[Acix]

  The M50 has a more hi fi sub like sound that makes everything sound good. It's tough to pick out flaws, which is great for general listening but a little difficult when creating or mixing music. I've been A & Bing back & forth between the M 50 and the 8.35 D while listening to Nautilus by Bob James. Instantly the M50 is a more enjoyable expansive, warm, hyped, and detailed experience in a way. The 8.35 D sound a little more clinical. Even though in some respects I feel like I get more detail out of the M50 in a musical way, the way the 8.35 D takes out the hype out of all the frequencies makes it a lot easier to pick up on certain things that's going on mix wise that I don't pick up as easily on the M50 because how sweet everything sounds on that can.  
 
I've also been playing around with a track I made quickly a few days ago, and I had a tough time nailing down some things mix wise with the M50. With the 8.35 D I was able to zero in on the problems mix wise, and even some timing issues. It took me a matter of minutes to hear what was going on and fix it up more easily. Just needed to tighten a few parameters hear and there. Not perfection but I was able to get quick good results my first time with the 8.35 D working on a track.
 
As far as MDR-CD900ST goes, I'm surprised how similar they sound. I was kind of put off by it cause I don't like the CD900ST and find them pretty useless for most studio work mostly cause the sound is really compressed. You have no sense of what your levels for sounds are cause everything is brought up to the front with those cans. They share a similar timbre and resolution. CD900ST has slightly more impact in sound. The 8.35 D does not have that compressed effect. Initially it does sound like it does, cause the 8.35 D can sound a little congested at times, but when actually mixing a track and when something is off, you know it. So basically it's got nearly all the same SQ of the CD900 ST but the aspects where it really counts and sucks on Sony's  for studio work are absolutely fine in the 8.35 D. 
 
As far as the pads I got the regular pleather stock pads with the oval cut out and the material sewn on. After listening to these pads I kind of see why others would want to switch to something else to open up the sound more, cause the 8.35 D could definitely use that. Plus those pads really make me sweat like no other headphone. I take them off and there's visible wetness on the pads. It's not a deal breaker or anything just something to be aware of. Stock pads would really suck in a warm and humid environment. I could see people getting fatigued by all the extra warmth on the head.  
 
As far as Breaking  them in I believe you (Acix) said it was something like 10 hours IIRC. I've already noticed a little less distortion when EQing bass, but I'm also wondering if these headphones were revealing a flaw in the EQ on my DJ mixer. I found that the bass knob boosts up a lot of the mid bass reaching a little too far in the mids and causing congestion. Didn't really notice it too much till I got these headphones. Now I'm pretty aware of it.  
 
Another thing I noticed about the 8.35 D is that vocals can sound a little distant. The M50 has a similar effect on sound. It's almost like you are fighting to hear the full depth of the vocals and other instruments in that range. I also noticed a general harshness or sibilance on hi hats and cymbals. Kind of reminds me of a similar sound when you lower the bitrate of a sound file to like 12 bits or  what an old school 12 bit sampler does to high pitch sounds. Kind of makes them sound metallic and grainy.

 
 
The M-50 have more bass but I've found this bass to be a bit artificial, like I can hear the bass and in the same time the boost of the sane bass note, feel like someone added a boost on the bass and you cant take it off.
 
You're right about the Sony's this remind me my experience with the MDR7506 to have this compressed effect, is like a multiband compressor is always on!
 
About the pads, I'm not sure if the stock pads still are the flat pads with the oval opening, because I already had two other different pads with the oval opening.
 
I've found out the vocals to be great in mix with the 8.35, I mean in some point the 8.35 make a lot of sense to mix with. As well the 8.35 will easy show you the artifact of the mp3, some still use low mp's loops, or just out of phase effect in stereo field.

 

[LNuneek]

   
 
The M-50 have more bass but I've found this bass to be a bit artificial, like I can hear the bass and in the same time the boost of the sane bass note, feel like someone added a boost on the bass and you cant take it off.
 
You're right about the Sony's this remind me my experience with the MDR7506 to have this compressed effect, is like a multiband compressor is always on!
 
