[miow]

K167 TIËSTO
Professional Headphones
for live sound monitoring, DJ use and studio work
The K167 TIËSTO is an over-ear, closed-back design for high comfort and maximum noise rejection. Suitable for multiple applications, from the stage to the studio, DJs, music enthusiasts and TIËSTO fans will enjoy the stunning design and impressive sound quality, even in loud environments. Its 40mm driver allows for higher sound pressure levels, while its roadworthy design provides maximum reliability. Besides the slick design, the K167 TIËSTO delivers impressive sound quality even in loud enviroments such as small clubs.
The "AKG by TIËSTO" range of headphones features tuning and styling directed by legendary DJ and producer TIËSTO. Comprising three high-performance professional-grade headphones, the TIËSTO Series will appeal to a broad range of end users, from studio engineers, to artists, fans and TIËSTO himself - whether in the studio, at a show or on the go.
 

 
TIËSTO's wearing the K167 big brother, the K267.                                            
 
 


Hopefully they sound as good as they look ; )
 
Features
Over-ear (circum-aural), closed back design
for high comfort and maximum noise rejection
Powerful 40 mm driver 
for high sound pressure levels
XRP³ glass-fiber reinforced polymer parts
for maximum durability and low weight
Professional 3D-Axis folding mechanism 
for optimum fitting and flat storage
Powerful 40 mm driver
for high sound pressure levels
Compact, roadworthy design ideal
for outdoor use
 
Specification
Capsule: dynamic
Design: Closed-back / around-ear
(circum-aural)
Color: black / silver
Cable: 1.2 – 5.5 m (3.9 – 18.0 ft) coiled cable
Frequency range: 15Hz-23kHz
Sensitivity: 112 dBspl/V
Impedance: 32 ohms
Max. input power: 2,000 mW
Main connection: gold plated 3.5mm jack
Adapter: gold-plated 6.3mm adapter
(screw-on)
Folding mechanism: 3D-axis
Driver Size: 40 mm (1.6 in.)
Weight: 250 g (8.8 oz)

 

[miow]

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
 
  alpha10's comparing them to the K67's and Denon D2000 (brief impressions)
Quote:

The K167 is worth the extra price, much more comfortable, the headphone is bigger but still foldable, and the sound is improved in all areas, the sound is more neutral, the bass is just right, very deep but controlled and not boosted, I would say the bass is better than my Denon AH-D2000, the sound is darker than my Denon's, but it's a fair trade, since many recordings are just a tad too bright and this compensates for that, unlike the K67, the K167 doesn't sound like a DJ headphone at all, I've tried classical, jazz, rock, pop, and it played everything very well, really among the best closed can I've heard, imagine my Denons with an improved bass and a darker sound signature, that would be a way to describe the K167.
 

 
droid23's first impressions (brief comparison to V-Moda M-80's)
 
Quote:

so, finally my K167's arrived today!
first impressions (although these might have been already discussed here in this thread):
built quality:
> since there's nearly not a single piece of metal processed in these phones i thought they would be lighter...ok, they're still not heavy at all but according to some other opinions on these cans i was biased.
> touch and feel are ok though. the high quality plastics used for the K167 kinda reflects the price....a bit^^ (190€ would be a better original price for them IMO...but just because of the built quality and my first impressions)
> so far i couldn't find a flaw in the workmanship
> the packaging was indeed a bit cheap looking for the 230€ i've paid^^
> the standard length of the coiled cable is ok, but as mentioned before, a coiled cable always adds weight...which makes portable use a bit uncomfy.
> the clamp force is just right to give a very good isolation! but a bit more and it were too much IMO. so, their comfort is really good but not "incredible".
now to the sound quality (4hours "burn-in" only, so this is a pretty preliminary opinion):
> wth, out of the box i could really understand miow's fascination for the K167. initially they perform as they could be incredibly nice analytical headphones with a slight emphasis on more bass. and this bass can be sooo deep and clear...even with increased volumes.
> a big smile flashed over my face as i listened to Submotion Orchestra's "Thinking"! this track combines the previously stated strength of these cans perfectly. deep bass, clear vocals and some contemporary jazz elements paired in an electronica setup. just awesome for the first day. also the next track on this longplayer "snow" gave me goosebumps! and this all compared to my M-80ies which are also really nice headphones as you all know but i always didn't feel at home with them...at least i know now that with the K167 i'm really close to what i initially wanted to have with the M-80. short, the K167 deliveres...from the first second on...and i hope this experience gets even better when they have some hundered hours of playtime on them.
...there's more to come, i'll keep you updated if i find out more.
so far i am really happy with the purchase....thinkin of selling my M80ies.
p.s.: i will compare more different music genres with the M-80 and also with one of my favourite "bang for the buck" phones, the Aurvana Live!

