Firstly, a big thank you to Joe for helping me get a pair of MH463s
. I've had them now for over 4 months. These are my thoughts.
Out of the box I was impressed: They looks pretty nice, there's reassuring weight to the construction and comfort is serviceable. The body is mostly metal. As established though, long term comfort isn't great: the cups are just too shallow. Most will probably buy with this in mind though, as did I, with intentions of rectifying in the future. There are some issues with frame creaking when turning your head too - can be slightly annoying.
Concerning recent balancing discussion: I can only assume it's a bad batch. I assume mine must be from an earlier production run given the timeframe of buying them from Joe. I have no imbalance on mine. I'm pretty sensitive too. My first pair of M50s had it, and I sent them all the way back to the US for a replacement.
Sound is very good. Lots of space and instrument separation, with a fairly flat response. Nothing seemed recessed
or highlighted; I like this. All elements of my music seemed to be given ample representation. The 50mm drivers provide enviable sound and presence. Bass is there, and provides a nice thrum for guitar or atmospheric background drone when called for. If anything, this is where there a bit of bias in the sound. Nothing overbearing though.
After burn-in/100hrs is when they really shine though!
I would leave my set cycling through my songs nightly. This lasted about a week. Didn't really use them much during this period. When I first did though, wow, I was very impressed! There just seemed to be much more harmony in the music, more cohesion. Not muddy, but full-bodied. Nice and lush and weighty. Separation was further improved, and with a nice smoothness to the vocals. Sibilance is gone too. Coming through the E17 with LOD - I was blown away. The audio quality improved noticeably, and it responded wonderfully with the bass and treble settings.
I had put them on par with my HM5 rebrands originally (which I rate highly), but now, MH463 is king! Done some comparisons and the music just sounds more
alive with the Somics. More impact, more space. Instruments and voice are more present. HM5 are no slouch, but these just outclass them.
GET THEM! ...and give them a chance too
. Out of the box they may not sound like anything special, but given the right treatment, they can sound wonderfully grand. Which brings me to my next passage - how I fixed comfort issues:
As mentioned, the cups are too shallow (they're actually nice and plush however). You can replace with other pads, like from the M50 or the Turtle Beaches for example, or plump the existing pads yourself. I was hesitant on deciding because personal preference varys wildly on the best pad replacement. A lot seem to feel it negatively colours the sound too. I decided to stuff the pads instead.
I originally tried cotton wool, foam and tissue. All worked to differing degrees, but had shortcomings. I had got along on tissue, but they compress and move too easily. It always seemed like a stopgap option. Recently, while wearing the Somics mind you, I was absentmindedly squishing together some silicone earplugs I'd picked up for 50c on clearance. I found they moulded together almost like play dough - awesome! I was having fun messing around when it occurred to me I could use them on the headphones. I took the whole packet and made two strips of equal length and width. They look like snakes. I then sort of moulded them to the underside of the cushion on the cups. It worked surprisingly well. Because they're malleable, but also keep their shape, theyre perfect to act as support. Additionally, the silicone will affix it in place and won't shift. The creaking is better too. When done it raised the cushion padding upward without squashing. The ear pads are now still soft, but raised from the driver housing.
Pretty pleased with the solution! Very comfortable now. I'd advise you to try it out, at the least. I couldn't notice any sound changes. It's probably a placebo, but it seems to improve the isolation. Again, probably a placebo
Here's some pics. I used Macks waterproof earplugs. You can feel when applying under the cushion the opening for the drivers. There's a circle that enclosing the entire section it. Just make sure you push the silicone back from this. Should be just behind. Check it out:
Kinda compliments the colour too
. I've had them now for over 4 months. These are my thoughts.
. Out of the box they may not sound like anything special, but given the right treatment, they can sound wonderfully grand. Which brings me to my next passage - how I fixed comfort issues:
