I am looking at the Master & Dynamic MH-30 as a throw-in-the-bag(-gently) headphones. I can get a good deal on a pair of them second hand, though they come with only the cable, nothing else. A bit of context about what I like first.
I work in music production. While that means I prefer my cans to be rather neutral, they don't necessarily need to be completely flatlined either. I have an LCD-2 closed back as my main pair. I love them and in my studio, they're just perfect. Before I got them, I compared them to the Aeon Noire, which I hated because of the V-shaped sound.
While on the road, I currently use a pair of Meze Advar IEMs. On my mac, I can EQ the 8KHz peak, but on mobile synth hardware that's usually not possible. I also treat them like the little gems they are and I find them fiddly to get in/out of my ears. Not so handy for a quick listen, in other words. Headphones are much handier to take off when somebody talks to you.
What I want in HP for on the go. Neutral, but tending towards warm. Not analytic, more easy listening. Wide soundstage, please. Wired, for latency (I tried wireless on synths before, it's way too slow). Must fold or collapse to a manageable size (unlike my LCD-2's flight case
). Price tops €3-400.
Why I'm looking at the MH-30? The reviews are positive, both for sturdiness as well as sound. I really like the design. I admire Grado's design but the sound is probably not for me and I don't want to gamble on it. The MH-30 is significantly smaller and travels better than the MH-40. The MH-40 is available new as a wireless+wired option, but much more expensive than the second hand MH-30 I have my eye on. I also looked at the Austrian Audios but reviews seem to indicate they're more treble focused than warm.
What do you think? Would it be a good match for what I expect (warm-neutral, travels well) or are there better options?
EDIT:
I noticed the MH-30 is also discussed in the full sized forum. Ah well, it's here now.
As for an update: I purchased the good deal MH-30. It was €70 for just the cans + cable, no other accessories. There's some scratches that look like they're from folding them without protection but the seller says they work fine. Couldn't resist it for that price. I'll do a comparison when they arrive!
I work in music production. While that means I prefer my cans to be rather neutral, they don't necessarily need to be completely flatlined either. I have an LCD-2 closed back as my main pair. I love them and in my studio, they're just perfect. Before I got them, I compared them to the Aeon Noire, which I hated because of the V-shaped sound.
While on the road, I currently use a pair of Meze Advar IEMs. On my mac, I can EQ the 8KHz peak, but on mobile synth hardware that's usually not possible. I also treat them like the little gems they are and I find them fiddly to get in/out of my ears. Not so handy for a quick listen, in other words. Headphones are much handier to take off when somebody talks to you.
What I want in HP for on the go. Neutral, but tending towards warm. Not analytic, more easy listening. Wide soundstage, please. Wired, for latency (I tried wireless on synths before, it's way too slow). Must fold or collapse to a manageable size (unlike my LCD-2's flight case
). Price tops €3-400.Why I'm looking at the MH-30? The reviews are positive, both for sturdiness as well as sound. I really like the design. I admire Grado's design but the sound is probably not for me and I don't want to gamble on it. The MH-30 is significantly smaller and travels better than the MH-40. The MH-40 is available new as a wireless+wired option, but much more expensive than the second hand MH-30 I have my eye on. I also looked at the Austrian Audios but reviews seem to indicate they're more treble focused than warm.
What do you think? Would it be a good match for what I expect (warm-neutral, travels well) or are there better options?
EDIT:
I noticed the MH-30 is also discussed in the full sized forum. Ah well, it's here now.
As for an update: I purchased the good deal MH-30. It was €70 for just the cans + cable, no other accessories. There's some scratches that look like they're from folding them without protection but the seller says they work fine. Couldn't resist it for that price. I'll do a comparison when they arrive!
Last edited:
