The Martin Logan Mikros 90: A Bridge Too Far

The Martin Logan Mikros 90: A Bridge Too Far

It was a dark and stormy night. OK, not really, but I have always wanted to read a review that started this way. And now I have, and so have you.

When the Mikros 90 was conceived, it must have been a dark and stormy night indeed at Martin Logan HQ, which as a select few know is hidden in a bunker in the middle of a cornfield in Kansas.

“Guys I know a brilliant way to increase our market share. Let’s do headphones.”

“Oh wow, what a great idea! Electrostatic headphones, right?”

“Nope.”

“OK they will be huge, like our speakers, right?”

“Um, nope. They will be tiny on-ear headphones.” 

“All-metal construction, right?”

“Um, nope. But lots of plastic, and fake-looking leather. And some chrome.”

“OK then why are we doing headphones?” 

“Well, we can build these headphones cheaply, slap the ML logo on them, and mark up their price by *800%*!"

"Won't that erode customer confidence?"

"Guys we will be laughing all the way to the bank. This is the easiest way to make money since bitcoins!”

“But why would anyone buy these headphones?”

“Are you kidding? These puppies are *Martin Logans*! Every audiophile will want one of these babies!”

And thus, ladies and gentlemen, the Mikros 90 was born. OK the dialog is fiction, but it’s otherwise hard to understand from a business / marketing perspective why a venerable speaker company with a significant market share of the electrostatic audiophile speaker market would put out a $300 MSRP first-time-around-the-block on-ear headphone model.

ML Does Tiny, But Do They Do Tiny Right? First impression: they smell like new shoes

You have to admit, the Mikros 90 looks premium. It is enclosed in a luxurious black box with vague shadowy images embossed on the front that scream “luxury”, reminiscent of the Fidelio X1 box. Inside is a foam insert, and removing it reveals the carrying case, unzipping which finally delivers the Mikros 90 like an infant at the end of a complicated c-section on a Matryoshka doll.

The headphones themselves look gorgeous. The cylindrical headband is wrapped in fake-looking leather like the steering wheel of a Lexus, with shiny chrome ends that sparkle, the plastic dome of the rotating earcups are imprinted with a rich leather pattern and discreetly feature the wavy ML logo, the smooth on-ear perforated pads are comfortably supple, with springy foam that displays good memory.

The build quality is solid. The detachable cable clicks firmly to the left earcup in a reassuring way, the cable itself is slinky and almost rubbery to touch, the connectors at both ends look well built.

The cups are closed in design, and extend by a friction mechanism that takes some getting used to. The pads are detachable. The 1/8 inch connector is right-angled.

Accessories: What else do you get?

Apart from the headphones, you get a carrying case, TRRS cable with iphone controls, an 1/8 to 1/4 inch adapter, and a tiny manual written in a font so small you need an electron microscope to make the words out.

Comfort: well, or not

I was surprised by how firmly these headphones clamp. The clamping force is up there well within ATH M50 territory. It’s not enough to crush your skull, but the significant clamping force is high enough to be uncomfortable, especially if you wear glasses. And not just for extended listening sessions -- you will begin to feel the clamp within a few minutes of first use.
To be fair, clamping force got a little better after I stretched the headband out for a few days, but is still super high compared to, say, a Grado SR60i. If you wear glasses, the Mikros 90 is not going to be put-it-on-and-forget-about-it, for sure.

The flat on-ear earcups also make your ears sweat. A lot. From a comfort perspective, that’s not a good start. The earcups do swivel, though, but getting the pads to seal on-ear just right can be a little tricky at times.

And finally, the cable is 4 feet long, includes ipod controls with recessed “buttons” that have poor tactile feedback, and has significant microphonics, which can be very distracting to some folks.

Sound: the real reason you should be reading this

Some basic tests: drivers of my Mikros 90 were balanced. The bass shaker test revealed no hum or rattle. Treble extension was excellent. Sub bass was moderately compromised. Overall, the headphones sounded like they were built as solidly as they looked.

Isolation was surprisingly good for on-ears. Probably because of the immense clamping force. After all, something that clamps with the gravitational pull of Jupiter will isolate well by pressure seal alone.

After burning them in (yes, I know, I don’t know whether burn-in real or not either, but I still burn in my headphones, it is a ritual, you know, like hitting your left heel three times on home plate and spitting twice and grabbing your crotch with your left hand every time before batting).

