[Lethe]

   
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say.
 
The aesthetics seem to be based on the $5,000 Chanel headphones. (Made by a purse company. lol)
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

IMHO those (Chanel) headphones look like a pair of Beats that are slowly morphing into a purse the further up it goes. I don't mind the A-Audio design, but I don't like it either. I can't deny that they are a pair of eye-catching headphones, though. Many people are going to love its looks. 

 

[Music Alchemist]

I think they look like a nice headphone and I do not mind looking like the strange bald man, with the long bear, wearing cans, while swaggering about the mall. I live to be absurd.

 
Oh, so you take your pet bear on walks through the mall?

 

  IMHO those (Chanel) headphones look like a pair of Beats that are slowly morphing into a purse the further up it goes. I don't mind the A-Audio design, but I don't like it either. I can't deny that they are a pair of eye-catching headphones, though. Many people are going to love its looks. 

 
This reminds me of how my friend and I were talking about how the $5,000 Chanel headphones probably didn't even cost $100 to make. Since it doesn't have an established track record of competitive sound quality, I would only buy the A-A for its looks, since I'm one of the fortunate few who find it aesthetically pleasing. Looks like the only difference between the A01 and A02 is that the former is black/liquid chrome while the latter is matte phantom black.

 

[mattris]

Do the earcups of the Legacy model fit around the ear? Or do the cushions sit on the ear?

 

[ourfpshero]

  Do the earcups of the Legacy model fit around the ear? Or do the cushions sit on the ear?

These are ON the ear

 

[HideousPride]

Introducing: Custom Art

Custom Art is a happy, fairy tale-like story for me. My first message to Piotr, the founder of the company, was back in July 2013. I was looking for an aftermarket cable for my CIEMs, and I just happened to come across a gorgeous picture of sleeved cables on Head-Fi.
 
This prompted me to PM Piotr, and in the subsequent conversation he managed to “wow” me with his accommodating manner and lightning-fast responses. In a couple weeks time, I received a cable that looked and felt fantastic at a steal of a price.
 

 
So in December of the same year when I was looking to get a pair of CIEMs reshelled, Custom Art immediately came to mind with their silicone offerings. Customer service was again top-notch, and the CIEMs came back to me with a brand new look and sound.
 

 
After Massdrop recruited me to lead and grow the Audio community, I had a few specific manufacturers in mind that I really wanted us to work with. Custom Art was very high on that list, so I reached out to Piotr to see if we could do something together. That something turned out to be the Harmony 8 Pro.
 
I snapped a pair for myself immediately, and the drop sold out in less than a day. This came as a pleasant surprise to everyone. On an interesting note, the success of the H8P and the subsequent requests for a re-run played a large role in convincing the team that CIEMs were a viable and desirable subcategory on Massdrop.  
 
As an audio enthusiast who appreciates manufacturers that care about their products and customers, it’s been a treat for me to see Custom Art grow. I sat down with Piotr to pick his brain on the company today.
 

Chatting with:  Piotr Granicki

Heyo Piotr! One of the interesting things I've heard about Custom Art is that it started off as a hobby for you. Was there a point in time or something that happened that made you think, “You know what, this could be something I turn into my full time job”?
Hey! Yes, that’s true. Audio was always a big passion for me. Years ago earphones and portable gear gained my interest simply because I was using them during the commute to and from school. I was constantly looking for better and better sound. Then when I started reviewing earphones, I got hooked on Balanced Armature technology and it pretty much stayed with me. In my spare time I was doing some DIY (jack repairs, amp building, etc.) so soldering was my second passion. 
 
But believe me, the story is no fairy-tale. It’s blood, sweat and tears. Three years ago there was a life-changing moment for me that pushed me to do this. Thoughts were more like “Dude, what you are doing with your life?! Just do what you like and what you want, do it the best you can and don’t care if it’s going to be profitable”. I needed something that I could honestly care about and that’s how CA happened.
 
