[tdockweiler]

Quote:

I can't wait to try them now ... thanks so much for the detailed analysis.
I will definitely report back after I have a good listen to them.
 
Just ordered a set of V6 pads too like you recommended.... you should be a salesman cos I bet you're making a lot of people buy these.

Still surprised nobody has accused me of being a Koss employee or Koss fanboy yet

. As I always say, these are extremely under-appreciated here. They deserve to be up there with the KSC75 and Porta Pro as good budget headphones. Fingers crossed that Koss comes up with an open version that's as comfortable as the HD-598 and not portable!
 
Maybe people avoid them because they're a bit harder to find and because they're a DJ headphone? I have no idea. Not many people sell them online also. From what Koss told me, basically anyone can sell them and it's not a Best Buy exclusive like I thought. Very strange.
 
I'd do anything to see a frequency graph for these....
 

 

[200poundsofamp]

Quote:

I'd do anything to see a frequency graph for these....  

 
Well there is this:


 
Bonus gibberish courtesy of google
 
Take that with a fat grain of salt, I've found some of them wildly inaccurate.

 

[tdockweiler]

 
Quote:

Quote:
 
Well there is this:


 
Bonus gibberish courtesy of google
 
Take that with a fat grain of salt, I've found some of them wildly inaccurate.

Thanks for that! That made my day and I don't know for sure yet if it's accurate or not. Seems I would expected to see slightly more bass on it. His graphs seem at least more accurate than some of headroom's graphs.
 
The graph of the SRH-840 on headroom's website is crazy compared to that Japanese website. I was on this website for like 45 minutes just looking at graphs and comparing them. On this JP site, it's pretty flat, but not so much on the headroom website.
 
Interesting that they even have one for the MV1. It's exactly what my ears heard, with some really forward upper mids.
 
One headphone that looks good is the Beyer DJX.
 
I tried finding graphs similar to the DJ100, but the closest I came is this one for the K501:
 

 
 
While I'm at it, here's my old favorite when I was 18. Wish I was joking, but not as horrible as I thought:
 
Bose Triport AE1:
 

 
I suggest everyone check out that website, there's a section on there with TONS of graphs. The one for the AD700 looked good.
 
Also...FYI google translate will give you a headache. I made absolutely zero sense out of the Japanese to English translation.
 
 

 

[Anaxilus]

I don't think Koss has fanboys which makes them all the more cool.  Perhaps the Portapro devotees would come closest.  As it turns out Koss and Sennheiser have become the bulk of my headphones with a dash of Fostex.

 

[BattleBrat]

^yes, us portapro nuts (I sure do love mine)

 

[joey99]

You guys are so so lucky you can get them for $50 with free shipping! .. the only place I can find that will ship to sydney was koolaudiophile from Vietnam of all places... but the customer service was quite good but still cost $100 to get shipped over here ...

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

You guys are so so lucky you can get them for $50 with free shipping! .. the only place I can find that will ship to sydney was koolaudiophile from Vietnam of all places... but the customer service was quite good but still cost $100 to get shipped over here ...

They ran that sale twice last year and I wish I had gotten another pair. I killed my first pair on accident (blew the driver when I cut the wire...somehow) and then my second one is in another shell. It'd still be nice to have another closed pair.
I even found some velour pads that work with them. They're from a Jwin headphone.
 
Even $100 is worth it to me, but I'm going to wait to see if they have another sale just to be safe.
 
BTW Ever saw the Koss R/200? Looks comfortable, but I wonder what it sounds like. Maybe an open DJ100 would have a similar design? Here's a picture of it:
 

 
And the graph:
 

 
Looks like it was released back in 2004 or so, but I've never heard of it before. I sure hope they don't include a volume control on an open DJ100. A detachable cable would be nice.

 

[joey99]

My PRO DJ100 arrived 4 days ago and I've been burning them in non-stop. First impression was it's really nice looking and very light but the pads were just very thin and shallow and just wasn't that comfortable.
 
On the Iphone 4, I actually thought it wasn't that bad at all .. the mids do certainly stand out on them and over all very clear sound. My M50 sounded it had more range but the Koss has nicer, fuller vocals. They both have similar very nice tight bass impact .. I think the Koss actually does it slightly better.
 
