[grizzlybeast]

awww man that counts me out. I would rather just stick with what I have. I don't want smaller cups

 

[dlhen68]

As for the smaller cups, it sits more like an on-ear instead of a true circumaural. But the lighter weight and the softer pads are growing on me. I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that either can will need occasional EQ. Some pieces sound intolerable with the bass of the NADs, whereas some other pieces sound intolerable with the intense treble of the P7s.
If I could only fuse the two; that would be an impossible DIY MOD!

 

[zazex]

  I confirm dweaver's comment; the cups on the NADs are smaller than the P7s. The P7s fully "circumnavigate" my ears (although my attached lobes get pressed a little). Feeling a bit better about the NAD fit today. If I nudge my ears up, sort of into the fold between the pad and the driver, it gives my lobes a break and also kinda flattens out my ear (effectively spreading the contact with the thin cushion over the driver grill). So I'm not getting so much localized pressure on the part of my ear that sticks out the most.
 
I'm still concerned (and perplexed) by the bass. One of the tracks I use to test bass is "Fire" by the JHE. Yes, it's a nearly fifty year old recording but the heavy bass riff that opens the song is helpful to me in determining the extension and effectiveness of the bass. I was shocked to hear how the NADs handled this. It sounded "out of control" and overblown. The P7s handled this with less bloat and more detail. The "shock" came from having read all the comments about the P7s bloated bass and the NADs supposed neutrality. Again, I'll see if the bass settles down after some more burn. I do agree that the treble is more neutral than the P7s and I like it better. Even though the P7s have improved with time, they still have occasional harshness in the treble.
 
So this is becoming a real horse race, as to which one I prefer. Right now they both have pros and cons.
it's either keep one or send 'em both back!
...or, heaven forbid, keep 'em both!?

 
This is what happened to me re: the HP50's and Senn Momentum's -
ended up keeping both.  Now, though, after having both for a couple
of months I'm leaning towards selling the Senn's and keeping the HP-50's.
 
_____________
 
 
Wondering why you're getting the 'bloated' bass out of the HP50's
as the bass on mine is pretty tight and authentic sounding.
Perhaps your amp or source isn't matching well with them?
 
 

 

[ropeadope]

Got my HP50s today!...actually got em on Friday but I waited until Xmas to open them so I'd have a gift for myself - Too early to judge (only 20 minutes into listening or so), plus I haven't got my Modi yet so kinda pointless testing them out now anyways.. This must have the shortest cord of any headphone! It's only about 3 ft long I'd say. So that's a bummer. I wonder why they decided to make it so short.

 

[dlhen68]

For those having the fit problem I mentioned earlier, here's a MOD I did this morning.
Last night I decided to hunker down with a movie, which meant having the headphones on for close to 2 hours. Initially they felt fine, but after the movie was over I was hurting. The middle part of my ear (what I think is called the antihelix) sticks out some. That was touching the driver grill. Initially I folded some tissues and pushed them under the ear pads (there is a space between the circumaural pad and the driver). That helped. I remembered that I had a few spare gel insoles for my shoes, so I measured the ear pads and cut the insoles to roughly match. I used the heel part because it's thicker around the edges. This seems to work pretty well. I'll try another long listening session and see how it goes.
Here are some shots of the rather crude MOD. I'll trim them with more precision if they work as well as they seem to.
BTW, it doesn't seem to affect the sound as far as I can tell...
 

 

 

 

 

[recstar24]

Review time!

I picked these up last week as this is kind of the can I've been looking for awhile and tyll's review sold it for me. I had been using the vmoda m80's for the "portable but too lazy to put in IEM" scenarios but after awhile the fit was just weird and they really don't sound too good. I also wanted something that I could just play off the iPhone/iPad and would sound good with all sorts of random musical non audiophile crap.

The bass is fantastic - deep, punchy, smooth and very clean. Everything else sounds great, the whole presentation is super engaging, with a polite but detailed treble that is non offensive and a really nice warm midrange. Surprised at how good the imaging is and the overall sense of left to right in the stage, not too forward and not too back, just a nice honest presentation. Even though it's a closed phone I don't really hear it as being closed in, it sounds quite open actually with a nice sense of air. These to me sound like punchier more dynamic senn 650.

