[Feilong4]

  To me they aren't too bad. Sometimes I notice the top one after an hour or so but it seems to vary depending on how I have them adjusted I guess.

Alright, I think I've made my decision and I'm going with the SoundMAGIC. I'm gonna need to wear them for quite a while so I don't think the AKG really get me there.
 
So thank you to grayfox157 and Garrarty for the help!

 

[grayfox157]

  Alright, I think I've made my decision and I'm going with the SoundMAGIC. I'm gonna need to wear them for quite a while so I don't think the AKG really get me there.
 
So thank you to grayfox157 and Garrarty for the help!

No problem buddy, I think they will suit you pretty well, let us know how you like them

 
Spend some time with them, I feel like they are growing on me the longer I have them so, burn in maybe. My impressions may have been premature if thats the case but I didn't want to keep you waiting forever lol.

 

[Garraty]

  Alright, I think I've made my decision and I'm going with the SoundMAGIC. I'm gonna need to wear them for quite a while so I don't think the AKG really get me there.
 
So thank you to grayfox157 and Garrarty for the help!

No problem, dude! I hope you really enjoy the SoundMAGIC's, so make sure to post some impressions or a review later! 

 

[Feilong4]

My impressions so far..
 
NOTE: I am your average music enthusiast so I won't be able to really give an in depth of the sound all that much.
 
Build Quality
Very solid and doesn't really move when you shake your head. Headband also feels solid and very durable as long if you're not abusing them. The rotating ear cups are a bit iffy on my part though. I usually wear headphones with one ear open so I will be using that feature a lot and it seems like it could snap off if I use it too much but that's just my opinion. Very comfortable thanks to amazing ear pads and the really good padding on the headband. I could wear these for hours. The audio jack is gold plated has a decent strain relief .The proprietary cable feature is really good in my part since I wouldn't like the audio jack to rip out of the headphones if I stepped on the wire by accident or something (Twist to lock).The cord seems to have a bit of a rubbery texture to it but it's really short (1.2 m ~ 4 feet).
Overall, really solid build but it wouldn't hurt to have made the cable like 3 meters.
 
Sound
Now I don't really know how to explain it well but I would say that it is clean and honest. Comparing it to the ATH M50S, the M50S sound quite muddy after listening to the HP200. On the frequency chart given on the box, it shows a dip in the upper midrange (if I'm right) and you could definitely hear the dip in the vocals or something among those lines. The vocals sounds a bit recessed and distant. 
 
The bass is a bit of a hit or miss for me in some of the tracks that I listen to. In some songs it provides just the right amount of bass for me. It doesn't really sound warm or really emphasized to my ears. I would say that the bass is clean and tight. 
 
The midrange sounds a bit recessed as mentioned before and a bit distant so it gives it a bit of an atmospheric feel to it. The vocals sound very clean and detailed. In some songs, it would make me raise my eyebrows in a good and relaxed way (Can't explain it well but it's good but not exceptional)
 
The highs are non-fatiguing unlike the M50S where it sounds to make you cringe at higher volumes. The highs sound very realistic and clean and overall really just clean.I can really feel the sense of space when compared to the M50S.
 
 
Final thoughts: A very clean and non offensive sounding headphone that gives you a decent feel of space between the instruments. Overall, a great buy and a great transition to open back headphones.
 
Sorry I can't really explain my thoughts too well since I am not really experienced in giving impressions of audio so take what I say with a grain of salt just as my quote in my signature says.
 
NOTE: I am driving these off a Fiio Andes E07K and from an HP Laptop if that makes any difference.
 
I would like recommendations for Amp and DAC combos since I think the Fiio Andes doesn't really give the HP200 too much justice but who knows I could be entirely wrong.

 

[Garraty]

  My impressions so far..
 
NOTE: I am your average music enthusiast so I won't be able to really give an in depth of the sound all that much.
 
Final thoughts: A very clean and non offensive sounding headphone that gives you a decent feel of space between the instruments. Overall, a great buy and a great transition to open back headphones.
 
Sorry I can't really explain my thoughts too well since I am not really experienced in giving impressions of audio so take what I say with a grain of salt just as my quote in my signature says.
 
NOTE: I am driving these off a Fiio Andes E07K and from an HP Laptop if that makes any difference.
 
I would like recommendations for Amp and DAC combos since I think the Fiio Andes doesn't really give the HP200 too much justice but who knows I could be entirely wrong.

Nice review, dude! As for amp and/or DAC combos, perhaps the iDAC (maybe too expensive), the Schiit combo or the O2 combo?

 

[Feilong4]

  Nice review, dude! As for amp and/or DAC combos, perhaps the iDAC (maybe too expensive), the Schiit combo or the O2 combo?

I have been looking at the MayFlowers O2 Combo and the JDS Labs O2 Combo. Do you know if there's a difference between the two? There's about a 40 dollar difference.

 

[grayfox157]

  I have been looking at the MayFlowers O2 Combo and the JDS Labs O2 Combo. Do you know if there's a difference between the two? There's about a 40 dollar difference.

Mayflower seems like the better deal since they include the power supply so really its a 50 dollar difference. Should be the same as far as I know since they are following the same design.
 
I think they may benefit from the DAC but they don't really need an amp. I have to turn it down in foobar so that I can get above 9 o'clock on the volume since there are channel imbalance issues below that. They get really loud otherwise. Maybe get the gain custom at 1x/2.5x, I wish I had done that. Pretty much will never need the standard 6.5x option unless you really are using it as a  portable. Though even then with these particular headphones it would be unnecessary. I use them out of my iphone when I am walking outside and thats it.