Right on. The customization options that are available for Custom Art products are staggering. Why did you allow for so many different choices, and what kind of complexities does that add to the manufacturing process?
Well, one thing that being a reviewer had taught me was to do my research. I noticed that the silicone CIEM market was simply… boring. Acrylic IEMs allow for so much customization while silicone ones only allowed for a single plain color. I decided to shake things up a little bit.
 
We got hold of over 30 different colors of silicone material, then later adding swirl and faceplate options. We are probably the only company in the world that offers matte finish for the IEM - simply - because we can. Customized faceplates are always a bit more time consuming because of additional gluing and trimming. Making two–colored shells is also a bit tricky, but nothing too overly complex.
 

 
I agree, that's actually one of the things I really like about Custom Art. I feel like I'm designing my own ideal CIEM aesthetically. You’ve really expanded your product line-up. Tell me about the current offerings Custom Art has and what kind of audience each caters to.
We have 6 models right now in our line-up. The Music One is a budgetary, entry-level earphone with a very not-entry-level-sound. Music Two upgrades the Music One – more bass, more highs, generally more fun and engaging sound. The Pro330v2 is a very smooth, but very accurate sounding monitor and Harmony 8 and 8 Pro are our current flagships. Our audience consists mostly from audiophiles, we will be soon try to expand a little bit more into pro-musician market but time will tell… CA has strong ties with audiophile community and it will always be our primary target.
 
Let's talk about expansion. When you’re creating a new product, how do you decide on the tuning, the price, and all of the nitty gritty details?
The first thing I consider is target (price, type of customer, sound signature). Price will somehow determine number of drivers. Or we start with number of drivers and see what price is possible to achieve. Both of those factors are correlated. Basic sound signature is created as an aim - so f.e. “we’d like to make earphones that will be very warm, lush sounding” or, by contrary, very flat. Then starts the long search for suitable drivers, crossover, tubing etc. with drivers being the easiest choice.
 
I typically know what I want to use and what I want to do for given project. Sometimes everything clicks from the first try, other times it requires dozens of changes. I also like to explore possibilities, so even if I have my preferred sound tuned I may try to change something and see if I can push it further. If I don’t like what I hear, I can always go back to the previous setup.
 
For me one of the biggest part that plays role in creating final product is inspiration. Our products have got to have soul, heart and emotions that you can hear in Custom Art IEMs.
 
How many prototypes never make it to market? I see all of the products Custom Art currently offers, and I can’t help but wonder if there are a number of them that never see the light of day.
Hmmm that’s a tough one. Not much but still quite a few. I’ve got at least 7 in the lab including very old ones like early Music One prototype. Many however were dismantled after failed try outs. There’s no point in keeping something that there’s no use for.
 
It’s okay to give us a little sneak peek right? Anything cool on the horizon coming out for Custom Art?
Hahaha! For many reasons I can’t do it. But as always stay tuned. We are preparing a release of something very exciting and it’s gonna rock your ears HARD
 
Do you ever sleep? I’ve read numerous accounts of you answering Head-Fi PMs and emails at ungodly hours. I’m surprised you haven’t burnt out yet!
Aaaah, yeah… Yes, I do sleep although some of my customers “threatened” (jokingly) to send me email at 3am to check if I reply within minutes...
 
As everyone, I have my high and lows, but I learned to survive the bad days and enjoy good ones. Right now I’m trying to cut myself a bit of a slack and find some time for my personal life and end my workday in “human” hours. I’m very happy with my crew that helps me every day with tasks I’m not be able to handle myself anymore. Still, we are continuing our best customer service!
 
Also I’m on Head-Fi only all the time!
 
I’m going to ask you a harder question. What are some ways that you think Custom Art can continue to improve?
There are many things that I know we need to improve and there are many things we are improving right now. I think the best part of owning your company is that you can make decisions on spot to try something new, a different technique, material. We are also working closely with our distributors and they are always happy to help us with anything. CA is growing quite fast right now, so we are constantly improving our equipment to make the processing capacity bigger, turnaround shorter and quality better.
    

