[vlenbo]

I want to apologize to the people who might have initially disregarded the mikros because of my initial impressons. I'm glad more people are getting them and I hope everyone can purchase these for $79.

 

[mikaveli06]

sound quality wise these are all going to somewhat similar, signature wise not so much.

M500 has great sub bass and is very linear in sound throughout the sonic range. Due to following European standards this headphone sounds best with an amp. This HP also suffers from a solid grip on the head making it comfortable especially for an on ear but succesptible to falling off your head if you lean forward to much, its isolation is also low due to this.

P7 is comfortable and reasonably secure on he head. It also has decent sub bass but is a bit elevated in the treble which bothers some. It is a solid choice if you can afford it.

K545 has solid sub bass and wonderfully mids with a small spike in the upper mids, treble can be spiky at louder volumes. It is reasonably OK tightness wise but some people have had issues if they have thick framed glasses. Personally I have a thin frame wide arm pair of glasses and have no issues.

Out of these I much prefer the K545 personally. They offer reasonable isolation, an above average sound stage, and offer enough bass to satisfy me while still having great mids and treble. But the other two are also sod headphones in the sound department. I would say M500 is most neutral, then K545, then P7.

thx....just placed order @ razordog for k545@$199.

 

[caracara08]

thx....just placed order @ razordog for k545@$199.

 
couldnt pick a better company. 

 

[mikaveli06]

Anyone heard these and micros?

How bout fiio x5, any one heard this yet, u guys goin to go x3 to a x5??

 

[waynes world]

Anyone heard these and micros?

How bout fiio x5, any one heard this yet, u guys goin to go x3 to a x5??

 
X5 is looking like the cat's meow:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/696004/fiio-x5-preview-world-tour-first-arrivals-on-page-19-first-reviews-coming-in
http://www.head-fi.org/t/661411/fiio-x5-thread-info-updated-on-jan-17th-2014

 

[mikaveli06]

Im considering the upgrade myself. U gonna jump on too?

 

[waynes world]

Im considering the upgrade myself. U gonna jump on too?

 
I'm very tempted. I'll probably wait a while until the price (hopefully) comes down a bit or I can find it used. I currently am using the C3/BH combo, and the only real gripe I have is the lack of some features that I miss a lot (and I also wish that it had buttons). But, I'm very content with the SQ out of the combo, so I'm not feeling an urgent need to get the X5. But the X5 ticks off most of the items on my end-all DAP list, not the least of which is excellent SQ (with a powerful amp) for an excellent price. So yeah, it's very tempting!

 

[n05ey]

Hey all, thanks for making this the best place to read every morning!

Just an interesting discovery/phenomenon I noticed recently, I tend to miss the presentation of the iem I was using when I fell in love with an album even when I vastly prefer the sound of my new gear in general...

I have cycled through the hippo vb (when I thought I was a bass head), to a se425, then ue900 and now an er4s which I love.

I miss the se425's presentation of flume and Rufus, miss the ue900 when I listen to Justice' audio, video, disco and I can't now imagine alter bridge without my ety. I find it is contained to an album rather than genre or artist. And no, I never miss the vb...

Anyone else find the same?

 

[nick n]

jant71 and quartertone:
 
I looked on Yahoo Japan and see there appear to be two colours on the exact same model , same price.
 
Aluminum and brass coloured on the 650 models.

 

 
 
 
At first I thought they were using brass and aluminum as the metal, but apparently not. Seems to be the colours.  Or am I missing something?
 
Then i am getting something about brass for resonance control in the tubes.   Anybody know for sure what's going on here?
 
These look interesting thanks for the post!
 
 
 
 
Quote: Originally Posted by jant71 
The main features of the METAL EX
Metal housing having excellent vibration-damping properties
MDR-EX450 adopt the aluminum housing/MDR-EX650, brass (brass) to the sound conduit and housing.
metal housing with high rigidity, has excellent internal loss characteristics to suppress unwanted vibration, I realize the midrange and clear smooth response in the low frequency range.

 

[Hutnicks]

  jant71 and quartertone:
 
I looked on Yahoo Japan and see there appear to be two colours on the exact same model , same price.
 
Aluminum and brass coloured on the 650 models.

 

 
 
 
At first I thought they were using brass and aluminum as the metal, but apparently not. Seems to be the colours.  Or am I missing something?
 
Then i am getting something about brass for resonance control in the tubes.   Anybody know for sure what's going on here?
 
These look interesting thanks for the post!
 
 
 
 
Quote: Originally Posted by jant71 
Metal housing having excellent vibration-damping properties
MDR-EX450 adopt the aluminum housing/MDR-EX650, brass (brass) to the sound conduit and housing.
metal housing with high rigidity, has excellent internal loss characteristics to suppress unwanted vibration, I realize the midrange and clear smooth response in the low frequency range.

From the looks of the diagram the nozzles are brass pressed through mystery metal shell.

 

[EuphonicArin]

Alrighty Guys time for a first impressions/comparo on....
 

                                    The AKG K545

 

(No alcohol of any kind was consumed during this first impressions/comparo)
Anyways, I got these headphones as a lovely gift just a day ago and have decided to write a small first impressions and then a Full On super review.
 

General Sound

These headphones have a very nice sound sig. that I would say is semi-U/Neutral as there is a slight depression in mids when I compare it to my much fuller sounding cans, otherwise it is amazing at keeping you clutched (well more like nested) in the music as the beautiful highs and forceful lows caress your now warm ears from the absolutely mallow earpads. Otherwise The detailing is great at this stage in it's (I  guess you could say "light") burn-in process of around 60-100 hours with 20 hour check-ups before being fully reviewed. Bass is also very punchy and has great versatility, while mids have the most amazing timbre (it almost reminds me of my now dead HD 439's :[ ) and naturalness to them almost to the degree of my Sextetts (who are in need of a bit of a "remastering", If you will). The highs have great extension and are pretty airy for a closed can, they also are fairly calm. Each band of the FR is in moderation giving it the "Reference sound" that it is advertised for.

Comparison To:

BEYER DT250

I would have to say I'd rather take these with me than the DT's as the AKG's have a better kick to them, as well as a better PRAT. on the Pro. side I would say they are pretty even although the general edge goes to the 250's as they have a slightly more neutral sound to me and have the micro-detailing to back it up, which is to say the 545's do  have mounds of detail, just not in the ways that it would be good for mastering a song or a video. In terms of genre versatility the 545's win because a better edge in overall dynamics, but the 250's pull soft rock, and little bits of hip-hop incredibly well for a neutral can.

SENN. HD439

now most would know me for rallying behind these headphones for a great starter pair and there's alot there for it to work. For example these cans can serve as not only solid pair of beaters, but also as pair of experimental mod pairs, or for critical listening aswell. But, they have died and now I shall let them rest in peace as these have found every way to replace them in terms of sound and comfort (and hopefully modability)

GRADO SR-60i

Now before you say anything, it is a fair comparison because a: the two are currently completed unmodded (well a little intsy bit of modding on the Grados) and b: they both are viable candidates for portable cans. These two are like electricity (Grados) and fire (AKGs), wherein one is fast zappy (tizzy even), and the other is a bit warmer, a bit slower but more "addictive" (Pyromaniacs anyone?). 

 

[nick n]

 
From the looks of the diagram the nozzles are brass pressed through mystery metal shell.

aaargh did I miss the obvious or what

 

[Hutnicks]

 
aaargh did I miss the obvious or what

Sometimes....................

 
As it stands I wonder if that uberdriver is worth the 60 buck buy in. The housing itself is nothing special, I don't care what it's made of.
 
My experiences with Sony IEM's of late do not instill much faith.

 

[doctorjazz]

Resistance is waning on the Mikros 90, mostly due to Mochill, Vlenbo, and Sfwalcer  

Opinions on whether I should get it?  I already have the Yamaha HPH-200, Gemini HSR-1000, and JVC HA-S500.  Are they a true upgrade or more of a side grade?  I listen mostly to pop and rock.

One concern is that the Mikros will be bass-light for me.  How is the bass compared to anything in my sig?

I'm the only dissenting vote here (not such an unusual position for me, seems to happen quite a bit). I started this whole thing here, read about the Mikros on the Deals thread, figured at the discount why not try them out. Now, I do like them, have kept them and listened to them quite a bit. I do find them bass-shy, though (not just me...if you read the dedicated thread, this is the only complaint that comes up about them, but it is not infrequent). They do cover all the bases terrifically. As I've mentioned earlier, I think these behave like a fussy, difficult fit iem. Some people get a great fit right away, and hear what they are capable of. I find them very variable...some days, the bass is there (never in amounts that push the music forward, but enough to be satisfying). Other times I hear almost none. Little movements forward or back effect the bass dramatically. Wearing them outdoors or in a noisy environment affects the bass dramatically (strange for a closed can). I ordered the cheap headphones SF said he cannibalized for the pads and put over the earpieces on the ML's from Amazon, should come in the next day or so. I'm hoping to get a better fit/seal with them and hope the bass is much more consistent/stronger than in the stock configuration. I'll let you all know if I find it makes the difference.
As for the other headphones you listed, haven't heard the Gemini, I have the JVC but haven't picked them up in a long time...my memory is that the bass is stronger. The HPH-200 I have heard more recently (though it's been sitting a while too-too many cans, too little time), my impression is of more bass, more OOOMPH from the bass pushing the music along, which I think is one of the things the bass is meant to do, along with some harmonic underpinning. It isn't as sharply defined, though. The bass notes are fuzzy compared to the ML, which, as some have noted, are really solid as far as being defined, "pull" as Vlenbo likes to call it...it sounds like a real note from a real instrument. Many headphones let you hear the approximate note, but edges are soft, not too well defined. I'd put the HPH-200 bass in that category (again, I LIKE the HPH-200, find it fun to listen to. As an aside, the ML does start to get uncomfortable after not too long, the Yamaha can be worn really long without discomfort. This is hyper analytical dissection of the sound, but, that was what was asked.

Now, some music, maestro (what else is new?) Any Deadheads still around? This is a fabulous sorta-jazz cover of a great Dead tune!

 

[vlenbo]

you're not the only here who believes that doctor!
 
I totally agree with what you stated about fit. It will be hit-and-miss for martin logan owners.
 
I don't care though, it is cheap, and it does music justice.
 
Besides, my re700s keep me sane with the martin logans. If I didn't have the re700s or the ws99s, I would never have felt the need to keep the martins. *also the es700s satisfy bass quantity and quality.*
 
Nice song doctor!