About the pads, I'm not sure if the stock pads still are the flat pads with the oval opening, because I already had two other different pads with the oval opening.
 
I've found out the vocals to be great in mix with the 8.35, I mean in some point the 8.35 make a lot of sense to mix with. As well the 8.35 will easy show you the artifact of the mp3, some still use low mp's loops, or just out of phase effect in stereo field.

Yeah that's how it is with the M50. I liken it to having a sub in a car. It's nice to listen to and amps up the feeling of music, but not great for critical listening. 
 
These are the pads my 8.35 D came with. http://www.german-maestro-shop.de/epages/61902279.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/61902279/Products/%22Ohrpolster%2041-6086%22
 
Does the 8.35 D come stock with other pads or did in the past?
 
I notice too that a lot of artifacts and defects in a recording become really apparent. When switching back and forth with the M50 I can hear all the same artifacts, but the balance of the 8.35 D bring those things a lot more to my attention. They are definitely good for studio use in this respect.
 
Taking into account the genre of music I make and how I make it, I sample from anything from old scratched LP's, MP3's, music streams, vids, just anything with sound. I like having the grit in there, but it's also important to me that things still sound good and the grit isn't overpowering. I don't like to be surprised when there are artifacts that show up that are really unpleasant on other systems and I don't catch them and fix them before I let anyone hear it or just trash the track if it's something just too unpleasant
 
I think from now on if I do recommend the 8.35 D it will be mostly to people who need studio cans or for critical listening of some sort. For just plain musical enjoyment I would recommend something else like the M50.

 

[Acix]

 
Thanks for having a listen,  I appreciate it. I have no idea who those artists are. Are they on Spotify? I'll have to give them a listen.

 
Fila Brazillia, kruder & dorfmeister it's a must for this genre of music!
 
You can start with those two,
 

 
 

 

[LNuneek]

Cool! I'll definitely check those out ASAP! Where are these artists from? I'm mostly familiar with American producers/Artists that do a similar sound like Madlib, Alchemist, Knxwledge, etc.
 
I guess being a DJ you probably have an understanding of where I'm coming from.  What's your music like?

 

[Acix]

  Cool! I'll definitely check those out ASAP! Where are these artists from? I'm mostly familiar with American producers/Artists that do a similar sound like Madlib, Alchemist, Knxwledge, etc.
 
I guess being a DJ you probably have an understanding of where I'm coming from.  What's your music like?
 
I have some more examples of my work. It ranges. https://www.myflashstore.net/profile/flyfilthybeats & https://soundcloud.com/fly-filthy I have tons of beats. What I have up on the internet now is a tiny percentage of my overall output. Maybe like 1 or 2 percent.  

 
 
Great direction you have there with your music, spacefunk and of course the furious five jump to my mind = I like it a lot!  Fila Brazillia are from the UK and Kruder & Dorfmeister are from Vienna. They both have solo projects, Tosca and Peace Orchestra. 
I love a lot of music, if there is some feel in the music that I can feel and can inspired me this will be my biggest reward.
 
 

 

[LNuneek]

   
 
Great direction you have there with your music, spacefunk and of course the furious five jump to my mind = I like it a lot!  Fila Brazillia are from the UK and Kruder & Dorfmeister are from Vienna. They both have solo projects, Tosca and Peace Orchestra. 
I love a lot of music, if there is some feel in the music that I can feel and can inspired me this will be my biggest reward.
 
 

Thanks again for having a listen. Glad you liked what you heard.  
 
I had a listen to almost everything those artists had on Spotify including the albums you recommended. Definitely coming from a similar place as them, but with a different focus. I can hear the similar influences going on. Mostly the usage of breaks and jazz samples.  
 
It's always interesting to hear different interpretations of the DJ/Beat culture. As of right now I think what's coming out of the Los Angeles underground is some of the most interesting and progressive Instrumental/Beat scene going on right now. The musical concoctions some of theses guys are coming up with is outta this world and can be a little challenging to listen to at times, but definitely some incredible stuff happening there.
 
