[apotek]

Hi everyone;
I am planing to get a new closed headphone for my home and transportable use (mostly home). I am planing to get the akg k271s, I know that this can needs a proper amping to get the right bass.Right now I have portable pimeta that Norm made it for me like 2 years ago (with single 9v) and I have one of those old marantz recevier with high headphone output.As a headphone my current closed home phones are hd-280 pro..my pimeta runs them very well and I like the sound quality.Of course I would expect much more from my new purches.Thats why I am upgrading.So these are the questions..

1-how is the bass quality when you compare these two(k271s vs. hd-280)??
2-would I be able to full-run akg's with my pimeta??or with the marantz??
3-I was also looking ath-a900 which is little more expensive but doesn't need an amp..what do you think about a900 when you compare to both senn's and akg's??

And I like to listen classic rock alot,but I also listen other stuff like pop, rap and even a classic...What I am looking for is detailed, balanced cans...so please help me....

thank you..

 

[ojnihs]

I currently own the AKG K271S, so I may be able to give you some insight into these phones before you buy them. I can tell you that they're not the most popular phones on these forums, but they do have their fan base.

The bass on the AKG K271S is much, much deeper than the HD280. I'm not saying that they have more, which is definitely not the case, because from my experience with the HD280, I thought they were pretty darn bassy. So if you're a bass head, you may want to look elsewhere. If you end up deciding on the AKG K271S's, I'd definitely put in money for the Zu Mobius cable. They greatly enhance the sound and the bass becomes much more apparent.

The Pimeta should be fine, although I've actually never heard one before, and it seems that your Marantz should be fine as well. I'm not too keyed into amps all that much, so I really can't give you much on that. I believe Philodox ran his 271's from a maxed out pimeta when he had them.

The A900's I've never heard, so I'm sorry I can't help you with that....

Overall... I'm quite happy with my AKG's... but you may want to hear them before you decide. I'd recommend that you take all the head-fier's recommendations with a grain of salt and use your own ears for final judgement.

**Edit**

Sorry I forgot to add the part of your music preferences and such. I mainly listen to progressive rock and rock variants. And I agree, with this type of music, detail is key. I like the drums to sound natural and the guitars to scream when they're supposed to. The K271S's are the most detailed of phones and may even be said to be veiled slightly, although not as much as the HD650. If you want precise detail, I'd look into the SA5000, which are discussed in much detail these days.

 

[lini]

apotek: I'd recommend to go for the Beyerdynamic DT250/250 instead. Not only, because my K271S sounds weird to me - also because you've mentioned transportable use, for which the very sturdy construction of the DT250s should be more ideal. In addition, it should work fine with both your headphone amp and your receiver. And you'd probably like the Beyerdynamic velours earpads better than the pleather ones on the AKG, too...

Greetings from Hannover!

Manfred / lini

 

[fatko]

for my K240S... i think it is just versatile..

in another words.. it isnt good at any single kind of music genres

 

[plus_c]

A happy K271 owner checking in here - I think you'll really like these headphones for your intended use. I listen to everything - rock to rap to classical, and these 'phones handle them well. A Zu Mobius makes an almost night-and-day difference in the amount of available bass - definitely consider getting one of them. As for amplification...well, I haven't bought an amp yet, and I'm this happy with them, so draw your own conclusions.

Regarding transportability...they're kind of big, but the A900 are bigger. I have a little bit of trouble making sure I have the room in my laptop case to get them on airplanes and such, but to me that extra trouble is worth it.

 

[Zweroboi]

Just bought myself a pair of AKG K271s! I like their flexible construction very much, and the sound too, given they're brand new and are not burnt in at all. And the comfort is just perfect. IMHO, a "must have" closed headphones!

 

[apotek]

anyone could be more specific about the akg's bass???

I have;

ety er4-p
senn hd-280
senn px-200
senn hd-201
sony ex-71
grado sr-60

out of all these cans which one would be the closeset to akg's bass?????not the sound quality or the sound signature, I am just compareing the amount of bass...

