[kiwirugby]

Philodox,

You are right, we are a minority. I just can't understand why I am hearing something so utterly different than blessingx. I'm even going to say blessingx may well be right and that I may have the most dreadful hearing capacities and capabilities that are unable to be discerning of a good headphone versus a bad one.

All I know is that I like what I hear. I don't hear muffled (I do if I hum along - though not a good idea with closed headphones I have discovered!). I don't hear dull (they do orchestral and choral music well for me with a full range of sonorities; I haven't tried piano or chamber music yet). I don't hear poor instrument placement (in fact quite the contrary, listening to Mahler 9, I could hear the exact placement of the various string sections), and I hear top end well, but probably not as well as as the K501 or DT880).

All I can hope is that I do not become a more discerning or sophisticated headphone listener becuase my wallet would implode!

This is all so much a matter of taste, isn't it? Maybe I have an unsophisticated palate!

It's good to know I have company, philodox. Maybe we should start a support group! Or start the Association for the Advancement of K271s!!

 

[kiwirugby]

episiarch,

Thanks for the amp insight. I have a supermini, but haven't used the 271s with it yet. I've been using the superdual with bass boost and I have found it to be quite excellent. Now I've got to try the supermini and do some comparisons. More to do on the plane!

It's so interesting you say the AAAs extra would supply extra boost over the 9v. I never thought of that. I'm learning every day.

I just wish we could come up with some good standard review elements and some well-defined terminology though. That's what I hoped this thread would start, but it became another 271 thread.

 

[Salim SM]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blessingx I can't recommend them for anyone. Muffled. Dull. Instrument placement poor. No top end. Overall near MDR-V250 sound (or PX200 or Triports). Shockingly bad. Very disappointed. I really don't think they did anything right, except isolate reasonably well and look nice. Even AKG doesn't recommend them for "Hi-Fi" use and I can really understand why.

Hmmm ... interesting. Could it because of the closed back? From the application chart I guess AKG has to differentiate them in some way and I'm certainly confused how a 'so-so' phones for hi-fi can be 'first choice' for master studios !

Anyway, I'm using them off phones jack of my cd player which are driven by some 4556, does that count as amped or not ? I hear 'closed-in' sound but all details (not as extended as 580 though) and bass are there, plus that relaxing sound and sweet midrange. Just like sr80 they're very entertaining phones by themselves ... can't imagine they can sound so disastruous. I will have hard time letting mine go =)

 

[kiwirugby]

And then there were three! The support gorup grows!

I think you're right, Salim, the AKG website doesn't shade the hi-fi row for the 271s, but it doesn't mean to say that they can't sound wonderful. And anyway, what criteria did AKG use to make their judgements?

 

[Nak Man]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiwirugby And then there were three! The support gorup grows!

Wait wait count me in ! Now there are 4 =)

Nah it was me again, somehow my cookies got trashed when disconnected and the other personality suddenly showed up when I posted my reply.

There's not much to differentiate apart from the closed and circum vs supra padding. Open style for home use and closed for studio, not sure where that leaves the 501. Kiwi, in this audio world I think it's best to have tin ears, we're easily pleased and can save the money for something else (after that 7th phones, of course =)

Salim SM

 

[K271 Guy]

It's one of the guitarists pushing the string into the pick-up I think, you can try it if you have an electric ;D

 

[commando]

Quote:

Originally Posted by episiarch I think these phones are picky about how they're amped. They can sound blah or they can sound great -- at least to my ears.

What this says to me is you need an amp that colors the sound, rather than does a good, flat amplification job. My PPA w/ diamond buffer is pretty good, but doesn't make them "sing".

 

[kiwirugby]

Salim,

Maybe you're right. It is good to have tin ears!

I have been listening to the 271s pretty much all day, and I still find them to be very pleasing and satisfying. For someone who listens to classical music prmarily, I find they represent clsoely the timbres I would epxepct to hear from different instruments, the lay out of orchestras, both left, middle and right, and forwar and back, and most imprtantly, the balance of frequencies and tone.

But what the hell do I know.

Commando is right. You certainly need an amp. Without it, they are challenged.

 

[plainsong]

My impressions can only be taken as just that - impressions - since I heard them at a head-fi meet. Granted, there were only two of us there at the time though. I had so wanted to like these cans. They were comfy, they were closed, and they were pleasant enough on the ears. But they just lacked depth. The treble was rolled off, the bass was rolled-off. So you were left with a very pleasent rendering of those notes in the middle. But it can be easy-on-the ears that's true enough.

I know I tried them with the Pimeta/Aureon sky soundcard, and I tried them with the Total Bithead. But I'm also sure I tried them with the Prehead/NadC542. But it was so underwhelming that I can't remember for sure.

But yeah, for lots of modern badly mixed stuff, it can be easy-on-the ears to only hear the middle.

 

[commando]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orubasarot I got my K271s as an upgrade to my HD280s, I'm not much of an audiophile but I was pleased with the purchase, the 271s seemed a hell of a lot more pleasant, comfortable, and clear to me.

IMHO the 280s kick the 271s for clarity.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiwirugby Commando is right. You certainly need an amp. Without it, they are challenged.

I always like to hear that! Now everyone repeat after me, Commando is right

Quote:

Originally Posted by plainsong the bass was rolled-off

From my PCs onboard sound, listen to Sarah McLachlan's "I love you", the bass is subterranian. It's just insane how deep it goes. They easily beat the rather bassy EX71s i'm listening to right now in that regard. The EX71s are less rolled off, but have a slight veil across the entire spectrum.

 

[plainsong]

But with lots of pop songs, it's not really bass, but hyped-up mid-bass, which the 271s does very well and was a pleasent listen with a few chosen pop songs from Halcyon to demonstrate the point. Oh well, you might call it a head-fi meet effect so take my impression as just an impression. But we all seemed to reach the same conclusion before talking about it. I'd love for Halcyon to chime in here because they were his cans, and he's good at this kind of thing.

 

[bangraman]

The 280's (several-month burned in examples) were noticeably grainier than the K271. The 280's are also leaner on the lows and don't go that far into the over-trebles. Fairly similar type of phones in their nature, I'd say.

 

[philodox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiwirugby This is all so much a matter of taste, isn't it? It's good to know I have company, philodox. Maybe we should start a support group! Or start the Association for the Advancement of K271s!!

It is most definately a matter of taste... some people like the AKG house sound and some dont... and the 271 seems to be the houses most controversial child as even some AKG supporters dislike it...

lol... sure we can hold strikes outside sony stores and throw rotten fruit at people wearing MDR-V150's

Quote:

Originally Posted by commando IMHO the 280s kick the 271s for clarity.

I did a search and can't seem to find the post [it doesnt seem to like searching for posts by you with 271 in it] but I remember you stating fairly recently that you used the 280s at work... then you said you brought the 271s to work to compair them and the 271s 'clearly sounded better'... why the sudden change to nearly all negative comments about the 271s?

 

[TheMedic00]

Opinions on headphones around here change like the winds...

 

[Nak Man]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMedic00 Opinions on headphones around here change like the winds...

Coming from the same reviewer they can be quite amusing ...