[mikek200]

LC,
Very good review..tnx
 
Let me add,that if you think they are that good now..wait till you have a week or two,of break-in...the instruments really start to separate,giving more detail.
 
I also,have the v-moda cable--it will not give you any difference in SQ,but I've read,it is supposed to have a better connection in the actual plug>?
It is so light,you sometime forget, you have a cable attached.
 
Can you give us your impression of these cans,with classical music??
 
.I haven't listened to my Lcd-2's since Dan sent me these-they are  just a great headphone?

 

[tokendog]

I've been out of town for the last couple of days so I have not gotten a lot of opportunities to compare these to my other head phones.  I have never listened to the LCD-2 or LCD-3.
 
In regards to the bass of the Mad Dogs, I find the bass to be less textured than both the D7000 and the HE-400.  To me, with the limited listening time I have had, the HE-400 are the superior headphone by a good margin.  The bass also does not hit as hard as the Pro 900s.  I would say in terms of bass presence:  Pro 900, D7000, HE-400, and then Mad Dog.  The D7000 beats out the HE-400 because of the sub bass which is phenomenal.
 
That's not to say the Mad Dogs aren't good.  They are VERY good and will probably be a lot better in my opinion once they have burned in more AND I've had more time with them.
 
I am also powering them with an E9 - so a different amp would probably help.
 
Now that I am back in town, I will have more time to compare and post back my impressions.

 

[jerg]

Quote:

I've been out of town for the last couple of days so I have not gotten a lot of opportunities to compare these to my other head phones.  I have never listened to the LCD-2 or LCD-3.
 
In regards to the bass of the Mad Dogs, I find the bass to be less textured than both the D7000 and the HE-400.  To me, with the limited listening time I have had, the HE-400 are the superior headphone by a good margin.  The bass also does not hit as hard as the Pro 900s.  I would say in terms of bass presence:  Pro 900, D7000, HE-400, and then Mad Dog.  The D7000 beats out the HE-400 because of the sub bass which is phenomenal.
 
That's not to say the Mad Dogs aren't good.  They are VERY good and will probably be a lot better in my opinion once they have burned in more AND I've had more time with them.
 
I am also powering them with an E9 - so a different amp would probably help.
 
Now that I am back in town, I will have more time to compare and post back my impressions.

Not sure what you mean by "bass presence" (quantity or quality of bass?) but the HE400s have a much cleaner bass response than either Pro900 or D7k, with a significantly lower THD in all harmonics especially sub 50Hz, also a flatter bass FR and extension. Then again perfectly measured bass might not equate to most enjoyable bass, it depends on the listener's priorities and tastes.

 

[LCfiner]

Quote:

LC,
Very good review..tnx
 
Let me add,that if you think they are that good now..wait till you have a week or two,of break-in...the instruments really start to separate,giving more detail.
 
I also,have the v-moda cable--it will not give you any difference in SQ,but I've read,it is supposed to have a better connection in the actual plug>?
It is so light,you sometime forget, you have a cable attached.
 
Can you give us your impression of these cans,with classical music??
 
.I haven't listened to my Lcd-2's since Dan sent me these-they are  just a great headphone?

 
I don't have a lot of classical. I'm listening to some now (some Rimsky-Korsakov, Rodrigo and Mozart) and it's pretty good but it's not as impressive as the LCD3. The difference between the two headphones with classical is made larger with the greater instrument separation and layered soundstage of the LCD3 (as opposed to, say, rock). And the added bass slam and texture on the LCD3 shows up more with the stuff I'm listening to now. It feels a bit more dynamic than the Mad Dogs
 
Plugging in the HD650, I feel that the sound is a bit more congested than the Mad Dogs and the soundstage is flatter. They have a similar tone to the Mad Dogs but the Mad Dogs put everything in sharper relief and handle complicated instrument arrangements better. I wouldn't say instruments are placed further apart in space but it's easier for me to separate the different instruments in my head with the Mad Dogs than with the HD650. They're less smeared together.
 
Still pretty happy with these Mad Dogs 

 

[tokendog]

Quote:

Not sure what you mean by "bass presence" (quantity or quality of bass?) but the HE400s have a much cleaner bass response than either Pro900 or D7k, with a significantly lower THD in all harmonics especially sub 50Hz, also a flatter bass FR and extension. Then again perfectly measured bass might not equate to most enjoyable bass, it depends on the listener's priorities and tastes.

 
I meant bass quantity.

