Just got back from a small trip with my Mad Dogs waiting for me at work yesterday. I panicked at first to see the large 1/4" plug, I had to sneak out to a Radio Shack to get an adapter, so a heads up to new purchasers. My early impressions on their sound...
First off I have to say this is the first time I've really noticed "burn-in" and I am now a believer that it exists and acknowledge that it can actually be pretty dramatic. When I first anxiously hooked the MD's up to my amp for a listen, I was pretty disappointed, it felt very laid back, boring and lifeless. I switched back and forth throughout the work day and there was some improvement after a few hours, then I left them playing overnight. I came back to work this morning to completely different headphones. There's far more impact and life to them. So I heard other people mention this, but definitely give them some time before you jump on that 15-day trial period offer.
Comfort is certainly phenomenal. I keep worrying that I don't have a full seal because there is very little clamping force, but there's full contact. The weight is perfect and build quality is sturdy. With the comfort strap add-on, there is 0 pressure anywhere, it's wonderful. No problems wearing these all day.
I'm still adjusting to the sound, prior to the Mad Dogs I had listened almost exclusively to Denon 2000's for over a year. There is definitely a very different sound signature here. Denon's have that pronounced U-curve, lots of sub-bass, sharp treble and recessed mids. I like some fun to my headphones, I listen to a lot of electronic and funky Jazz fusion some Rock, but the D2000's would have me grinning ear to ear on some Electronic tracks with head-rumbling sub-bass, and then leave me very disappointed with songs that featured more pronounced Bass guitar or vocals. With quite a few tracks I felt like the sub-bass was too bloated and bled into the mids too much. The Mad Dogs certainly don't have that problem, but surprisingly for myself, I feel like I'm missing some "fullness". Maybe I had just gotten used to that rumble that I used to criticize the Denons for.
The highs sound perfect to me, I never really cared much about this before but I found the treble ear-piercing and unenjoyable on the D2000's where I'm finding myself really enjoying the crispness of cymbal crashes on the Mad Dogs. I'm very happy to find that Flea's bass isn't lost in Chili Peppers songs like they were on the Denons. Still, there's something not quite hitting it for me overall on the Mad Dogs. I haven't put my finger on it yet, I'm thinking that things feel a little more digital and less smooth, maybe this is the Planar Magnetic sound, maybe their just more revealing to poorly sampled tracks. Drums don't really have the fullness that I want, the resonance from drums and bass guitar licks are missing.
I ordered an A/B audio switch, the Mad Dogs need a little more power than the Denons and I was finding it too hard to unplug/plug and adjust volumes to really compare them quickly. I'll take that time to let the Mad Dogs burn in some more and I'll post back with some comparative impressions between the two. I'll also bring in my Triple Fi 10's which will be a real test for me. I've enjoyed the Triple Fi 10's more than anything else I've listened to so far, but I can't go more than an hour or two with ear plugs in my ears. I've been looking for a comparative headphone for years.