[hodgjy]

It's called brain burn in.
 
Quote:

 
yea it does
 
to each his own, but for me the best burn in is just listen to it, the play some music and shove in a draw is good to but DO NOT play music louder than what'd you listen to. I'm a big burn in beliver BUT I'm not a RUN PINK NOISE FOR 8 hours kinda guy... BOOO LAME, just play regular music. Trust me my dt 880 250's are around like 400 maybe 500 hours and I'm still going... wait WHAT haven't heard that before! recently they've had a nice thick bottom end with vocals that I never noticed before [those upper bass and lower mids are sounding REAL nice, great push and warmth] so even if u listend to your dj 100's EVERY day with the same I dunno 100 songs, after a week or maybe less you'd notice something different... it would just hit you... HAZZAH
 

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

It's called brain burn in.
 

YUP, that's exactly what it is and I belive that's the best burn in lol! 

 

[Hairspray]

Quote:

 
When I tried the DT-250 pads they fit, but it would probably ruin them. Not sure since I never actually had the DT-250.
I've checked those pictures and they look 100% authentic and not fakes. I could tell by the driver and how the holes inside the cup were drilled. Since you can see the shiny aluminum in the holes I'm sure they're not really plastic cups.
 
I don't suggest ruining your DT-250 pads because they sound horrible on the DJ100. I think maybe because I did not use the foam that's included.

 
Thx for sharing your knowledge tdock.
 
i'm pretty sure the driver's screws were kinda glued but not really tight, so i tighten them up.
and in the end i wanted to know it, lol, so i gave the cans a special treatment: 6 hours of rap (killah priest) at very high volume + 3 hours of cascade burn-in (same volume)
it sounds dumb but after all the dj 100 is supposed to be a dj can and to work at high volumes.
 
and sometimes it's that simple:
(probably more than 80% of psychoacoustic and brain burn-in though, but who cares, i'm happy with the result)
- bass seems definitely tamed (where is the resonance?) but still a bit overwhelming
- mid-range opened up nicely!
- good separation, articulation
- instruments are surrounded by A LOT of air (this criteria is essential for me)
- very detailled, revealing
- even sub-bass is showing up at the window
but female vocals are still on the back seat (no intimacy).
the whole package sounds brilliant but still not really natural, i can live with it but the consequence is that it gets fatiguing very quickly

 

[Fa11ou7]

Quote:

but female vocals are still on the back seat (no intimacy).

Try a good copy of Adele and see if you notice any difference, her music is more focused on vocals anyway so it should be a good way to test it. I've used my TBSE with my Galaxy Nexus and she sounds amazing. I've tried a 2gb classical music FLAC and listened to pandora and Spotify radio (the free ones) and good songs sound great on my TBSE while bad songs are noticeable. I think the Koss HPs are just very detailed so that you can notice when something is missing in a song even if it happens to make songs that you thought were good sound bad.
 
edit - spelling

 

[hodgjy]

I feel that vocals are this headphone's biggest strength.

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

I feel that vocals are this headphone's biggest strength.

depends on how you like your vocals, and how your amping it
 
my dt 880 pro 250 and my w1000x both do vocals well, for purely accapella songs and deep male and female singers, my dt 880 has a nice thick bottom end for the vocals, nice lower mids and upper bass but there are abseoulty horirid upper mids, then the w1000x is a little more breathy and airy with the mids while still having some thick push
 
so both are good and both are different and depening on what you like, air or weight you might love or hate a can for it's mids or rather it's vocals

 

[newphones]

Quote:

I feel that vocals are this headphone's biggest strength.

 
I don't like the vocals on these headphones. They sound nasally. It's like every singer has a head cold all of a sudden.

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

 
I don't like the vocals on these headphones. They sound nasally. It's like every singer has a head cold all of a sudden.

xD yea that's my dt 880 on a tube with some songs, to much lower mid resonace  and not enough upper mid me thinks, 

 

[newphones]

Quote:

It's hard to tell if it's a consistency issue with the product, or just the typical terrible consistency among forum reviews.

 
Koss has changed the sound signature of certain 'phones over the years. For example, the latest portapros still have a lot of bass, but much cleaner midrange and highs. It's still a dark 'phone but without the obvious smearing of details of the early portapros.
 
The portapros use the same drivers as the ksc75, but the latter has a titanium coating, resulting in a very different sound signature. Likewise, the 75's from what I've read, sound quite different from their predecessor, the 35.
 
I can also verify that the DJ100 and TBSE sound very different, at least after dozens of hours of burn in. The TBSE's now have relatively hot, rather exaggerated highs. The DJ100's retain a warm sound, although to be honest, I don't like it. I'm not really enamored of the TBSE's for that matter.
 
The point is, manufacturers do tweak or fundamentally alter sound signatures even with the same model. Or at least Koss does.
 
And if burn in is a real phenomenon, the same pair of headphones may begin to sound different, either from normal use, abuse, or deterioration.

 

[newphones]

I don't like the standard dj100's. They're going back.
 
Pro's:
 
1. very stylish, in an understated way.
2. relatively inexpensive
3. not fatiguing at all--you can listen to music for extended periods and just enjoy the music without excess bass or treble
4. good dynamic range which is surprising since these phones tend to sound 'mellow' ie not bass or treble heavy
 
Cons:
 
1. rolled off bass and treble
2. nasally vocals
3. percussion just sounds wrong, dull with no snap
4. very intrusive, heavy headband
5. fit of the cups is adequate if you have smaller ears, a bad fit if you have larger ears
6. "echo" slow sound decay with a closed design
 
It's not really clear what koss was trying to accomplish with the 100's; they don't really have a flat frequency response so they really don't qualify as monitors: the upper mids are rather prominent, and not in an altogether pleasant way. They don't have a lot of bass, so they're not fun in that sense. Treble isn't very prominent; so you can't really listen for details at low volumes.
 
The mids are not quite right either: they take on a strong nasal resonance far too often and are featured too prominently in the overall mix, IMO.
 
These may be enticing for someone who wants an understated stylish look with a non fatiguing sound signature.
 
Since I don't care very much about the looks of headphones, and would prefer a bit more bass and treble, these aren't my kind of 'phones. I can see how some might find these acceptable and inoffensive, but the wild raving reviews on head fi and elsewhere just leave me perplexed.

 

[Tsujigiri]

Quote:

It's not really clear what koss was trying to accomplish with the 100's; they don't really have a flat frequency response so they really don't qualify as monitors: the upper mids are rather prominent, and not in an altogether pleasant way. They don't have a lot of bass, so they're not fun in that sense. Treble isn't very prominent; so you can't really listen for details at low volumes.

It's not extremely flat, but I think it's pretty neutral compared to other headphones in its price range. To get something more neutral, or even equally as neutral but with a more engaging sound, you'd be looking at much more expensive headphones. These aren't the end-all by any means, but I think they satisfy their niche pretty well.

 

[shavala]

Listening to Terminator 2 with marantz 22115B as amplifier. Using a Fiio E10 as a passthru from my laptop. 
 
Using mod'd headphone pads from a Crooks and Castle headphone set.
 
Have the TBSE set.
 
Got both at Tuesday morning, 
 
Cooks and castles were 18.00 with a wooden box.
 
Terrific setup after 3 day burnin.

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

I don't like the standard dj100's. They're going back.
 
Pro's:
 
1. very stylish, in an understated way.
2. relatively inexpensive
3. not fatiguing at all--you can listen to music for extended periods and just enjoy the music without excess bass or treble
4. good dynamic range which is surprising since these phones tend to sound 'mellow' ie not bass or treble heavy
 
Cons:
 
1. rolled off bass and treble
2. nasally vocals
3. percussion just sounds wrong, dull with no snap
4. very intrusive, heavy headband
5. fit of the cups is adequate if you have smaller ears, a bad fit if you have larger ears
6. "echo" slow sound decay with a closed design
 
It's not really clear what koss was trying to accomplish with the 100's; they don't really have a flat frequency response so they really don't qualify as monitors: the upper mids are rather prominent, and not in an altogether pleasant way. They don't have a lot of bass, so they're not fun in that sense. Treble isn't very prominent; so you can't really listen for details at low volumes.
 
The mids are not quite right either: they take on a strong nasal resonance far too often and are featured too prominently in the overall mix, IMO.
 
These may be enticing for someone who wants an understated stylish look with a non fatiguing sound signature.
 
Since I don't care very much about the looks of headphones, and would prefer a bit more bass and treble, these aren't my kind of 'phones. I can see how some might find these acceptable and inoffensive, but the wild raving reviews on head fi and elsewhere just leave me perplexed.

 
We definitely hear them a lot different so I won't comment on all the things I disagree with. Just one..
 
I think the bass isn't rolled off at all and it's true they don't have a LOT of bass. Saying this gives people the wrong impression and is like saying they're bass light. To me they have slightly above neutral bass. No mid-bass hump at all to me and I know people like boosted mid-bass. The V6 has even more mid-bass and same with the Porta Pro.
 
If you don't think the DJ100 has enough bass I don't think the HD-650 would either. My DJ100/TBSE actually has more bass presence than my HD-598/600 and 650 (EDIT: actually oops, my HD-600 has more mid-bass, but less sub-bass than the DJ100). There's some low bass in even acoustic songs that doesn't even register on the Q701 and HD-650. Feels as if i'm missing something. Of course the DJ100's bass depends on a really good source and it's harder to get that with stock pads for some.
 
People who want more bass than what the DJ100 has would probably prefer something like the HFI-580 or M50. To me those have very above neutral bass, but not so much the newest M50.
 
With my Headroom Micro/Magni and ODAC/Modi the TBSE is as flat as my HD-650 and Q701. OK, both have some slight coloration but they both sound neutral. The HD-650 just has some treble roll off and the Q701 has some forward upper mids. Oh and my HD-650 is weird because it's really flat and has no mid-bass hump and isn't too dark. Some mild treble roll off.
 