 

[wje]

If one is looking for a bass killer headphone, then headphones such as the modified T50 / Fostex may not be for you.  However, if you're looking for a headphone with a good, even frequency response that is very pleasing for extended listening periods, then the Mad Dogs may be for you.  The fit of the Fostex is further enhanced with the special leather strap that Dan has installed, which fits well and eases the comfort on the head.  Also, by default, the Fostex headphones are quite comfortable.  Now, when it comes to tooth filling shaking bass, I don't desire it to that level.  One can only take so much listening to a heavy bass presence in their music before the fatigue sets in.  I'd rather opt for an even frequency response and a slight nod to the bass for extended listening periods.

 

[hekeli]

Quote:

These are keepers. To the point where I'll need to do some mental gymnastic to justify keeping the LCD3. To be clear, the LCD3 are better. But maybe I'd rather have the Mad Dogs and go on vacation next year... hmmm.

 
My problem is I probably couldn't settle for anything less than the bass and soundstage/3D LCD-3 is capable of, so yeah it's that much better to me.

But still, Mad Dogs are so good for the price I probably don't care to sell them..
 
Of course I'm having mental gymnastic to not just sell all my gear and just listen to my $12 FA-004 clones - I have no problem listening to them. This hobby is ridiculous. But since you can spend so much unneeded money to cars etc which rapidly lose value, it's still not that bad.

 

[electropop]

Quote:

Agreed about bass (but replace LCD2 with LCD3) the bass is stronger and has deeper extension with more power down low with the Audeze cans.

 
So basically the MD bass could be as good or even better? I don't really like strong hard hitting bass. It takes away from the agility slightly... Which would you say are more agile? 

 

[electropop]

Quote:

I've been out of town for the last couple of days so I have not gotten a lot of opportunities to compare these to my other head phones.  I have never listened to the LCD-2 or LCD-3.
 
In regards to the bass of the Mad Dogs, I find the bass to be less textured than both the D7000 and the HE-400.  To me, with the limited listening time I have had, the HE-400 are the superior headphone by a good margin.  The bass also does not hit as hard as the Pro 900s.  I would say in terms of bass presence:  Pro 900, D7000, HE-400, and then Mad Dog.  The D7000 beats out the HE-400 because of the sub bass which is phenomenal.
 
That's not to say the Mad Dogs aren't good.  They are VERY good and will probably be a lot better in my opinion once they have burned in more AND I've had more time with them.
 
I am also powering them with an E9 - so a different amp would probably help.
 
Now that I am back in town, I will have more time to compare and post back my impressions.

 
Now this is promising. There are some of us that downright detest the bass "performance" of the Pro 900 and D7000. 
 
Where's my pair already?!?

 

[LCfiner]

Quote:

 
So basically the MD bass could be as good or even better? I don't really like strong hard hitting bass. It takes away from the agility slightly... Which would you say are more agile? 

 
Nah. the MD bass is good but not as powerful or as extended down below 60 Hz as the LCD3 (or my faint memory of the LCD2).
 
I like the MD bass a lot but it can't match up with the LCD3

 

[TMRaven]

Different views on the mad-dog's bass.  Some say it's more extended and powerful than the HE-400, and now some are saying it isn't.  

 

[caracara08]

Quote:

Different views on the mad-dog's bass.  Some say it's more extended and powerful than the HE-400, and now some are saying it isn't.  

 
different ears, different systems, different music, different sound signature preferences.
 
i think the MDs bass is a very good amount. well controlled, not over powering to the point the rest of the spectrum sounds a little busy. i cant comment on the he400 having not heard them. 

 

[iammoop]

I usually just lurk but the comparisons between the HE-400 and Mad Dogs (I have both) have convinced me to make an account. The Mad Dogs are extremely good for their price point but the HE-400s are clearly superior to me. I feel like the superiority of the bass in terms of quality is one of the biggest differences.

 

[wje]

Quote:

Different views on the mad-dog's bass.  Some say it's more extended and powerful than the HE-400, and now some are saying it isn't.  

 
Out of all the various Fostex T50 "mods" that I have heard, none have been more powerful than the HE-400.  The Fostex headphones, when modified properly - e.g. - flavors by Mad Dog, LFF, etc. feature different modification methods, yet I don't think one accels by a large margin over the next.  But, do keep in mind, they are pleasant headphones to listen to for extended periods.  The whole spectrum has to be taken into consideration.  For true bass heads, one should look elsewhere at other models.  Then again, I don't think that headphones that are designed for certain genres of music to be bass heavy are or should even be considered in the league of audiophiles.

 

[juantendo8]

The bass on these is superb, but it is the beautiful mids that will continue to keep my listening sessions long.