[IdioticBliss]

I'm obviously not an audiophile, so it's hard for me to explain this. Whenever a vocalist pronounces the letter S, it sounds like electronic static. I don't know what you call that but I've heard it in other headphones and speakers. I don't know what it is about the S sound that is so hard to replicate. All in all, I think it's possible that my $20 in-ear Sonys sound about as good, about as natural sounding. Am I doing something wrong? Don't get me wrong, they sound okay. I'm just not sure if it's worth having 5 pounds on my head when $20 headphones aren't obviously inferior.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

That is what we call sibilance. I'm not a firm believer in burn in, BUT with the M50s, that grating S sounded become quite a bit more natural after only a day of leaving it playing overnight.

Also, if I may ask, what do you have the M50 hooked up to? Your source may also be messing with it. Also, if you have an equalizer turned on (which you may have used with your other headphones) you may wanna turn it off.

 

[olor1n]

Yep, I was a burn in skeptic as well until my experience with my amp and then the M50 made me a believer. With the M50 you should notice a change after about 25-50 hours. If you're using itunes to play your music make sure you have crap like sound enhancer, sound check and EQ disabled. You probably want to upgrade from those 128kpbs mp3s as well if you're still stuck in 1999.

 

[IdioticBliss]

I am using Itunes. Sound enhancers are off. The EQ is on. I have the bass side slightly up, and gradually decreasing every step. Not a huge tweak, but it's the only thing I know how to do to play down what I just learned is called sibilance. The whole burn in thing sounds like placebo BS, but I guess I'll give it a try. I didn't think I had a problem with the source material since my cheapo ear canal phones sounds pretty smooth with less "sibilance" to my inexperienced ears.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Lowering the upper end/treble area is what will tone down the sibilance. Believe me, I do NOT believe in burn in like that, but the M50s DEFINITELY got less sibilant after the first day. They are only ones I could really say noticably responded to burn in.

 

[mootookang]

The sibilance might come from your HO from your computer/laptop. Connecting your headphones directly to the computer means that the headphones will usually pick up the background noises.
 
Try burning in your M50 first, as stated above, the sound signature of M50 changes from night and day after burn in.

 

[IdioticBliss]

Quote:

Lowering the upper end/treble area is what will tone down the sibilance. Believe me, I do NOT believe in burn in like that, but the M50s DEFINITELY got less sibilant after the first day. They are only ones I could really say noticably responded to burn in.

That's basically what I'm doing. Slightly higher on the bass end, slighly lowered on the treble end. Any huge steps and It starts to sound muffled and you're basically losing sound which is a poor compromise for good sound. I'll defineltly be leaving them on overnight.

 

[Argyris]

I had the M50 a while ago for a little less than two weeks. I can't say that the sibilance ever really went away. That's the problem with treble spikes; depending on where they're centered they can emphasize sibilance.

 

[sumathias]

Definitely sounds like good ol' sibilance to me.
 
You think the M50s are sibilant? Just wait till you try the beyerdynamic dt990s
 
And have you tried the M50s with different sources? The sibilance may be a result of or be amplified by bright or grainy sources.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Agreed, if the M50s are sibilant, the 990s will cut your ears like a katana folded a million times over.

 

[Ultrainferno]

Agreed, if the M50s are sibilant, the 990s will cut your ears like a katana folded a million times over.

But that doesn't mean the DT990 is a bad headphone, you like Its sound or you don't
I don't find the M50 sibilant actually, but with that headphone your mp3 quality and source matter a lot.

That being said, when connected to a tube amp, it becomes an absolute bass monster

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Lol, oh I know. I love my DT990s. I'm just saying, comparing the treble of the M50 and the DT990 is just.... O_O

 

[irishsammy]

I'm going to agree with the burn-in suggestions here.  I have the M50's and noticed the exact same sibilance for the first 50 hours or so.  Now that I've got 150 or so hours on them, there's almost no sibilance.  It only kicks in on recordings that are crazy sibilant already.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

I bought my M50 second hand and yes I also experienced quite noticable sibilance despite they had already been used and it was very difficult to get the trebles just right by tweaking EQ, it quickly changed from sibilance to being too smooth. I don't know which version you're using but the one that is being shipped in a white box seems to be less bassy and brighter/more sibilance and slightly less recessed mids (the mids were actually quite wonderful on it I thought, definitely the best part at least) than the old. For me it was slightly too bright or too much sibilance especially and bass wasn't really any basshead material exactly. My ears can't stand sibilance why I tend to pursue darker sounding headphones.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

Another question.  Where did you buy them?  
 
There are quite a few fake m50's milling around out there.  If it sounds really bad you may have bought a fake.