My other setup is the FLAC-Foodbar-PC-Fiio E7/E9 ... I found that the amp made the headphones much too warm and kind of blended the lows and mids and just lost it's clearness. this does not happen to the M50 though. So I just left them burning in for 2 days to see if they would improve. I listen to mostly pop with female vocals like taylor swift, avril, cantopop but since getting into headphone also anything I can find that sounds amazing. For some reason, the Koss just doesn't like Taylor swift and she just sounded a bit flat or muddy. Some things like Selena Gomez - Love you like a love song sounded quite ok but wasn't spectacular. things just sounds more clear on the iphone and the M50.

Then I decided to try out the M50 pads on the KOSS .. which fit perfectly!! and they're much more comfortable. and the sounds ............. I have to say WOW!! ... it actually cleared the sound up so much and is just sounds amazing .. the clearness has come back .. the vocals are perfect on these. I also tried the M50 pads without the inside lining and this makes them even more clear. The M50 might sound like they have more detail up high but the Koss's mids are just beautiful and full and the bass is just very tight. the over all sound is just very engaging and fun ... I've been listening to Maceo Parker - Life on Planet Groove and the atmosphere, instrument separation, presence, sound stage just sound incredible.
 
I have always found the M50 a little thin in the mids and have been looking for something that makes the mids/vocals stand out more .. and these are it! the M50 probably has a bit more detail and sounds like it has a wider range but also a little fatiquing due to the sibilance sometimes with female vocals. The Koss doesn't have sibilance maybe due to it's slightly rolled off highs which probably makes it easier to listen to over all for long periods.
 
I highly recommend these but only with M50 pads. I think they're very comparable to the M50 and at the moment I'm enjoying them a whole lot.

 

[joey99]

Here is an image of the M50 pads on the Koss ... I think they looks sweet .. and sounds fantastic.
 

 

[tdockweiler]

Thanks for the impressions. I really need to buy another pair since mine is converted to open. Sometimes I just prefer them closed.
Unamped I think they're not bad unless it's a really bass heavy song. I could probably live with them unamped with my music for short periods of time without any problems. Just depends on the music.
For very good bass, an amp really is needed. Now that I think of it, I've never tried my E9 with my DJ100 yet. I've always used my Airhead and it's a good combination.
 
I had the M50 and the DJ100 at the same time before and never once thought about trying the M50 pads on it. That's a good idea. I've always used the MDR-V6 pads with mine, but a few people said it does something with the treble, but I never had that problem.
A very good seal really improves the bass. I think the stock pads need to be improved. Much too thin and shallow. Luckily the MDR-V6 pads are cheap.
 
The DJ100 has always been (and still is) one of my favorite headphones for female vocals. The HD-598 has come close for this, but not quite. Just a fun headphone that makes music really engaging. Very few headphones I've tried really sound like the DJ100, but have a few similarities.
I keep waiting to see if Best Buy will have another one of those $50 sales.
 
Have you tried them for gaming yet? They're actually quite good for this, despite the little extra bass. They have some really good imaging and the soundstage is large enough for gaming. I played through Bioshock 2 about a year back with them.
Quote:

My PRO DJ100 arrived 4 days ago and I've been burning them in non-stop. First impression was it's really nice looking and very light but the pads were just very thin and shallow and just wasn't that comfortable.
 
On the Iphone 4, I actually thought it wasn't that bad at all .. the mids do certainly stand out on them and over all very clear sound. My M50 sounded it had more range but the Koss has nicer, fuller vocals. They both have similar very nice tight bass impact .. I think the Koss actually does it slightly better.
 
My other setup is the FLAC-Foodbar-PC-Fiio E7/E9 ... I found that the amp made the headphones much too warm and kind of blended the lows and mids and just lost it's clearness. this does not happen to the M50 though. So I just left them burning in for 2 days to see if they would improve. I listen to mostly pop with female vocals like taylor swift, avril, cantopop but since getting into headphone also anything I can find that sounds amazing. For some reason, the Koss just doesn't like Taylor swift and she just sounded a bit flat or muddy. Some things like Selena Gomez - Love you like a love song sounded quite ok but wasn't spectacular. things just sounds more clear on the iphone and the M50.

Then I decided to try out the M50 pads on the KOSS .. which fit perfectly!! and they're much more comfortable. and the sounds ............. I have to say WOW!! ... it actually cleared the sound up so much and is just sounds amazing .. the clearness has come back .. the vocals are perfect on these. I also tried the M50 pads without the inside lining and this makes them even more clear. The M50 might sound like they have more detail up high but the Koss's mids are just beautiful and full and the bass is just very tight. the over all sound is just very engaging and fun ... I've been listening to Maceo Parker - Life on Planet Groove and the atmosphere, instrument separation, presence, sound stage just sound incredible.
 