I subjected them to my current playlist of well known, well loved songs ripped as lossless flac files on my usual “neutral” test rig setup: Foobar > Benchmark DAC1 > O2 > Mikros 90. The Benchmark and O2 do what they are supposed to do -- they get out of the way and let me concentrate on the headphones. Kick off was with New Order’s Regret - Fire Island Mix, one of my favorite “first to play” songs.

Let’s play ball :-)

For on-ears, the sound is surprisingly rich. These headphones excel when it comes to the mids, saxophones, guitars and vocals are equally vivid and prominent. Voices are prominent and crisp. Instrument presence is appropriate, and midrange tonal variations are maintained. IMO the way that the Mikros 90 makes vocals shine is the most delightful feature of these headphones.

Treble is extended and modestly bright, without significant high-end rolloff. These headphones are not sibilant or harsh, and the highs are not tinny or artificial.

The bass is the Achilles heel of the Mikros 90. Lows are clear and defined but lack impact and gravitas. There is no low-end warmth, no soul, if you know what I mean. This isn’t weak bass presence like the SR60i. This is downright anemic. Don’t get me wrong, the bass isn’t missing entirely, it is on the lower end of adequate. And “lower end of adequate” is not a good choice for DnB or dubstep.

Soundstage is what you expect from closed, on-ear headphones. This is not in the same ballpark as a Q701. Probably not even in the same league. Instrument separation is adequate.

Price / performance value: Steal, from Old English Stelan, noun, informal, a bargain.

I wouldn’t pay $300 for these headphones, ML or no ML. But something curious happened to the Mikros 90. Soon after their introduction, and probably too soon into their product lifecycle, their price went into freefall. They dropped into the $150-200 range which was still probably more from a price/performance ratio than I would be willing to pay for them, but then when the discount price went dumpster diving into the sub-$150 range, I became interested in them.

But the discounting did not stop there. The price on these headphones dropped like Felix Baumgartner on a supersonic freefall run, and when they hit $100 the Mikros 90 became attractive, and then at $80 they became very attractive despite their flaws (you know, like the good looking cougar you pick up after a few drinks at 2 am when the bar closes), and when they went on sale for $60 IMO they became an absolute steal. Their value becomes pretty astronomical at this price point, and if you are looking for a stylish portable on-ear headphones for predominantly rock/ jazz/ classical musical tastes, they offer surprisingly good sound quality on a surprisingly low budget.

Final thoughts: what have we learned on the show tonight, Craig?

In sum:

Bargain basement price makes this closed on-ear offering from Martin Logan a steal
Portable, case is included
Stylish
Great mids, particularly vocals
Anemic bass
Clamps like a bitch

Have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight?

The SE315 is a sleeper IEM. Let me explain.

But first, the usual obligatory photo.

Strophe

Shure has been quietly refining its IEM design over the last decade, and gaining increasing recognition for ots products. You could argue that the SE215 is one of the best bass-prominent IEMs at its price point. Its dynamic driver gives you rich powerful bass, the design is excellent with a high-quality finish, a detachable cord, great fit within the ear with a variety of tip designs, superb isolation, and it is very comfortable (once you get used to the over-ear style of wearing them). If you are a basshead, it is hard to find a better value for the price you pay for the 215s.

The SE315 is a different animal. It is a single balanced armature (BA) IEM. The problem with single BA implementations is that even though BAs offer some benefits in comparison to a dynamic driver (specifically improved clarity and some advantages with respect to detail), they don't have the depth or range of a dynamic driver.

So a single BA IEM sacrifices both low end impact, and also suffers from some degree of high end rolloff, but in exchange for its shortcomings offers improved quality of presence and separation. Usually designers overcome the limitations intrinsic to single BA designs by adding additional BAs and designating the frequencies each BA can handle, or by adding a dynamic driver predominantly to handle the bass and round off the BA's FR characteristics (the so-called "hybrid" IEM).

The physical design of the SE315 is essentially very similar as that of the 215. Shure followed the same styling cues, but tried to solve the anemic bass of the SE315's single BA architecture by engineering a bass vent within the design, which does add some depth to the low end.

With the 315, what you get is a relatively neutral sound, with bass that has great detail but lacks the "punch" of the 215, and a more cool tone (although with some high-treble rolloff) than the warmth of the 215.

I don't think comparing IEMs to full size headphones makes much sense, but FWIW if the 215 is something like the HD650 in its sound (and I compare the two very loosely) then then the 315 is something like the HD600.

Antistrophe

So why did I buy the SE315? Well, I wanted an IEM for critical listening, mostly for classical / acoustic / folk / jazz music, and I found that while the 215 was awesome for genres like EDM, it was too bass-rich for my taste for these genres. But at the same time I did not want to spend hundreds of dollars on a multi-BA setup, because frankly I would rather spend the money on full size headphones, amps or DACs since I spend very little time actually listening on IEMs unless I am traveling (and even then not exclusively).

So I listened to as many single BA IEMs that I could get my hands on, and read reviews by folks I trusted and came to the conclusion that the 315 offered the most neutral profile for critically listening to the genres I wanted to match them with, had the best fit (for my ears), and made the most sense from a price-performance perspective.

Plus it looks good. My 215s are black, with that cool smoky translucent dark plastic, but unfortunately the black SE315s are entirely opaque, so I went with the clear shell, which is a decision that I definitely do not regret. IMO they are gorgeous in their see-through clothes :-)

Epode

What the SE315 is: a single BA over-ear cord style IEM with a relatively neutral profile, a little shy on the bass, but with great clarity and presence. From a price/performance perspective IMO this is the best single BA IEM for what it offers. If you want a neutral sound to critically listen to classical / acoustic/ jazz you will probably enjoy the 315s.

What the SE315 isn't: it does not have the FR range or depth of multi-BA IEMs or hybrids. If you don't like the Shure over-ear way of wearing IEMs you will hate the 315s because you can't just stick it in your ear with the wires hanging down. If you mostly listen to EDM or hip hop you will probably be disappointed by the 315's low end. And if you want range or impact, you may be better off with a dynamic or a multi BA or a hybrid IEM.

The bottom line: if you are planning to go up the IEM ladder and upgrade to CIEMs or high-end UIEMs, then you should probably skip the SE315s and save your money for the good stuff. If you are in the market for a single BA IEM and you know what you are getting into, then this is a good choice.

Wooden headphones that won't break the bank

Accidentally Extraordinary 51st Studio Headphones

"Accidentally Ordinary"

Insert Obligatory Artistic Photograph Here

The Scene: Chili Palmer's office in downtown LA

"Chili, I've got an idea for a movie."

"OK let me have it, Harry."

"Imagine there's this guy who works in the boonies in Utah in education as a teacher and a high school administrator. Imagine this fantastic opening scene, it's dawn and this guy looks out at the desert sand and smiles wistfully because he has this dream of being an entrepreneur."

"What kind of an entrepreneur? Porn like Larry Flynt? Retail like Sam Walton? Cars like Preston Tucker? Rags to riches, that would be a great movie!"

"Nope, none of that sissy stuff, Chili. Headphones. The guy wants to make headphones."

"Look at me, Harry. I said, look at me! What on earth are you talking about?"

"I mean headphones, Chili. Real wooden headphones that sell like Beats and makes him rich, but they sound better, and without the celebrity endorsements. So he goes to China...."

"China? Why China?"

"That's where they make 'em, Chili. And then he comes back to Oakland and hangs out with some eclectic buddies like a poet and a high school counselor and a history teacher and they call themselves, well, I dunno, maybe something like 'Accidentally Extraordinary' and they start selling these headphones."

"Harry this is the silliest idea you have pitched to me since Revenge of the Lesbian Zombies Part Three."

"Wait a minute, Chili. Listen to the rest of it. There's this famous critic. He reviews the headphones and loves it. This gets our hero so excited he starts a Kickstarter campaign to produce a brand new revolutionary model."

"And?"

"The campaign fails, of course. This isn't a freaking Disney movie, Chili."

"Oh wow that's a tragedy. Like Shakespeare, except without, well, Shakespeare."

"And I'm thinking we could use a real-life personality in a guest role as the Critic."

"Well we can't use Walt Mossberg, I hear he retired. And David Pogue has his head so far up Apple's butt I don't think he'll be interested in popping out for a cameo in a movie."

"Well we could use Tyll Hertsens...."

"You don't say! I'd love to meet Mr Hertsens. Can we fly him down to LA to discuss the movie? Wait, is there even an airport where he lives...Montana, right? Isn't that in Canada someplace?"


I may have taken artistic liberties with this scenario, but Accidentally Extraordinary did start as an idea in Kunal Dalal's imagination. The 51st Studio headphones does feature real wood in its construction.  The company is based out of Oakland and consists of a bunch of eclectic people . They did have a failed Kickstarter project. And it was favorably reviewed at Inner Fidelity, which is how I became interested in it. So of course, I had to get myself a pair to see what it was about.

And without further ado, on to the review.


The look

The 51st Studio looks like it is a modified Esmooth design. Esmooth is a Chinese company that makes OEM/ODM headphones for others.

