sov73811

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: - V2 has a great balanced sound
- Pads are replaceable
- Can run balanced out of the box (may need rewiring depending on source)
- Very comfortable for most users
Cons: - QA issues especially on its Cooler Master cousin
- V1 treble may be harsh to certain users
The TL;DR

Months ago, I had over 15 pages of notes on the Takstar Pro 82. I realized that I was finding myself agreeing with the majority of people’s opinions. And why shouldn’t I? The headphone is very comfortable (unless you sweat a lot like I do), has arguably the best U-shaped frequency response I have listened to, has a price-to-performance ratio that can laugh in the face of multi-thousand dollar flagships, and it can run balanced out of the box. Never in my life have I been impressed with a headphone that cost under a hundred USD. Takstar may not be an “audiophile” brand name, but this headphone is truly audiophile gear at a sensible price.

And that is all you probably need to hear from me. Go ahead and hit that back button if you want to, but stick around if you want to read on for some personal experiences of this headphone. And if you live in a desert like I do and want pads that breathe better than pleather but want the stock experience well...

MADLAD Pad Rolling

Because I live in a desert and because I can feel like the A/C on at 60 degrees Fahrenheit is barely cool enough, the pleather pads often made me sweat a lot while wearing the Pro 82 with the stock pads. So I set out on a journey to discover the best non-pleather pads that breathe well in hot weather while keeping as much of the stock sound as possible.

- Brainwavz Micro Suede pads for Sony MDR V6: The micro suede (more like microfiber) isolates very well. They are also the warmest non-pleather pads I have tried. On the Pro 82, you will get close the stock sound if you take the stock pads’ mounting rings, snap them on the headphones on their own, then wrapping the pads around. It helps calm down the V1 treble just enough for me to enjoy it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TJG9Z6Y
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- Brainwavz Micro Suede cooling pads: So that cooling gel honestly…does not do a whole lot but they do feel cooler longer than the first micro suede pads. These worked well on the V1 as to put the treble further away from the ears. I liked how they sounded with the MH751 with a larger sound stage. Be ready for a larger dip on the upper-midrange frequencies. And the biggest issue with these pads is that they cost 40 USD. That’s 2/3rd of the Pro 82 on AliExpress. https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Earpads-SteelSeries-Headsets-Headphones/dp/B07S8N8S62

- Arctis Fabric pads – These worked best with the Cooler Master headphones but a modification is required. You will need to attach some foam around the baffle plates where the pad mounting rings are placed. Without those, the pads will make your headset sound tinny and gross. When you get the foam rings on though, the sound stage is widened a bit and the bass takes just a slight bump. I wouldn’t use these on the other Pro 82 sets. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07537RVWL
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- Krone Kalpasmos cloth hybrid pads: These are the closest you will get to stock sound outside of the stock pads. You will need the foam filter and the mounting rings for that to happen though. These have stayed on my V2 since I got them and I don’t think they’ll be coming off anytime soon. The older ones had a cheaper fabric that wore down quickly, but it seems they upgraded the material around June 2019.
https://www.amazon.com/Krone-Kalpasmos-Replacement-Compatible-Cooling-Gel/dp/B07JN7FR3W

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Personal experiences with the three headphones

Pro 82 V1:
- The treble can be harsh especially if the recording has high amounts of treble. Adding some foam or felt inside the cups can help dampen that. I spent weeks trying to filter the treble properly but it wasn’t until I used the Brainwavz MDR V6 pads where I found a tuning to my preference.

IMG_5019.JPG


Pro 82 V2:
- Mine arrived with a slight issue on the 2.5mm TRRS jack losing connection. This mostly happened on my balanced cable while the stock cable seemed (mostly) fine. Easily rectified by installing a new 2.5mm TRRS jack.
- My favorite of the bunch – “Perfectly balanced as all things should be” well, for me.

Cooler Master MH751/2
- My first headset had two left side mounting rings attached to the pads, making an uneven seal
- First headset had issues with the internal cable that connected the left and right channels not even two weeks into the headphone.
- Second headset held out much longer but just a few days ago (Monday September 16) the 3.5mm jack is starting to lose connection. UGH!
- The slightly larger cups give the MH its bass boost
- The second headset seemed to sound more even on the sound than the first one…the first one always sounded a tad more V-shaped over the second one. Of course it didn’t help that in one of my repair jobs, I damaged one of the vents that happens to be hidden where the mounting holes were inside the cups later on. Oops.

IMG_4893-A.jpg

- They’re now discontinued or at least sold out as of the time of this review. Stick with the Pro 82 or buy Takstar’s new own gaming headset.

Other thoughts

- You can dismantle the headsets. If I can tear down every bit of the headphone right down to the headband’s cushions you can too.
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- I think they’re good for about any purpose you can have for a headphone: movies, gaming, work concentration/distraction, sound editing, monitoring, music creation, general reality escape, etc.
- There’s been discussion about the wiring of the TRRS jack and some gear did not work properly with the Pro 82 unless the internal PCB or cable got rewired. If you have balanced cables for the Sennheiser HD598/558 headphones, you’ll be good to go as I discovered they’re wired the same way internally. Check out the discussion here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/tak...scussion-thread.849965/page-188#post-15067551
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- used all three headphones with:
o Topping DX7s – my main setup via USB
o EVGA Nu Audio (stock and with Burson V6 op-amps) – probably the most treble-heavy
o Creative Sound Blaster AE-5
o Sound Blaster E5
o Sound Blaster G5x
o Creative’s Super X-fi
o Earstudio ES100
o Microsoft Zunes – anyone remember those?
o NAD 7120 Stereo Receiver (yes, that one from the 80’s – one of the few manufactured in Japan if I have my history right)

- The only one where I felt the treble peaked out a bit was the Nu Audio with stock Op-Amps. Everything else was just fine.

- The bass switches on the V1 and V2…leave them closed.


Drive-By Comparisons

- Sennheiser HD600 – Darker, less sound stage but sometimes can sound less crowded than the Pro 82. Remove that foam on the HD600 if you want to lift a bit of that famous “veil”.

- NAD HP50 – A personal favorite of mine. A bit more even-sounding even with its warm tilt (which can be fixed with the right pads). The Pro 82 definitely has better sound stage and fitting as the NAD can feel like a vise grip.

- Koss KSC75 – Probably the only headphone to outrun the Pro 82 on Price-to-Performance and lots of potential to unlock by modifications. The Pro 82 still takes the sound stage advantage given that the P82 is an over-headphone while the KSC75 are on-ear.

- Koss KPH30i – Less treble, less mids, and more bass give this headphone a better long-term listening experience for those who find the treble fatiguing on the Pro 82. The Pro 82 I think is just plain better in just about everything else.

- Neumann NDH20 – If you’re into the latest Harman curve (I am not), you will love these more than the Pro 82. Built like a tank. I don’t know if anyone modified them to go balanced or even get a different cable in its way-too-deep insertion point.

- Sendy Avia – Oddly more closed sounding than the Pro 82. Slightly better transparency. Detail retrieval is on par with V1. Midrange felt…weird although vocals were very lifelike. I liked the headphone quite a bit.

- Focal Clear – Every bit of sound is clearer here over the Pro 82 (pun intended) but sound stage feels very intimate. One of these costs as much as approximately two dozen Pro 82 pairs. I love my Clear headphones, but if I bought a Pro 82 first would I have kept the Clear? Hmm…

- Sennheiser HD598 – Unless you MUST have the sound super spaced-out, don’t bother

- KZ AS12 IEM – If you think the V1 has harsh treble, wait until you try these without foam tips – HOO BOY.

Conclusion
What more is there to say? I love these headphones! They may be imperfect and have some QA issues, but audiophiles and filthy casuals alike ought to give these a chance.

