[danny93]

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Thanks man, I think I am pretty well sold on the M100's

 
Honestly dont worry about the negative reviews, some people bought the M100 thinking that it would be a flat "audiophile" headphone so they come out saying they dont like it and the mids are recessed etc...the mids arent recessed at all, the bass is more pronounced and in a basshead can that is always the case and always should be...so naturally the mids wont be AS forward as the bass!
 
It really does emulate the club sound very well (significantly less bass than pretty much any club ive been too, dont think the bass will blow your head off if thats what your expecting, some people who have only heard neutral headphones will be astounded by the bass but to a basshead it really isnt as big as I was expecting, in a good may though as my taste is maturing if you will and I actually enjoy less bass and no longer EQ it up!) The detail is GREAT and personally I actually love the mids on these cans! 
 
If you can afford it dont hesitate to buy them!

 

[awtryau89]

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I have never had V Modas before and am looking to pick up the M100's but at the same time i was looking at the LP2's, is the $130 diffrence between them worth it if i'm looking for clear vocals, vivid highs, decent mids and a good bass that wont drown out any of the finer details? i going to use them mainly for casual listening and gaming.

I purchased a pair of LPs (not the LP2s) for my daughter and there is a big difference across the whole spectrum to me. The LPs sound good. They have good strong bass response but it is definitely not nearly as refined as the M100s. In quantity it is probably more dominant than the M100s. The mids and high end is where the M100s really get the edge though. The M100s are much cleaner and show more layers and details than the LPs I have. I definitely think it is worth the difference in price if you want more of a "modiophile" sound. If its more of a bass head can you are looking for the LP2s may be a better choice.

 

[awtryau89]

Quote:

Thanks man, I think I am pretty well sold on the M100's

People talking about recessed mids are off base IMO. These definitely are not recessed. When I listen to a vocal dominant track from Diana Krall or Patricia Barber, they are wonderful. They show me the actual recording. The bass lines are strong in the previously mentioned artists and when the vocals need to take a back seat they do and when they are supposed to be out in front they are. The PSB M4U2s I had are a more neutral headphone with excellent mids and I listened to them a bunch on my shareplay cable along with the M100s. In the weeks I listened I never could identify anything in the midrange the M100s missed the PSBs picked up. The mids were just "out in front" more. The best way I could describe it is the PSBs kept the mids forward of the bass in 90% of the music I listened to and the M100s traded places with the mids and bass more often. Neither missed any details.

 

[awtryau89]

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Regarding IEMs, I have B&W C5s.  I really like them.  Tonally, I find them very similar to M100, but M-100 just does everything better.  I was generally happy with their sound, but for some reason, having earphones in my ear canal started to annoy me, so that is when my search began for the ultimate portable circumaural and here I am......

I have not tried the C5s but I almost purchased them. The closest IEM I have heard to the M100s is the Monster Turbine Pro Gold. I have not heard the Coppers but the Golds have a great signature I really like and is very similar to the M100s.

 

[Jzbass25]

Quick first impressions straight out of my iPhone 5 with my m80s as a comparison set sitting next to me. (No burn in or mods yet)

I can tell the lower mids being a little veiled from the bass but the m100 feels more aggressive and listening to dream theater and Steve Vai sound much more like their live tones. I actually feel the mids seem unnatural with the m80s on some vai tracks from the story of light and real illusions. If mids do open up a tiny bit more with my o2, burn in or towel mod then this headphone will probably be preferred over the m80 for many applications. From memory my hd600s are still my favorite phone but I love the growly live sound these can get. I recently went to a vai concert and his tone blew me away, the m100s seem to give me that vs the m80s and even a little against the hd600s (but I don't have them here to compare)

Quick edit: I seem to prefer some tracks on the m100 and others on the m80, it's strange.
I can tell I can pickup a little more detail in the mids with the m80 but the different signatures are both great imo. Tried some SRV and I feel it's more engaging on the m100 but if I were looking to analyze his guitar parts in depth then I may reach for my m80s (or hd600s obviously)

 

[danny93]

Quote:

I have not tried the C5s but I almost purchased them. The closest IEM I have heard to the M100s is the Monster Turbine Pro Gold. I have not heard the Coppers but the Golds have a great signature I really like and is very similar to the M100s.

If anyone is looking for a similar IEM to the M100 the Audio Technica CKS77 is close, the M100 is better on all accounts obviously! The CKS77 and the Monster Turbine Pro Gold are meant to have a very similar sound sig though 

 

[miceblue]

Quote:

Regarding IEMs, I have B&W C5s.  I really like them.  Tonally, I find them very similar to M100, but M-100 just does everything better.  I was generally happy with their sound, but for some reason, having earphones in my ear canal started to annoy me, so that is when my search began for the ultimate portable circumaural and here I am......

Yeah for some reason I can't stand IEM's either, foam tip, silicon tip, triple flange tip, none of them seem to be very comfortable to me. Portable headphones are more bulky, but significantly more comfortable to me.
 
