Creative Aurvana Live vs Sony MDR V6/7506 vs Koss ProDJ 100

If you're willing to take a monetary risk, the HD-25s might be right for you.

Forget the XB500 for folk music, unless you're great at EQing. They're focused on electronic and won't work on anything else unless you can EQ

I like the 7506 slightly more than the V6; it seems smoother in the upper registers.

 

But this topic has been debated for years, producing plenty of opinions without any sort of final verdict.

 

(My solution: owning both.)

 

 

Recently I bought a pair of Creative Aurvana Live to use as walking-around-outside headphones,

and was pretty disappointed.  A bit too much bass, and generally a lack of detail.

Moreover, the build quality wasn't very good; the two Sony phones are far more solid.

 

I'm still looking for headphones to use outside (now I'm using my Senn HD25 I II, which are great -

but I'd hate to get caught with them on during a sudden rainstorm), and I'm also considering the

Koss 100DJ.  

 

Haven't had a chance to listen to them, but I'm concerned that so many of the reviews say they're

bass-light.  Even the positive reviews.

 

 

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend either the V6 or 7506; there's a good reason for their continuing success

over so many years.  They sound very good for the money; and the QC is excellent.

 

 

 

See, this is just so bizarre to me. I think the people who say the DJ100 is bass light must be coming from something VERY bass heavy or have no idea what neutral bass sounds like. IMO the DJ100 has either neutral bass or a slight bass hump. The best thing about the DJ100 is just how good it's sub-bass is. It doesn't have much of a mid-bass hump like the V6 does. Maybe that's what they want. I hate huge mid-bass humps that draw attention to itself.

 

To me it's the most bass you can have (IMO) without screwing up or recessing the mids or losing out on detail.

 

The problem with the DJ100 is that I often never liked it without an amp. The only portable device that drives it well enough to me is the Ipod Touch and the Clip. Yes, the clip..I guess that thing can drive some really power hungry headphones!

 

I have a feeling these days people must think something like the DT-770 Pro 80 has neutral bass. It makes no sense.

 

I'd like to find another headphone with the good bass of the DJ100. I was thinking maybe the K181DJ? It seems most good and cheap portable headphones with forward mids don't have very good sub-bass. Is there any?

 

BTW I still think the DJ100 is pretty close to my idea of bass heavy. Probably 5% less overall bass than the white boxed M50. About even if you remove the foam on the M50 pads.

 

My idea as to why the DJ100 lacks bass for some is due to a poor seal with the pads. M50 pads on the DJ100 solves this.

 

Under-amping doesn't really make it have less bass, but just makes it a bit uncontrolled and sound rather bad.

 

Don't know why, but I always hate suggesting the DJ100 as a portable headphone. It's just too picky about source or amp.

 

Sorry, got me talking about my DJ100. Probably my favorite headphone of all time.

 

If anyone is interested, check these graphs:

 

DJ100/Tony Bennet

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/KossTonyBennett.pdf

M50

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AudioTechnicaATHM50.pdf

 

Both have some similarities. DJ100 seems to have a dip at 100hz, which I like. I don't know what to think of the TB graph. I would have thought it'd have some large spike in the upper mids. What the heck..

 

Edited by tdockweiler - 1/1/12 at 1:00pm

Very interesting post, lots of useful detail.

 

I think you just persuaded me to buy the DJ100, because I have no issue carrying around a good small amp.

 

 

The DT770 Pro 80 has way too much bass for me.  (Way.)

 

 

As for good inexpensive portable headphones, here are a few based on my experience -

 

Ultrasone HFI-15G

Beyerdynamic DT-235

Senn PX100 (if you can find a pair - I don't like the MK II current version)

 

Three caveats - I don't use a Clip, I always use an amp, and all three of those phones are open.

 

 

The DT235 is on-ear, but closed.

 

Thanks.

 

I remembered them as open phones, because I remembered people around me

asking me to 'turn the music down' when I wore them. ( Leakage was due to the

velour pads, of course.) 

I was going to ask the same question today but I have seen this thread and stopped. Hasn't anyone both 7506 and DJ100 to compare them? I am leaning towards DJ100 because I really like Koss sound (have KSC-35 and PortaPro). Also another question: do anyone tried Beyerdynamic DT-250 or Dt770/990 velour pads on the DJ100? I hate pleather earpads and will prefer velour (because its hot here and I sweat a lot).

 

I did an old comparison of the 7506 against the DJ100 and a ton of other headphones. You can check it in my "threads started" section. It's up against the M50 and Sextett too.

 

The DT-770/990 pads don't fit. Same with the K240 pads.

 

The DT-250 pads fit, but makes the DJ100 sound horrible. Way too harsh and fatiguing and no mod can fix this that i'm aware of. MDR-V6, M30 and M50 pads fit.

 

If you like the KSC75 sound (not sure how it compares to the KSC35) you'd love the DJ100. I think the DJ100 is closer to the KSC75's signature than the Porta Pro.

Wow, thank you tdockweiler!

 

I have asked this question in another thread. Happy that I get the answers here. Your experience really helps because I was nearly going to purchase the velour DT-250 pads.

 

Now I can see that the M50 pads are great choice. But... that pleather always makes my ears hot and I sweat alot (its also because its hot and humid here). Any options for velour pads?

 

Best wishes tdockweiler!

Creative Aurvana Live! were the headphones that turned me into an audiophile. Now I own several pairs of headphones and am buying more each day, but the CAL!, despite it not being the best-sounding or best-built of my headphones, still gets daily use. The sound is absolutely excellent for the price, not too bass-heavy and fairly accurate. The comfort is unmatched so far by anything I have. They're just wonderful to listen to. My fiance' says they'd be her favorite too, but says they're just too big for her ears - she does have a tiny head though. I own the V6 and used to own the ProDJ100 and I'd pick the CAL! all day over them.

 

Thanks ninjames,

I was interested in CAL! as well but pushed it out of the list because they're not portable.

 

But I am willing to read more Creative Aurvana Live! comparisons to the Pro DJ100 :)

 

Dear tdockweiler do you have experience on CAL!, can you compare the two?

Edited by Baycode - 5/30/12 at 12:33pm