Closing Thoughts: On Custom Art

I’m a big fan of my Harmony 8 Pro. I appreciate how easily it slides in and out of the ear and the fantastic fit of silicone. Oh, and the sound. Piotr mentioned an extended treble, but despite my sensitivity to peaks and sibilance the tuning is not at all fatiguing to my ears. There’s a lot of manufacturers out there making CIEMs today, but I think Custom Art stands out with their tuning, choice of material, stellar customer service and vast customization options.
 

 
On a neat note if you’re attending CanJam this year, Piotr’s hooking us up with demo units of the Music One and Harmony 8 Pro to exhibit at the show. If you’re potentially in the market for CIEMs, definitely swing by and give them a listen!

 

[HideousPride]

Introducing: Audio-Technica

Here's a company that needs no introduction. In fact, Audio-Technica is one of the leading “introducers” to personal audio with their M50 line - the most recommended entry-level headphones on Head-Fi. No other pair of cans has inspired as many memes (See Typical Head-Fi Andy, which is a strangely enjoyable and amusing read: Meet Typical Head-Fier Andy) or threads devoted to discussing its merits and flaws.
 

 
When Audio-Technica announced a new headphone at CES, I figured it would be a pretty big thing. After a quick listening at the show, my first impression of the headphone confirmed it to be big deal status - the MSR7 appeals to a broad audience with its appealing aesthetics, excellent comfort, and ability to deliver quality sound across a wide variety of genres.
 
I managed to snag someone at Audio-Technica to talk about their latest and greatest with us, so check out Crystal’s responses below!
 

Chatting with:

Thanks for joining us today Crystal! Let’s start with a quick introduction of yourself and your role at the company.
I am the Consumer Marketing Manager for Audio-Technica’s U.S. consumer products division. I manage the marketing direction and strategic planning for headphones, microphones and turntables. I work with an amazing group of people here to drive all of the aspects that go into planning, launching and promoting those products throughout each product’s lifecycle.
 
When I first started talking to Audio-Technica, I was surprised to find that the company was split into two categories – professional and consumer. I imagine this might be news to Head-Fi members as well. What products from the current Audio-Technica lineup fall under which group and why?
Yes, we have full lines of both professional and consumer products, so, like a lot of audio companies, it really makes sense for us to maintain professional and consumer divisions. On the professional side we offer a broad range of studio, live sound and broadcast mics, plus mics for installed sound applications and wireless systems. And, of course, our M-Series studio headphones, which includes the ATH-M50x, along with DJ headphones and headsets.
 
But we also offer a wide variety of headphones on our consumer side, including many audiophile phones, an array of sport headphones specially designed for athletic use, noise-cancelling headphones and many other models that provide high-quality audio for on-the-go or at-home use.
 


In recent weeks, I got my hands on a limited edition red ATH-MSR7 and I’m really enjoying my time with them so far. Is it designed as the successor to an existing Audio-Technica product, or is it the start of a completely new offering?
I’m glad you like them. And, yes, the red MSR7s are, indeed, a limited edition – one not available in the U.S. – so you were lucky to get them! But aside from the color difference, they’re just like the black and gun-metal grey MSR7 models you can get here. These headphones grew out of our history with both audiophile and portable headphones, and were developed to bridge the gap between the two – to offer the best of both worlds.  

Walk me through the vision Audio-Technica had when designing this headphone regarding design, build and sound. What are some of the features that set it apart from other headphones at a similar price point?
For starters, the MSR7s are equipped with a metal headband and housing components, which sets them apart from other portable models. They also feature our 45 mm True Motion Drivers, especially developed for the MSR7. These drivers employ lightweight, highly responsive voice coils and diaphragms for controlled transients, plus dual acoustic resistors for improved low- and high-frequency response. The dual-layer aluminum/magnesium housings are lightweight yet rigid to reduce unwanted resonance. They also feature three air vents that manage the airflow for greater driver control and sonic clarity.
 

