[Oregonian]

Got these new release cans today after ordering from Amazon about two weeks or so ago. Paid $153.02 which is an incredible price in my view.

I've owned the Q40 for two years and loved them, after a pad swap and cable swap.. Great overall sound with nice tight bass, it was the headphone that got me started on the basshead club thread. After hearing the Q40 was being discontinued we all wondered what was next..........and here is the successor.




Smaller in size than the pictures on the M Audio website led me to believe, these are actually quite compact, with a well padded headband and GREAT stock pads that are over ear. They hinge and rotate much like a DJ headphone (the Senn HD7/8 come to mind) and really are very comfy. I've been wearing them for 45 minutes and can tell there will be no issues like the stock Q40 had. Here's a comparison to the TH900 for a size comparison.



Comes with two cables. One clearly meant for portable use, it's about 3' long and the second is about 6' long with a bit of a coil at the end. Both interlock at the earcup and get this, left or right cup can be used! Nice feature. Not sure if the V-Moda audio only cable, a popular swap, can be used. I'll check later and report back.

Sound is crisp and clear and more neutral than the Q40. The burning question - can it thump? Yes it can when fed by an amp and it handles it nicely. First test was out of my vintage Pioneer Spec system. Next will be my portable setup consisting of an iPod Classic feeding an Arrow 3G and later I'll add a Digizoid ZO to the chain double amped to really test the bass handling.

More to come but for now, for the price I paid, major score.

 

[Oregonian]

Two day impressions - sorry, have not listened much since the Stanley Cup game was on last night and I'm a hockey fanatic and NYR fan.

I did the HBB mod to it, took about 10 minutes total and it is completely reversible if need be. It is definitely a very bass capable headphone but not as naturally bassy as the Q40 if that makes any sense. It seems more like a monitor (which I believe is the intention) but it will take anything you throw at it with good bass boost and sound great. Now that I've gotten into the cups, and looked them over, I may Dynamat them as well and see what change that makes. The cup inside is weird shaped - and tho they are very well built cans, the cups are not conducive (in my very humble experience) to being a good bass platform, hence my comment about trying Dynamat.

I figure for $153 I can play and mod all I want without worrying about messing them up. Any mod to them I can reverse and who knows, may find it gets better and better.

It is clearly meant for portable usage with 16 ohm specs and they did a good thing with the short cable. I use a 21" cable one of our Head Fi guys made for me to mount the portable setup (iPod Classic and Arrow 3G) on my arm in an armband and with the short cable the setup is perfect. Yet another good design decision - you can use the stock cable, a V-Moda audio only or like me, a custom shortie. In either ear.

Well worth $153 or maybe even $200, these new M-Audio HDH50's.

 

[Mad Max]

Waiting for mine to arrive; paid the same, too.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

hmm maybe have to give them ago, I might try HBB's "basshead" mod though as I enjoy Q40 quantity bass.

 

[Hawaiibadboy]

/

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

 
The build quality and sound delivery for the price......is ridiculous.
You got a steal.
The tolerances are nice. These could be priced 2x as much. IMO.

If you still have the pic around could you post that mod of yours that you did? I know which holes you opened (I'd probably start audition first with one hole opened and then try 2 if 1 isn't enough satisfying) but it probably doesn't hurt to post it here.

 

[xanlamin]

Any more impressions?

 

[Oregonian]

Any more impressions?

Check post 2. 

 

[xanlamin]

 
Check post 2. 

 
Thank you! I have to ask this
So do you prefer Q40 or this one?

 

[Oregonian]

   
Thank you! I have to ask this
So do you prefer Q40 or this one?

I will be testing them side by side over the next three days with the same setup and same music.  A DOE of sorts. Then I'll answer your question.  Not till then. 

 

[Oregonian]

 
If you still have the pic around could you post that mod of yours that you did? I know which holes you opened (I'd probably start audition first with one hole opened and then try 2 if 1 isn't enough satisfying) but it probably doesn't hurt to post it here.

It's in the Extreme Bass thread.  Let me know if you can't find it.  I did it last night.................

 

[Hawaiibadboy]

"A" "B" ing a new set of cans while watching your team go for the cup.....good times!!

I'll consider your word to be the one on the Q40 compared with it's brother. As you are the first to put both side by side.

 

[xkonfuzed]

Nicely written! Awaiting your comparison with the Q40's.

 

[Mad Max]

Sweet, got mine. Build quality feels awesome. The pads twist on/off like on my K701 and K601.

Great comfort, too.

Edit: seems to be about on par with my DT770 in sound out of my Stepdance, although it has a smaller, more upfront soundstage. I definitely prefer HDH50 amped.
Edit2: well, definitely not on par with my DT770pro-250 out of desktop amps. It's still good, though. Now to see if I can't get it closer with modifications. =]
Edit3: on another note, I don't like how microphonic the longer included cable is. They added a short coil right before the plug that goes into whatever equipment you want to use it with, and it kills any microphonics coming from the plug bumping things, but the rest of the cable is noisy. They should have added the coil close to the headphone-side plug (also 3.5mm, by the way).

 

[xanlamin]

Congrats! What do u think abt the bass? Does it hit as hard as Q40?