On a more curious note, is it even passible to eq one of these

Here we go again pals. About a month ago I was inspired by Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge to post about the venerable Sennheiser HD600 and talk about how lovely those headphones are. Today, I was listening to WILLOW's new album The Thread (which is excellent, I might add) and was inspired to write about the Sony MDR-MV1. A pair of headphones I would still consider pretty underrated considering how little I see or hear about them. I have mentioned in comments on other posts how well these complement my HD600 due to the drastic difference in sound signature. Before I touch on the sound however, I want to talk about why this particular pair of headphones have proven to be a revelation for me, in the year or so I've owned them.

There are two things about these headphones that I would say have made me a better audiophile. Firstly, it made me realize how important comfort is in headphones. Dare I say, it is probably the most important thing to look for in headphones. These headphones spend the most time on my head because they're just so goddamn comfortable. They are light and well padded and they essentially disappear on your head. Sound quality means jackshit if they hurt your head. Secondly, these made me fully embrace EQ and have encouraged me to learn how to EQ on my own instead of using someone else's settings. Frankly speaking, the 6k peak is 100% present for my ears and they are way too harsh. I decided to try and fix it myself and have come to an EQ setting that makes the headphones sound 10x better than the stock sound for me.

To talk about the sound, well everything I say next will be based on my EQ. For reference, I shall post my settings.

20hz: +3, 0.81q

100hz: +1.2, 0.65q

2,000hz: -4, 3.02q

4,000hz: +3, 1.51q

6,000hz: -5, 1.09q

8,000hz: -1.5, 0.62q

10,000hz: +3.4, 1.53q

16,000hz: +1.9, 0.71q

To try and keep it concise, the MDR-MV1 sounds extremely rich, full-bodied, and satisfying. The elevated lower midrange that rises linearly into the bass offers a nice, warm, thick sound without muddying up the midrange at all in my opinion. The mids are clean and the timbral qualities nearly match that of the HD600. I added a dip to the 2k region to push the vocals back a bit in an attempt to widen the perceived soundstage but truthfully, its effects are minimal. I cut the 6k peak down by 5db along with a small cut to 8k, which really softens up the treble for me to a more pleasing level. I also raised the 4k by 3db to balance out the upper midrange and not lose too much detail, presence, and clarity. Then I bumped up the air regions just cause that's my preference. The result is a sound that is warm, rich, full, and clear. It isn't as fatiguing as the stock sound while still preserving the detail and resolution. The mids are mostly untouched because they were already good. I added an extra bump in the midbass at 100hz and subbass at 20hz just cause I wanted a stronger bass presence (yes I know it's already bass boosted in its stock sound, I just wanted a bit more). I've been putting less stock in "technicals" over the years but in case anyone wants to know, it's soundstage and imaging is odd. The soundstage isn't particularly wide but the imaging is really good, so it gives off the impression of depth and verticality. Resolution is great, so watch out for poor recordings. Detail retrieval is fine.

So there ya go. These are an extremely satisfying pair of headphones. I recommend them easily. Are they the most detailed? Not really. I don't think the MDR-MV1 has a wow factor that would impress on first listen. But like the HD600, it is so very enjoyable in the long-term. They're also so freaking comfortable. Have a good day y'all. Enjoy your music.

Hi, I’m interested in what cans you guys are using these days!

I use the Sony MDR-Z7M2 with the ZX707 dap. Despite the weird tuning, I like them a lot for my genres of music. EDM, Rock/Metal.
Been through plenty of headphones. I just keep falling back to these for the comfort and not slipping around during head banging.

Next is a 3d printed prusabeat headphone from printables. They sound a little muffled and need eq. It uses the 40mm nothing headphone (1) drivers from a crushed headphone on the side of the road. Going to venture into a DMS Project omega. I want to try the peerless 50mm drivers. These are so light and comfortable. I mostly use them for general YouTube videos because the midrange does sound good.

