[jant71]

Not much there other than the CKM seems brighter. Two times I have read a different batch of reviews on Kakaku about the CKN70 and both times I have come out with the real sense that the treble amount is disappointing or less than expected for this particular audience. It seems this audience is used to the bright/more treble older AT signature and the more smoothed out newer models is something they need to/or are adjusting to.

 

[Dsnuts]

I personally love the new AT sound. So much better than the older AT sound signature. Not to mention AT is paying attention to the mids so much more so on these new phones. I think even the bass end is done better on the new sound,  but it is the added attention to smoother treble makes the new AT sound that much more refined in my book.
 
My CKN70 are being held up in LA customs yet once again so I should see those here earlier next week I hope.

 

[DannyBai]

I'm a big fan of the new AT sound as well.  The treble is much smoother with the newer AT's.  Seems the midrange is more engaging as well.  

 

[jant71]

Only new model I own is the CKP200 but I'll third the notion. One of the more enjoyable signatures that is immersive, fun, and very coherent. Last AT was the CKS77 and the midrange is much more open, clear, in-line and enjoyable with the CKP.
 
 
Edit: I just ordered a pair of blue CKN70 from CDjapan for $82 with EMS. I'll compare them to my CX985 and CKP when the get here. The Senn also has a micro-driver and Senn worked it to improve the mids/vocals so it is a comparison of similar things that are approached differently by their Japanese and German makers.

 

[CashNotCredit]

Don't mean to de-rail the thread from all of this awesome Audio Technica talk, but I got my Arcatron up and running today.
 
 

 
And, of course, it sounds AMAZING. 

That's not a super-detailed description, I know, but work with me.

The tone control on this thing makes it difficult to classify its sound signature. The bass can be turned up all the way and never get "boomy", but still gets very, very loud. The treble can get turned up a good bit, but it doesn't get sibilant until about 3 o'clock.
 
It has a slightly warm sound when everything is set halfway. It reminded me of the Darkvoice amp I heard at a meet once. Obvoiusly, it's not as good, but for $15, it's pretty darn close.
 
Here's the bummer. The Euroblock connector is a total pain to get working. 

I'd recommend getting an XLR to balanced 1/4 inch cable. This way, everything can be nice and grounded when you cut the XLR end off to screw the cables into the Euroblock.
 
My Radio Shack 3.5mm to RCA cable I'm using now gives it a tiny bit of static (unnoticeable when music's playing), but maybe using a balanced cable would solve that issue.
 
If that static issue gets resolved, it's easily worth 10x its asking price at $15 (without shipping).
 
 
 
And now for a rediscovery of sorts.

The DBI Pro series of headphones  used to have a small, cult-like following on Head-Fi. They were a bit of an FOTM in 2011.
 
I bought a DBI Pro 705 a few months ago, and while it sounded decent, one of the drivers was obviously not functioning properly. Now, it's completely busted.
 
Still, that Pro 705 put a nice taste in my mouth and made me want more DBI.
 
I was ecstatic to see that the Pro 700, which is better than the Pro 705, was going on eBay for $45. These don't come around often, folks. 

Like I suspect about the Arcatron, the DBI Pro headphones are used in record store displays. If you want them, you can buy the directly on DBI's website for about $200. Or, you can wait around for them on eBay. When a record store goes out of business, an abundance of DBI headphones go up for sale for dirt cheap.
 
 

 
But how do they sound? 

Pretty incredible.
 
The soundstage, unlike the Somic, is narrow and intimate, but not in a bad way. It's a bit like the HA-S500s in this regard.
 
The bass is punchy, prominent, but not bloated or overwhelming. It doesn't muddle into the mids, which are rich and full (amazing male vocals here, folks!)

But the treble on these is something else! A bit bright, a bit sparkly, but never annoying. Hi-hats have some heft to them. Snares and trumpets have bite. The treble's a bit emphasized, but wow, does it sound great.
 
I like these as much as the Somics. Maybe a bit moreso.
 


These are not stock pads, by the way. My stock pads came super-dented and unusable. These are Creative WoW headset pads, and they really bring out the bass and tame up the treble.


The FiiO E10 (through the line out), the Arcatron, and the DBI Pro 700 make a pretty killer rig at the $150 price point.
 
Hopefully, these awesome headphones are available soon on eBay. You guys have to hear these things!
 
As it stands, the Arcatron HDA-100 can be had for a $15 offer on eBay and shipping and handling. I think we found the amp equivalent of the ELE.

 

[lilboozy]

Quote:

This is the judgement week. Order ckn70 or xba -40.

The xba 3 measure better than the 4.
http://rinchoi.blogspot.com/2013/02/sony-xba-3.html
http://rinchoi.blogspot.com/2013/02/sony-xba-4.html

 

[lovinghart]

Dsnuts and Danny! would it be possible for you to share your detailed impressions about the Somic EFI-82 MT? Especially as compared to the JVC-HA S500 and the new ATH headphones/earphones? Would really like to hear your thoughts! Really appreciate all your help!

 

[Carlsan]

Quote:

The xba 3 measure better than the 4.
http://rinchoi.blogspot.com/2013/02/sony-xba-3.html
http://rinchoi.blogspot.com/2013/02/sony-xba-4.html

 
JiggaD369 was referring to the xba -40.
XBA-30's and XBA-40's are a whole new ballgame.

 

[JiggaD369]

Quote:

 
JiggaD369 was referring to the xba -40.
XBA-30's and XBA-40's are a whole new ballgame.

 
Yes I was.
 
It's basically a showdown between XBA-30 vs. XBA-40 vs. CKN70 for me. Whoever wins, I buy and pair with the Explorer and go away from this website for a while.

 

[MrEleventy]

Yes I was.

