KRK KNS-8400 Review (Impressive $150 headphone)

[xtasi]

How does EQing the bass up do?

Also, how does it sound with an amp after burn-in?

 

[Sophonax]

I haven't tried EQ'ing the KRKs (I generally don't like to EQ), but I can try it once I get home in a couple of days.  I suspect that they will EQ reasonably well, but you're probably never going to turn these into a bass-heavy headphone via EQ.
 
After burn-in, the KRKs do seem to even out a bit -- the bass increases a little, and the treble decreases a little.  I'd still say that they're definitely a bright, relatively bass-light headphone by nature though, and no amount of break-in will change that.  As for amplification, the KRKs are very detailed and will let you hear the differences between different amplifiers, but they seem to be amply driven from something as weak as a portable mp3 player.  I can clearly hear the difference between driving the KRKs from my iPod and my Asgard, but I wouldn't necessarily say one is better than the other -- they just sound different.

 

[tdockweiler]

I agree with this too. Out of the box the piercing treble was painful. After burn in it's not that way at all and is much less fatiguing. They're definitely still a bright headphone. For using all day the SRH-840 is still less fatiguing for sure. I actually think the KRK is even brighter than my DT-880 250 ohm, which had treble that didn't even remotely bother me.
 
I got a new CD so I think I'll listen to the 8400 more today and try an EQ. I don't really use one and I'm now perfectly happy with it's bass after burn-in.
 
Quote:

 
After burn-in, the KRKs do seem to even out a bit -- the bass increases a little, and the treble decreases a little.  I'd still say that they're definitely a bright, relatively bass-light headphone by nature though, and no amount of break-in will change that. 

 

[Deccies]

How do i burn in ... is it just leaving them on maximum volume for a good lot of hours.... and yes this is a very good review. i just received mine in the post today after ages of waiting because none of the stock arrived in the UK. So i opened them and went upstairs and wacked up itunes. i first plugged my Sennheiser HD205's into the computer which i've had for the last 2-3 years. and listened to a particular song.... sounded brilliant.. then i plugged in My Kns-8400 and i noticed that the stereo field seems slightly mono  and not so much spread between the two ears. the bass response was flimsey and the the mid high seems dipped. but apart from that they are super comfortable. and being professional about headphones... will this burn out thing increase bass response becuase i want to be mixing with these headphones on my logic studio and if the bass is too quiet its gonna be two loud for everyone else..

 

[tdockweiler]

I've found that the bass most definitely gets better with burn in. It may not be enough for some people, but I do think it now has more than enough bass for me. When I burn my headphones in I just play music and stuff them into a desk drawer. I burned the 8400 in about 16 hours total (2 nights) before the piercing treble went away and the bass was improved.
Quote:

How do i burn in ... is it just leaving them on maximum volume for a good lot of hours.... and yes this is a very good review. i just received mine in the post today after ages of waiting because none of the stock arrived in the UK. So i opened them and went upstairs and wacked up itunes. i first plugged my Sennheiser HD205's into the computer which i've had for the last 2-3 years. and listened to a particular song.... sounded brilliant.. then i plugged in My Kns-8400 and i noticed that the stereo field seems slightly mono  and not so much spread between the two ears. the bass response was flimsey and the the mid high seems dipped. but apart from that they are super comfortable. and being professional about headphones... will this burn out thing increase bass response becuase i want to be mixing with these headphones on my logic studio and if the bass is too quiet its gonna be two loud for everyone else..

 

[Deccies]

im just thinking about sending them back... because i'm not happy that i've paid £149 and waited a few months for them to arrive from HTFR and the sound quality is just rubbish. and the fact that my £40 sennhisers blew them out of the water annoys me even more... whats stopping me is the fact that there so comfortable. and mabye my sennheisers sounded the same when i started off with them... but this burn in thing do i just play it maximum volume from a computer. and im really hoping the bass improves becuase i just cant mix with these if there gonna carry on being naughty.  but cheers alot for the reply

 

[tdockweiler]

Rubbish? How so? Is it a little to do with how bass light they are for you? They're quite neutral and won't wow you with it's sound quality like some other headphones will. Maybe you were expecting something a little different? It just just depends on what kind of sound signature you want. Maybe it's possible you have a bad pair? The issues you describe definitely doesn't sound normal.
 
