[Dsnuts]

Quote:

wow.
for 50 bucks i don't know if i can afford not to try them
 
How are they out of an ipod or iphone or some other lesser quality source?
 
nice reviews guys!

They are perhaps the most forgiving of musical sources out of all my cans.. I have a cell phone shop where I demo many a head phones to go with these music cell phones called suede. The music on this cell phone is proprietary samsung files that are so compressed.. The music quality is about as weak as it gets. The kicker makes the music that come out of this cell phone AMAZING...Any other full sized headphone and they would need a serious amp to bring out the sounds. Not on the kicker.  They work amazingly well on mp3s with no amps needed.. And Thanks for liking a different type of review.
 
 

 

[Shotor102]

"for 50 bucks i don't know if i can afford not to try them
 
How are they out of an ipod or iphone or some other lesser quality source?"
 
Exactly that, if you don't like them, all you have to do is return them. In my book, they're worth a try, most definitely.
 
As for the portable use, let's just say that I tested on my iphone-4, no settings applied. Very loud right out of the box. Notably the iphone-4 player and output has been increased over the ipods and previous iphone incarnations.. But I have no doubts that portable mp3 players would be able to drive them sufficiently to a satisfactory level.
 
And I say again, even if you end up not liking them, they're worth a try. And again, don't base your judgement until 3-5 hours into it.. And also if you can, break them in and re-test them again.

 

[Dsnuts]

Quote:

Keep your receipt! Mine sounded like garbage, so I guess I had a bad pair. I've been tempted to try again, but there is a small chance I still will hate them.
The idea of very forward mids on these makes me laugh. Only because mine sounded like bloated bass and severely muffled mids. Heck, they even put like 10" of fabric over the driver...seriously.
If I buy another pair and they sound just as bad I'll be very frustrated. I'm going to do a review on them no matter what. I will at least burn them in for a week first.
 
Seriously guys...very forward mids, lots of bass and lots of treble? You know you can't have it all right?
 
I'm not going to say that some of you are paid by Kicker, but it's starting to sound like it. I haven't mentioned this because I'm the resident DJ100 fanboy. And I thought MY praise of a headphone was overkill!

 
BTW most youtube reviews of them are FAKE. Companies do this all the time silly.They're trying to sell you something!
 
 
 
 

Well lets see of all the guys that I have recommended the kicker to. NONE say they have crappy sound like you say.. I have plenty of phones that does music better than the kickers.. They aren't the best at anything.. But they certainly are not what you say they are.. Remember guys this is from a guy that DONT own them. Just heard them once... You do know they smooth out after around 100 hours and you get the full kicker sounds.. muffled is not even in the description of any who owns them yet you somehow say they are this or that...
 
Believe what you will..You don't have to get a pair just to reaffirm what you heard on em.. If you feel that was how it sounded to you then that must have been how it sounded to you.
 
Maybe I love the muffled sound. A new category in heafi talk should be made. Muffled like the kickers.. Oh by the way I have the monoprice coming to me next week.. I truly hope they are one in the same.. And also I am getting the Koss Dj100s.. I mean since you like em so much ..I have to try em out.. Oh not to piss you off or anything but I read a review on the kickers on amazon where a guy bought both your Dj100s and the kickers and he decided to keep the kickers and boot the DJ100s.. That was very interesting indeed. He also must have loved that muffled kicker sounds...
 
Just know this, there are many more headfiers that are willing to give these a go.. You will see them coming out of the wood work soon enough and many will chime in.. If anything these phones need more attention.. They deserve it.

 

[Shotor102]

"Keep your receipt! Mine sounded like garbage, so I guess I had a bad pair. I've been tempted to try again, but there is a small chance I still will hate them."
 
Dude, not to sound harsh, but don't you feel that this is premature to say since you haven't given them a second chance? Obviously there is a chance you won't like them.. but there's also a chance you might, if you actually view them objectively with consideration to what they are geared for and their price range.  They could've been defected.. Hell, my pair was as-well, not sound-wise, construction wise. But the same could be said about Sony, Shure, Sennheisers and many more.. It happens.
 
 
"The idea of very forward mids on these makes me laugh. Only because mine sounded like bloated bass and severely muffled mids. Heck, they even put like 10" of fabric over the driver...seriously."
 
10' Fabric... ? As in ten Inches of fabric? ..