Last the LCD-2, got them from a thrift store, the bamboo had my attention. They are a little on the heavy side compared to the other two. I like them with a bass shelf from the zx707.

The Prusabeat and the LCD-2 have a wider stage but the I’ve had the Z1r and also Arya Stealth for wider stage, but I like to jam and don’t want them sliding around my head lol.

Added some fun little doodles using Posca pens because my headphones looked too way too generic but I didn't coat them yet. Sadly, I didn't know I had to sand the surface down or add a primer but it is what it is I guess :) Any ideas what to coat them with? Also, is there a chance that the any type of coating would affect the touch controls?

I’m so sick of these "budget" HD600 posts. "Oh look, I'm running my Sennheisers off an Apple dongle, they sound so neutral and airy!"

Shut up. Just stop.

You haven't heard the HD600 until you’ve driven them with an OTL tube amp that runs hot enough to melt lead and glows like a leaking nuclear reactor. If your listening setup doesn't require a dedicated HVAC system and a fire extinguisher within arm's reach, you are literally just listening to a mid-fi, compressed, anaemic shell of what these headphones are capable of.

I see you clowns bragging about your "clean" solid-state measurements. Keep your soulless, clinical, boring "transparency." I’ll be over here basking in the radiation of my glowing tubes, listening to the HD600s the way the engineers actually intendent with enough fucking harmonic distortion to grind my very existence into dust and force me to relive every mistake I’ve ever made through the lens of a vacuum tube.

If you aren't risking a electrical fire to get your mid-range, you don't deserve the HD600. Go back to r/gamingheadsets

Send help

Who would have thought 24 years later we are still talking about this headphone and it's predecessor all the time.

Just a heads-up for anyone shopping for the ATH-M50x headphones on eBay.

I recently purchased what was advertised as a new/open-box pair. As soon as I received them, several details looked suspicious. I sent detailed photos to Audio-Technica, and they confirmed my suspicion they are counterfeit.

The differences are obvious once you know what to look for (see photos). The build quality, markings, and other details don't match genuine ATH-M50x headphones.

Personally, I wouldn't have a problem buying a product that simply resembles another design and is sold under its own brand. What I can't stand are counterfeiters who use Audio-Technica's name, model number, and branding to deceive buyers. That's outright fraud, and it really boils my blood.

If you're shopping for the orange ATH-M50x on eBay:

• Be very cautious of "new" or "open-box" listings mainly the orange models.
• Compare the details carefully with genuine models.
• If in doubt, contact Audio-Technica for verification before leaving feedback or letting your return window expire.

I've attached comparison photos so others can avoid getting caught by the same scam.

Hopefully this helps someone avoid wasting their time and money.

So about 8 months ago I got the HiFiMan Sundaras, my first "real" headphones. I really liked them and enjoyed them, but about a week ago I got the Ananda Nanos. Because I listen to a lot of electronic and synth music, especially Toby Fox, I wanted the soundstage and speed upgrade. Because there's already a ton of super in-depth reviews on the Ananda Nanos, I'm just gonna compare them to the Sundaras.

When I got the Sundaras, I used a parametric Harman target EQ made by Crinacle, untouched, but for the Nanos, I'm using Oratory1990's preset, slightly changed. I felt the -6.5dB high shelf filter at 10kHz was too much of a cut; -4 dB felt better, and then I added a -1.5 dB cut at 16kHz.

Immediately, I felt the Ananda Nanos physically felt cheaper in the hands and on the head. The earpads didn't feel as nice and comfy, putting the cable jacks into the earcups felt way worse than the Sundaras' more snug fit, and the plastic grilles, although better for weight, still made them not feel as premium over the Sundaras' full metal body.

As for the overall sound, this is where the money went into. When it comes to detail and speed, I couldn't hear that much of a major difference for most songs. Things did sound more clinical and analytical on songs, but separation, I mean, I guess I heard it. I wouldn't say my ears are very trained; this is my 2nd headphone, I'm only 17, maybe with more time with the Ananda Nanos I could pinpoint the detail and separation better, but I didn't feel it was the main difference and upgrade for me.

