runnin17 Posted January 29, 2009 Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 So I read through EdipisReks' thread here, but I have already brought back one thread from the dead and decided better of it this time. So here is a new thread. Just got the MB Quart QP55x's yesterday. Got them through eBay for $45 shipped. Brand new, unopened box. I mainly got them for the velour pads to put on my Sextett's. Anyway, currently I have been listening to them and so far I am impressed. Build Decent quality, not as high quality as AKG or Senn's; but they should hold up to plenty of abuse. All plastic and retro looking. I won't say that they look "cool", but c'mon does that really matter anyway. The cord is higher quality than any Rat Shack cord, but not as good as the Beyer cords. Although, the 1/4" connector is the exact same one that Beyer cans use. The cable is coiled and for the price of the cans is better than I expected, but still not top notch. Comfort Honestly, one of the most (if not the most) comfortable headphone I have ever worn. MB Quart has the patent on the mechanism they use to suspend the driver enclosures. From what I can tell it is a set of elastic wires that allow the driver enclosures to basically float freely from the rest of the headphone. This allows the headphones to barely apply any pressure to your head, but still remain snug enough to give a good fit. Sound Okay, now to the part that matters. I will put it this way. They have a nice wide soundstage. Not K701 wide, but they would more than hold their own as gaming headphones. Plus they have more bass than the 701's. I have been on the lookout for the random glaring high's that Edipisreks pointed out, but so far I haven't gotten any eye popping cymbal sounds to come out of any of my jazz or rock tunes. They have enough bass to satisfy me, but then again I really didn't like the DT770's when I listened to them because the sound was so colored. I think the MB Quart's do a fair job of producing a neutral sound. The high's are a little forward in the sound, but I think that will go away with some burn-in. The mids are warm and are one of the strongest aspects of the headphone in my opinion. Plus, the bass is strong enough to allow you notice it when you need to, but not so strong as to overpower the rest of the soundstage. Are they giant killers, no. But they are nice, neutral headphones that have a laid back sound signature. They might just replace my HD580's for my gaming needs, but my Sextett's will still be used for everyday music. Oh yeah, as far as being hard to drive like Edipis pointed out. Honestly, I haven't had a problem driving them. I am running them from my computer --> Zhaulo 2.0DAC --> Xiang Sheng 708b tube amp. The 708b volume pot is right around 10 o'clock and my computer volume is at 15%. In comparison, I have to increase the volume pot to around 12-1 o'clock when using my Sextett's to get about the same amount of volume. So in reality they are probably harder to driver than the 100 ohm impendance makes them out to be. However, right now I am getting plenty of bass and I generally don't listen to my music that loud. I am listening to some Count Basie as I am writing this and the detail of the headphones is really nice. I am able to pick out a lot of the bass line that I normally cannot hear on my Sextett's. I will post more thoughts as I listen more. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runnin17 Posted January 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 CORRECTION: So I switched to my Sextett's to see the volume difference between them and the MB Quart's. I was surprised when I had to increase my computer volume to around 40% max to get the same volume as I was getting with the 55x's at 15% volume. So the Sextett's are hard to drive as expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mypasswordis Posted January 29, 2009 Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 Hm, the Sextetts were the most efficient of any of my full-size headphones. I might pick up a pair of QP55x for an SFI transplant, but not until I figure out how to make my AT 702 SFI transplant successful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBLoudG20 Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostonetr Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 Why is the computer volume at 15%? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hopstretch Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 Because of the watermelon. Duh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetoole Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 I like my QP400, great headphones for the $35 I paid. I would put them around the HD600 level generally, better for some things and worse for others. Definitely not as good as any of my 'stats though, but good enough to stick around. Sounds like they have a treble spike moderate in amplitude, but covering a relatively narrow range, which makes it rather dependent on the music I am listening to if this bothers me or not. Havnt heard any of the other Quarts though, so no idea if this is a family trait. You are right though, they are pretty damn comfy. Hard to drive for normal dynamics, but not even close to any of my orthos, and definitely not like my piezo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runnin17 Posted January 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 Why is the computer volume at 15%? Mostly because it is easier for me to control the volume from my keyboard than having to turn to my amp all the time. Another reason is because the volume pot on my Xiang Sheng amp is not the highest quality part and I haven't gotten around to replacing it with an ALPS volume pot yet. So I just keep the amps volume at around 10-12 o'clock and adjust the volume through my computer. Just makes it easier for me. Oh yeah, one more thing. Got to use the 55x's while playing Halo 3 and COD4 through my 360. The detail is just as good if not better than my HD580's, but I am not quite convinced that the accuracy of the sound is any better. I can certainly hear more things, but I haven't been able to determine if the 55x's portray the correct distance when it comes to bullets flying past your head or footsteps around you. I got used to them after playing for a little while and was able to pick stuff out pretty well, but I am not sure if that is just because my ears became accustomed to the sound signature that fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostonetr Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 Doesn't that mean windows gets to violate the digital signal, every which way, before it hits the DAC? @Hopstretch, do you sprinkle some salt on your watermelon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runnin17 Posted January 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 Doesn't that mean windows gets to violate the digital signal, every which way, before it hits the DAC? I wasn't aware that windows messed with the signal at all. Since I have my music library in FLAC on my computer I just run all my music from my computer. I haven't had any problems with the signal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runnin17 Posted January 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 you're probably losing resolution running your digital volume that low. That's good to know. I will up the volume on my computer and use my amp for the volume to see if I notice a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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