 
sharpie007's comparing them to the Sennheiser Momentum:
Quote:

I had the momentum's for a couple of weeks. I returned them because I found that the noise isolation wasn't very good, the sound was too "forgiving." The bass, while present and powerful, felt slow and almost echo-like to me. Also the soundstage was fairly small.
 
This isn't to say that they aren't very good headphones, and they look stylish as well. It's just that to me they seemed to bring poorly recorded tracks up to a better level and higher quality tracks down to a lower level at the same time.
 
They were also, imho, useless when trying to remix. The bass response is just too slow for me. I couldn't tell when a track was slipping until almost too late on more than one occasion. I have no such problems with the K167's.
 
I have had the K167's for 4 days now and I immediately noticed the high frequency detail vs the Momentums. I can also hear suble things more clearly (eg on recordings you can hear fingers sliding across acoustic guitar strings clearly and you can even hear the rebound off the bottom of a snare drum on jazz tracks). I guess revealing is a word you could use to describe them.
 
Of the headphones I've tried recently (and there have been some dogs), these are the most open, revealing, and comfortable. The sound isolation is great, I can drive them off portable devices. Most of my listening is done off a Macbook (native sound card), a Behringer mixer or a Hercules mixer. I can't notice an appreciable difference between the headphone out on the behringer vs the macbook.
 
As others have posted here, the burn in is dramatic. My first reaction was "great highs! Where's the bass??" But after a couple of days using and burning, the bass is very present, and as I said, really tight. This headphone is a winner for me.
 
I may get K267's eventually, but I'm really happy with these right now.
 
(Other headphones tried).

1. Beats Mixr (Don't judge me)
2. Sennheiser Momentum
3. Sennheiser Amperior
4. Sennheiser HD 558
5. B&W P5
6. Sony XBA3 (IEM, I still have these, they are my go to IEM's)
7. B&W C5 (IEM)
8. Klipsch Image One (2010 Model).

 
Hope this helps somebody out.

 
dlami130 prefers them over the UE6000 and DENON D2000:
 
Quote:

I just received my pair without about 6 hrs of burn in. These are so far my favorite headphones I have tried out of the UE 6000, m-50, fidelio l1, hd25, klipsh image one, yamaha pro 300, beats, and denon 2000.
 
The treble is simply amazing, Its very crystal clear and detailed. Vocals sound so rich and smooth- and extremely accurate. Bass is alright, not boomy at all.

 
MORE IMPRESSIONS:
 

1. wje impressions
2. mrbigsby impressions (comparing to DT770 250ohm)
3. droid23's comparison to SONY MDR-1R
4.  RAZRr1275 comparison to DENON D2000 and K702

 

[PFULMTL]

I'm about to bite.  I see them in stock for $179.99 at amazon already (used).  I really don't care since they would still be like new anyway.
I need to get a closer look at the earpads though.  It's like everyone just forgets to take a picture of it.
 
*doh, I guess I could watch an unboxing vid
 
**Just ordered.
 
Part of my vacation spending money, but that's all right.  I'll can compare them to the Audio Technica PRO700Mk2 and AKG K618DJ, which I don't have them anymore, but I can go from memory.  I already know up against the PRO700MK2, they might lose on features because they don't come with two detachable cables.  I already liked the K618DJ more than the PRO700MK2, so if the K167 is an improved/detailed K618DJ, then I'll be in love.

 

[MorbidToaster]

The little silver things on the headband bug me a bit, but they look really good despite that. I'd love to hear them, though I wonder about how well extended they are. 
 
Any graphs anywhere yet?

 

[miow]

Quote:

I'm about to bite.  I see them in stock for $179.99 at amazon already (used).  I really don't care since they would still be like new anyway.
I need to get a closer look at the earpads though.  It's like everyone just forgets to take a picture of it.
 
