**MrSpeakers Mad Dog: Impressions and Discussion Thread**
Sep 14, 2013 at 6:31 PM Post #1,652 of 3,203
Okay update. After adjusting the headphones to better sit on my head and taking off my glasses AND realizing that my left ear was completely ****ed up yesterday (I've had tubes, drum bursting, scarring, etc in both ears but that ear is especially troublesome), the Mad Dogs are feeling and sounding much better and I have been listening to them most of the day. I think burning in has helped some too. There's still some sibilance as I compared Mad Dogs to the PSB and it was more apparent on Mad Dogs. Maybe because mids are clearer and that's why I'm noticing it more and it's coming from the track? I don't know. I sent a file to MrSpeaker to check out.
 
If anyone knows of a good track/file to download to test for it that would be great.
 
Sep 14, 2013 at 7:13 PM Post #1,653 of 3,203
Alright thanks, what actually changes in the sound once you amp it properly?

Improvements in the bass response (impact, quality) and overall dynamics of the music.
 
Also whenever you replace a particular audio electronic component with a significantly higher quality one, then you will hear more subtle detail, better timbre, and less added distortion on the notes.
 
Sep 14, 2013 at 7:59 PM Post #1,655 of 3,203
I'm a bit concerned about the treble region. There is a big dip there, and certain parts of the treble are more emphasized than others (as most headphones are, but you'd think a headphone meant to be neutral wouldn't have this). And the entire treble region is basically recessed according to the graph.
 
My reference: http://i.imgur.com/TyoQG4e.png
Blue = MD 3.0
Green = MD 3.1
Red = MD 3.2
 
Why can't there be a headphone that is flat from bottom to top with no variance larger than a few dB? Let the music be fun, the headphone should be neutral. Is such a headphone too expensive for the average person, if it exists?
 
Either way, I bought the Mad Dog set and will let you guys know what I think. I want to keep them and thus do not plan on returning, but returning may be necessary if that weird recessed but sibilant treble does throw me off.
 
Edit: I've been doing some frequency testing with metal music through WMP and have found some interesting things. I found that a lot of the body of the electric guitar comes from the mid range, but the low end of the treble gives texture to that body. Testing with my Sennheiser HD 201, I found that the body of electric guitar comes from the 250hz to 1k range. Bumping 2K and 4K really brings out electric guitar texture.
 
Bumps in 8K causes general sibilence throughout the music, while bumps in 10K causes cymbals and vocals to sound cleaner and a bit sibilent, those not as sibilent as 8K causes. I'd definitely say an increase in 10K is more pleasing than for 8K as 10K seems to make certain aspects sharper without doing too much harm to the rest of the music. I'd still prefer a flat treble as that would be natural, of course.
 
I am starting to see why I may like the Mad Dog 3.2. One of the reasons why I disliked the DT 770 Pro 80 ohm was because of the 8K hump. The 8K hump in the DT 770 literally peaks over the entire mid range on that headphone, and remember, higher 8K causes sibilence and can harm guitar body. The Mad Dog actually has a dip in 8K, while bumping 4K and 10K. It isn't natural but definitely better than an 8K hump, and from my research into headphones, rarely does a set have a flat treble. Apparently it is hard to engineer a headphone that way. I think the reason why the Mad Dog works with metal well because the body is emphasized through the mid range while texture in both guitar and cymbals are enhanced through the 4K and 10K humps, all without causing too much sibilence. And really, I understand why companies like to bump 10K. It really cleans up things without making everything sound to sibilent, but in the end, it isn't natural for it to be bumped above the rest of the treble range.
 
And quickly, into the bass. I guess this is the simple part. A bump at 100Hz-200Hz according to the graph. That will make most bass punchier. Again, not natural, but since the hump isn't too exaggerated and spreads well into the mid range, I can see why people like it.
 
I am really looking forward to listening to this set. I have a feeling I will like it.
 
Edit 2: Just realized that the people who say these are amazing have good amps. In fact, pretty much everyone with these headphones has a good amp. I've read that they are only worth it if paired with a good amp. My interface (Firebox) runs 150 mW at 60 ohm. I had to cancel my order. Damn. I can technically afford a good amp, but damn, a few MORE hundred dollars just to upgrade my amp? Nah. If anyone knows of a closed headphone with a similar balanced frequency response but with a much smaller power requirement, let me know.
 
Sep 15, 2013 at 9:27 AM Post #1,656 of 3,203
The T50RP doesn't really require a crazy DAC or amp. To whoever was asking earlier, I've used a variety of modded T50RPs (including Mad Dog and Paradox) from sound cards with built-in headphone amps. In my case, this was the Auzentech Bravura. The T50RP sounded quite good out of it...no complaints. Music that was less subject to the loudness wars sometimes required me to max out the volume on the card. I did not hear any major benefits moving to an O2/ODAC combo other than much more available volume for the MD. It even sounded pretty good out of my HTC One, though it was a tiny bit "thin" sounding from an iPhone 5 (both drove it to listenable, but not very loud, volumes).
 
The T50RP requires a surprising amount of power to get loud, and quality-wise it does scale well with better gear. But you can get pretty good, if not necessarily super-loud, sound out of the T50RP from a wide variety of sources. They really seem to open up with a vintage receiver or other speaker-tap setups (as do most other orthos), but it's definitely not required (and objectively not always the best option anyway).
 