This is the first review I ever posted for a set of headphones. Many of you are probably more experienced at this than me so feel free to leave me feedback if you have any, even if it is throwing shade.
E
Eduardiofilo
Do you have a link of V2? I had the V2 and after a couple of months i sold them because the treble
BenF
BenF

Markolav

500+ Head-Fier
Pros: Engaging and detailed sound, Good imaging, Bass ports are fun to play with, Supreme comfort, Solid Build Quality
Cons: Little weak mids, Upper mids and treble can sound metallic and piercing at times, Maybe slightly overemphasized treble, Pads can start to feel a bit sweaty
Takstar is a relatively unfamiliar manufacturer to me. Pro 82 was their first headphones that brought my attention because they seemed to be the headphone on Head-Fi at the time when i discovered them. I managed to find them for a good price from Aliexpress (50€ including shipping) and decided to give them a try.

After listening them for a few months i think im ready to give my honest, non-hyped review about them.

(Keep in mind that english is not my main language and there are probably few typos here and there, i try to correct them later)

Accessories

Pro 82 comes in a very official looking case. To be honest i dont think is this level of luxury even necessary with 70-80€/$ headphone, heh. You might get robbed by carrying this thing around.

Box doesnt really include anything special besides headphones, manual, cable, warranty card, authenticity certification, carrying pouc, 3,5mm adapter and so on.

Design and build quality

Build quality is above average for the price in my opinion. They are mostly made of plastic but its not the cheapest plastic possible. Earcups are made of some sort of metal/aluminum just like headband adjustments which have also some plastic underneath. Headband feels very flexible. They have also removable cable like most headphones nowadays. They use the same connector that Sennheiser HD 500- and Audio Technica ATH-series uses. Build is probably slightly flimsier than M40X or something similar but they feel pretty durable overall. Pro 82 is also fairly portable, i would like them to have folding design but they are easy to carry around because of their light weight and compact size.

Design is pretty much ripped off from Sony MDR-1A and Audio Technica ATH-MSR7 but i have to say that i dig it more than their predecessors which was more Beyerdynamic-inspired. I like that they kept design plain and simple.

Comfort and isolation

I highly doubt that anyone would call these headphones uncomfortable. They are very light in weight and pads feel so soft against my ears that its sometimes hard to take them off. Zeos from Z Reviews said something like ”these are the first headphones that are so comfortable that taking them off makes my face feel less comfortable” and i can sort of agree with that, you can certainly wear these for hours without feeling any discomfort. Pads can start to feel a bit hot in warmer conditions and you may have to take them off from time to time just to let your ears cool off a bit but otherwise no complaints.

Isolation is also very good. They cancel ambient noise quite effectively just by wearing them and when you start to play music even at moderate volume its hard to hear much anything happening around you. People have been ringing my doorbell while im wearing these and i had no clue about that until they called me and asked me to open the door, lol.

Sound

Does Pro 82 live up to its hype in terms of sound?

(Some people claim that there are two(?) different versions available of these headphones, ”old” version and ”new” version. Only thing that seems to separate them from each other is the cable lenght, ”old” has 2.2m cable vs ”new” has 1.4m. Although there have been discussion about that they seem to have also a slight difference in sound quality. I cant say anything about that, my pair seems to be from the older batch.)

Pro 82 is quite balanced and neutral-ish sounding headphone with a slightly U-shaped signature meaning that low- and high-end is boosted a little bit. Ive found the overall sound signature pretty interesting because its kind of analytical and fun at the same time. These are being marketed as ”studio monitors” and while they probably manage that job better than many other headphones i think that they suit better for pure musical enjoyment, and i will tell you later why. There is certain type of mellow and lushy feeling to keep things interesting, its definitely not your typical ”flat monitor sound” but a bit more exciting. More casual listeners might find them sounding dull and too analytical but people who prefer detail and clarity over coloration will probably like these.

Talking about details, Pro 82 reveals surprising amounts of detail considering their price range. They are detail cannons. In certain songs i can hear things like guitar picks scratching against strings, fingers sliding across the fretboard, singer taking a breath before starting to sing, quiet hissing on the mix and other hidden tiny details in the background.

Clarity is also on a good level. Instruments that tend to sound sometimes a bit muddy with some headphones like guitars are clean and accurate. But at the same time clarity feels little artificial, like the headphone is trying to force as much clarity as possible. I dont always really get a feeling that im listening to real instruments. Overall sound coloration leans towards darker and warmer signature.

Ive also noticed that Pro 82 can be kind of picky about recordings, sometimes they sound almost perfect whereas some albums or tracks make my hand to reach for other headphones. Someone might call this transparency but i dont honestly think that its the case. Pro 82 sounds good to me overall but there is also some... issues.

Here is a graph from DIY-Audioheaven and it shows pretty much perfectly how Pro 82 sounds to me: https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/fr-black-1.png?w=614

(I want to point out that my claims are not based on the graph only and that ive had long listening sessions during last few months and compared Pro 82 to many other headphones)

Bass

Bass is probably the starlight of the sound signature, its clean, accurate, and fast, maybe slightly above neutral in quantity. Very smooth and mellow sounding. Its not the most hard hitting bass though and people who are used to more bass-heavy headphones might find it lacking but i dont find myself carving more. Its just doing what its supposed to do, its not in-your-face but still very present in the sound signature. Mid- and upper bass have a pleasant punch and kick but bass does roll-off meaning that they cant reach the lowest lows. Sound signature is still very suitable for bass-oriented genres like EDM or hip hop, just dont expect anything crazy. Im actually a huge fan of the bass on these.

But it doesnt end there, Takstar were thinking people who want more and added bassports to the back of the headphones. As far as i know they are supposed to increase airflow to the aircups and give that way stronger bass response and it does work but not perfectly.

It has 3 levels that can be described as plenty of bass (closed) slightly more bass (opens a little hole) and way too much bass (opens a second bigger hole below that).

Second position gives a slight boost to the mid-bass (maybe little to the sub-bass as well) and slightly changes the sound signature. I like it in certain situations, it makes bass punch harder and adds more body and fullness to the overall sound and makes the overall listening experience more enjoyable and funnier to listen to. it can also help to solve some minor issues with these headphones (but more about that later). Third position is just... horrible. Bass starts to cover up everything and making the sound muddy and rumbling which makes them completely unlistenable to me. Sounds like some 12-year old decided to play with the EQ-settings. They probably should have added two little holes instead of one little and one big hole but its fortunately optional feature so im not going to complain about it. On the other hand even the second position is a bit too much for me in certain tracks.

Mids

Being U-shaped headphone mids dont necessarily stand out. I would actually almost call these borderline V-shaped headphones. Many reviewers have said that mids are a bit recessed and they can indeed sound little pushed down in certain spots making the whole midrange a bit non-present and unnatural sounding.

Lower midrange is only slightly recessed making mids lack body but not by much. This is where ive found the bassports to be very useful. I quickly noticed that with bassports closed guitars sounded a bit too grainy and tinny and didnt really stand out in certain rock- or metal tracks, opening the first bassport masks that quite well and adds more body to them. This helps also with male vocals which can sound sometimes a bit thin and distant/non-present because their voices dont have as much lower ”oomph” on them. Some people might argue that bassport ruin all the clarity and detail, maybe slightly so but mainly it just makes midrange sound just a tad more fuller and warmer (and off course pumps up the bass a bit). At least it makes certain songs much more enjoyable to listen to which is sometimes more important to me but im not saying that opening the ports will always sound good or that they are needed all the time.

Vocal clarity is also one stars of the show here, especially female vocals sound very pleasing and lively but they seem to lack upper vocal range a bit making their voices sound kind of lower or "thicker" than they really are. There can be some sibilance in the vocals but its usually very mild. Upper midrange seems to be more forward and can sound a bit piercing, i noticed that especially during my first listening sessions with Pro 82 but i dont really pay much attention to it anymore unless im listening on slightly higher volumes or longer periods of time, maybe im just getting used to it. There can be some noticeable graininess in certain tracks, that is most likely due to dip/fall at 2khz which gets covered by lower treble which gives upper midrange a bit muddy or distorted sound at times. This however is very track dependant. I think that this dip gives the midrange that sort of non-present feeling on it.