I have always found the M50 a little thin in the mids and have been looking for something that makes the mids/vocals stand out more .. and these are it! the M50 probably has a bit more detail and sounds like it has a wider range but also a little fatiquing due to the sibilance sometimes with female vocals. The Koss doesn't have sibilance maybe due to it's slightly rolled off highs which probably makes it easier to listen to over all for long periods.
 
I highly recommend these but only with M50 pads. I think they're very comparable to the M50 and at the moment I'm enjoying them a whole lot.

 

 

[jasonb]

i just picked up a pair of DJ100's at my local best buy for $80. i'm using them with an iPhone 4 and a PA2V2 amp and they sound great. right now im at home using them with the iPhone 4 on the Apple dock using a 3.5mm cable to the PA2V2. i just ordered a Fiio L3 so i can use this setup as a portable. they sound good to me. they have the overall sound signature that i prefer. they do need amping for sure. they dont sound anywhere near as nice out of the headphone jack of the iPhone. but my SA6's also sound better with an amp as well, so it'll be good to get the L3 and have an amped portable setup to use with both headphones.

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

i just picked up a pair of DJ100's at my local best buy for $80. i'm using them with an iPhone 4 and a PA2V2 amp and they sound great. right now im at home using them with the iPhone 4 on the Apple dock using a 3.5mm cable to the PA2V2. i just ordered a Fiio L3 so i can use this setup as a portable. they sound good to me. they have the overall sound signature that i prefer. they do need amping for sure. they dont sound anywhere near as nice out of the headphone jack of the iPhone. but my SA6's also sound better with an amp as well, so it'll be good to get the L3 and have an amped portable setup to use with both headphones.

I just got a third(!) pair a few days ago also. My first pair sounded amazing out of the box (I killed this pair and blew the driver..Oops). The second pair needed 3 days of burn-in to sound as good as the first. This pair somehow didn't sound good out of the box. On day two it sounded so much better. I only bought a 3rd because the other is made open and sounds so different.
 
Some pairs sounded great out of the box and others don't. If anyone gets a pair and don't like it, please burn them in! I sure hope this pair gets fixed with burn in and I'm sure it will.
 
I still don't like the stock pads much and will use the V6 pads again with them. Maybe I can order a pair of the M50 pads.
 
I always heard the PA2V2 had perfect synergy with the DJ100. I also think the Total Airhead/Bithead does also. The E5 can often make them sound a bit harsh, but it gets the job done as long as someone has a bigger mp3 player. The Nuforce Mobile is horrible with them.
 
I bet in 3 days they'll sound twice as good! Ok, maybe not, but all my pairs seemed to improve the more I listened to them.
 
This isn't good...3 pairs of headphones in a week. Returned the ZX700 and got the DJ100. Then I went and bought the KRK KNS-8400 again. Oops. Oh and then I got the AD500 from Wal-Mart for $35.
 
This 8400 sounds way different than my first pair. A lot better. Can't wait to hear my DJ100 once it's finally burned it. I'm taking notes of the differences every 8 hours. Yes, I'm a nerd I guess.
 
I still think the DJ100 is one of the best budget headphones I ever heard once you get a good well-burned in pair with some good amp synergy.
 
Female vocals are just amazing with the DJ100. Pretty clear and detailed too.
 
Fingers crossed that my pair gets back to it's old self with another day of burn-in. I miss it's sound. Nothing else quite like it. The HD-598 is close, but not quite.
 
 
 

 

[jasonb]

if i had any complaints, right now id say they have to much bass. i doubt the bass will tone down any after break in. its just a tad to much for metal. i'm also trying some extra foam in the pads to space them away from my ears a little bit. im going to try different materials to see if i can get the sound i want out of them. 
 
i do like them... i could just like them better with just a tad less bass.

 

[Anaxilus]

Too much bass for metal?  That shouldn't be.  You using the Headroom amp?  Which one?  Hopefully you don't have a damping factor problem.  Seems to be par for the course lately.

 

[jasonb]

nope, using a PA2V2. its not like xb500 bass, but they are bassy. bassier than my HD650's and my SA6's. its not bad... i still like them quite a bit. the mids and highs are right there too. they are fun.
 
Quote:

Too much bass for metal?  That shouldn't be.  You using the Headroom amp?  Which one?  Hopefully you don't have a damping factor problem.  Seems to be par for the course lately.