[M-13]

Can't beat dog's balls!

 

[gikigill]

Can't beat dog's balls!

Not fit for human consumption

 

[Change is Good]

I really have to give it to Dan, here. I went through quite a few of cans trying to find that closed headphone sound I was looking for. These MDs excelled my expectations and are now my sound sig I look for with my other headphones. Granted, I started with the Annies as my sound preference... and it evolved to the MD's. Both are definitely great alternates at home... and I may be coming to a conclusion with my portable alternates.
 
Thank you, Dan! You made this journey a smooth one for someone like myself. I thought it would never end...

 

[Lorspeaker]

how about another line of product :
 
http://www.thomann.de/gb/superlux_hd681.htm
 
I would like to see this can modded by Mr Speaker into a open dynamic giantkiller....
a few factors... cheap stockprice... 50mm drivers...comfortstaps n alphapads looked like good synergies.

 

[Clemmaster]

Wait! Dynamic? meh....
 
I'm quite surprised superflux can sell industrial copies of AKGs or Beyers in Europe/USA (and at such insanely low price!)...

 

[MattTCG]

Quote:

Let me restate lest we stray too far from topic - HP out or speaker taps for the MD's

 
Headphone out for me. I can't imagine putting even more power to the MD. 

 

[Lorspeaker]

Wait! Dynamic? meh....

I'm quite surprised superflux can sell industrial copies of AKGs or Beyers in Europe/USA (and at such insanely low price!)...

What about transplanting those 50mm drivers into the mad dogs.....

 

[Clemmaster]

Quote:

What about transplanting those 50mm drivers into the mad dogs.....

 
They're still dynamic in the end, meh... 

 
If Dan could impart its magic to the flawed HE-400, I'd gladly buy it or $6xx 

 

[AnakChan]

Quote:

Do it!
I'd love to read your impressions (they are always excellent! )

I'll offer my views this week or the next, my KEF's are supposed to arrive today and of course, I'm a proud Mad Dogs owner!
We'll see how it turns out.

 
OK so please bear in mind these are very brief notes listening to the KEF M500 demo on the shelf which has a burn in of "who knows how long" (bearing in mind that it was announced in Japan only a month ago). I heard it at the shops today with my RWAK100 and over a quick-ish 15 min period therefore this isn't a solid impression. I didn't have the MD with me as I had returned it to Musica Acoustics last week although I did have it in my hands for about 2 weeks prior.
 
On first listen, I could understand where ASR's coming from and possibly what he means by musical. I had no problems with the M500 comfort; it was light and it's on-ear was like the B&W P5 styled whose pad was flat flush on the ear as opposed to the V-Moda M-80 which was still a cup-styled. The MD's would seem massive by comparison. It's isolation is also average and on part with other on-ears.
 
Onto more important issues....the sound. To me the M500 had a more warm signature and compared to the MD's, the MD's are the (much more) neutral between the two. To my ears the M500 is more of a sofa by the fireplace chilling with a good novel whilst listening to music, whereas for me the MD was more just listening to music. Maybe my musical tastes lean more towards a neutral to brightish signature than the M500. The M500 sounds very spacious for a pair of cans that size. I think this was probably the most striking feature for me. But the unit I demoed seemed to have a somewhat loose bass. As mentioned at the start, I have no idea how new out-of-the-box it had been nor how many hours of demo customers may have tried.
 
For my personal tastes and goals of what I want to hear in a pair of headphones, I think the MDs would probably suit my tastes more. However, I can totally imagine myself picking up a pair of M500 too for just travel on-the-plane/bus/train kinda headphone....although I did leave the shop without buying it .

 

[aamefford]

^^^ nice counterpoint. Thank you!

 

[LFC_SL]

Grab the rebate for the M500 if it is available in your country. I rate the M500 above the Momentum (in sound, in style the leather and metal combination nicer imo). Still trying to work out how to demo the Mad Dogs. Maybe soundconsult will send me a pair in my dreams ha

 

[eac3]

Quote:

 
Headphone out for me. I can't imagine putting even more power to the MD. 

