Anyone really bored and want to see some old notes I took of when I compared the KRK KNS-6400, M50, DJ100 and the SRH-940? I had no real intention of posting them, but I'll post them here. Feel free to just skip over this stupid text.
Chara - Duca (live)
DJ100 -
Guitar sounds very upfront and like they're right next to you. Details and sounds in the audience are less present, but still there. Female vocals are clear and forward sounding.
SRH-940 -
Guitars sound less upfront and there's better separation between them. Easier to pinpoint where they are. Background detail near the audience is more present, including what sounds like some recording hiss/noise. Female vocals for this song were kind of fatiguing and a bit harsh. Felt like the sounds from the audience and all the background detail was shoved in my face. I kind like that..sometimes.
M50
Same background details are heard. Guitars are less forward than on the SRH-940 and sound a bit thinner sounding. Vocals just OK. The most distant sounding out of all of them.
KRK KNS-6400
All the detail of the SRH-940, but guitars are even thinner sounding than on the M50. Vocals are the least upfront and I think the KRK presents this song more true to the recording. Easier to pick apart where the guitars were on the SRH-940. No frequency jumps out to me on the KRK for this song.
Result: KRK sounded best and the most natural to my ears, but the SRH-940 offered the best soundstage performance.
Guitars and vocals sounded best on the DJ100. Dj100 definitely had a more aggressive sound, but still fairly natural.
SRH-940 had the most fatiguing sound for me with this song.
KRK KNS-6400 > DJ100 > M50 > SRH-940
Aiya - Yoshida Brothers
SRH-940
Loss of some detail I always remember hearing in this song. Most of this song during parts is very fatiguing.
DJ100
Real shock here, but there's some detail that's not heard on the SRH-940. When the drums are struck in this song you can almost feel them and there's a very faint rattle like sound afterwords. It's very clear here and missing on the SRH-940. Sounds noticeably more clear on the DJ100 over the 940.
M50
During the drums, some of the subtle detail is made almost impossible to hear. I kind of hear it, but it's tough. Drums have the most presence on this song, but sounds less clear.
6400
Drums sound absolutely pathetic here. No impact at all it sounds like. That rattle is gone and is only heard on the DJ100. It's definitely there, but sooo hard to hear. This song is totally non-fatiguing on the KRK. I love how it sounds on this headphone despite the drums.
DJ100 > 6400 > SRH-940 > M50
Chara- Beatiful Scarlet (female vocal test)
This is just singing along with a guitar.
SRH-940
Sounds good and vocals very up-front. Sounds very slightly almost muffled. What's funny is that at the end of the song it sounds like someone saying "Take five!". Never heard that before in this song.
DJ100
Sounds much more clear on the Dj100. Crystal clear more like it.
M50
Sounds OK. Nothing special. Vocals actually seem very forward?!
6400
Sounds completely smooth here. Vocals not too forward to be annoying. Pretty clear too, but not as clear as how they were on the DJ100.
DJ100 > 6400 > SRH-940 > M50
SRH-940 has vocals that were not so clear. Not compared to the others. Reminded me of vocals on the HD-600.
Nine Inch Nails - Closer
SRH-940
Feel as if all the background static and pops are being shoved in my face again. Overall sound is slightly fatiguing.
DJ100
Male vocals not as forward. All the static and pops are still there. DJ100 for this song is noticeably more smooth sounding. The DJ100..huh?!
M50
The extra bass of the m50 definitely helps here. Surprised that these had as much detail as the SRH-940 for this song.
6400
The lighter bass hurts this song, but it's still fun to listen to. This one offered the most detail and 2nd smoothest sound.
M50 > SRH-940 |DJ100 > 6400
Utada Hikaru - First Love
SRH-940
This song is really simple and mostly just vocals. At the start they sound very good, but then they sound kind of harsh and fatigue my ears FAST. Just give my ears a fit. Unlistenable mostly. Vocals seems to have a lot of texture to them. Not thin sounding in any way.
DJ100
Crystal clear and when her voice gets louder it's never harsh or fatiguing. Smooth through the entire song.
M50
Horrible with this song. Everything sounds bad. There's even some bloated mid-bass in here.
6400
You definitely notice the extra treble of the 6400 over the DJ100 with this song. Vocals are clear, but thinner than the SRH-940, but I don't care about that, since they're a lot more clear sounding. Slightly fatiguing somehow, but not too badly.