I would not call midrange as the strongest point of these headphones but energetic and detailed delivery of instruments (and bassports) still almost makes me forget it and for me its one of the main features that makes Pro 82 such a fun headphone to listen to. You might wont notice any of this on a daily listening without comparing them to other headphones with more even midrange.

Highs

Pro 82 has a powerful, very energitic and sparkly treble. Im not sure have i heard as much extending treble on any other headphone at this price range. I think that M40X is pretty comparable to it but because i dont have a pair on hand at the moment its hard to say.

But treble is kind of their curse and blessing. Treble is responsible of the energy and liveliness on the sound signature but at the same time it feels a little bit too aggressive and forced, almost overemphasized and sometimes it clearly effects even on the midrange in a negative way by covering parts of it. In top of that treble can sound metallic just like the upper midrange to the point that switching the song (or headphones) feels like a good idea. I like the energy and sparkliness on it but sometimes its just a bit too much. Its not always there but when it pops up its annoying enough. Bassports are sometimes the best way to calm down the treble a little bit.

Fortunately i havent noticed any serious sibilance, Pro 82 does pretty good job on avoiding it which is surprising considering how hyped the treble can sometimes be compared to other frequencies. But treble/midrange-ratio is not balanced enough for my liking, be aware that these headphones might annoy you at first in this area, at least they did it for me.

Soundstage

Soundstage is not obviously super wide (which is expected from a closed headphone) but what it lacks in width it fills with accuracy. Pro 82 has a very good sound separation/imaging which is so good at times that it makes the soundstage sound larger than it actually is giving you a ”out of head”-experience. I found myself constantly looking around me while listening because i heard something that sounded coming outside the headphones, lol. I think that their slightly angled drivers have something to do with this. They definitely deserve five stars in this area.

But there is a one strange thing ive noticed on it, sometimes the stereo imaging of Pro 82 can sound a bit imbalanced and give you an impression that the sound is leaning very slightly towards the left channel for example like the center image is missing. This seems to be very track dependant thing though, sometimes i can listen to whole album without noticing anything concrete but when it strikes its a bit confusing. Its even more noticeable when i started to compare Pro 82 to my other headphones. Someone would say that ”they are just true to the original mix” and maybe that is true, who knows. But i still find it somewhat strange that some tracks would be supposed to sound like that. Faulty pair came to my mind as well but ive found few other owners experiencing the same ”issue” so i dont really think that its the case. Not a dealbreaker for me but its sometimes a bit annoying. Maybe a manufacturing error? Extremely transparent stereo imaging? Just my imagination? I dont know.

Amplification

Do they need any? In my opinion, no, not really. They go quite loud and have sounded good on pretty much any device ive connected them with and i didnt really notice any major differences between them including my phone, pc-motherboard and Creative AE-5. Off course they sounded better through Creative than a phone but not in a mind blowing way. This off course depends heavily on your equipment, if youre phone, pc or amp device is older or cheaper than mine you might find different results. I know that some people claim that Pro 82 benefits from a high quality dac/amp but i would recommend to take this claim with a grain of salt.

Genre pairing (coming soon)

Comparisons to other headphones (coming soon)

Conclusion



As much as i like the way Pro 82 sounds i still have to say that they are not perfect headphone to me even at this price range... but at the same time pretty close to it. I do think that their sound has some (minor) issues and i dont find them sounding phenomenal in every single track and they make me to reach for other headphones from time to time.

But i have still really enjoyed them enough that i would be lying by calling them a bad headphone, i think that they are a pretty unique sounding headphones and definitely one of the best sub-100€ closed backs ive tried and they are very comparable to many headphones costing about twice as much making them an excellent budget buy. Sure they have their own flaws but i can partially forgive them considering their price range

Are they ”pro monitors”? Im not an audio professional but i dont think so, they sound more like a toy than a tool to me. They are just too playful by their nature, yes, they are analytical and precise but more in a fun way. They sound kind of an combination of a monitor- and casual headphones. But if youre looking for a middle ground between the two i would not hesitate to give these a try. In top of that they are easy to drive, have amazing comfort and portability. These are my ”on the go”-headphones and im not afraid to wear them in public beacause they actually look quite nice as well. Im interested to see what Takstar is planning for their next flagship model, if they try a bit harder their next headphone might be 5/5 but Pro 82 deserves a very fair 4/5 from me.

JIMMY16

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Really nice signature that has good sub bass and crisp but not perfect highs.
Good soundstage for closed back headphone
Good detail for a headphone at this price ($60-$100)
Ok build
Scales up well.
The legendary Takstar box and accesories
Detachable cable
Overall styling despite being lifted (silver edition)
Cons: Make sure you get the pro 82 with brighter drivers
First level bass boost is ok but I would recommend not using it , plenty of bass for me without it.
The smell of the box and headphones ( vinegar is your friend)
Might not be very good with tubes but scales up well with solid state amps
I'm not going to do a full review but these are my thoughts. There is a white box version of these and a black box version. The white box version pro 82 has the longer cable, thicker earpads, a 1/4 inch adapter and a brighter (and to my ears) a much better sound. I don't find either headphone is particularly comfortable although my ears may be larger than average.The pleather is nice and soft but I feel a little cramped against the drivers. The black box version of the pro 82 sounds dull and lifeless compared to the brighter more lively white box drivers. Other much more experienced audiophiles much preferred the darker black box drivers, I don't understand. The bright drivers to me, only very occasionally sound harsh with an o2 amp. I would say there is some grainyness in the treble ( might still be breaking in) but when these sound good, they are magic, with the combination of sub bass and crisp but imperfect highs. The darker drivers may not have grainyness but the magic is gone. The pro 82 is one of a few closed backed headphones I have owned including the pro 80. This is a list of all the headphones I have owned, open and closed, to me the Takstar pro82 sounds best overall. I have owned the Takstar pro 80, Koss portapro, ksc75, jvc flats, sennheiser px100, Vmoda m100, superlux 668b, Pioneer se-a1000, Philips shp-9500. The jvs flats and superlux 668b even with mods are totally overated. The Phillips shp-9500 was excellent but too thin sounding for me, I never fell in love. I think I'm in love with my pro 82. I feel the pro 82s with the brighter drivers are great for everything from edm to male vocals , acoustic and electric guitars and classical music. Female vocals may be a weakness. The pro 82s will be my beaters for lying down in bed or portable use when I'm not using my hd6'xxs ( still waiting for massdrop).

Gonomon

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: COMFORT
Good Sound Signature
Good Sound Quality for Price
They Don't Need an Amp
That Box.
Cons: Bad Stock Cable
Ok, i will start by saying i have used and tried many headphones so far, and unfortunately i have had comfort problems with the most of the headphones i had. To give you an idea about that, i find SHP9500's very bad in terms of comfort (My ear touches the driver part and it makes my ear ache). I have also tried headphones like sennheiser px100ii (which found very comfortable by many) but found none of them completely comfortable. It was like all of the over ear headphones i have used had some problem with comfort.
So how about this one? Well I'm very suprised myself, i find these very, very comfortable. They are like small clouds on your ears. Most comfortable headphones i had so far. I don't know how they did these so comfortable but as a strong disbeliever of magic, i guess i will start to believe magic after using these. Trust me, if the comfort is the thing you want, you are in right place.
So lets talk about sound. I cant say these are as impressing as like DT880's for sure, but i don't think you can find any pair that will be this comfortable and this good in terms of sound quality at the same time for this price.
I can say these are slightly bright, but you can consider them as balanced if you dismiss that little brightness they have. Also you can also increase their bass, which can be good if you like to hear more bass in your sound. Also i have to mention even these do have 3 bass boost levels, one of them makes the sound pure trash so just think this headphone like it only has a +3db boost and nothing more in terms of bass boost.
I also have to mention that you can listen most of the genres without any problem with these, in terms of sound its a well rounder since its not biased in one particular area.
I cant say too much thing about soundstage and imagining of these headphones since my ears are not good in terms of figuring out the bigness of soundstages of headphones and such.
About usability, i really liked the detachable cable they offer, but it does'nt give you a %100 fit thanks to its odd design on the 2.5mm side but you can easily find replacement cables online. So even though the stock cable is bad (there is also a probability that mine have a issue on it) i consider replaceable cable as a plus.
In addition to that you get an amazing box and carrying case with these. I believe in market most of the companies would only sell that box for Takstar Pro82's complete price.
Oh, forgot to mention that you can use these without an amp, no problem.
So TL;DR: its the best thing you can buy at this price. IMHO you can get these and forget the rest of the headphones :D
Thanks for reading!

