[Stuff Jones]

   
Sweet. I've heard good things about the Mikros 90. Some guy who had all these ultra-high-end headphones mentioned he likes it even more than them!

 
They are really very good. A great mix of transparency and detail with musicality and punch. And balanced too. A little shy in the bass but that's the least important part of the frequency for me. 

 

[musiclvr]

   
Thanks, that's interesting. I was tempted by the NADS awhile back but decided against them in large part because of their heinous design.
 
What about the Mikros 90 vs the Pros SQ wise? I own the 90s and they are remarkably good, especially for the price. Like Focal, Martin Logan is a high end speaker company dabbling in the HP business.

 
For the price ML Mikros 90 cannot be beat. That's why I bought two of them. I have been listening to both the Martin Logan Mikros 90 (M90) and the Focal Spirit Pro (FSP) off and on since yesterday and this morning with the following audio gear/chain(s) : 1) iPod 5.5 Gen (w/Wolfson Dac)>AudioMinor 4 conductor 22awg  Solid Silver LOD> CypherLabs Algorythm Picollo Amp 2) iMac>Audirvana+>Schiit Wyrd Decrapifier>Peach Tree Dac iT-x>Schiit Asgard 2 Amp.
The following are my impressions of the FSP and M90:
 
Bass- Right away the first thing that I noticed was that the FSP has superior sub-bass extension and is faster than the M90. It makes the M90 appear to almost have a Mid-bass emphasis even though it does not. I feel that the bass is present and accounted for with the M90 but does not have a neutral sub-bass presentation to which the FSP does. I am no bass head by any means but kinda wanted a little more bass extensions with some music genres i.e. classical & Singer/Songwriter. Being that the sub-bass is more present with the FSP it lends towards a very neutral sound signature.
 
Mids- The FSP and M90 presents Mids very nicely. I feel that they are very accurate in this band of frequencies and maybe a little forward even with some "live" recordings especially. I am happy to say that neither the FSP nor the M90 allow for any mid-bass frequencies to intrude. If I had to make a distinction though I would say that the FSP seems to have ,VERY slightly, marginally less separation with vocals. This keeps the FSP neutral overall. Whereas the M90, due to its emphasized treble response, can flesh out vocals in a holographic way at the expense of neutrality by adding some sibilance. 
 
Highs- Here is where things become clearly discernible. The FSP has an accurate treble response that has nice extension which adds to/makes for a very wide soundstage for a closed can. The FSP has earned the Professional tittle in this regard IMO because the treble is neither emphasized nor neglected. I am able to still hear all the little nuances/details in nicely recorded albums but it's not in my face or distracting. If I am being completely honest though the FSP seems to be on the slightly darker side of neutral to my ears overall. The M90 in contrast has a warm treble response...not a hot treble response but not neutral to my ears. The M90 seems to make more vocal heavy songs present some sibilance that can be distracting. The FSP can be sibilant with poor recording as well but not ear gouging. I am, admittedly, sensitive to bright headphones though. I do love this about the M90 though as it makes for an exciting sound signature. Not like a Grado per say but close.
 
Soundstage- The FSP has a wider soundstage which I think is due to the added weight presented, when called upon, by the sub-bass. The M90 in comparison is more intimate sounding to my ears though because the treble emphasis especially at low volumes. 
 
Overall the M90 is amazing in the sub $500.00 category, seriously. I have a nice mid-fi collection that represents said value to me. The FSP is my favorite portable which doesn't gloss over anything and is honest as can be. I have found that both Hp's benefit greatly from amping and are source revelatory.  I hope that my humble opinion helps you. On another note. I had to throw my Bang & Olufsen H6 into the mix and you might say that it is a refined M90... just saying

  What a nice gesture and a civil thread.  I read way too much negative stuff in some threads.  I like it when members help each other.
 
I am in a good  mood.  My son is traveling and lost his phone, yet a complete stranger called to get address to return it.  I will certainly pay it forward!
 
Cheers

 
I could'nt agree with you more bixby! I'm glad good Karma has been coming your way too!

