Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
Showing 1 of 768 conversations about:
Lanna
18
Jun 18, 2014
bookmark_border
Friends, (I'm a girl and I do not understand) tell me, are these good for electronic music: trap, dubstep, hip-Hop, neurohop, experimental, ambient? (gift teenage son, he tries to create music). Thank you very much! :) What advise to 150 dollars?
Jun 18, 2014
Huggy_Bear
22
Jun 18, 2014
bookmark_border
LannaYes Lana, I listen to a lot of trance/goa/ambient and these are great. That said, if he's a bass head, don't bother. Compared to most sub $200 offerings these don't have anywhere near the quantity of bass, but it's quality over quantity, these are silky smooth, accurate and crystal clear. Oh btw, you'll get much better performance with a dedicated headphone amp. Like a proper, dedicated, desktop headphone amp. Un-amped you can do better for the price...
Jun 18, 2014
Lanna
18
Jun 18, 2014
bookmark_border
Huggy_BearThank you! I read that anemia in 701 bass and tight swing, capricious. No, not yet amplifier :( Pull laptop? MSI GX-680 http://msi.com/product/nb/GX680.html That is not good 701? It is necessary to look for something else? Wanted Audio-Technica ATH-TAD500 (like like AD700x) but no reviews and was afraid that will be great for the head of a teenager...
Jun 18, 2014
Tiddlesworth
36
Jun 18, 2014
bookmark_border
LannaIt's only great for ambient on that list. This headphones are designed for listening rather than enjoying music, it's very detailed but can be described as "analytical"
Jun 18, 2014
Huggy_Bear
22
Jun 18, 2014
bookmark_border
LannaYeah a laptop's audio out isn't going to be very good, I doubt you'll get much value for money with the AKGs. Something like the AD700 is probably not going to fair much better if you're shying away from 'anaemic bass,' maybe look for a set of closed headphones? I'm thinking something like the Beyerdynamic DT250 or even the (open) grado ms-1?
Jun 18, 2014
LQDForce
538
Jun 18, 2014
bookmark_border
LannaBuy the Fidelio X1 if you can afford to. Otherwise, ATH-M50 is your best bet IMO.
Jun 18, 2014
Broooooobi
16
Jun 18, 2014
bookmark_border
LQDForcebro, i just got my T1s today. between the O2 and odac combo and schiit magni/modi stack. which one will be better for the T1?
Jun 18, 2014
LQDForce
538
Jun 19, 2014
bookmark_border
BroooooobiFor the T1, the o2+odac is a better match than the M-Stage or Modi/Magni .
Jun 19, 2014
Broooooobi
16
Jun 19, 2014
bookmark_border
LQDForceGG. O2 and Odac it is. BTW, what is the difference between the Mayflower electronics O2and Odac, and the JDS labs O2 and Odac?
Jun 19, 2014
RigJuiceTurbo
12
Jun 19, 2014
bookmark_border
Jun 19, 2014
LQDForce
538
Jun 19, 2014
bookmark_border
Broooooobithe design is very simple , so I wouldn't worry about different 'brands' - they should all sound the same.
Go for the Mayflower combo, good value for money.
Jun 19, 2014
EnglishTimelord
3
Jun 19, 2014
bookmark_border
LQDForceThe Matrix M-stage HPA-2 is going for $259.99, is that a better DAC/amp combo than the O2/ODAC?
Jun 19, 2014
Stillhart
191
Jun 19, 2014
bookmark_border
EnglishTimelordYes, according to anyone who's heard both. I have a Matrix M-stage with my Q701 and it sounds awesome. IMO, easily worth the extra $10 over the O2/ODAC.
Jun 19, 2014
LQDForce
538
Jun 19, 2014
bookmark_border
EnglishTimelordGo for the O2+ODAC, it is a better suited combo overall. M-Stage amp is a great match for the Q701 (might be even better than the o2), but the DAC part is not a good match at all.
allons-y !
Jun 19, 2014
Stillhart
191
Jun 19, 2014
bookmark_border
LQDForceTo be fair, I don't use the DAC on my M-stage, just the amp part. If your DAC on your sound card isn't crap (I have a Sound Blaster Omni that sounds on par with the Schiit Modi), the M-stage amp is much better than the O2.
Geronimo!
Jun 19, 2014
LQDForce
538
Jun 19, 2014
bookmark_border
StillhartI agree about the amp part of the M-Stage . It's a good match for the Q701 , and compared to the O2 it sounds more lively and warm.
But the DAC is not up to par, the ODAC is much better in every aspect.
Jun 19, 2014
Stillhart
191
Jun 19, 2014
bookmark_border
LQDForceYup agreed as well.
I just think the improvement in sound from the amp section is much more noticeable than the improvement in sound from the DAC (based off personal experience). For someone who doesn't have much experience in head-fi gear, I believe the M-stage will sound better overall.
Not to mention the upgrade path: $240 M-stage + $100 DAC (ODAC, Modi, etc) or $230 O2/ODAC + $240 amp (M-stage, etc)...
Jun 19, 2014
Anzial
1494
Jun 19, 2014
bookmark_border
StillhartYou are a bit misleading here, why would someone buy o2/odac combo to get a separate amp later, when you can easily get ODAC standalone? Not to mention, there's no telling if mstage will reach the $240 price level. Besides, O2 is plenty good and I disagree that mstage is that much better. The value is the in eye of the beholder and mstage is not a very popular choice as past drop has shown.
Jun 19, 2014
Stillhart
191
Jun 19, 2014
bookmark_border
AnzialIt's not my intention to mislead. There are two Amp/DAC combos on sale right now that are $10 apart. I'm arguing that one sounds better (yes, arguable) and has a cheaper upgrade path down the line.
