[JulesK]

Quote:

I concur, I think they open up quite noticeably when "switched on". The level of volume does not matter, I will turn player down just to have them switched on. Not about volume, about expansion, clarity and weight. IMO

I agree as well.  It's not night-and-day different compared with a high-quality passive pair of headphones in this price range (say, $300, which isn't cheap by any stretch), but noticeable.  The sound is more dynamic (and maybe because of this seems to have more clarity; not sure) and has more weight, and therefore feels as if it has more depth.  Now, whether it is more accurate is hard to really know, but it certainly is more enjoyable.  At one point I toyed with getting a full desktop rig (because, after hearing the Beyer T5p, you really get a taste of what clarity, space and depth in a headphone can be), but have put off the idea because it's not practical for me, and the sound of these in active mode is good enough.  For day-to-day listening, I actually use a pair of Sony MDR-1RBT, because the cord can be annoying and the sound of those headphones is quite good.  But these are better, but with the trade-off of the cord.  (For those who think that going wireless doesn't make a difference, try it.  It's great.)

 

[searchy]

This is an update to my original post where I experienced static and clicking when the headphones are put into Active mode. I have since returned them and received a new pair. Unfortunately, the static still exists.
 
When I contacted PSB, they said my pair was probably defective and that there wasn't supposed to be a static noise. Now that both pairs I've had experience the same problem, I suspect that the static is due to the design of the headphones.
 
The static is hard for some people to hear but clear as day to me. The person that I purchased the headphones from could not hear the static, neither could my parents. However, my brother could hear it and he is younger than me.
 
My theory is that since hearing decreases with age, the designer did not hear the problem either. Paul Barton who designed the headphones is past the age of 40. After passing 40, one will have trouble hearing high pitched noises. My brother and I can hear the static because we are young. If not for the static, the M4U 2s would be perfect.
 
Do not buy if you are young and would be annoyed by a constant buzzing in your ear when listening to music.

 

[Craigster75]

Quote:

This is an update to my original post where I experienced static and clicking when the headphones are put into Active mode. I have since returned them and received a new pair. Unfortunately, the static still exists.
 
When I contacted PSB, they said my pair was probably defective and that there wasn't supposed to be a static noise. Now that both pairs I've had experience the same problem, I suspect that the static is due to the design of the headphones.
 
The static is hard for some people to hear but clear as day to me. The person that I purchased the headphones from could not hear the static, neither could my parents. However, my brother could hear it and he is younger than me.
 
My theory is that since hearing decreases with age, the designer did not hear the problem either. Paul Barton who designed the headphones is past the age of 40. After passing 40, one will have trouble hearing high pitched noises. My brother and I can hear the static because we are young. If not for the static, the M4U 2s would be perfect.
 
Do not buy if you are young and would be annoyed by a constant buzzing in your ear when listening to music.

So, even if we accept your premise that no one over 40 (like myself) can hear static, are you saying that PSB invested millions of $$$ in a headphone that no one under 40 bothered to test before going into production and that Paul Barton tested them by himself in a bubble? 
 
Could it be more likely that the static is being caused by interference with the amp and your music player/phone that is fairly common with headphone amps???

 

[bort99]

Hi all, thanks for your advice re: whether the 2's amp is worth the extra money. I went ahead and bought the 2. I've spent a couple of days with them, and of course my experience is totally subjective, but this it so far:
 
-Right off the bat, these sound super-bassy and a little dull to me. Granted, the phones I'm comparing them to are the Sennheiser HD-280s, which are a bit bass-light, but the bass here almost seems to overwhelm. I feel like the high midrange is a bit scooped, bringing vocals and guitars down significantly in most mixes. On the iPod I'm using, I always ran the HD-280 on flat EQ, and I had to boost treble and midrange to get any acceptable sound from the PSBs.
 
-Turning on NC improves things to my ears. Bass recedes a little, and upper-mids and highs come up. Is this a typical experience? I imagine it's not typical to prefer NC mode, and the idea that NC changes perceived EQ significantly runs counter to most reviews of these.
 
So, I'm wondering:
 
-Is it possible that I got a bum pair?
 
-Do I just need to get used to them? As I said, the pair I'm comparing them to is the Sennheiser HD-280.
 
Incidentally, they arrived with no batteries and neither adaptor in the package, but I'm contemplating exchanging them on that basis just to see if a new pair sounds any better.

