[info2victor]

Hello,
 
I'm both a newbie in this whole headphone area and this forum, but it looks like I can get some help here.
 
I'm considering getting a TMA-1 Studio headphone because I like its design and the sound quality seems to be great. Recently a Young Guru edition has come along and I'm not sure which one to get.
 
What I'm looking for is an over-ear headphone (I have a Sol Republic Tracks HD which is on-ear, good quality but gets uncomfortable after having my ears squeezed for 2 hours) with a balanced sound.
 
Here is a set of criteria that I'm looking into:
 
Comfort:
Has to be over-ear that covers my ears but not on them. I have an old Panasonic RP-HTX7, looks amazing and very comfortable but the sound quality is not as good as the Tracks HD. Some cushioning on the headband would be nice as well.
 
Sound:
I mostly listen to classical and some times R&B. I don't want to have the bass boosted too much to an extend that the booms are over the top. I suppose I'm looking for a more balanced output over the spectrum. Clarity is probably what I value the most.
 
Durability:
I'll put it in my backpack often so some bendings are expected. I heard that the earlier TMA-1 Studio original suffers from earpads not glued securely. I hope it's fixed by now. And the YG edition uses a different material so it might solve the problem.
 
If someone could compare those two for me and provide me with some recommendations, or something I should consider that would be great.
 
Thanks!
 
-victor

 

[Lewis Heath]

Hey Victor,
 
Have you tried out the Sennheiser HD 25-1 II? My initial reaction would be to try those first but I haven't spent a long time listening to the TMA-1s so I can't compare fairly. The HD25's will survive a nuclear holocaust whilst I wasn't very convinced by the TMA-1's in terms of build - but they are popular so I'm sure a lot of people do like them. 

 

[kimvictor]

  Hello,
 
I'm both a newbie in this whole headphone area and this forum, but it looks like I can get some help here.
 
I'm considering getting a TMA-1 Studio headphone because I like its design and the sound quality seems to be great. Recently a Young Guru edition has come along and I'm not sure which one to get.
 
What I'm looking for is an over-ear headphone (I have a Sol Republic Tracks HD which is on-ear, good quality but gets uncomfortable after having my ears squeezed for 2 hours) with a balanced sound.
 
Here is a set of criteria that I'm looking into:
 
Comfort:
Has to be over-ear that covers my ears but not on them. I have an old Panasonic RP-HTX7, looks amazing and very comfortable but the sound quality is not as good as the Tracks HD. Some cushioning on the headband would be nice as well.
 
Sound:
I mostly listen to classical and some times R&B. I don't want to have the bass boosted too much to an extend that the booms are over the top. I suppose I'm looking for a more balanced output over the spectrum. Clarity is probably what I value the most.
 
Durability:
I'll put it in my backpack often so some bendings are expected. I heard that the earlier TMA-1 Studio original suffers from earpads not glued securely. I hope it's fixed by now. And the YG edition uses a different material so it might solve the problem.
 
If someone could compare those two for me and provide me with some recommendations, or something I should consider that would be great.
 
Thanks!
 
-victor

Same name!
 
Anyways, also keep an eye for the new Voxoa Wireless headphones. I received a review sample, and I like it so far. Very reasonably priced, feature packed, and fold(so you can keep in a bag).
http://www.head-fi.org/t/686221/new-voxoa-hd-wireless-headphones-thread-bluetooth-4-0-nfc-16-hours-of-battery

 

[info2victor]

  Hey Victor,
 
Have you tried out the Sennheiser HD 25-1 II? My initial reaction would be to try those first but I haven't spent a long time listening to the TMA-1s so I can't compare fairly. The HD25's will survive a nuclear holocaust whilst I wasn't very convinced by the TMA-1's in terms of build - but they are popular so I'm sure a lot of people do like them. 

Thanks Lewis.
 
I haven't tried out the HD 25-1 II but isn't it an on-ear headphone? I understand that it might be more comfortable than my Sol Republic Tracks HD but this time I'm looking for an over-ear one. In terms of build I can't comment on any of those but there seems to be no complain of the TMA-1s being broken yet... I've also contacted the manufacturer concerning the gluing issue of the earpads people were complaining, and they told me they have recalled those sets and have updated the model.
 
Could you comment on the sound quality (e.g. clarity of ranges, response) of the TMA-1 Studio? Either the original one or YG edition or both would be nice.

 

[info2victor]

  Same name!
 
Anyways, also keep an eye for the new Voxoa Wireless headphones. I received a review sample, and I like it so far. Very reasonably priced, feature packed, and fold(so you can keep in a bag).
http://www.head-fi.org/t/686221/new-voxoa-hd-wireless-headphones-thread-bluetooth-4-0-nfc-16-hours-of-battery

Yey it's a very good name
 
Thanks kimvictor for your suggestion. Again isn't it an on-ear headphone? I tried to stay away from wireless ones because of the RF issues and have to charge it from time to time. This one looks very nice nevertheless!
 
When I was reading your post I suddenly realized one thing... is it possible for me to tweak the equalizer so that the headphone I'm using can emphasize on the frequency I want, especially when the headphone tends to give a flat sound over the range... or is it a totally different thing?

