[kameenadesi]

does the M1060 really sound as good as LCD3 or is it on par with something like an HE-400?

 

[MrTie84]

The question is which LCD-3 as no two of them even sound the same? lol no but really, with some mods this can is quite good easily on par with most of the $400-1000 cans I've heard, assuming you like it's tonal balance. Stock I don't like it. The drivers are capable of better than Monoprice pulled off IMHO.

 

[mrkingdomhearts]

So would you say these are endgame material for some?

 

[TWerk]

So would you say these are endgame material for some?

Surely they can. End game need not cost $1000+. Many headphones can be endgame.
 
I own HE-500, HD6xx, T1, Modded M1060, all can be classified endgame headphones depending on personal taste. And many others obviously too. Ultrasone's pro 900 was my favorite can for the longest time, and I still love them, they could have been my endgame if I stopped there with them.
 
Who has the right to tell you a particular can is not endgame? It's a silly question... endgame can is defined personally by you.

 

[Bloos]

For casuals

jk, upgraditis never stops if you don't explicitly make the decision to stop and commit to it.

 

[MrTie84]

Most definitely endgame for the $299 monoprice headphone buyer.

 

[bluesaint]

There isn't a single headphone that is endgame.  ie. between Utopia, LCD4, and HE1000 V2, they are considered ToTL (HE1 and SGL excluded) with personal preferences attached to each.  ie. Utopia is supremely transparent, LCD4 offers the slam and impact, and HE1K V2 is kinda in between the two.  
 
I still reach for my M1060 even with HE1000 V2 in my collection for different needs.

 

[Bloos]

So would you say these are endgame material for some?

Yes, for those with self control

 

[cskippy]

i'm getting there...slowly.  At least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[mrkingdomhearts]

Meanwhile the only full size headphones I had not counting headsets is the HD558. (have more experience with IEMs)
The m1060 must be a hell of a upgrade.

 

[givemetacos]

 
Surely they can. End game need not cost $1000+. Many headphones can be endgame.
 
I own HE-500, HD6xx, T1, Modded M1060, all can be classified endgame headphones depending on personal taste. And many others obviously too. Ultrasone's pro 900 was my favorite can for the longest time, and I still love them, they could have been my endgame if I stopped there with them.
 
Who has the right to tell you a particular can is not endgame? It's a silly question... endgame can is defined personally by you.

 
I haven't really been seeing a lot of direct comparisons of the M1060 and the HD650, except for the recent frequency response graphs. And it seems like they both have a similar warm/neutral with forward mids sound signature? I have the HD650 and have been interested in the M1060 (never tried planar yet) assuming they fix the issues in the future batches. Would the M1060 be a direct upgrade and better in every way? Is there ever a reason you would reach for your HD6xx over the M1060?

 

[cskippy]

HD650 is more mid centric in comparison.  Stock M1060 is messed up and need not apply.  
 
Stage width is very wide but kind of behind you sometimes.  This is an effect observed on all planars for me.  
 
Modded M1060 has better sub bass, less forward mids, and a smooth treble.  Paper towel mod adds some more clarity and bass but is optional to taste.
 
Modded M1060 are kind of like a movie theater where HD650 is more like an audiophile speaker system in a slightly damped room.  Not that different but the M1060 seem more epic for lack of a better term.  
 
My HD650 is modded, as I couldn't stand the mid bass bump of the stock HD650, it made bass sound to wooly.  The mod lowers the mid bass about 3dB.

 

[bluemonkeyflyer]

Interesting DIY measurements, guys. Really happy to see more people benefiting and sharing ideas.
~ BMF

Far as what I have lying around as a known quality I just measured pleather HE-500 and we can compare versus Marv/Purrin's at like scale, granted I limited to 1/12 octave smoothing vs his 1/9th.

@cskippy


Tried a transparency about as close I could get, to give better sense of differences.




must be some difference between ARTA and REW my 1/12th looks far smoother than his 1/9th. All my dips are more exaggerated.

one more overlay for fun @cskippy





[COLOR=B22222]Red=HD650[/COLOR]
[COLOR=FFD700]Yellow=Cskippy's measurment of Cskippy mod[/COLOR]
[COLOR=00FF00]Green=My measurment of Cskippy's mod[/COLOR]
[COLOR=0000FF]Blue=My measurement of my mod.[/COLOR]

Despite weirdness above 10k and completely different couplers, mics, and drivers. your measurement of your mod, and my measurement of your mod are fairly close, below 10khz.

I don't personally like the scale you use, as it makes fairly large +/- db swings look minor to me. Either way I think we can safely say accounting for driver variance and position we fairly compare measurements between our system under 10khz.

The reason I keep the scale I do is so I can see how the frequency response works as a whole.  When you zoom in so much that all the little peaks and valleys show, you fixate on those instead of the overall coherency.  Believe me, I've been there.  Your ears don't work that way.  I am a recording/mixing engineer and I critique my professional friends mastering.  

I'm not without bias or personal preference.  My ideal frequency response is akin to the B&K Curve, or a gentle roll off after 200Hz.  I can match my headphones to this curve and compare them VERY favorably to my speakers also matched (using mic in free air on stand, not coupler).  

Look at this graph and tell me you hear the headphones how they look:




It presents great detail for analysis but is nowhere close to how I perceive them.

Now here is my usual range:




This to me already has quite obvious bumps and dips that are unacceptable for a perfect frequency response, but are damn closer than stock.

Just sharing my thought process...

 

[Beau Cauchemar]

Like many of you, I'm still having a hard time deciding if I should take the plunge on the M1060 in favor of other cans. Right now, my consideration list includes:
 
- Q701 (my current cans with bass port mod)
- K712
- HE-400i
- M1060
 
While I'm quite happy with the Q701m, I'm tempted by the reports that say, while the modded Q701 is close to the K712, the 712s are slightly better balanced in the mids/low-mids, tamed highs, and a further improved/focused soundstage without losing any of the detail and excitement I have with the Q701m. These improvements sound tasty given that it sounds like an even further refined version of what I already love.
 
Of course with many heralding the 400i as some of the best mid-fi cans, I decided to borrow some to compare to my Q701m. So far I'm finding them to have more similarities than differences, however, I'm surprised to discover that the AKGs have more low end impact (with the bass mod) than the 400i (given the planar bass reputation.) The 400i does seem to produce a more consistently cohesive presentation (balanced and accurate imaging, etc.) and a soundstage that doesn't get too cluttered or congested. I also like the fact that the Hifimans seem to be a bit less intense on the highs while still keeping most of the upper end details and very minimal veil. I tend to avoid any headphones that have a dark nature, having sold my pair of HD6XX for this very reason. This leads me to my main question:
 
I know impressions tend to be wildly subjective at times, but due to conflicting reports, should the M1060 be considered darker than 400i?
 
I'm really just looking for a balance between the slightly wider soundstage and excellent impact/excitement/detail of the Q701m and the more balanced/organized/less-congested imaging with tamed sibilance of the 400i. I'm quite certain that with my current gear synergy, that I wouldn't want anything darker/warmer than the 400i having a strong preference for a balance of full and detailed. At this point I'm not sure if the K712 or the M1060 would be a better pick. Unless the majority feel as though the M1060 would be even less in my desired direction than the 400i...
 
In the end I might just have to buy both the M1060 and K712 and return one or both, but I figured get some input first as I'd like to avoid any unnecessary hassles.

 

[drwlf]

@Beau Cauchemar http://www.head-fi.org/t/820107/monoprice-monolith-m1060-and-m560-planar-headphones/1530#post_13314836