I just started listening to some music that's wildly different than what I make, but still stuff that arose out of DJ culture like DnB  & EDM. One thing I really like is how hard they get their kick drums. Loud, hard, and with little distortion. I want to figure that out. I was listening to some with the 8.35 D and they were actually pulsating on my head the kicks hit so hard. It was pretty visceral. Hip Hop is known for hard hitting drums, but our drums often tend to have distortion and still don't hit as hard and powerful.

 

[Acix]

 
Thanks again for having a listen. Glad you liked what you heard.  
 
I had a listen to almost everything those artists had on Spotify including the albums you recommended. Definitely coming from a similar place as them, but with a different focus. I can hear the similar influences going on. Mostly the usage of breaks and jazz samples.  
 
It's always interesting to hear different interpretations of the DJ/Beat culture. As of right now I think what's coming out of the Los Angeles underground is some of the most interesting and progressive Instrumental/Beat scene going on right now. The musical concoctions some of theses guys are coming up with is outta this world and can be a little challenging to listen to at times, but definitely some incredible stuff happening there.
 
I just started listening to some music that's wildly different than what I make, but still stuff that arose out of DJ culture like DnB  & EDM. One thing I really like is how hard they get their kick drums. Loud, hard, and with little distortion. I want to figure that out. I was listening to some with the 8.35 D and they were actually pulsating on my head the kicks hit so hard. It was pretty visceral. Hip Hop is known for hard hitting drums, but our drums often tend to have distortion and still don't hit as hard and powerful.

 
 
The 8.35 drivers have a great resolution in the bass area, I mean you can mix your bass in a more easy way with better confidence, I feel the 8.35 are true and balanced in today studio standards. To use a compressor on the kick can bring it hard and forward in the mix, also to use a bit of compression on the drum loop can be very cool. The Kruder & Dorfmeister K&D sessions album have a great studio production even in today's standards and had a great impact and influence on me around the year 2000.

 

[LNuneek]

Just wondering if anyone has bought or know of a good case and/or possibly a pouch or something to store the 8.35 D in?

 

[Acix]

 

 
 
I saw a few on ebay, some hard cases some pouch/bags worth to check it out.

 

[LNuneek]

I highly condone & recommend changing out the pads on the 8.35 D. I decided to put the velour Sound Professionals pads that I had on my M50 on the 8.35 D. These are my impressions copied from another thread:
 

Actually, I wasn't quite sure that oval pads would fit the 8.35, but I decided to try the  ATHM-50 velours by Sound Professionals that I already had & they actually fit really nice. Maybe a little too snug, but good.
 
They change the sound only slightly. It's very subtle. I tried one regular 8.35 D pad on one ear and the velour on the other. From what I can tell the velours make them just a touch warmer in sound. To my ears they sound a little more natural. A nice touch is that with the velours I'm getting a bit of haptic feedback. I actually feel the sensation of drums and other sounds on my ears which is actually kind of nice. I'm enjoying the slightly smoother sound.
 
The soundstage has also increased slightly. Probably due to the velours being thicker than those flat pads. Overall amplitude seems to have decreased slightly, but that's fine. Glad I did this. I think these velours are staying on the 8.35 D.

Spending more time with these velour pads and listening to more music, I find that the subtle differences add up to a much nicer experience. I commented a lot about "congestion" with the original pads in my initial impressions, and these other pads take much of that issue away. These phones are now not as clinical sounding but still very very revealing of mixes.
 
Much more separation in sounds. The increased soundstage is great. It makes it even more apparent if something is mixed with instruments more in the centre or they decided to spread the sounds more  throughout the stereo field. I never noticed so much subtle differences in mixing choices in professionally released music before.
 
This is more what I wanted when I initially purchased these headphones. It's nice that just a simple pad change has brought them closer to being my ideal headphone.
 
Another thing I noticed is how strong the bass can be in certain songs and it doesn't bleed into or obfuscate the other ranges. With the original flat pads this wasn't so much the case with the congested sound.
 
Definitely definitely definitely if you own or are thinking of purchasing the 8.35 D give other pads a chance. These headphones just might surprise you! ...in a good way!

