[LS13]

Warning: I am new to the critical listening headphone hobby, old, so hearing isn't as good as it used to be, therefore everything is likely meaningless. I am trying to figure out what sound I like. However, I wanted to share my initial impressions and if you have any suggestions please follow up.
 
Equipment: Spotify 320kbps or Apple Lossless -> Sonos -> Original Bitfrost -> Valhalla 2 stock mid-70s Russian tubes -> M1060/Senn HD600/Beyer DT 990
 
Details: All headphones are new, listened to the Beyers for several days, the HD600 and M1060 received yesterday. M1060s are the first time I have ever heard planars. I had the philips shp9500 but returned them because I preferred the Beyers so much more. Brief comparison between each, by playing different genres of music, the same segment through each headphone. I don't have 3-setups so I had to connect each headphone and level correct to the best of my ability so not true A/B/C test. The HD600 and Beyers are 300ohm and 250 ohm respectively so they level matched close to the same. The m1060 being 50ohm and more efficient had to be dialed back from 12 to 10 o'clock position on the amp.
 
M1060: Being my first planar and reading other threads pertaining to various planar headphones, I was expecting a truly euphoric listening experience. I think I set my expectations to high because unfortunately based on a couple of hours I am not impressed. I am not saying this is not a very good headphone, but it likely is not good for me. In comparison to the HD600 and DT990 I found the bass to be lacking, the soundstage non-existent and collapsed, the midrange lifeless but the highs fairly smooth and detailed. Comparing to the other headphones, I was the most disappointed in the soundstage and separation of instruments. I was looking for one phrase that summed these up for me and found a quote from EdwardPL in the HD650 thread that says what I am feeling, which is "There's that planar compression that sucks the fun out of them for me."
 
HD600: Enjoying these to some degree, but I need more time with them to see if this is the sound and presentation I prefer. The mids are definitely more forward, which pushes me to the first row of the soundstage. Bass is very good, clean and fast, mids are prominent and highs are detailed without being uncomfortable. Wider soundstage and better separation of instruments than the M1060 but not as wide and separate as the DT990. I feel like these are very accurate but I still feel something is missing for me.
 
DT990 Pro: So far, I prefer the Beyers, and are the most fun to listen too. This is the least expensive of the three. They provide more warmth, separation and a wider soundstage. I find them warm, airy, reverberating, natural and clean.  Bass is very good, mids are definitely recessed, and the highs are clean. I haven't experienced much harshness from the peaky highs that so many have with this set. My guess is the recessed mids with prominent low and high end are what gives this set that depth, width and separation when paired with my dac/amp combo. I find acoustic music very enjoyable to listen to because the instruments have so much life as if you were there.
 
Conclusion: I need to listen for an extended period to each set, but I am thinking I prefer the Beyer sound and still searching for that euphoric bliss. This test has me wishing to try the Beyer T90, DT1990 and Amiron Home as well as the Senn HD650, all fairly significant bumps in price.

 

[York Tan]

  Warning: I am new to the critical listening headphone hobby, old, so hearing isn't as good as it used to be, therefore everything is likely meaningless. I am trying to figure out what sound I like. However, I wanted to share my initial impressions and if you have any suggestions please follow up.
 
Equipment: Spotify 320kbps or Apple Lossless -> Sonos -> Original Bitfrost -> Valhalla 2 stock mid-70s Russian tubes -> M1060/Senn HD600/Beyer DT 990
 
Details: All headphones are new, listened to the Beyers for several days, the HD600 and M1060 received yesterday. M1060s are the first time I have ever heard planars. I had the philips shp9500 but returned them because I preferred the Beyers so much more. Brief comparison between each, by playing different genres of music, the same segment through each headphone. I don't have 3-setups so I had to connect each headphone and level correct to the best of my ability so not true A/B/C test. The HD600 and Beyers are 300ohm and 250 ohm respectively so they level matched close to the same. The m1060 being 50ohm and more efficient had to be dialed back from 12 to 10 o'clock position on the amp.
 
