[Curly21029]

Amped impressions: I ran the M4U 2 passively out of my Nuforce Icon HD. (amp/DAC)  There was a noticeable increase in spaciousness, airiness, and more bass impact/presence over passive or active running out of the MacBook Pro.  It wasn't a huge difference, but it was there.  A nice combination, but I still think that running passively directly out of the headphone port is the most impressed I've been with this headphone for no other reason than its ability to clean up a mediocre source.  But again, they're not the final word in detail and the addition of the Nuforce did not definitively help in this regard.  However, for someone looking to listen to MP3s/lossy content without the support of an external DAC I'm struggling to find a better recommendation than the M4U.
 
Comfort wise, I'll admit that I just can't completely get used to these.  I threw my K550 on last night and was immediately struck by how weightless they seemed on my head in comparison. (along with the vast increase in soundstage)  Removing the electronics from the M4U 1 should help alleviate some heft, but having the headband sit in a very small spot at the peak of my head coupled with the clamping force is really tough on me.  I've gotten what seems like a pressure-induced headache (very strange... tough to explain) several times wearing these that I've never experienced with other headphones.  It may just be my head and nobody else will encounter this issue, but for me this is of great concern.  If there's more give to the new material used on the headband then it could make a world of difference, so I'd like to give these another chance when the design is updated.
 
For now, these are going back.  I received my return authorization and it'll be shipped out today or tomorrow.

 

[jsulmeyer]

I've been listening to the M4U2s for about a month and I'm definitely a big, big fan. However, I've been experiencing an issue that I brought to the attention of PSB and wanted to find out if anyone else has experienced something similar:
 
The other day, while sitting in my studio, I noticed that I was getting feedback/interference, depending on where I sat and where I was facing. After turning off all of my electronics one-by-one, I finally discovered that the issue was between the M4U2s and my Apple Time Capsule router. When I unplugged the Time Capsule, the interference immediately stopped.
 
A few days later, I had a similar experience, only this time I was sitting up in bed and the interference was due to a cordless phone in it's cradle next to the bed. Again, as soon as I unplugged the cradle from it's power source, the feedback disappeared.
 
In both instances, the headphones were either in active or noise cancelation mode. There was no feedback when in passive mode.
 
As a test, I picked up a pair of Bose Quite Comfort noise canceling headphones and they did not have any feedback/interference issues in either setting.
 
I contacted PSB, who said they had never received any feedback from other users experiencing this or similar issues and said they would pass the feedback on to their engineering department - and to Paul Barton, himself - and suggested that I try ordering a replacement pair, to see if the new ones behave the same way.
 
Has anyone else had any issues with electronic interference or feedback when in active or noise canceling modes? Would anyone with a cordless phone and/or an Apple Time Capsule or similar devices be willing to see if the same thing happens for you?
 
Many thanks,
 
John

 

[PolkManiac]

Yes, I have the same issue, it's like a faint chirping sound, when I'm at work next to my wireless headset.  I had the exact same issue with my Polk UltraFocus 8000 and at this point just assume it's the nature of the beast.

 

[Curly21029]

Interesting comments above.  Depending on environment, this feedback issue should be a purchasing consideration.

 

[jsulmeyer]

I LOVE the way these headphones sound and the only things giving me pause about keeping them are the interference/feedback I mentioned above and the creaking of the left hinge area (not sure if it't the hinge itself or the plastic.  Wondering if others out there would refrain from buying them due to these two issues or if these issues wouldn't be deal breakers for you...

 

[lubczyk]

Quote:

Amped impressions: I ran the M4U 2 passively out of my Nuforce Icon HD. (amp/DAC)  There was a noticeable increase in spaciousness, airiness, and more bass impact/presence over passive or active running out of the MacBook Pro.  It wasn't a huge difference, but it was there.  A nice combination, but I still think that running passively directly out of the headphone port is the most impressed I've been with this headphone for no other reason than its ability to clean up a mediocre source.  But again, they're not the final word in detail and the addition of the Nuforce did not definitively help in this regard.  However, for someone looking to listen to MP3s/lossy content without the support of an external DAC I'm struggling to find a better recommendation than the M4U.
 
Comfort wise, I'll admit that I just can't completely get used to these.  I threw my K550 on last night and was immediately struck by how weightless they seemed on my head in comparison. (along with the vast increase in soundstage)  Removing the electronics from the M4U 1 should help alleviate some heft, but having the headband sit in a very small spot at the peak of my head coupled with the clamping force is really tough on me.  I've gotten what seems like a pressure-induced headache (very strange... tough to explain) several times wearing these that I've never experienced with other headphones.  It may just be my head and nobody else will encounter this issue, but for me this is of great concern.  If there's more give to the new material used on the headband then it could make a world of difference, so I'd like to give these another chance when the design is updated.
 