DJ100 > 6400 > SRH-940 > M50
Lasidan - Ry Cooder
SRH-940
Sounds not very clear at all. Details that should be on the left and very faint are too hard to hear. It's a bunch of metallic sounds. How it sounds on the SRH-940 is how it sounded on the HD-600?! Sounds pretty terrible on the SRH-940.
DJ100
Sounds a little more clear, but instruments are a lot thinner sounding. Some of detail is a bit more forward sounding.
M50
Somehow this had the most detail and best soundstage between the above two. Don't ask me how!
6400
Sounds pretty good, but with the reduced bass, it feels like there's a little something missing. Soundstage is very good here. Tons of detail.
M50 > 6400 > DJ100 > SRH-940
Dragonfly across and ancient Sky - Helios
6400
TONS of detail here. Feel like I'm not going to be missing out on anything.
SRH-940
I keep getting the impression that all the recording flaws and mids are being shoved in my face and it's kind of annoying. This songs just doesn't sound right on the SRH-940 due to the forwardness of the mids.
DJ100
Somehow the mids are less forward here than any of the others. All the detail is there though, but not as forward sounding.
Kelly Chen - Bollywood Love
SRH-940
Vocals sounds very, very good and have lots of texture. Remind me of female vocals on the HD-598 or HD-650.
DJ100
For this song, vocals are just not as good. So far, it has really varied. The overall sound feel a bit more "laid-back". Don't ask me how. Much more in your face with the SRH-940.
The sound quality of this track is not good and the DJ100 "seems" more revealing of this. I'll put my KRK on and see..it sounded perfectly fine on the SRH-940!
KRK
Wow, the overall sound of this song is closer to how it is on the DJ100. Seems to have that more laid back sound. Vocals sound a bit distant and I think this is how the recording is supposed to be. On the SRH-940 it feels more up-front.
Vocals were best on the SRH-940, but made the song more up-front and more fatiguing than it should be.
M50
This song was about as fatiguing as it was on the SRH-940. The extra treble on both was a bit bothersome. Didn't sound good on the M50.
Radiohead - The REckoner
SRH-940
At the start of this song if you listen closely it sounds as if the song is already being played. On the SRH-940 it's almost impossible to hear! On the SRH-940 it's very easy to pinpoint the instruments here. Fairly fatiguing here and kind of a pain to listen to. Feels like the SRH-940 butchered this song. Oh well.
DJ100
Instruments sound a lot more clear on the DJ100. No contest here. The whole song sounds about perfect. No frequency jumping out at me.
6400
Sounds about as clear as the DJ100, but more of the VERY subtle details are heard. Like the one I described in the 940 section.
DJ100 > 6400 > SRH-940
Imogen Heap - Clear the Area
6400 -
Soundstage is very good and quite large here. Vocals and everything in this song are very clear. I think their music must be well mastered. It sounds great on most every headphone!
SRH-940
Still seems a little less clear than the 6400. Soundstage seems about the same. Mids are too forward on the 940 for this song and makes it fatiguing.
Utada Hikaru - Dirty Desire
Hate this stupid song, but it sounds OK on headphones.
DJ100
Sounds pretty good here. No frequency jumping out at me. Has more bass than any of the other headphones.
SRH-940
The forward mids and treble of the SRH-940 kill this song..completely. Sorry, but it's true. Totally ear piercing and not how it's supposed to sound.
6400
You can definitely notice the larger soundstage of the 6400 over the DJ100. The sound of the 6400 is almost as fatiguing as the sRH-940, but actually listenable. I think this is really just a very bright and harsh recording.
DJ100 > 6400 > SRH-940
Tanya Chua - It's so good
KRK KNS-6400
First thing that jumps out at me is how crystal clear the vocals of this song are.
SRH-940
OK, the vocals are more textured and upfront, but at the same time it seems like the entire song is ruined. Sound clarity also took a step down.
DJ100
Wow, now this is strange. This song on the DJ100 sounds more similar to the SRH-940 than the KRK! Definitely notice the extra mid-bass on this headphone over the rest. Vocals aren't as clear as on the KRK.
6400 > SRH-940 > DJ100
Slumdog Millionaire - Liquid Dance
I always liked how this sounded on my DJ100.
DJ100 -
Sounds just as it should and the extra bass helps this songs. Feels like while I'm listening to it someone is trying to break down my door.
