Massdrop Collaborations ....What IF?

[fjrabon]

Fostex amp since you already have a strong relationship. Feel like Schiit would be tough for the same reason Grado is tough. HiFiMan DAC/Amo

 

[pbui44]

Fostex amp since you already have a strong relationship. Feel like Schiit would be tough for the same reason Grado is tough. HiFiMan DAC/Amo

I picked those manufacturers to match the quality that Grace Digital provides, but it does not mean that they can cater to Massdrop's future plans. It seems that Cavalli Audio would be the most perfect example out of what I picked. I read that Sonus Faber is part of the Fine Sounds Group, who also acquired McIntosh Labs. With NAD Electronics HQ'd in Canada, it seems that Schiit Audio is the best manufacturer to match what Grace Digital accomplished.

 

[lakedmb]

A Massdrop/HiFiMan collaboration could be stellar!

 

[aak57]

Honestly, I don't really care what the collaborations are as long as they keep doing them.  I'm enough of a cheapskate that I'll likely never actually pay the big bucks for headphones, but I can be coaxed into spending like $300-400 as I did with the TH-X00s.  I'd be up for experiencing slightly lesser versions of the headphones I see people gush about but can't bring myself to pony up the cash for.

 

[grizzlybeast]

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Quote:

  Hey Guys, 
 
This is pretty flattering, I'm always impressed when people care enough to approach me with suggestions, let alone make a thread to aggregate suggestions and discuss possibilities. 
 
Getting to the business, your suggestions are all pretty good. Quick thoughts on some of them: 
 
K8XX
 
This was an obvious next step after the K7XX and I went after it immediately. Obvious problems, easy(ish) solutions, all hashed out in reviews and threads. Sadly, didn't work out because flagships are perfect products... three months wasted there. Might revisit this at some point. 
 
PM-X
 
Haven't reached out to OPPO, what would you guys want to see here? I've heard all the PM headphones, impressive stuff (PM-2 and PM-3 especially) with the Audio Zenith PM-2 was a clear step up IMO. 
 
Audeze LCD-M
 
Could be cool, but volume would be a challenge and as a newer company, all their R&D resources are planned out on existing projects. When we're working with a company like AKG or Senn (both have been around for over 60 years) we have the luxury of working with a ton of R&D resources and existing toolings. Both things a company accumulates over time and Audeze, despite moving incredibly fast and developing super cool stuff, doesn't have 50 years worth of R&D hires and tooling to pull from. 
 
I think there are some cool things to be done between Audeze and Massdrop, but it's probably not the right time. 
 
MDR-X7
 
Reached out to Sony some time ago, conversation didn't lead to anything meaningful. Again, lots of reasons why this might happen, hopefully we'll get a chance to start the conversation again. 
 
When I did reach out, the Z7 was a side-note. I was gunning for the MDR-3000 and R10. Anyway, probably keeping this on ice given Sony's response, but let's keep the conversation moving. 
 
Ultrasone
 
"I cannot forecast to you the action of Ultrasone. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma" - Winston Churchill 
 
Humor aside, I've never talked with anyone in Ultrasone management, I have no understanding of their strategy and I have no experience with their products. I've read all the famous reviews, but I'm not sure there's much we can do together. Pls explain why that's an incorrect, closed minded perspective. 
 
Grado
 
No great economies of scale here (downsides to producing everything brooklyn), but I'm curious to hear what you guys think we could do with Grado. I've never been a big fan of their products but my preferences don't matter in the scope of creating a successful collaboration.  
 
 
This covers most of the important players in headphones, what about something on the Amp, DAC, or Speaker side? 

Thank you for the response!
 
Grado is very much in need of deeper bass extension and more of a balanced sound signature. 

 

[WillBright]

  Thank you for the response!
 
Grado is very much in need of deeper bass extension and more of a balanced sound signature. 

 
 
NP, I'd tend to agree on the sound signature, probably hard to achieve with  the driver structure though. 
 
Saw someone in the thread mention their bushmills headphone (designed by Elijah Wood if I recall), I've never heard it or seen a measurement. Was it impressive? 

