[Chris5488]

Hi everyone,
First off, English isn't my native language so please have mercy.
 
So, I got a nice pair of Pioneer Monitor 10 headphones from a relative (first and only owner) which look like new but it's sound is very disappointing. Others call the Monitor 10's "impressive" or "like no other" and other superlatives. I don't know if I have a bad pair or not but I don't think this is normal. The right side plays very weak (problem located in the jack, fiddling with the cable confirmed it) but that can be fixed. The real problem is it's 'canny' sound (both sides), higher frequencies are also a bit harsh (not sure if it's normal or it's just me) and the (mid)-lower frequencies are lacking. It's difficult to explain what i'm hearing but's it's almost like I'm listening to the build-in speakers from an iMac... and voices sound like over a telephone. When listening to a frequency sweep I can confirm I do can hear every frequency starting from 25hz and up, but all frequencies below +/- 300hz are underrepresented (fall off at +/- 300hz).
 
When I really push them against my ears the sound is better, but squeezing them to my ears can't be the way to listen to these. My main headphone is a Sennheiser HD595 and the difference is just mind-blowing. I can simulate the sound (more or less) I get with the Monitors using my Sennheiser's and an equalizer by configuring it like this: Frequencies from 32hz to 250hz all the way down and 8000hz and 16000hz a bit up. I know it's not a very scientific approach and not entirely accurate, but I think you guys might get an idea how it appears to sound. I used different amps but the problem remains.
 
Any idea what might be wrong (blown? also the jack?)? Anything I can try to restore/repair them (if that's even possible)?

 

[ev13wt]

They are bad give them to me.


Okok, they are quite the rare and collectible headphone. Hard to diagnose over the internet. Take them apart and see if there is anything inside them that shouldn't be there. What country are you in?

Or, give them to me. I'll even donate you some money.

 

[Chris5488]

Haha, nope not gonna give them away 

. Sentimental value.
 
I took them apart but everything looked normal. The wiring, the connections and drivers all looked ok, cleaned them (little pieces of dust and some small hairs) and put them back together. Sound is still the same.
 
However I'm not able to open the jack (source of problem number 1, possibly also source of problem number 2??). I thought it would be possible since it's entirely made from aluminium. I can rotate the pin but it doesn't loosen so it's not screwed together, probably pinched together. On the other hand, I'm not willing to cut it off and replace it since I really like the original jack. Dilemma... 

 

[takato14]

It's most likely the earpads. The sound issue, that is. Are your pads leather or fabric/velour? If the latter, grab a Pioneer SE-(x)05 off eBay with good pads and you'll be set; they have the exact same pads. They usually go for cheap.
 
Additionally, I've been having some fit issues with my pair, particularly when I have my glasses on. I find I get a LOT more bass when I take them off. They're kind of hard to wear. I get the best results when the headband is around the back curve of my head and I have the headband clamp set tight.
 
The Monitor 10 isn't known for its bass, however I find it rather potent when called for. It tends to be a chameleon as far as most aspects of the sound are concerned. The highs are absolutely beautiful though, silky smooth, extended, maybe a tiny bit resonant around the 8kHz region but not enough to sound annoying. They're laid back but every detail is there and the soundstage is sublime. 
 
They're definitely special headphones. Feel privelaged to have a good pair; most are beat to hell since they were used in studios a lot, including the pair on my head right now. I'm still waiting for another MIB pair to show up for my collection.

 

[takato14]

Hm, after a while of listening to these I can definitely say they're a completely different beast from anything else I've ever heard. 
 
I do hear the "canny" sound you're describing, but only on some recorded music and simulated reverberation... You can choose to not believe me, but I believe you are hearing the sound waves reflect off the walls of the recording room and/or the artificial room being simulated by DSP. I am not kidding. Their soundstage is THAT precise. I've never heard anything quite like it. Now I see why people love these so much.
 
They're extremely flat and balanced sounding, especially for their time period.  The treble has an incredibly smooth quality to it while still having every single detail present; it's very pleasant to listen to and makes these a very addicting listen. As was touched on earlier, they have downright ridiculous soundstaging and imaging; my favorite of any headphone, closed or open. I don't know, the Pioneers have a way of making things sound "just right", regardless of genre or production quality.
 
