Philips Fidelio M1

[dalethorn]

I received the Philips Fidelio M1 today, and I am astounded at the sound. Whereas the L1 has a high fidelity treble response (despite a rather emphasized bass), the M1 has essentially no treble. I compared the M1 to the L1, and then I compared the M1 to the v-moda M-80 which has a recessed treble compared to all of my best headphones. The M1 sounds like its treble is 20 db down compared to the M80, and far worse compared to the L1 and Shure 1840, to name a couple of hi-fi headphones. I've seen a couple of frequency response curves on the M1 that suggest the treble isn't that bad, so perhaps this is a quality control issue? The drivers are perfectly matched in output and there's no indication that they're not working correctly.

[HiFiInsider]

Does the M1 have a pig tail like the L1?

[dalethorn]

Does the M1 have a pig tail like the L1?

 

Yes, exactly the same. That's where the similarity ends though. The prices are close at $300 and $250 USD, but the M1 comes in a box half the size of the L1, has one cable, and a bag that's much thinner than the L1 bag. The headphone itself looks cheap compared to the L1, and the sound is terrible. Something must be wrong because I found 2 U.K. sites where one said the high end was neutral and the other said the high end was a bit bright. The U.K. edition was released in early April and the U.S. edition not until now, 4 months later. I asked Philips twice if the M1 was re-voiced for the American market and they refused to answer both times. They are answering other questions, though. I have a feeling they know the American M1 is a disaster, but they sure aren't talking.

 

Edit: I tried EQ'ing the M1 with Foobar2000's 18-band default equalizer, but it makes the sound too choppy due to the extreme adjustments needed. It's possible the 30-band equalizer would help, but that would take quite some time to get right.

[dalethorn]

I decided to do a full review of the M1, and added questions and comments relating to hearing loss and whether treble-shy headphones might accelerate that loss.

 

Philips Fidelio M1 Stereo Headphone (full review) - HiFi Headphones Forum - online headphone & earphone community forums

[dalethorn]

Also added a youtube video review:

Philips Fidelio M1 Stereo Headphone Review by Dale - YouTube