I'm looking to pick up a pair of MT8s right now, but from what i'v seen the reviews on them are kind of mixed, some don't like them, most love them, can someone give me an unbiased analysis on the sound signature, and a 1.2 meter cable that works with it and is available? Since, I go almost everywhere with headphones and long cables don't suit that. FYI, i'm looking for a pair of headphones with the most accurate sound signature possible.
I believe my views to be unbiased. My 'control' are my Neumann KH120 monitor speakers, the flattest, most detailed and rich, 2-way monitors available. I own many headphones (and have tried many others). My recommendation are the MT5's, I have the MT8's but rarely use them as they under-represent bass and over-represent treble - on the whole the MT8's are too harsh and I would not say accurate, though for analytical inspection when mixing they are great, but no good for mastering (or listening). The MT5's have proved themselves to me so much I now have two pairs for different locations. Any 'locking' Audio-Technica cable will work, get the best you can afford.
OVERVIEW
MT5 : Monitoring, Mixing, Mastering, and Listening, yes they can do it all, but not absolutely perfectly 100%, though 95%. Overall frequency signature similar to the A990Z’s, though faster, more thwack and less bloated bass, so better! Closest to the overall presentation of my Neumann K120 studio-monitor speakers, though with a couple of minor freq dips. Very close to being perceptually flat, though not technically flat.
MT8 : Monitoring and 2nd check Mixing/Mastering. Overall frequency signature similar to the sizzling DT770’s - though the MT8’s have fuller/flatter/better mids and no high spike - though overall the high are elevated and the soundstage is closer. Compared to my Neumann studio-monitor speakers they have less lows and greater high-mids & highs.
HIGHS
MT5 : detailed, calm, not particular elevated or gratingly ‘hi-fi’ / ‘club-fi’. Have a slightly woody quality, won’t cause you any pain - so you can really turn them up to get inside the sound - not fatiguing at all. In terms of final mastering are pretty much perfect, less clinically up-front (and less clashy) than others. They may not reach far enough up to clearly analyse recorded hiss (only sound engineers need to hear hiss) over 10kHz they start to fall away (while the MT8’s are reaching their peak) - but otherwise very even, fast and clear (the only faster headphones here are the MT8’s). Mastered results are good though may contain hiss - that the MT5’s attenuated. If you want over-present sizzling highs in a headphone, these will not be the ticket for you, they are accurate. Most headphones do hype highs somewhat, it’s almost what we expect, so the MT5’s can sound slightly dark, in which case I recommend the DT770’s.
MT8 : if you need super-clarity in the highs, there’s no (or not much) sibilance here but they are v.analytical and gradually elevate towards 10.5kHz. I’m critical of harsh highs - these are not abrasive unless your mix is poor (many commercial recordings are BTW!). They have the fastest highs of this group - revealing, breathy, airy and open, not metallic or grainy. Compared to the MT5 it’s like a sonic door has opened (actually too far), highs can be distracting in some vocals and swamp a mix (be warned) though their clarity encourages you to accept this, it’s a natural clarity, certainly more forward than the DT770 though actually rises more smoothly and predictably - no noticeable sudden peaks (unlike the problem 8kHz spike of the DT770’s). I’d say the highs are ‘Grado like’ (though the MT8’s lows are very different - they are present!). In comparison to say the reasonably priced and well regarded M40x the highs are not as pronounced as have a more even spread (M40x are more wavy, up/down), so they are within reasonable limits and useful.
HIGH-MIDS
MT5 : as well as highs not quite reaching far enough up to analyse recorded hiss there is a slight dip in the 'low-highs' or 'high-mids' around 5kHz. That said the high-mids don’t seem odd in any way, they just slightly knock-down some voice texture / claps (you’d have to be an total audiophile to notice anything) - but still v.fast and detailed. This high-mid dip does in fact add precision and instrument separation to the highs, so ok overall a little dark but works to define high presentation, somehow expertly presents the dynamic of the upper range. NB most headphones have a dip in the 2-6kHz region, usually falling to around -6dB, the MT5’s briefly dip to -9dB here. As these headphones are so detailed and fast this dip isn’t actually that noticeable, except for adding a woody timbre, their detail picks up much more presence than other headphones with less of a dip but mushier details.
MT8 : the dip noticed in the MT5’s is far less here, about -5dB at 5.5kHz which is not a great dip and provides good detail in this information rich region of the freq range. If the MT5’s are an autumn afternoon, these are a spring morning. They will test the quality of a mix like no other, if a mix is good and tight, these have the best highs of this group - otherwise they may ‘wail’ here & seem slightly high centric (in a studio this is what you need. Incredible thwack power (high-mids & mids) - when sudden hits are in a track, can make you blink with shock, this effect is even more present here than with the slightly veiled MT5’s.
MIDS
MT5 : forward, detailed and with body. There is a downside to forward mids in a closed-back headphone, they can shout or project resonation/congestion at high volumes, this is noticeable in busy passages with the MT5’s. There is a slight W shape to the freq response, raised at the ends and the centre - and with corresponding dips between (but don’t let this worry you, it’s fairly healthy, as is actually flatter and far better than a V shape). If you are critical of every aspect of a headphone you will miss out on greatness; nothing covers everything. These definitely have the mid and low-mid weight and fullness of my monitor speakers. For listening you may like less forward mids - the tricky aspect there is often the mids are then recessive, sapping presence, and so a slightly forward mid, in my book, is preferable.
MT8 : Presence and detail is amazing, superlative, similar to the MT5’s though with a flatter response (possibly slightly too flat - if that’s possible). Any mid-resonance issue of the MT5 and A990Z’s is not heard here (though maybe moves to the high-mids).
LOWS
MT5 : powerful, defined and tight, might even say these have the most satisfactory bass of this group. Aggressive thwacks hit v.powerfully and cleanly, impressive. In presence they are very well matched to the mids, with no hyped bumps (unlike say the M40x, let’s not even talk about the M50x). Certainly the bass will not swamp the mids, it’s distinct. Low-mids are have incredible presence.
MT8 : tight, accurate, has drive but not over-emphasised, under-present at times in the low-mids. The A990Z have more bass warmth but not more detail, the MT5’s have more more power and more hit in the 70-200Hz range, the DT770’s have slightly more power through not as much detail. The recessive nature of the bass (esp below 100hz), is in part relative to the forward highs, the headphones can’t be turned up too far to reveal the full bass glory - as the zingy highs then become overly present. Bass recessiveness certainly holds back the forward presence of bass centred instruments, if you value this area esp low-mids, the MT5’s (rather then the 8’s) cannot be bettered.
V.LOW
MT5 : present though under 50Hz they dip just below the strength of the mids, while the MT8’s keep sub-bass just above.
MT8 : this is the surprise, sub-bass if present in a recording is powerful and defined, more so than the DT770 and even the A990Z - reaching lower and with more detail (and also as previously mentioned, the powerful bass-ready MT5’s are not as present under 50Hz). This is a strong point of these headphones, the natural bass spread, which introduces powerful sub-bass without confusing it with middle bass frequencies - this is actually rare in a headphone, sub-bass seems to come from nowhere as an instrument in itself. If your like all bass to sound like sub-bass these headphones are not for you, sub-bass is powerful only when present in the recording, which including all genres, below 45Hz is actually quite rare - hence it’ll be the slightly recessive lows that you’ll be noticing more than the sub power.
