[sunneebear]

  right on, lot of people have told me the hd650s get better after time and the pads break in and the clamp gets looser....ive been stretchign em and this is where im at now, they arent tight but the way they sit right on the joints of my jaw it is very uncomfortable - but hoping it will get better if i can get them stretched out more so they basically just sit on my ears lol
 

A long time ago I also stretched my HD600 out using speaker also.  The internal metal band can handle a lot of bending before they reshape.  You have to watch out for the plastic cover.  I've seen some people crack their's right where your thumb is.

 

[audiojun]

I basically fixed my HD650 clamp with 2 bends. Just extended those suckers to the maximum point while grabing only the metal extender from one side only and bend that sucker hard (don't bend the plastic!), then repeat on the other side. Basically fixed it easy, don't be a wuss bend it hard!

btw ma900 is a great casual headphone to listen to. It may not be as resolving as an HD650 but it has it beat on soundstage and comfort.

 

[thesmokingman]

The ma900 costs a lot less than the hd650. A more apt comparison would be the Z7 to the hd650. The z7 has all the things that the 900 doesn't.

 

[Sp12er3]

I've tried the Z7, its build is quite magnificent, and it has plush padding and all that, but I wouldn't say its as comfortable and as a semi open (with that big port id say it is) It doesn't have the soundstage. The lower frequency it output is mesmerizing though.

I'd say every headphone enthusiast need to have 1 headphone that sounds good enough, but is comfortable to be worn on the duration it's used, and for me the MA is just it... I know that X2, R70x, AD2000x, HD600 and all that have better technicality in the way they render sound, but their comfort is just not good enough for me.

 

[zomvid]

Is the K712 close to the MA900 in terms of comfort? Or at least closer than the ones already mentioned above?
I can't stand the HD60X clamping force. 

 

[thesmokingman]

I've tried the Z7, its build is quite magnificent, and it has plush padding and all that, but I wouldn't say its as comfortable and as a semi open (with that big port id say it is) It doesn't have the soundstage. The lower frequency it output is mesmerizing though.

I'd say every headphone enthusiast need to have 1 headphone that sounds good enough, but is comfortable to be worn on the duration it's used, and for me the MA is just it... I know that X2, R70x, AD2000x, HD600 and all that have better technicality in the way they render sound, but their comfort is just not good enough for me.

 
 
The Z7 is the culmination of Sony's original open sound, so yes it does have a very nice soundstage. Its the bigger brother imo. And btw my post wasn't to pit it against the 900, it was regarding how ppl keep comparing the 900 to cans three times the price. That's not exactly a 1:1 comparo.

 

[Sp12er3]

The Z7 is the culmination of Sony's original open sound, so yes it does have a very nice soundstage. Its the bigger brother imo. And btw my post wasn't to pit it against the 900, it was regarding how ppl keep comparing the 900 to cans three times the price. That's not exactly a 1:1 comparo.

It's just a testament of how good MA900 is as a package to be included in people's recommendations... Comparable to the classics and noticeably more popular ones.. Sad that Sony ceased production of it... Do you think they'll release one more open back series in the future? After SA and MA series, I'm curious in what direction they'll take it.

 

[zentg]

  I own both headphones and I wouldn't advise getting an ma900 as a replacement to the HD650. The HD650 is a step above in terms of fidelity and resolution. So yes even though they have similar sound signatures, the HD650 is the technically (and musically) superior headphone. 

 
 

  The ma900 costs a lot less than the hd650. A more apt comparison would be the Z7 to the hd650. The z7 has all the things that the 900 doesn't.

 
You guys aren't giving the ma900s enough credit. In headphones, like with many things in life, price ≠ quality. I own several headphones, including ma900 and 650hd; the ma900s are one of my most used, and I agree the hd650 are going to be a living hell for people with an oval shaped face where the cups sit on your jaw bones. Even if you reduce the clamp force its going to be bothersome.
 