 

[Feilong4]

Kind of a "2 month later report" and uhh.. I'm on my 2nd pair. Probably going to get a third as well.. My first pair fell out of my bed and starting to have like driver flex and making the crinkly noises (NOTE: My bed is literally like 2 feet from the ground). My 2nd pair which I have just received seems to be defected as the sound from the left earcup is making fuzzy almost static sounds when I move or when pushed on unlike the left where it makes like a clicking sound which it is supposed to do (Air pressure change). And then finding out that when listening to music, the left earcup is a bit quieter.

I know SoundMAGIC isn't really at fault here too much since my 2nd pair's box seems to have already been opened (tapes already cut) and Micca whom I've bought the headphones from via Amazon seems to be doing the whole cutting the tape and searching but I don't know.

I'm just really hoping they actually give me a new and fresh pair of headphones that do not seem to have been searched with.

Then again, I would like to hear other's experiences.

EDIT: I have been contacted and Micca has said that they have sent me refurbished headphones so makes me wonder if the first one I bought was refurbished as well. I have thought them to be new because it says "new" on Micca on Amazon.

 

[grayfox157]

That sucks man. I found them to be incredibly durable, hell I wore them out in the rain, now I may not have used them as much as you since they aren't my main pair, but now I wonder how they will hold up but so far so good for me.
 
That is disturbing about Micca, I also purchased from them and as far as I could tell mine were new but now I am trying to recall if I cut the tape or not....
 
I will make sure to avoid them in the future, they are definitely advertising these as new and not refurbished, I would complain to Amazon directly if possible.

 

[Feilong4]

UPDATE: 3/20/15
 
I have got them repaired straight from SoundMAGIC in China for a relatively fast repair.
 
I say relatively because the shipping was slow on my part. They had repaired and shipped out the item just 2 days ago and it has arrived.
 
I'm not going to lie, I teared up a little because I now remember how beautiful these sounded.
 
I recommend SoundMAGIC based on prompt communication and fast repair and shipment. I can't say the same about Micca though.

 

[grayfox157]

Thanks for the update, glad SoundMAGIC took care of you. Mine are still going strong but thats good to know SoundMAGIC can be counted on.
 
I actually was looking for a longer cord and came across all your posts, guess you couldn't find one since you are selling them. Funny, I never meant to keep these and I am still using them with my phone, they are really good. Just wish there was a longer cord mod or something since that extension really hurts them.
 
So are the k553 pros replacing them as your mains? How do they compare to the SoundMAGIC?

 

[Feilong4]

  Thanks for the update, glad SoundMAGIC took care of you. Mine are still going strong but thats good to know SoundMAGIC can be counted on.
 
I actually was looking for a longer cord and came across all your posts, guess you couldn't find one since you are selling them. Funny, I never meant to keep these and I am still using them with my phone, they are really good. Just wish there was a longer cord mod or something since that extension really hurts them.
 
So are the k553 pros replacing them as your mains? How do they compare to the SoundMAGIC?

Yeah, I actually remembered where I read about a replacement cable. It was in Twister's review here: http://www.head-fi.org/products/soundmagic-hp200/reviews/12294
 
Unfortunately, the link doesn't seem to work or the site is down at the moment so I don't know how long the cable is though.
 
I am selling my 2nd pair after making two warranty claims back-to-back for defects on both units which led to me to having them repaired directly at SoundMAGIC. So I thought I might as well sell a pair since I don't need two.
 
To be honest, I find myself still using my M50S with HM5 pads more for comfort and a closed design (as I have my fan on most of the time) and IEMs for portable uses.
 
 
But to compare the K553 Pro to the HP200, I'm not very good at painting a very well picture but here's what I think:
 
The HP200 are more "open" sounding due to the design
 
The HP200 do seem more harsh in the high-mids to highs, though I am very sensitive to sibilance.
 
I feel like the HP200 are more intimate making the mids very forward into the presentation 
 
The K553 are much more subdued and laid back sounding compared to the HP200, but it's a very clean and detailed presentation without being in-your-face like the HP200.
 
The bass is definitely behind the treble and mids but it's not lacking in my opinion, it's like a complimentary.
 
I do plan to sell the K553 though because the insides of my ears do touch the insides of my ears and hurt after maybe 30 mins. Nice "not-in-your-face" sound.

 

[Egoist]

You need to get the MSR7 they are the best I have tried for J-pop. I didn't really like the M-50X but I loved these. They are clearer and more comfortable. Makes the female and male vocals pop out.  

 

[AzraelDarkangel]

Nobody even suggested Audio-Technica AD900x? Heavenly female vocals. I may  get the AD1000x soon.

 

[Feilong4]

  You need to get the MSR7 they are the best I have tried for J-pop. I didn't really like the M-50X but I loved these. They are clearer and more comfortable. Makes the female and male vocals pop out.  

 
I have a pair of MSR7's coming in actually! Hopefully today, but USPS has almost always fail me on important packages being on time haha.

  Nobody even suggested Audio-Technica AD900x? Heavenly female vocals. I may  get the AD1000x soon.

Actually got the AD2000 now. Well, "AD2000 Drivers in a AD500X" mod from here on the forums. Sounds magical!