[BenF]

Speaking of wooden cups I just hope they release the ML 750 soon. I’ve been told by both HPK and a spanish reviewer that they are amazingly good. 40mm driver as well, but different material. Perhaps sonically as good as Pro 82...?

Takstar ML750 are "MFI" - they are for iPhones only.
http://www.takstar.com/en/product/detail-11-67-0-468
There is a limit to how good they can be, because they are limited by the built-in DAC and amp.
It probably will never be released, because digital headphones for both iOS and Android aren't too popular.
Bluetooth is a better solution for the 3.5mm-less smartphones - bluetooth headphones are selling much better than Lightning and Type-C ones.
I would love to have a wireless Pro 82.

P.S. When I was talking about wooden cups for Pro 84, I was talking about Fostex TH6xx/TH900/TH00 kind of large cups, not the small ones.

 

[Miguelbazil]

Maybe Sabaj DA3, haven't received it yet.

Will wait for a review on your side

 

[OscarPaz]

Takstar ML750 are "MFI" - they are for iPhones only.
http://www.takstar.com/en/product/detail-11-67-0-468
There is a limit to how good they can be, because they are limited by the built-in DAC and amp.
It probably will never be released, because digital headphones for both iOS and Android aren't too popular.

Specifications also note that they should come with an "Audio Connecting Cable: Ø2.5mm x 1.2m". I understand there's good chance that the cable is detachable—so they may be used with perhaps the Pro 82 cable and your favorite DAC/Amp?

 

[Slothstronaught]

If anyone is interested in turning their pro 82's wireless, there are a lot of apt x Bluetooth adapters out there. I've heard the movie is good, just not an attractive option necessarily. There are probably better ones, I just haven't looked too much into it.

 

[BenF]

Specifications also note that they should come with an "Audio Connecting Cable: Ø2.5mm x 1.2m". I understand there's good chance that the cable is detachable—so they may be used with perhaps the Pro 82 cable and your favorite DAC/Amp?

It's specification of their Lightening cable, not the cable's plug.
In "Product Content" cable isn't listed - it's attached to ML750.

In Pro 82 spec the cable is described "Cable: Ø4mmX2.2m" ( a thicker cable) and is listed in "Package Content".

 

[BenF]

If anyone is interested in turning their pro 82's wireless, there are a lot of apt x Bluetooth adapters out there. I've heard the movie is good, just not an attractive option necessarily. There are probably better ones, I just haven't looked too much into it.

An adapter doesn't make Pro 82 wireless.
Plus battery life of most adapters is just 4-6 hours.

 

[Slothstronaught]

An adapter doesn't make Pro 82 wireless.
Plus battery life of most adapters is just 4-6 hours.

Very true, just an extra option. Most wireless IEMs only have a 3-4 hour battery life too (without their charging cases). Obviously headsets are a different story, averaging 15-20 hours, but like I said, still an option if you're not a fan of cords and don't mind the limitation of time. Maybe even buy 2 and then swap them out?

Cords still provide the best quality of course, definitely wouldn't argue otherwise.

 

[Miguelbazil]

I just want to note something about the vmoda-style mics, even though have 3.5mm connectors on both sides, you can always do what I did, and order a 2.5mm male to 3.5mm female adapter:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/fre...32642570493.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.Ckbe3A

My mic and adapter are coming, may arrive after mid January. I'll report whether they work or not

 

[OscarPaz]

It's specification of their Lightening cable, not the cable's plug.
In "Product Content" cable isn't listed - it's attached to ML750.

In Pro 82 spec the cable is described "Cable: Ø4mmX2.2m" ( a thicker cable) and is listed in "Package Content".

Oh!, really? I thought it meant 2.5mm mini-plug connector (to the earcup); what a weird coincidence in dimensions! If that’s the case, it certainly makes no much sense to release a digital-only, lightning-exclusive headphone...

It’s weird though, the reviews I read 2yrs ago approx don’t mention anything about the lightning connection. I guess they would have said something if so... There are no pictures of the cable that I can find, but this guy seems to have tried the headphones on Android devices (?).

If this demo unit was different from the production unit, I just hope Takstar gets rid of that MFi tag and goes with a standard cable. From what I read and knowing the personal taste of these reviewers, it might be a perfect companion to the Pro 82 when on-the-go.

 

[Miguelbazil]

Well, he did sing high praises for the ML750. But this is an year old review, and they are still not on the market? Weird...

 

[BenF]

Well, lo and behold, the Pro 82s from the iffy $63 Aliexpress supplier showed up today. So I guess it wasn't a scam after all.

That said, all things considered, I would wholeheartedly recommend spending the extra $15-20 from Takstar directly on Aliexpress. Not only did the order arrive a week sooner despite being ordered later, but the extra money for the hard case is well worth it. These cheaper phones were packed loose in a banged up carton with absolutely no packing materials whatsoever. Also, from Takstar not only do you get the hard shell case, but you also get the retail box (not important for many, but if you ever go to resell the phones, it can be meaningful to some buyers). Furthermore, the shipment from Takstar was MUCH better packed, with layers of bubble wrap and hermetically sealed with clear tape, meaning no possibility of water damage. It was a fight to get into, but seriously well protected.

I don't think that other stores are intentionally scamming people, they are just being irresponsible.
They list Pro 82 without making sure they'll be able to source it when needed.

During the sales of the first batch some stores (e.g. Volemer) had a healthy mix of customers that did receive Pro 82 and gave a 5 star feedback, and customers that waited weeks/months and ended up with nothing.
Of course, TakstarAudio will always package, ship and communicate better than others, because it needs to preserve the brand's image.

BTW, they have started a new store-wide promotion - 2$ off a 49$ orders, so now the prices are 66.21$(without case) and 74.67$ (with case).
That's after the 5$ head-fi discount and extra 1% mobile app discount.

 

[trellus]

So, I just bought the Pro 82 from a fellow Head Fi member who had a listing up on eBay, and I'm eager to compare it to the very B&O H6 model you cite in this review (same color and generation!), although I suspect I will have a different take as the H6 you describe here sounds nothing like my H6.

Muddy bass? Heavens no, not even anywhere close. It's nowhere, nowhere close to old Beats HD headphones. Also, I have very little leakage from these H6.

Methinks you may have gotten a fake or a lemon H6.

On the other hand, it may just be a difference in preferences... since I also happen to really like my HD 600 which you note so disappointed you.

I'm hoping the difference in preferences doesn't extend to the Pro 82, but I'm betting it won't.

Comparison with B&O H6

I have purchased H6 because I liked my H7 a lot, and multiple reviews claimed that H7 doesn't sound as good as H6, e.g. https://marco.org/headphones-closed-portable#h7
Before I purchased H7, I have compared it in the store with H6, H8 and Momentum 2. H7 was a clear winner, and I had no doubts that I have made the right choice.
However, the reviews of H6 were so great, that a few months later I have decided to give it a chance.
I've decided to go with the first revision, as I wanted to experience the more "audiophile", less bassy tuning.

This turned out to be a huge disappointment, comparable perhaps only with my disappointment from HD600.
At first, I thought that it just needed some burn-in (H7 sure did), but the sound didn't change.




Comfort:


H6's headband is wider than Pro 82's, but it has less padding.


Same is true when comparing with XPT100.


H6 pads are rounder and smaller than Pro 82


Same is true for XPT100

If the NVX XPT100 with the ComfortMax pads is 10 out of 10 comfort-wise, and Pro 82 is an 8-8.5, then H6 is a 7.
Surprisingly, it is more comfortable than H7, despite thinner pads - possibly due to lower pressure on the ears.
H6 and H7 pads are not interchangeable, and of course you can't use 3rd party pads either.

Isolation/Leakage:
There is very little isolation, not a great choice for noisy environments.
Leakage is an issue as well.

Bass:
Quantity is neutral, and I wish I could say that about the quality.
Bass is vert muddy, badly controlled. I don't think I've heard bass that bad since Beats Solo HD.
H7 has a MUCH better bass, closer to Pro 82' quality than H6's.

Mids:
Mids are very veiled and recessed, timbre is off. It reminds me of HD600.
Just look at this horrible FR (from Innerfidelity):


It makes the old Pro 80 sound like a mid-forward phone, not to mention Pro 82.

Treble:
As you can guess from the FR above, this is a dark headphone - nothing to write home about.

Soundstage/imaging:
Sounstage is closed in, very headphone-y
The whole presentation is very headphone-y, music is being played "at me", not around me.
Music is coming from a distance, if only I could push it closer to me...

Accessories:
H6 comes with a horrible cable, and you can't easily replace it - since the cable is showed inside the cup, the plug must be very thin.
Here is a comparison with Pro 82 and B8 cables:


However, cable isn't the reason for the bad sound - H7 sounds great with it.

Overall:
Complete and utter disappointment

 

[BenF]

So, I just bought the Pro 82 from a fellow Head Fi member who had a listing up on eBay, and I'm eager to compare it to the very B&O H6 model you cite in this review (same color and generation!), although I suspect I will have a different take as the H6 you describe here sounds nothing like my H6.