 

[kevhuynh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by plus_c A happy K271 owner checking in here - I think you'll really like these headphones for your intended use. I listen to everything - rock to rap to classical, and these 'phones handle them well. A Zu Mobius makes an almost night-and-day difference in the amount of available bass - definitely consider getting one of them. As for amplification...well, I haven't bought an amp yet, and I'm this happy with them, so draw your own conclusions. Regarding transportability...they're kind of big, but the A900 are bigger. I have a little bit of trouble making sure I have the room in my laptop case to get them on airplanes and such, but to me that extra trouble is worth it.

Where would a person got a Zu Mobius? I just got my 271s' from the forums here and wouldn't mind going for a new cable. Also what amp is feasible for portable use (like sub 200ish).

 

[ojnihs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by apotek anyone could be more specific about the akg's bass??? I have; ety er4-p senn hd-280 senn px-200 senn hd-201 sony ex-71 grado sr-60 out of all these cans which one would be the closeset to akg's bass?????not the sound quality or the sound signature, I am just compareing the amount of bass...

Think of it this way. The 271's aren't the bassiest phones you'll ever listen to, in fact, many people are turned off by them because they feel the music is unengaging.. I felt that the Senn HD-280's were quite bassy, so if you like that, I wouldn't consider it. The bass on the 271's is deep, it's there, and I like the fact that they're there but not quite there. I'm not a basshead by any means, so I like the bass sort of recessed and in the back, and that's why I like the 271's.

Unfortunately, I haven't heard half the cans that you have in that list. But from my observations on these forums, maybe I can make a hint or two as to what I'm talking about. The Ex-71's and the HD-280's have bass. The EX-71's in my mind, have very sloppy bass that's just all over the place. I never liked them. The HD-280's are fairly good, but also on the bassy side. The Grado SR-60's I felt were fairly good in the bass department. A lot of umph in the sound but not sloppy, and I'd be a fan of the headphone if I didn't get so fatigued listening to Grados. The PX-200 and the HD-201's, I haven't heard so I'm sorry. Nor have I heard the ER4-P's..

I have read, however, that people consider the ER4-P's and ER6's to be lacking in bass unless properly amped and with a good seal. So think of it like that. The AKG K271's are a big lacking in the bass department. It's there, it's just deeper and more recessed. The Zu Mobius does bring it out a bit more, and you can definitely hear it better if you amp the cans properly, but if you like bass, I'd say look elsewhere.
Quote:

Originally Posted by kenhuynh Where would a person got a Zu Mobius? I just got my 271s' from the forums here and wouldn't mind going for a new cable. Also what amp is feasible for portable use (like sub 200ish).

You should be able to find someone selling the zu mobius cables in the forums here once in a while. You can also buy them straight from the manufacturer, just go to their website (www.zucable.com).

I'm not sure about a portable amp, but I've read that the new Go-Vibe III is quite good. I'm sure you could have the gain raised a bit on the amp so that the K271S's work a bit better without having to juice the volume meter up too much to save some battery life...

 

[kevhuynh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ojnihs Think of it this way. The 271's aren't the bassiest phones you'll ever listen to, in fact, many people are turned off by them because they feel the music is unengaging.. I felt that the Senn HD-280's were quite bassy, so if you like that, I wouldn't consider it. The bass on the 271's is deep, it's there, and I like the fact that they're there but not quite there. I'm not a basshead by any means, so I like the bass sort of recessed and in the back, and that's why I like the 271's. Unfortunately, I haven't heard half the cans that you have in that list. But from my observations on these forums, maybe I can make a hint or two as to what I'm talking about. The Ex-71's and the HD-280's have bass. The EX-71's in my mind, have very sloppy bass that's just all over the place. I never liked them. The HD-280's are fairly good, but also on the bassy side. The Grado SR-60's I felt were fairly good in the bass department. A lot of umph in the sound but not sloppy, and I'd be a fan of the headphone if I didn't get so fatigued listening to Grados. The PX-200 and the HD-201's, I haven't heard so I'm sorry. Nor have I heard the ER4-P's.. I have read, however, that people consider the ER4-P's and ER6's to be lacking in bass unless properly amped and with a good seal. So think of it like that. The AKG K271's are a big lacking in the bass department. It's there, it's just deeper and more recessed. The Zu Mobius does bring it out a bit more, and you can definitely hear it better if you amp the cans properly, but if you like bass, I'd say look elsewhere. You should be able to find someone selling the zu mobius cables in the forums here once in a while. You can also buy them straight from the manufacturer, just go to their website (www.zucable.com). I'm not sure about a portable amp, but I've read that the new Go-Vibe III is quite good. I'm sure you could have the gain raised a bit on the amp so that the K271S's work a bit better without having to juice the volume meter up too much to save some battery life...

