disfiguredlabrynth
New Head-Fier
Nakamichi NK2030 HEADPHONE (Brief Sound Review)
**I listen to mostly older music, mainly rock and metal. However, I listen to more genres and these handled all of them really well.**
Note: Make sure you’ve plugged them in SECURELY, the end that goes into the headphone is the one where the mic part is closer. Give it a good source, as my smartphone was not enough to fully power them. The full potential of these are lost if you don’t listen to FLAC,ALAC, or 320 kbps files and only use a crap source; these sound WAY different and weaker on crap files. ENJOY.
Bass: Doesn’t overpower mids, not even the lower mids. It doesn’t color the music either. The bass is oddly transparent but has good texture, something I’ve only heard in premium headphones. This is a good thing, no matter what genre of music you listen to. It’s light but impactful, until you turn them up and put on a bassy song. Then your ears will rattle!
Mids: Sound WAY better on FLAC or 320kbps files. Amount of detail is more than I expected, but not as apparent as some of my IEMS. This doesn’t bother me considering how many things these do right! The imaging and soundstage is wonderful for a budget headphone. I suppose it is rather small for a headphone, but sounds huge to me because I’m used to IEMs. I find when I turn these up, the sound expands taller than wider but it still feels like a great distance with good depth. I had my mom listen to a live recording of Bea’s Song by Cowboy Junkies and she actually genuinely freaked out because she thought the sounds of bottles clinking and someone coughing were happening in the room! She also commented that instruments sounded very real, and she was around musicians her whole life so I believe her!
Yes, instruments are a BIG high point that has me coming back to these instead of the many other headphones I have. Vocals sound great but are ever so slightly smooth (only on higher notes) to prevent fatigue and sibilance. This is a blessing to me rather than a curse. Don’t worry, raspiness, cracks, and very high notes are still present but sound slightly drawn back.
Treble: This is where I think some people criticize these headphones. Most cheaper headphones will wreck your ears and peak on every high note you hear. Nakamichi was smart and tuned the driver to make them sound pulled slightly back before it can clash with your ears. Some may like it, and some may not. However, I describe it as laid back, not veiled; because the detail is very much there and is crisp. I either don’t notice or don’t mind. Seriously, I didn’t even realize the laidback treble until I listened to an Ariana Grande song. But again I listen to mostly older music, and if you do too it won’t be noticeable.
OVERALL SOUND REVIEW: Just right. Very engaging. Neutral (natural really) with slightly laidback treble and is the most non fatiguing sound I’ve ever heard. Put good juice and sound in and you’ll get taken care of with these. Remember these are around 18 USD and sound much more mature and premium than some 100$ headphones. Considering these sound better than any priced Beats or Skullcandy’s, there is no reason why you shouldn’t get these if you’re considering a budget but competent headphone.
**I listen to mostly older music, mainly rock and metal. However, I listen to more genres and these handled all of them really well.**
Note: Make sure you’ve plugged them in SECURELY, the end that goes into the headphone is the one where the mic part is closer. Give it a good source, as my smartphone was not enough to fully power them. The full potential of these are lost if you don’t listen to FLAC,ALAC, or 320 kbps files and only use a crap source; these sound WAY different and weaker on crap files. ENJOY.
Bass: Doesn’t overpower mids, not even the lower mids. It doesn’t color the music either. The bass is oddly transparent but has good texture, something I’ve only heard in premium headphones. This is a good thing, no matter what genre of music you listen to. It’s light but impactful, until you turn them up and put on a bassy song. Then your ears will rattle!
Mids: Sound WAY better on FLAC or 320kbps files. Amount of detail is more than I expected, but not as apparent as some of my IEMS. This doesn’t bother me considering how many things these do right! The imaging and soundstage is wonderful for a budget headphone. I suppose it is rather small for a headphone, but sounds huge to me because I’m used to IEMs. I find when I turn these up, the sound expands taller than wider but it still feels like a great distance with good depth. I had my mom listen to a live recording of Bea’s Song by Cowboy Junkies and she actually genuinely freaked out because she thought the sounds of bottles clinking and someone coughing were happening in the room! She also commented that instruments sounded very real, and she was around musicians her whole life so I believe her!
Yes, instruments are a BIG high point that has me coming back to these instead of the many other headphones I have. Vocals sound great but are ever so slightly smooth (only on higher notes) to prevent fatigue and sibilance. This is a blessing to me rather than a curse. Don’t worry, raspiness, cracks, and very high notes are still present but sound slightly drawn back.
Treble: This is where I think some people criticize these headphones. Most cheaper headphones will wreck your ears and peak on every high note you hear. Nakamichi was smart and tuned the driver to make them sound pulled slightly back before it can clash with your ears. Some may like it, and some may not. However, I describe it as laid back, not veiled; because the detail is very much there and is crisp. I either don’t notice or don’t mind. Seriously, I didn’t even realize the laidback treble until I listened to an Ariana Grande song. But again I listen to mostly older music, and if you do too it won’t be noticeable.
OVERALL SOUND REVIEW: Just right. Very engaging. Neutral (natural really) with slightly laidback treble and is the most non fatiguing sound I’ve ever heard. Put good juice and sound in and you’ll get taken care of with these. Remember these are around 18 USD and sound much more mature and premium than some 100$ headphones. Considering these sound better than any priced Beats or Skullcandy’s, there is no reason why you shouldn’t get these if you’re considering a budget but competent headphone.
