Strictly for the people standing in Best Buy trying to decide....
Yesterday I was out and about and ended up in my local Best Buy. I've been itching for a new set of earphones to replace/supplement my IEM's. I had talked myself into a set of DNA's but decided to listen to everything there first. I'm no audiophile, just a music lover. I'm not sure which sound profile is best, but I know what I like. My requirements go something like this: 1) cost, 2) comfort, 3) sound. My usual phone of choice is an IEM, of which I've had several. I've had a few over the ear cans as well, including an ancient pair of Technics I wish I still had and a pair of Bose that were ok, but were stolen. After trying everything in the store, I decided on a pair of KOSS T3AA. Comfort, nice sound, good price. But alas...they were sold out. Probably a good thing as I had overlooked one pair, the HD428. And they were on sale!
A little musical background, I listen to everything. Literally. Bluegrass - Black Metal, Classical - thrash. I have a wide range of tastes. Some headphones seem geared to one type of music or another. I need something that will handle "2112" to "99 Problems". I hooked the trusty iPhone up to the cans and starting trying to eliminate them. I was trying to justify putting off the purchase a while, but with each song, I became more and more intrigued. A few of my selections included:
Secret Touch - Rush
Verklarte Nacht, Op. 4 - Schoenberg
I Got You - Jack Johnson
War Ensemble - Slayer
Shake Ya Tailfeather - Nelly
Born Frustrated - Rancid
Like I said, fairly eclectic. My setup is iPhone 4 --> headphones. I don't want to lug an amp around, so it's gotta sound good straight up. At $59 I couldn't think of a good reason not to buy. They sounded good on everything I tried. I really looked for something, anything that would keep me from buying, but they just sounded great no matter what. I can't really go into a detailed audiophile breakdown, because I'm just not that type of listener. But I will say a few things.
1) isolation is so so at best. Good and bad. These won't work for a loud environment, but good if you have a wife like mine who gets irritated if she says something to me and I don't respond immediately.
2) plastic. I like the feel of the sturdier, more expensive phones, but you pay for that. Plus it does make them light and more likely to wear them longer.
3) comfort. Very nice. A little tweaking to the earcups is required now and then, and the cushion on the headband needs to soften up.
4) the cord is garbage. Too thin. I will look into replacing that.
I find them a very capable can. I know cheap, and for more money I could do a lot better, but for the price and considered usage they are right on target.
Yesterday I was out and about and ended up in my local Best Buy. I've been itching for a new set of earphones to replace/supplement my IEM's. I had talked myself into a set of DNA's but decided to listen to everything there first. I'm no audiophile, just a music lover. I'm not sure which sound profile is best, but I know what I like. My requirements go something like this: 1) cost, 2) comfort, 3) sound. My usual phone of choice is an IEM, of which I've had several. I've had a few over the ear cans as well, including an ancient pair of Technics I wish I still had and a pair of Bose that were ok, but were stolen. After trying everything in the store, I decided on a pair of KOSS T3AA. Comfort, nice sound, good price. But alas...they were sold out. Probably a good thing as I had overlooked one pair, the HD428. And they were on sale!
A little musical background, I listen to everything. Literally. Bluegrass - Black Metal, Classical - thrash. I have a wide range of tastes. Some headphones seem geared to one type of music or another. I need something that will handle "2112" to "99 Problems". I hooked the trusty iPhone up to the cans and starting trying to eliminate them. I was trying to justify putting off the purchase a while, but with each song, I became more and more intrigued. A few of my selections included:
Secret Touch - Rush
Verklarte Nacht, Op. 4 - Schoenberg
I Got You - Jack Johnson
War Ensemble - Slayer
Shake Ya Tailfeather - Nelly
Born Frustrated - Rancid
Like I said, fairly eclectic. My setup is iPhone 4 --> headphones. I don't want to lug an amp around, so it's gotta sound good straight up. At $59 I couldn't think of a good reason not to buy. They sounded good on everything I tried. I really looked for something, anything that would keep me from buying, but they just sounded great no matter what. I can't really go into a detailed audiophile breakdown, because I'm just not that type of listener. But I will say a few things.
1) isolation is so so at best. Good and bad. These won't work for a loud environment, but good if you have a wife like mine who gets irritated if she says something to me and I don't respond immediately.
2) plastic. I like the feel of the sturdier, more expensive phones, but you pay for that. Plus it does make them light and more likely to wear them longer.
3) comfort. Very nice. A little tweaking to the earcups is required now and then, and the cushion on the headband needs to soften up.
4) the cord is garbage. Too thin. I will look into replacing that.
I find them a very capable can. I know cheap, and for more money I could do a lot better, but for the price and considered usage they are right on target.