It sounds like you're going from a somewhat bass heavy headphone to something that's more neutral and a little bass light. I like the bass on them and it's perfectly fine with me. Definitely not really good for everyone though. For just a studio monitor I think it's perfect.
 
Before you return them I'd just sit them in a drawer with all your music on shuffle and see if you notice any changes. I definitely like them a lot more now. Right now it's my primary portable.
Quote:

im just thinking about sending them back... because i'm not happy that i've paid £149 and waited a few months for them to arrive from HTFR and the sound quality is just rubbish. and the fact that my £40 sennhisers blew them out of the water annoys me even more... whats stopping me is the fact that there so comfortable. and mabye my sennheisers sounded the same when i started off with them... but this burn in thing do i just play it maximum volume from a computer. and im really hoping the bass improves becuase i just cant mix with these if there gonna carry on being naughty.  but cheers alot for the reply

 

[tdockweiler]

I've listened to these a lot since I've first left my impressions. So it's safe to say they've been well burned in. The sound signature has definitely smoothed itself out. Like my K701, the only time now they sound harsh and annoying to my ears is when a song is normally that way. I'm perfectly satisfied with it's bass. If you're like me and find the K701's bass when amped more than adequate then you'll have no problems with these. Bassheads definitely need not apply! To me they're one of the smallest, neutral and comfortable headphones there is. It has the clearest sound out of anything portable I've heard yet. I actually definitely prefer it to my k240 Studio and the Shure SRH-840.
 
If I had to decide between my DJ100 and KRK I couldn't do it. DJ100 is definitely more fun, but the KNS-8400 is slightly more clear and far more detailed, but it should be for $150! DJ100 is just more fun to listen to and is still well balanced. At this point I have no reason to keep trying out any more portables for awhile. I originally gave the comfort a 9/10, but it'd be more like a 9.25/10 now.
 
I still stand behind my comments that the cable could be improved. I also wish the pads were more standard, but I think I know why they made them the way they did. I can't say it enough but poorly mastered recordings sound pretty bad on these headphones. The Chara album "Carol" drives my ears crazy on almost any good headphone. These included. Not the headphones fault.
 
I have a feeling that if you like the K701's sound signature you MIGHT like this headphone. It's still one of the brightest headphones I have. Not as much as my SR-80, but more so than my DT-880 250 ohm and probably DT-990 (my ears are a bit sensitive to treble it seems). K701 isn't too bad for me. Those only fatigue my ears if my music calls for it. If you want a laid back signature, the KRK isn't for you. If you are OK with the comfort of the SRH-840, that may be better for people in the studio and need to listen to headphones for up to 8 hours a day! Luckily I don't have to do that!
 
BTW my final score on these overall for sound is an 8.75/10. (this is for headphones under $150).

 

[ansmi]

This is definitely another good cans to add on my wish list
I have KRK monitors (V6) and with their subwoofer for mixing music and stuff
and after I've read all the reviews here about KNS-8400 here
I'm certain that this KNS8400 pretty much replicates the KRK SIGNATURE sound
(sound harsh at the first but not after burn-in, and light on bass but depict all the details in the music )
definitely will go to guitar center sometimes this week to give it a try!
 
do anyone uses the volume control when they use their KNS8400 outside?
just watch the HeadRoom's video trying on this 8400 and says the volume control "doesn't degrade any sound quality"

 

[dj-b]

Hiya guys, I'm new here, been lurking around for a while though I really appreciate the in-depth reviews you guys give! I'd like to know how these headphones isolate. I've been reading through a couple of other reviews on the net that I found so far, but none have mentioned this yet. I've got a Sennheiser HD280 pro headphone needing replacement (after breaking most of the headband, and a slightly out of whack driver on the right side) here, so I do know there's going to be a big (huge) difference in sound, but that's not my main concern right now, as I've been using a set of KRK V8 studio monitors (with V12 sub) and I'm used to the sound. The HD280 is mainly used for traveling in the subway or bus/train/plane, because of their amazing noise suppression, and because they leak virtually no sound. (I do not want to bother other people when I'm enjoying my music, unlike some other people with the standard iPod earbuds seem to love doing) Could any of you give me an indication on this matter? I do a fair bit of "critical listening" to my own productions and to flac rips of my favorite cds, and I'd like to be able to do that in more crowded surroundings then my own studio space or living room I'd love to go and try a set myself, I just don't have the time to go to the other side of the country to try them yet. Thanks in advance
 
And a small edit: If I'd want to replace the cable which you guys have flagged as annoying, do you have any suggestions for a better quality cable? I'm used to coiled cables (with the HD 280) and I would certainly like the extra mobility that such a cable gives me. Have any of you tried replacing the cable yet? And if you have, what were your experiences while doing that?

