[murrmax]

Quote:

I listen to a range of stuff such as...imogen heap,combchrist,dj zany,t. raumschmiere,30 seconds to mars,the libertines,babyshambles,the arctic monkeys,test icicles,nirvana,billy talent etc... will these headphones be suitable for all of those? keep in mind i can change the eq settings on my ipod,so it can be tuned to an extent. will my ipod be able to power these?

Oh yeah you will Enjoy! no eqing needed - just plug in and rock out..

 

[Rick Hunter]

Got my new K81DJ's this morning... I immediately hooked them to my rig and listened to a few reference tracks, after a couple song I was definitely feeling the cans way too bassy and with rolled off highs, so I performed the foam removal mod.

I like the cans MUCH MUCH better without the foams: the bass cleaned out a bit, the overall sound became clearer and highs went definitely more upfront.
Then I tried putting the foams back in and listened again: I am definitely a "no foamies guy" The cans are too dark and muddy with the foams on. Much better without the foamies: more balanced, clearer, more enjoyable IMHO.

Then I did an A/B comparison with my (fully burnt-in) HD595 (ok not a fair comparison) and here are my impressions: (K81 WITHOUT foamies)

BASS:
The K81 has more bass than the 595, but it's just a little more, in fact I feel that you perceive more bass since the mids and highs are less upfront than the 595. Bass on the K81DJ is punchier but a bit boomy and not well controlled.
The 595 wins for me: even though it has a little less bass & punch than the K81 it is a much more controlled, precise and tight bass response.

MIDS:
The K81 has very good mids for a closed can this size: they are quite detailed and sound good without the honkiness often found in closed cans this size. They are a tiny bit recessed though, IMHO. Altough they sound quite good, they do not sound lifelike, because they are missing a good deal of upper harmonics that the 595 will reproduce effortlessly.
The 595 wins hands down: reproduction of acoustic guitars and human vocals is much more realistic, airy and richer than the K81. Electric guitars sound more crunchy and fuller with more body to their sound. Snare drums are more detailed and realistic though maybe a bit less impactful than the K81.

HIGHS:
Ok, not much of a contest here: the K81 has good highs, still a little bit rolled off even without foamies, but they sound artificial and constricted to my ears, they have no sparkle and severely lack air.
Highs on the 595 are more upfront, more realistic, have more harmonics, fuller sound, better decay, and tons of sparkle & air wich the K81 lacks.

INSTRUMENT SEPARATION AND SOUNDSTAGE:
I was amazed at the K81's instrument separation: it is very good and you can discern the tracks of various instruments quite easily. It is no second to the 595 IMHO.
Only thing is, the 595 has more details and more realistic sound of the various instruments, so you get a more realistic and involving "view" of what is being played by each musician, because notes have small nuances and harmonics that you don't hear as well with the K81. Anyhow they're on par with instrument separation, for me and my ears.
Soundstage? Well the K81 surely has an amazing soundstage for a closed can this size, it beats off easily my PX100, PX200 and HD485 too, but it is no match to the 595, which has a noticeably deeper and wider soundstage. But I'm happy with the K81's soundstage: it is a nice touch and gives a sense of 3d imaging to the scene.

INSULATION AND COMFORT
I wear the K81 at notch number 7 so my head is not that big: I noticed it presses harder on my head/ears than the 595 but I don't find it discomfortable.
595 wins hands down on comfort: they are the most comfortable cans I own.
Insulation and sound leakage: ding, we have a winner: it's the K81: the 595 has no insulation and leaks like nothing else, the K81 has almost no leak and insulates quite well. (have yet to try them in noisy environments like the streets)
EDIT: I tried them on the streets and I can say that they actually manage to drown out a good 70% of the traffic noise: I find myself listening at lower volumes than before and this is a good thing (as I care much for my hearing and insulation is the main reason why I bought these cans)

Keep in mind that this comparison is between a brand new K81 and a fully burnt-in HD595 so it's a very very unfair one. I will post other impressions once the K81 reaches the 120 hours mark, to see how burn-in changes things (yes I'm a believer)

Sorry for my english, it's not my first language.

 

[systemx29]

i was also wondering,since the only headphones ive ever really used are the ones that come with and ipod or cd player,am i going to notice most of the things you guys are discussing,like the highs and lows and mids and sparkle and tearing and all that stuff?