This about describs the sound in a nutshell. The bass is definitely deep but it doesn't seem to wrap you up in it the way more bassy cans do. I'm trying to figure out if I like it.

 

[ojnihs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevhuynh This about describs the sound in a nutshell. The bass is definitely deep but it doesn't seem to wrap you up in it the way more bassy cans do. I'm trying to figure out if I like it.

Actually that's a very good way of putting it and I wish I had thought of it myself. The bass is definitely present in my mind, but not overly so. I feel that the main reason I like these cans so much is that they don't overpower the rest of the music as I felt some of the bassier cans do.

The AKG K271S's are just one of those cans that people either hate or love. I love them personally, and I like them a lot for rock music, and their mids are very splendid, not as much as the 501's, but quite smooth, so they hit classical music quite well too. They are closed, however, so remember that does alter the sound.

Hope I was able to help some, I'm sorry that I'm a bit wordy and not straight enough to the point, but I actually felt that I didn't quite know what to expect from them even though I'd read thread after thread about them. I feel they're a pair of cans you have to listen to to really know what they're like.

 

[kevhuynh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ojnihs Actually that's a very good way of putting it and I wish I had thought of it myself. The bass is definitely present in my mind, but not overly so. I feel that the main reason I like these cans so much is that they don't overpower the rest of the music as I felt some of the bassier cans do. The AKG K271S's are just one of those cans that people either hate or love. I love them personally, and I like them a lot for rock music, and their mids are very splendid, not as much as the 501's, but quite smooth, so they hit classical music quite well too. They are closed, however, so remember that does alter the sound. Hope I was able to help some, I'm sorry that I'm a bit wordy and not straight enough to the point, but I actually felt that I didn't quite know what to expect from them even though I'd read thread after thread about them. I feel they're a pair of cans you have to listen to to really know what they're like.

Would you recommend cables first or an amp? I'm not too keen on spending too much on my headphone set up but I can tell by the way some of the bass notes are hitting that it's underpowered using the out on my deck.

 

[ojnihs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevhuynh Would you recommend cables first or an amp? I'm not too keen on spending too much on my headphone set up but I can tell by the way some of the bass notes are hitting that it's underpowered using the out on my deck.

I'd probably go with the amp first myself, because I thought the 271's sounded pretty good straight out of the box with the stock cable, although I bought them used and with a zu cable. You could probably go with something cheap like the Headsave Go-Vibe III by Norm with an increased gain setting to be honest, but I'd check up on that or leave that to other head-fier's to answer.

The cable can wait, because these babies definitely need an amp first and foremost to really shine. But don't wait too long on getting the mobius, since they help them shine a lot, lot more.

 

[aerius]

Quote:

Originally Posted by apotek 1-how is the bass quality when you compare these two(k271s vs. hd-280)?? 2-would I be able to full-run akg's with my pimeta??or with the marantz?? 3-I was also looking ath-a900 which is little more expensive but doesn't need an amp..what do you think about a900 when you compare to both senn's and akg's??

1. Don't know since I've never heard the hd-280

2. No problem at all, gets along just fine with a pimeta. Yes it'll sound a bit better if you get a $1500 amp, but the pimeta will drive it well enough that you won't miss the last couple percent.

3. A900 is pretty but sounds like crap. Does not have the speed and detail of the k271, the bass is slow and notes overhang and blend together on the A900. Mids are sucked out and veiled and have a weird resonance which completely destroys acoustic guitar and female vocals. Not worth it unless someone gives you one for free. IMO.

 

[apotek]

wow that was a strong comment on a900...so many people like them a lot in this forum..but I never had them so I don't know at all...

can someone tell me why it is so difficult to chose one headphone????i can not decide now...I am totally screwed

)))))I guess that what head-fi do to you......god I wish I could try some of these headphones before I buy it.....

anyways..i still would like to know more about akg's bass quality...I still don't now..if this can has bass at all???or what kind of bass????I mean I can buy a900 i have the money...but I wanna buy something good in a long run..and akg's that I found is alot less then ath's....so we will see I guess....