Am I just too used to a really heavy V-shape from a DT990 I use daily? I find the MD+'s to have very rolled off treble and it's degrading from the experience.
Massdrop PLUS Universal IEM
casper3127
500+ Head-Fier
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Perhaps erak606, you should give a try to the Dunus DK3001s. They make an awesome complementary pair with the Massdrops.
tienbasse
Headphoneus Supremus
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Not sure I would agree,but since I have not tested the DT990.
The MD+ is pretty flat and I do agree that the treble can sound rolled off if you like signatures with a higher treble (take my ER4SR for example).
That’s what makes the MD+ “inoffensive” in the sense that it’s easy to listen to but not particularly energetic.
It keeps coming off! Argh!
Are the connectors loose for you folks?
I'm not using the stock cables.
Are the connectors loose for you folks?
I'm not using the stock cables.
C_Lindbergh
Headphoneus Supremus
I use mine with Earstudios ES 100 (with Rock EQ) and Spinfits CP155, makes them sound great for metal/rock.
Very secure fit with my Ares II cable.
I got the same results with my Jotunheim and computer. However, when connecting the iem's to my iphone 7 or ipod nano and
comparing the output with studio monitors I couldn't detect a difference.
Massdrop Plus + Ares II cable + Cayin N5ii sounds amazing for those who have this combo.
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Inoculator
100+ Head-Fier
Got mine, have only been listening for about an hour but...I am blown away. Some quick first impressions.
I have not tried any of the default tips but had some M spiral dots around that I slapped on these and this creates the perfect fit for me and I am really digging the sound so far (will be tip rolling later, interested to see how they sound with foam). I had to use ML spiral dots with the PXs due to the small nozzle, for others that are trying to figure out what size works best. Comfort wise these are perfect for me. Had no trouble inserting them and they instantly just disappeared for me.
Build quality seems great so far. My connectors are not tight by any means, but in no way would I classify them as loose. Of course, I have not accidentally tugged on them yet. So far my default cable seems fine. I normally am not a fan of memory cable, but the angle of fit with these seems good to me. I am not suffering from the microphonics others have complained about. Wish it was just slightly longer, and it does feel pretty flimsy. Seems inconsequential, but I have to point out that the little hardshell case these come with is the perfect size. I don't know if I entirely trust the gasket to be waterproof, will have to do some testing before taking these on any trips in the elements.
Driving them off of the Schiit Jotunheim I am really digging the soundstage and bass, both immediately jump out at me compared to other iems I have tried. I also tried them with a few tracks straight out of the audio jack of my Samsung Note 8 to compare and see if the bass is as sensitive to output impedance as people say...they absolutely are. I did not experience any hiss, and they are not unlistenable by any means, but the bass becomes a mess (disclaimer that some of these differences could be related to the DAC being mediocre in the Note 8, especially when A-Bing against the Mimby-Jot combo). Straight out of the Note 8 the bass becomes boomy, muddy and feels like it is not correct in the mix of the track. It almost feels like it is lower res than the rest of the mix and not layered correctly, super strange. I will be excited to hear about peoples results with the ifi IEMatch as I would like to at least have the option to listen straight out of my phone on occasion without having to haul around my Q1 MkII everywhere.
Sound wise I am a bit too novice to offer a lot of insight. Addressing peoples complaints that the treble is rolled off, I would say they do feel very similar to the HD 6XXs but with more accurate/present bass. If you don't dig that sound signature these may not be for you.
That is all for now! Time to spin some records and really see what I think of these.
I have not tried any of the default tips but had some M spiral dots around that I slapped on these and this creates the perfect fit for me and I am really digging the sound so far (will be tip rolling later, interested to see how they sound with foam). I had to use ML spiral dots with the PXs due to the small nozzle, for others that are trying to figure out what size works best. Comfort wise these are perfect for me. Had no trouble inserting them and they instantly just disappeared for me.
Build quality seems great so far. My connectors are not tight by any means, but in no way would I classify them as loose. Of course, I have not accidentally tugged on them yet. So far my default cable seems fine. I normally am not a fan of memory cable, but the angle of fit with these seems good to me. I am not suffering from the microphonics others have complained about. Wish it was just slightly longer, and it does feel pretty flimsy. Seems inconsequential, but I have to point out that the little hardshell case these come with is the perfect size. I don't know if I entirely trust the gasket to be waterproof, will have to do some testing before taking these on any trips in the elements.