ahunatu

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Very comfortable earpads, good balance between treble/mids/bass.
Cons: Irregular frequencies, fatiguing over time, certain frequencies will destroy your ears.
These headphones are hard to review because I like the balance of this headphone and to me balance is probably number one on the list of what makes a headphone of any quality because without balance you can have immense quality in the whole spectrum of frequencies and it would be for naught. Second on my list is vocals and clarity; 2a and 2b followed by bass impact. These have good balance and decent quality through the range but are otherwise irregular sounding largely due to what I can assume is shoddy driver replication, bad assembly, lack of real quality control or all of the above.

They are very comfortable. Maybe the 2nd most comfortable headphones I have tried behind the WS1100iS. See I had gone years thinking all around ear headphones were designed to torture the user, so the recent ones I have tried have been very surprising in the comfort department.

They have decent clarity especially in the treble region and for a small part of the bass region there is very good resolution, like little short flashes of brilliance. Vocals are actually very very well done and actually sound "airy" but unlike the treble and bass it's weakness outweighs its brilliance; by this I mean every so often you will find music that doesn't sound "right" vocally.

If my analysis stopped here these would be GREAT headphones but alas there are serious concerns. Concerns so serious I would put some kind of dangerous material sign on these headphones, maybe something black and yellow with the lines of "Caution Radioactive". There is a radioactive leak of harshness somewhere in the mids and/or upper bass that has a sonic effect similar to what one would feel if hit in the neck with a ninja's throwing star. This was most apparent in the left side driver. Every once in a while a frequency would hit perfectly to have this undesirable effect and I would watch my health bar go down like a Tekken character being pummeled by Marshall Law's unending windmill kicks. Every so often i would also feel a small almost imperceptible rush of air on the left side like a ghost, an apparition of very low level bass frequencies being activated. Bear in mind it took time but surprisingly not very long to notice these flaws and it took even longer to realize they were serious enough to make the headphones unusable.

With bass ports closed I could tell these were harsh for prolonged use within maybe an hour or two.
With 1 bass port open some of the harshness is less noticeable, as the treble gained some shine and the bass gained some fun buzz to achieve a more v-shaped sound, but nevertheless the harshness was still there over time. This actually sounded the most desirable to me because I like a little extra bass accentuation.
With 2 bass ports open bass was obviously more elevated similar to headphones only diehard bassheads would enjoy.

So china copies A LOT. Cars...headphones...other things. It's hard not to notice similarities between Takstars headphones and other popular big brands. Most likely some of the big brand headphones are made in the same place or assembled by Takstar employees. Maybe some of these parts slip under the table. Maybe we assemble our own headphones with some of these parts. I get a feeling these drivers are sourced from one of Sony's piles of drivers. The previous iteration of Takstar's the Pro 80's might be sourced from Beyerdynamic pile. I don't know if they're actually using the same drivers or creating "rough" copies of the big brand's drivers but somewhere within that assembly process, which I can assure you does not include quality control measures longer than a few seconds, the chinese counterparts fail miserably. I did like the Pro 80's and Superlux 681's(I would probably pick both over these) but both had serious treble issues and I could never use either one for long periods of time. I actually ended up destroying and throwing both away after some modding.

These are one of the few headphones I feel I need to actually give out a warning. I would literally recommend any other headphone than this. For audiophiles, modders, tinkerers, people who have too many cables and electronics devoted solely to audio, and who would be using amps and equalizers to make these barbaric things sound unobtrusive, for 70-90 dollars these will be a steal for them, and they might be happy with their Frankenstein results. For me I like simplicity and I'm glad I got these from amazon so it was easy to return. I only give these a 2/5 because like the Pro 80's before them; they're ambitious, and even though I suspect some uniformity in assembly and design of these headphones I cannot rule out that mine might have a unique defect. Maybe I just got a bad one, but from previous experience with Chinese headphones I doubt it.
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NymPHONOmaniac
NymPHONOmaniac
I really think either your audio source was bad, the amping wasn't pairing properly or you got a defective PRO82, because these sound marvelous,clean, energic, full bodied and not harsh when paired properly....I just discover there real potential when I upgrade Opamp of my source for a Burson V5iD. With some DAP it have distortion in the bass and sibilance in upper mids....now, soundstage is immense (for closed), bass is thick and never distort and high aren't harsh.

show_show

New Head-Fier
Pros: Best Value for Money, Very Comfortable, Removable Cable, Above Average Soundstage and Imaging. Impressive Lows and Highs, Adjustable Bass Ports.
Cons: Plastic-ky Build, Recessed Lower Mids, Upper Highs Can Sometimes Be Harsh, Terminates To A 2.5mm Jack On The Headphone Side.
Long story short, I found out about the Takstar Pro 82 Headphones on shady china thread when they first appeared a while back. I was an owner of the Sony MDR-1A Headphones previously. With that said, I just had to make a review about the Takstars while putting them in contrast to the MDRs due to the uncanny resemblance of their design cues and also the jarring difference in price with the MDRs retail price standing in around US$119.99 to US$249.99 while the Takstars stands at US$69.99 to US$79.99 also depending on whether you ordered it with the box or not.

Predecessor:
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The Takstar Pro 82 obviously is the successor of the Takstar Pro 80 which were modeled after another famous pair of headphones which were the Beyerdynamic DT880 Headphones. Takstar succeeded in replacing the already good Pro 80 with an even better headphone which just nails the top award for price to performance ratio in my opinion. Lets find out why.

The Good:
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First and foremost, these are extremely comfortable to wear as it is. No modding, no pad exchange necessary. Comfort always comes to my mind after being spoiled by good cushions (brainwavz etc). Are they more comfortable than the MDRs? Maybe. It depends on personal preference, but these two are pretty on par with one another for all comfort is concerned. The MDRs are one of the most comfortable headphones you could buy on the market, now let that sink in.Oh yeah, the image above, I stuck Velcro on the headphone for a detachable microphone. A man needs his mic.

Now on to the cable, manufacturers usually screw up with proprietary cables that are either too long or a nightmare to keep in your pockets when bundled up. Cables of the Pro 82 are just the right length at 1.6m long with decent coat and not so much of a memory when bent.

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The sound. In car buying terms, imagine buying a car that can run and feel somewhat as good as a nice BMW whilst paying less than half of what the nice BMW costs. This is what it feels like owning the Pro 82 after having the MDRs. It sounds V-ish to me.

Tracks Used:
1.Joe Goddard – Lose Your Love
2.Blade Runner- Hans Zimmer
3.Julie-O - Break of Reality
4.The Battle - Hans Zimmer
5.Cosmic Love - Florence + The Machines


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Lows: There are Bass Ports on both cups which can be selected in positions I would call "closed", "Stage 1 boost" and "Stage 2 boost".
Closed - tight punchy bass that comes standard with good presentation but lacking in mass.
Stage 1 boost - Overall adds more mass to the bass (especially the Mid-bass section being more present)
Stage 2 boost - Bass bleeds and muddles the other ranges but is evermore emphasized.
My preference is at Stage 1 boost. Gives things a little more weight which i like.


