[GAViN617]

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I'm calling it now: the KEF M500 is the single best closed portable headphone that I've ever heard to date!
 
These headphones are seriously awesome. They're also way better than the V-MODA M-100 and Beyerdynamic DT1350. These are the closed portable headphones that everyone should be buying! They look awesome and sound awesome! I officially give the M500 an A+! It's so good that I don't feel the need to continue the journey for a closed portable headphone! (Well, aside from the Audio-Technica ES700 which I've been curious about.)
 
The M500 earns my highest recommendation possible! Its sound shouldn't be possible at $300! I'm a fan of the MrSpeakers Mad Dog 3.2 too, and would prefer supporting an American business if I could, but even the Mad Dog sounds unnatural after the M500! The M500 has this all over the Mad Dog too. And it doesn't have the amping requirements of the Mad Dog either. It's rare to find a great-sounding headphone that's also refreshingly efficient!
 
I love these headphones. I could nitpick them to death if I really wanted to, but that would miss the point. They're the best small closed headphones that I've ever heard! Heck, there are CDs where I'd take these over the Fostex TH900 too! The only thing that would be better would be the Grado HP1000 itself, or the Stax OII MKI, or a sonic merge of those two.
 
Anyone who listens to music owes it to himself (or herself, as the case might be) to buy these. I love these. The M500 is my new favorite headphone!

 
@Asr
 
After all the praise you have given the M500, I was quite surprised to see that you'd sold yours.. so I just have to ask, why'd you do it?

 

[blueangel2323]

 
@Asr
 
After all the praise you have given the M500, I was quite surprised to see that you'd sold yours.. so I just have to ask, why'd you do it?

 
Haha yep I was wondering the same thing

 

[BRSxIgnition]

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Haha yep I was wondering the same thing

Mysterious~

 

[ericp10]

People sell things for various reasons, and it may not have anything to do with whether they love the product or not. In this community we tend to like to try new things (that are probably more expensive). So we sell. Others find that one sound signature they latch onto and never sell. I love the W4, but I sold it and don't miss it. I gambled on some other earphones, and it turned out I like the them even better. I wouldn't read much into someone praising an item then selling it.

 

[bigfullz]

The m200s have arrived! First impressions.... Wow! These dig deep into bass,
reach high and have sparkle, the mids are detailed, and they have a big soundstage. Now, I am coming from Rockit R50 (dual BA), so the bass on the m200 was like a double dose of hot fudge on my sundae, as opposed to just getting a drizzle of chocolate syrup I really do like the R50, but after switching back and forth a few times, the R50 sounded a bit hot up high and anemic down low. From what I gather, the m200's bass will tighten up with burn in, so these are looking to be a fantastic IEM, kudos to KEF!
I do not have fit issues with the m200, I only had to switch to the smaller tips to maintain a seal. I have not tried any activity with these in yet, but I do like the heavy duty secure arm, it bends right into place and tucks nicely behind the ear.
I feel like the m200 took everything I like in the R50, beefed it up (physically and sonically), and refined it.

 

[blueangel2323]

True, I've sold all my portable headphones, including the ones I really liked, because I needed the money, and because I prefer IEMs while on the go. Once that Canadian winter comes I'll probably miss having headphones that double as earmuffs though

 

[ericp10]

Quote:

The m200s have arrived! First impressions.... Wow! These dig deep into bass,
reach high and have sparkle, the mids are detailed, and they have a big soundstage. Now, I am coming from Rockit R50 (dual BA), so the bass on the m200 was like a double dose of hot fudge on my sundae, as opposed to just getting a drizzle of chocolate syrup I really do like the R50, but after switching back and forth a few times, the R50 sounded a bit hot up high and anemic down low. From what I gather, the m200's bass will tighten up with burn in, so these are looking to be a fantastic IEM, kudos to KEF!
I do not have fit issues with the m200, I only had to switch to the smaller tips to maintain a seal. I have not tried any activity with these in yet, but I do like the heavy duty secure arm, it bends right into place and tucks nicely behind the ear.
I feel like the m200 took everything I like in the R50, beefed it up (physically and sonically), and refined it.

 
Never heard the R50 before, but that description fits my first impressions of the M200. Happy listening! 