Also, I'm sure Dsnuts would be able to explain this better. However from my end the idea of forward mids arise from the fact that the sound signature on these is more forward with contrast to Reference headphones (in my example case Shure SRH440). In fact, they're more forward than the XB500's sound Sig. And the XB500's were very much in your face kind of sound. But unfortunately, the bass is very overpowering and not controlled very well to be precise (on the 500's), which yields recession in midrange and laid back His. And yes, the treble is sufficient on the Kickers. Again, it's not as sparkly and well, High, as it would be on Neutral reference headphones.. or even Grados SR60 - 325 series. But again, for the price, the balance is kept to be very pleasant..  The Bass wasn't overwhelming to me, and not boomy either. It was quite quick and precise and it did not mud up or muffle anything.. Again, to claim that they have muffled mids and overall sound, makes me believe that you're either 1. trolling, 2. had a seriously defective pair, or 3, have accustomed your ears to certain sound signature that anything of a grade below will be deemed as muffled or recessed..  Unless you've been listening to GradoPS1000 and nothing but them for the last year, amped... I really can't see how I can take your opinion seriously. 
 
 
"Seriously guys...very forward mids, lots of bass and lots of treble? You know you can't have it all right?"
 
 
Is there a reason not to have it all?  If it's there, then what's the problem... Again, we're talking with consideration to price range.
 
 
"I'm not going to say that some of you are paid by Kicker, but it's starting to sound like it."
 
For someone who's not saying it... You're pretty much are..., well, saying it...  Interesting strategy at poisoning the well.
Have a look at amazon reviews, all 33 of them... And tell me if you think everyone of them are paid by kicker or have ulterior motives.
 
 
"BTW most youtube reviews of them are FAKE. Companies do this all the time silly.They're trying to sell you something!"
 
So I guess we should all take your word for it.. So if a Youtuber or an official hifi site posts a video praising the HD800.. That means that those headphones aren't really good..?
 
 
 
 

 

[tdockweiler]

Do you really care if someone hates them? I mean, why try and justify to me that they are really good? If you like them, that's all that matters. To me, Amazon reviews are just as bad as those found at Best Buy's website. Not to sound like I'm better than anyone, but they are people who only care about the Beats, Bose and anything Skullcandy. Usually. 90% of headphone reviews compare them to only those.
 
I saw the Amazon review from the person who got rid of the DJ100 for the HP541. It was good for a laugh and I surely hope they did get a good pair, because I sure the heck didn't. With ANY cheap headphone there can be variations between pairs. I've had a DJ100 that sounded like garbage out of the box. I can only hope that it was like this with the HP541. The DJ100 also needs a good amp and different pads to be at it's best. Stock it's not that comfortable.
 
Why do you point out that I don't own one? I was convinced they may sound good, so I bought a pair. Nothing but good reviews and was I ever disappointed. Don't let that hurt your feelings, because I always point out that I could have had a bad pair. You should have seen my expression when I first heard them. I gave them a few days, but nothing changed.
 
Dozens of good reviews mean nothing (yet). For example, the Monster Beats are one of the #1 rated headphones on Best Buy's website. Does this mean they're good?
I'm really hoping more people review these, so we'll really know for sure if they're as good as you say they are and it's not all a bunch of fake reviews. There is no headphone that everyone will like. You do realize not everyone will like these as much as you right? Just the same as a few people I know hating the DJ100.
 
Most likely if I do get another pair they just may not have good enough mids for me. I'm extremely picky when it comes to how clear the sound of a headphone is. The under $100 headphones are usually very terrible when it comes to this.
 
One headphone that deserves it's praise here and is another hidden gem (for the price) is the Superlux HD-668B. With a few mods it's comparable to some $150-$200 headphones in some areas.
 
FYI there are other people here who didn't like the HP541 also. This doesn't matter. I don't know if they actually bought them, but I did. Maybe I'll do Amazon Prime delivery on them. At this point I just don't trust all the possible fake reviews of them. Something seems fishy at the moment. All the reviews are coming from people who sound like their trying to sell you something.
 
If you do buy the DJ100, I'm willing to give the Kicker another try for sure. Just be sure to give it a good amp and lots of burn-in. At this point it's just really hard for me to believe my pair was bad, but it's possible. Most likely I will also compare it to my KRK, but that might be a bit unfair.
 
Quote:

Well lets see of all the guys that I have recommended the kicker to. NONE say they have crappy sound like you say.. I have plenty of phones that does music better than the kickers.. They aren't the best at anything.. But they certainly are not what you say they are.. Remember guys this is from a guy that DONT own them. Just heard them once... You do know they smooth out after around 100 hours and you get the full kicker sounds.. muffled is not even in the description of any who owns them yet you somehow say they are this or that...
 
