[Andrew_WOT]

Interesting observation on amplification, I could clearly tell how much better K271S sounds out of GLite than from Pico amp. Unamped they were just plain bland and uninvolving with a weak bass.
Make sure to use velour pads.

 

[Germancub]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew_WOT /img/forum/go_quote.gif Interesting observation on amplification, I could clearly tell how much better K271S sounds out of GLite than from Pico amp. Unamped they were just plain bland and uninvolving with a weak bass. Make sure to use velour pads.

Yeah the velour pads are really great, the vinyl pads exemplify said honkiness, lol.

 

[plonkersaurus]

I have the K271 MKII's and comparing the output of my mp3 player to a CMOY there isn't a lot of difference, but, with a Graham Slee Solo the headphones are completely different, their soundstage opens up a lot and they sound a lot clearer and more airy.

They difference is night and day in my opinion and I can't really agree that they don't improve a lot with better amplification.

 

[winwin]

Would a Fiio E5 or A2pv2 amp be enough to improve sound on the K271? Someone is posting them for sale here in the Philippines for $120 and I have an SR60i. I'm deciding if I should sell my SR60i and go for it or just keep my SR60i.

 

[plonkersaurus]

You could buy them and then sell which ever one you didnt like? They have quite different signatures, the AKG's being much more laid back.

However I think you need a really good amp to really open up their soundstage, the Fiio E5 probably will be enough to power them loud enough but won't make a huge difference to the sound quality (which is still good without top end amplification). I've never heard of the A2pv2

 

[winwin]

I'll try to do that. For now, I still don't have any amps and don't have lots of extra cash to spend. It would be better if I could decide which 1 to keep but I'd want to try them both first before letting 1 go. Does the K271 really lack bass? Would it sound good with the Philips Gogear SA52x?

 

[stokitw]

I would say keep your SR60i.
You can always wait for a good amp.
K271 is very sensitive to amp, you better audit the amp before you get anyone.
Also, even though the difference between my SR80 and K271s is smaller without amp, I won't say that K271s would be inferior without amp.

Another reason to keep your SR60i is that K271 is hot after sometime of listening.

It's not a problem in a well air-conditioned room, but that's the main reason I still keep my SR-80 along with K271s as my office phones.


Quote:

Originally Posted by winwin /img/forum/go_quote.gif Would a Fiio E5 or A2pv2 amp be enough to improve sound on the K271? Someone is posting them for sale here in the Philippines for $120 and I have an SR60i. I'm deciding if I should sell my SR60i and go for it or just keep my SR60i.

 

[winwin]

Is it ok to use the K271 for portable use? Like when commuting or at school? Can it be driven directly from a portable source without losing much details?

 

[cerbie]

I find the K271 to generally be boring from portable sources I've heard it with. A source with an output topology like the original iPod Shuffle would do well, I suspect (it improves a great deal through a simple push-pull buffer). While it has some details, I find it quite boring--I guess that's just how the poor amplification distortion presents itself to me. My Xin, fed w/ 12V wall power, is about my minimum for listening to it (I planned a nice amp build as part of keeping the K271 mkII, but then real life got in the way).

I also wouldn't use it portably, because it makes a lot of noise from moving. Part of what makes it comfy are the plastic parts having joints, some of it staying under spring-like tension, and the arch thingies being somewhat flexible. That also allows movement to make noise that transfers all over the headphone. For sitting down and groovin', it's no biggie (it lessens greatly with use, as well). On a bus or something, though, you'd be hearing more of the plastic crackling and groaning than you would your music.

It's a wonderful headphone, but I don't think it's good at what you want. If you were asking about using it with a real amplifier (even a receiver's HP out--I'm not talking, "high-end," just high power), for home listening, and wanted a comfortable closed headphone that sounded fairly neutral, with intimate mids, I'd say to go for it. If you didn't like it, at least you would have a better vantage point to move on from.

You aren't asking for anything remotely like that. Have you considered Audio Technica's closed models, or maybe some of the Sony ones with better reputations around here? I haven't heard them, but many are well known to sound good from any output.

 

[TristranThorn]

I've been listening to a new pair with the velour pads out of a MacBook Pro -> D2 Boa for ~100 hours. The bass is certainly adequate for me.

I do find the noise created by the auto-adjusting size mechanism a bit irritating. It will stop once the phones are perfectly positioned my head. Hopefully that will go away after extended use. The phones are comfortable though.

I was hoping to get a bit more isolation from outside noise than they provide, but I can deal with it. They are, however, good at preventing sound from leaking out.

 

[Germancub]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TristranThorn /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've been listening to a new pair with the velour pads out of a MacBook Pro -> D2 Boa for ~100 hours. The bass is certainly adequate for me. I do find the noise created by the auto-adjusting size mechanism a bit irritating. It will stop once the phones are perfectly positioned my head. Hopefully that will go away after extended use. The phones are comfortable though. I was hoping to get a bit more isolation from outside noise than they provide, but I can deal with it. They are, however, good at preventing sound from leaking out.

Hehe kind of an old thread, but yeah theyre great. The creaking noise from adjusting eventually goes away but it takes a while.

 

[ktsai1283]

Quote:

Originally Posted by winwin /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is it ok to use the K271 for portable use? Like when commuting or at school? Can it be driven directly from a portable source without losing much details?

In addition to what cerbie said, you also have to take into consideration the possibility that the K 271 may look HUGE on your head. It does on mine, and I'm pretty sure that I have an average-sized head. Check out the pictures on HeadRoom. The dummy head that they use must be enormous because whenever I look at myself in the mirror with the K 271 on, I can't help but laugh at how much it seems to engulf my head...