Fit is nice, very comfy and the pads are just large enough on my large ears to actually be circumaural. The momentums probably wouldn't actually circumnavigate my ears. The way the headband sits on the head and the weight/pressure distribution of the whole set makes them feel extremely light.

Biggest gripe is how freaking ugly these look on my head. Picture speaks a thousand words. This is the first can I actually am hesitant and would be embarrassed to wear in public. Yikes. To NAD's credit, it says right on the box they don't care about my lifestyle, they care about sound, to which i think they've succeeded.

 

[Beagle]

^ nice review! Pretty much the way I hear them as well. The HP50 does not do much wrong and does do so much right.

 

[Ashade]

I got to audition them yesterday together with the Momentum, PSB M4R1 & 2 and, man, these things sound sweet. Momentum disappointed me greatly, even though they are more comfortable. Not that the cups are bigger but my ears sit better inside, they are tiny though!

The PSB are just huge, not in my portable list.

Back to the NAD, the only thing I don't really like are that my tiny ears touch the driver as other suggested and that the headband puts so much pressure on the top of your head. I can see these being pay off my collection with some minor modifications, specially if there are velour pad options fitting on them.

 

[dlhen68]

Even with my low-tech mod, the fit isn't very good for me. For my ears the P7 is far more comfortable. The deeper cups are what I need. The sound signature on the HP50s is marginally better, but comfort will play a major role in my decision. I like the clarity of the B&W set; it's just occasionally fatiguing. And it still sounds to me like the bass is less focused on the NADs, no doubt a result of the warm "room feel" coloration. They are both very good sets; it comes down to subjective preference and fit.

 

[ballard3]

I got to audition them yesterday together with the Momentum, PSB M4R1 & 2 and, man, these things sound sweet. Momentum disappointed me greatly, even though they are more comfortable. Not that the cups are bigger but my ears sit better inside, they are tiny though!

The PSB are just huge, not in my portable list.

Back to the NAD, the only thing I don't really like are that my tiny ears touch the driver as other suggested and that the headband puts so much pressure on the top of your head. I can see these being pay off my collection with some minor modifications, specially if there are velour pad options fitting on them.

   
Could you please make a comparison between NAD and PSB regarding both sound and comfort ?

 

[Ashade]

   
Could you please make a comparison between NAD and PSB regarding both sound and comfort ?

I auditioned both very very little. They are basically at the same level sound-wise. I think I found the PSB very slightly more refined honestly, but take this comment with a grain of salt. You can't go wrong with either of them.

The PSB are far far more comfortable: bigger caps (my ears didn't touch the driver like in the Viso) and better padding on the headband. The Viso are more in the small cups side and the headband puts excessive pressure in the very top of your head. They just don't seat well on the head. Slightly uncomfortable. The PSB's are excessively big though and that Beats looking is not very appealing to me. I didn't find them very portable.

It comes down to preferences. To me the size of the PSB is a deal breaker. Otherwise I would probably go with them by the impresion I got in those three songs. The Viso are far more portable but the comfort disappointed me a lot honestly...

The same way I didn't get an idea of which was exactly the firearms between the two sonically speaking (they are very close to my ears), the Momentum are clearly below the two BUT probably I would choose them over them because they are much more comfortable and sexy.

EDIT: I suppose I will have to wait a little bit more for the perfect close back headphone, unless the Viso can allow better pads

 

[Ashade]

Even with my low-tech mod, the fit isn't very good for me. For my ears the P7 is far more comfortable. The deeper cups are what I need. The sound signature on the HP50s is marginally better, but comfort will play a major role in my decision. I like the clarity of the B&W set; it's just occasionally fatiguing. And it still sounds to me like the bass is less focused on the NADs, no doubt a result of the warm "room feel" coloration. They are both very good sets; it comes down to subjective preference and fit.

I will have to eventually try the B&W. Thanks for your impressions.

 

[squirrelboy1210]

these are for portable use right? i won't need an amp to power them?

 

[SonusAudio]

these are for portable use right? i won't need an amp to power them?

Nope, they are highly efficient. However, if you feed them from a better source, they improve.

 

[deltasun]

these are for portable use right? i won't need an amp to power them?

Correct on both counts!

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