zChan
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2004
- Posts
- 382
- Likes
- 11
AKG K181DJ Impressions
Two weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to recieve a K181DJ as a gift from a fellow Head-fi'er! YEAH! He sure knows how to make me happy!
However, I havn't posted impressions about these headphones, because the first impressions were quite, um, bad. Really, bad.
First, I didn't notice that the bass-boost was on by default. However, even with bass boost off, the bass was flabby, had smearing highs, and had a really closed muffled headphone sound. In fact, I couldn't stand listening to them. I was very dissapointed, especially since its kid brother, the K81DJ, was getting rave reviews.
Two weeks later: its a different headphone. Whew!
[size=medium]
THESE FOLLOWING THOUGHTS ARE IN COMPARISON TO THE HD25-1,[/size]
What do I like about it?
-Nice instrument seperatation, awesome soundstage. The cups arn't 2x the size of the HD25-1 for nothing.
-Comparatively flat, Natural sound. I really noticed how bass and treble happy the HD25-1 was when I was comparing the K181DJ.
-When properly amped, tight and dry percussions. Its addicting.
What do I don't like about it?
- The catch is Properly amped, The K181DJ needs to be amped to sound good, or at least from a G4 iPod. While the HD25-1 sounds good straight from the iPod, the K181DJ fails this test. It loses loses its magic, especially the dry, tight percussions. In short, the it becomes a dull and boring DJ headphone[size=xx-small]. Heh, thats a first.[/size] And this coming from a guy who listen to ER4s straight out of the iPod.
- Its big. It doesn't rest very well around the neck. Nuts.
- The cable hits my left shoulder when I move my head to the left. Agh!
Other Thoughts
- The Bass Boost give the K181DJ a scary amount of
.
- I have no idea what purpose the "mono <-> stereo" serves. It doesn't merge the L + R channels into a single output from the left cup as I originally thought. Instead, it seems just one of the channels and play the other from both cups...
- For its size, it's rather compact when stowing away, with the cable detached.
Picts recycled from "Official K-81 DJ thread"
Listened to
iPod G4 / D-NE920 -> Hornet -> HD25-1 / K181DJ
British Sea Power, Oh Larson B / Arcade Fire, Laika / System of the Down, Toxicity / Anolog Fish, Speed / Qururi, Nijiiro no Tenshi / Back Horn, Cobalt Blue (album version)
Two weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to recieve a K181DJ as a gift from a fellow Head-fi'er! YEAH! He sure knows how to make me happy!
However, I havn't posted impressions about these headphones, because the first impressions were quite, um, bad. Really, bad.
First, I didn't notice that the bass-boost was on by default. However, even with bass boost off, the bass was flabby, had smearing highs, and had a really closed muffled headphone sound. In fact, I couldn't stand listening to them. I was very dissapointed, especially since its kid brother, the K81DJ, was getting rave reviews.
Two weeks later: its a different headphone. Whew!
[size=medium]
THESE FOLLOWING THOUGHTS ARE IN COMPARISON TO THE HD25-1,[/size]
What do I like about it?
-Nice instrument seperatation, awesome soundstage. The cups arn't 2x the size of the HD25-1 for nothing.
-Comparatively flat, Natural sound. I really noticed how bass and treble happy the HD25-1 was when I was comparing the K181DJ.
-When properly amped, tight and dry percussions. Its addicting.
What do I don't like about it?
- The catch is Properly amped, The K181DJ needs to be amped to sound good, or at least from a G4 iPod. While the HD25-1 sounds good straight from the iPod, the K181DJ fails this test. It loses loses its magic, especially the dry, tight percussions. In short, the it becomes a dull and boring DJ headphone[size=xx-small]. Heh, thats a first.[/size] And this coming from a guy who listen to ER4s straight out of the iPod.
- Its big. It doesn't rest very well around the neck. Nuts.
- The cable hits my left shoulder when I move my head to the left. Agh!
Other Thoughts
- The Bass Boost give the K181DJ a scary amount of
- I have no idea what purpose the "mono <-> stereo" serves. It doesn't merge the L + R channels into a single output from the left cup as I originally thought. Instead, it seems just one of the channels and play the other from both cups...
- For its size, it's rather compact when stowing away, with the cable detached.
Picts recycled from "Official K-81 DJ thread"
Listened to
iPod G4 / D-NE920 -> Hornet -> HD25-1 / K181DJ
British Sea Power, Oh Larson B / Arcade Fire, Laika / System of the Down, Toxicity / Anolog Fish, Speed / Qururi, Nijiiro no Tenshi / Back Horn, Cobalt Blue (album version)
