Tony Bennett Signature Edition Headphones - Page 5

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyll Hertsens 

Say, Doc, these what your DJ100s look like on the inside?

 

 

 

(click to enlarge)

I remember exactly how the insides of the DJ100 look, but I popped it open just to be safe.

The holes surrounding the driver on the outside are in the same pattern.

I noticed what appears to be two extra large holes inside the cup. It's hard to tell if these are really holes or not, but it looks like it.

I also noticed what also looks like another hole that's not there on the DJ100. I can't tell if it's a hole or not, but I've circled all of them in the picture below. If these are all not really holes (hard to tell) then they appear to be both the same. I take it the inside of the cup is hard plastic? It almost looked like a different material.

Based on the mods I've tried, every little internal change makes a fairly big difference in the sound. It seems if you cram too much material in there behind the driver, the sound quality would degrade.

I ended up using none on my DJ100. It's possible to make it go from anywhere from extremely bass heavy to making the mids excessively forward. So much that it's fatiguing super fast.

If you want, I can send over my Mogami W2893 recabled DJ100 with M50 pads. It has hundreds of hours of burn-in probably.

With that graph I'm surprised there wasn't a huge upper mids peak somewhere. Past 1000hz it looks like everything fell off a cliff. Maybe I'm reading it wrong.

What's funny is that up to 1000hz the graphs looks similar to the M50. Past that it's almost looks like the 272HD graph maybe if I remember right.

Maybe they added some extra treble on the Tony Bennett, but highly unlikely. Despite the forward mids, my DJ100 is very non-fatiguing and as close to being as smooth sounding as the HD-598.

This is coming from a guy who found the SR-80 too fatiguing (but the SR-225i is Ok, strangely enough).

If the DJ100 lacks anything, it's in the treble somewhat. M50 pads seem to increase this a little. At least it sounds like it! I've noticed if you use SRH-840 pads, the DJ100 becomes extremely fatiguing fast. Too much air/room inside the pads and the sound gets worse. With the M50 pads, the mids are more balanced out and a tiny bit less forward.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyll Hertsens 

Okay, I took them apart again to check, but those aren't holes, just molding marks. So, it looks like we've got the same headphone here, eh?

 

FWIW, they're slowly winning me over.  They're not great or anything, and the pricetag with the TB endorsement seems a bit much, but if the DJ100 sounds the same at $70, then that's a pretty good little headphone. I think the Creative Aurvana Live! is more neutral, but the bass is better on the TBSE1. I'd say they're almost a draw with the Sony MDR-ZX700.

 

The box does say "made in China" BTW.

Yeah the DJ100 is $80 at most stores. Once in awhile they go on sale for $40-$50 or so with free shipping, which to me is a steal for them. I think the M50 pads are a must though for them to be at their best. Maybe you can borrow a pair of M50 pads from someone to try them out on the Tony Bennett? Even MDR-V6 pads fit.

One thing that I don't understand is how the sound seems to vary a lot between portable amps and I hate them on the E9 and Micro Amp (amp overkill for them mostly!). I don't know if the E5 I'm using them with just pushes the mids forward or what. On my Nuforce Icon Mobile it seems like the bass is reduced and they have much less treble and more mids. I think this is just due to the goofy sound signature of the amp though. It's nice for the M50 and D2000. They also failed to be at their usual self with the Fiio E11 and I never figured out why. Maybe the DJ100 hates any warm sounding amps. I think the mids are more forward sounding with a good portable amp, but not so much to be fatiguing, at least to me. On my Airhead they have good bass and are less bright than on the E5. Mids aren't as forward sounding, but close.

Have you found them quite easy to drive? To me, they seem to benefit more from an amp than even my SR-225i.

DJ100 to me isn't a "do everything" headphone like say an HD-600/HD-598. I've found it best with specific genres, but does some genres OK, but not great. I bet your impression of them might improve further with the M50 pads, which even increases the soundstage. The DJ100 sounds even more clear with the M50 pads. DJ100 is especially nice with female vocals and acoustic music. For $80 they're quite revealing and have more detail than a lot of the other cheap headphones IMO. I always found them crystal clear with female vocals.

If you do a review, it'd be interesting to hear if you felt there was any change after burn-in.

Tyll, have you heard any clones of the Tony Bennett? Anything that sounds similar? The DJ100 mids are so addicting. Wonder if the V-Moda M80 has any similarities? I doubt it. I'd love to eventually find something with the DJ100 signature, but even better! I went from the SRH-840, sidegraded to the K240 Studio, then to the M50 and settled on the DJ100.

BTW I suggest listening to the Pirates of the Carribean: On Strange Tides CD, Imogen Heap and Utada Hikaru on the DJ100/TB, seems their music sounds made for the DJ100. I also like Ali Farka Toure's CD "In the Heart of the Moon" on the it. I think that album sounded the best on my ATH-AD2000 and I haven't heard it sound that good since. The K400 and K501 came close. Sounds weird on the HD-650 and HD-598. Not sure why. It's very simple acoustic guitar music. I think very bass heavy headphones would ruin that entire CD.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mantooth 

Update on the Tony Bennett's

 

J&R music is now selling these for $80,the same price as the dj's.

I want them badly. Unfortunately it doesn't come with a straight cable like I thought, but does come with case, album download and removable coiled cable.

$80 is a steal for them if you need the case and cable option. Straight cables are almost $10 everywhere. Uses a standard 3.55mm plug too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElmerK 

I was able to get new Tony Bennett Headphones on EBay for $41 plus $15 shipping to Canada. My neighborhood Staples has them for $149.95 and with sales taxes here that is about $160 out the door. (Canadian is at par or above these days)  I am back into headphones after a hiatus because the Mrs and I tend to work opposite shifts and my new computer speakers vibrate the walls.  Using my old stereo system with its large speakers is out of the question The Tony Bennett headphones arrived yesterday.

 

While  I do have  a PA2V2 portable headphone amp I have been listening to them with my Bravo Ocean one tube headphone amplifier. Compared to my old Sennheiser HD477'S, they sound much much better. As Tyll said in his review, I am in the demographic. I am 63 and what little hair I have left is mostly white, and besides Tony Bennett was a friend of my late Uncle.  Given my hearing at my age they sound fine. I most likely will get the itch to try better and start my own Wall of Fame but I have a hunch the return on investment will be diminished.  This has indeed been a great bargain!!
 

$41 is a steal! They had them one weekend for around $60 with free shipping (I think), but I missed it. I got them for $75 about a week ago. Some stores are still selling them for $150, but it seems Koss reduces the price on them to under $80. IMO they're worth every penny even at that price, but I think the original $150 was too high.

I haven't downloaded my free album yet, but I'll do that soon. I don't think i've ever heard any of Tony Bennett's music before. Maybe i'll like it.

I actually want to try these on a hybrid tube amp. Maybe the Hifiman EF2A or the LD I+. Something fairly cheap. I think many of the amps that work well for the Grados MIGHT do a decent job with the DJ100/TB.

I wrote some other comments about the TB on the DJ100 thread, but they're basically the same, which is what I expected and wanted. The detachable cable and case is a nice bonus for nothing extra. I guess the DJ100 has dropped in price though to around $60. Even Amazon sells them now without being from a marketplace seller.