MattTCG, excuse me if I missed this but how do you find the Pioneer vs the Sansui? Also, what exactly is your audio chain when using either? source -> AVR -> headphones? or source -> DAC -> AVR -> headphones?

 

[MattTCG]

Chain:
 
PC (toslink)>bifrost (uber upgrade) >vintage receiver (aux in). This is the setup when using the Sansui, but with Pioneer I add the Schiit as pre-amp because there is so little play on the volume pot with my hd650's. 
 
With the Sansui, it has a -20db button that defeats the need for the pre-amp when using the hd650's. 
 
The Pioneer is very good. It puts up a very good fight against the lyr. I might give a slight edge to the lyr. But the Sansui is appreciably better IMO. 

 It is more resolving without ever being harsh or fatiguing. The bass has more weight and hits harder. The mids are less grainy than the Pioneer and sound more natural. 

 

[gelocks]

Quote:

 
OK so please bear in mind these are very brief notes listening to the KEF M500 demo on the shelf which has a burn in of "who knows how long" (bearing in mind that it was announced in Japan only a month ago). I heard it at the shops today with my RWAK100 and over a quick-ish 15 min period therefore this isn't a solid impression. I didn't have the MD with me as I had returned it to Musica Acoustics last week although I did have it in my hands for about 2 weeks prior.
 
On first listen, I could understand where ASR's coming from and possibly what he means by musical. I had no problems with the M500 comfort; it was light and it's on-ear was like the B&W P5 styled whose pad was flat flush on the ear as opposed to the V-Moda M-80 which was still a cup-styled. The MD's would seem massive by comparison. It's isolation is also average and on part with other on-ears.
 
Onto more important issues....the sound. To me the M500 had a more warm signature and compared to the MD's, the MD's are the (much more) neutral between the two. To my ears the M500 is more of a sofa by the fireplace chilling with a good novel whilst listening to music, whereas for me the MD was more just listening to music. Maybe my musical tastes lean more towards a neutral to brightish signature than the M500. The M500 sounds very spacious for a pair of cans that size. I think this was probably the most striking feature for me. But the unit I demoed seemed to have a somewhat loose bass. As mentioned at the start, I have no idea how new out-of-the-box it had been nor how many hours of demo customers may have tried.
 
For my personal tastes and goals of what I want to hear in a pair of headphones, I think the MDs would probably suit my tastes more. However, I can totally imagine myself picking up a pair of M500 too for just travel on-the-plane/bus/train kinda headphone....although I did leave the shop without buying it .

 
Thanks AnakChan!
My KEF's arrived this morning, quick impressions... Ctrl + C + V
 
Wow... these are tiny!
Extremely comfortable on my head as of now (I'll update after I have them on for a few hours or so). They do feel "loose" though.
They seem well built.
Don't particularly like that one end is 3.5mm and the other is 2.5mm (or so...)
 
Sound wise, "Ok" Separation.
Sound stage is not that closed in as I thought it would be.
Reproduction I'd say OVERLY warm... Pretty sure it will be a bit "forgiving". Listened to a couple of bass heavy tracks and I was surprised at the attack and slam. Listened to Fiona Apple, the warmth was a bit too much for my ears though, her vocals was crisp but everything else seemed too much "in the background"... instruments felt like movie stand-ins... A couple of faster tracks from Less than Jake and Blink 182 sounded good, probably similar to the Mad Dogs but I don't have them with me right now.
 
I'll have more to say about this in a couple of work days.

 
As of now I don't think it's leaps and bounds over the Mad Dogs but they are probably NEAR the same level. After a few days/weeks I'll probably be able to provide more and do some A/B'ing.
 
Check.

 

[Change is Good]

Quote:

 
Thanks AnakChan!
My KEF's arrived this morning, quick impressions... Ctrl + C + V
 
As of now I don't think it's leaps and bounds over the Mad Dogs but they are probably NEAR the same level. After a few days/weeks I'll probably be able to provide more and do some A/B'ing.
 
Check.

 
This is my selling point. I have been looking for a portable alternate to my Mad Dogs for a quite a while, now. I will be ordering these, soon. Thanks!