M1060: Being my first planar and reading other threads pertaining to various planar headphones, I was expecting a truly euphoric listening experience. I think I set my expectations to high because unfortunately based on a couple of hours I am not impressed. I am not saying this is not a very good headphone, but it likely is not good for me. In comparison to the HD600 and DT990 I found the bass to be lacking, the soundstage non-existent and collapsed, the midrange lifeless but the highs fairly smooth and detailed. Comparing to the other headphones, I was the most disappointed in the soundstage and separation of instruments. I was looking for one phrase that summed these up for me and found a quote from EdwardPL in the HD650 thread that says what I am feeling, which is "There's that planar compression that sucks the fun out of them for me."
 
HD600: Enjoying these to some degree, but I need more time with them to see if this is the sound and presentation I prefer. The mids are definitely more forward, which pushes me to the first row of the soundstage. Bass is very good, clean and fast, mids are prominent and highs are detailed without being uncomfortable. Wider soundstage and better separation of instruments than the M1060 but not as wide and separate as the DT990. I feel like these are very accurate but I still feel something is missing for me.
 
DT990 Pro: So far, I prefer the Beyers, and are the most fun to listen too. This is the least expensive of the three. They provide more warmth, separation and a wider soundstage. I find them warm, airy, reverberating, natural and clean.  Bass is very good, mids are definitely recessed, and the highs are clean. I haven't experienced much harshness from the peaky highs that so many have with this set. My guess is the recessed mids with prominent low and high end are what gives this set that depth, width and separation when paired with my dac/amp combo. I find acoustic music very enjoyable to listen to because the instruments have so much life as if you were there.
 
Conclusion: I need to listen for an extended period to each set, but I am thinking I prefer the Beyer sound and still searching for that euphoric bliss. This test has me wishing to try the Beyer T90, DT1990 and Amiron Home as well as the Senn HD650, all fairly significant bumps in price.

ooh, regarding the M1060's and bass compared to the HD600, that can't be right. The bass on the M1060 is so much more than the HD600's. This must be because you're listening through the Valhalla 2 amp? I've never used a tube amp but have seen it said that tube amps and planars are not a good combo.

 

[LS13]

  ooh, regarding the M1060's and bass compared to the HD600, that can't be right. The bass on the M1060 is so much more than the HD600's. This must be because you're listening through the Valhalla 2 amp? I've never used a tube amp but have seen it said that tube amps and planars are not a good combo.

May very well be the case. So many people seemed so satisfied with the bass comparing it to much more expensive phones, and when I first heard it, I was going where can that be coming from.  I still have Vali 2, even though the preamp stage is still tube the output stage is SS, I will try the M1060 with that.

 

[ebann]

 
 As soon as the "new & improved" M2060 comes out

 
 
HAHAH. you know the names are derived from the driver size? M1061 would be more logical. guess your too busy whining and writing long winded emails to customer service reps that are just going to ignore the text and click the refund button wahtever makes you feel better though.

 

[Marlowe]

  Yea I'm only 23 haha. My content still has a ways to go though. Always trying to improve.

Sorry, I was just replying to another poster in a lighthearted way. Primarily, I wanted to say how much I enjoy your reviews. Your channel is the only YouTube subscription that I have. (Though I don't use use YouTube that much, I use it far more than any other social media--I technically have Twitter and Facebook accounts, but I never use either except for the odd comment on one politics blog I follow that only accepts comments via FB.)
 
And I was wrong about your age--I'm closer to three times your age (though not quite). 

 

 

[manny49]

   
 
HAHAH. you know the names are derived from the driver size? M1061 would be more logical. guess your too busy whining and writing long winded emails to customer service reps that are just going to ignore the text and click the refund button wahtever makes you feel better though.

I really don't understand why some people think a company like Monoprice that specialises in high volume sales, at low prices function the same way as boutique brands that charges a small fortune for their products.

 

[thendawg]

Just curious if anyone has compared these to the HE-500. Ive seen a couple good deals on HE-500's and always wanted to try a set, and these are on backorder for another month or two

 

[Povell42]

  Yea the little rubbery plastic parts on the headband are the one thing about this headphone that feels like a super cheap cut corner. Just adjusting it feels like it's shaving the nub that would go into the holes of the metal headband. I do expect they will revise this with a sturdier solution in the future and I'm going to take advantage of the warranty for that.