 

[Sophonax]

 
Quote:

Hiya guys, I'm new here, been lurking around for a while though I really appreciate the in-depth reviews you guys give! I'd like to know how these headphones isolate. I've been reading through a couple of other reviews on the net that I found so far, but none have mentioned this yet. I've got a Sennheiser HD280 pro headphone needing replacement (after breaking most of the headband, and a slightly out of whack driver on the right side) here, so I do know there's going to be a big (huge) difference in sound, but that's not my main concern right now, as I've been using a set of KRK V8 studio monitors (with V12 sub) and I'm used to the sound. The HD280 is mainly used for traveling in the subway or bus/train/plane, because of their amazing noise suppression, and because they leak virtually no sound. (I do not want to bother other people when I'm enjoying my music, unlike some other people with the standard iPod earbuds seem to love doing) Could any of you give me an indication on this matter? I do a fair bit of "critical listening" to my own productions and to flac rips of my favorite cds, and I'd like to be able to do that in more crowded surroundings then my own studio space or living room I'd love to go and try a set myself, I just don't have the time to go to the other side of the country to try them yet. Thanks in advance
 
And a small edit: If I'd want to replace the cable which you guys have flagged as annoying, do you have any suggestions for a better quality cable? I'm used to coiled cables (with the HD 280) and I would certainly like the extra mobility that such a cable gives me. Have any of you tried replacing the cable yet? And if you have, what were your experiences while doing that?

As far as noise isolation goes, these headphones are just OK when compared to other closed headphones.  Very little sound leaks out of the headphones, but a fair amount leaks in.  It's been a while since I tried an HD280, but if memory serves correctly the KRKs don't come very close to matching the isolation offered by the HD280.
 
As far as replacing the cable, it might be kind of tough to do -- the headphone end of the cable has a 1/4" (I think) jack that has special plastic nibs on it that allow it to twist-lock into place (kind of hard to describe).  A regular 1/4" jack won't fit into the receptacle on the headphones.  I haven't looked around much, but I doubt you can find one of those specialized jacks to use for recabling (maybe you can find where KRK gets them from?).  Unless you can somehow extract and reuse the stock jack on that end of the cable, you might be out of luck.
 
I guess the other option might be to try to hardwire the headphones...if you try that, I wish you luck

 

[dj-b]

Alright, amazingly quick response, thanks a lot! I guess I'll just have to free up some time to meet a pair of these in person before buying them on "autopilot" like I feel so inclined to do right now.. haha Again, thanks a lot for the quick answer. If I do end up buying a pair (which will probably happen eventually), I'll see if I can buy a spare / replacement cable with it, and use that extra cable for some experimenting. I'll post about the progress on that here sometime soon then.
 
And another edit after a more thorough inspection of the pdf version of the user manual: Apparantly KRK does have separate coiled cables available already. Partnumber for that is: CBLK00027 CABLE COILED 2.5 M KNS. Will see if I can get my hands on one of those, that'd probably solve my own question about the cable If you guys are interested in my future experience with that particular cable, I'll post it here

 

[Simwiz]

I am looking at purchasing the KRK's, But I am torn between them and the Denon AH-D1100.  The KRKs are a bit more money, but I could go there if they are worth it.  Does anyone have experience with both sets of cans, and if so, how would they compare?
 
I am in a remote location with no decent pro-audio for testing or demoing.  My only set of headphones for reference are the Senn HD205s, which I find horrible uncomfortable and not very sensitive (they need max volume from the ipod before getting loud).  Thanks in advance!

 

[xtasi]

Quote:

I am looking at purchasing the KRK's, But I am torn between them and the Denon AH-D1100.  The KRKs are a bit more money, but I could go there if they are worth it.  Does anyone have experience with both sets of cans, and if so, how would they compare?
 
I am in a remote location with no decent pro-audio for testing or demoing.  My only set of headphones for reference are the Senn HD205s, which I find horrible uncomfortable and not very sensitive (they need max volume from the ipod before getting loud).  Thanks in advance!

Well they are too very different cans...one is a bass monster and another is bass-light...

 

[Simwiz]

I assume you are referring to the Denon's as the bass monsters.