[jasonb]

I ordered a pair of K371s from Sweetwater and they just arrived.

I have a question - if the pads come bunched up from packaging will they straighten back out after awhile or not? Thanks in advance!

They will unbunch overtime. You could massage them a bit to help speed it up. Rotating them around might help too. I rotated mine so the bottom bunched up part was at the top instead of the bottom.

 

[rick88]

They will unbunch overtime. You could massage them a bit to help speed it up. Rotating them around might help too. I rotated mine so the bottom bunched up part was at the top instead of the bottom.

Thanks for the quick reply! That is the answer I was hoping for. Yeah, as soon as I got them out I started massaging them a bit. It is cool and damp here and the phones are a bit cool to the touch, so I figured my warm fingers would help with this.

 

[jasonb]

Thanks for the quick reply! That is the answer I was hoping for. Yeah, as soon as I got them out I started massaging them a bit. It is cool and damp here and the phones are a bit cool to the touch, so I figured my warm fingers would help with this.

Just make sure they do unbunch before you make any conclusions on these. They need to really seal against your head for them to sound right and just one of those wrinkles could make the difference.

With a good seal with a song with good sub-bass they'll sound and feel like little subwoofers for your ears. If you're missing sub-bass then you're not getting a good seal. Just an FYI.

 

[rick88]

Just make sure they do unbunch before you make any conclusions on these. They need to really seal against your head for them to sound right and just one of those wrinkles could make the difference.

With a good seal with a song with good sub-bass they'll sound and feel like little subwoofers for your ears. If you're missing sub-bass then you're not getting a good seal. Just an FYI.

Duly noted, thanks again!

I've been letting them warm up to room temperature before trying them out, and massaging them a bit every 10 minutes or so. Much of the bunching is already gone.

 

[rick88]

Also, while I will be listening to music with these, they will get more use for movie and TV watching. One of the several reasons I chose this model were all the reviews stating the bass quantity/quality of them. I expect they will be great for action movies!

 

[jasonb]

Also, while I will be listening to music with these, they will get more use for movie and TV watching. One of the several reasons I chose this model were all the reviews stating the bass quantity/quality of them. I expect they will be great for action movies!

They should be

 

[fattymacgeek]

I replaced the regular pads with HM5 as well! They feel much better on my ears, I just wish the headphones themselves were a bit less oval-y and more round-ish. As they are now they're basically on ear for me, and I'd prefer if they were over ear.
I'm using the angled pads, very happy with them so far!

Would you mind sharing some photos with the HM5 on the K371? I'm curious of the comparative size, as it should be larger/deeper (?) than the small oval pads. Luckily for me, my ears fit (barely) inside the small oval pads so they remain as over-ears, but I wouldn't mind having thicker pads. Do you lose bass if these sit as on-ears?

 

[fattymacgeek]

I ordered a pair of K371s from Sweetwater and they just arrived.

I have a question - if the pads come bunched up from packaging will they straighten back out after awhile or not? Thanks in advance!

Yes, mine were also like that upon first unboxing. The wrinkles do disappear over time so it's nothing to worry about, but it also depends on how your store them. I had themhanging on some headphone stands on my desk, and the bottom of the pads were squished together due to the clamp/shape of the K371, so sometimes the wrinkles returned. Other than bothering my OCD, I didn't have any sound issues with them though.

 

[rick88]

After 2 days I decided to return my set for a replacement due to the fairly common issue of a loose headband adjustment mechanism. Mine was so loose that it would not stay snug on my head, particularly on the right earcup. Any slight movement by me and it would loosen by a notch or two. I am aware of the thread on reddit about this and that it's an easy fix, but I didn't want to risk voiding the warranty by doing it myself.

Kudos to Sweetwater as after I emailed them Saturday they sent out another pair the same day, before receiving the first pair back (I sent them back Saturday as well). Then again, I've dealt with Sweetwater several times in the last 6 years and have come to expect great customer service from them.

The new pair was scheduled to arrive tomorrow, but they came a day early today. This pair is much better as the adjuster mechanism is tighter and they stay firmly on my head. I'm a happy camper!

 

[McArooni]

Would you mind sharing some photos with the HM5 on the K371? I'm curious of the comparative size, as it should be larger/deeper (?) than the small oval pads. Luckily for me, my ears fit (barely) inside the small oval pads so they remain as over-ears, but I wouldn't mind having thicker pads. Do you lose bass if these sit as on-ears?

Size doesn't feel too different from the original, but they're definitely a bit deeper. They sit on my ears even with the original pads, though I'd say the Brainwavz angled pads give me a tiny bit more space. Sound signature now is far from the original tuning, I'd give my preference to the original pads but they're currently so much more comfortable, I'm willing to take the hit on sound quality.

I had a similar issue with the t50rp mkIII, basically any 3rd party pads had a bad impact on the sound quality. Only some odd Yaxi pads designed for some Sony headphones worked fine, improving comfort without changing sound quality because they're basically the same thickness.

Edit: the pads on my 371 look a bit odd because i didn't bother making them slide inside the designed gap. I was doing a lot of swapping and it saved me some time.

