[Rezound Sound]

I'm not sure if this guy is a reputable source, but his claim seems to be interesting. It got me thinking, how do the Uptown's compare to the M50's? 
I heard some people say they weren't that great here, but he says otherwise. 
 

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Dunno yet. Will find out soon.
 
I wouldn't be surprised if they were. Or were not. The M50's are not that special. Easy to beat frankly. It's quite the over-hyped headphone for it's cost these days.
 
Very best,

 

[sml1226]

Immediate flaws:

The headband is steel, not aluminum
Spaghetti is not flat
There isn't a good and bad sibilance, hissing is hissing



Now more to the point, I don't really want to trust that site. The fact that it's only compared to the M50 with a slight nod toward the 840 makes me question what else has been demoed, and how they test anything other than these random people listening to them and saying they like them better. I hate to use this same old argument, but there are plenty of people that have simply never heard anything but Beats and they think they're the greatest thing in the world. What have these people actually listened to? Now the same question, but add "properly driven"? I especially worry about this when their "Over $300" category simply has pictures of higher end gear and a defensive statement saying it's silly to guide a person spending this kind of money in a specialized market (I see that as, "we don't want you blaming us for buying a $300+ headphone and hating it")

 

[karma]

The video review is for the Philips Uptown. The Downtown's the smaller, portable, supra-aural phone.

 

[Rezound Sound]

 
Quote:

The video review is for the Philips Uptown. The Downtown's the smaller, portable, supra-aural phone.

Whoops! I mixed up the names!
 

 

[Jshaw6000]

 
Quote:

Immediate flaws:
The headband is steel, not aluminum
Spaghetti is not flat
There isn't a good and bad sibilance, hissing is hissing
Now more to the point, I don't really want to trust that site. The fact that it's only compared to the M50 with a slight nod toward the 840 makes me question what else has been demoed, and how they test anything other than these random people listening to them and saying they like them better. I hate to use this same old argument, but there are plenty of people that have simply never heard anything but Beats and they think they're the greatest thing in the world. What have these people actually listened to? Now the same question, but add "properly driven"? I especially worry about this when their "Over $300" category simply has pictures of higher end gear and a defensive statement saying it's silly to guide a person spending this kind of money in a specialized market (I see that as, "we don't want you blaming us for buying a $300+ headphone and hating it")

 
Just thought I'd give you a little background on the reviewer in this video and the website owner, who just happen to be the same person. HeadphoneMecca is a one man show setup by the YouTube reviewer  "ThatSnazzyiPhoneGuy" or Quinn (TSIG on head-fi), who primarily set up the site to answer the never ending question of "what are the best headphones under $XXX" or "what are the best headphones for X genre" from his viewers. He is a self proclaimed audiophile and has what seems like enough experience to back that up (just search his channel for many of his headphone and audio product reviews). Unfortunately, being 1 of 1 and managing a website that covers a subject with endless possibilities means that lots of things will have to be excluded/delayed, not to mention that's at 2 months old, HM is a relatively new website. I'm not surprised that there are no $300+ listings. 
 
That said, I'm going to go ahead and pick these up tomorrow at Best Buy and I'll see if he's right about them being better than the M50s. 

 

[TSIG]

Hi there,

I'm the guy in the video proclaiming the Uptown's greatness, and I'd like to clarify what I mean on Head-Fi as the audience I reach on YouTube is much more broad and not as knowledgeable. These are not the best headphones under $200. When compared against the DT770 PRO amongst others, the Uptown are put to shame; however, 99.9% of my audience doesn't have the proper equipment to power a less efficient headphone. Nearly all of them are playing their music through their iPhones and iPods with the occasional cheap headphone amp like the FiiO E7. Because of this, I posted such a positive review because I genuinely do feel that they supersede the M50 when in casual use.

Now, I will not claim know everything about audio, but I do have a decent amount of knowledge, and have been purchasing nice equipment for years. I own a Woo WA6, HD 650, D5000 Markl Mod, DT990 600 ohm, HiFiMAN HE-300, etc. Nonetheless, here's what I think of the Uptown:

First off, the low end is not so dominant which is what I always felt to be a drawback on the M50. Conversely, the high-end is very nice and clear, but not overpowering either. The mids are where these headphones really can show up the M50. I always felt that the bass on the M50 bled into the otherwise unremarkable midsection; however, the Uptown have really warm and exaggerated mids. This makes listening to classic rock guitar solos amazing. Not to mention the fact that female vocals sound lush and concise. I won't try to pretend that the Uptown are accurate, because I don't believe that they are. They are very warm and buttery and smooth which I feel makes for a fun listening experience, but not an analytical one like many competition. Soundstage is surprisingly good (something I found to be less than remarkable in the M50), especially for an inexpensive closed-back can. Imaging is nice but nothing out of this world. The Uptown are starkingly efficient (even more so than the M50) and actually don't respond well to amplification which I consider a drawback. The sound does open up and improve when plugged into my Epiphany EHP-O2 or my WA6, but there is a noticeable hiss. Again, though, for most of my viewers, they're not amplifing their source, so the Uptown are more well suited for them.

Again, my audience is not an audiophile audience. They're mostly low-level consumers just beginning to enter the higher audio quality market, and I feel like the Uptown's sound would be more fitting for more people in more genres on more playback devices. Not to mention the build quality and comfort of the M50 is surpassed by the Uptown (other than that stupid spaghetti cable).