 
At Audio-Technica we’ve always been interested in producing headphones that deliver a natural, well-balanced sound – one that comes as close as possible to capturing the musician’s vision for their music, to what they heard in the studio. Our pro-audio heritage helped us realize that type of sonic clarity in these consumer headphones. 
 
Correct me if I’m mistaken, but I believe this is one of the earliest, if not the first, Audio-Technica headphone with the Hi-Res Audio label. Similarly in the earphone category, the CKR10 boasts the same label. What should consumers expect from Audio-Technica products that are differentiated this way?
Those are the first A-T models to be labeled as such, yes. But we’ve been making audiophile headphones that meet the Hi-Res Audio specs for a long time. We recognize that many listeners are dissatisfied with the sound quality of MP3s and other lossy audio file formats, and are moving on to formats that meet the Hi-Res standard of 96 kHz/24-bit or better.
 

 
With the Hi-Res Audio label we hope to educate the public about the quality difference with Hi-Res Audio and assure listeners that any of our products so labeled are appropriate for use with Hi-Res Audio files, meaning they have transducer frequency performance to at least 40 kHz, which is the standard set by the Japan Audio Society.

I imagine community members are very interested in hearing how the MSR7 stacks up to another Audio-Technica product, the M50x. Can you walk us through a comparison of areas where the headphones are similar and/or different?
Both provide outstanding sound and are comfortable to wear for long periods. Like the M50x, the MSR7 offers a natural sound across the entire frequency range, which is the type of signature sound people have come to expect from A-T. Additionally, the MSR7 has a high-frequency extension out to 40 kHz, which, as mentioned in the previous question, qualifies them for the Hi-Res Audio label. There’s also a difference in styling and design.
 
The M50x are pro headphones and include many features that make them better for use in the studio or other professional environments. The MSR7s are meant for the consumer who wants great audio even on the go. Both headphones come with three detachable cables, but, again, the M50x standard and coiled cables are designed to meet the needs of pros, while the MSR7 cables, including one with mic and controls for use with smartphones, are gauged for consumers. It really comes down to the listener’s preferences and how they intend to use the headphones.

I’m curious how Audio-Technica thought up the name for the MSR7. It rolls off the tongue nicely, but I imagine there’s more to it. Penny for your insight?
I love that you asked this question because no one typically asks or even realizes that there’s a reason behind the name. MSR stands for “Mastering Sound Reality.” But the “M” also ties to our pro monitoring heritage – our M-Series. Seven, of course, is lucky, but it also gives us room to add lower and higher model numbers as the product line develops. So we often like to start a line off with model number 7.
 

 
Let’s end on a fun question. Tell me what your favorite Audio-Technica product is and why.
That would have to be one that I thought was just a myth for a while until I actually got to see it – the Sound Burger!  The Sound Burger was a portable turntable we created in the ’70s. I had only seen pictures of it until someone finally brought one into the office and I was able to see the real deal. I wish we still made it – vinyl is making such a big comeback and this would be the perfect retro model for the market right now. I love that we’ve continued to make turntables, cartridges and styli all these years – I mean, this is what we built our company on and we’re still doing it.
 
It’s amazing that music is now coming full circle again. It all started with high-fidelity vinyl, which unfortunately wasn’t easy to travel with and went away when more portable formats came out, and compressed music became a necessity as time went on. But now it’s all coming around again, and luckily technology has advanced to the point where we can get the best of both worlds – portability and high resolution together, which is exactly what the Sound Burger was trying to provide!
 

Closing Thoughts – On Audio-Technica

Hopefully you learned something from our chat with Audio-Technica. Crystal’s response to the naming of the MSR7 was a great surprise to me, and foreshadows what could be to come if the headphone is received favorably. Positive review after positive review have been rolling in, so it's looking like a bright future for this new, exciting line of Audio-Technica's.
 
But you don't have to take my word for it. We’ve been asked by several members to bring the Audio-Technica MSR7 to Canjam, so if you haven’t had a chance to listen to them yet and are attending, definitely stop by the Massdrop booth to give us your impressions!

