Koss 4AAT

[Supsup]

Hey what's up (first post)


I just got some Grado SR-80s today, and I'm liking them a lot ( to go with my iRiver iHP 120).

I'm going to start the break in tonight...

My friend just ordered the Koss 4AAT headphones, and he's convinced that they are better thant he Grados.

Has anyone heard anything about these? I cannot seem to find a review online.

Thanks a bunch.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

First off, your friend doesn't know good sound from merely mediocre sound.

Second, the Koss Pro 4AAT is one very-hard-to-drive and very heavy headphone that sounds just plain meh on most equipment; in fact, even the most powerful portable player cannot properly drive that headphone - you'll need a huge, full-sized stay-at-home-or-studio amp just to get much if any sound at all whatsoever from the Pro 4AAT. And closed headphones rarely sound as good as open-air headphones that cost the same amount of money; in fact, most closed headphones actually sound worse than open-air headphones that cost half as much.

 

[Supsup]

so they will probably sound warm/muddy?

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supsup so they will probably sound warm/muddy?

It is a bit overwarm sounding - and will sound dull and lifeless on anything short of expensive studio equipment. And the treble rings a tinny sound that's even more fatiguing than a merely overbright open-air headphone - but the Pro 4AAT produces very little real treble response, so whatever "treble" coming out of that headphone is caused primarily by the excessive earcup resonances. Not much musical enjoyment in that headphone. It was a good headphone - back in the mid-1970s, when nobody knew how to make a good, clear, musical-sounding headphone. But by current standards, the Pro 4AAT is waaaay behind the times. The current headphone that sounds closest to the Pro 4AAT in terms of overall frequency response accuracy, tonal balance and overall sound quality would have to be the Sony MDR-V600 (which is craptastic). Both headphones share the same overwarm, bloated upper bass and lower midrange response (well, the Sony V600's lower midrange is even more bloated than the Koss 4AAT) with tinny highs and the lack of extension at both ends of the audible spectrum - but at least the Pro 4AAT suffers less from recessed upper midrange and lower treble response than the Sony MDR-V600.

At least the Koss Pro 4AAT is a true vintage closed/sealed headphone design with updated materials. The Sony MDR-V600, however, tries to imitate the sound of a vintage closed/sealed headphone - and does it poorly.

 

[Supsup]

I have to say these Grado's are nice...


Already I've deleted my entire music collection, and I'm re-ripping it in 256k ogg.

Anything lower in ogg, or anything under 320VBR mp3 sounds bad

 

[usc goose]

i own koss pro 4aat. i used to like them. but they've got a recessed midrange problem that make vocals sound distant and odd. i happen to think bass and treble are nice on them though.