[Dr.Aural]

The only downside of the MT5s is that they are not very detailed. My active studio monitors the Adam Audio T5V shows more detail especially in the mids.

...that's a fair comment, though your T5V's do have extra 'air' in the upper mids from their tweeter design than most other monitors. They are v.good monitors for their budget but not perfect. Equally I've not come across a headphone that is perfect. Overall I find the MT5's to be more detailed that most headphones, but the highs are not hyped (where all Adams are slightly). For sure the MT5's can't match my Neumann KH120's for clarity (but they are 12x the price - and speakers in a room), though the MT5's do match the KH120's for overall sound signature - and I've found no other headphone that can come as close.

With the MT5's I'd say the mids are very strong, forward and detailed, the highs however do lack some extension - and it maybe this that you are hearing as a lack of detail in the mids. As a closed-back design there can be some resonance in the mids (they can shout/honk at high volumes) but this actually aids you in cleaning the mids in a mix. So I'd say they are missing about 15% to the top highs, but that's the only 'fault' I can find, as an overall package I score them higher than any other headphone I own or have used. Vocals are super detailed and present, if I put other headphones on, vocals can suddenly drop back in a mix, there's not really much wrong with the MT5's in terms of detail from what I hear, just the missing very top end highs.

The MT8's do have more detail in the high-mids - but this is due to the excessive presence of the highs - way too much, and lack of presence in the lows. The MT8's as an overall package score quite low to me - despite their slightly more open mids.

I'd say in the MT5 / MT8 price range if more 'detail' is required I'd use my DT770 80ohm (that do need to be driven by a music interface or amp). Though I couldn't use the DT700's for mastering as their EQ is out - especially bumped up in the mid-highs, nor actually for just listening as they can get painfully fatiguing - the honeymoon wow period when you first put them on doesn't last long. While the MT5's often 'disappear' on my head - a totally natural experience - and with that powerfully 'just right' low end.

BTW what headphone do you, or would you, use in preference to the MT5's?

 

[bizkid]

BTW what headphone do you, or would you, use in preference to the MT5's?

Thats a tough question. I have probably owned 60-70 headphones during the last 15 years. The MT5, while not perfect, gets the closest to my preffered sound signature. I would love to have an open headphone with a similar W shaped signature but nothing comes close to the MT5. As far as headphones go im covered with the Yamahas.

 

[perhapss]

Hello, does anyone know if these have the same pads as the mt220? They were a real problem for me due to them disintegrating. Other pads changed the sound sig. enough to disappoint me and the replacements were way overpriced IMO....

 

[Dr.Aural]

If you've used the MT220 don't get the MT8's - they sound far too harsh - not equivalent. So don't worry about the pads, just avoid the MT8's. The MT5's on the other-hand sound great (as you'll have read from what I've said before), also the pads are better that the MT8's (-which are too soft).

 

[perhapss]

Okay so if the pads are super soft they maybe the same as the MT220. I like the MT220 but the pads have fallen apart twice and the headband material has disintegrated.

 

[Dr.Aural]

Okay so if the pads are super soft they maybe the same as the MT220. I like the MT220 but the pads have fallen apart twice and the headband material has disintegrated.

...well I have both the MT8's and the MT5's and prefer the design, weight, pads and sound of the MT5's. I have 3 pairs of MT5's in different locations, while the MT8's are stuck in a cupboard.

 

[perhapss]

...well I have both the MT8's and the MT5's and prefer the design, weight, pads and sound of the MT5's. I have 3 pairs of MT5's in different locations, while the MT8's are stuck in a cupboard.

OK, so the pads are different than MT220? Maybe it's just acid in my head or something but those dissolved quickly twice. This makes me reluctant to buy more Yamaha headphones. Despite the fact I really like the mt220 except for is tendency to dissolve.

 

[Dr.Aural]

I've had my original pair of MT5's for just under 3 years, which I've been using for a few hours, mostly everyday, the pads are still fine as is the headband. They sit on a table otherwise, not rattling around in a bag. Of the many studio headphones I own, the pads seem of no less inferior quality, in fact the MT5's have my preferred pad shape and firmness of them all. My DT1990Pro's come a close second, deeper, rounder shape and velour finish.

 

[perhapss]

I've had my original pair of MT5's for just under 3 years, which I've been using for a few hours, mostly everyday, the pads are still fine as is the headband. They sit on a table otherwise, not rattling around in a bag. Of the many studio headphones I own, the pads seem of no less inferior quality, in fact the MT5's have my preferred pad shape and firmness of them all. My DT1990Pro's come a close second, deeper, rounder shape and velour finish.

Listen,I don't need/want a sales pitch. If ANYONE can confirm the MT8s have different pads than mt220 please let me know. Otherwise I really don't care.

 

[HereticArchitect]

Holy crap! Chill, man

 

[495709]

Hi.Can anyone recommend replacement ear pads for the mt8's?