Sound wise i feel they are very similar. They are both warm with a big soundstage and headphones are only 1 link in the chain. If you use flac music with a good dac and a good amplifier, the ma900s trump the 650s imo, simply because i can actually wear them for more than 5 minutes without feeling miserable, and because they have a very nice warm and pleasurable sound that you don't get with many headphones.
 
Thing is, lot of people look at the ma900 low impedeance and think "oh these are easy to drive, i'll just plug them into my computer's front panel audio jack!!" (which is one of the worst places to plug them in) - and even though they still love the sound, they wait until they get more expensive headphones to buy a dac/amp and then feel like the ma-900s are a lot worse.
 
the mdr-z7 is about 200$ more retail compared to the hd650 and it is closed. Personally i found them too boomy, though probably because they are closed. If you find the 650s uncomfortable and want a set of cans that sound similar but are enjoyable to wear too, then the ma-900s are the best choice. Like I said, people with more ovaly faces with low jaw joints will probably find the 650hd uncomfortable, but since the ma-900 has round ear cups and is light as a feather with very mild clamp force, they should be perfect.

 

[Sp12er3]

Of course! As i said before, being comfortable on wearing it for hours end on use with pleasing warm sig is a big plus in my book and a big reason i think people still keep the MA900 even after having more expensive and more technically capable headphone. I do encourage people to try it out as it's a fantastic headphone for daily, hours on end use at home.
But, I say the MA900 doesnt do well with amplification due to it's impedance compensator.. It literally make any crap amp better and good ones worse. Giving it more power really is useless.

 

[Sp12er3]

Is the K712 close to the MA900 in terms of comfort? Or at least closer than the ones already mentioned above?

I can't stand the HD60X clamping force. 

I dont know about K712, but comparing it with R70x, X2 and HD600 is really no contest (in overall comfort)

 

[xkonfuzed]

   
 
 
You guys aren't giving the ma900s enough credit. In headphones, like with many things in life, price ≠ quality. I own several headphones, including ma900 and 650hd; the ma900s are one of my most used, and I agree the hd650 are going to be a living hell for people with an oval shaped face where the cups sit on your jaw bones. Even if you reduce the clamp force its going to be bothersome.
 
Sound wise i feel they are very similar. They are both warm with a big soundstage and headphones are only 1 link in the chain. If you use flac music with a good dac and a good amplifier, the ma900s trump the 650s imo, simply because i can actually wear them for more than 5 minutes without feeling miserable, and because they have a very nice warm and pleasurable sound that you don't get with many headphones.
 
Thing is, lot of people look at the ma900 low impedeance and think "oh these are easy to drive, i'll just plug them into my computer's front panel audio jack!!" (which is one of the worst places to plug them in) - and even though they still love the sound, they wait until they get more expensive headphones to buy a dac/amp and then feel like the ma-900s are a lot worse.
 
the mdr-z7 is about 200$ more retail compared to the hd650 and it is closed. Personally i found them too boomy, though probably because they are closed. If you find the 650s uncomfortable and want a set of cans that sound similar but are enjoyable to wear too, then the ma-900s are the best choice. Like I said, people with more ovaly faces with low jaw joints will probably find the 650hd uncomfortable, but since the ma-900 has round ear cups and is light as a feather with very mild clamp force, they should be perfect.

I'm not going to beat around the bush here. The MA900 is a good headphone. But its just that, good, not great. On the other hand, the HD650 is a great headphone. Also, just so you know, price is not always proportional to quality.
 
When I first got the MA900 I was impressed with them, very much so actually. I liked their warmth and their midrange presence. After being exposed to higher-end gear (and purchasing some), as well as upgrading my source and amp, it was clear to me that the MA900 is massively flawed, thus my harsh criticism. 
 