If you want to talk about Amp/DAC combos that aren't on Massdrop right now, yes, that post is completely weird. But that's taking it out of context.
I truly believe that the M-stage pairs better with the Q701. I think the O2/ODAC is probably a better all-around combo, but if you're talking about a pairing for this headphone, there's no doubt it benefits from the warmer sound of the M-stage. I think some people might not be happy with a neutral amp on these bright headphones.
EDIT - And nearly 1000 people on this drop. I think that it should be no problem to hit 14 more on the M-stage.
Jun 19, 2014
Anzial
1494
Jun 20, 2014
bookmark_border
Stillhart"out of context" is again misleading, because you are the one who brought up amps/dacs not on MD right now. RTFM, that is, your own message which mentions modi, among other things.
But this argument is useless. To each their own, 'cause odac/o2 is better for some people, and mstage maybe better for others, its all a matter of personal preferences. However, last drop for mstage failed to gain momentum and MD actually extended trying to garner interest, and still fell through which tells you something about its popularity, while o2/odac sold out with 75 units well ahead of the end date.
Jun 20, 2014
Stillhart
191
Jun 20, 2014
bookmark_border
AnzialSaying the O2 is more popular than the M-stage on Massdrop has absolutely nothing to do with how they sound paired with the Q701. Go to the Q701 thread on Head-fi and see what people think there who have tried both.
Jun 20, 2014
Anzial
1494
Jun 20, 2014
bookmark_border
Stillhartand how they sound is absolutely subjective. plenty of people go either way to make any kind of value judgement. so the only way to judge these two is by an objective indicator of how well either one sells, and here o2/odac is a clear winner by a large margin.
Jun 20, 2014
Stillhart
191
Jun 20, 2014
bookmark_border
AnzialDude that's a ridiculous metric on which to base your purchasing decision. I've already said that the O2/ODAC is probably better all-around; that means people with all different sorts of headphones are probably buying one. There's nothing linking the sales of the O2/ODAC to how well the sound pairs with the Q701.
Like I said, if you want a good idea of how people like the pairing, go read through the thousands of posts in the Q701 thread on Head-fi and see how many people prefer one to the other.
I'm done trying to convince people to buy the M-stage; they can get what they want to get. But I can't stand by and let you make ridiculous fallacious arguments uncontested.
Jun 20, 2014
Anzial
1494
Jun 20, 2014
bookmark_border
StillhartAs if you arguments are any better, when you even don't want to acknowledge that any kind of value judgements about audio equipment that close in quality as mstage and o2 is VERY SUBJECTIVE. You can't browbeat people into buying mstage, they have to decide for themselves and be aware of the subjective preferences. Just because you blindly follow someone at headfi doesn't mean everyone must do the same thing.
Jun 20, 2014
Stillhart
191
Jun 20, 2014
bookmark_border
AnzialAnyone who's heard both says that the O2 is transparent and the M-stage is warm. That's not "VERY SUBJECTIVE", they're not that close, they sound noticeably different.
Jun 20, 2014
kcen
0
Jun 21, 2014
bookmark_border
StillhartHi, I am considering the Q701. I am also considering getting the M-stage on Massdrop (especially if the price drops) to go with it, but I am hesitant to spend that much money on an amp and DAC although eventually it seems necessary as it can't be enough to use just a sound card with the headphones. I had a Sennheiser HD 598 (It is in poor condition now) and used it only with the Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro (which I hope is still in satisfactory condition) to listen to music on my laptop (progressive house, electro house, progressive trance), and it lacked the bass that I enjoyed in the Audio Technica ATH-M50. Would the Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro have a better DAC than the DAC included in the M-stage HP2 (in which case my setup should be headphones to sound card to M-stage to laptop -- I'm not knowledgeable in audio equipment-- , as opposed to headphones to M-stage to laptop)? Or, do I need a an M-stage and a better DAC such as a Modi?
By the way, why would the M-stage sell so slowly on here compared to the O2/ODAC out of curiosity? And I believe you mentioned that the Audio-GD NFB-15 amp/DAC is better than the M-stage for the q701, but it is $250+43 shipping which isn't that big of a price difference it seems, so I am a little confused. Thank you
Jun 21, 2014
Stillhart
191
Jun 22, 2014
bookmark_border
kcenI used my Q701 with a Sound Blaster Omni (USB sound card that will work with your laptop) and the Matrix M-stage for months. I tried the Schiit Modi and couldn't hear a difference so I returned it. When I eventually upgraded to the Audio-GD NFB-15, I tested just the DAC section against the DAC of the Omni and I could hear a clear improvement. I then tested the Amp of the NFB-15 against the M-stage and they sounded indistinguishable to my ears.
Given that, upgrading from the M-stage to the NFB-15 was a no-brainer for me. My current setup is the Sound Blaster Omni as a DSP for gaming (virtual surround) into the NFB-15 for DAC and Amp into my Q701. I don't see myself upgrading again anytime soon.
Keep in mind that I got my M-stage used so the cost difference between that and the NFB-15 was a lot bigger than the cost between two new ones. If you think the cost difference isn't that much, I'd highly recommend the Audio-GD as a good pairing with the Q701.
EDIT - Regarding the O2/ODAC, it's got a very good reputation as a stellar DAC/Amp combo. It's also a great all-around combo because of its neutral sound. It appeals to more than just the Q701 crowd so lots of people are getting it. The M-stage is less well-known and it has a colored sound that pairs well with the Q but not with everything. It's much more of a niche amp.
Jun 22, 2014
View Full Discussion
Related Products