 

[Fatality_]

Quote:

Originally Posted by systemx29 /img/forum/go_quote.gif i was also wondering,since the only headphones ive ever really used are the ones that come with and ipod or cd player,am i going to notice most of the things you guys are discussing,like the highs and lows and mids and sparkle and tearing and all that stuff?

You're going to be in for a treat.. a very very smooth, clean, refined, 'ballsy' treat.

 

[kiwirugby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by knalb /img/forum/go_quote.gif does anyone know how well these isolate on a plane?

so so. Definitely cannot hear lower notes because of the low sound of the engines. If you're ahead of the engines they are better.

 

[lipidicman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by systemx29 /img/forum/go_quote.gif i was also wondering,since the only headphones ive ever really used are the ones that come with and ipod or cd player,am i going to notice most of the things you guys are discussing,like the highs and lows and mids and sparkle and tearing and all that stuff?

To you, these will sound great. If you get the bug your tastes will become refined as you learn what you like. Its a trip......

 

[systemx29]

i kind of want the bug,but i seem to get into really expensive sports/hobbies(paintball) or really dangerous hobbies(urban exploring),i i hope i dont get the bug,i spend too much money on my other hobbies..

one last thing, is the cord fragile? or just thin?

 

[Rick Hunter]

Ok, after 20 hours of high-volume unattended burn-in things are starting to get waaaay better now. (with foams removed)

The highs are no more rolled off and they have acquired some sparkle and air they were lacking before. (they still have an unnaturally fast decay though)
Bass is becoming less prominent and, most important, is more controlled and tight than before, but still a bit on the boomy side
Mids are coming upfront nicely and the vocals, guitars, snare drums are starting to have a fuller sounding timbre.
The overall sound is starting to get more balanced, but I feel there's still room for improvement, especially in the mids/highs decay department.

One thing is amazing on this little headphones: PRaT and dynamics: both are very very good!!!

 

[markl]

Quote:

i was also wondering,since the only headphones ive ever really used are the ones that come with and ipod or cd player,am i going to notice most of the things you guys are discussing,like the highs and lows and mids and sparkle and tearing and all that stuff?

I don't know, I bought a pair of K81DJs for my brother, and compared to his stock cans, he said he thought there "might" be a difference!

That's not a knock on the K81DJ, but is proof that ears must be trained to hear differences. One doesn't become an audiophile oevrnight, it takes a long time and lot s of gear swaps. What sounds like a HUGE difference to one set of experienced ears can sound like no difference at all to inexperienced ears.

 

[Ikarios]

I've noticed that even to my inexperienced ears, the K81DJ's sound signature is completely different from anything I've ever heard (i.e. heart-pounding bass and not-bad mids and highs). Other than the bass, though, it's hard for me to do any other comparisons to my other cans.

 

[philodox]

weird... that is not my experience with them at all... and I'm no bass head

 

[slwiser]

This is so very true..

The problem is if you fine something your are very satisfied with and stop with that the you can fail to become picky enough or have enough experience with a wide breath of equipment....and not become what is required to be an audiophile.

This assumes the definition of audiophile implied in this quote.

Quote:

Originally Posted by markl /img/forum/go_quote.gif .........One doesn't become an audiophile oevrnight, it takes a long time and lot s of gear swaps. What sounds like a HUGE difference to one set of experienced ears can sound like no difference at all to inexperienced ears.

 

[oli84]

I've been paying close attention to the sound of my headphones these few days and noticed that the bass can drown out low notes on electric guitars.. is this a consequence of the overly boomy bass of the K81's or something else?

Would a recable be a solution to this? I'm really tempted.

 

[Rick Hunter]

The bass on my K81s even with the foamies removed, 35+ hours of solid burn-in, and the use of the LDM+ (which is known to tighten the bass) is still boomy and uncontrolled. I'm still not impressed with these cans.

 

[DDF]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Hunter /img/forum/go_quote.gif The bass on my K81s even with the foamies removed, 35+ hours of solid burn-in, and the use of the LDM+ (which is known to tighten the bass) is still boomy and uncontrolled. I'm still not impressed with these cans.

Ditto.

As I posted elsewhere:
This is exactly how I find the bass of the K81s. It sounds more like a tactile device than an audio reproducer. Bass is one note and low frequency ambience is unpleasantly over emphasized.

For people that are reporting better bass with burn in, here's what's happening. Your headband is loosening and its creating less pressure with the cups. More pressure = more bass bloat, less = less bass bloat. Try it and you'll see what I mean.