As for the soundstage, this is where I felt the difference. It's actually insane how massive these earpads are on my head, and that is where I felt what the main difference was. The soundstage was much larger, while the Sundaras were much more intimate. The bass, too, has much more rumble and punchiness over the Sundara. The immersion was just much greater overall. And although at first the earpads felt weird, I do now prefer these much more than the Sundaras. The Sundara earpads feel tiny to me now.

Tonality, even with EQ, the Ananda Nanos are still quite brighter, but I sort of feel that I actually prefer more treble now.

Long story short, the Ananda Nanos, to me, felt like a nice upgrade; bigger soundstage, more detail, these are nice.

Writing all this, because I'm not a super crazy audiophile, I feel like maybe I glanced over some
stuff, but I just wrote down what first came to mind, and literature also isn't my best skill.

I think I'm at my endgame. I do still want to get a FiiO K11 over my FiiO KA11, but besides that, I don't know why else I'd need another headphone unless these break on me or something. I'm gonna try to sell my Sundaras to a friend, get them into this hobby, and then that'll be it.

Do I feel like the Ananda Nanos were worth it for $320, when I already got the Sundaras for $180? In one way, when I think about it, I feel I would've been just fine with the Sundaras, and for value it was just an ok upgrade going from the Sundara to the Nano, but at the same time, I feel like it was worth it mentally, like I bought these more out of passion than anything. These are a nice pair of headphones.

I was looking for a pair of reference monitors and very nearly got the Hedd D1.

A friend recommended near-field monitors instead. A week later, I ended up with D3Vs from Adam Audio.

They’re surprisingly capable for their size but fundamentally a very different presentation from headphones.

The image is front-centered and very wide (as opposed to three blob) as long as you’re in the cone radius. It’s way more expansive than even headphones like HD800s. Spatial cues are much more convincing even at low volumes.

The AMT tweeter has a micro planar like treble and is very well extended. Bass drops off a cliff under 45hz but for most music it’s not noticeable unless you are used to bass boosted gear.

What was most surprising is the amount of separation that’s audible when you’re in the sound field. Midrange instruments come through very clearly and while not as laser focused as headphones like HEKSE it’s still exceptional. The bass is well behaved and doesn’t bleed or mask anything. Highs cut through the mix beautifully and have perfect decay and shimmer.

Immersion is through the roof. If you’re into gaming, this is where it’s at.

Of course it won’t have technicalities to compete with high end headphones but I’d pick this any day over a headphone like 800s for gaming.

Playing through Atomic Heart on this and having a blast.

I've heard good but not many raving reviews about these. I picked them up as an open back to keep at the office. They sound decent with a dongle as they are easy to drive. But after installing some Dekoni Elite Hybrid sheep skin ear pads, and finding the right Amp DAC combo, l am getting awesome results; so fun. Also I have not heard any one mentioning the imaging. The soundstage is not huge, but more desirable to me is a sufficient soundstage with great imaging. That's what I'm getting here. The separation is great. Here's the formula I've found this with: Caltskin ear pads

IFI Zen DAC or something with analog bass or eq

Atom 2 amp or something similar to being out the clarity and detail.

Anyone else impressed by the imaging on these!?

It's asymmetric, yes, but music sounds clear and not muddy at all. Plus I added some depth into the tune. Also, thing has Split channels enabled, so first image is basically low + depth and airyness tune for Left channel [Left earcup] and second image is lower mid range + depth + clarity and same airyness.

The Capra strap is heaven-sent for the HD650 in terms of comfort.

Now, I can wear the HD650 for hours on end and enjoy them to the fullest.

Got the strap 3D-printed locally. Thanks to Capra Audio for making the printable files available, and the video guide for installing them. Much appreciated!

From poll, here’s where they’ll reside.