[Gwarmi]

 Take a look at this..
 
 http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/hometech/threeway-shootout-overear-headphones-20120704-21fyj.html
 
 Perhaps I should take my own medicine and not criticize the noise cancelling PSB M4U2 unit given
 that I have not heard it. However, I have yet to hear any noise cancellers (new ATH-ANC9 included)
 to rival the sonic goodness of the K550 especially. The Spirit One was a tad too warm to my ears.
 
 But this verdict appears a little silly - a noise canceller scoring 5 from 5 over the K550's more
 modest 4/5 followed by the Spirit One's mediocre 3 out of 5.
 
 I'm wondering if this guy would still prefer his PSB unit over any of the flagships to be honest.
 
 Here's the problem - he's a writer for the digital section of a major newspaper in Australia.

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

 
 Perhaps I should take my own medicine and not criticize the noise cancelling PSB M4U2 unit given
 that I have not heard it.

 
Good advice.
 
I have them and they are perhaps the best overall sounding headphone I've owned. I don't really like closed headphones but the sound of the PSB leaves me no choice. And I use them in passive mode, haven't even put the batteries in, so NC is not a factor.

 

[Gwarmi]

Quote:

 
Good advice.
 
I have them and they are perhaps the best overall sounding headphone I've owned. I don't really like closed headphones but the sound of the PSB leaves me no choice. And I use them in passive mode, haven't even put the batteries in, so NC is not a factor.

 
Wow Beagle. Head-Fi wonders in 2012 will never cease and we're only just half way over the tipping point in July.
 
My top three unexpected Head-Fi moments would rank as follows :-
 
1) Sennheiser RS220 - Your average punter would never understand the little nuances that separate this
 from a HD600 - they just see that it has no wires and that the SQ overall is about 90%.
 
2) SMS Audio 50 Cent - Really thought this would be a dog headphone from a nameless brand. Wrong.
 
3) Noise cancellers now competing with rival $400 passive closed cans from major players like AKG
 Sennheiser and the like.
 
Lastly, who are the people behind brands like PSB and SMS Audio? It seems like only 12 months
ago these start-up makes never had a chance against the old guard. Not anymore it seems. All bets are off.

 

[Extra]

Quote:

 
Lastly, who are the people behind brands like PSB and SMS Audio? It seems like only 12 months
ago these start-up makes never had a chance against the old guard. Not anymore it seems. All bets are off.

Uh, PSB is a well respected Audiophile speaker maker. SMS, however, is a recent start-up. 

 

[TMRaven]

PSB speakers sound really good for their price.  I'm a big supporter of Paul Barton.  He applies the perfect mix of research, psychoacoustics and actual anechoic measuring of his equipment.

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

 
Wow Beagle. Head-Fi wonders in 2012 will never cease and we're only just half way over the tipping point in July.
 

 
 

Lastly, who are the people behind brands like PSB and SMS Audio? It seems like only 12 months
ago these start-up makes never had a chance against the old guard. Not anymore it seems. All bets are off.

 
You sound surprised that PSB speaker designer Paul Barton, after years of testing his headphone in the NRC facilities, could come up with something that would bury overrated pieces of dung from established brands.

 

[Gwarmi]

Quote:

 
 
 
You sound surprised that PSB speaker designer Paul Barton, after years of testing his headphone in the NRC facilities, could come up with something that would bury overrated pieces of dung from established brands.

 
 Total ignorance on my behalf there - so many speaker manufacturers around the globe these days. I'd simply never heard of the guy 

 

[Beagle]

I'm sure you'd like them. The problem is that people look at them and think "Beats", and think "noise-cancelling" and go "YEEECCCCKKKK!" and write them off. That's what I did initially when told they were noise cancelling. But when the dealer told me they had a passive option, I tried them out and really liked them. Now, two months later, I love them.

 

[DnB4Guy]

 
Good advice.
 
I have them and they are perhaps the best overall sounding headphone I've owned. I don't really like closed headphones but the sound of the PSB leaves me no choice. And I use them in passive mode, haven't even put the batteries in, so NC is not a factor.

 
Beagle's Headphone Inventory from public profile: 
AKG K701
Audeze LCD-2 (MK II)
Beyerdynamic DT411, DT880, DT1350
Denon D2000
Focal Spirit One
Grado SR60, SR80, SR200, RS-1, HF-2
HiFiman HE-5LE, HE-300
KRK 6400, 8400
Phiaton MS400
PSB M4U 2
Sennheiser PX-100, HD540, HD600 HD558
SHURE SRH940 SRH1440
Yamaha HP-1, YHD-1
 
I think that's really saying something about these cans! 

 

[roma101]

Agreed I'm looking forward to more impressions of these. About time there was a new game changer in town.

Beagle if you ever do get a chance to try them with the NC on, I would really appreciate your impressions.

 

[Beagle]

Will do.
 
Only criticisms I have are with the build quality and the pads. PSB has chosen a very brittle plastic which creaks and literally cracks in the top of the headband. They are working on a fix for this. The pads stiffen up during non-use and you have to re-soften them by wearing them for a while. On the other hand, this would seem to indicate that the pads are durable and will stay in shape for a long time.
 
Can't wait for the regular non-NC version in the fall.