. Until recently I still had my shl3300. As I said earlier, I'm waiting the delibera of an ISK MDH9000 that I bought on aliexpress. One of the reasons that made me buy the isk mdh9000 is that the descriptions of its sound signature are very similar to the ones I had of the shl3300 sound, with the difference that the Phillips had the treble a little rolled off and a soundstage average. I expect from the MDH9000 a direct upgrade over the shl3300 that I loved so much, until he had problems with the cable ...

Hello everyone, I'm looking for a decent pair of Chinese DJ headphones to purchase. What would you guys recommend?


Thanks =]

Robervaul, assim que chegar o meu mdh9000, eu posto uma review aqui. Mas se encontrar o Phillips shl3300 pra comprar no Brasil, pode ir tranquilo. O som dele é muitíssimo bom. O problema é que você vai ter que trocar as earpads, pois as que vem nele são muito desconfortáveis. E com o tempo, mais ou menos um ano e meio, você vai precisar trocar de cabo.

 

[expontherise]

Is there an adapter to make my twistlock 2.5mm be able to put in a 3.5mm? None of the cheap ones I buy fit in the hole. I don't particularly want to void my warranty yet by taking the twistlock mechanism out..

 

[guicnovaes]

  Is there an adapter to make my twistlock 2.5mm be able to put in a 3.5mm? None of the cheap ones I buy fit in the hole. I don't particularly want to void my warranty yet by taking the twistlock mechanism out..

 
Are you talking about the ATH-M50X? 
Because if it is, these two videos show how to remove the locking mechanism from the cable and put a 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter and hence enable the use of almost any cable.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1aqSQrxVlI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1uM6I2nlhM.
 
 
And for those who have the ISK MDH9000 or derivatives (Marantz MPH-2, LyxPro HAS-30, Akai Project 50x, Freeboss...), the same thing can be done. I found in a review in the japanese Amazon site a tutorial that shows how to remove the locking mechanism of the cable and allows the use of any 3.5mm cable in the headphone. 
 

 

[OopsWrongPlanet]

Anybody heard of this new release?
Looks interesting.
 
"The Triple Driver Over-Ear from 1More is Here! 
Featuring a Titanium Driver, Ceramic Tweeter and Passive radiator in each earpiece, these headphones deliver an extremely accurate and powerful listening experience from sizzling highs to deep bass."
 

 

[expontherise]

   
Are you talking about the ATH-M50X? 
Because if it is, these two videos show how to remove the locking mechanism from the cable and put a 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter and hence enable the use of almost any cable.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1aqSQrxVlI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1uM6I2nlhM.
 
...

Yeah, that's what I meant. I watched this. Then I reached out to A-T support and that will void my warranty. Was wondering if anyone had found anything that worked with the other headphones that are quoted a lot here that use the same mechanism, right.  There is one adapter for $38... or Peterek (head-fi'er) will make one for about the same cost... I was just hoping to find a simple cost effective solution.  adapter that's 1/3 the cost of the headphone just... I cant see it happening, ill live without lol..
 
When its a $150 headphone (I understand I could have gotten better quality for less, I just have... I love A-T too much I guess to cheat on them )