[tdockweiler]

Listened to the whole review and am really offended! Just kidding.
I agree with most parts of it. I still think someday i'll have to have you hear my pair and see if you hear any differences. I think you will!
 
The 8400 is actually fuller sounding than the 6400 I think. Out of my portable player and amp it was a bit thinner sounding than it normally is.
Wonder why? I'll test it out and see if it's any less thin with the more power I gave it.
 
I remember playing Skyrim with it using a Turtle Beach DSS to my Micro Amp or E9 (large jack). Compared to my Q701, it at times sounded much warmer and full sounding. What the heck?!
 
After switching to it from my DJ100 I was just totally baffled at how much thinner and tinny sounding it was. That's not it usually sounds!!
 
The 8400 has actually more sub-bass than mid/upper bass I think.
If you try it with gaming, there's actually some sub-bass that is more present on these than compared to the HD-600 and Q701. Think I'm joking? Try it!
 
Well, my first pair had almost AD700 like bass. This pair is closer to the Q701, but with more sub-bass.
 
Maybe they're like my DJ100 and Q701 and sound a tad thinner when they don't have a ton of power. Who knows..
 
Some harsh Jpop is unbearably bad on them. This is just garbage tracks though. Doesn't make it any easier on the ears.
 
My favorite music for the KRK KNS-8400 is acoustic guitar music with a large soundstage or ambient electronica. I also love them for video games like Fallout 3 or Skyrim.
I'm off to test them out some more. I never realized how warm my DJ100 was until I switched to it from these

 
BTW if your pair has relaxed mids (not forward sounding at all) and lots of treble, it's probably like the first version I had. I don't know how the heck a headphone can have little bass, relaxed mids and too much treble. Is that even possible?!

 

[ansmi]

Quote:

Hi,
 
It'll be on YouTube and Head-Fi. I haven't uploaded it yet as I forgot.
 
EDIT: It's uploaded! In the video I give my honest impressions of the headphones. Hopefully my pinion on these won't offend or anger anyone.
 

 

Nice Video!
I was going to upload one too! should be up soon!
By the way, for the paper towel thing, try using cotton balls instead, personally I like it better that way. I almost did it to all of my onear cans to make them more like "over-ear"
Have'n't try it on KNS yet, will do soon!
Let me know if doing it w paper towel actually is better than cotton balls.

 

[ansmi]

Quote:

Nice review, and always good to hear any form of chatter about these little known headphones.
 
My personal score would be a bit lower, especially on looks (6/10, they just look bad to me), isolation/leakage (7.5/10, definitely good but not 9/10 to me), highs and mids would be 8.5/10 for me instead of 10 and 9. Lows would be 5/10, I wasn't expecting much considering they are monitors, but they just really lack impact.
 
They excel where most people have already pointed out: they are complete detail monsters, have a great soundstage, are very comfortable, isolate well, and are pretty inexpensive. 
 
They have been great for me, but I'll probably sell them soon since I only need 1 pair of phones and I'm looking for something funner that I'd be willing to wear in public.

 
Thanks for the kind words UCLA 15 : )
I'm still refining the score system that I'm doing. I have couple other reviews that are coming up. In them, I decided to reduce the isolation/leakage down to 5 total points, and 12 points for each sub-category of sounds simply because I think sound in the end is still the most important thing. I would agree with you that the score will be lower tho. (In a new system of 12 points this becomes more obvious, which I might update the scoring of this review soon)
 
I saw someone in the subway using KNS last week, but I would say it is definitely not the best headphone to wear in public, too bulky.

 

[roma101]

Awesome that you saw someone wearing KRKs on the subway! It's always nice to see people who have good headphones, instead of the beats/ibuds/urbanears you see everywhere.
 
As for the bulkiness, I actually don't find them bulky at all for portable use - they're quite lightweight in comparison to other phones. However, that dreaded wide headband is just uncalled for. I don't know why companies make a headband that wide instead of having it conform to the head. That's the reason I don't wear them in public - rather not look like a satellite dish.
 
Edit: Nice review Zombie_X!

 

[niic]

Very clear and helpful reviews, thanks!
 
I have been looking at these for a while, and they seem really interesting. I'm curious because I'm looking for something that isolates a bit better for during the day when I'm in a noisier environment, yet I'd still prefer some soundstage and over-the-ear for comfort vs. for example the HD25.
Would anyone know how their signature compares to that of the HD598? I love those to bits - they're my first step into better sounds, but I feel that they sometimes miss some oomph when listening to (classic) rock.