It's basically a showdown between XBA-30 vs. XBA-40 vs. CKN70 for me. Whoever wins, I buy and pair with the Explorer and go away from this website for a while.

Good luck with that.

 

[7S Cameron]

I personally love the new AT sound. So much better than the older AT sound signature. Not to mention AT is paying attention to the mids so much more so on these new phones. I think even the bass end is done better on the new sound,  but it is the added attention to smoother treble makes the new AT sound that much more refined in my book.

My CKN70 are being held up in LA customs yet once again so I should see those here earlier next week I hope.

Mine are in LA customs too, but I live in an adjacent state. How long does it normally take?

 

[Dsnuts]

I suppose it is inevitable that I should chime in on the Somic cans.  These certainly merit an audience by guys looking for a nice sounding set for the money.. My pair has been on the burn in for a good long while and the sound has tightened up and with the added Shure SRH840 pads now have supreme comfort and also has the better sound.
 
The Somic EFI-82MT does many things right but not all things right.The stage is very nice as they are semi open cans and exhibit about the same stage as my HTF600 cans..These cans are advertised as monitor cans and I feel the sound signature is not too far off of that description.. The sound signature is somewhat unique. It is not a V shape or a U or completely balanced but more of a backwards J signature..  What I mean by a backward J signature...
 
First these have a pretty big mid bass boost that settled down with burn in and using the SRH840 pads but the mid bass is not the high end quality that is on something like a Sony MDR-1R or the new WS99. The Mid bass give weight and some heft to the mids but it lacks a higher end definition and tightness. Some tunes exhibit some lingering of the mid bass that make complex and faster tunes a no no on these cans. Layering of sound is not the strong suit of the Somic MTs. These exhibit more of a flat type sound more than any real depth. Especially in the highs..What separates a higher end sound vs something like the Somic cans here is the depth and layering of the frequencies..These do an excellent job with portraying frontal detail especially in the mids but lacks the 2nd layer and the 3rd being fullness and reverb. So again more of a monitor like flatness to the sound than the imagery associated with something more higher end. The resolution of the sound is commendable yet the sound tuning lacks focus in the higher and lower registers and balance that would truly set these cans apart from the budget fi cans like the RX700 or the HTF600. So rolled off highs. Fairly detailed yet flat mids and a bigger somewhat loose mid bass that makes the sound signature a backward J type signature.
 
Now to the biggest flaw of the sound on the cans. These are truly lacking in the highs..The symbols and high hats come more flat than the mids. I want to say borderline dull here.  Instead of a shimmer to the highs or any real extension you get a a pretty sharp roll off that makes treble even flatter than the mids. The height of the music is average for the sound but is also lacking in this department. The highs are represented well enough but again compared to the highs on even the MH1C for example there is almost no depth or extension to speak of. The sense of stage is pretty good on these I think due more to the inherent flatness of the sound and lack of depth.  Then you add that big mid bass and you get a sound that is really good with some music but really lacks in others..Listening to Piano on these cans are uninspired due to the shortcomings of the sound for example. These cans will sound decent enough for pop some rock and bass heavy genres as they do have good amount of punchy bass with a good dose of sub bass that reaches low. The sub bass actually is strong but lacks tonality in the lower registers that higher end bass phones have. The sound balancing is 23% highs 35%mids and 42% bass.
 
The mids are the strong suit of these cans. I think are actually done very well here. It is positioned perfectly in the mix and has enough forwardness to enjoy the tune you are hearing but at the same time you have to get used to that bass being a part of the tune on these cans.  The imagery on these cans sounds seem like you are staring down at your tune vs being immersed in it. This to me is the biggest difference on these vs something more refined.. Though I am picking out the flaws in the sound. The sound is actually enjoyable for casual listening. Detail is certainly much better than cans that cost in this range. The bass is big and bold if that is what you want.  But do they reach the $200 sound level in sound? That is to be determined by what your sound preference is.

 

[CashNotCredit]

Quote:

I suppose it is inevitable that I should chime in on the Somic cans.  These certainly merit an audience by guys looking for a nice sounding set for the money.. My pair has been on the burn in for a good long while and the sound has tightened up and with the added Shure SRH840 pads now have supreme comfort and also has the better sound.
 
Now to the biggest flaw of the sound on the cans. These are truly lacking in the highs..The symbols and high hats come more flat than the mids. I want to say borderline dull here.  Instead of a shimmer to the highs or any real extension you get a a pretty sharp roll off that makes treble even flatter than the mids. The height of the music is average for the sound but is also lacking in this department. The highs are represented well enough but again compared to the highs on even the MH1C for example there is almost no depth or extension to speak of. The sense of stage is pretty good on these I think due more to the inherent flatness of the sound and lack of depth.  Then you add that big mid bass and you get a sound that is really good with some music but really lacks in others..Listening to Piano on these cans are uninspired due to the shortcomings of the sound for example. These cans will sound decent enough for pop some rock and bass heavy genres as they do have good amount of punchy bass with a good dose of sub bass that reaches low. The sub bass actually is strong but lacks tonality in the lower registers that higher end bass phones have. The sound balancing is 23% highs 35%mids and 42% bass.

Is this with the Shure dampening and the Somic dampening, or just the Shure dampening?

The reason I bring this up is because this is exactly what they sounded like for me when I was double dampening.

 

[sfwalcer]

^ Great review/ impressions Ds!!!

 

[Dsnuts]

Ya I just threw the Shure pads on top of the drivers. I took the stock dampening off and the sound does have much better clarity.. Too much dampening perhaps..This reminds me of the thick dampening that are on the AKG 518 LEs. Take that out and they start to sound proper. Lol.  The impression might sound negative but these cans do punch above their cost in sound and I think it is in deed a solid discovery by Joe initially and Cash with these EFI MTs.