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PX100-II vs AKG K420 vs AKG K430

post #1 of 45
1/9/12 at 2:45pm
Thread Starter 

OLD thread name: PX100-II vs PortaPros (now i changed my mind)

 

Haha.. hello boys, it's my first post, i know you are all going to say this is an ultra repeated post but oh well, i have searched arround the forum and can't get my personal answer, so i will ask it again with my point of view ok?

 

I will use them 80% of the time in my computer: Mainly for listening music (JPop, Pop/Rock, Electric Music and Movie/Games Soudntracks from Windows Media Player). But i will use it for playing some movies sometimes, and youtube videos.


The other 20% will be ipod music and maybe to play portable gameboy games, etc

 

Im not going to use them very much, its just a solution for when i want to listen music at night and don't want to disturb people, videos, etc, but i want to use it on my portable videogame systems too.

 

So after reading this... can you recommend me any of those 2? (price is not a problem)

Sennheiser PX 100-II vs Koss PortaPro once and again...

 

Thanks people!

 

PD: I think i like bass, but idk if its good for movies and youtube videos.
PD2: Also if you think i should go for another one just tell me, but i have found these 2 to be very popular and good quality, and also their price is the lowest by now, the aiaiai tracks are expensive, and the akg (or something like that) are not expensive but i dont think those are better... i just need a quick solution :D


Edited by Bahamut2 - 1/14/12 at 8:47pm
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Koss PortaPro Headphones with Case
Sennheiser PX 100-II Supra-Aural Mini Headphones - Black
post #2 of 45
1/9/12 at 3:17pm

Since you can't decide between the Portapro and the PX100II, I will give you a better option than both of those, the JVC HAS650($34). The HAS650 also has warm sound, however it has better highs than the PX100II. Since it is closed, the bass is also  better than the others. I guess you might be thinking PX200II, however that is much more expensive and less efficient  than the HAS650. Even though the HAS650 is closed, it is very compact, and very comfortable.

 

If you must choose between the PX100II and the Portapro, then you should buy the PX100II.

 

Another headphone around the size of the Portapro and the PX100II is the $10 JVC HAS160. The HAS160 is neutral sounding, unlike the HAS650 and Portapro which are warm sounding. I prefer the sound on the HAS160 to the Portapro. If you must buy an inexpensive Koss headphone, then you should choose the KSC75, or the KTXpro1, which is essentially the KSC75  with a headband instead of earhooks. The KSC75 and KTXpro1 are only around $15 each, and I prefer them to the Portapro, as they have much better highs, and the bass is better controlled. They are bright sounding, while the Portapro is warm. I don't like the loose bass or the highs on the Portapro. The Portapro is also imo overpriced, however you can get the Sportapro which is basically the same thing as the Portapro but looks different for around half the price. I am not a Koss hater. I have had the Portapro, Sportapro, KSC75, KSC50, KSC35, and the A200 for many years. I have just grown very tired of the Portapro/Sportapro/KSC50/KSC35 sound. I still like the other Koss headphones I have.

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post #3 of 45
1/9/12 at 6:14pm
Thread Starter 

As i dont have to choose between those 2... i will take any recomendatios here. But those JVC seems a bit more expensive (+20€) does it worth the difference in price? Personally i think i preffer closed ones because i dont like when people can ear what i am earing and because of the better bass.

 

About the HAS160, it seems nice, but what is a "warm sound"? A neutral sound seems like the thing to buy, but i think i preffer a bit "powerfull sound" with a bit of bass and a lot of clarity with classic music (those terms may be incompatible, i dont know). Anyway i dont know about "warm" sounds... sorry.

 

And about KTXpro1 i am a bit interested, as people say the KSC75 is better than portapro, that means these are better than porta pro? What is the difference between warm and bright? Do you mean more "clarity" in the sound? (for me the senheiser cx300 earbuds are like that, more clarity but worst bass) So why are you tired of the portapro sound? Keep im mind im not a pro and my ears are not golden ears... im just a casual persona that wants to buy a good earphones for a good price. (max price arround 50eur)

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post #4 of 45
1/9/12 at 7:48pm

The JVC HAS650 is $34 in the US on Amazon, however I don't know about European pricing. The HAS160 is neutral in the sense that neither the bass nor the treble is emphasized, and the midrange sounds natural. A warm headphone has a midrange that sounds biased towards the lower frequencies. Instead of sounding neutral, voices and other midrange details sound "warm".

 

The KTXpro1 sounds a bit bright in that the balance is biased towards the higher frequencies.

 

The best idea is to try to listen to these headphones if possible.

 

In terms of detail, the HAS650 has the most detail of the headphones already mentioned. The next most detailed is probably the PX100II. After that is probably the HAS160, then the KTXpro1.If you increase your budget, then you can get even more detail, with a headphone like the Sony V6. The V6 is $85 in the US. If that is too expensive, you might get a better deal on some Sennheisers? I don't know about European pricing. How much would the Sony V6 cost you? How about the Sennheiser HD448,the Shure SR440, or  the Sennheiser HD280 pro?

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post #5 of 45
1/11/12 at 4:29am
Thread Starter 

 

The JVC are like 52€ http://www.amazon.es/JVC-HA-S650-HA-S650-E-Auriculares/dp/B002KQBOR0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326283671&sr=8-1 that would be my max to spend. Also those earphones have a squared auditive cushion and i read somewhere its worst for the sound?
 
"Bright", do you mean that it is better for classical music? I like that but i also want good bass... because with thouse kind of earphones i miss a bit of the bass, and i feel like i need "more". Even thought classic music sounds awesome, but mostly i listen more other kind of musics.
 
Anyway im not a professional, i only want a good earphones and i can not listen to any because in my city there are not many shops and they won't allow you to test the earphones, i have to buy them and return them later (for example from amazon), as im not audiophile i normally can not ear a lot of differences in the quality, but off course, i can ear the difference between china 1$ earbuds and senheisser earbuds.
 
Between JVC HA-S650 and PX 100-2 (or portapros) the differente is like 30USD, as i told you, its like double of the price. The other two i mention here are like 40USD, the jvc is like 70USD. And about sony V6, i think those are too big for me, (and expensive off course).
 
Sennheiser HD280 and HD448: EXPENSIVE and BIG... no...
Shure SRH440: 68EUR (i liked the design a lot! does it worth?)
JVC HA-S650: 52EUR (squared cushion is good?)
JVC HA-S160: 13EUR (other colors are more expensive)
Koss KTX Pro 1: 19EUR (looks a bit ugly maybe, is it any better than portapros?)
Koss Porta Pro: 25EUR (looks retro-cool to me)
Sennheiser PX 100-II: 32EUR (looks like a very simple design)
 
 
For me, sound quality and comodity would be the best. (and price... not over 50EUR if possible)
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post #6 of 45
1/11/12 at 8:35am

The HAS650 is a bit better than the PX100II as far as sound, however the HAS650 isolates somewhat, and the PX100II doesn't isolate at all. If you don't need isolation, then since the PX100II is so much cheaper then go with that. It is funny, since in the US the HAS650 is cheaper than the PX100II. As an added bonus, the PX100II folds quite small and fits in a jacket pocket.

 

The HAS160 is nice for the price. For just 13 euros you might want to buy it as well. It doesn't have as much bass and detail as the HAS650 or PX100II, however for 13 Euros it is well worth buying. It has very nice treble, better than the PX100Ii or HAS650.

 

The KTXpro1 is imo better than the Portapro, but not as good as the HAS160, PX100II, or HAS650.

 

The Shure SRH440 is a closed studio monitor. it is a direct competyator to the Sony V6, however some think it isn't quite as good. It offers good isolation. I guess a good competator to the SRH440 is the Koss proDJ100. It has received excellent reviews.

 

Of all of these, the HAS160 and PX100II seem to offer you the best value. Imo the Portapro is deficient in treble and has bass that is poorly controlled. While the PX100II is slightly treble deficient, it has much tighter bass and better midrange detail than the Portapro.

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post #7 of 45
1/11/12 at 9:03am
Thread Starter 

So for you, px100-II is really better than porta pro right?

 

I am between, JVC HA-S160 and PX100-II, i may buy both but i dont think i need 2... lol but i want to know, why do you say psx100-2 is better than portapros (because some people say is the same quality), maybe it has an old driver? Is there another alternative for that price you can recommend?

 

I also found Sennheiser PX 90 for 22eur. there are so many headphones its hard for me to just select one without trying them, wich is something i can't do... maybe more people can help me on this.

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post #8 of 45
1/11/12 at 10:11am

I have had the Portapro for over 10 years. As I explained, the Portapro is very treble deficient, and the bass is poorly controlled. I have the PX100(the original though, and not the mk2). The MK2 is said to have a bit more bass and a bit less detail than the original. overall though, I think the PX100II is a much better headphone than the Portapro. When I first got the Portapro many years ago I thought it was good, but that was before I had the PX100 or any JVC headphones.

