You cannot destroy these headphones

I hate buying something cheap. There’s nothing worse than that sinking feeling when you open something and know it wasn’t in this world that long ago. I’m also very particular about my gear, which led me to buy these bulletproof headphones from a mysterious company called German Maestro.

But to talk about these headphones, we must first talk about another pair of headphones: the Sony MDR-7506 (and its discontinued sibling, the Sony MDR-V6).

I edit a lot of videos and do voiceovers. And if you’ve ever done any video work, you’ve almost certainly used a pair of Sony MDRs. They are creative. You can choose blue or red ribbon and cable wrapped across the combination. When you go to film school, a pair of MDRs are basically handed out as a service rifle, and for good reason.

First, it’s cheap. If you’re looking for a sale, they’re usually around $80. Their near-ubiquity on movie sets means you can get these phones at a deep discount, making them one of the best deals out there for people who need headphones for work. The headphones are then closed at the back, fully isolated, allowing imperfections in the mix to be revealed. There’s a reason why you can see guys in sonic filming movies and shoot them in videos wearing them. Third, they are somewhat “flat” and without being too technical and pedantic, don’t try to dress up what you hear to sound interesting. These are not loud beats. It’s to get the job done. Finally, it is well made for the cost. It’s foldable and durable, so you can throw it in your Porta Brace without worrying about damaging it.

For what they do, MDR is good. But they are not perfect.

First, they have a very long, non-detachable phone cable, which might be fine in a studio setup, but ridiculous if you’re trying to listen to music on your phone. I hate this cable with every fiber of my being. In principle, I strongly believe that all headphone cables should be detachable, as cables can suffer from abuse. But what really drives me up the wall is that I hate the coiled cable style. I feel like it gets caught on a lot of things easily and every time it turns it pushes me up the wall.

The other thing is that MDR foam pads absorb straight up. It’s not just a matter of convenience; They are just bad platforms. I always upgrade the ear pads to either one To tithe or Brainwavz platformsbut you’ll almost certainly need to replace these pads sooner than you think, especially if you’re using them in a harsh production context.

Finally, I just don’t like the way they look. As headphones sound gets into very subjective territory, but the MDR’s are good at best and bad at worst Very difficult for me. They were headphones for work, but just something about the highs made my skin crawl when listening to people’s conversations. It’s not fair that I’m asking more from the MDR for the price, but in the end I wanted something a little nicer: a pro version of the MDR with better foam, better straps and removable options, and less stress. sound. It was not offered in America at the time (November 2020).

This led me down a long, winding road trying to find a pair of headphones that bore the same labels: flat cable, indestructible, sealed, better. When it comes to higher levels of audiophile bias, most headphone options outside of IEMs are open or semi-open. I am looking for some of the most respected studio headphones. A lot of people I know swear by it Advantages of Beyerdynamic DT 770And while it’s already a studio staple, solid, and has some of the most comfortable ear pads in the lineup, it’s not what I’d call flat, and I couldn’t get used to its sound. to Audio Technica ATH M50x It also addressed a lot of my needs, but I didn’t like the sound and it didn’t feel particularly snug or cumbersome. A friend of mine swears by the Sennheiser HD 300 Pros and I believe him, but unfortunately I didn’t get to test them. Sony also has another obscure but well-respected non-collapsible big brother, the MDR-7506s MDR-CD900ST It has a flat cable as well as a high-end model called Sony MDR-M1ST It has a detachable cable, but the former wasn’t available outside of Japan until very recently, and you still have to import the latter.

My answer ended up being a 76 page thread on the Head-fi forums from 2009-2019 by user Acix titled “German Maestro GMP 8.35 D monitor in the studio…SERIOUS ABOUT SOUND, REALLY!!I had never heard of the German Maestro (formerly MB Quart) but the jump had me interested. The speakers sounded industrial. Solid. effective. In a word, they looked like Germans. “I’m interested in the shape, but these have to be the ugliest phones I’ve ever seen,” said user Bones2010. They looked beautiful to me.

Many of the reviews were glowing, mentioning “Indestructible” several times. Someone dropped a picture of a pair of black leather shoes walking around. Another thread mentioned that they are often used in music store listening stations. People seem to like their balanced, detailed sound and the fact that they are very sensitive and therefore don’t need a powerful headphone amp to hear them. themes Elsewhere, reviews compare it to Sennheiser HD25-1s, but better with a slightly darker tone. tense. controlled. One user mentioned that they are The best in every way their MDR which is exactly what I wanted for the price.

As the theme has evolved over the years, people have started to get creative. Some did not like the sanitary napkins and replaced them with juicy ones of the DT770 mentioned above Next to Brainwavez HM5. Others have simply drilled holes in it and done so Modifications to the stock cable. Eventually, the German maestro released a version with a detachable cable and an extra pair of pads called The GMP 8.35 for mobile devices Especially because of requests client with autism. It’s nice to hear that the company is receiving such feedback.

The phones seem to tick every box, but purchasing them proved a little tricky. Regardless of a drop.com No one in the US stocked them, so I had to order them directly from the manufacturer and pay in Euros. I waited patiently and when they arrived they were exactly what I needed them to be.

I was immediately amazed at how strong they were. The plastic was thick but didn’t weigh the phones down. Everything produced today seems cheap and flimsy. They felt like they were from a different era, not stuck in a time when products were measured in decades instead of years. These headphones were on par English made Doc Martens. I can throw these things at a brick wall He rode his bicycle on thempull them out of the dog’s teeth and you’ll probably be fine.

They sounded what they sounded like: “censored,” as one forum user put it. I don’t want to get too deep into the weeds of audiophile testing because that’s not the point of this blog (although I’d love to lend my husband a wrinkle or Audio Science Review staff for more testing). It was crisp and flat, with plenty of detail but not terribly bright. Bass was present, but not as overpowering as the Beyerdynamics reveal. If there’s something wrong with my mix, I can hear it right away, like listening to a couple of songs Yamaha NS10s. I ended up being a favorite Plush pillows, which changed the sound a bit, but recently I wanted to try other options. They’re not the best headphones I’ve ever heard, but for the parameters I want them to do, they’re unbeatable.

Of course, they weren’t everyone’s cup of tea. I showed them that some people have made them a little uncomfortable. Others did not like the sound. When I showed them to Alex Parkin on the video team (a certified MDR user who has a good pair and also despises coiled cable), I confused him. “I’ll definitely have to get used to them,” he said.

But even people who can’t turn off the sound agreed that they are strong, efficient and have wonderful isolation. The Maestros are perfect studio headphones made by a small and mysterious company that seems to really care about the product they make. Are they worth importing? I personally have no regrets.

In the corner of my desk I have two speakers hanging from a hook: a pair Tasteful a Masters.

Hifimans are big, airy and comfortable Dekoni pads I changed. These are my easy listening headphones. It’s big and flimsy, never left my desk, and I still have to order a replacement from the manufacturer.

Maestro sits next to them. They are my favorite smart and durable “work headphones” that are as durable and focused as a Herman Miller chair. Every time I pick it up, I feel joy. I’m thinking of the decade old thread forum where young people take turns discovering, loving, and sometimes really hating these scumbags. I carry them around and know that there’s a very good chance they’ll continue to work for decades, maybe even after I’m dead and buried, and how rare it is to buy equipment designed to outlive you.