[dweaver]

I am still using the M400 and find I am not bothered by it being to loose so I think this area of concern is definitely improved enough that people would be able to use the on the go comfortably. The only thing they won't work for is sports.

I am continuing to be impressed with the sound of the M400 the dynamics are very good and guitars have a bit of crunchiness to them that I am enjoying. Cymbals similarly have a bit more sizzle and air than what my warmer earphones and headphones don't deliver. I might just be enjoying these because they give me just enough bottom end to keep me happy while offering a more vibrant midrange and treble experience to counter my more relaxed offerings.

 

[dweaver]

I am really enjoying the M400. The comfort is by far the best I have had for an on ear headphone I can easily wear them for several hours with my glasses with no discomfort. Sonically speaking they continue to impress the heck out of me. The bass is north of neutral but I think these are closer to neutral than my other favorites such as the MDR-Z7. I kind of wish I still had the Meze 99 Classics still as it would interesting see how they compare sonically side by side. While these don't a candle to the Meze in regards quality craftsmanship and premium materials I do think they would be better for out and about use. I am going to burn in these for couple days then I will start to write up a proper review of them plus the M100.

 

[dweaver]

well I took my Pono and Z5 with me to work along with the M400 and on the way to work I used the Z5 and it still is my go to IEM for comfort, bass, and immersive 3D sound. But strangely enough by late afternoon I had a henkering for the M400 and I ended up using it on the ride home on the train and have been using it off and on as I puttered around the house. Suffice it say, the M400 tickles my sonic fancy too .
 
There is just something about the more aggressive sound that still manages to not be fatiguing that I like. Things like guitars having attack and chunchiness and cymbals having a bit more sizzle that are a nice change up from the Z5 and while the M400 is not as 3D in it's presentation I find it has decent imaging as well.
 
Anywhoo, I feel like I am talking to myself here. WAIT A MINUTE! I AM TALKING TO MYSELF So I am going to stop posting until I lay down a review...

 

[aldinho878]

has anyone had any trouble with the mic being too heavy on the kef m100's? lol. I found the right side (side with the mic) to keep falling out due to weight of mic

 

[dweaver]

I wear mine looped over the ears. It eliminates pull and reduces microphonics and cable noise.

 

[HonkyTonk]

Long time reader, first time poster here. A little over a year ago, I was very lucky to stumble across a pair of M200s for $65. I love the sound, but still grapple with the fit. I tried the M500s as well, but did not care for their sound signature or the pressure they exerted on my ears. From the comments, it sounds like the M100 & M400 have improved, fit-wise. I would love to read more in-depth reviews of the M100 & M400 as well as direct comparisons of the fit/sound between KEF's newer & older models, if possible. Thanks for the insight, dweaver!

 

[dweaver]

I can only go but memory for comparisons which is very unreliable especially when the memory is several years old so can't really do a good comparison between the M100 and 200. Similarly I shouldn't comment to much about the M500 sonically. But build wise the M400 was slightly less likely to fall off my head and was definitely lighter and similarly the M100 is way more comfortable than the M200.

 

[pfloyd]

Long time reader, first time poster here. A little over a year ago, I was very lucky to stumble across a pair of M200s for $65. I love the sound, but still grapple with the fit. I tried the M500s as well, but did not care for their sound signature or the pressure they exerted on my ears. From the comments, it sounds like the M100 & M400 have improved, fit-wise. I would love to read more in-depth reviews of the M100 & M400 as well as direct comparisons of the fit/sound between KEF's newer & older models, if possible. Thanks for the insight, dweaver!

Doing this to my M200s greatly improved the fit for me, they are my favorite iems.

 

[phiely]

Doing this to my M200s greatly improved the fit for me, they are my favorite iems.

Did you cut off the ear hooks ?

 

[HonkyTonk]

Thanks for the info, dweaver!

pfloyd, that is true dedication! I think my problem with the fit has to do with my funky ear canals. (They're two different sizes & probably slightly irregular in shape.) I've tried many silicon tips on the M200, but they just slide out unless I cram them in there, which is painful, so I've been using Comply T-500 tips, letting them expand at the very edge of my canals. I'm not a fan of foam tips in general, but they seem to be the only ones that work for me.

 

[pfloyd]

Did you cut off the ear hooks ?