 

[TSIG]

 
Quote:

I especially worry about this when their "Over $300" category simply has pictures of higher end gear and a defensive statement saying it's silly to guide a person spending this kind of money in a specialized market (I see that as, "we don't want you blaming us for buying a $300+ headphone and hating it")

 
This is not at all why that section is left blank.  Headphone Mecca is designed for headphone buyers trying to move up from Apple earbuds, cheap Skullcandy buds, or Beats by Dre—not an audiophile.  People who come to this Web site just want a good pair of headphones to use with the source they already have such as an iPod.  The headphones I recommend on Headphone Mecca are all ones that are easily driven by a low powered portable source like an iPhone.  The reason the $300+ section is left blank is not because I fear of recommending headphones people will not like, rather, once your surpass this price point, you're (especially) going to need a lot more than just an iPhone.  You'll need a DAC, and AMP, a phono pre if you're moving from an analog source, the list goes on, really.  That's why I don't go past $250—because once you pass that, you'll need a lot more equipment to maximize your sound—not because I fear of recommending headphones people won't enjoy.

 

[Makiah S]

Very nice, glad to see your able to stand your ground, It's good that you understand your audience enough to know what they'll benefit from more!

 

[formula1]

 
Quote:

Again, my audience is not an audiophile audience. They're mostly low-level consumers just beginning to enter the higher audio quality market, and I feel like the Uptown's sound would be more fitting for more people in more genres on more playback devices. Not to mention the build quality and comfort of the M50 is surpassed by the Uptown (other than that stupid spaghetti cable).

 
Right. This makes sense. 

 

[TSIG]

 
Quote:

 
Right. This makes sense. 

Can't decide if you're being facetious or not. 
 
One other thing, and I know it's ridiculous: looks.  I know none of us really care what our gear looks like, but for low-level consumers trying to spend less and get (much) more by avoiding wretched Beats by Dre, they often select headphones that may be inferior just because they look cool.  So I have to consider this when publishing a review, and the Uptown do look mighty nice if I do say so myself.  Sound is always the deciding factor, but looks play a role in my ratings as well.  Luckily the Uptown have both good sound and looks to boot.

 

[tdockweiler]

I saw these at Bestbuy and they looked very comfortable. I trust his opinion on these since he's the guy that gave the DJ100 a favorable review and that's my favorite headphone in the world.
I think if they're "very warm" I wouldn't like them. HD-600 is basically my limit in terms of how warm a headphone can be. When I heard them in the store they seemed a bit too warm, but demos are always bad.
 
Wonder if they have any similarities to the Koss Pro DJ100? Probably much more warm and less forward upper mids.

 

[sml1226]

This is not at all why that section is left blank.  Headphone Mecca is designed for headphone buyers trying to move up from Apple earbuds, cheap Skullcandy buds, or Beats by Dre—not an audiophile.  People who come to this Web site just want a good pair of headphones to use with the source they already have such as an iPod.  The headphones I recommend on Headphone Mecca are all ones that are easily driven by a low powered portable source like an iPhone.  The reason the $300+ section is left blank is not because I fear of recommending headphones people will not like, rather, once your surpass this price point, you're (especially) going to need a lot more than just an iPhone.  You'll need a DAC, and AMP, a phono pre if you're moving from an analog source, the list goes on, really.  That's why I don't go past $250—because once you pass that, you'll need a lot more equipment to maximize your sound—not because I fear of recommending headphones people won't enjoy.

I didn't bother to find out how old the site was honestly... I'm just quick to criticize here. I like what you're trying to do there, but I felt it was neglecting anything but the top three in each bracket, not showcasing the best. I do apologize for the little rant there, it just appears a bit limited in its ability to suggest something to buy when it only mentions three, and has no form of honorable mention or alternatives available. That may be due to the early age of the site, but I feel it could be a better source of information if there were others (what it was up against if nothing else), and not simply the three showcased phones.

 

[TSIG]

 
Quote:

Wonder if they have any similarities to the Koss Pro DJ100? Probably much more warm and less forward upper mids.

 
The similarities are few.  They have the same prominence in the low end wherein it can be powerful, but is never overbearing to interfere with the lower mids.  It is a warm headphone by nature, but after a few dozen hours of burn-in it seems to improve.  Upper mids are unfortunately not as forward as the DJ 100, but they're not far off, and I love the power in the highs—it's amongst the most pleasant high end I've ever heard on headphones even twice the price as these.  Percussion (especially cymbals) sound amazing(!) and pierce through the track with power but stray away from sibilance.

 

[Llloyd]

Hi TSIG.  I've actually probably watched all of your videos for quite a while now.  I usually point my non audio crazy friends to your channel if they ask me about certain things.  I think it's a good way for non ultra-snobby regular people to learn new things and get into audio without all of the condescending talk that can go on.  Also, I was under the impression that you weren't doing any more videos, I guess you just haven't left yet.  It's also good for people who just want to buy something without doing insane research in the audiophile world.  
 
Anyway, the m50 is really nothing special.  It's a fun set, but besides that I would never personally use it because of the sig.  I generally recommend it to bassheads.  The soundstage is so closed on the m50 for me, but depending on the friend or person I will recommend it.  With the m50 @ $150 nowadays, it's not really a good value at all I don't think.  Anyway.  Nice review.  
 
The uptowns intrigued me since I saw them.  I think Jude posted a photo with them as well so he liked them enough to listen to them at least some on his own time.