 

[ansmi]

Quote:

Very clear and helpful reviews, thanks!
 
I have been looking at these for a while, and they seem really interesting. I'm curious because I'm looking for something that isolates a bit better for during the day when I'm in a noisier environment, yet I'd still prefer some soundstage and over-the-ear for comfort vs. for example the HD25.
Would anyone know how their signature compares to that of the HD598? I love those to bits - they're my first step into better sounds, but I feel that they sometimes miss some oomph when listening to (classic) rock.

Thanks!
I have used HD598 that I borrowed from my friend for a bit in the past. Based on what I remember, you will probably think there's more detail (more crisp?) on the very high freq. (approx 8k up) and since KNS8400 is practically a closed mic, compared to HD598, the isolation might be better. Leakage for sure will be less, but you might think KNS8400 has less bass than you want (or warmth).
 
I could be wrong tho because I tried it awhile ago.

 

[ansmi]

Quote:

Awesome that you saw someone wearing KRKs on the subway! It's always nice to see people who have good headphones, instead of the beats/ibuds/urbanears you see everywhere.
 
As for the bulkiness, I actually don't find them bulky at all for portable use - they're quite lightweight in comparison to other phones. However, that dreaded wide headband is just uncalled for. I don't know why companies make a headband that wide instead of having it conform to the head. That's the reason I don't wear them in public - rather not look like a satellite dish.
 
Edit: Nice review Zombie_X!

Yeah now you mentioned I think that wide headband is indeed a bit wide. However, I find that design makes it comfortable to use it on the bed even when you lay side way.

 

[Jodiuh]

Anyone care to rank this against the Shure SCH-940? Honestly, I'm very happy w/ the KRK's. The detail is insane, but it just does not have that lower end bump that's needed for me to really get into the music. It's close...but still lacks what I need. FWIW, I'm amping. Dang...these sound good!

 

[machoboy]

SRH940s don't have much low end bump either. Try the 840.

 

[Jodiuh]

Doesn't the 840 trail the 940 overall though?
 
I did like the 840's very much in the store. More so than the KRK's...maybe I'll swap the KRK's for the 840's...

 

[Jodiuh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdockweiler /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I've been perfectly happy with the bass on the 8400. Even in gaming it extends very low. Even more so than my HD-580, Q701 and HD-598.
 
I always thought people who loved the Q701 might like the KRK KNS-8400. I doubt anyone has both, but I know I do.
 
The 8400 is also a hidden gem IMO for competitive gaming I think. Skyrim is just flat out amazing with his headphone.
 
I have to admit I HATE the cable. It's microphonic somewhat and just feels weird. I think they improved it slightly. My first one came stayed nearly in the shape it came in for nearly a month I think. At times i've considered the coiled upgrade.
 
NOTE: for those that are bothered by the memory foam headband you can buy the softer 6400 headband piece.

1. I am not sold 100%. On the other hand, it's perfectly where it needs to be so I can hear the rest of the spectrum. I suppose, I could always bass boost it up when I wanna hear "BOBOBOAAMAMAA!!!"
 
2. You're right. I have both as well, great for comp gaming, but open, so no go for LAN's. Also, needs a great amp...KRK's could probably be ok directly out of my sound card in a pinch. Although a nice cheap CMOY would work well for gaming simply to give that extra boost. One w/ a LF boost would be ideal IMO.
 
3. GOOD TO HEAR! I have only played Borderlands 2 so far and while fantastic, I need to play some BF3 to really get a feel. Also, my Q701's are out of commission due to no ear muffs...don't ask.
 
4. I have no issues w/ the cable. I simply twisty tie it up in a circle and it's fine. Maybe I got a good one?
 
5. The foam used on the pads and headband put most companies foam to shame.
 
What in your opinion is the best track/flash file online/game situation to check for positional accuracy? Also, have you ever compared w/ Shure SCH-940's? The 840's were more FUN to listen to in the store vs the KRK's...but something about the total quality build and fit of the KRK's won me over. $130 after tax sealed the deal. I have my modmic on them now.

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

Also, have you ever compared w/ Shure SCH-940's? The 840's were more FUN to listen to in the store vs the KRK's...but something about the total quality build and fit of the KRK's won me over. $130 after tax sealed the deal. I have my modmic on them now.

 
Someone here once loaned me an SRH-940. I was surprised to find it was more comfortable than my old SRH-840. It really did fail to impress me, but I did like it. I did end up feeling it wasn't worth $250 or $300. No way. I know that hurts people's feelings, but just my opinion

I've said it a million times, but if I could ever score one for under $200 or even $220 I might go for it. I actually found the Koss Pro DJ100 better sounding. Same with the KRK KNS-8400. SRH-940 is probably a bit more "musical" for some compared to the 8400.
 