 

[grizzlybeast]

   
 
NP, I'd tend to agree on the sound signature, probably hard to achieve with  the driver structure though. 
 
Saw someone in the thread mention their bushmills headphone (designed by Elijah Wood if I recall), I've never heard it or seen a measurement. Was it impressive? 

To be honest bro... I have never heard a grado because of measurements. That may sound wrong of me but I just can't do it. 
 
Yet despite measurements I tried a modified HD700 and when I took some of the modding materials out... OUCH!!! what the heck. It has plenty of redeemable qualities. 

 

[M3NTAL]

It's been a while since we saw a Head-Fi specific Grado (HF-2). Maybe a MD-1 from Grado?. A revisiting of the HP1000's would be perfect.

 

[Gonuso]

Since I don't think I'll be able to justify the cost of the current options (in electrostatics), I would love to see a collaboration with Stax or Koss to produce an entry-level electrostatic+energizer combo that comes in under $5-600, sort of like they did with the m9xx for dac/amps.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Since I don't think I'll be able to justify the cost of the current options (in electrostatics), I would love to see a collaboration with Stax or Koss to produce an entry-level electrostatic+energizer combo that comes in under $5-600, sort of like they did with the m9xx for dac/amps.

 
I owned two used STAX systems that were quite affordable.
 
SR-207 + SRM-212: ~$330
SR-30 + SRD-4 + Lepai LP-2020A+: ~$100
 
You can also import the STAX SRS-2170 (SR-207 + SRM-252S) system from Japan brand new from this link (or others) for around $460.

 

[fleasbaby]

  *SNIP*
 
Grado
 
No great economies of scale here (downsides to producing everything brooklyn), but I'm curious to hear what you guys think we could do with Grado. I've never been a big fan of their products but my preferences don't matter in the scope of creating a successful collaboration.  
 
 
This covers most of the important players in headphones, what about something on the Amp, DAC, or Speaker side? 

 
RE: Grado, you may be right on the economies of scale part...but then again, who knows. They seem to hold their own...
 
Truth be told, old Joseph Grado's most unsung contribution to that company is the industrial design work behind their headphones. They are incredibly modular (as a Grado-modder, I can attest to this). Making a unique tuning for MassDrop might be easier than you think. 
 
With regards to sound, have you heard any of their vintage stuff? The older, pink-driver stuff is not as aggressive as the newer iterations. I personally gravitate more towards those than any of the others.
 
A MassDrop collab that would resurrect that sound, however briefly, would be something that would garner a lot of interest.

 

[chenjy9]

How about between Stax and Massdrop. I am sure all of us would like to see a pair of electrostatic headphones that is actually affordable.

 

[SuburbanMe]

  never heard the hd600 but they say its similar to the hd600 now but I kinda like the 650 midbass. I can understand though for sure. alot of people dont like too much midbass and prefer sub bass. 
 
I would like:
 
MASSDROP X SENNHEISER HD65X in BLACK with better bass extension. I just say 650 because it scales higher than the hd600. 
 
 

 
I would buy this in a heart beat. The 650's are easily my favorite Sennheiser and just adding that little bit more "oomph" to the low range on these would put them on par with most of the planar headphones out there in my opion.

 

[Gonuso]

   
I owned two used STAX systems that were quite affordable.
 
SR-207 + SRM-212: ~$330
SR-30 + SRD-4 + Lepai LP-2020A+: ~$100
 
You can also import the STAX SRS-2170 (SR-207 + SRM-252S) system from Japan brand new from this link (or others) for around $460.

 
I had already been planning to be on the lookout for a 2170 when I take the family to Japan to visit relatives next summer and I have access to a couple of large Hard-Off stores with big selections of used electronics...

It would still be nice to see a Massdrop collaboration that resulted in an electrostatic that has the same power/quality to price ratio that the m9xx and the TH-X00 seem to enjoy.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  It would still be nice to see a Massdrop collaboration that resulted in an electrostatic that has the same power/quality to price ratio that the m9xx and the TH-X00 seem to enjoy.

 
As far as I'm concerned, nothing has price-performance ratio as good as entry-level STAX. (Which I like more than any high-end non-electrostat.)