It belongs on everyone's must-hear list. If you haven't already gotten one of these on your head, do it now.

 

[takato14]

OH, I think I know what's going on. An annoying thing about the Monitor 10's design is that the cable that runs through the headband can get caught between the cup and the adjustments. This makes the cups sit on your head all funky and prevents a seal from being formed, which makes them sound as you describe. Move the cables to the outside of the yoke and you're set.

 

[ROOMBAZOOM]

Hello everyone. A relevant picture (just because I really fell in love with its aluminium and pleather great design) to illustrate what Takato14 explains regarding the cable issue:

I had the same sealing issue with the cup not quite adjusting to my right ear when I first tried them...
Now, with the correct sealing and the original earpads and inner foam damping on each cup, these headphones mainly emphasize the medium frequencies(hence the "canny sound") actually giving to voices their beautiful and plain characteristics. I spent a few nights listening to these with a Sony Ta-7700 and its DAC. Even at low volume the soudstage is really detailed, but I need to push bass and treble to their maximums, plus BassBoost button activated, to quite enjoy the music with these closed cans.

Panorama from my bedroom… Thanks for reading.

 

[HRC20]

Hello,

Good to see this old thread is still alive.

I have one of those Monitor 10, is very good condition. They looks like barely used.

We don’t know is the OP sorted the problem, however I have the same issue. They are plugged on my vintage amplifier, playing spotify premium for my laptop and I find them canny too. I don’t use Dac

The cable is a bit scratchy but it’s fine, I don’t know how to change it neither.

I wasn’t expecting a lot of bass but even on 70s rock I find that they lack a lot. I need to push the bass on the amplifier to the maximum. But They’re still a bit too bright.

I don’t have the problem with the cable mentioned above

I guess they should sounds flat and neutral but hard to tell if they should sounds like that.

however they are confortable really, and the pads are in really good condition for it’s age

 

[plmon]

Sorry for bumping this old thread, but I recently got a Pioneer Monitor 10 in good condition and had some issues with the tonality as well. It wasn't unpleasant like some other vintage cans I've tried, fairly flat as others have said, but I wished for a little more bass and thought the mids were somewhat "canny" and bit too boosted for my liking. This sounded like a job for pad-rolling.

The original pads were quite thin, something like 15mm thick. From my experience, thinner pads usually helps with having strong mids. But in this case, I wanted to pull the mids back just a touch so I needed thicker pads. I looked at recommendations from other threads like the Brainwavz HM5 pads, but based off quick and dirty experiments with extra pads I had, those would suck out the mids too much. A lot of aftermarket pads are overly thick imo, ranging from 25mm to 30mm.

It took some time finding a good replacement. As you can see in the picture above, the stock Pioneer pads are not ovals, they're an unusual D-shape. The area where the pads fit in are also in this same D-shape. So I had to find pads that fit the general dimensions, were preferably made of pleather/leather so the edges could be squeezed into place, and have thickness in the 20mm range.

My friend's Takstar Pro 82s had pads that fit the bill perfectly. They had the right shape, were slightly smaller so they could squeeze into place, were around 20mm thick, and made of very comfortable pleather. Unfortunately, it's hard sourcing OEM pads in general and I didn't have much luck finding stock Takstar pads for sale.

But after some searching around, I found out that CoolerMaster had a gaming headset that was a Takstar clone. After reading some reviews, I pulled the trigger and ordered their pads. Thankfully, they're pretty much identical to the Takstar pads (heads-up for anyone that needs replacements!). The pads had a metal ring for attaching to the headset, but it was lightly glued so some gentle pulling got them off easily without damaging the pads.

After that, I just put on some double-sided adhesive and stuck them on. Initially, I kept the inner foam that cover the Pioneer drivers, but ended up taking them out later. The Coolermaster pads have a mesh on them, so those take over the role of taming the treble that the foam did.

Comfort-wise, these are way more comfortable than the stock pads. The pads are very plush and this pleather has a nice, supple feel. The trade-off is they do get a bit hot.
Sound-wise, I feel the Pioneers are more balanced-sounding now. There's a mild boost in the bass (still tight and well-controlled though), the "canny" sound is reduced (though not completely eliminated), and the mids are not overly "in-your-face" now. The great soundstage/imaging qualities were retained too.

Now if there was just something I could do about the headband...