Believe what you will..You don't have to get a pair just to reaffirm what you heard on em.. If you feel that was how it sounded to you then that must have been how it sounded to you.
 
Maybe I love the muffled sound. A new category in heafi talk should be made. Muffled like the kickers.. Oh by the way I have the monoprice coming to me next week.. I truly hope they are one in the same.. And also I am getting the Koss Dj100s.. I mean since you like em so much ..I have to try em out.. Oh not to piss you off or anything but I read a review on the kickers on amazon where a guy bought both your Dj100s and the kickers and he decided to keep the kickers and boot the DJ100s.. That was very interesting indeed. He also must have loved that muffled kicker sounds...
 
Just know this, there are many more headfiers that are willing to give these a go.. You will see them coming out of the wood work soon enough and many will chime in.. If anything these phones need more attention.. They deserve it.

 

 

[Shotor102]

Tdockweiler:
 
Out of respect for the people who started this thread, with purpose in mind to give an non-biased and objective review of Sub $100 budget headphone for people who are looking for just that; sub $99 headphones that deliver, I won't reply to your wall sized post. I'm afraid this will hinder the purpose of this thread and what it has accomplished
 
If you like, I could PM you my response in regard, but otherwise, you need to respect the O.P.'s wishes. 
 
P.S. It's not like this is the first time you're mentioning your opinion against the Kickers.. Your posts bashing against them are quite infamous here..
 
And that line you so nicely put, 'Not everyone is going to like every headphones', I'd like to take it and throw it back to you with hopes that you can realize just how hypocritical it sounds, especially since you flat out mentioned that you consider any sub $100 to sound horrible..  Obviously there's no surprise why you don't like the Kickers..
 
With that said, I appreciate the input, thank you and enjoy your high end headphones.
 
 

 

[Dsnuts]

Ultimately I respect your take on the headphones. You are a lot more experienced at them than I. But do you truly think this kind of love would happen to a product that sucked? 
I bet I will like your Dj100s. In fact I am a huge fan of DJ cans in general..Plus I actually take others views on phones into consideration...
 
I think what makes our hobby one of the best is that we have all these cans with different sounds. We pick em apart and analyze them until we have a fine understanding of what they sound like..That is fine and dandy but a crappy sounding can does not deserve the time and effort from anyone on THIS site to praise them.. The reason why the kicker nation is starting to form is because they have a big bold full sound that makes your music energetic and fun to listen to. But these are not in the same league as the skull candies and the like but I feel some might think they are in that same category..Arent we all here to learn about sounds and possibly see the passions for sound through each others perception on how they sound? That is why it is worth it to try n understand and even try out what others deem as good or great.. Even better at a lowly budget price.  I think my whole point in this thread... Was to point out one thing to everyone.. You dont need to spend a craptacular amount of cash to get a great sounding can.. .
 
Forget about what can sounds better this can or that. You are making it sound like a UFC match, I know there are plenty of cans that sound better. . I am just talking about the pure joy of listening to your music the way they should be heard.. At $50 Nothing touches the kicker Hp541. Not the JVCs.. Nothing.. I own the Samson SR850s those are made by superlux so I know what you are saying about those.. Those are yet another cheaper hidden gem of a phone.  Yet I keep on finding myself enjoying my trance  dub and hiphop on my kickers.. 
 
I tell you what. Tdock.. If those monoprice are exactly the same.. I will be able to tell by looking at the drivers and just listening to em .. I will tell the community.. You can save yourself $30 and just get those instead. So far the build and materials are one in the same. I just hope the drivers are as well. We will see.. Next week.. I will get my monoprice before the first review on em it seems. I just might tell everyone before they get reviewed.

 

[tdockweiler]

.
 
 
Quote:

Tdockweiler:
 
Out of respect for the people who started this thread, with purpose in mind to give an non-biased and objective review of Sub $100 budget headphone for people who are looking for just that; sub $99 headphones that deliver, I won't reply to your wall sized post. I'm afraid this will hinder the purpose of this thread and what it has accomplished
 
If you like, I could PM you my response in regard, but otherwise, you need to respect the O.P.'s wishes. 
 
P.S. It's not like this is the first time you're mentioning your opinion against the Kickers.. Your posts bashing against them are quite infamous here..
 
And that line you so nicely put, 'Not everyone is going to like every headphones', I'd like to take it and throw it back to you with hopes that you can realize just how hypocritical it sounds, especially since you flat out mentioned that you consider any sub $100 to sound horrible..  Obviously there's no surprise why you don't like the Kickers..
 
With that said, I appreciate the input, thank you and enjoy your high end headphones.
 