 

[Craigster75]

Quote:

Hi all, thanks for your advice re: whether the 2's amp is worth the extra money. I went ahead and bought the 2. I've spent a couple of days with them, and of course my experience is totally subjective, but this it so far:
 
-Right off the bat, these sound super-bassy and a little dull to me. Granted, the phones I'm comparing them to are the Sennheiser HD-280s, which are a bit bass-light, but the bass here almost seems to overwhelm. I feel like the high midrange is a bit scooped, bringing vocals and guitars down significantly in most mixes. On the iPod I'm using, I always ran the HD-280 on flat EQ, and I had to boost treble and midrange to get any acceptable sound from the PSBs.
 
-Turning on NC improves things to my ears. Bass recedes a little, and upper-mids and highs come up. Is this a typical experience? I imagine it's not typical to prefer NC mode, and the idea that NC changes perceived EQ significantly runs counter to most reviews of these.
 
So, I'm wondering:
 
-Is it possible that I got a bum pair?
 
-Do I just need to get used to them? As I said, the pair I'm comparing them to is the Sennheiser HD-280.
 
Incidentally, they arrived with no batteries and neither adaptor in the package, but I'm contemplating exchanging them on that basis just to see if a new pair sounds any better.

That's not how I hear them, but it is possible you just don't like their sound.

 

[searchy]

Quote:

So, even if we accept your premise that no one over 40 (like myself) can hear static, are you saying that PSB invested millions of $$$ in a headphone that no one under 40 bothered to test before going into production and that Paul Barton tested them by himself in a bubble? 

I would expect a reputable sound company to test the sound quality of their products not by ear but using sophisticated machines. A sensitive waveform machine would have definitely picked up the static noise that I hear. Maybe some of their engineers knew about the problem but couldn't find a solution in time. Paul Barton didn't want to push back the release date even further to fix a problem he can't hear himself.
 
Quote:

Could it be more likely that the static is being caused by interference with the amp and your music player/phone that is fairly common with headphone amps???

 
The static exists even when I disconnect any cords connected to the headphones. I have tried to get as far away from any interference as possible (basement closet) but it's still there.

 

[HeyWaj10]

I have been using my M4U2s for several months now, and have continued to hear static/electrical noise when in active and/or NC modes. Honestly guys, it's really not that big a deal. When playing music, you can't even hear it. Of course, some people just find ways to complain about things, but I still find these phones incredibly enjoyable. Do I wish it wasn't there? Sure. But it's definitely not a deal breaker for me. Remember, these ARE the first go at headphones for this company...it could simply be something with the circuitry of the internal amp that was not discovered in early tests. Or, it was and they just didn't want to push release date back, as mentioned earlier. If it's something that really grinds your gears to hear it when no music is playing, then move on and purchase something different.

 

[JulesK]

Quote:

I would expect a reputable sound company to test the sound quality of their products not by ear but using sophisticated machines. A sensitive waveform machine would have definitely picked up the static noise that I hear. Maybe some of their engineers knew about the problem but couldn't find a solution in time. Paul Barton didn't want to push back the release date even further to fix a problem he can't hear himself.
 
 
The static exists even when I disconnect any cords connected to the headphones. I have tried to get as far away from any interference as possible (basement closet) but it's still there.

I don't think that the headphones are free of some sort of electrical noise; you can hear a slight hum when you go to active mode (and in NC mode, but virtually all the ANC headphones I've tried make some sort of noise when on).  But if you want something completely silent when the amp is on and music is off, that may be beyond this price range.
 
There are, however, occasions when I hear real static, which I attribute to electrical interference.  It's too bad that the headphones aren't better shielded, but for me, at least, it's rare enough that it's not a bother.  But it's is certainly there, but definitely not constant with my unit.
 
But then again, I don't have young ears, so maybe it's worse than I perceive! 

 

[Craigster75]

Quote:

I have been using my M4U2s for several months now, and have continued to hear static/electrical noise when in active and/or NC modes. Honestly guys, it's really not that big a deal. When playing music, you can't even hear it. Of course, some people just find ways to complain about things, but I still find these phones incredibly enjoyable. Do I wish it wasn't there? Sure. But it's definitely not a deal breaker for me. Remember, these ARE the first go at headphones for this company...it could simply be something with the circuitry of the internal amp that was not discovered in early tests. Or, it was and they just didn't want to push release date back, as mentioned earlier. If it's something that really grinds your gears to hear it when no music is playing, then move on and purchase something different.

