Brief impressions of the TDK ST750 headphones

[Marximus]

I picked up a pair of these tonight.  Normally I wouldn't have given them another look, but I got an *absurd* deal on them:  they were $25 at Ross.  I did a bit of research on my phone while I was in the store, and figured since they retail for $250, it couldn't hurt to buy some headphones at 90% off.  I got them home and am listening to them right now.  They came with batteries, but I'm not a big fan of unnecessary electronics/batteries in headphones, so I'm just running them passively, through my Headroom Micro Amp (I probably wouldn't have purchased them if they couldn't be run passively).  I'm pretty sure I can say these are the best $25 headphones I've ever bought.  They're very clean, and not bass heavy at all, something which might be expected with a lot of consumer-oriented headphones.  I might even say they're very close to neutral; it's a bit difficult to say, though, since I've got Denon D600s, and they're bass heavy.  I will say that they function as an excellent complement to the Denons.  They're clear and detailed, with good instrument separation, and I read about sibilance being an issue; there is some but it's not a deal breaker.  Their soundstage is pretty wide, as well, if not terribly deep (they sound good with the Crossfeed enabled on the Micro Amp).  They're decently comfortable; not Beyers, but not Sony MDR-V6s, either.  If any of you have a Ross in your area (I got mine in northern Georgia), you might take a look, because at this price, they're a steal, IMO.  I'm considering going back and buying another pair or two.  Some pictures:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nick n]

twenty....five.....?

I have been HOPING for a deal like that since various TDK stuff has gone clearance price before around here just not seen these, nor the 800's. Canada does get some odd TDK sales...
Rather surprised about your findings i would have expected them to be a bit dark and less detailed, but seems to be the opposite.
They look like a really good fit also nothing stupid looking that's for sure.
 
...and oh yeah nearly forgot:
Congratulations!  You have to feel good about this score...
 
( EDIT: $25 can't even buy a half decent iem really , just thinking out loud. )

 

[Marximus]

Yeah, they're very different from what might be expected.  They almost don't have *enough* bass for me, but that's where my Denons come in.  Instrument separation is excellent.  I think even at Amazon's price of ~$80, they're a good deal.

 

[bb rodriquez]

Did you ever try them with the built in amplifier? They are $75 on amazon right now so I was curious as to how they might sound that way.

 

[Marximus]

No, I haven't.  I think they sound great as is, and I'm not a big fan of batteries.

 

[Lifted Andreas]

Wow they look really nice!

They are £66 on Amazon.co.uk!! The more portable ST700 are even cheaper, however I prefer the look of the 750 more!

Btw what does this mean?

They're decently comfortable; not Beyers, but not Sony MDR-V6s, either.

 

[Vain III]

Yeah, they're very different from what might be expected.  They almost don't have *enough* bass for me, but that's where my Denons come in.  Instrument separation is excellent.  I think even at Amazon's price of ~$80, they're a good deal.

Exactly what I was thinking. They're very bass light and what bass they do have seems to be focused primarily on the mid section instead of the lower end. They're definitely not rumblers instead they're punchy and quite precise, if not underwhelming. This is definitely a treble first kind-of headphone. The highs are sparkly to the point of sibilance, but I'm use to harsh highs and actually enjoy the clarity that comes along side it. The mids are a forward and vocals come through crystal clear. Female voices sound amazing on these headphones. While Audio Technica's house sound is Mid-Centric, Bass Present with highs being the trailing feature this pair of headphones seems to go the exact opposite direction. The headphones are Mid-Centric, Harsher Highs, and bass lacking.

I have used the amplifier that is inside the headphone and can confirm that it doesn't just boost the bass quantity. It basically acts just like a regular neutral amplifier. It really helps drive the headphones from my Nexus 5.

I don't have a great ruler with me right now, but can you confirm that the pads are 4" long, 3" wide. I think the SRH-840 pads will fit, they may be 1/4 inch to long, but I think they'll fit just fine.

 

[Marximus]

Wow they look really nice!

They are £66 on Amazon.co.uk!! The more portable ST700 are even cheaper, however I prefer the look of the 750 more!

Btw what does this mean?

Just that I find the comfort level to be between those two types of headphones.  My very first pair of upper-end headphones were the V6s, and they were very uncomfortable.  I could wear Beyers for hours.  The ST750s are between those; not crushing my ears, but not the most comfortable I've worn.

 

[Lifted Andreas]

Just that I find the comfort level to be between those two types of headphones.  My very first pair of upper-end headphones were the V6s, and they were very uncomfortable.  I could wear Beyers for hours.  The ST750s are between those; not crushing my ears, but not the most comfortable I've worn.

 


Ah I see, thanks for that mate!

I looked around and decided to go for the new Carbon Nanotube JVC HA-S680, they've just been released and available only in Japan. I've got the old HA-S500 and I love them so thought it was a good idea to upgrade to the new king.

They worked out about £20 cheaper than the ST750 too.

 

[Vain III]

I figured out the issue with the ST750. It's the clamping force, or better yet, the lack of clamping force. When the headphones are pushed toward the ears gentle it allow the sound to be more intimate and full. Even the bass becomes thicker, but when you're just letting them hang there the sound of each frequency is airy and somewhat distant. The bass doesn't feel impact because it isn't getting the proper closure that it deserves.

I wish I could have taken them apart to examine them, but one of the screws on the headphone was badly chipped and just wouldn't budge. I did cut a small opening in the layer of filler--for lack of a proper word--that layed on top of the speakers to see if there were any screws that could be taken out from that direction. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Still, the headphones are quite good and the airiness from them is akin to that of an open headphone and lends itself to a larger sound stage with better instrument separation. When I have time/money I will try and pick up some SRH840 pads and see if that changes the sound in any way.

 

[Mark K]

I have a pair of ST800 and have been looking for a slimmer sibling. Well local shops sells 750 at100 usd