Test of the high-end PSB M4U 1 headphones
Published on 5 December 2013
I'm continuing my little series of audio headphone reviews, just like that, casually. And with Christmas coming, it might come in handy. So I've been using this PSB M4U 1 for a few days now. Behind this barbaric name hides a relatively massive headset, rather high-end, from a brand you probably don't know, namely PSB. The Canadian brand is mostly known for its speakers and Hi-Fi solutions, I think this is their first headset. Note that the M4U also exists in a version 2, with active noise-cancelling technology. I was only able to test the model 1, the plain simple one, then.
Plain simple, sure, but seriously formidable. Despite its more than notable bulk (at least for me, who tolerates big headphones poorly), the product in question is really very light, and once worn, you don't feel it at all. It's over-ear, and the raised ear cushions cover the whole ear. Handy for keeping them warm, but above all for isolating as best as possible without putting pressure on the ear. That's actually part of what gives this feeling of lightness, the ear isn't compressed by the headset, it's enveloped. The model I have in my hands is red, which is frankly not very discreet, it also exists in gray/black. Beyond the color, it's rather pretty, the trick being to properly tolerate massive headphones. The fact that it's not a widely-seen headset is also an interesting aesthetic argument. No one should be walking around your metro with the same one.
And the sound in all this? Well the sound is good. There you go, bye. No, more seriously, the sound reproduction is excellent. The bass is really deep without being excessive, the whole thing is really very well balanced and gives an impression of perfection that's rather unsettling, maybe even disturbing. In use, using such a headset is a joy if you listen to MP3 files encoded at very high quality, or CDs. But on somewhat dirty MP3s or files encoded at 128kbps, you clearly hear all the defects of the audio files, and it's frankly unpleasant. Having tested it on several files, I'd say that at AAC@320kbps, it starts to become inaudible, and to stop being a problem. Thank goodness most online music dealers offer at least this quality today. Generally speaking, the sound is clean. Don't expect an improbable sound that pops off in every direction, no, this is high fidelity in the primary sense, without embellishment, without artifice. Not a flattering sound, but a stripped-down sound close to the intended studio rendering.
There you go. Otherwise, a few details: – The headset comes with replacement ear cushions. – The cable can be unplugged, and placed on the left OR right of the headset, your choice. – A cable with a remote is included to control the music.
And how much does it cost? Count on $300, so between 250 and 300 euros. On Amazon I only found the PSB M4U 2 version, for the modest sum of 450 euros.
So what do we make of it? We make of it that if your audio library is of good quality, and if you have no issue with massive headphones, the choice is excellent, especially since the price is fairly accessible for a high-end headset of this quality. And once again, thanks to @LaFilledelaCom for lending me her little ears for this photo :).
Photo credit: PSB
By Paingout