[EarG]

^That seem right. What i've found out in almost 2 weeks of listening to my Q40s - throw any type of song at them and they will play/render as recorded - meaning, no such color added or whatsoever. They are pretty neutral and accurate. But changing source (no EQ applied) - playing from my ZVM to my new sony walkman, to my PC(M-Audio revo 5.1) to my home system, i have noticed some little changes in the body, fullness, or the warmth of the song...

 

[ounkchicago]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EarG /img/forum/go_quote.gif But changing source (no EQ applied) - playing from my ZVM to my new sony walkman, to my PC(M-Audio revo 5.1) to my home system, i have noticed some little changes in the body, fullness, or the warmth of the song...

I agree. They are revealing enough to allow the listener to notice changes in source. I also think they reveal the tonal character of whatever headamp is being used. For example, using a 0404 USB (apple lossless) as a source, there is a marked difference between the 0404 USB's built-in headamp (which sounds neutral but also has a slightly compressed soundstage) and my Meier Headsix (which sounds warmer, more lush, and with a wider soundstage).

I think they are more revealing of source and headamp voicing than the RP-21. But because of the closed design of the Q40, they do not seem as revealing (of source and headamp voicing) as high end open headphones such as the DT880 and K701.

 

[sohels]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ounkchicago /img/forum/go_quote.gif What type of sound leakage (or isolation) are you looking for? Both RP-21 and Q40 offer reasonable isolation. I have an SPL meter so I can measure leakage if you want. .

Isolation is not very important for me but sound leakage is. Would listening at moderate levels disturb a second person in the room? I'm most impressed and grateful for your offer of measuring this with an SPL meter but I don't think that will be necessary.

Secondly, the sound stage - how good is instrument separation and imaging? Does the music sound very upfront and cramped or is it more 'open'?

 

[Wilashort]

.....

 

[ounkchicago]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sohels /img/forum/go_quote.gif Isolation is not very important for me but sound leakage is. Would listening at moderate levels disturb a second person in the room? I'm most impressed and grateful for your offer of measuring this with an SPL meter but I don't think that will be necessary.

I work in a cubicle farm where there is only about 10 feet of space between myself and the next person. At moderate listening volumes, they are unable to tell whether I am listening to music or not with both the RP-21 and the K240 Studio. And the K240 is not a true closed headphone... rather it is a semi-open (hybrid) design. I did a test with the Q40 where I had someone else listen to them about 4 feet away, at my normal listening volume, and I could not hear a thing. So my initial impression is that the Q40 has similar leakage levels as the RP-21. And both the Q40 and RP-21 have lower leakage than the K240 Studio. But even the semi-open K240 Studio does not leak that much... and in fact it is the headphone that I have used the most at work despite being semi-open.

This is in stark contrast to a phone like the DT880, whose semi-open design is more open than closed. With the DT880, the whole room would be able to tell what you are listening to. Same goes for K701, any open Senn, any Grado, etc.

Quote:

Secondly, the sound stage - how good is instrument separation and imaging? Does the music sound very upfront and cramped or is it more 'open'?

My opinion is that the soundstage in the Q40 is slightly better than my other studio headphones (RP-21 and K240S)... those other two have a very narrow, closed in soundstage. The Q40 has a wider soundstage in terms of Left and Right, but it is not as wide as a DT880, Grado, or other open phones. The Q40 soundstage is also rather compressed in the depth (front-to-back) plane... it doesn't have much front to back imaging. Everything sounds like it's coming from the left, the right, or in the middle (but no distinction between front and back).

I don't know of any closed headphone that has an extremely wide soundstage. I've demoed the Ultrasone Proline 650 at Guitar Center ($299 MSRP) and those sound fairly closed in like the Q40 also.

 

[sohels]

Ok. Thanks!

 

[marctonmaui]

so from what everyone is saying about these headphones they seem to me to be sort of cold and analytical. is that true? would any of you recommend these to a first time (good headphone) buyer? or is there another can around this price range, with good deep base, and a more rich and warm sound.
i am using sennheiser px100 right now and want something sort of like em but with better sound. i guess what im asking is , would you listen to these cans and really be able to get into the music?
(sorry for my lack of technical terms and audiophile knowledge)

 

[sohels]

marctonmaui, what is your budget? Also, what type of music do you listen to?

From what has been said about the Q40 so far, they seem to be neutral - not cold and analytical. The reviewers have had a favorable impression of the bass. Personally, my first good headphone was the Sennheiser HD555, which can be had for $99. However I would not recommend them for metal/hip-hop.

 

[ounkchicago]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marctonmaui /img/forum/go_quote.gif so from what everyone is saying about these headphones they seem to me to be sort of cold and analytical. is that true? would any of you recommend these to a first time (good headphone) buyer? or is there another can around this price range, with good deep base, and a more rich and warm sound. i am using sennheiser px100 right now and want something sort of like em but with better sound. i guess what im asking is , would you listen to these cans and really be able to get into the music? (sorry for my lack of technical terms and audiophile knowledge)

I think the answer to this depends on what you mean by cold and analytical. In the head-fi glossary, analytical just means "highly detailed." I think these are high detailed for their price range (I have not heard any more detailed), but they are not the most detailed out there -- more money can get you more detail (DT880 comes to mind).

I'm not sure exactly what the difference between "cold" and "neutral" is, but I think neutral is the right word to describe these phones. They appear to be as close to uncolored as I could imagine (I have not tried the Audio Technica's or Denons) in this segment, so they do not add extra warmth, nor do they remove any warrmth that is present in the music.

Most people, especially non-audiophiles, prefer a sound with a U-shaped frequency response curve, which I would call "slightly warm and slightly bright." This is of course grossly oversimplifying things, but my point here is that the Q40 are not what most home listeners are looking for. The Q40 will not make your music sound "good." Rather, they will make it sound very true to the original recording. Some people like that, but others do not.

 

[ounkchicago]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marctonmaui /img/forum/go_quote.gif or is there another can around this price range, with good deep base, and a more rich and warm sound.

I have been in search for this type of headphone for a long time. Something closed or semi-open (for use at work), in the $100-$150 price range (so that losing or damaging them wouldn't cost your life savings), and something rich enough to bring out the pleasant details in music, but warm enough to sound good (at the expense of sounding neutral) and non-fatiguing for long listening periods.

So far, the closest I have found to this is the AKG K240 Studio. It satisfies most of the above criteria, but the bass is bloated and inaccurate, and the treble is rolled off so it masks some of the detail in the high end. The strength of the K240 Studio is really really really awesome mids that sound warm, detailed, and just put a huge smile on your face.

 

[marctonmaui]

thanks for the replies it really helps a lot. shoot now i think these might not be for me, its too bad because they seemed perfect and look so friggen nice. i heard from another person (swt61) that denon d1000s would be a good headphone for a first time buyer, even if they are lacking in base. so i was allso wondering if anyone found out if these headphones were relabeled cans or are from m-audio's drawing boards. (sorry i am swaying from the review, but it may help other people like me looking to upgrade and only know users definition of words like neutral, but not what it really means in sound)

oh ya and my favorite bands red hot chili peppers, jack johnson, coldplay, foo fighters, and i also listen to pop and rap.

 

[kikkomang]

you could try the akg k81dj's.

 

[warrior05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marctonmaui /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks for the replies it really helps a lot. shoot now i think these might not be for me, its too bad because they seemed perfect and look so friggen nice. i heard from another person (swt61) that denon d1000s would be a good headphone for a first time buyer, even if they are lacking in base. so i was allso wondering if anyone found out if these headphones were relabeled cans or are from m-audio's drawing boards. (sorry i am swaying from the review, but it may help other people like me looking to upgrade and only know users definition of words like neutral, but not what it really means in sound) oh ya and my favorite bands red hot chili peppers, jack johnson, coldplay, foo fighters, and i also listen to pop and rap.

The Denons would do well by you in regards to your music preferences. They really are a nice sounding headphone and dead sexy too!

Steve also told me how well they scaled up with higher end sources. I would highly recommend them for a first time buyer. I only sold mine off because I prefer the Q40s and I'm planning on getting the D2000s. I'm a fan of the Denon sound. Very musical and fun factor is definitely there. Oh, and by the way - the bass is quite nice with the D1000s. 'nuff said!

 

[marctonmaui]

oh i just wanted to add something, i looked on m-audio's website and their impedance is not 32 ohms try double that at 64 ohms. that makes it seem kind of hard to drive from portables, but i guess it works.

 

[EarG]

I've been driving these straight (no amp) from my ZVM & NWZ-Sxxx just fine. At the same volume level, Q40s seem even more efficient than my SR80s. Maybe because of their high sensitivity - 116dB/mW? I'm not sure.