 

[Music Alchemist]

  For the price ML Mikros 90 cannot be beat. That's why I bought two of them. I have been listening to both the Martin Logan Mikros 90 (M90) and the Focal Spirit Pro (FSP) off and on since yesterday and this morning with the following audio gear/chain(s) : 1) iPod 5.5 Gen (w/Wolfson Dac)>AudioMinor 4 conductor 22awg  Solid Silver LOD> CypherLabs Algorythm Picollo Amp 2) iMac>Audirvana+>Schiit Wyrd Decrapifier>Peach Tree Dac iT-x>Schiit Asgard 2 Amp.
The following are my impressions of the FSP and M90:
 
Bass- Right away the first thing that I noticed was that the FSP has superior sub-bass extension and is faster than the M90. It makes the M90 appear to almost have a Mid-bass emphasis even though it does not. I feel that the bass is present and accounted for with the M90 but does not have a neutral sub-bass presentation to which the FSP does. I am no bass head by any means but kinda wanted a little more bass extensions with some music genres i.e. classical & Singer/Songwriter. Being that the sub-bass is more present with the FSP it lends towards a very neutral sound signature.
 
Mids- The FSP and M90 presents Mids very nicely. I feel that they are very accurate in this band of frequencies and maybe a little forward even with some "live" recordings especially. I am happy to say that neither the FSP nor the M90 allow for any mid-bass frequencies to intrude. If I had to make a distinction though I would say that the FSP seems to have ,VERY slightly, marginally less separation with vocals. This keeps the FSP neutral overall. Whereas the M90, due to its emphasized treble response, can flesh out vocals in a holographic way at the expense of neutrality by adding some sibilance. 
 
Highs- Here is where things become clearly discernible. The FSP has an accurate treble response that has nice extension which adds to/makes for a very wide soundstage for a closed can. The FSP has earned the Professional tittle in this regard IMO because the treble is neither emphasized nor neglected. I am able to still hear all the little nuances/details in nicely recorded albums but it's not in my face or distracting. If I am being completely honest though the FSP seems to be on the slightly darker side of neutral to my ears overall. The M90 in contrast has a warm treble response...not a hot treble response but not neutral to my ears. The M90 seems to make more vocal heavy songs present some sibilance that can be distracting. The FSP can be sibilant with poor recording as well but not ear gouging. I am, admittedly, sensitive to bright headphones though. I do love this about the M90 though as it makes for an exciting sound signature. Not like a Grado per say but close.
 
Soundstage- The FSP has a wider soundstage which I think is due to the added weight presented, when called upon, by the sub-bass. The M90 in comparison is more intimate sounding to my ears though because the treble emphasis especially at low volumes. 
 
Overall the M90 is amazing in the sub $500.00 category, seriously. I have a nice mid-fi collection that represents said value to me. The FSP is my favorite portable which doesn't gloss over anything and is honest as can be. I have found that both Hp's benefit greatly from amping and are source revelatory.  I hope that my humble opinion helps you. On another note. I had to throw my Bang & Olufsen H6 into the mix and you might say that it is a refined M90... just saying
 
I could'nt agree with you more bixby! I'm glad good Karma has been coming your way too!

 
Nice impressions, and they reflect mine strongly.
 
The FSP is on the slightly darker side of neutral, which is sort of a good thing, since there aren't any nasty peaks in the FR.
 
Just look at this graph:
 

 
That dip there accounts for what makes things sound slightly recessed sometimes. Aside from that, it's ridiculously good for its price. It follows the Harman-Olive HRTF curve (which emulates how human ears hear flat-tuned speakers, except in headphones) very closely. Its bass is one of the best I've heard, especially in a studio monitor headphone. And I've talked a lot in the past about the many other things I like about the FSP. It's still my favorite headphone, even compared to the likes of the HD 700 and DT 880.

 

[Stuff Jones]

   
 

 
 
Thanks for the comparison. I've been resisting the FSP for a while but I may not be able to for much longer. Ugh.
 
One last thing. How have yours held up. I've seen a lot of stuff about cracking which may or may not have been first batch related. 