In regards to "burn-in" and the MD not sounding "right" out of the box, it could come from a few factors. The first one I'd think of is the ear pads. The alpha pads can get squished during shipping and can take up to a day or two to perfectly regain shape, though usually a few hours is enough. The ear pads will also fit and seal a bit better as they warm up. Seal is very important with these pads and the T50RP, and you might not even notice a lack of a proper seal.
 
The second factor is most likely brain burn-in. I've never experienced much in the way of burn-in with the T50RP. However, I have noticed that something about them can sound "off" coming from other headphones, or even if you take a break from audio in general. I'm not sure what it is...I got it with my modded T50RPs, the Paradox, and the Mad Dog. I'm not really sure what it is, because I can still get it even thought I'm used to these headphones now. All I can say is that sometimes you have to let your brain adjust to the T50RP sound.
 
Also, make sure you're checking the cable and connections. The T50RP is known for having issues with the connectors and cables. This probably doesn't apply if you've got one of the rewired MDs.
 
Sep 15, 2013 at 9:47 AM Post #1,657 of 3,203
The MDs are certainly not hard to drive if you are just referring to the volume, but it certainly can scale much higher given a better amp. On the other hand, I do agree that DAC doesn't seem to make that much difference for the MDs, as least for me, when I was switching between EE minimax, Eximus Dp-1 and AMR Dp-777.
 
Sep 15, 2013 at 12:01 PM Post #1,659 of 3,203
I'm really glad that I get to listen to headphones, instead of just reading frequency response graphs...
 
Sep 15, 2013 at 7:12 PM Post #1,661 of 3,203
  I'm a bit concerned about the treble region. There is a big dip there, and certain parts of the treble are more emphasized than others (as most headphones are, but you'd think a headphone meant to be neutral wouldn't have this). And the entire treble region is basically recessed according to the graph.
 
My reference: http://i.imgur.com/TyoQG4e.png
Blue = MD 3.0
Green = MD 3.1
Red = MD 3.2
 
Why can't there be a headphone that is flat from bottom to top with no variance larger than a few dB? Let the music be fun, the headphone should be neutral. Is such a headphone too expensive for the average person, if it exists?
 
Either way, I bought the Mad Dog set and will let you guys know what I think. I want to keep them and thus do not plan on returning, but returning may be necessary if that weird recessed but sibilant treble does throw me off.
 
Edit: I've been doing some frequency testing with metal music through WMP and have found some interesting things. I found that a lot of the body of the electric guitar comes from the mid range, but the low end of the treble gives texture to that body. Testing with my Sennheiser HD 201, I found that the body of electric guitar comes from the 250hz to 1k range. Bumping 2K and 4K really brings out electric guitar texture.
 
Bumps in 8K causes general sibilence throughout the music, while bumps in 10K causes cymbals and vocals to sound cleaner and a bit sibilent, those not as sibilent as 8K causes. I'd definitely say an increase in 10K is more pleasing than for 8K as 10K seems to make certain aspects sharper without doing too much harm to the rest of the music. I'd still prefer a flat treble as that would be natural, of course.
 
I am starting to see why I may like the Mad Dog 3.2. One of the reasons why I disliked the DT 770 Pro 80 ohm was because of the 8K hump. The 8K hump in the DT 770 literally peaks over the entire mid range on that headphone, and remember, higher 8K causes sibilence and can harm guitar body. The Mad Dog actually has a dip in 8K, while bumping 4K and 10K. It isn't natural but definitely better than an 8K hump, and from my research into headphones, rarely does a set have a flat treble. Apparently it is hard to engineer a headphone that way. I think the reason why the Mad Dog works with metal well because the body is emphasized through the mid range while texture in both guitar and cymbals are enhanced through the 4K and 10K humps, all without causing too much sibilence. And really, I understand why companies like to bump 10K. It really cleans up things without making everything sound to sibilent, but in the end, it isn't natural for it to be bumped above the rest of the treble range.
 
And quickly, into the bass. I guess this is the simple part. A bump at 100Hz-200Hz according to the graph. That will make most bass punchier. Again, not natural, but since the hump isn't too exaggerated and spreads well into the mid range, I can see why people like it.
 
I am really looking forward to listening to this set. I have a feeling I will like it.
 
Edit 2: Just realized that the people who say these are amazing have good amps. In fact, pretty much everyone with these headphones has a good amp. I've read that they are only worth it if paired with a good amp. My interface (Firebox) runs 150 mW at 60 ohm. I had to cancel my order. Damn. I can technically afford a good amp, but damn, a few MORE hundred dollars just to upgrade my amp? Nah. If anyone knows of a closed headphone with a similar balanced frequency response but with a much smaller power requirement, let me know.

 
Headphones don't measure FLAT like loudspeakers do.  Above 1KHz, what we perceive as flat is not measured as flat.  Tyll wrote a good explanation of this measurement effect in his blog on setting up his lab at Innerfidelity.  
 
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Sep 16, 2013 at 11:41 AM Post #1,662 of 3,203
Shipping from the US to Norway must have bee like 1 working day (Crossed the sea over the weekend) but now customs need info so it will probably take ages. Really hope they get here soon, I can't wait!
 
Hope they won't be disappointing being driven off my Xonar Essence STX. Definitely will run them at the maximum power level.
 
Sep 18, 2013 at 12:51 AM Post #1,663 of 3,203
So... Dan.
I see that the Alpha Pads appear as "sold out" on the page.
Is this accurate?
I was just going to buy 1 pair right now.
 
 
Thanks.
 

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