MrPhilicorda
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2014
- Posts
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- 17
I've been using the m40x for more than a year now and I do like them a lot. I mostly use them at work and when commuting but occasionally I use them for mixing and other studio work, alongside my DT880 & DT811 (and K702 a while back). I don't think they are super neutral/flat/accurate since they have quite a pronounced mid bass hump and a treble spike that can be sibilant in some cases. I experimented with different pads on them and ended up sticking with a pair of Sound Professionals velvet pads. With them I think the bass and treble issues were fixed making them sound like expected for a pair of headphones that are described as "flat". However, with this thread I'm referring to the stock version.
The measurements made by the RTINGS website confirm my impressions showing the mid bass hump and treble spike:
The other day I popped into a shop that had a pair of m50x so I took the opportunity to do a side by side comparison. I was REALLY surprised with my findings. I was expecting a bloated bass heavy sound because that how people usually describe them, but on the contrary, they had LESS bass. What they did have though, was much better extension in to the lowest frequencies. I could hear kickdrums and bass in a way that I couldn't with the m40x. Gone was the mid bass stuffiness that would mask lower bass frequencies, gone was also that treble spike. I think the whole range sounded more relaxed, and actually, more flat.
Again, the RTINGS measurements illustrate that quite well. The mid bass hump that would be masking the lowest frequencies is gone, treble is also slightly tamed:
Now I haven't done extensive listening tests. These were first impressions based on maybe 20 minutes and 3 different songs (pop/jazz/easylistening). That was still enough for me to seriously think about purchasing the m50x and continue testing.
Are there more guys on here who have done side by side comparisons with the two?
The measurements made by the RTINGS website confirm my impressions showing the mid bass hump and treble spike:
The other day I popped into a shop that had a pair of m50x so I took the opportunity to do a side by side comparison. I was REALLY surprised with my findings. I was expecting a bloated bass heavy sound because that how people usually describe them, but on the contrary, they had LESS bass. What they did have though, was much better extension in to the lowest frequencies. I could hear kickdrums and bass in a way that I couldn't with the m40x. Gone was the mid bass stuffiness that would mask lower bass frequencies, gone was also that treble spike. I think the whole range sounded more relaxed, and actually, more flat.
Again, the RTINGS measurements illustrate that quite well. The mid bass hump that would be masking the lowest frequencies is gone, treble is also slightly tamed:
Now I haven't done extensive listening tests. These were first impressions based on maybe 20 minutes and 3 different songs (pop/jazz/easylistening). That was still enough for me to seriously think about purchasing the m50x and continue testing.
Are there more guys on here who have done side by side comparisons with the two?