Mids: Clear and well defined albeit recessed like a wide U from what my ears could tell. Lower Mids could use a bit more umph.

Highs: Surprisingly good. It has a lot of reach I can tell you that, but occasionally sibilance could be heard if the track is pushing the highs.



The Bad:
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A 4 pole 2.5mm jack which no one knows why it happens to be that way. The drawback is mostly towards the fact that its a 2.5mm jack that terminates at the Headphone side of the cable. This limits the options of getting a replacement cable BUT it still is good news that this is a generic 2.5mm jack and not one of those proprietary terminations Sennheiser or Sony uses in some of their products.

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Plastic for the hinges. This somewhat compromises durability in theory. Compared to the MDRs, I wouldnt want to keep throwing these into my bag on the go frequently. I could give the MDR an 8/10 for durability and a 6/10 for the Takstars from what I could feel. But hey, the Takstars are 10/10 for its affordability. So, bear that in mind too.

The Ugly:
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If i could stick a Sony logo on there, I would.

Conclusion:
Like I said, In my opinion, yes. These are the best bang per dollar headphones on the market right now. Especially when compared to its other china counterparts. This reminds me of the SHP9500 hype. An absolute must try for the price.

kevingzw

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Superb Build Quality, Comprehensive Accessories Package, Incredible High-Extension, Nice Mid-Bass Representation, Coherent Soundstage and Above-Average Imaging.
Cons: Scooped Mids, Thin-sounding without Lower-Mid Enunciation
Before I start, allow this message to serve as a pre-requisite; This review is simply a reflection of my preferences. YMMV


About Takstar:

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Figure 1.1 Takstar Monitors for Stage use.


Takstar is a company based in Shenzhen, China. Originally founded in 1995, Takstar serves an OEM for large "audio" focused conglomerates such as Beyerydynamic and Sony. From what I've gathered, Takstar has produced its own inspired line of products, ranging from Microphones to Studio-related equipment at low prices. Recently, Takstar released a new pair of headphones named the "Pro 82", a direct successor to the Takstar Pro 80 (modelled after the Beyerydnamic Dt880). At a measly 72 SGD, its hard to resist the urge to snag a pair, especially with its comprehensive accessories package (we'll talk more about that later).



Accessories:

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Figure 2.1- Takstar's Fantastic Carrying Case

1 X Takstar Pro 82
1 X Takstar Flightcase
1 X Plush Pouch
1 X Detachable 2.5mm to 3.5 mm Cable
1 X 1/4 Inch Jack
1 X Takstar Certification

I have to say, Takstar did not skimp on the accessories. All is provided for the consumer to use the headphones right out of the box. Need ample protection? Use the Takstar Flightcase. Want to take it outside? Use the provided pouch for portability. Takstar has got you covered.

Its the little details like a "Certificate of Authenticity" that really adds to the experience. Did I mention that the entire package costs 70 dollars?



Build and Comfort:

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Figure 3.1- Sony MDR 1R vs Takstar Pro82.


Lets talk about the elephant in the room; the Takstar Pro 82 clearly draws its design cues from previous iterations of the Sony MDR 10r. The resemblance is uncanny. From the pleather headband to its hinges, the Takstar is a clear ripoff. My guess? The schematics for the MDR 10r were probably designed by Takstar, serving as the OEM on behalf of Sony.

There are some notable differences; one being the bass ports below the earcups and the yoke holding the earcups themselves. However, it is fairly common for chinese companies to replicate design choices of other reputable brands.

Apart from that, this doesn't feel like a $70+ headphone. It easily outdoes the competitors in the same price bracket. The plush headband is reinforced with steel hinges while the ear-cups are made of anodized stainless steel (an uncommon sight on a budget headphone). It is important to take note that the yokes holding the earcups are made of plastic. At this price point, thats something one would expect. Unlike the Sony MDR 10r's, the Takstar's earpads are of a higher quality. The pleather pads easily shapes to the contours of my ears.

The only point of contention I have is with the cable, I dislike 2.5 mm terminations. A 2.5 mm jack doesn't exactly feel substantial (build wise). Judging from the length of the provided cable, this pair of headphones was clearly designed for home/studio use. A more apt choice would be a 3.5mm termination for easily replacement (if the current cable gives way in the near future). Nevertheless, the included cable is well sheathed, easily malleable and doesn't retain memory.



Sound:

Gear Used: Aune X1S 32 Bit Dac/Amp + Spotify (Extreme Quality)
LG G6 (ESS Quad Dac)
Cowon Plenue D

Tracklist:
Gagarin- Public Service Broadcasting
No Deal- Melanie de Biasio
Make the Road by Walking- The Menahan Street Band
Michigan- Milk Cartion Kids
Down on the Street (Remaster)- The Stooges
Ladies and Gentlemen, We are Floating in Space (Moles Studio Mix 7)- Spiritualized
Waiting around to Die- Townes Van Zandt
Here Before- Vashti Bunyan
If you need to, Keep time on me- Fleet Foxes
Honey and Smoke- Case, Lang and Veirs.

On first listen, the Pro 82's are incredibly V-shaped. Not a mild-V, a DEEP V.

Treble: While it borders on "sibilant" to my ears, I would say it decays at the "right time". With "Down on the Street", the treble decays at the right time, without too long a sustain for it to be "uncomofortable", especially with the piss-poor recording quality of the Stooges.However, the strident "S" notes might prove to be fatiguing to some.

Soundstage and Imaging: Being a closed back headphone, there would be some limitations to its soundstaging abilities. With that in mind, the Pro 82's surprisingly exceeded my expectations in this area. The soundstage, while not the widest, is pretty coherent to my ears. With tracks like "Gagarin", the placement of each instrument is distinct. Pair that with a forward treble and we have a realistic 3D sound-stage that remains coherent.

Highs: This is one ballsy headphone. The highs are extended to soaringly high levels without skipping a beat. In this case, it's a double-edged sword. While the highs elevate certain tracks with a lower-mid focus (Here Before and Honey and Smoke), certain tracks with horn sections (the Menahan Street band) start to sound "brittle" and "harsh". The "metallic shimmer" is often characteristic of cheaper headphones so it is easily forgiven.

Mids: I'll admit, I'm not a big fan of the mids. The lower-mids (a personal preference) are clearly lacking. Don't get me wrong, the upper mids are clear and well-defined. On the other hand, the lower mids are scooped out of the mix, thinning the entirety of its mid-section. Tracks such as "Michigan" lacks enough body for it to complement the song's tonality.

Lows: This is where the Takstar shines. The Takstar features 3-tunings with the adjustable notches below the earcups. They are "Flat, Boosted, Full Boosted"

Flat- Clean and fast bass with good body. Sub-bass rumbles with immediacy.

Boosted- My favourite. It helps to mask the highs alittle bit with added body. Midbass punches harder and sub-bass remains the same (to my ears)

Full Boosted- Fat Mid-bass bloom. Fun, but it overshadows the rest of the mix. Sub-bass rumbles with more authority but bleeds into the mids.​

Do take note that the Takstar Pro 82 responds well to amping. It is however, power-efficient at 32ohms so it is easily driven out of any portable sources.

Comparisons:

Emu Walnut vs Takstar Pro82: The Emu Walnuts are a modded rendition of the Creative Aurvana Live, one of Tyll's (of Inner Fidelity) recommendations on his Wall of Fame. Unlike the Takstar Pro 82, the walnut are veiled-sounding, with a more intimate mid-range and more lower-mid bloom that adds to its richer tonality/timbre representation. Treble is typical of biodynamic drivers, being both dry and coarse in its reproduction. The Takstar Pro 82's are miles away from the Walnuts, with an "in your face" sound signature and punchy mid-bass.

