German Maestro GMP 450 Pro Headphones
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2022 11:05 pm
Long, long ago when life was simpler, cares were less and a pint cost less than a quid (yes, THAT long ago) - I was venturing slowly into the world of audio and great, great music. Somehow a pair of headphones came into my possession that weren't Sennheiser's (gasp - was there anything else but Senn's with the yellow foam and plastic headband?).
These odd cans had large round enclosures and a basic, lightweight feel. But they sounded awesome and I wore them completely out, never to see (or hear) anything like them ever again.
They were MB Quart 75x headphones, made in Germany and little-known in the UK.
Years passed, headphones came and went but I never forgot the name MB Quart. An idle search of Google suddenly kicked up a lead. MB Quart were alive and well but now called themselves German Maestro - and they were still making headphones. In fact, they were still making THE SAME headphones!
A small company in Bavaria who do everything in-house, design and manufacturing. Makers of speakers and audio gear for specialist and professional users. Their headphones especially praised for studio and recording use.
The story is that the American owners of the name MB Quart decided that they wanted to shift their production to China and pulled out of the German operation, leaving that business completely in the lurch. Renaming themselves German Maestro, they continued their approach of sensibly-priced, high-quality, self-manufactured equipment and are still running.
The MB Quart 75x is now the German Maestro GMP 250. Same cans, new number. Their flagship model is the GMP 450 Pro (previously the MBQ 95x) a closed-back design for musicians and recording engineers. Amazon had them on offer for 200 euro, I couldn't resist.
Packaging is simple and spartan. A printed cardboard box. No frills. The phones themselves are utilitarian, they don't look expensive or showy, these are cans to be used, not admired.
Here pictured right, beside the Philips Fidelio X2HR, which do look expensive and luxurious.
The GMP 450 is very light, really, you hardly feel them at all which means you can have them on for long sessions without any fatigue. The plastic enclosures have a tough, unbreakable character - these are cans for hard, intensive use.
The sound ... ?
Well, I am still running them in and comparing them. Be patient.
These odd cans had large round enclosures and a basic, lightweight feel. But they sounded awesome and I wore them completely out, never to see (or hear) anything like them ever again.
They were MB Quart 75x headphones, made in Germany and little-known in the UK.
Years passed, headphones came and went but I never forgot the name MB Quart. An idle search of Google suddenly kicked up a lead. MB Quart were alive and well but now called themselves German Maestro - and they were still making headphones. In fact, they were still making THE SAME headphones!
A small company in Bavaria who do everything in-house, design and manufacturing. Makers of speakers and audio gear for specialist and professional users. Their headphones especially praised for studio and recording use.
The story is that the American owners of the name MB Quart decided that they wanted to shift their production to China and pulled out of the German operation, leaving that business completely in the lurch. Renaming themselves German Maestro, they continued their approach of sensibly-priced, high-quality, self-manufactured equipment and are still running.
The MB Quart 75x is now the German Maestro GMP 250. Same cans, new number. Their flagship model is the GMP 450 Pro (previously the MBQ 95x) a closed-back design for musicians and recording engineers. Amazon had them on offer for 200 euro, I couldn't resist.
Packaging is simple and spartan. A printed cardboard box. No frills. The phones themselves are utilitarian, they don't look expensive or showy, these are cans to be used, not admired.
Here pictured right, beside the Philips Fidelio X2HR, which do look expensive and luxurious.
The GMP 450 is very light, really, you hardly feel them at all which means you can have them on for long sessions without any fatigue. The plastic enclosures have a tough, unbreakable character - these are cans for hard, intensive use.
The sound ... ?
Well, I am still running them in and comparing them. Be patient.