 

[LNuneek]

I just noticed that the headphone size adjustments on my 8.35 D have drastically different tension on either side. The left side is rather tight when pulled to extend the arm, and stays put when extended. The right side however is more loose and easy to extend. The accordion like rubber kind of pulls it down from where you had it extended to. It really has no effect fit wise for me, but is this something I need to be concerned about? Anyone else's 8.35 D like this? Is there a way to tighten the tension on the right extender? Do these loosen up over time normally and should I expect the left one to loosen up like the right side?

 

[LNuneek]

I found out the problem with the headband extender. Apparently the cheap white soft plastic that is basically the sliding mechanism and what keeps the headband inside the cup is the problem. There is a single screw that holds that all together and it goes directly into the plastic. The hole in the plastic is stripped. It won't tighten only loosen. Movement of the headband makes it even more loose and the hole more stripped.
 
So far my experience with this headphone has really been a mixed bag. I love the design, looks, and most importantly the sound especially with different pads, but the annoyance with the shipping delay, now noticing this mess up that obviously happened during manufacturing, has really been a pain in the ass. I've had the headphones for only 2 weeks. Barely got to enjoy them, been treating them gingerly and everything. I'm just really annoyed and need to vent.
 
I just don't understand how German Maestro put all these elements together to make and market a "nearly indestructible" headphone and put such a cheap piece of soft plastic that needs to be screwed in of all things on the ONLY moving mechanism in the whole construction.  You remove that screw once it's getting stripped cause the plastic in the hole gets razored off by the screw and you see all the shavings. Not good at all. What an oversight.
 
The only thing positive I can say about this is that if my retailer can get the plastic part sent to me from the distributor, it should be an easy fix with no need to ship them back for repair. However, I now lost a lot of confidence in the product feeling this might be a consistent issue with the life of the headphone, having to replace these cheap plastic parts as often as having to replace the cheapest leatherette ear pads or something.
 
Anyways, this thread is mostly just about the positives of this headphone, and I want to make people realize that despite the marketing and reputation, it definitely has it's flaws and weaknesses. 
 
So just to recap, if you notice the headband tension is now gone and there is a little more play in the cups, you probably have the same issue. It's probably not the mechanism just getting some wear and getting loose. It's NOT breaking in, it's plain breaking. It's most likely the soft plastic has gotten stripped and needs to be replaced.

 

[LNuneek]

This just keeps getting worse. I emailed German Maestro just to let them know of my experiences so far. I sent them what I thought was the serial number. Something called an "art.no" i figured this maybe was a German serial number since I have never seen that before, and the only other numbers are the UPC. Well well well.

They told me the serial number is on a sticker on the box and how it should look. Turns out I have NO serial number. I sent GM pictures of everything. The invoice, the box, the headphones. They siad they will review everything tomorrow. Now I don't know what to expect and I'm pissed to be in this situation possibly wasting $300.

$300 that isn't even mine. My girlfriend actually bought them for me as a gift to make me happy and support my hobby/art/passion/business. She was upset and disappointed with the shipping situation and was stressed, now this is happening and I feel bad and guilty and doubly pissed for both of us. If it was my money it would be easier for me take and chalk up a mistake and a loss easier. Since it's her money and she just wanted to make me happy. I'm livid!!

I asked German Maestro if they could provide me with some kind of documentation that I could use if I need to really dispute this all to get a refund or something.

I really regret not just ordering direct from German Maestro. What a huge mistake.

 

[LNuneek]

It's nice to know I killed this thread and am basically talking to myself. lol
 
Update on the situation.
 
German Maestro said that if they can verify the headphones were gotten through a distributor they deal with (they said they don't deal with any distros that deal with Canada at all) that they will deal with my warranty claim for a small fee. I didn't think warranty claims needed any fees?!
 
I talked to the retailer and got the distributor which is a Canadian company and I sent them the info. waiting on a response from German Maestro if they consider it a trusted distro. http://www.europroducts-canada.com/#/home/4521117550
 
Lastly, German Maestro said there are two places where the serial number is: 1) the box 2) underneath one of the ear pads. Can someone verify for me that this is how their pair is please? 

 

[TsukiNick]

Sometimes it's nice to be alone in the thread, sometimes we need some space.