Today, we are going to review the Audeze MM-100 planar magnetic open-back headphones, but first, a little background on this headphone model. According to information found online, Audeze representatives at exhibitions and Manny Marroquin himself in interviews have said that the company owner has known Manny, a 38-time nominee and 18-time winner of Grammy Awards, for a long time. Manny often received headphones from the company, so it was only natural to expect a collaboration between this top brand and a person who not only understands sound, but is also one of the mainstreamers of sound design on the modern US scene.
The company piqued the sound engineer's interest with the potential inherent in the existing models, but the collaboration between the two "pillars" brought us several new ones. The request was for Manny to receive headphones that could be used for recording, mixing, and mastering. After all, most content in the modern world is now consumed through headphones; therefore, there must be appropriate tools to ensure high-quality work in this area. First came the MM-500, followed by the Audeze MM-100, which Manny Marroquin named and endorsed. The goal wasn't to simply duplicate the MM-500 at a lower price; rather, Manny wanted to take lighter, more practical, and more affordable headphones on the road so that he could work in the field without sacrificing quality.
Of course, you should still research headphones in this price range carefully before buying, and that's justified. There is competition, most importantly from models that have long been in this price range. Are the MM-100s worth the price? Do you need something else? We will help you understand this point in our Audeze MM-100 review. First, let's start with the specifications of these headphones to gain an initial understanding of the device.
|
Best Price on Audeze MM-100
The Audeze MM-100 represent a professional-grade open-back planar magnetic headphone offering accurate and detailed sound with a neutral tonal balance. |
Classic Package
|
To be frank, the box is identical to that of another company model – the wireless Audeze Maxwell. There is even a hole in the foam for a small dongle. This is because the headphones' chassis is completely identical – a metal base made of a resilient and durable alloy with swivel cups and suspension articulation that are exactly the same design. The headphones can conveniently fold into a "travel" position, becoming flatter and easily sliding into most backpacks alongside a laptop and travel audio interface. The concept, materials, and fit are all the same!
The leather headband is worth mentioning. It is the same on the MM-100 and the Maxwell, and it provides a very good fit. The adjustments are not as precise as step-by-step sliders, so it's best to try them on before buying. However, in the middle position, the headphones fit our heads perfectly.
These rather heavy headphones fit us well and did not raise any questions. The wide leather fastener and fairly soft, deep ear pads distribute the considerable weight well. Although the MM-100 is 40 grams lighter than the Maxwell, we had no problem wearing either pair for four to five hours.
An important feature of the Audeze MM-100 design is that the ear pads are non-removable. You will have to live with them for the entire period of use. We did not notice any significant heating in hot weather, and the material is soft and pleasant to the touch. Visually and to the touch, they appear completely identical to the ear pads on the Audeze Maxwell.
The detachable twisted cable does not have a memory or microphone effect. However, it is rather strange to use a standard 1/4" 6.3mm jack, and an adapter should be included. This was the case in the first batches, and you can still find references to it in advertising brochures and on website banners. However, you cannot expect to receive this exact set. These are still subscription-based headphones, and most likely, the author wanted this particular variation. Without an adapter, you can forget about using them with portable devices. Otherwise, the material, quality of the connectors, and length are just what you need!
We like that the cable connects to only one ear cup socket, unlike the Audeze MM-500. At the same time, you can freely choose which ear cup you need – left or right; both types work.
Overall, the build quality and materials feel solid yet pleasant to the touch. You can tell that the headphones will remain intact even if you're not careful with your belongings. Unlike the MM-500, they can be easily transported in a backpack because they can be folded.
Both the Maxwell and the MM-100 use an identical 90 mm planar driver with a Neodymium N50 magnet type and a Fluxor magnet array magnetic structure type, according to the description of specifications. While the technologies are similar, there are significant differences in appearance, such as the location of the driver's magnetic suspension and settings.
Now we come to the most important part/section of our Audeze MM-100 review. Of course, everyone wants to know what the headphones sound like. We will try to briefly explain our impressions: Wow! We expected good sound with significant reservations and compromises, as we did with Maxwell, although their signatures are not even close. However, we heard something almost flawless for this price.
