KRK KNS-8400 Review (Impressive $150 headphone)

[electropop]

They're actually better out of my 160gb iPod classic's (three years old?) headphone out than the voyager (fed via dock line-out), which I only keep for the cool look and analogue volume pot. So no, an amp for a portable system is definitely not needed. If you had a killer source, though, you'd want a cleaner gain, so to speak. 

 

[alien8]

I recently purchased a pair of these KRK KNS 8400's, and I have to say they are fantastic.  I did a review and comparison with the M50's here: http://www.headphone.com/headphones/krk-systems-kns-8400.php
 
After 50+ hours of burn-in using various methods outlined here at head-fi, I have to say these cans are exactly what I need, but I was worried at first.  The burn-in changed the edgy treble to sharp & pleasant with excellent detail; bass went from decent to fantastic - (I'm actually hearing bass that I didn't know was there in some songs!); mids from too forward to right where they should be, with feeling and force.  The sound stage opened slightly which is still decent for a closed can.
 
Yes you can use these for studio mixing, setting levels, and removing unwanted noises as they can be analytical if you like.  The cool thing about them is that you can still listen to your favorite music and enjoy it without tearing it apart because of a bad mix.  I really like the fact that these sound nearly identical to the studio monitors that I listen to everything on - it makes them an asset in a small home studio when you need to be quiet. 
 
The isolation is decent for tracking, as always though you have to be mindful of your mic placement, and levels.  They actually have some ventilation(?) holes at the top that I have covered for tracking that make them very quiet - I'm not sure what these holes are for specifically - opening sound stage, or for heat. 
 
Awesome cans!
 
8^)

 

[stv014]

Quote:

Originally Posted by alien8 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
The isolation is decent for tracking, as always though you have to be mindful of your mic placement, and levels.  They actually have some ventilation(?) holes at the top that I have covered for tracking that make them very quiet - I'm not sure what these holes are for specifically - opening sound stage, or for heat.

 
Such holes are often there to improve bass extension (i.e. bass ports, see here for an explanation).
 

 

[electropop]

One complaint I actually have of these is that the isolation is sub-par for a closed headphone. Of which I've owned, every one (HD25-1, SRH840 and K272) of them has been better. I'd also like a tighter fit, a bit of clamping force... Any tricks to this? 

 

[LMNproyect]

 
Great post and great review from all people here !!     thanks  ,  i learnt alot here.
 
I just want to share my experience with my KRK KNS 8400.  
 
i learnt that with this headphones is very important the way / the position you put it  abobe your head ,(how you make it fit on your ears )
 
The best way for me is to put the KNS  more down and a little bit foward   from your head-ear , and will sound more balanced. I already have a Sennheiser HD600 , and in this position the KNS will sound a little more close to the HD600 signature sound  , with less shrill highs , more bass and low mids , more rounded sound.
 
I use my HD600 in the center of my ears 
 
 
hope it helps some
 
 
 

 

[Sonic Atrocity]

 
Quote:

I saw this frequency response graph today and my first reaction was...WHAT...THE...HECK.
Either this is the most inaccurate graph I've ever seen in my entire life or that KRK "secretly" made an update to their headphone after people complained about them being bass light. Does anyone else here have the KNS-8400? Does this graph match up to what they're hearing? Mine is just about bass light, but not quite. They still sound good at least, but a tad more bass would have been nice. They surely don't match up to what the graph is showing. Not even remotely.
 

This worries me a bit. I am currently looking for a completely flat frequency response and the closest to fidelity I can possibly get. I am looking for something to pair with my ruler flat Clip+ (Rockboxed). 
 
These don't really look neutral, contrary to what has been said online. Is it that they are neutral or that they are comparable to KRK's studio monitors? So, in that case, are KRK's monitors neutral? 
 
I am confused... are these neutral??? 
 

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

 

This worries me a bit. I am currently looking for a completely flat frequency response and the closest to fidelity I can possibly get. I am looking for something to pair with my ruler flat Clip+ (Rockboxed). 
 
These don't really look neutral, contrary to what has been said online. Is it that they are neutral or that they are comparable to KRK's studio monitors? So, in that case, are KRK's monitors neutral? 
 
I am confused... are these neutral??? 
 

Yes, they are. Close to it, but more so than a lot of other studio monitors (like SRH-940). Just ignore that graph. If it actually sounded like that graph looks like then i'd hate them. Isn't the bass on that graph like the D1100 or something? I think most would call them close to bass light.
 

 

[Sonic Atrocity]

Like, you mean even more neutral than the Shure 940? 
 
That graph throws me off hahahahhaa. I wonder how that graph happened. :S
 
Edit: I read somewhere that these cans sound a bit "raggedy" at louder volumes. Do they lose sound quality at higher volumes??? 
 
Thoughts?
 
 
Thanks for your input.

 

[electropop]

Very strange indeed. Listening to instruments with a range through all those valleys, I fail to hear anything as uneven... 

 

[Sonic Atrocity]

I am wondering if these cans are actually bass-light or if people just think they are bass-light because they are used to bass-heavy equipment. So this begs the question: do these sound like monitors or is the bass really different? If it is different then where does it start rolling off?
 
I ask because monitors are supposed to have a completely flat frequency response. 