Driving them off of the Schiit Jotunheim I am really digging the soundstage and bass, both immediately jump out at me compared to other iems I have tried. I also tried them with a few tracks straight out of the audio jack of my Samsung Note 8 to compare and see if the bass is as sensitive to output impedance as people say...they absolutely are. I did not experience any hiss, and they are not unlistenable by any means, but the bass becomes a mess (disclaimer that some of these differences could be related to the DAC being mediocre in the Note 8, especially when A-Bing against the Mimby-Jot combo). Straight out of the Note 8 the bass becomes boomy, muddy and feels like it is not correct in the mix of the track. It almost feels like it is lower res than the rest of the mix and not layered correctly, super strange. I will be excited to hear about peoples results with the ifi IEMatch as I would like to at least have the option to listen straight out of my phone on occasion without having to haul around my Q1 MkII everywhere.
Sound wise I am a bit too novice to offer a lot of insight. Addressing peoples complaints that the treble is rolled off, I would say they do feel very similar to the HD 6XXs but with more accurate/present bass. If you don't dig that sound signature these may not be for you.
That is all for now! Time to spin some records and really see what I think of these.
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jambaj0e
500+ Head-Fier
So I just got mine and I'm not sure I'm liking it that much over the stock cable during my initial listening. I'd have listen to it more and more. The bass didn't really improve, but the treble is a bit more relaxed and the mid sounds a bit more lazy and more muddled. Also, vocals seems to be more forward and and the soundstage seems a bit more narrow, too. If anything, listening with it seems more "tiring".
I'd have to see how I feel tomorrow if my reaction is different listening on my LG V30 with Hi-Fi High Impedance mode enabled.
The build quality is definitely an improvement over the stock and the 2-pins are much more secure. No microphonics, and despite the cable not being memory cable, it is soft and relatively easy to fold over your ear. In fact, it seems to be less noticeable than the originals.
I hope the sound will improve after further listening.
Also, mine came in a plain brown box instead of the blue box or the retail box, and I bought it straight from the manufacturer's website. Did you guys also get the brown box?
https://penonaudio.com/accessories/...copper-mixed-silver-plated-upgrade-cable.htmlhttps://penonaudio.com/accessories/...copper-mixed-silver-plated-upgrade-cable.html
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jambaj0e
500+ Head-Fier
Furthermore, instead of getting the package from Penon Audio, I got the cable from To Wai Ming.
I also included a photo of the retail box from Penon's website that I didn't get:
I also included a photo of the retail box from Penon's website that I didn't get:
andrewwardell
100+ Head-Fier
Riiiight *cracks knuckles* let’s talk unboxing.
Once you get past the oversized packaging Massdrop encased these in you find the actual IEM box is very small, and very minimalist. I have no complaints whatsoever about this, as it’s the most BS-free packaging I’ve ever seen on an audio product. Sure the pomp and ceremony of unboxing something like the Unique Melody ME.1 is something to behold, but the minimalist packaging really adds to the vibe of these IEMs doing what they say on the tin.
Opening this box reveals a pseudo-pelican case with the word ‘Massdrop’ (as opposed to even the logo) printed on the top. Again, not a lot of pomp here, but the case is decently proportioned and decently put-together, I echo the sentiments about it not being water resistant though.
Opening the case doesn’t reveal the IEMs right away, instead you are greeted by all the extra tips, the de-waxing tool and the cable. I got everything that was shown in Massdrop’s publicity shots.
I may be in the minority, but I’m quite enamoured with the texture of the foam tips, they feel the grippiest of any foamies I’ve used to date in terms of adherence to my auditory canals. Traditionally I have had no success with silicone tips, but due to the massive nozzle size of the Plus I may be able to overcome the issues they have previously presented me.
And finally, the IEMs themselves, they come attached to the cable but a) I don’t trust that cable as far as I could throw it and b) I wanted to keep the accessories crisp for the unboxing so I hooked up the cable that came with the VE Biggie, went straight to using the IEMatch on the front end, put on the smallest foamies and got busy!
