AKG K81DJ ? ( for portable use )

[Wil]

Im currently using a pair of Shure E4Cs with my Zen Touch. Im thinking of getting a pair of closed phones for portable use as at times the E4Cs cause abit of discomfort and getting them in and out again to hear someone talk is a tad tiring. ( Dont get me wrong tho, i love the isolation )

Has anyone compared the K81 with the E4C SQ wise? I dont think i'll be bothered by the long cable. I like the way the E4Cs sound although i think it could use with abit more top end sparkle. I will be running it unamped as well.

Also, how is isolation with the K81? I know it would be ridiculous to compare it with the E4C, but is it ok for use on public transport? Does it leak sound? I listen to plenty of indie/electronica/post-rockish music so i figure the K81 might cut the sonic mustard from what i've read around here.

Thanks = )

 

[lmilhan]

I own(ed) both. Sound wise, I very slightly preferred the K81 DJs believe it or not - they sound more 'fun' when compared to the E4Cs. As far as isolation, the K81 DJs did a decent job - about what you would expect the average set of closed headphones to do. They do not leak any significant sound out. In the end I sold the K81 DJs and kept the E4Cs - the reason being that the K81 DJs were by far the most unfomfortable vice-like headphones I ever owned. Ashame really, because I really liked the way they sounded.

The K81 DJ fanboys will chime in and say that the K81 DJs can be made more comfortable with excessive stretching and bending. I tried to apply this stretching and bending as it is described here on Head-Fi, but the k81 DJs never became comfortable enough for me to wear for longer than 1 hour without my ears getting squashed to the point that I was in pain. Others report that the stretching make them comfortable enough for them to wear for hours, so YMMV. I personally think the very nature of supra-aural closed headphones make them unfomfortable - in order to get a decent seal they need to apply a significant amount of pressure against your ears.

With that said, if you can endure the pain (or if you somehow find them comfortable) then by all means get a pair of K81 DJs. Hell they are cheap enough to give them a try to see what you think regardless, you could easily sell them if you found them uncomfortable. They are the best sounding closed headphones I have ever heard in all my time here at Head-Fi for closed phones in that price range.

Good luck.

 

[Wil]

Thanks so much lmilhan.

So i guess i'll give the K81 a shot. *rubs hands in glee*

My head is kinda small. ( MY MS2is hardly need to be extended for me to wear it, and i find that it fits snugs and comfy.)

I actually found the ER4S i used to own extremely uncomfortable. The wires were so rigid and i hated the ways they sticked out of my ears. But that's another story for another time = )

I wonder if the K81s will make me look like a dork....

 

[VR6ofpain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wil I wonder if the K81s will make me look like a dork....

On the contrary, they will make you more attractive to women. They also sound really good.

 

[sonick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VR6ofpain On the contrary, they will make you more attractive to women. They also sound really good.

Yeah man, chicks love DJ's.

What you do is, when you're on the bus, pull one of the cups off your ear, while keeping the other one on by bending your neck to your shoulder, and pretend to scratch. Bonus points if you go "chikka, chik, chik, chikka."

 

[n00b]

Sorry to semi-threadjack, but I've also had my eye on the K81DJ. I tend to like more of a fun sound (so I bought the MS-1s because I heard they weren't so flat) and I've had them for years now, but now that I've stopped listening to rock (more hiphop) I don't think they serve their purpose anymore. If I could tolerate wearing Grados do you think I could handle the k81djs? I don't really have a big head (I'm still growing!) so maybe that could make them more comfortable?

And Wil, my apologies if you mind me posting here. I just think we're in the same boat!

 

[sonick]

Quote:

If I could tolerate wearing Grados do you think I could handle the k81djs? I don't really have a big head (I'm still growing!) so maybe that could make them more comfortable?

The Grados fit totally different than the K81DJ's.

Grado's rest on top of your head, and the earcups kind of hang beside your ears. Most of the pressure is on the top of the headband.

For the AKGs, the pressure holding them on your head is on the earcups, it clamps onto your ears, and you barely feel any pressure on top of your head.

With a bit of bending and flexing and getting used to, the AKGs fit fine.

 

[Wil]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonick Yeah man, chicks love DJ's. What you do is, when you're on the bus, pull one of the cups off your ear, while keeping the other one on by bending your neck to your shoulder, and pretend to scratch. Bonus points if you go "chikka, chik, chik, chikka."

I hope they dont leak that much coz it's really quite hard imaging anyone "scratching" to Yo La Tengo. hehehhe.

 

[norseman8485]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VR6ofpain On the contrary, they will make you more attractive to women. They also sound really good.

Yeah, women on the streets just swarm me when they see me wearing them. I had to beat them off with a big stick and run like hell. That's why I don't bring the djs out anymore.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Quote:

Originally Posted by norseman8485 I had to beat them off with a big stick...

Funny image went through my head as I pictured that

 

[norseman8485]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonick The Grados fit totally different than the K81DJ's. Grado's rest on top of your head, and the earcups kind of hang beside your ears. Most of the pressure is on the top of the headband. For the AKGs, the pressure holding them on your head is on the earcups, it clamps onto your ears, and you barely feel any pressure on top of your head. With a bit of bending and flexing and getting used to, the AKGs fit fine.

Funny, for me the pressure comes mostly from the top pressing down. The clamping bit is ok, but the top pressure is horrible. I had to keep trying to dome out the metal band so that it distributes the pressure over a greater area.

 

[sonick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by norseman8485 Funny, for me the pressure comes mostly from the top pressing down. The clamping bit is ok, but the top pressure is horrible. I had to keep trying to dome out the metal band so that it distributes the pressure over a greater area.

You probably tried to bend it by pulling apart the ear-cups, right? If you did, then that is likely why there is so much pressure on the top.

What you should try to do is, push the sides of the headband together with your fingertips (you should push where the texture bumps are), while you use the heel of your palms to keep the earcups together.

This will force the headband to bend UP, and hopefully, relieve some pressure up top.

 

[norseman8485]

No way man. I push the sides of the metal band together so it'll dome out you see. And I don't press the cups together cuz someone else broken his doing it. I turn the cups sideways so they slide past each other when I bend, forming a sort of X shape. Maybe I didn't hulk on it hard enough...

 

[murrmax]

These ARE the business when it comes to portable sound , just shorten the cord
plugin and for the type of music your'e into you'll be in sonic bliss.
As far as the comfort issue goes people don't give them enough time - like a new pair of leather shoes it takes a while to break in. When I first got them the
pressure got a little intense but now no more comfort problems whatsoever. Also the bass settles down and tightens.

 

[jernmo]

I just got mine yesterday and they are burning-in as we speak. Two things I've noticed (compared to my Senn PX100 and HD595). Sound quality: good, but bloated bass and possibly a little muddy/dark (I hope this will improve with burn-in though). They do sound much better through my PA2V2. Comfort: not nearly as comfortable as either Sennheiser. Pretty high clamping pressure (hurts with glasses on) and they wouldn't fit my head out of the box. I have been bending my headband and it still isn't great. They fit my wife perfectly though. They do have enough clamping pressure to easily wear them behind the head. That's what I'm doing now.