The special feature is the focus on the midrange. It is not emphasized, just as it should be. Finally, these are not V- or U-shaped headphones, but rather, they are similar to the sound we are used to hearing in studio monitors. There is a sufficient amount of disciplined bass rather than a muddy foundation. The sub-bass is audible, and the standard 20 Hz range works well. If necessary, you can find lower performance in more bass-specialized headphones or subwoofers, but this is sufficient for many applications.
It is important to bear in mind that not all of the measurements available online are accurate. Based on our studies, the most accurate measurements require expensive equipment costing over $50,000. The problem lies in measuring frequencies above 8 kHz, which requires very expensive equipment such as the Bruel & Kjaer 5128 High-Frequency Head and Torso Simulator, as well as compensated graphs that take into account the specific characteristics of this equipment. Therefore, there are no 'dips' in the frequency range. We found attenuations at 10 and 12 kHz with a sound generator, but these are insignificant and narrow. All other measurements according to the 1970s standards, which are now used by almost all reviewers worldwide, are irrelevant and meaningless.
The bass is articulate, fast, and easy to discern, without any exaggerations. This is nothing new for studio headphones, but the magnetic planar driver has clear advantages over dynamic drivers. It provides the neutral bass we are accustomed to with studio monitors. Where needed, there is depth, and you can hear everything. "Detail" and "speed" are the right words to describe it. If you want more bass, it's easy to adjust with an equalizer.
Mid frequencies – Finally, the body of the instruments and vocals can be heard through the headphones. We really appreciate this mature sound. The measurement graphs we found online for this frequency response range are accurate and form an almost straight line with the bass. Clearly audible transients are the standout feature here, and the driver's high speed, due to the type of emitter, is just right. Female and male vocals, percussion, guitars, harps, and piano all sound very detailed and full.
We enjoyed using these headphones to monitor while playing the guitar with a connected microphone. All the unmuted strings, the ugly overtones of poor technique, and everything else hidden by the usual Beyerdynamic, Audio-Technica, or Sony headphones are clearly audible with these. We apologize if we offended anyone, but we had some of these at our SoundGale studio and can compare them. It's just a fact that more affordable headphones are drier.
The only thing we can criticize slightly about the range is how 3–3.5 kHz sticks out. It's a bit harsh on the ears. The headphones are "shrill," which may explain your dislike, but we sat in them for four to five hours, listening to album after album of our favorites, as well as new metal bands, bebop jazz, and EDM. It's tolerable, but… Go to an audio store and try them on. Maybe that equalizer will solve all your problems.
Knowing this signature, we can clearly classify the slight attenuation (0.5-0.7 dB) of everything above these frequencies as having been done to simulate working with studio monitors. While the headphones are not "dark," as some would describe timbre, they also do not have the "over-equalized" highs that audiophiles prefer. These headphones are perfectly equalized, and with the right equipment or software, you can easily adjust them to your liking. In general, the spatial effects were clear, and the cymbals sounded as they should.
The soundstage is quite good. We were personally satisfied with everything, and the width and depth draw you into the music. You may find yourself lost in hours of listening to your old favorite recordings. We warned you – because we fell for it ourselves! At the same time, the stereo image is clearly defined, and the positioning of the instruments is similar to that of the Yamaha MT8, which impressed us with this very aspect.
Regarding equalization, we know that some tube devices tend to "inflate" the bass, so the MM-100 may sound different to their owners than it does to us. The Audeze MM-100s are extremely responsive, which we noticed when we experimented with equalizing drums or vocals in our small projects. If our description of the midrange orientation of the headphones alarms you, the situation may be different with your equipment. We used them with completely neutral equipment (a standard studio audio interface).
For comparison, we selected headphone models in the same price range as the Audeze MM-100. We chose headphones with which our editorial team is very familiar and has worked for some time in our SoundGale studio. We will not list all the differences in detail because we don't see the point. Instead, we will discuss the most significant differences and share our impressions.
First, we would like to draw a comparison between the Audeze MM-100 product and its older counterpart, the Audeze MM-500. It offers better sound quality, materials, and technology, but it is obviously a much more expensive product. Nevertheless, the products have a similar focus and target the same audience: engineers, audiophiles who prefer neutral sound, and metalheads. Some sound engineers use both models because they both do a good job in slightly different ways. The existence of the older model does not mean that you don't need the Audeze MM-100.
For those wondering if the Audeze MM-100 and MM-500 headphones are worth the money, consider the price of the "big brother" and then the MM-100. We think it's pretty clear that they are worth every penny.