 

 

 

[tdockweiler]

Ok, I will give them another try. It's possible that if I heard them again then maybe I will eat my words and be raving about these things. Who knows.
There has been cases in the past where I've hated a headphone first and then a year later it sounded completely different. One example is the K240 Studio and the D2000.
 
People shouldn't take my comments too seriously. Anything negative I say about a headphone isn't bashing them. I wish people would stop thinking this way. I would have done this at 15, but certainly not 31. Heck, I even post negative comments on my HD-598 which I love. I've yet to find a perfect headphone. Like all of you, when I find a hidden gem, I want to tell more people about it. That's why I've done several reviews on the DJ100.
 
Again, if you like them and think they sound good with your own ears, then that's all that matters. If someone else thought my DJ100 was the worst piece of junk in the world, I could care less!
However, it should be no surprise if I might not like these on a second try. I'm not afraid of pointing out when a headphone is good despite me not liking it's signature though. I don't like the stock HD-668B signature, but for the price, it's one of the best headphones you can get. All of us have our preferred sound signature, so that's why I pointed out not everyone is going to like the HP-541.
 
Have you tried the Superlux HD-668B? That gets my vote for the best headphone under $50. I'm OK with it's signature after I recabled it and changed a few things. So far very few headphones under $100 can compete with it when it comes to sound clarity and detail. Only one that comes to mind is the KRK KNS-6400. Stock, the HD-668B is fairly V-shaped in it's signature, but it's kind of fun to listen to.
Quote:

Ultimately I respect your take on the headphones. You are a lot more experienced at them than I. But do you truly think this kind of love would happen to a product that sucked? 
I bet I will like your Dj100s. In fact I am a huge fan of DJ cans in general..Plus I actually take others views on phones into consideration...
 
I think what makes our hobby one of the best is that we have all these cans with different sounds. We pick em apart and analyze them until we have a fine understanding of what they sound like..That is fine and dandy but a crappy sounding can does not deserve the time and effort from anyone on THIS site to praise them.. The reason why the kicker nation is starting to form is because they have a big bold full sound that makes your music energetic and fun to listen to. But these are not in the same league as the skull candies and the like but I feel some might think they are in that same category..Arent we all here to learn about sounds and possibly see the passions for sound through each others perception on how they sound? That is why it is worth it to try n understand and even try out what others deem as good or great.. Even better at a lowly budget price.  I think my whole point in this thread... Was to point out one thing to everyone.. You dont need to spend a craptacular amount of cash to get a great sounding can.. .
 
Forget about what can sounds better this can or that. You are making it sound like a UFC match, I know there are plenty of cans that sound better. . I am just talking about the pure joy of listening to your music the way they should be heard.. At $50 Nothing touches the kicker Hp541. Not the JVCs.. Nothing.. I own the Samson SR850s those are made by superlux so I know what you are saying about those.. Those are yet another cheaper hidden gem of a phone.  Yet I keep on finding myself enjoying my trance  dub and hiphop on my kickers.. 
 
I tell you what. Tdock.. If those monoprice are exactly the same.. I will be able to tell by looking at the drivers and just listening to em .. I will tell the community.. You can save yourself $30 and just get those instead. So far the build and materials are one in the same. I just hope the drivers are as well. We will see.. Next week.. I will get my monoprice before the first review on em it seems. I just might tell everyone before they get reviewed.

 

 

[Kudos]

Speaking as the unintended middleman of all this, let me say to you Shotor... don't use Amazon reviews to backup your experience. Mainly because you don't need other people to prove your argument of how you heard em. Additionally because it doesn't, or at least shouldn't, deter what your target is going to hear.
 
To Dsnuts... just because its a budget can (and still IMO a gem of one) doesn't mean you shouldn't list flaws... Example, you hire a babysitter that only charges $5 a night. She agrees to change, feed and entertain your child, but always sneaks over some friends. Now some people wouldn't mind that... but it's definitely a dealbreaker for some parents, and needs to be mentioned if you want to recommend that babysitter to someone. (I know that was a strange analogy but hey I hope my point's across.) 
 
Now, tdock.... all I can say is give them another try (Muffled mids baffled the hell outta me). Try getting the best possible seal you can and try a warm amp. Cause them 541s are cold, beneficial from amping too. Pretty noticeable difference unamped and with the E7 (iPod LOD). Give an honest review of how they deliver highs/mids/lows... describe the experience/sound.
 
For the record I'm only 15, I do not work or affiliate with Kicker.
 
