[bfreedma]

  I always wear etymotic ear plugs at concerts. They are great because they miraculously let a lot of the music get thru and block out the painful parts. It seems like magic to me.
Avoid the cheap 10-cent kind. They can push wax into your ear if you push them to hard and you will need to see a doctor to flush out your ears.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-ER20XS-CCC-P-High-Fidelity-Earplugs/dp/B00RM6Q5HM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1427128343&sr=8-4&keywords=etymotic

+1 - The ety plugs work really well.  They're tuned to drop SPL a consistent amount across the entire DB range.
 
I bring them to every concert.

 

[coinmaster]

Relax dudes. I had 0 issues with my ear at stereo exchange until the last few minutes. You people are so eager to find flaws in anything I say, it's really sad. If you didn't like my review of the HE1000 then sorry, but if you guys are seriously going to tell me my assessment was "invalid" because I hurt my ear at a concert which had no effect on my hearing at the time of said assessment then I think you obsess a little too much about what other people think on the internet.
I mean really, you might wana take a step back from the computer for a few minutes, take a deep breathe, and realize that this is the internet. Maybe think about your priorities and what actually matters in life.
I'm seeing a hearing specialist in 2 days also, and yes, I know now never to go to a concert without wearing earplugs now. It was so loud that I couldn't understand how anyone there could have possibly been enjoying it.

 

[prot]

Relax dudes. I had 0 issues with my ear at stereo exchange until the last few minutes. You people are so eager to find flaws in anything I say, it's really sad. If you didn't like my review of the HE1000 then sorry, but if you guys are seriously going to tell me my assessment was "invalid" because I hurt my ear at a concert which had no effect on my hearing at the time of said assessment then I think you obsess a little too much about what other people think on the internet.
I mean really, you might wana take a step back from the computer for a few minutes, take a deep breathe, and realize that this is the internet. Maybe think about your priorities and what actually matters in life.
I'm seeing a hearing specialist in 2 days also, and yes, I know now never to go to a concert without wearing earplugs now. It was so loud that I couldn't understand how anyone there could have possibly been enjoying it.

Maybe you should relax a bit. Ppl are mostly worried about your hearing, not your review(s)...

 

[coinmaster]

I was mostly talking to Icebear and Bfreedma. Wasn't really aimed at the rest of you.

 

[icebear]

... Ever since the concert I've felt like I've had an ear infection in my left ear. For the first few weeks my hearing was busted more or less.
After a month I started hearing crackling sounds in my ear every time I moved and the pain was getting worse. I put a headphone jack in my ear and pressed it against the walls of my ear and fluid came out relieving almost all the pain....

 
1. If you are indeed not pulling our legs here - which I have asked before and you have not answered - then I wouldn't trust any more statements from you

. Usually kids get told by their parents or learn at kindergarden not to insert anything into their ears

.
 
2. If you have a look at the main HE1000 thread (p.58 ?) you will discover that I was so far the only one being critical of the HE1000 prototype which I heard at the NYC meeting. So I am hardly trying to discredit you or your opinion because I have a different impression.

 

[coinmaster]

Your not supposed to stick things into your ear so you don't touch your eardrum. I only pushed it in the outer edge. I don't even know why I'm arguing with you.

 

[coinmaster]

Just checked and I can hear the mosquito tone in my left ear again! Yay! I was worried about that.

 

[buffer]

Hello all,
I'm kind of surprised I haven't seen more attention paid to the MHP-1000 as of late so I thought I'd add my recent experience to the collective.  I had most recently purchased a Grado PS1000e headphone and wasn't entirely satisfied, though it was probably one of the best I had in my possession - I own many flagships so that really does speak to just how good the Grado sounds to my ears.  Anyway, the big flaw that was really bothering me was a lack of visceral impact and bass.  I am by no means a bass-head, but I felt a $1700 headphone aught to deliver all of the frequencies.  So when making a decision whether to keep the Grado, I decided to reach out to try a similarly priced alternative.  That's where the MHP1000 comes in to the picture.  I made a trip to a Magnolia Design Center (located in a Best Buy) and listened to the MHP1000 for my self.  I demoed against several familiar discs and decided I was impressed enough to buy one to try in my quiet listening environment.
 
So what did I think after several days of listening?  In short, I will be keeping the McIntosh. Before I get to how it sounded, I must admit most of my current headphones are open, and having a closed headphone of high quality definitely appeals to me.  In some ways the MHP was similar to the Grado.  I expected the MHP to be warm, but it was actually not warm, at least not in the mids to upper mids.  The sound is slightly brighter and forward in the mids to upper mids.  The upper mids to treble was, however, not as bright as the Grado.  I judge the Grado to be brighter than neutral in those areas.  Where the MHP really had the advantage was in the bass.  If for a moment you say that the Grado and MHP were comparable (not necessarily sounding completely alike but equal to my liking in the mids/treble), the frequencies below midbass were virtually non-existent in the PS1000e, but very tight and present (when called for) on the MHP.  Finally, I had the feeling of impactful visceral bass I was looking for, along with a very present midrange.  Treble on the MHP is also very good.  It doesn't call attention to itself in terms of quantity or quality, but I find it (along with the rest of the sound) very revealing and certainly not lacking in quantity to my ears.  Some may find the mids of the MHP a little too present, but I enjoy it.  I also like that despite being a closed headphone, the sound of the MHP is rather wide (large) ...more on that in a minute.  I was definitely impressed considering it's a closed headphone.  But all is not perfect with the MHP.  At times, though the mids /upper mids can be vibrant and a touch bright, the midbass has a little too much warmth.  This is not noticeable on all music.  In fact, I think for the most part, the headphone plays what's on the disc. But when there is a decent amount of midbass called for, it is there and perhaps just a touch too full - BTW, I would characterize the sound of the MHP as a whole as a well-balanced and full-bodied (but not overly so) headphone.  So the fullness and presence of the midbass does provide a slightly warm sound in those frequencies, but overall I do not find the warmth annoying or detrimental to the excellent clarity.  Interestingly enough (to me), the cans are ported.  If you cover the small hole in each can with your finger, the bass will all but drop out.  I suppose if I placed a piece of tape just right and exactly identically on both channels I could reduce the bass warmth to a more suitable amount.  Even better is if you loosen the seal between the cans and your ears just a slight bit - though I don't want to sit there holding the can like that.  Fortunately, I do not have to because I love the sound, midbass and all just the way it is.  For sure, I don't want people to walk away from this review with the impression that the midbass is problematic.  It really isn't.  It's near perfect to my liking, just a tad too much.
 
So I like the headphone a lot, but I do have one irritating problem.  The imaging.  Initially, I was caught off guard because things seemed slightly emphasized in the right ear over the left.  Sounds I expected to appear in the dead center of the stage frequently (but not always) appeared VERY slightly right of center.  A friend listened to the headphones.   I mentioned I had a concern but did not tell him what it was.  He guessed correctly after he listened.  But after further listening (and burn-in?) the problem seemed minimized.  Frankly, I'm not sure there is anything wrong with the headphone.  I may just be slightly, make that very nuts.  I still find myself testing this aspect every time I listen - it's still within the window to return the unit.  But, I did an experiment.  The wires are detachable and I switched the cans so the left can was now on my right ear and the right can was on my left, but each receiving the correct signal.  I still felt the same feeling that the right channel was emphasized slightly.  I question my hearing, except with the Grado and other headphones (excluding STAX which I also have a problem with) the sound is perfectly centered. I also tried different wires (used wire from my Denon 7100) and that had no effect.  Ultimately I adjusted the headband (and positioning of the earpads over my ears) to achieve the best result.  Is something off on the MHP? I am not sure.  At times it sounds perfect.  Perhaps it's just very accurate. My observation and experience has led me to believe that more forward sounding phones make it easier to detect off-center instruments/sounds in the soundstage.  If there is a problem, I'm certain it isn't common to all MHPs. I should also note that one of the earpads on my MHP was less than perfect and still is ...not significant enough to worry about and I do not think it's responsible for my imaging concerns since switching the left and right did not help.
 
