[elessartelconta]

  My thoughts? None of the things you've mentioned will make any audible difference in SQ.

 
Haha. My bad then. Still learning!
 
As an aside, is there any way of telling if two amps will sound different just from the numbers?

 

[Mr Rick]

   
Haha. My bad then. Still learning!
 
As an aside, is there any way of telling if two amps will sound different just from the numbers?

 
If the numbers are poor enough, yes. If the numbers are good enough, no.

 

[iamxLn]

Nothing against schiit products, but if you can return the magni still and keep the modi that may be the way to go. Really, the sound stage is just an INCREDIBLE step forward with even the low end hybrid tube amps. Just trying to help you out, I wish that's what I did. I'm hoping the magni will serve me well for the dt990 as its probably my next set, but I haven't read much on those two.

 

[jamri]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/683118/mr-speakers-mad-dog-3-0-3-2-amp-pairing-recommendation-discussion-thread didn't realize there was a MD thread specific to amp pairing ... I see you posted for the Little Dot 1+ there . Maybe your results were less favorable because you have the Mad Dog Pro version? Anyways, I don't have a tube amp (unless the headphone jack on my McIntosh C20 pre-amp counts?) to compare to, so I am sure it will be an ignorance is bliss deal - I am very excited (and glad to see at least on that thread they listed the Magni as a suitable amp)... I will post my impressions after they arrive

 

[elessartelconta]

Nothing against schiit products, but if you can return the magni still and keep the modi that may be the way to go. Really, the sound stage is just an INCREDIBLE step forward with even the low end hybrid tube amps. Just trying to help you out, I wish that's what I did. I'm hoping the magni will serve me well for the dt990 as its probably my next set, but I haven't read much on those two.

 
Thanks for the advice! I'll probably keep the Magni, one of the reasons being it just looks sick stacked on top of a Modi.
 
Really, I want to learn - develop a taste. I want to try different products, see how they sound, heck, see if I can even tell a difference between different products. I know some can't. I don't know if I am one of them.
So for now I want to stick to what I have (in terms of amps and DACs and such), and give them time to "grow". I don't know if it's the device that "burns in", or just your perception of what you're getting from it - I personally believe that your brain gets more accustomed to what you're hearing, sort of like auto-correcting anomalies that you were hearing earlier, and that's what burn in is. (I don't want to fight here just stating what I believe, might sound stupid to some / most).
 
I have been fascinated by tube amps for a while (when I first saw a photo I was like, what the hell is that contraption? -in a good way- ), but I'd like to read more about tubes, and how they work, before buying one. I know some might prefer just buying one and trying different tubes and learn like that but I am one of those who loves to read. 
 
On the subject of tubes (and the Little Dot), what do you think of the MKIII? How would it compare to the hybrid 1+?
 
Also, about headphone / amp pairings in general:
Would you pair a warm sounding headphone (like the Mad Dog or maybe some Grados models?) with a warm sounding amp (I'm thinking tubes? Not sure - no experience with tubes at all) to accentuate the headphones' warmth? Or would you rather pair these headphones with more "analytical" sounding amps for contrast and to sort of "make up" for what's absent?

 

[iamxLn]

 
I have been fascinated by tube amps for a while (when I first saw a photo I was like, what the hell is that contraption? -in a good way- ), but I'd like to read more about tubes, and how they work, before buying one. I know some might prefer just buying one and trying different tubes and learn like that but I am one of those who loves to read. 
 
On the subject of tubes (and the Little Dot), what do you think of the MKIII? How would it compare to the hybrid 1+?
 
Also, about headphone / amp pairings in general:
Would you pair a warm sounding headphone (like the Mad Dog or maybe some Grados models?) with a warm sounding amp (I'm thinking tubes? Not sure - no experience with tubes at all) to accentuate the headphones' warmth? Or would you rather pair these headphones with more "analytical" sounding amps for contrast and to sort of "make up" for what's absent?

 
 
Oh I'm with you on the reading part, I mindlessly research things until my eye balls bleed. It was hard to find anyone that paired a modi > LD1+ > mad dog (or pro, or alpha) on this forum or any other. 
 
For the dogs you're going to want the LD1_, the MKIII is good for higher ohm headphones, it just doesn't put out enough current into the dogs to make them sing. The MKIII would be awesome for like a Sennheiser HD600 or a beyer 250-600ohm though. 
 
Yeah, honestly the thing that made me really start questioning the Magni was when I ordered some vsd3s IEMs for the gym and noticed how much more clarity/detail/air they had vs my mad dog and magni set up. To be honest, it made the mad dog with magni sound muddy in comparison. So I upgraded the mad dogs to the mad dog pros and hoped that would fix the issue and also open up the sound stage, it helped a little bit, but it wasn't the huge change I was hoping for. However, when I plugged them into the LD with a we408a tube, they came to life. Clarity is there, A LOT of air, soundstage exploded, the difference was night and day. So next I switched out the op amp on the LD to one that has a more analytical sound to contrast the dark laid back nature of the dogs, I lost a little bass in doing so though. I just recently bought some new tubes on ebay to hopefully keep the treble extension, air, clarity, soundstage and bring back some of that bass. So anyway, I guess to answer your question I'd rather pair it with an amp to make up for what's absent and doing so has turned out very nice for me. I honestly haven't tried it with some of the warmer tubes out there because I'm learning that I really don't care for a sound that's too warm and laid back. I like pure clarity and micro details, it's not a sound for everyone, but that's what this little adventure is all about right? I mean no joke you can hear the reverb in the room with the little dot on tracks I've been listening to for 15 years of my life and never noticed before 
(I know everyone says that, but it really is true). I had the magni for over a year before upgrading to the little dot and the magni and mad dog was my primary source of music at home. 
 