I have the exact same issue with my $600 Vamp.  I believe it is inherent interference with amps and wifi/3G.

 

[sune]

@ bort99
 
I moved to these from Sen HD-380's and found the PSB's to be a little dull/bass heavy. With some use I've found the PSB's to be much better voiced and balanced and listening to my HD-380's, the PSB's make these a little sound bright and non natural. This might be part brain shift, part PSB break in, regardless but you might want to give it a little while.
 
@ Interference / Active mode
 
* In nc + active modes there is a lot of interference from sources like WIFI and mobile broadband. Using the PSB's in any active modes with my 4. gen. iPad, I often have to turn off WIFI to avoid all sorts of annoying noise.
* Active mode amplifies so much, that the noise floor becomes very evident with a lot of sources.
* I get a lot of ground type hum issue's on a few different computers, usb hubs etc. when in active modes (The kind that goes away when you touch the source)
 
* In noise canceling mode there is white noise (to be expected from any nc phones I guess). No bettor or worse than my goldring ns-1000.
 
At the end of the day the great sound makes me happy with my purchase. But these kind of issues should not be in a product designed to work with mobile devices on the go, especially not in the price range (My Goldring ns-1000 had non of these issues and cost 1/7 :-O ) I need noise canceling when on the go and I'm willing to live with interference while out and about. When at home/work either I use a decent amp or live with slightly "lesser" sound. So overall no active mode for me.
 
While PSB support believes that mine is an isolated case and sent me for an exchange at my dealer (which I did not do), by now user reports clearly show that there is a problem with the design or they have a lot of bad units out there.

 

[bort99]

Thanks for the thoughts, Sune and Craigster75. Ultimately, I decided I just didn't like the sound.
 
I think it's worth saying here that if you like a fairly bright-sounding headphone, these might not be for you. For reference, sets I enjoy include the aforementioned Sennheiser HD-280, Grado's s80i and Etymotic HF5 IEMs.

 

[sune]

Good for you, just move on and have fun I just auditioned an Aune T1, which did not work at all well with the PSB's (for my tastes). A workmate tried it with his brighter and leaner sounding Shures and it was a match made in heaven.

 

[honnix]

Hi,
 
Just got my m4u 2, but with a problem. The mute button on the cord with control function doesn't work, no matter under which mode, but the other cord works.
 
Anyone here has the same problem? Or this is definitely a defect and I should go to PSB to get a replacement? Thanks.

 

[searchy]

Quote:

Hi,
 
Just got my m4u 2, but with a problem. The mute button on the cord with control function doesn't work, no matter under which mode, but the other cord works.
 
Anyone here has the same problem? Or this is definitely a defect and I should go to PSB to get a replacement? Thanks.

This is most likely a defect. The quality control on these headphones are not all that great. It's PSB's first time rolling out a pair of headphones so there are lots of problems.
I suggest that you contact PSB and also your dealer for a replacement.
 
While the M4Us have many problems, PSB got MANY things right with their first shot. The mute button is a very useful feature. On all the PSB cords I have used, the mute button works when in Active or NC mode. The button requires a bit too much force to depress and I can't hold it for too long, but at least I don't have to take off my headphones when a flight attendant is trying to speak to me. I love that in NC mode, pressing the mute button keeps the NC engaged and AMPLIFIES voice. This feature alone makes it preferable over Bose. Sorry for the tangent

 

[JulesK]

This is most likely a defect. The quality control on these headphones are not all that great. It's PSB's first time rolling out a pair of headphones so there are lots of problems.
I suggest that you contact PSB and also your dealer for a replacement.

While the M4Us have many problems, PSB got MANY things right with their first shot. The mute button is a very useful feature. On all the PSB cords I have used, the mute button works when in Active or NC mode. The button requires a bit too much force to depress and I can't hold it for too long, but at least I don't have to take off my headphones when a flight attendant is trying to speak to me. I love that in NC mode, pressing the mute button keeps the NC engaged and AMPLIFIES voice. This feature alone makes it preferable over Bose. Sorry for the tangent

Agree that the Mute button requires too much force. You also have to press in the right place (raised icon). But it does work, but hard enough that taking headphones off is a viable alternative.