[afinch1992]

Does anyone own a pair of m-audio q40s and pro 900s? I have been in the market for pro 900s, but I came across a user claiming that the q40s had a better sound. I always felt that the q40s were almost muffled and figured I could get better sound out of pro 900s. If anyone does have both pairs or has demoed, can you comment on the differences? I pretty much had my cross hairs on a pair of pro 900s until this arose. 

 

[afinch1992]

btw. I listed to pretty much only EDM and hip hop every once in a while. I found the sound of the q40s just didnt have the sparkle and pop that I was looking for. Im sourcing from my alienware m11x through a PA2V2 amp. 

 

[jupitreas]

For a bass-centric can, the Q40 is still a rather clear headphone, relatively speaking. I'd use the term "muffled" to describe Beats, Sony XB series, Technics DJ1210... but not the Q40. The Q40 IMO retains a rather natural clarity across the whole frequency spectrum.
 
The PRO900 has superior build quality, comfort, looks and great bass, but anything above about 6 Khz is extremely piercing and harsh with them. People claim that 200+ hours of burn in tame the harshness but I have not found this to be true. If anything, after 200+ hours, I found the PRO900 to be even more fatiguing. The PRO900 has this twangy, sibilant, metallic sound in the high frequencies and this is immensely grating. 

 

[hekeli]

Quote:

People claim that 200+ hours of burn in tame the harshness but I have not found this to be true.

 
No, you only need to listen one hour at maximum volume. After that you've certainly lost your ability to hear highs...

 

[Coq de Combat]

I listened to a pair of Q40 about a month ago. I found them to be quite good for the price asked. However, I do prefer the Pro 900 by quite a large margin. To me, it sounded like the highs just weren't "there" for me. The bass was okay, the mids felt a little so-so and the highs were not to my liking. I'm sure though that, just like with every other headphone, this is a matter of getting used to the specific sound signature. 
 
That being said, the Pro 900 has lovely highs and lows - IMO really remarkable - but does not suit every music style out there as it has a rather metallic sound to it. I think it's lovely for jazz, EDM and sometimes even classical and rock-like music like RATM and such. It is the best headphone I've heard to render sounds like this:
 

 
I also think the Pro 900's have a slightly overrated bass reputation around these parts. While it is great and emphasized by the headphones, I find that the bass of headphones like HD25-1 II and D2000 are more impressive when EQ is applied. The HD25-1 for example, can take as much as my gear can give - and still asks for more, even after being turned into a leaf blower or a hair dryer.
 
In short: I wouldn't buy the Pro 900 for bass alone, but for the rather unique sound signature as a whole. If you want bass, I think you'd do better with other headphones and a good EQ.

 

[afinch1992]

Quote:

I listened to a pair of Q40 about a month ago. I found them to be quite good for the price asked. However, I do prefer the Pro 900 by quite a large margin. To me, it sounded like the highs just weren't "there" for me. The bass was okay, the mids felt a little so-so and the highs were not to my liking. I'm sure though that, just like with every other headphone, this is a matter of getting used to the specific sound signature. 
 
That being said, the Pro 900 has lovely highs and lows - IMO really remarkable - but does not suit every music style out there as it has a rather metallic sound to it. I think it's lovely for jazz, EDM and sometimes even classical and rock-like music like RATM and such. It is the best headphone I've heard to render sounds like this:
 
I also think the Pro 900's have a slightly overrated bass reputation around these parts. While it is great and emphasized by the headphones, I find that the bass of headphones like HD25-1 II and D2000 are more impressive when EQ is applied. The HD25-1 for example, can take as much as my gear can give - and still asks for more, even after being turned into a leaf blower or a hair dryer.
 
In short: I wouldn't buy the Pro 900 for bass alone, but for the rather unique sound signature as a whole. If you want bass, I think you'd do better with other headphones and a good EQ.

 
Interesting perspective and very enlightening. thank you for the detailed comparisoin