 

The PX90 is not good. Not only is the sound quality worse than the PX100II, the worst problem is that it is 12 db less efficient than the PX100II, so it is likely that you won't be able to get the PX90 to play loud loud enough with a low powered portable.

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post #9 of 45
1/11/12 at 2:50pm
Thread Starter 

I have had an old JVC headphone when i was a child, and it was good :) I think JVC is a nice brand, now i am between px100 or jvc ones, i like the simplicity and the price of the jvc, but then i see the other jvc HA-S650, wich seems good too, but i cannot select the color like in the S160...

 

px100 vx jvc s160 vx s650? is the s650 much bigger than the s160?

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post #10 of 45
1/11/12 at 4:40pm

The S650 is just slightly larger than the s160. The S650 only comes in black. In the US, the S160 is often cheaper for the black color than the other colors. Since the PX100Ii and the S160 are both priced reasonably where you are, while the S650 is somewhat overpriced compared to US pricing, it makes sense for you to get the PX100II and/or the HAS160. If you later see the HAS650 at a good price then you might want to consider buying it then. At $70 or so for the S650, and only around $40 for the PX100II, I would choose the PX100II. For $16 the HAS160 is also worth buying though.

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post #11 of 45
1/12/12 at 8:53am
Thread Starter 

Hello, i was about to buy the PSX100II but i found the JVC-S650 for 42EUR wich is +10EUR more than the PX100II.

Does it worth the money?

 

 

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post #12 of 45
1/12/12 at 9:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bahamut2 View Post

Hello, i was about to buy the PSX100II but i found the JVC-S650 for 42EUR wich is +10EUR more than the PX100II.

Does it worth the money?

 

 



That is a tough call. The PX100II has the added advantages of a single side cord and the ability to fold to a size small enough to fit in a jacket pocket. The headband on the HAS650 doesn't fold, but its driver enclosures rotate to the flat position.  The PX100Ii is an open headphone, while the HAS650 is closed. Being closed might be a benefit or a detriment depending on what you want. I do like the sound on the HAS650 better, and prefer the feel of it. I guess the main deciding factor between the two should be whether you want an open or closed headphone. Do you want to block the sounds around you or not?

 


Edited by JK1 - 1/12/12 at 9:48am
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post #13 of 45
1/13/12 at 5:12am
Thread Starter 

Well, i would have to try both, but i dont like much the sound going "outside" the headphones, 1-because i dont like people earing with i ear (i know the sound that goes outside is not high but anyway i preffer a more private environment), and 2-i dont like the "effect" that produces open headphones... it is like if the sound comes from the outside, and i like it coming directly from my head.

 

In that case, are px100II and porptaros both "open" headphones? Because i don't like that, i tried a full-headphone with that function, and i found it not very powerfull and "strange".

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post #14 of 45
1/13/12 at 7:14am

If I could suggest one more headphone, how about the Jays V-Jays. They have the same design as the PX100-II and PortaPro. They are a bit more expensive. On Ebay you can find the cheapest pair for around 38EUR + 7EUR un shipping. Otherwise they are closer to 50EUR which is a bit too much (unless you are Swedish since it's a Swedish company).

 

This article might give you some guidance: http://www.headfonia.com/ultra-portable-shootout-px100-px200-portapro-k404-v-jays-tracks-oldskool-and-hd238/

 

EDIT: I would also like to add AKG K420 which are also similar to PX100 and PortaPro. However, they work better with rock music than classical music since they are a bit "warmer", i.e. more bassy. The Jays V-Jays are more neutral and would probably work better with classical music.


Edited by Danneq - 1/13/12 at 7:16am
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post #15 of 45
1/13/12 at 7:30am
Thread Starter 

I did read that article already, that is why i was thinking of buying the px100II (the article says portapro is worst than that one), then i read the v-jays are better, but then i read this article from cnet where they say they are not very good: http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/jays-v-jays-heavy/4505-7877_7-34071271.html

(In cnet, portapro is better than vjays, i dont know who do i have to trust)

 

So because of the cnet article, i didn't include the vjays. Also i listen more bassy music than classical music.

I was looking for the "AKG K420" and i find it very nice (and it is also closed!), i like the simplicity of the design a lot and the price is really nice, how good is it compared to PX100II and the JVC ones?

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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Koss PortaPro Headphones with Case
Sennheiser PX 100-II Supra-Aural Mini Headphones - Black
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Portable Headphones, Earphones and In-Ear Monitors › PX100-II vs AKG K420 vs AKG K430