Of course, among the competitors we should mention are the Sennheiser HD 490 PRO, HD 660S2, and HD 650/600. All of these models are in a similar price range. However, your choice will definitely be influenced by the fact that the Audeze MM-100 is much easier to drive because it is a planar magnetic headphone. Most importantly, are you ready to settle for owning just one pair of headphones? It's great to have a variety of options, such as the headphones in this review, dynamic Beyerdynamic or Sennheiser headphones, and a full range of Chi-Fi IEMs. We are personally stuck in this hobby with you, and readers will probably understand what we mean. However, it's possible to own only these Audeze headphones, minimizing your setup as much as possible. These headphones could be your only pair! Many have settled on their HD600/650s, but these are all slightly different in this dense jungle of audio gear.
We can't forget the HiFiMan Sundara and the HiFiMan Edition XS, which are already classic examples of planar headphones in this range. They have a huge fan base and generate a lot of hype. However, we personally dislike the exaggerated highs in these models. Unfortunately, they have drawbacks, such as a "metallic" sound from the planar driver, dips in the upper frequencies, and an entirely different bass-midrange balance. While we don't consider these headphones unworthy of inclusion, the MM-100's frequency response puts it several levels above them for us.
We also mentioned the Audeze Maxwell wireless headset. Unfortunately, no miracle occurred, and as owners of these wireless "miracles," we still find that the MM-100s sound much closer to our preferences. Therefore, it is very convenient to listen to music or watch videos with the Maxwells during the workday, but the driver implementation quality (and the physical differences) does not quite match our preferences. They are still the best wireless headphones we've heard, but the U-shaped sound signature and the loss of body in guitars and vocals are completely different. The MM-100s don't have bloated, rolling bass, but they have everything else you could want in studio headphones, where the Maxwells are not suitable. However, the two models are different and were created for different purposes.
Finally, we've reached the end of our Audeze MM-100 review, so it's time to summarize the results. With the MM-100, you can eliminate the need for studio monitors at many stages of sound production. You can monitor while recording with dynamic microphones and playing the guitar. They fit nicely in a backpack with a headphone compartment. Our entire metal library sounds like it's been reborn. This is not a mass-produced product that follows trends; it is a product created for an outstanding figure in contemporary music, and you can immediately hear that this person "knows how to listen" and "is able to hear well." It is a detailed and complete tool for work and listening, and it's worth the money. However, not everyone may like it. Our editorial team gave it the highest subjective score in terms of sound quality.
The materials are good and pleasant, and the design feels no worse in terms of potential durability than the legendary Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO. The cable is lightweight and can be removed or replaced if necessary. Audeze impressed us with this model, and we hope they continue to improve. We highly recommend this product. This extraordinary model deserves more attention than some of its competitors!
We hope you enjoyed our review of the Audeze MM-100 open-back planar magnetic headphones. Please feel free to leave your comments, questions, and suggestions in the section below. We will be happy to answer them all as soon as possible. If you already own an Audeze MM-100 and have used it for a while, don't forget to share your impressions and tell us what you liked or disliked about these masterpiece headphones.
Pros
|
Cons
|
8.3
/10
Our Score
|
We gave the Audeze MM-100 premium headphones a relatively low rating of 8.3 out of 10, despite the fact that we gave the Audeze LCD-S20 a 9.9/10 (which we also reviewed). Let us explain why. We have no complaints about the MM-100's sound quality and gave this model a perfect 10/10 score in this regard. Unfortunately, however, some minor issues seriously affected our impression and could impact the headphones' future use. These include the lack of a hard case and cable adapter and the glued earpads. (see the "Cons" section above for more details). To refine these details, Audeze could follow Sennheiser's example; their headphones are often thought out down to the smallest detail. It is encouraging that Audeze is likely reconsidering these issues and making corrections, as seen with their LCD-S20.
Do these shortcomings make the Audeze MM-100s bad headphones? Of course not! These are excellent headphones that we recommend buying. All of the listed drawbacks can easily be fixed. You can purchase a hard case and adapter, and the ear pads can be replaced with care. The three headband adjustment positions work well for us, and you can always use an equalizer to correct minor sound flaws. As we mentioned in our review, it's worth noting that the Audeze MM-100 are very responsive to fine equalization.