Sony MDR 10r vs Takstar Pro82: A fair comparison. The MDR 10r is much warmer and laidback, with nice balance across the spectrum. Mid-bass is nice and tight, sub-bass is tasteful. The mids feel full without being too forward. Despite the shared parentage, they differ substantially in its performance.



Conclusion:

The Takstar Pro 82's are over the top in its presentation. It isn't exactly aligned with my personal preference but they never ceased to impress. Its dynamic sound, paired with its accessible price is hard to argue with. For audio enthusiasts looking for a fun, engaging listen, it's hard not to recommend the Pro 82's.

ahmadfaizadnan

1000+ Head-Fier
Pros: Great clarity, good imaging, clean bass response, pleasing treble, engaging mids, awesome comfort and a heck of price over performance ratio.
Cons: Ears can be hot after a long listening session. A simple mod is needed to improve the issue.
I was thinking on getting a pair of headphone that is like TH900 but less harsh. I have always been a fan of TH900, but sibilance has been an issue since the first day I had them. The bass and the low end, yeah! the low end is AH-mah-zinggg. The clarity is detail and precise, but the highs doesn’t let me enjoy the music as much if not paired with the correct amp. Then, I decided to sell the headphone and get something that I could tolerate with. Then two weeks before the semester ended, I decided to go through the TH900 thread on Head-fi that leads me to this. Honestly, I don’t expect that it could better my other headphones that I own (or owned) especially at $80. But, I guess it is too early to judge.

Order process and the package

It took almost 3 weeks from the day I ordered and received the headphone from Aliexpress. I got them from the original seller, Takstar Audio, and they are easy to reach. Not bad at all compare to my other experiences ordering from China through different other websites. There are many options upon ordering, I get myself a metal hardcase with an extra 8 bucks. It was originally $72 but with the hard case, it added up to $80. I also find that the silver color looks more premium than the black and decided to get the silver. It arrived with the headphone in a metal hard case inside a Takstar packaging box. The case itself is pretty dope. A custom metal case that is made only for Takstar pro 82; Takstar Pro 80 might also fit the bill, but no other bigger cans can fit the case. I tried to shove my Beyerdynamic T90 and it doesn’t fit. Maybe something like ath-m40x or Sennheiser HD598 could fit the case since they have oval shape cups.

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It also comes with standard accessories: 2.2m cable of 2.5mm to 3.5mm, a ¼-in adapter, a carrying case, a manual book and a warranty card. The manual does explain the bass boost functionality; it has 3 bass levels that elevates the 20-200Hz to 3 or 6 db on the second and third level. The cable comes with a standard 2.5mm to 3.5mm jack. Interesting enough, the 2.5mm out has 4 poles instead of the regular three poles. I am not sure if it’s a balanced out but there’s no different than other regular cable.

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Features

• Ø40mm new NdFeB driver features high sensitivity, wide response range and large

dynamic

• Adopts high polymer coating diaphragm, pure bass, penetrating mids and exquisite

highs

• Soft and comfortable headband and ear pads for long time listening without stress

• Ergonomic design fits different head shapes

• Designed with 3 level bass adjustment function, user can adjust the bass according

to the music style to exert the best performance


Specification

Transducer Principle: Dynamic

Driver Diameter: Ø40mm

Impedance: 32Ω±15%

Frequency Response: 10Hz-20KHz

Sensitivity: 96±3dB at 1KHz

Max. Power: 50mW

Rated Power: 20mW

Cable: Ø4mmX2.2m

Adaptor Plug: Ø3.5mm+6.3mm

Net Weight: 237g (w/o cable)


Info taken from www.takstar.com

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Build and Comfort

I really like the silver Pro 82 because it has a premium look to it. With a 237g headphone weight without cable, it is lighter than my HD6XX. When you wear them, I swear that it feels even lighter than its weight. Despite the glossy metal looks, it is made mostly with plastic material; it does have a metal headband covered with a leather that stretched well. The thin earpads might be an issue to some but it fits perfectly to my ear. Honestly, this is the most comfort headphone that I’ve had on my head so far. Don’t let the thin earpads fool you; the comfort of this headphone is amazing!
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Gear used

Source(s): Tidal master, Foobar, Pioneer XDP-100r

Dac(s): Holo Spring Level 3 Kitsune Edition

Amp(s): ECP DSHA-0

Headphone(s): Beyerdynamic t90 Balanced recabled, Modded Sennheiser HD6XX and SDR mod HD800

Extra(s): Singxer SU1


How do they sound?

Uniquely neutral with a slight fun sound to them. They resemble my past Fostex TH900 with non-fatiguing treble and better mids but less extended bass. It has a good tonal balance that allow you to listen to any music genre without missing anything. The clarity and imaging are amazing as you can pick up every detail that lies in the song with ease. It is difficult to find a headphone with this amount of detail for below $300. Soundstage is way above average especially with a closed back headphone. There are three bass level as I mentioned above but I personally prefer the standard level as it gives cleaner bass compares to 3 and 6 db increase in the bass. The treble is tuned perfectly as if the guitar is played in front of you, not lacking in detail here. Did I said that they never fatigue? I have heard the Audioquest Nighthawk with mojo in the past and I thought that the Pro 82 is a step above them with my current setup; it is not generally fair as my current system is better compare to the last time I auditioned the Nighthawk but just want to give an idea on how good this headphone is at its price.


Songs

Princess Chelsea – Cigarette Duet

I truly enjoy the headphone with this song as most of my other headphones are less punchy I would say. The drum hits just right and not overwhelm by any means. Good separation between both male and female vocals and with the soundstage size, everything just seems right. Although, it could be grainy at times due to poor recordings.


Lorde – Ribs

This song has a good sound separation across the spectrum and The Pro 82 benefits the song with its above average separation capability. The vocal flows really well with the busy background while not losing any bass extension. Treble is well controlled, but it could sound a little messy on the top end sometimes.

Queen – Another one bites the dust

This is an interesting recording as every mic is used close to the instruments and vocals that makes everything seems too close to you. A wider soundstage is needed for a more immense experience and Takstar Pro 82 did great, better than my HD6XX and come close to my T90 but less so than HD800. Thumping bass and strong male vocal response make this headphone flourished.

Kap Slap – Harbor

Treble could be an issue with electronic songs with V-shaped headphone. The Pro 82 does have a good and clean bass extension although it does not go low like TH900. It also doesn’t have those shrilling treble that fatigue your ears like TH900, HD800 or most Beyerdynamic headphones. The treble is there but never harsh that makes it works perfectly with EDM or electronic genre like Harbor by Kap Slap.

Madeleine Peyroux – Dance me to the end of love

A typical vocal jazz song requires a great vocal singer accompanied by jazz instruments; a headphone that could excel in both aspects are crucial for an enjoyable listening experience because it could be dull if it is too analytical or missing vocal strength with bassy headphone. The Pro 82 has a good tonal balance without being too analytical or v-shaped.

Sia – Candy Cane Lane

This song has a busy background that mix with a standout female vocal. HD800SDR mod is my preferences with this song because it has a great imaging to point out every single instrument being played without disturbing the main singer. It could add sibilance to some headphones and that is the reason why I preferred the SDR mod but as I mentioned, the Pro 82 never had an issue with sibilance recording. I am surprised that the Pro 82 did it pretty good but not in HD800SDR class. The Pro 82 has lusher mids and fuller sound even though the background might be too busy for the headphone.

Senar Senja – Dialog Hujan

Guitar timbre in this song is amazing accompanied by engaging male vocal and the Pro 82 did a great job in acoustic song. Two things that I seek in every headphone with acoustic song are good separation and engaging mids. Takstar Pro 82 does have both and at this price, it does surprisingly well. All you need is a good system that could bring out more microdetail from the song. Because, the mids is a little recessed when I compare the Pro 82 with HD800.

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Amped or un-amped?