I don't get your third point. So what has that got to do with me? My MA900's were plugged into a Hifimediy Sabre DAC, after that I upgraded to the Aune T1 with an Amperex 7308 tube ($70 tube), and now they're being powered by my LH Labs GOv2, which I consider the best of my three sources by quite a large margin. The fact of the matter is, however, every single source I plugged my MA900's into, they were grainy in the lower midrange and sounded thin - despite their warmth. This is an issue that was discussed innumerably here. Once you hear that grain, you can't un-hear and its very bothersome. Then there's the thinness. I don't understand where its coming from particularly, and given the headphone's sound signature it shouldn't sound like that, but it does. As a whole I feel the sound lacks authority and thickness. I think that at the price the MA900's are currently retailing for which is around $200+, the Fidelio X1's are a more viable option, as well as DT880 Pro. Both the aforementioned headphones are a step up from the Ma900's IMO. 
 
"If you use flac music with a good dac and a good amplifier, the ma900s trump the 650s imo" What?! Would you mind telling me what you're plugging them into? Because throughout the entirety of my MA900 and HD650 ownership, never have I got the slightest doubt regarding the HD650's superiority - both technically and musically.  I've had my MA900's since late 2013 now, and my HD650's aren't even a year old.
 
FYI, I still use my MA900's on a daily basis. I like them but I do recognize their very noticeable faults. I use them for gaming and their fantastic soundstage and accurate imaging render it an excellent gaming headphone. The added midbass also helps. 
 
If you like your MA900's that much then by all means, no one's stopping you from enjoying them. But you can't deny that they also have some major flaws
 
Lastly, the differences FLAC makes are minuscule, but thats a whole nother argument. Your information is extremely misleading. Please do not parrot around what you read here on the forums. Try things for your own self and make up your own mind. 
 
As always, YMMV. 

 

[zentg]

  I'm not going to beat around the bush here. The MA900 is a good headphone. But its just that, good, not great. On the other hand, the HD650 is a great headphone. Also, just so you know, price is not always proportional to quality.
 
When I first got the MA900 I was impressed with them, very much so actually. I liked their warmth and their midrange presence. After being exposed to higher-end gear (and purchasing some), as well as upgrading my source and amp, it was clear to me that the MA900 is massively flawed, thus my harsh criticism. 
 
I don't get your third point. So what has that got to do with me? My MA900's were plugged into a Hifimediy Sabre DAC, after that I upgraded to the Aune T1 with an Amperex 7308 tube ($70 tube), and now they're being powered by my LH Labs GOv2, which I consider the best of my three sources by quite a large margin. The fact of the matter is, however, every single source I plugged my MA900's into, they were grainy in the lower midrange and sounded thin - despite their warmth. This is an issue that was discussed innumerably here. Once you hear that grain, you can't un-hear and its very bothersome. Then there's the thinness. I don't understand where its coming from particularly, and given the headphone's sound signature it shouldn't sound like that, but it does. As a whole I feel the sound lacks authority and thickness. I think that at the price the MA900's are currently retailing for which is around $200+, the Fidelio X1's are a more viable option, as well as DT880 Pro. Both the aforementioned headphones are a step up from the Ma900's IMO. 
 
"If you use flac music with a good dac and a good amplifier, the ma900s trump the 650s imo" What?! Would you mind telling me what you're plugging them into? Because throughout the entirety of my MA900 and HD650 ownership, never have I got the slightest doubt regarding the HD650's superiority - both technically and musically.  I've had my MA900's since late 2013 now, and my HD650's aren't even a year old.
 
FYI, I still use my MA900's on a daily basis. I like them but I do recognize their very noticeable faults. I use them for gaming and their fantastic soundstage and accurate imaging render it an excellent gaming headphone. The added midbass also helps. 
 
If you like your MA900's that much then by all means, no one's stopping you from enjoying them. But you can't deny that they also have some major flaws
 
Lastly, the differences FLAC makes are minuscule, but thats a whole nother argument. Your information is extremely misleading. Please do not parrot around what you read here on the forums. Try things for your own self and make up your own mind. 
 
As always, YMMV. 