 

[HideousPride]

Giveaway

Ta-da. Here’s something different for the thread. I want to hear about your experiences so far in the Audio world.
 

1. Who was the manufacturer that introduced you to personal audio?
2. What are some of your current favorite products in the audio world? What makes them better than the other products you’ve tried?
3. How does music drive or move you in your day-to-day life?

 
Please post all response in the thread. I’ll be picking one at random by Friday, March 27^th, to win a pair of the aforementioned headphones (we ordered one too many for marketing purposes, oops), so get in on this while you can! Oh, did I mention we'll ship worldwide?  

 

[money4me247]

I know I won't get picked since I'm the first poster but here I go!!!
 
1) V-Moda M100s
2) My current favs list

1. Hifiman HE-560 (for a high quality neutral-oriented sound at a great value)
2. Audeze LCD-X (for great bass, fun high quality sound)
3. AKG K7xx (great neutral high quality sound at an amazing low price, competes extremely well against all other mid-fi headphones)
4. Oppo PM3 (great portable pair of planar magnetics w/ a well-balanced sound signature)
5. Hifiman HE-400 (now very cheap often on sale planar magnetic that is a great entry level for the planar experience - amazing visceral bass!)
6. Schiit products in general (good overall value for performancerice)
7. Garage 1217 amps (great DIY option or pre-made options for tube amp enthusiasts & tube rollers)
8. Himediy (great diy very affordable products including dacs & amps)
9. Stoner Acoustic dacs (budget oriented dacs for beginners)

3) Music helps me survive my long work days & keeps me company while studying. Great way to relax after stressful days

 

[GREQ]

1 - Being totally honest - Panasonic - when I was 14 years old and I bought a very competitively priced portable mp3 CD player!
 
2 - Fostex T20RP II (modded) - Since modding is the reason I joined headfi (back in 2009 when I started modding my first Grado); to me it represents the biggest possibilities in value/price/performance that leaps into the realm of high fidelity.
   - Grado SR80(variants) - same as above but the woodwork and modding community makes it look more sexy 

   - Koss Portapro - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. More companies SHOULD take a leaf out of Koss' book. (I love vintage headphones but this is the only one that I can add to the list as it's the only one that's current!)
   - FiiO E17 - The EQ on this is great; I've been able to happily take vintage headphones out on my commute thanks to this really fun piece of kit.
 
3 - It helps me get through my commute twice daily.
   - More importantly it's the creative juice I use for my photography and puts me in 'zen' mode when I need to recharge my batteries.
 
 
That was actually quite interesting to think about. I actually almost totally forgot about my old Panasonic CD player *sigh*... good times.

 

[SparrowHAWX]

1 - V-Moda 
 
2 - V-Moda Crossfade LP - My first pair of headphones. They sound great and are built very well for the price. These headphones have some bass but not too overpowering which is good for listening to heavy metal and electronic music. 
   
   - AKG K7XX - After getting inspired to upgrade my V-Moda's I bought these beautiful cans. These are my first pair of reference quality headphones so not much to compare to. I've got to say these sound amazing compared to my V-Moda's. The sound quality is superb, slightly less bass that the V--Moda's but I quite like it.
 
3 - I listen to music quite a lot! Whenever I leave the house I put on my headphones and just listen to my music.. Whenever I'm at home doing my homework, playing some games, having breakfast or even in bed and going to sleep you'll most likely find me listening to music. I cannot imagine going a whole day without once listening to my music. It helps me do anything and everything!
 
As a student I unfortunately can't afford to buy all the headphones I want
But at least I'm saving up for something big, perhaps Mr. Speakers's Alpha Dogs

 

[zkanda]

I'm pretty much new to Audiophile community so bear with me.
 
1. Who was the manufacturer that introduced you to personal audio?
I first tried Beats Pro, that's where my quest to a better equipment started.
 
2. What are some of your current favorite products in the audio world? What makes them better than the other products you’ve tried?
AKG 7xxx, though I don't have it, the overwhelming reviews make it very desirable. It's a shame that MD can't ship it worldwide but I guess I have to find another one.
 