It features smallish cups with pleather earpads and a metal headband with a slider mechanism for extending the earcups. The design is closed -- what appear to be vents on the outer earcups are purely cosmetic. The primary feature of the 51st Studio's design are the flat wooden plates of the earcups -- these are solid wood and an integral part of the cup and so affect the tone of the sound. The 51st Studio features a detachable cable and comes with two flat cables that feature 3.5 mm TRS connectors. One of them has a single button remote.

The feel

Build quality is average. The pleather pads look cheaply made. Fit and finish could be better. The headband pad is glued to the headband, and not too well. Both cables lack a quality look and feel, and have moderate microphonics. Apart from the cables, accessories are sparse -- a cloth carry bag that offers no shock protection whatsoever, and well, that's about all you get.

The best part of the headphones are the wooden cups -- the wood is warm and solid-looking, and the headphones look somewhat antique and surprisingly sharp because of the wood.

The fit

The pads are plush and squared off in shape, but cup size is small, if you have average or large ears, then, the 51st Studio is not going to fit comfortably circumaurally; you will probably end up using them (as I did) as predominantly on-ear headphones. The ratcheting cup extension mechanism feels somewhat flimsy, but the headphones themselves do not look or feel delicate.

The sound

When I first heard the 51st Studios, I was surprised how warm and lush everything sounded. The sound is very rich, smooth, and there's a creamy texture to the bass that is somewhat reminiscent of the Denon AH-D600. Bass rolls off quickly at the low end, though, and extension is lacking.  Vocals are warm and modestly recessed. The real surprise here is the treble, which is rich, and very smooth, if a tad syrupy. It really complements the lower end of the spectrum well to present music very forgivingly in a fatigue-free fashion.

Since I fell in love with the Philips Fidelio X1 sound I have been searching for a closed pair of headphones with a similar warm, colored, lush sound profile, and in the 51st Studio I think I have found what I am looking for. They isolate sound well, and there is little to no leakage, which makes them a great (and fashionable) choice for the daily commute.

The fatal flaw

So it's cheap, it sounds good, it looks good, it has a good backstory, so of course there has to be a fatal flaw, right? Well, there is. The earcups connect to the headband with two metal pins and a D-shaped band of metal, which allows them to swivel freely around their attachment axis.

The problem is that the cable going up from the earcups to the headband get stretched when that happens, which does not bode well for their longevity. It's not something that should necessarily deter you from buying the 51st Studios, but certainly something to consider.

It's a silly flaw really, because almost all headphone manufacturers have found solutions to prevent the wire from being stretched with axial movement of the cups -- just look at any mid-fi Beyerdynamic or the Sony MDR V6 or the Fostex T50RP -- all have exposed wiring and all have a design for stress relief.

Not Accidentally Extraordinary, though. Which I guess makes them accidentally ordinary.

Review: Ultrasone Edition 10

"The best headphones ever!" I read recently online. The Ultrasone Edition 10 headphones certainly meet the criteria for audiophile goodness. Huge price tag (over $2000!), limited to only 2010 pieces (each of which has its own serial number), extraordinary level of hype when they were introduce, glowing reviews from the few who were fortunate enough to listen to one.....they must sound absolutely fabulous, right?

Well, these headphones look gorgeous. They will certainly make you feel cool as you roll in your 1936 Ford down Ocean Drive in South Beach, Miami, but a critical issue will reduce your overall level of enjoyment, despite the "butterfly-inspired design", the Zebrano wood, and the Ethiopian sheepskin leather earcup covers (I "kid" you not!) that are featured in these headphones.

And the problem, simply put, is this: The S-Logic technology kills the sound more thoroughly than a Klingon warrior with a bat'leth.

The drivers are positioned weirdly, somewhere waaay below where my ears are, and I have normal size ears positioned where normal humans grow ears (I can confidently say that if you were Abe Sapien from "Hellboy" the Edition 10 would fit you just right). And even if it did fit (or probably because it did not), the S-logic just makes everything sound so weird. It just plain sounds wrong.

You must be either [a] mad or [b] have more money to throw around than Warren Buffet to buy the Ultrasone Edition 10, no matter how gorgeous they look, and no matter how high the hype level is. I mean, you could do better by buying a used Ford Festiva for the same kind of money. You wouldn't look as cool driving down a busy Miami street, but you would certainly sound better.

The moral of the story: just because they are expensive and are finely crafted using exotic materials by  dwarves in Moria, does not necessarily mean that they sound as fantastic as they look.