 
 
Quote:

Quote:

Thanks man, I think I am pretty well sold on the M100's

People talking about recessed mids are off base IMO. These definitely are not recessed. When I listen to a vocal dominant track from Diana Krall or Patricia Barber, they are wonderful. They show me the actual recording. The bass lines are strong in the previously mentioned artists and when the vocals need to take a back seat they do and when they are supposed to be out in front they are. The PSB M4U2s I had are a more neutral headphone with excellent mids and I listened to them a bunch on my shareplay cable along with the M100s. In the weeks I listened I never could identify anything in the midrange the M100s missed the PSBs picked up. The mids were just "out in front" more. The best way I could describe it is the PSBs kept the mids forward of the bass in 90% of the music I listened to and the M100s traded places with the mids and bass more often. Neither missed any details.

Recessed? Nope. Laid-back? Yeah.
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recessed Very laid-back.

 

[YSoElmo]

Quote:

People talking about recessed mids are off base IMO. These definitely are not recessed. When I listen to a vocal dominant track from Diana Krall or Patricia Barber, they are wonderful. They show me the actual recording. The bass lines are strong in the previously mentioned artists and when the vocals need to take a back seat they do and when they are supposed to be out in front they are. The PSB M4U2s I had are a more neutral headphone with excellent mids and I listened to them a bunch on my shareplay cable along with the M100s. In the weeks I listened I never could identify anything in the midrange the M100s missed the PSBs picked up. The mids were just "out in front" more. The best way I could describe it is the PSBs kept the mids forward of the bass in 90% of the music I listened to and the M100s traded places with the mids and bass more often. Neither missed any details.

I'd have to agree. I don't notice the mids recessed at all. They are definitely there, they are just more in the background and not so much in your face, where they actually should be in some cases.
It's more of a natural background sound, guitars or backup vocals shouldn't overpower the vocals of the main singer. Would I prefer a faker, in your face, sound in the mids? Probably, as I adore beautiful music (which is why I don't like live music, lol).

 

[clairyvic]

Nah man, they're recessed which is why you need paper towels. Then it's good.

 

[tinyman392]

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I'd have to agree. I don't notice the mids recessed at all. They are definitely there, they are just more in the background and not so much in your face, where they actually should be in some cases.
It's more of a natural background sound, guitars or backup vocals shouldn't overpower the vocals of the main singer. Would I prefer a faker, in your face, sound in the mids? Probably, as I adore beautiful music (which is why I don't like live music, lol).

 
That is, by definition, recessed.  Recessed doesn't mean absent, it means further back, deeper down, backgrounded.  It sounds like you prefer recessed vocals though seeing how you do find them more "natural".  

 

[imackler]

Quote:

 
That is, by definition, recessed.  Recessed doesn't mean absent, it means further back, deeper down, backgrounded.  

 
I agree that this is the definition of recessed. 

 

[Speakerphile]

This whole recessed mids argument is getting a little ridiculous.  Most of you are arguing the same thing.  Some are saying they are recessed, some are saying the bass is just more forward.  The perception is the same either way.  I think it is hard to disagree that the mids do get a little lost with certain music on these.  Not in a bad way though.  As has already been established, this headphone has some emphasized bass which is impossible to have without losing a little midrange.  The argument should really be about whether or not one likes the signature, and what tracks/genres does it become readily apparent on.  

 

[miceblue]

I went to a local RadioShack today and tried out the M-80's for a few songs with an iPhone 4S unamped. I do notice that the mids are more forward than the M-100 as I previously observed, and rock tracks do have a bit better extension than the M-100's as I also previously observed, though cymbals definitely are not sparkly. With the iPhone, the M-100's mids are definitely laid-back, it's really obvious to me.

 

[Apo0th3karY]

This whole recessed mids argument is getting a little ridiculous.  Most of you are arguing the same thing.  Some are saying they are recessed, some are saying the bass is just more forward.  The perception is the same either way.  I think it is hard to disagree that the mids do get a little lost with certain music on these.  Not in a bad way though.  As has already been established, this headphone has some emphasized bass which is impossible to have without losing a little midrange.  The argument should really be about whether or not one likes the signature, and what tracks/genres does it become readily apparent on.  

+1
I wouldn't say the Mids are recessed, they're right where they should be, considering the forward bass and highs.
I've yet to hear a track where the mids are misplaced, mostly because the bass and highs are noticeably forward in comparison.

There's a freq response chart that shows a big dip around 500hz, but I don't hear that dip nearly as drastically as its shown in the graph. I've even tried eqing the bass and highs down, and bring that 500hz range up to flat line, and it sounds unnaturally forward. The graph and my ears perceive these 'laid back mids' much much differently

 

[Craigster75]

Quote:

+1
I wouldn't say the Mids are recessed, they're right where they should be, considering the forward bass and highs.
I've yet to hear a track where the mids are misplaced, mostly because the bass and highs are noticeably forward in comparison.
There's a freq response chart that shows a big dip around 500hz, but I don't hear that dip nearly as drastically as its shown in the graph. I've even tried eqing the bass and highs down, and bring that 500hz range up to flat line, and it sounds unnaturally forward. The graph and my ears perceive these 'laid back mids' much much differently

Recessed or not, I am listening to Supertramp for the first time on the M-100 and am on a music high right now (yes, just music).  I may be dating myself, so if anyone wants to go old school and hear what the M-100 mids can do with vocals and acoustic guitar, I invite you to sample "Give a Little Bit" by Supertramp, or anything from their greatest hits.