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Thanks for the comparison. I've been resisting the FSP for a while but I may not be able to for much longer. Ugh.

 

 
There are some great deals out there if you look around. I got mine brand new for $215 (albeit without accessories) instead of $349 by buying from a Chinese eBay seller. I will probably buy it again, at full retail, someday.

 

[musiclvr]

Thanks for the comparison. I've been resisting the FSP for a while but I may not be able to for much longer. Ugh.

One last thing. How have yours held up. I've seen a lot of stuff about cracking which may or may not have been first batch related. 

Your very welcome! I quite enjoyed it really. I haven't had any issues with the cracking of the headband or the like. Although I try to rotate through my collection; so they are not in constant use. I am very careful with them though because of the known cracking. To compare though.... I also own a pair of AKG K267 which are notorious for cracking also, and they did. I hadn't used them in about a month or two and put them on. Upon taking them off after a 20min listening session they had snapped at the pivoting mount. I'm still waiting for a replacement pair......

 

[Stuff Jones]

  On another note. I had to throw my Bang & Olufsen H6 into the mix and you might say that it is a refined M90... just saying
 

 
Curses, you made me find a cheap deal on an open box H6 on ebay! The portability, comfort and build all seem so much better than the Focals.
 
I am a little concerned that they may be a little thin and dull sounding, judging by reviews. I have tried the AKG 545 and Soundmagic HP100 which are both billed as neutral but they were flat boring and unmusical to me. No punch, no dynamics - just, for lack of better words, very dull and low energy.
 
I didn't find the Mikros 90s like that at all though.

 

[musiclvr]

Curses, you made me find a cheap deal on an open box H6 on ebay! The portability, comfort and build all seem so much better than the Focals.

I am a little concerned that they may be a little thin and dull sounding, judging by reviews. I have tried the AKG 545 and Soundmagic HP100 which are both billed as neutral but they were flat boring and unmusical to me. No punch, no dynamics - just, for lack of better words, very dull and low energy.

I didn't find the Mikros 90s like that at all though.

Hmmmmm.... I have a creeping suspicion in that I don't feel you would like the H6 then. In contrast to the M90 the H6 is very neutral to my ears. Which is no easy feat. The H6 is completely flat from the sub-bass right up to the lower treble where it adds some sparkle and air but is not supremely extended. The H6 to my ears has a slightly longer decay with some notes and as such isn't as fast compared to the FSP. The H6 does have very amazing dynamics with a black background/seperation but is not as fast so as result is slightly less "punchy" if you will. The build and materials used in the design go hands down to the H6. The H6 also needs to be amped to bring out any musical/natural sounding bass as well as extend the treble. I had written them off when I demoed them in a B&O store only to seduced back by their looks. Hahaha I'm glad I did get them. The H6 is in my top 5 I use weekly. Due to the smaller ear pads on the FSP can get uncomfortable but then I reach for my H6 which sits like a pillow AROUND my ears and caresses them. I will say that the FSP will show you everything in a recording without fatiguing your ears with spades of seperation. The H6 does exactly the same but only when amped and with a warmish not warm upper treble to my ears. You may like this feature of the H6 though because in comparison the M90 definitely has a warm but not a hot treble response which lends to almost artificial detail extraction. I own all three of these wonderful headphones but if I had to categorize why I have them in comparison to one another I would say the the H6 is the most comfortable/portable , the M90 the best value, and the FSP the best sounding. Anyways I hope I didn't confuse you any further.

 

[Music Alchemist]

Due to the smaller ear pads on the FSP can get uncomfortable but then I reach for my H6 which sits like a pillow AROUND my ears and caresses them.

 
The FSP's ear pads totally surrounded my ears and were pretty comfortable, so perhaps I have smaller ears than average, though I thought mine were normal.

 

[musiclvr]

The FSP's ear pads totally surrounded my ears and were pretty comfortable, so perhaps I have smaller ears than average, though I thought mine were normal.

No I think you do have normal ear size. Now that I think about it my ears seem a little tall or longer than wider. With the FSP I tend to try to adjust the pads to slightly fold the top of my ear while resting just on the outside prominences near the back of my ears. I can listen this way for about 1hr to 1.5 hours this way with some adjustments along the way.

 

[Stuff Jones]

Hmmmmm.... I have a creeping suspicion in that I don't feel you would like the H6 then. In contrast to the M90 the H6 is very neutral to my ears. Which is no easy feat. The H6 is completely flat from the sub-bass right up to the lower treble where it adds some sparkle and air but is not supremely extended. The H6 to my ears has a slightly longer decay with some notes and as such isn't as fast compared to the FSP. The H6 does have very amazing dynamics with a black background/seperation but is not as fast so as result is slightly less "punchy" if you will. The build and materials used in the design go hands down to the H6. The H6 also needs to be amped to bring out any musical/natural sounding bass as well as extend the treble. I had written them off when I demoed them in a B&O store only to seduced back by their looks. Hahaha I'm glad I did get them. The H6 is in my top 5 I use weekly. Due to the smaller ear pads on the FSP can get uncomfortable but then I reach for my H6 which sits like a pillow AROUND my ears and caresses them. I will say that the FSP will show you everything in a recording without fatiguing your ears with spades of seperation. The H6 does exactly the same but only when amped and with a warmish not warm upper treble to my ears. You may like this feature of the H6 though because in comparison the M90 definitely has a warm but not a hot treble response which lends to almost artificial detail extraction. I own all three of these wonderful headphones but if I had to categorize why I have them in comparison to one another I would say the the H6 is the most comfortable/portable , the M90 the best value, and the FSP the best sounding. Anyways I hope I didn't confuse you any further.

 
Thanks once again. I already ordered the H6 so I guess I'll find out. The price was low enough that I should be able to sell them without losing too much.
 
I'll be using a geek out so that should add some body and punch. My taste has also evolved a little from warm to balanced so I might like them after all. 
 
Anyways I'll stop hijacking the thread for now. Still do want to try the Spirit Pros at some point. Reviews on sound quality for them are more unanimously positive than any other HP I've looked into. 

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Still do want to try the Spirit Pros at some point. Te reviews on sound quality for them are more unanimously positive than any other HP I've looked into. 

 
Indeed. It's the only headphone I've heard so far with no major weaknesses. (Though I have yet to hear headphones that cost thousands of dollars.)

 

[musiclvr]

Thanks once again. I already ordered the H6 so I guess I'll find out. The price was low enough that I should be able to sell them without losing too much. My taste has evolved a little from warm to balanced so I might like them after all. 

Anyways I'll stop hijacking the thread for now. Still do want to try the Spirit Pros at some point. Reviews on sound quality for them are more unanimously positive than any other HP I've looked into. 

Your very welcome. My first HP was the VModa M100 so you can say I definitly started from liking a warm sound to appreciating a balanced sound signature too. I'll be looking for you in the H6 thread to read about your impressions. Cheers to your acquiring a new H6!! I hope you love it! I too bought an H6 before a FSP and , like I said before, I love them both.

 

[Music Alchemist]

So today I realized that a perfectly neutral headphone should follow the flat speaker HRTF, not the Harman-Olive HRTF, which is just an average of what people prefer in the sound of a headphone. Remember this graph I shared? Things make more sense now. Taking this realization into account, the Focal Spirit Professional actually has a little more bass than neutral. The fact that I felt some of the frequencies were a little recessed makes even more sense now, since the green line is a little higher than the black one in the upper frequencies. However, it is still very close to neutral compared to most headphones, and still my favorite headphone at the time of this writing.

 

[daphen]

  So today I realized that a perfectly neutral headphone should follow the flat speaker HRTF, not the Harman-Olive HRTF, which is just an average of what people prefer in the sound of a headphone. Remember this graph I shared? Things make more sense now. Taking this realization into account, the Focal Spirit Professional actually has a little more bass than neutral. The fact that I felt some of the frequencies were a little recessed makes even more sense now, since the green line is a little higher than the black one in the upper frequencies. However, it is still very close to neutral compared to most headphones, and still my favorite headphone at the time of this writing.

Then why did you get rid of it?