 

 

[Dsnuts]

Quote:

Speaking as the unintended middleman of all this, let me say to you Shotor... don't use Amazon reviews to backup your experience. Mainly because you don't need other people to prove your argument of how you heard em. Additionally because it doesn't, or at least shouldn't, deter what your target is going to hear.
 
To Dsnuts... just because its a budget can (and still IMO a gem of one) doesn't mean you shouldn't list flaws... Example, you hire a babysitter that only charges $5 a night. She agrees to change, feed and entertain your child, but always sneaks over some friends. Now some people wouldn't mind that... but it's definitely a dealbreaker for some parents, and needs to be mentioned if you want to recommend that babysitter to someone. (I know that was a strange analogy but hey I hope my point's across.)
 
Now, tdock.... all I can say is give them another try (Muffled mids baffled the hell outta me). Try getting the best possible seal you can and try a warm amp. Cause them 541s are cold, beneficial from amping too. Pretty noticeable difference unamped and with the E7 (iPod LOD). Give an honest review of how they deliver highs/mids/lows... describe the experience/sound.
 
For the record I'm only 15, I do not work or affiliate with Kicker.
 

Good point Kudos.  You are wise beyond your years my friend. . .I think the main flaw of the kicker is more the way they look more so than the way they sound.. The odd square shape on the head. The boring looks with dull colors..Which can be fixed with a $5 decal bought online.  These would be the anti skull candies. The flaws in the sounds..Your right in that you mention they sound a bit cold..They aren't anywhere near neutral in sounds..Some coloration in the signature overall..They can use more definition and better layering in the BASS department. The mids need to take a tad step back maybe. The highs however I feel are ample to the overall sound signature.They can also use a bit more definition and extension in that department as well .You are too used to the highs on your modded M50s..You have to remember what I told you about the highs on the M50s vs other phones..Get your ears trained on them kickers and you will see that the highs aren't as lacking as you once felt.
 
But ultimately bold full and proud none the less. These negatives just might add to the Kickers distinctive sounds . I am curious to see if guys will eventually mod these to make them sound even better.. The upside to a $50 phone is it won't hurt so much to open them and try out a few things.. The same train of thought that went into the HARX700s and HARX900s..Better cables and amps will add to the sounds.. The bottom line.. These have huge potential for a lot of customizations to even further the kickers already bold sound signature.
 
With that being said. If the cheap $20 monoprice prove that they are indeed the same as the kickers..I can only imagine the operations those phones will go through.. I hope in the near future this thread will be to go to place for what guys have done to make these kickers sound like $300 phones. This very well could happen. BUT first things first.. Don't be afraid to try out a budget Gem like you guys wouldn't believe.. It is all that an a bag of chips.!

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

What's wrong with the looks, I like the way they look like. But yea I saw amazon.co.uk probably had like 30 different decal decoration kind of thing for these. xD What about sweat, the pads do remind me of M50 pads a little, I hope it would be pleather though which I suspect which usually doesn't heat up as well. M50 were horrible for me in this regard, even after 1hr of use my ears got really sweaty.

 

[Dsnuts]

Quote:

What's wrong with the looks, I like the way they look like. But yea I saw amazon.co.uk probably had like 30 different decal decoration kind of thing for these. xD What about sweat, the pads do remind me of M50 pads a little, I hope it would be pleather though which I suspect which usually doesn't heat up as well. M50 were horrible for me in this regard, even after 1hr of use my ears got really sweaty.

I suppose the looks are a bit subjective. Some might like the not so loud looks of em I suppose. They are clean looking.. The decals are interesting. Evidently someone thought these were gonna be hotter than Lindsey Lohan on a Saturday night clubbin spree. I mean these are the only phones that actually have custom made decals that I have seen.. Your observations are correct.. They are very similar to the M50s.. I don't think they make me sweat as much but they do get a tad warm.. Not as much but they do.. See we are in the beginning phase of what can be done to these to make them better I suppose better pads can be added to this.. They don't lack in comfort which is a good thing but with old man winter around the corner the thicker warmer pads might be a blessing in disguise.
 

 

[pshhyeahh]

Just some food for thought... I've done a few weeks of research before picking up my headphones and most the claims that I've read on here and heard from people lead me to believe that the Kicker HP541 is not good at all. I think the term the manager at Guitar Center used was "laughable" to describe them. He was the same person who recommended the DT 770s to me after I was still "iffy" about the HD25 and M50s when I demoed them. I haven't heard the Kickers personally, but testimony alone leads me to search for the K518/K81 and PX100/200 for portable use.

 

[Rawrbington]

yeah man but when i was at GC looking at the Shure 840s they told me that i'd be better off with the Beats Studios.  Thye just want the sale