In the pictures you can see me holding the little metal piece that is inside.  It is actually metal on metal which is why is scratches when you adjust it.  My left side already has trouble stopping at the metal holes.
BUT....They sound so GOOD!  IT is crazy...I can be a perfectionist about this kinda stuff and I find myself letting these quality issues slide because of how great they sound.

 

[cskippy]

 
May very well be the case. So many people seemed so satisfied with the bass comparing it to much more expensive phones, and when I first heard it, I was going where can that be coming from.  I still have Vali 2, even though the preamp stage is still tube the output stage is SS, I will try the M1060 with that.

Do try them with the Vali 2.  Valhalla 2 will be castrating the bass on them.  

  Just curious if anyone has compared these to the HE-500. Ive seen a couple good deals on HE-500's and always wanted to try a set, and these are on backorder for another month or two

From memory, HE-500 has more forward mids and more treble.  It also seems like it hits harder but the M1060 has more weight and sub bass by comparison.  They both image well, M1060 has a deeper sound stage, especially with the Audeze Vegan pads.  

 

[Ggroch]

  BUT....They sound so GOOD!  IT is crazy...I can be a perfectionist about this kinda stuff and I find myself letting these quality issues slide because of how great they sound.

 
So in the 1st week your cable breaks and the headband falls apart.   Complaining about that is not being a perfectionist, its being sane.   Monoprice should replace both the cable and the phones for you no charge.
 
Have you contacted Monoprice yet?   Most manufacturers hold some inventory back to replace Dead On Arrival products like yours.  I could be mistaken, but since they are obviously monitoring this thread I believe that Monoprice will do whatever they can to solve your problems.
 
 
Going forward, should we be confident that the phones and cable will last without issues for 5 years? Probably not.  But since the M1060s sound (and look) so great I would not be surprised to see Monoprice making some small changes to improve durability and perhaps swapping them out if the reliability problems persist. 

 

[Povell42]

Originally Posted by cskippy 
 
"M1060 has a deeper sound stage, especially with the Audeze Vegan pads.  

AH....The way you talk about the Vegan Pads makes me want them so bad! 

   However,  there is not way I.m doing it until MonoPrice says it won't void the warranty...I am having too many issues with them the first 24 hrs.  I can not forgo my "possible" warranty until I feel more confident that nothing else will fall apart on me. 

 

 

[Povell42]

   
So in the 1st week your cable breaks and the headband falls apart.   Complaining about that is not being a perfectionist, its being sane.   Monoprice should replace both the cable and the phones for you no charge.
 
Have you contacted Monoprice yet?   Most manufacturers hold some inventory back to replace Dead On Arrival products like yours.  I could be mistaken, but since they are obviously monitoring this thread I believe that Monoprice will do whatever they can to solve your problems.
 
 
Going forward, should we be confident that the phones and cable will last without issues for 5 years? Probably not.  But since the M1060s sound (and look) so great I would not be surprised to see Monoprice making some small changes to improve durability and perhaps swapping them out if the reliability problems persist. 

I meant...usually if I had this type of experience with any other purchase....they would already be Returned.  
 
Yes I did contact MonoPrice and asked my options.  They are in the process of sending me a replacement cable in hopes it will fix the connection issue.  They told me "We can RMA and get a replacment underway....but it will not be available until Mid April." I don't want to return them and wait....I have heard them and don't want to go back to my other headphones!   

 

[breachsun87]

not buying these until they remove the plastic(when in stock ofcourse) *spits on monoprice

 

[heavyharmonies]

Guess you won't be buying any then...

 

[cskippy]

  AH....The way you talk about the Vegan Pads makes me want them so bad! 

   However,  there is not way I.m doing it until MonoPrice says it won't void the warranty...I am having too many issues with them the first 24 hrs.  I can not forgo my "possible" warranty until I feel more confident that nothing else will fall apart on me. 

 

Yeah I knew those adjustment tabs were going to be a weak point.  You have to kind of coax them, can't be too aggressive.  If pads void a warranty then I'll be shocked.  Imagine you accidentally tore a pad, what now?  You're SoL?  I don't think so, get new pads, and replace them.