One last comment about the sound, since this thread does say Vs HD800.  The HD800 has a wide soundstage.  So does the MHP.  BUT the instruments/sounds in the HD800 sound much larger and really fill the entire stage where the sounds/instruments in the MHP are more focused(?) and smaller - not sure if I am describing well, but that's the best I can articulate the sensation.  Overall, I actually prefer the sound of the MHP to the HD800, but the HD800 is a great headphone and  i know many would probably prefer it to the MHP.  Too each his/her own.

 

[Max Minimum]

I don't think it's really possible for you to be "certain" that the balance problem you seem to have with the MHP1000 is common to all of them.  But otherwise this is a really good write-up.  Thanks!  This is one of the headphones I'm interested in, and there is precious little being said about it compared to other flagship headphones.

 

[buffer]

  I don't think it's really possible for you to be "certain" that the balance problem you seem to have with the MHP1000 is common to all of them.  But otherwise this is a really good write-up.  Thanks!  This is one of the headphones I'm interested in, and there is precious little being said about it compared to other flagship headphones.

Sorry if I was not clear.   I actually said that if there is a problem I was certain it would be specific to my unit.  But either way, you are correct.  I can not be certain one way or another.  I hope to be going back to hear the floor sample to compare with my unit.  I do not recall questioning the centering of the image when I demoed the headphones.  ...and thank you for your compliment on the write-up.

 

[4N6]

Listening to my new pair of MHP1000's now, and am mightily impressed. Among the top headphones I've listened to. Terrific detail and good overall frequency balance. I'll write up a full review in a while.

I do like them a lot better than my old HD800's. Although the 800's are amazing for detail, they always left me a little cold, being more analytical than musical to my ears. I could see the 800's being the ultimate studio/mastering headphone. I have great respect for them, but they ended up not being a headphone I really enjoyed listening to.

The MHP1000's seem to have all the detail, but with an added touch of musicality and more impactful bass. The very slightly thin vocals could be the only downfall, perhaps solved with the pairing to a nice tube amp (Cary CAD-300SEI perhaps?). It will be fun to see if any changes occur over the next few weeks with added break-in. But even with only 15-20 hours on them, they sound great.

More to come...

 

[figaro69]

Since the MHP-1000 was made by Beyerdynamic, how does the sound compare to the T1s and T5ps, both of which are headphones I truly love? Are the MHP-1000 a significant upgrade over the beyers?

 

[coinmaster]

MPH1000 are essentially upgraded t1s so you would like them. They did sound similar to the t1s when I listened to them.

 

[figaro69]

  MPH1000 are essentially upgraded t1s so you would like them. They did sound similar to the t1s when I listened to them.

Now, let me get this straight: the MHP-1000, being closed, is an upgraded version of the T1.  If that is so, then WOW!  Now, how can this be, the MHP-1000 being a closed set of cans and the T1 being "semi-open"?  How does the soundstage of the MHPs compare to the T1s?  I'm really intrigued by these McIntosh headphones.  The only thing that has me a bit worried is that not too many people seem to have reviewed, heard of, or sampled these headphones.  I would think that if they are that really good, they would have been praised to the heavens at head-fi and elsewhere, and that has definitely not happened.  I'm a bit afraid that I'll be stuck with a pair of headphones that only a small minority likes, a la Ultrasone edition 12!

 

[coinmaster]

They don't sound closed. You would never be able to tell they are closed in a blind listen. I compared them directly to the HD800 and it wasn't too far off in sound stage.
The reason not many people have reviewed them is because they are poorly advertised, even a google search does not come up with anything, extremely hard to obtain, and even harder to demo.I have never heard of them before I saw them in the Mcintosh display at the Stereo Exchange event.
The only way to obtain them is to order directly from a partnered retailer, which most likely won't even have them in stock. You will have to get them custom ordered.
I made the mistake of spending most of my time demoing the HE1000 when I should have been spending a lot of that time demoing the MPH1000. Unfortunately I had go go soon after I discovered them. They made the HD800 sound bad in a direct comparison, yet they still sounded like an HD800 or a t1 so I think for HD800 and t1 lovers the MHP1000 is the endgame.