3. How does music drive or move you in your day-to-day life?
Music saves me everyday, whenever I want to concentrate to finish my to-do list. It makes me relax and feel really comfortable.
 
Edit: Corrected some typo.

 

[whitedragon551]

 

Giveaway

Ta-da. Here’s something different for the thread. I want to hear about your experiences so far in the Audio world.
 

1. Who was the manufacturer that introduced you to personal audio?
2. What are some of your current favorite products in the audio world? What makes them better than the other products you’ve tried?
3. How does music drive or move you in your day-to-day life?

 
Please post all response in the thread. I’ll be picking one at random by Friday, March 27^th, to win a pair of the aforementioned headphones (we ordered one too many for marketing purposes, oops), so get in on this while you can! Oh, did I mention we'll ship worldwide?  

 
1. Shure Audio. Started college off with my SRH750DJ's.
2. Favorite products are the Yulong Audio DA8 and my Aurisonics ASG2.0's. I love the sound sig of the ASG2's along with their portability. They are like a set of full size headphones in a case.
3. I listen to it all day via spotify. As a Network Engineer I do some tedious or very time consuming tasks often remotely. Music keeps me motivated and occupied while doing those tasks.

 

[episiarch]

1.  Sennheiser.  I bought a $200 pair of Senns back in the SEVENTIES, when $200 was a lot of money.  They were fantastic.  Later followed by some other gear, and then I got away from personal audio for a really long time until I bought some Etys in, I think, 2002.
 
2.  Favorite 'phones are still Ety ER-4S, followed by AKG K550, Ety hf3, AKG K845BT.  The amp I listen on most is the Schiit Vali, whose current DAC is an ODAC.  I own a bunch of other gear, some of it significantly more expensive, but what I just wrote covers nearly all of my listening time these days.
 
3.  At work, music helps me get in the zone, and the better the music sounds, the more effectively that happens.  It's like the distraction-seeking parts of my mind get satisfied with musical details and don't nag me to go check Facebook or whatever.  Higher SQ actually really helps.  Same when I'm reading or doing any kind of chore where I need to stay on task and need to keep the distraction-seeking parts of myself contented.

 

[william604]

1. Vsonic.
 
2.  My favorite audio products so far, still new to the world of audio so don’t really have other products to compare them to.
·         AKG Q701 (wide soundstage, analytical and very detailed, great for jazz)
·         Vsonic GR07 Colour Ed (detailed, a bit neutral, very clean and natural, over ear design and very comfortable)
·         Sony XBA-A3 (great soundstage for an iem, punchy tight bass, bright, very detailed, fun sounding, over ear design)
·         Schiit Magni/Modi Amp and Dac (great dac/amp combo for the price, sounds a lot better than my onboard sound card)
 
3. I pretty much listen to music whenever I can. Like on long commutes to school to ease boredom, to motivate me when exercising, and to relax at home after doing homework.

 

[thatBeatsguy]

• As my name suggests, I was drawn to the audiophile world through Beats. For some reason I never really knew what Beats was and what they do (like their marketing schemes) so no, I wasn't drawn into the brand because of the endorsements (although seriously, who likes Will.I.Am or Lil' Wayne anyway?). The Beats Pro and Mixr were the two headphones I was particularly drawn to, and at that time my local electronics store really only had those headphones there (the inventory grew some time later, though), so yeah, I fell in love with those cans.
• My favorite equipment currently are the Master & Dynamic ME03 and DUNU Titan 1. I don't have any fancy dedicated DAPs, DACs, or amps, so I really only focus on my IEM collection. 
• Music has always gotten me through the day, effectively dispelling all distractions and just keeping me focused on whatever task that's at hand, be it games, homework, or writing reviews. Outside of that music really helps set the mood for me, whether I'm heading to bed or out and about. With my IEM -> iPod setup there's nothing to fiddle around with; it's just me and my music.