As of writing this review, I've only listened to the M6 Pros for about an hour, and I'm happy to report that I'm completely blown away by the value of this product.
About me: I don't own a huge collection of audio products, but that is simply because I am extremely diligent with my purchases. I always do weeks of research before I buy any sort of gadget so that I can be confident that I'm spending my money wisely. For that very reason, my only other set of headphones are the ATH-M40X, which have, for me, become the gold standard by which I compare all other headphones due to their exceptionally flat and accurate sound. Oh that's another thing, I'm one of those guys....I want my headphones to have as little impact on my listening experience as possible. By that I mean, I don't want them to change the music, but rather to produce it as faithfully as possible (within financial reason). And the M40X has proven to me that you honestly don't need to spend a small fortune to achieve precisely that.
My reason for wanting a set of buds simply comes down to travelling. The M40Xs are full sized cans, so they take up a lot more space than what a set of buds do.
M6 Pro Initial Impressions: Taking into account what I said above about wanting accurate audio products whilst keeping absolute value in mind, I have become a huge Audio Technica fan, which is why I was initially planning on getting the ATH-IM02. From all of the reviews I've read and watched, the collective feedback is that they are balanced and accurate, which sounded perfect to me. My only concern was the price. Let's face it, compared to the cost of other in-ears, $150-200 isn't a lot of money for a great performing set....but that is still quite a bit of money to be spending on such a tiny product. So I was concerned about whether or not I'm spending my money wisely. Would the ATH-IM02 fit the bill perfectly in terms of getting the best value for money? The M6 Pros are shouting: NO!
Seriously, how could a $50 set of buds be this good? I can't stress this enough...$50!!! I genuinely don't have an answer for you...it must be witchcraft. Granted, I haven't had a chance to listen to the ATM-IM02, but that's not the point. The point is that I trust the M40X, and will compare any headphones to them alone. So that being said, the M6 Pros really make me (and my wallet) smile.
Do they sound every bit as flat and true as the M40X? No, not yet anyways. It is for this reason that I'm leaving this review as merely an impression for now, rather than drawing any concrete conclusions for now. Most reviews seem to say that they get better with burn in. Now, you might be a believer or non-believer with regards to burn in, but personally I have not seen any concrete evidence to say that burn in absolutely does or doesn't work. So I've set them aside and I'll be playing the Frybaby track through them over the next 2 days or so.
So, how did they sound within the first hour? Honestly, even though I read and watched a ton of reviews, they still surprised me. Yes, they can be a bit sibilant (again, perhaps just for now) and it does seem to have an ever so slight v-shape sound, but the detail and clarity is fantastic. And keep in mind this is from a single dynamic driver, yet there was not a single sound missing. I previously had a set of FXZ200s (a $190 set), which was a dual BA + single dynamic setup, but they couldn't hope to provide as much clarity and detail as the M6 Pros. I also wonder if those who have complained about the highs have simply done so because they aren't accustomed to a relatively flat response. Because while I do (initially) hear a bit of sibilance, it's nowhere near as bad as others have reported.
Other things I like: I really, really like the form factor. That (other than the price) was the main thing that put me off of the ATH-IM02. I much prefer how the M6 Pro has a negative profile. I also like the fact that you get so many added bits and pieces with it. This shows that MEE really thought about giving customers a total package, to cram as much value into it as possible.
Things I don't like: I've never liked Comply tips, but that's simply because I've never found them to be comfortable for me. I tried the Comply ones that came with the M6 Pros, but unfortunately they ripped when I tried to take them off again. So if you're gonna test out the tips, make sure to test the Comply ones last. None of the other tips gave me both a comfortable feel and perfect seal, so I ended up using my trusty Sony Hybrids. The M6 Pros also have a fair amount of microphonics going on with the standard cable (the one without the mic and remote).
So that's it for the initial impressions. I'll update with a more detailed review as I spend more time using them.