Yep. Here's a copy of my post in the m200/500 thread nearly a year ago describing the process,

Like many here I aways thought these were excellent sounding phones hampered by poor fit, so they languished in my collection mostly unused. So I started to experiment with ear clip positions and came to the conclusion that swinging them completely out of the way so they make no contact provided most secure fit. It seems that because of they long barrel with the clip attached to the back of barrel providing much leverage plus having two contact points that do not move in unison (ie. ear canal and ear cartilage), any slight movement of jaw will break seal. Now with only one contact point (ear canal) the phone is allowed to float with no lever to break seal. Of course leaving the hooks on still added useless mass that only got in the way and since I only had 50 bucks into them ( if I paid full price I would not have been so brave), I first got out the tin snips and cut the hooks off at the base of the aluminum arm. Of course the steel core inside the rubber prove to be quite tough. FYI if you attempt this mod be sure to protect drivers from the metal fillings by covering all holes with Saran wrap to prevent them from attracting metal dust. That worked well except there was still useless weight. So I decided to get out the hacksaw and carefully sawed the aluminum arms off as close to housing as I could. Note in the picture that the rubber and metal core are still visible at the scar, providing evidence of robust build. Anyway i would suggest that you try swinging the arms away first before cutting them off to be sure your personal experience matches mine, knowing that if you notice improvement it will only get better as you remove mass. These are quite light in the ear and I am amazed at how secure the fit is now. And despite the barrel length I can even sleep with them in relative comfort. And now they are no longer languishing on my stand but are getting most of my ear time.

 

[waynes world]

Long time reader, first time poster here. A little over a year ago, I was very lucky to stumble across a pair of M200s for $65. I love the sound, but still grapple with the fit. I tried the M500s as well, but did not care for their sound signature or the pressure they exerted on my ears. From the comments, it sounds like the M100 & M400 have improved, fit-wise. I would love to read more in-depth reviews of the M100 & M400 as well as direct comparisons of the fit/sound between KEF's newer & older models, if possible. Thanks for the insight, dweaver!

 
I'm surprised. I like the m500's sound very much, and also they are very comfortable on the ears (not pressure) - almost too loose. Just goes to show that we all hear and feel differently!

 

[HonkyTonk]

pfloyd, that is awesome! I'm glad you found a way to comfortably enjoy the beasts.

waynes world, I completely agree. After I discovered the M200 (thanks to a thread on this site actually), I expected to love the M500, but there was just something about their sound that I didn't like at the time. It's been a while, so I can't really describe the issue I had with them, but it could have been because they are on-ears, which I generally don't do so well with. I do remember loving their design, but not the pressure on my ears; it would set in after wearing them around 45 minutes. I would probably still have them today otherwise.

 

[waynes world]

Yep. Here's a copy of my post in the m200/500 thread nearly a year ago describing the process,

Like many here I aways thought these were excellent sounding phones hampered by poor fit, so they languished in my collection mostly unused. So I started to experiment with ear clip positions and came to the conclusion that swinging them completely out of the way so they make no contact provided most secure fit. It seems that because of they long barrel with the clip attached to the back of barrel providing much leverage plus having two contact points that do not move in unison (ie. ear canal and ear cartilage), any slight movement of jaw will break seal. Now with only one contact point (ear canal) the phone is allowed to float with no lever to break seal. Of course leaving the hooks on still added useless mass that only got in the way and since I only had 50 bucks into them ( if I paid full price I would not have been so brave), I first got out the tin snips and cut the hooks off at the base of the aluminum arm. Of course the steel core inside the rubber prove to be quite tough. FYI if you attempt this mod be sure to protect drivers from the metal fillings by covering all holes with Saran wrap to prevent them from attracting metal dust. That worked well except there was still useless weight. So I decided to get out the hacksaw and carefully sawed the aluminum arms off as close to housing as I could. Note in the picture that the rubber and metal core are still visible at the scar, providing evidence of robust build. Anyway i would suggest that you try swinging the arms away first before cutting them off to be sure your personal experience matches mine, knowing that if you notice improvement it will only get better as you remove mass. These are quite light in the ear and I am amazed at how secure the fit is now. And despite the barrel length I can even sleep with them in relative comfort. And now they are no longer languishing on my stand but are getting most of my ear time.

 
I've always love the sound of the M200. I've always hated the earhooks and subsequent fit, so they ultimately end up languishing in a drawer.
 
So, because I've had a glass of wine, and because my m200's are being wasted at the moment, and because your handle is "pfloyd", I'm getting the hacksaw out!
 
Damn, I don't have a hacksaw. So I'm getting myself a hacksaw!

 

 

[dweaver]

If you have issues with one ear and not the other try using different sizes tips on each ear. Also Sony hybrid tips are super soft and comfy. I often use a medium tip in one ear and a large tip in the other.