Mid-priced Headphones

1
The LP2s are the smallest
headphones of the bunch
and they’re light too. They
grip the head a little too well: great
for jogging, less so for listening.
There are plenty of accessories, but
no one appears to have included
sound quality. With a 32Ω
impedance they drive easily, but
what it produces we don’t want to
hear, regardless of volume. The bass
is overbearing, pushing the mids
right back. The HF region is far
from flat, rolling off to the point
where it’s a strain to hear the tops.
Overall they sound like an HDTS
pirate film soundtrack.
www.v-moda.com
VerDICt 5.8
2
Compared to the HRM-6s
these headphones are more
‘open’ in the high
frequencies, which is also helped by
a less beefed up low-end; we’d still
like to hear more ‘air’. The bass-end
is well-balanced, though it gets a
little muddy heading into the low
mids in a thick mix, though this can
be a boon as much as a bane.
There’s plenty of distortion-free
power handling, though we’re not
prepared to risk our hearing to
discover how much! These are light
and relatively comfy for long
listening periods.
www.yamaha.com
VerDICt 8.6
3
These are light, comfy and
offer a physical flexibility
perfect for club monitoring;
they also pack down super small.
With an impedance of 45Ω there’s
plenty of range to turn them up
(good power handling). They possess
a full sound, though the low mids
are more forward and the HF range
more rolled off than you’d expect
in studio mixing headphones. This
does mean there are no nasty peaks
in the critical/sensitive upper
mids though.
www.pioneerproaudio.com
VerDICt 8.2
4
Despite being the
second-heaviest pair, the
HRM-7s are unnervingly
light, making them easy to wear for
long periods and unsuitable for
dancing. The sound quality is great
from top to bottom. They’re a tad
snappier than we’re used to, which is
probably a good thing (ie transient
response). The bass-end is full and
clear – no mud here. The clarity is
excellent for spotting unwanted noise
(hiss, clips, etc), as well as shaping a
mix. A clear professional choice.
www.pioneerproaudio.com
VerDICt 9.0
5
The reissued M50
('x’ = detachable cable) is a
popular model across the
audio world, competing directly with
Beyerdynamic and AKG. They are
comfortable, fold and bend in all the
right places, and are relatively light
(285g). The sound quality is good
overall, though they do shy away
from a detailed, airy HF region. The
mids are clear and forward, while the
bottom-end extends down without
any peaky resonances. As with all
the low impedance designs here
(38Ω), they are easily driven beyond
our comfort threshold. These are
probably the best all-rounder of
the group.
audio-technica.com
VerDICt 8.4
FM VerDICt
THE BEST VALUE Yamaha HPH-MT7: Of the actual
mid-priced headphones the Yamahas are the best
value, outperforming the HRM-6s for slightly less
money.
THE HIGH PERFORMER Pioneer HRM-7: Easily
the best quality, and well worth the extra £30 or so
over the Yamaha MP7s. These are impressive in
critical listening roles, as well as for pleasure.
5
4
Audio-Technica
ATH M50x
£158
Pioneer HRM-7
£169
Group Test | Reviews
103
FMU311.rev_grouptest.indd 103 10/6/16 10:59 AM