 

[electropop]

That's where opinions vary. If you've only the pro900 to compare, it will be quite a different experience. I'm afraid I can't really be of anymore help than just to say: go for something and experience it yourself. My opinion is that they aren't really either. Overdamped might be a correct term, though I'm not too familiar with that factor. 
 
And no, monitors do not necessarily have to have a completely flat frequency responses. If you want to freak out over graphs, here's one place to do so: http://www.innerfidelity.com/headphone-data-sheet-downloads

 

[SanjiWatsuki]

I still think it is due to a potentially overdamped bass response. It wouldn't surprise me if the graphs for the KRK KNS 6400 & 8400 were right, but they just seemed like much less due to the lack of impact on the bass hit (similar to the bass response on the DT1350). In the 30hz sine wave for the KRKs, they have ripples, implying this. Overdamped bass in the speaker world results in "very tight, clean, but decidedly lean bass." I think it is the leanness of the bass combined with the emphasized bass that makes it all seem evened out. It's not an uncommon practice in the home audio world to purposefully overdamp the bass in a subwoofer and equalize it up to create a cleaner, tighter bass and to avoid "one-note bass."
 
With my KRK KNS 6400s (which lack the mid-bass hump in the 8400s), I initially found them to be very bass-shy, cold, and analytic. I found that they have a well-extended, tight bass response with equalization in the bass region (right now I have it at almost +6dB at 20hz & 65hz and I also introduced a small mid-bass hump while recessing the mids a bit). I wouldn't suggest this treatment for studio monitors, but it made them a very fun, musical sounding headphone to me. I haven't heard the 8400s, but I'm willing to bet I'm getting a very similar experience from adding that mid-bass hump to the frequency response.
 
I don't feel like the bass rolls off, using SineGen I can hear it rumble down to close to 20hz. If it does roll off, it's somewhere near 25hz, but at that point I don't know if it is the headphone rolling off the bass, or my ears. KRK advertised bass extension, and I feel like these headphones have it.

 

[tdockweiler]

I was about 2 seconds away from buying these for a 3rd time today. So tempted. Guitar Center has them and you can get them to price match B&H's $119 price.
 
I also noticed that the memory foam pads of the 8400 are often found online for $10 now. Pretty good deal for those with the 6400!
 
BTW more people should try these for competitive gaming. I bet they will be impressed

 
FYI I think the KRKs are better than the AKG K550 I just tried and I even prefer them to the SRH-940. SRH-940 may be a bit more musical, but haven't compared them side by side enough.
Feels funny comparing a $120 headphone to some that are $250-$300!
 
Seems way too many headphones are so overpriced for the sound you get.
 
 

 

[lejaz]

Quote:

I was about 2 seconds away from buying these for a 3rd time today. So tempted. Guitar Center has them and you can get them to price match B&H's $119 price.
 
I also noticed that the memory foam pads of the 8400 are often found online for $10 now. Pretty good deal for those with the 6400!
 
BTW more people should try these for competitive gaming. I bet they will be impressed

 
FYI I think the KRKs are better than the AKG K550 I just tried and I even prefer them to the SRH-940. SRH-940 may be a bit more musical, but haven't compared them side by side enough.
Feels funny comparing a $120 headphone to some that are $250-$300!
 
Seems way too many headphones are so overpriced for the sound you get.
 
 

Was looking at your signature and I see you have some nice AKG's. I'm thinking of trying the 8400, but I'm wondering how the bass and treble would compare to something like the k601 or 701. Are they brighter than the AKGs? which has more low end? I definitely don't want a bass light phone....or a treble monster, as some folks have characterized the 8400. Is it as bright as the 701, which was too tilted towards the upper frequencies for my taste.
 

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

Was looking at your signature and I see you have some nice AKG's. I'm thinking of trying the 8400, but I'm wondering how the bass and treble would compare to something like the k601 or 701. Are they brighter than the AKGs? which has more low end? I definitely don't want a bass light phone....or a treble monster, as some folks have characterized the 8400. Is it as bright as the 701, which was too tilted towards the upper frequencies for my taste.
 

I think the 8400 probably has treble similar to the K702. It may be bothersome for some. I think though that the treble was a bit more of a problem on the K702 I had compared to the 8400. The treble on the KNS-6400 feels a tad smoother and closer to that of the K601 I have. Maybe this is why the KNS-6400's signature felt more natural to me. What's weird is that when I compared the 8400 and the 6400 side by side, they felt pretty similar when it came to just their treble.
 
If you're happy with the bass on the K702, I'd say you'll be perfectly happy with it on the 8400. The problem is, is that there just isn't much bass impact and it's hard for some to get used to this. The bass on the KRKs is a bit different than what most people are used to hearing it seems. It seems like the KRK KNS-8400 might have better bass extension than the K702, but maybe not. I'll have to check the graphs.
 
Overall, the 8400 is close to being bass light, but not quite. Bass light to me is more like the AD700 and RE0. It's not even close to those. I guess for those that complain that the K702 doesn't have enough bass, it's best to stay very far away from the KRKs.
 
It seems the KNS-8400 may have some mid-bass hump, but I sure didn't hear that on my pair! The KNS-6400 definitely doesn't have one, which is a plus for me.
 
BTW it seems that the KRKs really do benefit a lot from amps and a good DAC. I was really surprised how much better my 6400 sounded when I got my HRT Music Streamer. Even seems to benefit more than my HD-598 for some reason.