For now, these are going back.  I received my return authorization and it'll be shipped out today or tomorrow.

Which sound did you prefer, the AKG 550 or the PSB M4U2?

 

[AnakChan]

Which sound did you prefer, the AKG 550 or the PSB M4U2?

I know this isn't directed to me but could I give my personal preference anyway? The M4U 2 would be my preference. The K550's were rather too bass light for me whereas the M4U 2 felt more balanced than the K550's.

 

[lubczyk]

Quote:

I know this isn't directed to me but could I give my personal preference anyway? The M4U 2 would be my preference. The K550's were rather too bass light for me whereas the M4U 2 felt more balanced than the K550's.

Thank you for your input. I find it very helpful!!! *Scratches K550 off list*

 

[Curly21029]

Quote:

Which sound did you prefer, the AKG 550 or the PSB M4U2?

 
 
While I won't go in-depth at this juncture, I'll state that my feelings parallel AnakChan's above.  It's not that I feel the K550 is lacking in bass, though.  To me, the quantity is sufficient and quality is very good.  The tipped-up bass response of the M4U is both fun when it needs to be and unobtrusive when it's not necessary.  Couple that with a nice sense of neutrality (as opposed to some treble accentuation on the K550) across the rest of the spectrum and the M4U is just a great sounding headphone.
 
...although, the K550 sounds more open, has better detail retrieval, better comfort, better build quality, and nicer aesthetics. (according to my opinion, of course)

 

[lubczyk]

Quote:

 
 
While I won't go in-depth at this juncture, I'll state that my feelings parallel AnakChan's above.  It's not that I feel the K550 is lacking in bass, though.  To me, the quantity is sufficient and quality is very good.  The tipped-up bass response of the M4U is both fun when it needs to be and unobtrusive when it's not necessary.  Couple that with a nice sense of neutrality (as opposed to some treble accentuation on the K550) across the rest of the spectrum and the M4U is just a great sounding headphone.
 
...although, the K550 sounds more open, has better detail retrieval, better comfort, better build quality, and nicer aesthetics. (according to my opinion, of course)

*Juts down notes* Thank you that is very informative and helpful. Thank you for the input.

 

[frogger02]

Hey there, first post. I recently purchased a pair of M4U2s as a pair of portable/at home headphones (although they may not have been as portable as I was hoping, but I got them for a good deal ), as the speaker system I have been eyeing for a long time is proving far too expensive as I save for long term travel. Anyway (and please feel free to redirect me to post this somewhere else, I just know many forums despise the creation of countless new threads), as much as I am already enjoying the sound from these headphones, I have heard that a DAC can greatly improve sound quality (as my current source is straight from my computer *guilty expression*. As such I am looking for advice for a low cost headphone DAC, but the reason I am asking for specific advice is due to the active mode in these headphones. That is to say, as they are already amplified (or have the capability of being amplified) would I be better off looking for a straight DAC (and if so, any suggestions?) or should I look at one of the low cost headphone dac/amp alternatives that there is so much discussion about and just run the headphones in passive mode? On a related side note, I have a 2.1 logitech set up on my desktop already, which despite sounding relatively horrible, does provide some use when I don't want to have headphones on, and I was wondering if the use of a DACwould provide trouble when trying to switch between the two outputs (headphones/speakers). Thanks for any advice!

 

[kenji458]

You can take a look into the standalone ODAC from JDS Labs for your M4U 2

 

[AnakChan]

You can take a look into the standalone ODAC from JDS Labs for your M4U 2

?? How do you intend to control the volume? The active M4U 2 has no volume control, nor does the ODAC. Do you mean control the volume from the PC/notebook?

 

[frogger02]

I did have a look into the ODAC and it looked pretty good, though the lack of volume control did worry me a bit. Would this be an issue? Are there any other DACs you would recommend? Also, as the majority of my music is only mp3, will I really benefit from a DAC enough to make the purchase worthwhile?

 

[AnakChan]

Quote:

I did have a look into the ODAC and it looked pretty good, though the lack of volume control did worry me a bit. Would this be an issue? Are there any other DACs you would recommend? Also, as the majority of my music is only mp3, will I really benefit from a DAC enough to make the purchase worthwhile?

 
OK. So even though the PSB M4U 2 has an active amp, AFAIK, you're supposed to use it -with- an amp. i.e. you're not supposed to use it directly with the line-out of a DAC. i.e. you can plug the M4U 2 straight out of the smartphone headphone jack, or with an ODAC+O2 Amp, or some other DAC/Amp combo (RSA Predator, iBasso D-Zero, etc.). But I don't believe you're supposed to plug the M4U 2 straight to a DAC-only such as the ODAC, or line-out. You potentially could damage your headphones if you do.