Muddy bass? Heavens no, not even anywhere close. It's nowhere, nowhere close to old Beats HD headphones. Also, I have very little leakage from these H6.

Methinks you may have gotten a fake or a lemon H6.

On the other hand, it may just be a difference in preferences... since I also happen to really like my HD 600 which you note so disappointed you.

I'm hoping the difference in preferences doesn't extend to the Pro 82, but I'm betting it won't.

Oh, how I wish my H6 was fake or a lemon...
After I bought H7, and saw how greatly it was affected by burn-in (sounded horrible OOTB), I assumed that the H6 I auditioned in the store wasn't burned in, and ordered one from Amazon (sold and fulfilled by Amazon - no chance of a fake). It sounds just like the one I auditioned in the store a month before I bought H6. So it's not a lemon either...
I blame that Marco guy, who's blog was probably read by every H6 owner.

I would have loved H6 and HD600, if I had them 2-3 years earlier, when I enjoined warmer headphones like ATH-ESW9A and FAD Heaven VI.
But by mid-2016 I was already into hyper clarity, airiness, natural timbre (no coloration) and presence.
Same headphones I enjoined tremendously in 2013-2014, I now find unlistenable - they overheat my brain.

Bosshifi B8 would probably be a better choice for you, Pro 82 is too different from what you like. B8 can be a nice bridge that will eventually lead you into Pro 82/TH900/Staxes.
Stock Pro 82 has very little chance with you right now, but if you already bought it, you definitely will need the tuning foams to make it sound more like your preferred signature (at least for a while).

It will be very interesting to see your impressions, especially the comparison with H6.
It's a given that Pro 82 is likely to lose in that comparison (due to your preferred signature), but I hope that you will be able to see how H6's bass can appear "muddy" compared to Pro 82's bass.
You may even prefer Pro 82 for EDM.

 

[trellus]

I would have loved H6 and HD600, if I had them 2-3 years earlier, when I enjoined warmer headphones like ATH-ESW9A and FAD Heaven VI.
But by mid-2016 I was already into hyper clarity, airiness, natural timbre (no coloration) and presence.
Same headphones I enjoined tremendously in 2013-2014, I now find unlistenable - they overheat my brain.

Bosshifi B8 would probably be a better choice for you, Pro 82 is too different from what you like. B8 can be a nice bridge that will eventually lead you into Pro 82/TH900/Staxes.
Stock Pro 82 has very little chance with you right now, but if you already bought it, you definitely will need the tuning foams to make it sound more like your preferred signature (at least for a while).

It will be very interesting to see your impressions, especially the comparison with H6.
It's a given that Pro 82 is likely to lose in that comparison (due to your preferred signature), but I hope that you will be able to see how H6's bass can appear "muddy" compared to Pro 82's bass.
You may even prefer Pro 82 for EDM.

I'm not so certain that Pro 82 will be different from what I like, as I have cans that definitely I would not characterize as warm like the HD 600 (I don't find the H6 all that warm, strangely) but that I enjoy nonetheless -- Shure SRH940 and HD 700 come to mind.

I actually like having different sound signatures so I would honestly be surprised if the Pro 82 don't end up being a pair of headphones I like.

I just wouldn't call the H6 anywhere near Beats HD or older Beats headphones with muddy bass -- H6 sounds very much unlike those headphones to my ears.

 

[BenF]

I'm not so certain that Pro 82 will be different from what I like, as I have cans that definitely I would not characterize as warm like the HD 600 (I don't find the H6 all that warm, strangely) but that I enjoy nonetheless -- Shure SRH940 and HD 700 come to mind.

I actually like having different sound signatures so I would honestly be surprised if the Pro 82 don't end up being a pair of headphones I like.

I just wouldn't call the H6 anywhere near Beats HD or older Beats headphones with muddy bass -- H6 sounds very much unlike those headphones to my ears.

I can listen to headphones that stray from my preferred signature, but not for too long - my brain keeps telling me - "Why are you doing this to yourself? You are missing so much!".

Question is - what do you prefer? If you prefer HD700 and ATH-AD900X over H6 and HD600, Pro 82 may be your new favorite headphone.
If you prefer H6 and HD600 over HD700 and ATH-AD900X, even if you end up liking Pro 82, they won't amaze you.

Tuning foams may help you adjust Pro 82 to your liking, I advise to purchase them immediately.

I think Pro 82 will sound great with LG V20, maybe with FIIO E6 as an amp.