*doh, I guess I could watch an unboxing vid
 
**Just ordered.
 
Part of my vacation spending money, but that's all right.  I'll can compare them to the Audio Technica PRO700Mk2 and AKG K618DJ, which I don't have them anymore, but I can go from memory.  I already know up against the PRO700MK2, they might lose on features because they don't come with two detachable cables.  I already liked the K618DJ more than the PRO700MK2, so if the K167 is an improved/detailed K618DJ, then I'll be in love.

 
Let us know your impressions. ; ) Sorry about your walet though.
Quote:

The little silver things on the headband bug me a bit, but they look really good despite that. I'd love to hear them, though I wonder about how well extended they are. 
 
Any graphs anywhere yet?

 
Those little silver dots bug me too. Despite that, one of the best looking headphones actually, IMO. 

 

[MorbidToaster]

Eh. Not even top 10 for me. They do look nice though, I'll give you that.
 
Quote:

 
Let us know your impressions. ; ) Sorry about your walet though.
 
Those little silver dots bug me too. Despite that, one of the best looking headphones actually, IMO. 

 

[BRSxIgnition]

Found this while I was browsing - sounds promising.

 

[miow]

Quote:

Found this while I was browsing - sounds promising.

Indeed.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

This is already turning out to be some great headphone I think if it performs so well according to every1 who has tried it and then you look at the rather shy asking price which makes it even nicer.

 

[alpha10]

I got another hour with K167 on friday, and I must say it really sounds great, forget all about Tiesto and consider this a true HIFI headphone for audiophiles.

As I said before the sound is a little dark, but it's not bad in any way, the highest treble is a little restricted, which makes it a vert pleasant headphone to listen too, my Denon D2000 are definately brighter than these, but the K167 are more detailed, the bass is more controlled, and the comfort is great, the feel very light and I soon forgot about the headphones and just listen to the music, I couldn't stop, I threw everything at it, classical, jazz, rock, pop, opera, everything sounded great. My old HIFI favorite Diana Krall - Live in Paris was specially wonderful on the K167, it sounded exactly like it should in my opinion.

I honestly think the Tiesto brand hurts this headphone, because people will think it sounds like a DJ headphone, but it doesn't, it's sound like a true HIFI headphone.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

I honestly think the Tiesto brand hurts this headphone, because people will think it sounds like a DJ headphone, but it doesn't, it's sound like a true HIFI headphone.

 
Well IMO it's more down to people's silly prejudices & expectations about having an artist name slapped onto the package. For me I always saw these as potential good quality headphones rather than fun basshead headphones, I just had a good feeling about them looking at the press material. I'm happy I don't belong to that close-minded crowd. Seems like this K167 headphone is targeted more at studio use while the K267 is meant both for studio & stage where the exaggerated bass at a flick of a switch is welcome. I hope it can at least match K167 qualities while not being in the "stage" mode, for me it seems like a fair deal even if it won't improve upon K167 in quality if it does offer both a "basshead" listening experience and a more detailed serious listening experience in one package!
 
From early impressions the K167 may have $199 MSRP price but can compete well with $300 MSRP headphones sonic wise I get the feeling of, I don't honestly expect K267 to deliver much more than so really but be more versatile. If you're looking for a more balanced experience then obviously K267 probably won't be needed and K167 offers some serious bang for the buck! Well that's my thoughts about it.

 

[JonnyN]

Looks like its available in loads of places in the UK now, JunoRecords, AbsoluteMusic, iHeadphones!
 
Looking forward to some more reviews till I take the plunge though also I'd like an Amazon order if possible!

 

[BRSxIgnition]

If the 167 is that good, I'd love to see the 267. Can't wait to get mine, but I will have my new modded white M50 to hold me over until then, so it shouldn't be that bad.
 
alpha10 - what headphones have you listened to before the K167's? (other than the D2000's) Are you saying these are better than those?

 

[miow]

Well, for now we know that bass is better, they're more detailed... Probably mids are better too since they're a bit recessed on the D2000's, right?
 

 

[alpha10]

I have heard lots of closed headphones lately, but none have impressed me as much as the K167, I still need to listen to Sony 1r, but they are hard to find in my country.