 

[SimpleManWithSimpleTastes]

I am looking for a headphone to monitor when I record my lectures, and I have the option to get either the K361 ($100), K361 BT ($99) or K371 BT ($106). The K371 is not available here in India.

Unfortunately, all the recent reviews on Amazon for K371 BT seems to point to a massive QC failure regarding the build quality. So, that is probably not the one to get.

So I have a few questions regarding the remaining two models:
Between the K361 and K361 BT, how much of a difference is there in the sound quality?
How well do they work as recording monitors? I do not use a audio interface, and I use ATR 2100 in USB mode to record the lectures.
How is the soundstage of the two? Is it enough to watch movies or play games?
How well do they respond to software equalizers? Let's say, I want to listen to a bass-heavy track, and I want a bit more oomph. Would turning up the bass in EQ work well with these headphones?
Finally, how well does the cushion on the headband hold up? Is it replaceable?

 

[edumartins]

Hi, everyone.

Just registered here on the forum. I read all the thread and it was decisive to me when I bought my K361.
I found it extremely pleasant to hear and rest in my head, except when the weather gets a bit hot, and this is a problem to me, as I live in a tropical weather city. Summer here will be HOT as always, and the pleather from the earpads gets a bit sticky in the skin sometimes. This cause a bit of discomfort on the skin around the ears, sometimes a bit of allergy too. When I used my K92, which has a bit harder earpad, I had this kind of problem. So, when I noticed that even on the K361 extremely soft earpad I felt the same, I decided to look for some tips around the internet.

This week I bought a Brainwavz HM5 Hybrid. It was my first time buying earpads, so I took no chances and bought just a regular one, flat, not angled. My phone is now really confortable, much more than with the original earpads. I noticed a bit of bass reduction, just a bit, not enough to make me think of changing back to the originals. The soundstage, however, had a huge improvement. Didn't noticed any significant changes on the mids and highs. As I read, the K371 have a more pronounced bass on the sound signature, so MAYBE, the difference in final sound can change I bit more. I don't know, just guessing here.

Anyway, just wanted to register this here as a thank you all for the messages on this thread, and I wanted to give my contribution to future buyers.

 

[fattymacgeek]

I am looking for a headphone to monitor when I record my lectures, and I have the option to get either the K361 ($100), K361 BT ($99) or K371 BT ($106). The K371 is not available here in India.

Unfortunately, all the recent reviews on Amazon for K371 BT seems to point to a massive QC failure regarding the build quality. So, that is probably not the one to get.

So I have a few questions regarding the remaining two models:
Between the K361 and K361 BT, how much of a difference is there in the sound quality?
How well do they work as recording monitors? I do not use a audio interface, and I use ATR 2100 in USB mode to record the lectures.
How is the soundstage of the two? Is it enough to watch movies or play games?
How well do they respond to software equalizers? Let's say, I want to listen to a bass-heavy track, and I want a bit more oomph. Would turning up the bass in EQ work well with these headphones?
Finally, how well does the cushion on the headband hold up? Is it replaceable?

Hi there, I have a somewhat similar experience in that I use my 371 (wired) regularly for recording lectures and online meetings via ATR 2100X (USB-C version). So while I can't say anything about the 361, I can tell you two things: 1) when directly monitoring through the ATR, there is more than sufficient power to drive the 371 to insane volume but there is also high noise level. Comparatively, when I plug in my 4xx it is silent (in fact, volume is too low even at max). I believe this is a combination of the fact that these are quite sensitive headphones and the ATR has a horrible amp (in my opinion) 2) I've had these for about a year now and the headband are still in perfect conditions (and I live in a very hot climate). It does get greasy from my hair but easily cleaned. Unlike the head pads, they don't appear to be replaceable though. As for the sound qualities and EQ, I can't comment on the 361 or 361BT so I'll let others answer that.

 

[fattymacgeek]

Size doesn't feel too different from the original, but they're definitely a bit deeper. They sit on my ears even with the original pads, though I'd say the Brainwavz angled pads give me a tiny bit more space. Sound signature now is far from the original tuning, I'd give my preference to the original pads but they're currently so much more comfortable, I'm willing to take the hit on sound quality.

I had a similar issue with the t50rp mkIII, basically any 3rd party pads had a bad impact on the sound quality. Only some odd Yaxi pads designed for some Sony headphones worked fine, improving comfort without changing sound quality because they're basically the same thickness.

Edit: the pads on my 371 look a bit odd because i didn't bother making them slide inside the designed gap. I was doing a lot of swapping and it saved me some time.

Thank you for those pictures! They do look alot deeper than the small oval pads and I think I will try them someday. Do you think getting angled vs non-angled would make any difference (other than a few dollars)?

 

[edumartins]

Finally, how well does the cushion on the headband hold up? Is it replaceable?

Well, this one I can answer. Doesn't seem to be replaceable, but it's holding well after 3 months. Last week I begun to use some kind of cover made with neoprene, like those wetsuits, to protect, just in case. It improved a bit the feel on the top of the head.