The KRK KNS-8400 might be a tad thinner sounding. I would say maybe the SRH-940 is kind of full sounding, slightly warm, but not too much. Never ever did I find it thin. At times the mids were too forward and even more so than my DJ100. Maybe I had some bad synergy with my HRT MSII.
 
I actually think maybe the SRH-940 has more mid-bass and the 8400 has better low bass extension. The 8400 doesn't sound even remotely bassy to me. It's fairly balanced sounding to me, but seems to focus slightly on treble maybe.
 
8400 sounds much more clearer and detailed too. When I heard the SRH-940 I was expecting it to sound much clearer than it did. Still better than the K550 in this area though.
 
I tried to dig up some old notes I made. In an old post I compared the DJ100 with the KNS-8400 and SRH-940. DJ100 ended up beating the pants off all of them. Basically I ended up listening to random songs and comparing them.
 
SRH-940 though I believe could be easier for more people to like than the DJ100 and KNS-8400. Nothing wrong with that.
 
The SRH-940 to me sounded like a weird mix of an HD-598 and an underamped K702. Weird I know. Obviously a much smaller soundstage.
 
I wasn't impressed with the soundstage of the 940. I think the 8400 with a good dac/amp has it beat.
 
If you want some serious competition for the 8400, skip the SRH-940 and compare the 8400 with the DJ100 and M50 pads

IMO it has much better bass, but the 8400 has more treble than the DJ100 by far.
 
 
BTW some prefer the SRH-840 over the 940. I like the sRH-840, but it's unusable to me due to comfort issues. It has more of a mid-bass hump than the SRH-940, DJ100 and KRKs.

 

[machoboy]

Quote:

Doesn't the 840 trail the 940 overall though?
 
I did like the 840's very much in the store. More so than the KRK's...maybe I'll swap the KRK's for the 840's...

 
In my opinion, no. The 940s did nothing for me. They sound like the 840s with the wide sound funneled into a narrow beam.
 
Post burn-in SRH840s are the only headphones I've "fallen in love with" so far (I've been through Grado, Sony, Ultrasone, M-Audio, Brainwavz/NVX, AKG, etc.).
They have the separation of bass/treble that "V" shaped headphones do but they're actually very balanced in frequency response and never distant vocals. I don't know how exactly they do it.
 
The treble is initially harsh but mellows out over time. Nowhere near Ultrasone or Grado harshness. I barely believed in "bun-in" before I got these. They just get better and better.
 
As far as people saying these don't have bass, I've found that different genre-listeners and different generations tend to have different concepts of "bass". These don't have muddy classic rock bass, they aren't "groovalizers" that just jam every frequency below 300hz into one dancy blob. They have awesome clear, separated mid-bass and sub-bass though. The two never bleed into each other. With no EQ I use them as for recording since they're way more detailed than my HM5 clones.
With an EQ I prefer their boosted bass to my "basshead cans" (Q-40 & HFI-580). Enough that I got rid of the latter 2 and kept the Shures.
 
Build quality is 10/10, you could knock someone out with these. Come with 2 pairs of soft pads that people buy to put on their modded Fostexs. I'd get rid of all the other pairs I own before the 840s.
 
OK the headband is a love it/hate it thing. It's really big and padded and goes "across" your head rather than "around" your head. I love it personally because you can just throw them on with 0 adjustment.
 
/don't work for shure

 

[Jodiuh]

tdockweiler & machoboy:
 
Thanks for your help!
 
I returned the KRK's due to their lack of bass. I demoed the 840 again and it just can't hit where I need. BB had the A900X and matched Newegg's $227 price so I committed right then and there. I'm happy to report that along w/ the Grado 325i's and AKG Q701's, these have become my daily driver!!
 
They do gaming extremely well, they do all genres of music extremely well. The low end is THERE, but does not trump or mutilate the sweet vocals of Cher Lloyd's "I want u back" or Toby Mac's "Steal my show." It handles both female and male vocals better than the Q's IMO. The soundstage impresses for a closed can and Daft Punk's "Derezzed" POUNDS while still maintaining a nice top end that doesn't pierce like the DT880's.
 
They're wearable for browsing like my HD580's, but have FAR less sibilance and have proven to be more fun sonically as well. I'm one happy dude.
 
Thanks!!

 

[Pwak007]

Does anyone want to buy a pair without the adapter and cable? $140? Message me.