SRH-940
The bass took a vacation and now this song is giving me a headache.
6400
If I thought the bass was bad on the SRH-940 it's even MORE absent on the 6400 here. The song is just not the same without it.
M50
The bass on this makes the DJ100 even look bass light in comparison! Too bad it doesn't sound as good. Mids sound a bit distant.
Buddha Bar IV - Dancing With the Muse
This was just some random track that came up and it sounded pretty good with the SRH-940!
SRH-940
Sounds so good with the SRH-940 that I thought none of the other headphones could compare.
DJ100
The overall sound is fuller on the SRH-940, but on the DJ100 is quite good. I definitely noticed the extra bass at the start.
6400
Sounds quite good, but the missing bass kind of hurts. Seems like it's easier to pick out all the instruments and where they're coming from. Sounds just as clear as it is on the DJ100.
SRH-940 | DJ100 > KNS-6400
Primus - Jerry was a Race Car Driver
6400
Sounds ok, but kind of fatiguing, which is rare on the 6400 for most music. Not very engaging at all. Mids a bit distant, but I think that's how they are for this song.
SRH-940
Treble is much more forward and the little extra bass helps. This has the most fatiguing sound. Everything sounds a LOT thinner on the 6400. A lot more fun to listen to than the KRK. No surprise there. Love the treble on the SRH-940 for this song.
DJ100
I felt that this would be awful compared to the SRH-940, but it's actually just as good! Less treble and slightly less fatiguing. And they say this genre of music is bad on the DJ100! The overall sound seems more clear.
DJ100 | SRH-940 > 6400 (6400 was just no good at all here for this song).
The Fray - Never Say Never
DJ100
Surprised that this actually has some fatiguing treble for this song. Overall it sounds good.
SRH-940
At the start the mids feel as if they're pushed too far forward so that the sound almost seems abnormal?! During the song the sounds is too fatiguing and yet often seems very muffled. Maybe there's some sort of congestion? Basically this song turned into a mess.
6400
Very fatiguing here, but less so than the SRH-940. None of them can even come close to the DJ100 for this song.
DJ100 > SRH-940 | 6400
Ali Farka Toure - Monsieur Le Maire De Niafunke
6400
Sounds about perfect in every area. Can't even imagine it sounding better on the others, but I may be surprised! It almost reminds me of how this song sounded on the ATH-AD2000!!
SRH-940
Sadly everything is so shoved into my face that the song is now ruined. Instruments carry more weight, but that's even a negative for this song. Don't ask me how. It's similar to how it sounded on the HD-650, but not that bad (I liked the HD-650!).
DJ100
There's some bass that went missing on the 6400 and it's here now. Sounds very, very good on the DJ100, but the 6400 just might have the best soundstage for this song. Definitely fuller sounding than the KRK, but not like the SRH-940.
Shikasta (Minstrel's Song) - Yo-Yo Ma
DJ100
Soundstage for this song is very good. The vocals on this song are ear piercing on almost any headphone, but on the DJ100 it's not too bad. So easy to pinpoint where all the instruments are. Almost feels like an open headphone for this song!
SRH-940
I don't know why, but the tonality of the SRH-940 seems a bit off and goofy. I noticed this more than once. Some instruments and sounds don't seem too accurate?!
Sounds horrible here and it feels like something has killed the soundstage. Definitely less clear sounding. Feels like just one huge wall of sound.
6400
Sounds good here, but less forward sounding than the DJ100. Soundstage is nearly as good and very similar to how it was on the DJ100. The sound is definitely more laid-back on this headphone.
DJ100 (no contest) > 6400 > SRH-940 (unlistenable)
Imogen Heap - The Moment I Said It
6400
This is a good song to show that the 6400 can have great female vocals. Crystal clear sounding. I overused that word, but that's how they are! This is the kind of song that can have the KRKs "Wow" me.
SRH-940
Switching from the KRK I feel as if I got a downgrade in sound. No kidding. Less clear and the vocals somehow aren't as good. Soundstage is also noticeably worse. The sound feels as if it's very slightly muffled.
DJ100
Sounds unbelievably good. A $80 headphone shouldn't sound this good and this clear. Vocals are also quite forward. Soundstage is good too.
6400 | DJ100 > SRH-940
) -> JDS CMoy (Gain 6, going to lower it to 4) -> DJ100 with V6 pads. I'm lovin' it!