To my surprise, the Pro 82 scales greatly with better system. I had it pair with my main setup

Tidal master > Singxer SU1 > Holo Audio Spring Level 3 > ECP DSHA-0 balanced out > Takstar Pro 82

and it sounds amazing, just like any mid-tier headphones Beyerdynamic T90 and Sennheiser HD650 that sounds awesome with the setup. Not lacking at all but perfectly fit in the system. I compared the setup with my two other sources, Pioneer XDP-100r and Galaxy S6 Edge, straight from the 3.5mm out and found that the bass is less clean and the mids are more veil. The drum hit is losing power and I am not enjoying the guitar timbre as much as I did with my main setup. I would say that it lacks nuance across the spectrum. It performs like a $200 headphone with XDP-100r and much lesser with S6 Edge.

How do they compare?

VS Beyerdynamic T90
Power and Clarity; two of the T90 traits that I really enjoyed even after almost two years of owning. The Pro 82 lacks in both but has a better treble extension that never harsh. I once thought that the Pro 82 has a similar sound with T90 but found that they are different headphones altogether. Bass in T90 is cleaner and more precise accompanied by amazing clarity in the mids. Whilst, Pro 82 has more quantity but not necessarily accurate and has more engaging mids despite lacks in clarity. Pro 82 has a tad wider and taller soundstage but T90 has better separations. If I only need one headphone, Pro 82 is a better choice than T90 due to its performance with any music genre. But, If I want to have more clarity, airy and focus more on reference sound, T90 is a better choice in this case. The T90 headband adjustment is kinda off, it is not really a big deal but annoys me at times while Pro 82 has a metal frame that will stick after being adjust. Both have great comfort but Pro 82 is better.

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VS Sennheiser HD6XX (modded)

Laid back with engaging mids are what making me keep the HD6XX, but I always hope that it could do better in treble. Both have good tonal balance and bass quantity but Pro 82 does it better in bass section; cleaner and more precise. The stock headphone has a good mids but it improved with simple mod (the mod is shown in the Takstar Pro 82 thread). However, HD6XX has a more engaging mids especially with songs that focus on vocal, but Pro 82 seems to have more detail that makes the HD6XX sounds a little veil. The upper midrange is more concise in the Pro 82 that leads to more pronounced treble but never overdone. It is not laid back like HD6XX because it appears to have forward sounding. Yet, HD6XX is airier due to its open back feature. Kudos to Takstar on getting rid of the sibilance while maintaining a good treble amount. The clamping force on the HD6XX seems a bit too much but the Pro 82 has amazing comfort that can make you forget that you’re wearing a headphone. I enjoy both headphones and will alternate them depends on moods. Honestly, I don’t favor one over another in long term listening session.

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VS Sennheiser HD800 SDR mod

Awesome clarity and huge soundstage. HD800 has advantage in these two aspects and with the right system, it will be the only headphone you need in life. The Pro 82 has a good detail but HD800 is more resolving but could also have unpleasant glaring at times. The Pro 82 sounds a little recessed compare to the HD800 but it has meaty sound to it; while HD800 can sound a little thin with songs that has bass thump. HD800 no doubt has a more accurate sound and great string timbre that I really like when listening to classical, jazz, and any busy songs. It picks up everything in the song while Pro 82 might miss some minute details in the same song. HD800 imaging and soundstage is a win hands down, in fact, only few headphones can better HD800 in this case if not none. But, I enjoy the Pro 82 more as it has a U-shape sound and works like a charm with any genre. Bass in HD800 is more accurate but Pro 82 has more quantity and bass thump. The treble in Pro 82 is pleasing with no sibilance while HD800’s treble could be annoying with stock mode. Interesting enough, both headphones scales greatly with better system. Both have amazing comfort, but I would put the Pro 82 comfort a level above HD800. If you want something that has more analytical sound and money is not an issue, I would go for HD800; but, if you want a fun headphone under $300, look no further because Takstar Pro 82 got you covered.

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VS Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart

Bass quantity and low-end. Fostex TH-X00 line up along with TH600, TH610 and TH900 are well-known with their great bass and low-end. TH-X00 PH has a good amount of bass but I found that Pro 82 has a cleaner and pleasing bass. The soundstage on TH-X00 PH goes wider and taller that provides more breathing space between you and the singer. To my surprise, despite the better soundstage, Pro 82 has a better imaging. The engaging mids with amazing clarity on Pro 82 makes TH-X00 slightly recessed and distant. I remember that the top end is fatiguing on Fostex headphone but less so with my system. With the smoother treble, I really enjoy TH-X00 PH and decided to listen to them for another 30 minutes before I put the Pro 82 back on. Then, I played the same playlist again but through Pro 82 this time. I realized that I missed the meaty and lush sound with TH-X00. TH-X00 PH has thinner sound but better upper midrange. It has more micro detail in the treble, albeit fatiguing in long hours of listening. The Pro 82 is more forward sounding and has a pleasing treble extension. I enjoy both headphones but no doubt that I enjoy the Pro 82 more than TH-X00 PH in most songs. Do they have the same sound signature? I would say no because Pro 82 is forward sounding with a slight U-shape sound while TH-X00 PH has a larger soundstage with V-shape sound. Pro 82 wins in both isolation and comfort but only by a small margin. Is the TH-X00 a worthy upgrade from Pro 82? If you’re looking for a better low-end and soundstage while sacrificing the clarity and mids, I would say yes. Otherwise, I would say no.

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Overall

For its price at $72, it is an absolute no brainer. It is difficult to find a headphone that scale so well at this price point. While some companies out there moving towards a high-end product that could only satisfy one percent of the consumers, there are still companies like Takstar that aim to bring an excellent quality product at a more accessible price. Again, I can’t suggest this headphone enough to anyone out there that want to know what does price/performance really is. I am looking forward to listening to any future products from Takstar, maybe a Takstar Pro 84? We never know.
NymPHONOmaniac
NymPHONOmaniac
Warm and clean amp. You got it right mate! Its the exact term that I have in head, really. Just did not found the right pairing with what I have on hands lately, the V5iD was the healer. And the fact you have incredible headphones really put weight to your impressions. Thickness and timbre and deepness of imaging is just something else once rightly paired. PRO82 are something special and precious.
NymPHONOmaniac
NymPHONOmaniac
''Madeleine Peyroux – Dance me to the end of love'':):):)
ahmadfaizadnan
ahmadfaizadnan
@Nymphonomaniac glad that you like it :D
I only expressed what I heard; it can be either good or bad.
"Dance me to the end of love" is a great song isn't it. Sounds awesome with Pro 82!

BenF

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Great improvement over the famous Pro 80, in both sound quality and comfort.
Addictive bass with great impact and decay.
Slightly recessed, yet clear mids.
Well extended and detailed treble, doesn't get hot or sibilant.
Very good comfort
Removable cable
Cons: The bass boost affects the rest of frequencies too much.
Luckily, it's an optional feature.
I used to love Takstar Pro 80. In fact, I bought two of them (still have both).
I have even recommended them to some of my friends (who ended up being very happy with them).

However, Pro 80s were too U/V-shaped for me, and it took forever to burn them in to get rid of the extra hot treble.
I've moved on to better cans, but kept my eye on the inevitable replacement.

The replacement was teased for months, and as soon I saw one for sale, I jumped on it immediately.
This may be the first one to get out of China, but it's definitely not the last one...

Meet the Pro 82:
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It comes in the famous Takstar case.

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I chose the black ones over the silver ones - no regrets here!
Gorgeous headphones, plain and simple.

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It comes with a soft case, 3.5mm/6.5mm adapter and a 2.2m cable (2.5mm inside the cup, 3.5mm on the other end).
Takstar continues the tradition of providing cables that are too long.
Edit 28 Dec 2017: in the new revision that is being currently sold,the cable has the perfect length - 1.6m.

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Now let's get to it!

