[tcgc]

Thanks for input guys!

 

[jazzman7]

Anyone else notice the similarity between Tyl and the Lesnumerwhatever site I shared earlier at http://www.head-fi.org/t/628488/yamaha-pro-headphones/330#post_9249143 ... ? That certainly settles the question of "so who is right? Sound & Vision or Lesnumerique?" (sorry for the hatchet job on that name.)

For me, all headphone measurements are relative. The proverbial "ideal" is not a flat line. Does Lesnumerique have a database of measurements? This would help figure out their measurement philosophy.

Also, I did the converse of my EQ experiment from before: Tried to get the PRO 500 to sound like the M100 by boosting the bass on the former. That didn't work either. Too much boom with almost no control of the low end. The M100 sounds tight in the bass, whereas the PRO 500 EQ'ed to similar levels is just too resonant. A good comparison is a sealed subwoofer (M100) vs. a ported one (PRO 500 EQ'ed).

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

For me, all headphone measurements are relative. The proverbial "ideal" is not a flat line.

 
Right. Yet everyone worries or complains when the line is not flat. I worry when a headphone does not communicate the musical message.

 

[jazzman7]

Quote:

 
Right. Yet everyone worries or complains when the line is not flat. I worry when a headphone does not communicate the musical message.

 
The trick is to reconcile these two things, if that is possible.  How close to "flat" does a headphone need to be to communicate music well?  Or is there a better frequency response to target?   Of course, all of these measurements are relative.  Most (perhaps all) headphone testers do some form of frequency response compensation for their setup (InnerFidelity and GoldenEars do, perhaps also Sound and Vision and HeadRoom).   
 
Of course, one could forget about measurements and just listen, but for me, I have benefitted greatly by looking at a consistent set of curves from one place and seeing what I can hear/adjust with EQ between different headphones.  I am getting closer to the best sound for me this way.  EQ only adjusts one piece of the equation, so it helps to hear different headphones in any case.  

 

[slick1ru2]

Just kicking myself. Had a chance to get a pair of 400 and 300 for review last week and was too late responding to the email.  Ugh.

 

[Henri]

I guess I got there before you.
I received them in blue a few days ago. My first impressions are mixed. I love the sound but they are very uncomfortable, specifically when I am sitting in my reclining chair...
I have tried them for about two days and I am impressed by the sound. I find the bass very present but not overpowering. At least not on most tracks.They are also very fun to listen to with great detail.
But it is too early in truth to tell.
I plan to compare them against the ATH-ESW9A which I find surprizing no none mentioned as a potential contender.
I may also compare them for the fun against the Yamaha EPH-100 which I find amazing and for a much cheaper price.
But again, the biggest con right now for me is the size,,, I am medium sized oval head shaped and they are barely fitting on my head at the minimum size.
As I am sitting, I alternated between them and my AKG-Q701 and the later are sooo much more comfortable, it is ridiculous...

 

[m8o]

Quote:

... But again, the biggest con right now for me is the size,,, I am medium sized oval head shaped and they are barely fitting on my head at the minimum size.

I've come to the conclusion they're made to be worn over a hat (maybe a few of them, LOL) or by someone with big thick bushy hair.
 
The size of them with the headband in its smallest position really does seem like a design-flaw. 
 
Even though they are so large, opening the slider just an 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch (one 'click') and they're more comfortable.  In addition I've noticed the bass response is largely affected by where the headband sits.  Slide it to the back of the head and there's more leakage and the bass thins out; keep the headband on the front of the head and bass is solid.

 

[Henri]

Thanks for the tip! I did open the slider slightly as you did and it made it more comfortable.

 

[Bruin9999]

I had to send these back purely based on comfort, they weren't. The one thing I ever returned that I still wish I had. Actually, almost teared up a bit at the ups place. I hope they lose the lawsuit with beats so they have to change the design, this sound in any other design, I would buy them again in a heartbeat. I tried everything to get them remotely comfortable and just couldn't. I couldn't keep them on my head for more than ten to fifteen minutes without being in pain. 

 

[gelocks]

Yeah, that was my main thing with them... too bad!
Hopefully they'll learn from this one and come out with a better design.

 

[roma101]

Sorry to hear that, that's a damn shame. I just try and deal with the discomfort (although i can wear them for a couple hours if I wanted to) but I hardly take them out the house due to it being non-head conforming and slightly heavy. I hope they do come out with something as amazing-sounding with another form factor though. Especially for people like you who appreciate its SQ so much. It's the best I've heard in a closed portable.

 

[TheBanker]

Mine Yamaha 500 PRO headphones got much more comfortable after around 3 months of daily use. The clamping force is gone altogether. Now Yams just hang on my head, barely any clamping force. I guess one can wear them on the pillow for a week or two to break in up the clamping force .. see my review on amazon on them .. i update the review monthly ..

 

[m8o]

I'll tell ya all, the Pro500 with MadDog Alpha Pads (if the circumference were to be right) would be incredible! 
 
The problem w/the PRO600 is they want to be spread one to two inches wider than the normal width of a head from ear to ear.  The only way the earpads can lay flush one the head where the top of the pad would press on the head the same amount as the bottom of the pad, you have to have a head the size of a bowling ball. 
 
But put a huge pad on the headphone, probably even over the old pad instead of replacing it, and I bet you it would be like night and day, comfortable, would reduce the sometimes heavy bass (which I don't mind for what it's worth), and who knows what else.
 

 

[Zoza]

If anyone can try them with alpha pads and give some comments it would be great!!
 
Can anyone compare AKG k550 witch I got with Yamaha pro 500?

 

[Pach]

Figured I'd add some input since we recently returned these headphones (500 pro) a few days ago after a week of usage.  Mostly due to discomfort. 
 
These are definitely marketed for the portable devices in that they are portable friendly.
 
I'm having trouble understanding why some people try compare these cans to monitor headphones since in studio settings they...ehhh well...perform quite poorly.
 
We generally work in the studio's here with our string quartet and figured we'd power up one of these guys through our old Private Q mixing amps and these...screech like hell in the upper registers.  Especially when one of our violinist plays passage from Bach's Sonata No. 1 for giggles LOL There's just too much resonance going on with these cans. And these don't take EQ settings too well on our setup, its just not stable.  I blame this on the low impedance of 23 Ohms that's equipped on these 'phones.
 
So yeah...it might already be mentioned previously but don't mix with these headphones.
 
I'll admit that they did sounded better once they plugged into my android!
 
Most of my library consists of classical music and these cans just aren't neutral enough for it.  Sound stage is quite large however
 
Deal breaker was just the ergonomics.  I can't keep these cans on my head longer than 45 minutes before they start to hurt.  Yamaha needs to revise this.
 
Coming from a classical genre...I'd probably stay away from the 500s if you primarily listen to classical.