Hope this helps, not trying to offend anyone that loves the magni, and it does get the job done, but it doesn't take the mad dogs to the level you'd expect them to be at with all the praise they get here at head fi. I read every page in the little dot thread and this thread and no one has really mentioned much about this pairing.
 
Other hybrid tubes worth checking out would be the garage project amps, aune t1, schiit lyr 2.

 

[virgopunk]

Hmmm. I'm looking for a bit of opinion. I've been yearning the HD700s for a while, but then saw the Audeze EL-8s and now I've been pulled into the Mad Dog Pro arena. I'm currently using Westone W40s which I have to say pair fantastically well with my DX90 dap but I'm liking what I've read about the MDPs. I love, love, love a wide sound-stage which the W40s have in spades but I think my one criticism of the W40s is that the bass (while being satisfactory) doesn't have the depth, presence and speed I'd like. Another reason I'd like to have a good set of closed cans is so that I can share them a bit easier than my IEMs (I haven't found anyone who 'gets' how to insert them and how important isolation is - don't worry I always carry spare tips for friends).
 
So I guess my questions are: how does the sound compare to a high quality IEM? The DX90 has a well reviewed hi performance three gain OP amp. Would this amp improve the performance of the MDPs? I listen to absolutely every type of music for the record.
 
Lastly, I guess this is question for Dan; I noticed there's a european online dealer (www.mrspeakers-europe.com) are they an authorised dealer? As a UK resident I wouldn't have to pay any import duty buying them from here.
 
Many thanks.
 
Edit: while I think about it, what are opinions on how the HD700s and the EL-8 measure against the MDPs? I'm guessing, from what I've read, the MDPs are the best of the bunch but obviously there's not much out there about teh EL-8s yet.

 

[iamxLn]

The best IEMs I have are vsonics vsd3s, which have more details and clarity than the mdp. The dogs have more bass, easily. You may want to step up to alphas instead of the mdp if you want more detail. I was in your shoes and ended up with a dt880 to compliment my pros. They have more detail and clarity and sound stage. The alphas have more than the dt880 from what I'm told by a reliable source. I still consider going to them for my closed option.

 

[grausch]

I received my Mad Dogs 3.2 on Monday and have been listening to them at work since then. WOW - great sound even straight out of the iPhone. When compared to my hot-rodded Crack with DT770s there is less bass-slam, but otherwise it beats that combo in everything else. Comfort is exceptional, although the at ~3 times the weight of the DT770s my neck muscles are feeling the strain. Granted that is due to both an old injury and looking down at my keyboard while working. Sad to say, that while I love the sound my neck can not handle the constant weight.
 
Was thinking of returning them, but think I will just take them home and listen from the couch. Have ordered a Bottlehead Quickie and Quicksand combo to drive them, and think they will look much better in the living room than at my desk as well.

 

 

[iamxLn]

anyone compared mad dog pros to nad hp50's or oppo pm3?

 

[Subatomic]

  anyone compared mad dog pros to nad hp50's or oppo pm3?

Yep, I've got both the PM3 and MDP. Voiced extremely similarly. https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/327lwd/i_may_have_a_thing_for_planar_magnetics/ TL;DR: Very comparable. PM3s more for portable and MDPs more for home. I love both.

 

[iamxLn]

Nice review, thanks. Are you still feeling like the oppos hit harder? I'm kind of in the same boat as you, I want the alphas but don't want to give up the bass, but if the oppo is more enjoyable id just get it and do the alpha upgrade later and have everything

 

[Hapster]

I just got the new Mad Dogs (I had the old 3.0 version with Dog Pads) and while I love the sound am running into an issue with sound leakage. My old Mad Dogs didn't leak any sound, while the new version is leaking enough sound such that co-workers 4-5 feet away can pick out the exact song i'm listening to. Looking at every review of the new Mad Dogs w/ Alpha Pads it seems that sound leakage should be extremely minimal. Did I receive a defective pair? I've already reached out to Dan at Mr. Speakers with the same question but am wondering if people with the current version of the Mad Dog can comment. Aren't these supposed to be closed headphones? Isn't the whole point of the Mad Dogs that they give you amazing sound with good isolation and no sound leakage? 

Maybe, the Mad Dogs leaked very little sound from my experience, I was able to use them in situations where I normally just used IEMs because they were so quiet.

Closed headphones in general don't have a terribly different level of sound leakage compared to open, the main deal is the fact that closed are supposes to isolate more. Less sound leakage is just a benefit when you put a wall on one side of the headphones.

As far as defective, maybe it has to do with pads, you are using alpha pads, correct?

 

[MrSpeakersPeter]

Dan is doing an AMA on reddit right now. Go ask him anything!

 

[Tambourine Guy]

Hi, has anyone compared the Mad Dog to the Audeze LCD2?  I have the later, but thinking of picking up a Mad Dog for office listening... I figure the closed back Mad Dog will do better shielding out unwanted noises in my day job.