Comfort:
Comfort is greatly improved compared to Pro 80.
The pads are larger, thicker and made of better materials. They are fully "over ear" for me, when Pro 80 was a definite "on-ear". If the NVX XPT100 with the ComfortMax pads is 10 out of 10 comfort-wise, and Pro 80 is 6.5 at best - Pro 82 is an 8 at least.
Pressure on the head is acceptably delicate, yet the headphone sits securely.

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Above you can see a ComfortMax pad sandwiched inside Pro 82.
As you can see, it is slightly larger, and quite a lot thicker.
Judging from my experience with Pro 80 (and others), putting much thicker pads instead of originals will
likely have a negative effect on the sound, but I may experiment later with other pads of similar thickness.

Isolation/Leakage:
There is very little leakage outside, if AC is on in the room - no one can hear what I'm listening to from 2 feet away.
Isolation from outside noise - these are perfect for a noisy office, but not for bus/train/plain.
Another reason not to replace pads - I'm quite sure other pads will result in worse leakage/isolation.

Bass
It's fantastic! Great impact with a full body, followed by a perfect decay.
Such bass is hard to find in headphones at any price, impossible at this price point.

However, to attract "bassheads", Pro 82 has a new feature - bass boost.
You can boost the bass 3dB or 6dB, and (according to Takstar) it shouldn't affect FR over 300Hz:
upload_2017-5-22_3-13-46.png

Well, this graph is absolutely incorrect. Using 6dB boost totally ruins the sound, and while 3dB
doesn't have as much of a negative effect, it's still unpleasant. Not only does the bass becomes flubby,
but the tonality of everything changes too, Pro 82 sounds hollow and honky. Strongly advise to stay away from this feature.

So is this not the headphone for bassheads? Not necessarily. Take a look at the graph above -
the bass is already boosted 5dB over the mids. So this is definitely a bass-heavy headphone.
It will still attract audiophiles, because it doesn't bleed into mids, and the quality of bass is up to the highest standards.

Going back to the graph above, don't expect the bass to be linear down to 20Hz - there is a drop-off below 80Hz.
The headphone is specced down to 10Hz - I could still hear quite a lot at 15Hz - so a healthy subbass is present.

upload_2017-5-22_3-14-45.png

Here you can see the bass ports closed (no bass boost)

upload_2017-5-22_3-15-8.png

Here can see the bass ports fully open - a 6dB boost.

Mids:
The mids are somewhat recessed - this is a U-shaped headphone, but not as much as Pro 80.
The timbre of voices is nearly perfect. If only they would step forward a bit!
I think it's because of the recessed mids that I find myself listening at slightly higher than usual volume - at lower
volume Pro 82 doesn't sound as impressive.

Treble:
This is the most surprising part.
Pro 80 had a very hot treble, which took several months of heavy usage to tame.
Still, it could be too hot sometimes, and sibilance would raise its ugly head occasionally too.
Pro 82's treble is as detailed and brilliant as Pro 80s, but it doesn't get too hot, and it avoids sibilance like a ninja.
Here is a great track to test sibilance:

Even before Taylor Swift starts singing, Brad Paisley (the host) sounds like a love child of Duffy Duck and Silvester on most headphones.
Not on Pro 82! All the detail is still there (this is not a dark headphone), but sibilance is totally gone!

Gaming:
I am not a gamer, but I can promise you this:
a) With Pro 82's bass quantity and quality, explosions will be EPIC!
b) With Pro 82's clarity, you will have no problem hearing your teammates/enemies
c) Pro 82 has a larger soundstage than Pro 80, but keep in mind - this is a music-oriented headphone, so it may not be the best in directional cues
d) You can use a BoomPro cable (if you have one already) with a 3.5/2.5mm TRS adapter,
or you can buy this 2.5mm/3.5mm cable with a microphone:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Upg...ack-Cable-Mic-For-Bose-Quiet/32810246600.html
Also, you can just buy a proper USB microphone.
You'll get better audio too.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/MK-...ting-Singing-Skype-Recording/32735518891.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/201...unt-Holder-Clip-with-Locking/32773172782.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/USB...dio-Braodcasting-KTV-Karaoke/32767347400.html

Driveability:
It's 32Ohm and 96dB - fairly easy to drive.

DACs/Amps:
Comparison of DACs/Amps

Comparison of Pro 80 and Pro 82 frequency responses:

upload_2017-5-22_3-33-26.png

Pro 80 FR

upload_2017-5-22_3-34-5.png

Pro 82 FR

It is crucial to understand that the red and blue lines in the Pro 82's FR must be ignored - they represent the "bass boost" feature.
The green line is the only one we care about.

Pro 80 - The mids are about 7dB (from 300Hz to 3.5kHz) recessed compared to the bass
Pro 82 - The mids are about 3dB (at 1KHz) to 5dB (at 300Hz) recessed compared to the bass
Conclusion - Pro 82's mids are less recessed than Pro 80's

Pro 80 - The treble has a sharp dropoff of 8dB from 3.5kHz till 4kHz, followed by a sharp rise of 15dB till 5.5kHz
Pro 82 - The treble has a much slower decline of 10dB from 1.2kHz till 3.5kHz, followed by a slow rise of 15dB till 8kHz.
Conclusion - Much slower changes in frequency response are the reason why Pro 82's treble doesn't get as hot as Pro 80,
and clarity is improved. Moving the peak from 5.5kHz to 8kHz must have contributed to removing sibilance.


Conclusion:
This is a huge improvement over Pro 80 - all over the frequency range.
Comfort and isolation are improved as well.

All of the impressions are OOTB through Oppo-HA2 .
I'll put it to burn-in, but I honestly can't see it improving much over what I'm hearing.

Once it's burned in, I'll compare it to some of the other closed/semi-open headphones I have - you can vote (up to 3 votes per user) which headphones you want to compare with Pro 82.
I will do at least 5 comparisons - so every vote counts!
You can vote in the poll on top of the review/impressions thread:
https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/takstar-pro-82-review-impressions-and-discussion-thread.849965/

Where to buy:

EDIT of November 16th 2020:

New coupon codes (valid until April 30th 2021):
4$ discount for purchase of Pro 82, GM200 or FIIO BTR3K (as long as their pre-coupon price is not lower than 59$) - OEYU4DN9ST62
8$
discount for purchase of Pro 82 + FIIO BTR3K, or GM200 + FIIO BTR3K (as long as their pre-coupon combined price is not lower than 119$) - XXWDVYDNM42V
20$
discount for purchase of HF580 (as long as the pre-coupon price is not lower than 189$) - 3V6A1HOA8WIQ

These are exclusive codes, please don't share them outside Head-Fi!


Pro 82 v2 - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32808454492.html
GM200 - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33012705103.html
HF580 - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32997885429.html
FIIO BTR3K - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000849710696.html

Important: It's best to use Aliexpress Standard Shipping, because the store have experienced a few situations where Pro 82/GM200 was returned by the customs when using China Post, but never Aliexpress Standard Shipping. Also, it's A LOT faster now during the pandemic, as Aliexpress has direct deals with the local post offices in many countries.

Don't forget, the 99$ O2 is here: https://www.jdslabs.com/products/167/objective2-headphone-amplifier-b-stock/

Warning about some other stores:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/tak...iscussion-thread.849965/page-30#post-13871997
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/tak...iscussion-thread.849965/page-62#post-13966787

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Ori...or-Computer-recording-K-song/32811235476.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Gen...or-Computer-recording-K-song/32811589590.html

EU residents can buy from Headphoniaks (79 euro with a case): https://headphoniaks.com/en/shop/takstar-pro82-2/

Couple hints for purchasing at Aliexpress:
1) Purchase from a seller that offers ePacket. Usually the free shipping options (China Post, Singapore Post and Aliexpress Standard Shipping) take 3-6 weeks to deliver worldwide.
ePacket usually takes 2-4 weeks.
2) Purchasing using Aliexpress mobile app gives an extra 1% discount.
Sometimes, there are additional mobile-only discounts.
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