I have listened through a mix of music throughout my workday and the impression has been that the Plus have come the closest to sounding like my Yamaha HP-1 in a significantly more portable form factor, and that’s really encouraging! I’m listening to Underworld’s ‘Ring Road’ OUT OF MY iPad as I type this post and with the IEMatch set to ‘Ultra’ sensitivity (-24dB attenuation, <1Ohm output impedance) I can totally see where @CEE TEE and team were going wth a mostly flat FR with an elevated low end. There’s low end there, and it’s low, but it doesn’t seem to get in the way of everything else. The soundstage is larger than my head in on both the X and Y axes. Playing Fever Ray’s ‘When I Grow Up’ the boomerang sound at the end of verse 1 pushes the Z-axis waaay out behind my head too.
I will report back on sound quality after a longer period of listening (I suspect I’m going to get some good opportunities to do so this weekend) especially as I’m still waiting on my third-party SPC cable which I thought would also be here this week. I will A/B copper and SPC cables, and try with and without the IEMatch, but I am very very optimistic about this rig.
Time to go listen more now.
EDIT: cable manufacturer just emailed and said they’ve posted my order now...14 business days until it arrives. Very glad past Andrew bought those Monk IEs now.
Once you get past the oversized packaging Massdrop encased these in you find the actual IEM box is very small, and very minimalist. I have no complaints whatsoever about this, as it’s the most BS-free packaging I’ve ever seen on an audio product. Sure the pomp and ceremony of unboxing something like the Unique Melody ME.1 is something to behold, but the minimalist packaging really adds to the vibe of these IEMs doing what they say on the tin.
Opening this box reveals a pseudo-pelican case with the word ‘Massdrop’ (as opposed to even the logo) printed on the top. Again, not a lot of pomp here, but the case is decently proportioned and decently put-together, I echo the sentiments about it not being water resistant though.
Opening the case doesn’t reveal the IEMs right away, instead you are greeted by all the extra tips, the de-waxing tool and the cable. I got everything that was shown in Massdrop’s publicity shots.
I may be in the minority, but I’m quite enamoured with the texture of the foam tips, they feel the grippiest of any foamies I’ve used to date in terms of adherence to my auditory canals. Traditionally I have had no success with silicone tips, but due to the massive nozzle size of the Plus I may be able to overcome the issues they have previously presented me.
And finally, the IEMs themselves, they come attached to the cable but a) I don’t trust that cable as far as I could throw it and b) I wanted to keep the accessories crisp for the unboxing so I hooked up the cable that came with the VE Biggie, went straight to using the IEMatch on the front end, put on the smallest foamies and got busy!
I have listened through a mix of music throughout my workday and the impression has been that the Plus have come the closest to sounding like my Yamaha HP-1 in a significantly more portable form factor, and that’s really encouraging! I’m listening to Underworld’s ‘Ring Road’ OUT OF MY iPad as I type this post and with the IEMatch set to ‘Ultra’ sensitivity (-24dB attenuation, <1Ohm output impedance) I can totally see where @CEE TEE and team were going wth a mostly flat FR with an elevated low end. There’s low end there, and it’s low, but it doesn’t seem to get in the way of everything else. The soundstage is larger than my head in on both the X and Y axes. Playing Fever Ray’s ‘When I Grow Up’ the boomerang sound at the end of verse 1 pushes the Z-axis waaay out behind my head too.
I will report back on sound quality after a longer period of listening (I suspect I’m going to get some good opportunities to do so this weekend) especially as I’m still waiting on my third-party SPC cable which I thought would also be here this week. I will A/B copper and SPC cables, and try with and without the IEMatch, but I am very very optimistic about this rig.
Time to go listen more now.
EDIT: cable manufacturer just emailed and said they’ve posted my order now...14 business days until it arrives. Very glad past Andrew bought those Monk IEs now.
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snip3r77
Headphoneus Supremus
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- May 13, 2010
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Furthermore, instead of getting the package from Penon Audio, I got the cable from To Wai Ming.
I also included a photo of the retail box from Penon's website that I didn't get:
Victim of dropshipping
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