 

[LCfiner]

I got the M200 today! these are gooooooood. 
 
so, gotta get fit out of the way. I have pretty small ear openings but, even with that, I need to use the medium tip on the right side and then use a small tip on the left side and I can get a good seal. But for part of my listening time I was eating and the chewing can break the seal a bit. So, yeah, it’s on the edge. the M200 have large bits that stick in the ear.
 
Using three sources: ipod nano 7G, iphone 5, and burson ha160D. differences are minor. bit more smooth in the highs on the HA160D but I’m focussing on the portables for now. 
 
OK, so the sound is very impressive. Very even. No sibilance, no midrange shout (this is what I felt was the biggest weakness on the M500). nice wide soundstage for an IEM with an airy sound and detail retrieval is very good. these seem very quick.
 
They have a little bit of a hump in the lower mids that adds a bit of warmth. I really like it. It’s not exaggerated but it helps with some vocals. overall, mids are fantastic. There’s no hollow, scooped out sound. there’s no glare. it feels very natural. 
 
Highs are smooth and not at all peaky or sibilant. I can see some people who like more sparkle to prefer something with more treble bite. I cannot honestly tell if these are rolled off or just flat. I know that I really like the treble.
 
Bass has good kick. reminds me of the MDR 7550 I just traded away. But I think there’s a bit more impact here. part of that mild mid bass, lower mids hump. I like a little more subbass in my IEMs to make up for the small size of drivers (I like the Senn IE800, to let you know where I’m coming from) but I think this bass can satisfy most people. And it seems very clean as it doesn’t distort if I EQ it up a little (3 dB at 60 Hz) in itunes.
 
I have the Senn IE800 right here for some side by side comparisons. the IE800 has more sub bass, as mentioned. It also has a more narrow soundstage. The IE800 has a more sparkly treble but it also seems thinner. Cymbals on the M200 have less sparkle but they also sound heavier and a little meatier. Mids are a weird one for me to compare. It’s still too early. The Senn IE800 mids seem more lush/dark. So some female voices sound more inviting on the IE800 but other guitar pieces or male vocals might sound better on the flatter M200. I go back and forth on this one. I really like the IE800 mids.
 
anyway, these are still just first impressions (2 hours listening). I’ll be running the M200 overnight for a couple days in case the dynamic drivers benefit from loosening up a bit. 

 

[blueangel2323]

I got the M200 today! these are gooooooood. 

 
Despite what your avatar says

 

[LCfiner]

ha ha yup.
 
Oh yeah, other thing that’s a little surprising is how high I need to crank the volume on all my sources to get a decent volume from these. like 80 to 90% on the Apple devices. They are not easy to drive to volume. Even on the Burson, I gotta crank it up to 3 o'clock on the dial on low gain. first IEM I’ve wanted to run on the high gain output.
 
edit. one more note regarding the M500. With those, I felt their sound (mids, mainly) was a little scooped or slightly artificial compared to my main headphones (HE500 at the time) plus IE800. But I do not get that sense with the M200 at all. everything sounds very lifelike, with no sense of artificially boosted or scooped sounds across the frequency range. The M500 are very good on ear headphones but the M200 are more refined to my ears.

 

[notoriousjim]

Are the M200s comfortable with glasses and do the hooks supply a secure fit if you're wearing glasses? 

 

[ericp10]

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Are the M200s comfortable with glasses and do the hooks supply a secure fit if you're wearing glasses? 

Yes and yes. The hooks are so flexible that you can easily bend them and get tight enough grip that will basically avoid your glasses. I kind of wear my hooks over the top of my earlobe instead of from the from of the earlobe. 

 

[bigfullz]

I listened to my m200 with glasses on, it was a minor adjustment and was fine. I was stationary for my session with glasses but Im guessing a lot of movement with glasses might be a pain though, multiple adjustments wouldnt be fun

 

[Sonido]

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Anyone know how either of these fare when lying down in bed? Does the M500 start falling off due to gravity? I'd think headband being metal may cause that. And do the M200 remained sealed and comfortable when lying down?

So I guess I'm crazy to be lying down with headphones on...

 

[dweaver]

Nope, I lay down with headphones all the time . I have tried theM500 and the headband definitely slides backwards. I have not tried the M200 due to my CPAP equipment.