 

[LikeHolborn]

here's a simple improvement for who don't like the nearfield sound the mt8 offers. now the soundstage is improved and the in-your-face is more spacious. the spike is gone, the bass is there.Now the sopund is more speaker-like. i just inserted this electrical cable behind the ear cushion. this mod take the driver 0,6 cm more distant from the ears of the listener. the mt8 now is more natural than every closed can under 500 dollars. I just listened the soundmagic hp151, the distant mids are not for me. same for the dt770. and oppo pm3 is too dark. i also don't like the mdr-z7 spike. now i can say i have filled my preferences, until i will able to listen the only one i haven't the joy of: srh1540 that is less portable but make me so curious. the top tier over 500 are too expensive for me...s

here's a simple improvement for who don't like the nearfield sound the mt8 offers. now the soundstage is improved and the in-your-face is more spacious. the spike is gone, the bass is there.Now the sopund is more speaker-like. i just inserted this electrical cable behind the ear cushion. this mod take the driver 0,6 cm more distant from the ears of the listener. the mt8 now is more natural than every closed can under 500 dollars. I just listened the soundmagic hp151, the distant mids are not for me. same for the dt770. and oppo pm3 is too dark. i also don't like the mdr-z7 spike. now i can say i have filled my preferences, until i will able to listen the only one i haven't the joy of: srh1540 that is less portable but make me so curious. the top tier over 500 are too expensive for me.

..Should make the bass more tactile too, and uh i think there are two general types of headphones, those that are for example like this mt-8 with a treble if done right atleast sounds detailed (worthwhile, impressive) but makes it not coherent, thin, diffused, cross instruments effect(like numerous ppl talking at the same time) etc but smooth except for the treble, and the other like the m50 that are closer in sound (which makes it detailed in it's own way), present fr, full sound, comfortable or atleast if harsh is forgettable(and it sure is), engaging, inviting, less "resolution", and even more natural bass if you consider that the m50 has hard pads and not a dip in the low midrange that enables it not to intrude to the mids and be infinitely tight like the mt220 which never gets satisfying still because of the lack of "net" bass (and it's all midbass really) if it gets absorbed before it gets to your head structure. When i say detailed in the case of m50 i don't mean like sennheiser, or more like a skullcandy i tried with a simple but detailed sound coming from the midrange.. they will still be dull or boring, dark, veiled, unexciting, compared to m50. (hard to get over it's singer in the front, instruments in the back, like one person talking at a time, coherent) but doesn't get more detailed the farther you hold it from your ears, since it's meant on the ears and not speakers am fine with that and maybe it should be the right way.. you got that type and a worthwhile upgrade to the other sound in the mt220, now the mt8(..in my limited experience so far). I think it's "shameful" but characteristic that the whole "audiophile" community can't get organised enough to list and why not distinguish along the way the present or coherent type and list the other type for it's resolution or detail for the price, to save us from all the variations or different disabilities really for want of soundstage or whatever the f you expect headphones to do for you and fake wine tasters ( reminds me of a scene from that dmx movie in the car dealership: "it better suck me and f me for $$$$$" )

 

[LikeHolborn]

So i just got my mt8, maybe those exaggeraters were right lol, had the mt220 6 years ago, been listening to the ath-cor150 j-100 and ar3bt as my mains for more than 6 months those are the other type of headphone that are not natural (unlike m50, q40), maybe those make the sound alot similar to the mt8, even tried a sony z5 that i found on the same level as the cor 150 with there pros and cons but this mt8... ok it's a step in bigger sound to the ar3. cleaner, in a way. The pads are farther away.. infact the whole headphone scaled up in size, it's no lie circumferal or fully around ear even for my full size ears.
It's another disappointment, it's different from the mt220 possibly in that it has more subbass less midbass perceived, maybe moving from the crazy hump midbass of the ar3 makes it more so, no complaints there, it gained a supple quality (like the q40 but way less so).
The treble.. or let me say it's much less detailed to my perception to the mt220, it's not constantly sibilant but still a "treble" other type of headphone, only certain electronic sounds etc make the sibilance show up, maybe less treble and not enough to be defined or reach a detail zone, neither here nor there, but yamaha shouldn't be learning the bad habits from others as this is their top of the line. The voices are possibly closer.
When i press the cups closer to my ears i can hear the grainy midrange, it's got a big problem of "ch" and "s" sounds too. So it's sound dead or damaged headphone with a bridge or bump in the midrange, trebles.
It's not sweet and maybe musical like the mt220, just healthier bass stock (got no dac/amp) (bass lite overall than m50 for example) even if it's got a tubey or rounded off low midrange.. if that's the warmth the exaggeraters or bashers were talking about. I don't think it's to a fault and definitely not the one to focus on.
The second song i listened to, sade - is it a crime ..noticed the "organs" and maybe the saxophone, those things sound more forward for whoever is interested or listens to those genres, they can bull themselves with another one, and it is.. how you gna take an inherent goodness of food and cook it into something very bad, just salt and cooking it would have been good ..to the point of these mothe****in headphones that the only thing good about them is the inherent little of the source that comes through. Hai!

 

[LikeHolborn]

Ah.. It's choked by the midbass, very cheap quality, if you turn up the volume high it could almost arrest the music, y know put everything at a lower volume then when the "midbass" departs everything goes back to the high volume, less of the trick to dip something to not muddle the midrange or in this case all the sound. I think they wanted more soundstage. The Music equaliser holds things more together and maybe more focused then for one thing atleast by making it warmer.. the treble boost does nothing to it though, not any detail that's useful ..the mt220 was distinguished.

 

[LikeHolborn]

..soundstage not done by adding air or whatever but weakening all before it. They shoulda dressed up or f'ed with everything after if needed.