 

[kimvictor]

  Yey it's a very good name
 
Thanks kimvictor for your suggestion. Again isn't it an on-ear headphone? I tried to stay away from wireless ones because of the RF issues and have to charge it from time to time. This one looks very nice nevertheless!
 
When I was reading your post I suddenly realized one thing... is it possible for me to tweak the equalizer so that the headphone I'm using can emphasize on the frequency I want, especially when the headphone tends to give a flat sound over the range... or is it a totally different thing?

OK. They are indeed on ear. But still comfortable. You also have the option to use them as a wired headphone without battery(in fact, it sounds better that way.)
 
Yup. You can always equalize certain frequency. For example, if your headphones are too bassy or sibilant, you can easily tame that. It does take some time to learn how to EQ though.

 

[info2victor]

  OK. They are indeed on ear. But still comfortable. You also have the option to use them as a wired headphone without battery(in fact, it sounds better that way.)
 
Yup. You can always equalize certain frequency. For example, if your headphones are too bassy or sibilant, you can easily tame that. It does take some time to learn how to EQ though.

Got it. And it's very compact when folded. I'll keep this in mind and if I or my friends wants to get something compact I know which to look at. I guess in the mean time I'll stick with an over-ear one though. One added benefit of over-ear ones is it works as ear muffs as well (it's getting cold in my place now...)
 
Yeah I sometimes play with those default equalizer settings like "classical", "Jazz", "R&B" ...etc but I guess I can go one step further by playing with different frequencies. Good advice.

 

[Lewis Heath]

Hey Victor,
 
Not in any detail I'm afraid, it's been a while since I tried them. I liked the industrial design actually, I believe it was done by/with a very talented young Danish architect, whos name I can't remember and probably isn't important. When it came to wearing them, the foam pads were terrible for fit and the headband moved around a lot on my head from memory, but if they've fixed that then it'd certainly be worth a look. I also have an unusually large head so I'm not best placed to comment on fit!! You could try them in the Apple store, I'm pretty sure they're still sold there and if they're not on demo then they have a very good returns policy if you're not happy. 
 
Sennheisers are on-ear, and actually do have quite a vice like grip but this I found does ease with use. Creative Aurvana Live is perhaps a good choice for over-ears, they're quite a bit cheaper but punch well above their weight. Old fostex design I think? Inner fidelity did a good review of them a while back. 

 

[Lewis Heath]

Creative review - 
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/creative-aurvana-live-classic-reincarnate

 

[info2victor]

  Hey Victor,
 
Not in any detail I'm afraid, it's been a while since I tried them. I liked the industrial design actually, I believe it was done by/with a very talented young Danish architect, whos name I can't remember and probably isn't important. When it came to wearing them, the foam pads were terrible for fit and the headband moved around a lot on my head from memory, but if they've fixed that then it'd certainly be worth a look. I also have an unusually large head so I'm not best placed to comment on fit!! You could try them in the Apple store, I'm pretty sure they're still sold there and if they're not on demo then they have a very good returns policy if you're not happy. 
 
Sennheisers are on-ear, and actually do have quite a vice like grip but this I found does ease with use. Creative Aurvana Live is perhaps a good choice for over-ears, they're quite a bit cheaper but punch well above their weight. Old fostex design I think? Inner fidelity did a good review of them a while back. 

Hey Lewis,
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I also like the industrial design of the TMA-1 as well, in fact I think that's how it got my attention at the first place. I've contacted the customer service from AIAIAI and it seems that the Young Guru is a better option for me. Some of the helpful members of this forum also mentioned about the comfort the new memory foam provides (and it's lighter!), so it looks like I'll be getting this. There are however 2 things I want to make sure:
 
1. it's over-ear, not on-ear.
 
2. the YG edition's plug goes into my iPhone4S and iPod (amongst other devices). I have some plugs with the plastic housing too big so they block the bumper case on my i-devices... my tablet also have this tapered shape...
 
I suppose I might go a bit further for a small amp when I have the money.
 
Let me know if I'm missing anything. Will keep you guys posted.

 

[Steve58]

Hi Lewis, I just visited a local headphone specialist store (headphonics in Perth Australia) today. I just bought some beyeraudio 1350's on the net and Hated the sound of them. I am not saying they are not excellent headphones just not for me. I found them clinical and cold.......Brrrrrrr! They are going back. I must have spent about 2 hours in the shop trying about 10 pairs of phones did not like anything until the sales guy said "try these the are a favorite of both mine and the boss" (Marcus). I tried them..............for me, WOW! awesome base, warm, musical just about all the way through, They were Aiaiai young guru's. Just loved them! I tried every other Aiaiai's which did not live up to the "young Guru's" at all for me. Where have you been all my life! love at first listen. My source was an Astell& kern ak 100. I then put on a Marix portable amp and the sound stage blew up like a blowfish! I loved them they have a sound signature similar to the ultrasone 2900 pro.
 
Good Luck Mate.

 

[Steve58]

I embarrassingly said I found the Beyerdynamics 1350's cold etc. Well let me retract that! I was just about to box them up to send back. Thought I would just have a final listen before I sent them. I genuinely have no idea what happened but I was up till 6 in the morning listening to them....they sound gorgeous! Where was my head at? I don't know, but I am a devoted convert.