Read my post again: I said that price DOES NOT equal quality.
 
 
I have several dac/amps, but even with a simple o2odac or schiit stack you can make the ma-900s sing. You don't need a super fancy amp or dac, they are very low impedance, but it's best to at least have a good transparent dac, like the odac with a transparent amp on low gain. As sp12er3 said, if you give them too much power you can make it sound worse which is where you are getting your grainyness, but i've seen basic amps like the magni 2 and o2 do great on low grain. Sounds like you may be suffering from expectation bias.
 
Regardless, if a pair of headphones are so uncomfortable that you can't use them, like there are to darien: then there is absolutely no point in having them. The ma-900s really are a hidden gem that frequently get dismissed - but if you are sensitive to clamp and sharpness, they are amazing.

 

[Darien]

 the Fidelio X1's are a more viable option, as well as DT880 Pro. Both the aforementioned headphones are a step up from the Ma900's IMO. 
 

 
 
hey i was actually looking at the x1s but seems they are hard to find now cus they are discontinued and i hear they have a tight clamp like the 650hd and the treble is said to be kinda sharp and artificial in the headfi reviews.... so i was looking at the dt880 premium 250 ohm which i hear are pretty comfortable and good but still have a bit of clamp, but i am sensitive to treble and clamp....should i get the dt880 and eq the treble down or should i go for the ma-900? i actually asked the guys in the dt880 thread and they recommended i get the ma-900, kinda funny cus it seems like people in the beyerdynamic thread like the ma-900 more than the people in the ma-900 thread lol. 

 

[xkonfuzed]

  Read my post again: I said that price DOES NOT equal quality.
 
 
I have several dac/amps, but even with a simple o2odac or schiit stack you can make the ma-900s sing. You don't need a super fancy amp or dac, they are very low impedance, but it's best to at least have a good transparent dac, like the odac with a transparent amp on low gain. As sp12er3 said, if you give them too much power you can make it sound worse which is where you are getting your grainyness, but i've seen basic amps like the magni 2 and o2 do great on low grain. Sounds like you may be suffering from expectation bias.
 
Regardless, if a pair of headphones are so uncomfortable that you can't use them, like there are to darien: then there is absolutely no point in having them. The ma-900s really are a hidden gem that frequently get dismissed - but if you are sensitive to clamp and sharpness, they are amazing.

That I guess we can agree on. Comfort is vital.
 
Initially I thought it was a problem of impedance mismatch. Both the T1 and the Sabre had an output impedance higher than 1 ohm (10 ohms in the case of the T1). However my GOv2 has an output impedance of <1 ohm and the problem still persisted. I can also alternate between 1000mW or 100mW, in the case of the MA900 its always at 100mW. 

 

[xkonfuzed]

   
 
hey i was actually looking at the x1s but seems they are hard to find now cus they are discontinued and i hear they have a tight clamp like the 650hd and the treble is said to be kinda sharp and artificial in the headfi reviews.... so i was looking at the dt880 premium 250 ohm which i hear are pretty comfortable and good but still have a bit of clamp, but i am sensitive to treble and clamp....should i get the dt880 and eq the treble down or should i go for the ma-900? i actually asked the guys in the dt880 thread and they recommended i get the ma-900, kinda funny cus it seems like people in the beyerdynamic thread like the ma-900 more than the people in the ma-900 thread lol. 

If you're treble-sensitive I wouldn't recommend the DT880. Relying on EQ to "fix" a headphone isn't an adequate solution imo, and I'm not the biggest advocate for EQ personally. Actually I remember the X1's having very soft treble. I think the X2's are the ones renowned for their "artificial" treble. I honestly don't remember how hard the clamp was, but I do remember them being built extremely well and being relatively comfortable, but again thats subjective because I find the HD650's comfortable as well. 
 
Just so you know, I'm not in any way saying the MA900 is a bad headphone, its a good headphone and if comfort is what you're seeking then I'd recommend it as well.