I still think you should try a ton of other sources if you can

 
BTW I don't think there is actually any "wild raving" reviews of the DJ100. Just mine. It's possibly only the 2nd headphone i've had that's near perfect (for me). The second is the Q701. Actually the stock pads of the DJ100 should be better. The DJ100 just fits my sound signature perfectly. I also find it neutral enough to be good for all genres.
 
Oh and if I ever got nasally vocals then they'd be returned immediately. Are you sure it's not IN the recording?

 
Been listening to my TBSE for the last 4 hours. Took a 2 week vacation from headphones. The HD-650 and Q701 only latest for about 15 minutes. These Pearstone Velours are nice but even with mods they make the TBSE even warmer/fuller than the HD-650. Hard to get used to this because stock they're not like that. They sound almost TOO smooth with the Pearstone pads. Just as smooth sounding as the HD-650. The problem with this is that nearly all the music in my collection sounds good an it's not really supposed to be. Not that I care..
 
If Koss ever releases a non-portable version of this with HD-650 like pads then i'll retire from all this nonsense.
 
BTW some days I get more impressed with the HD-650 than the Q701...Q701 is never going anywhere. My Q701 is just not as forgiving and with Jpop this can be a slight annoyance.

 

[Hairspray]

I just did a male vocals comparison DJ100 vs Q701 vs DT-250 listening to Tim Hardin's "How can we hang on to a dream" and "Reason to belive".
Hardin's voice is beautifully emphasized on those two tracks.
The DJ100 definitely sounds nasal, or whatever it can be called.
IMO, Q701 wins. DT -250 second, but with a very close finish (vocals can sometimes be a tad too forward on DT-250).
But vocals are amazing on both, so realistic and thrilling, pure awesomeness, IMO DJ 100 is miles behind here.
Well... Just my opinion. Damn european version... LOL

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

I just did a male vocals comparison DJ100 vs Q701 vs DT-250 listening to Tim Hardin's "How can we hang on to a dream" and "Reason to belive".
Hardin's voice is beautifully emphasized on those two tracks.
The DJ100 definitely sounds nasal, or whatever it can be called.
IMO, Q701 wins. DT -250 second, but with a very close finish (vocals can sometimes be a tad too forward on DT-250).
But vocals are amazing on both, so realistic and thrilling, pure awesomeness, IMO DJ 100 is miles behind here.
Well... Just my opinion. Damn european version... LOL

 
I tried that album out and it sounds nasally on all my headphones

On my DJ100 it sounds like he's congested. Not criticizing his music. Just that I think the DJ100 is emphasizing the flaws of the recording more so that the others.
I could almost guarantee it would sound even worse on my KRKs. I only tested it with the Q701, HD-650 and DJ100.
 
Sometimes when my DJ100 sounds really awful it's in fact just a fault of the recording. For example, female vocals that sound recorded inside a cave.
Older recordings are especially bad on the DJ100. Some current recordings I have sound rather muffled (but still good). For example, the Inception soundtrack often sounds muffled and so do some Helios recordings (ambient electronica).
 
All of them sounded OK for that first recording and fairly accurate. No major variation between them, but his vocals seemed a bit less smooth on the Q701 for whatever reason.
 
I should try the Q701 with 65th pads (which makes it's the Anniversary)
 
If anyone has any more recordings I can listen to, please let me know. I have a ton of reference tracks I listen to.
I have some nice acoustic music that has bloated bass IN the recording and if a headphone is too warm, the whole recording sounds AWFUL. I miss how it sounds on the old ATH-AD2000. Nothing has really come close to how it sounded on that thing. Not even the Q701. The ATH-AD2000 probably wasn't the most accurate though but who could complain..
 
EDIT:
 
Just tried some of those songs on the 598. Sounds nearly identical to the DJ100! Just as bad. I would have definitely said "nasally" too. On the 598 and Q701 is voice has more peaks here and there. On the DJ100 it's smoother, so probably less accurate. Who knows..
 
HD-598 is much more revealing that people give it credit for. It's up there with the Q701, but not as clear sounding.
 
You should listen to a Japanese singer named Hitomi. One of the most nasally voices I've heard, but her music is still good. Too bad 75% of her recordings are too bright and harsh to listen to. Unbearably bad on my Q701, but listenable on the HD-650.
 
I also just tried out the 65th Anniversary. It seems that when a headphone has forward low mids, the nasally vocals are even more emphasized. They sound the worst on the 65th Anniversary than the DJ100. It's pretty interesting though. Definitely didn't sound good on the 65th at all due to it shoving the vocals too far forward.
 
I would say Tim Hardin sounds best on the K400 with 65th Anniversary pads and then the HD-650. The 650 and DJ100 presented the vocals mostly the same. Sounded too peaky on the Q701 and plain 65th anniversary. The lower mids of the DJ100 seemed a tad more forward than those of the 650. Not by much.