[Change is Good]

Looking forward to your review of SHP9500 and perhaps you could do some comparisons with K7xx and 400i in that review. 

Sure thing! Comparing the 9500 with the K7XX, however, won't be as detailed because I no longer own it. The 400i took its place about a year ago

 

[shyamelge]

Would others like to share their observations too?

 

[Limblifter]

 

Looking forward to your review of SHP9500 and perhaps you could do some comparisons with K7xx and 400i in that review. 

Sure thing! Comparing the 9500 with the K7XX, however, won't be as detailed because I no longer own it. The 400i took its place about a year ago

 
 
 
 
Curious on your impressions between the 9500's and the HE400i.  Found the HE400i for a very good price on sale until Friday.

 

[Change is Good]

Curious on your impressions between the 9500's and the HE400i.  Found the HE400i for a very good price on sale until Friday.

I'll post some quick impressions when my 9500 arrives tomorrow or Thursday.

 

[VRacer-111]

I respectfully disagree in regards to the 9500 being better than the K7XX in sound quality. I had both side by side for a good while, just not at the time I wrote my K7XX review. While the 9500 may be more present in the mids and highs, it is still a less refined headphone. Also, the K7XX was not tuned to be a bright headphone (as the 9500 is). A fairer comparison in regards to sound signature would be with AKG's K702 or Q701 (also leagues above the 9500). What you describe seems like pure frequency preference rather than quality.



And as for the bass having the quality of Fostex, that's quite a bit of a reach. I also had Shure 1840 pads on mine and, while the bass was great and nicely present, it was NOT anywhere close to the quality of the TH-X00. Mind you, this is quality I'm referring to... not quantity.

If you want an upgrade in the K7XX price range but with more present mids and highs than the those I'd suggest reading up on the HE-400i. Mind you, that comes at the expense of a flatter (yet still good) bass response. They go for around $250 brand new these days.

I am not an audiophile other than in wanting audio gear that gives clear and detailed reproduction of sound in a manner that is engaging and interesting, neutral or anything trying to approach neutral is not my preference. My preference for an ideal headphone would be more detailed and accentuated in sound than neutral but not overtly so, with nice detailed highs, mids, and bass - basically a STAX Lamda. I picked up the AKG K7XX to try them out for use with gaming. They just are not a headphone I would ever like - they come across boring and slightly veiled to me. Maybe I just don't have the equipment to really make them sing, but I wasn't going to spend money to try and find out when they really didn't hold my interest after trying to get use to them.

I don't like 'refined' headphones...reason I love the low end STAX Lamda's I've heard and haven't really cared for the SR-009 and SR-007 I've heard on a high end setup at all - just don't like how they sound in comparison to the Lamdas.  Once I got the SHP9500's and really listened to them it was 'how soon can I get rid of the K7XX!". The K7XX just never grabbed my interest from the start, and the more I tried to listen to them the less and less I liked them - they just don't do anything for me and were the most veiled sounding headphone I have had. Trying to force myself to listen to them just made me regret my purchase more. Maybe technically they are a better headphone than the SHP9500, but my ears love the sound of the SHP9500 and just doesn't like the K7XX sound. I do love the build quality and fit of the K7XX though, one of the absolutely best designs as far as wearing comfort goes for me.

In regards to comparison with the TH-X00 Purplehearts, I was meaning the SHP9500 with defoamed Shure 1840 pads had qualities that very much was like listening to the TH-X00 PH with pads similar to the ZMF Ori. Comparing between the two, they do have a very similar sound signature in the low end. I often wear the SHP9500 much more than the TH-X00 because of similar sounding low end but better mids, clarity, detail, and (most especially) comfort. If I want to jam out to bass heavy electronic music it will be on the Purplehearts, but for nearly everthing else I enjoy the SHP9500 just as much and it's much more comfortable. I will be modding the TH-X00 for better clarity, detail, and comfort though... love them too much not to.

All in all, I just wanted to say if someone really likes or love their SHP9500, and is interested in the AKG K7XX, definitely get some listening time with them to see if it's something you would like... the two are not similar sounding headphones. I don't know how varied a persons acceptance of different sounding headphones are. My acceptance is in a range that basically falls from pad rolled TH-X00 PH to a STAX SR-L300/500... Anything with less clarity, detail, and mids than TH-X00 with Ori pads would be a no go: stock pads are a no go for me on the TH-X00 PH...

 

[VRacer-111]

Many thanks VR for sharing your experience with both HPs.
 
Yes, I was tempted to buy K7XX based on online popularity/hype but you have put things in perspective and saved my money.  
 
I will stick to SHP9500. 
 
A clarification: Did you mean SHP9500 in this sentence - "while K7XX is extremely clear full spectrum, great mid signature, and more detailed in the highs." 

 


Yes, I meant the SHP9500. I would still suggest giving the K7XX a try if you ever have a chance to listen to it that way you can know for sure if it is something that would work for you.

 

[SomeTechNoob]

Do remember though that the K7XX should improve quite a bit with the proper amplification.

 

[Change is Good]

Okay, after some brief side by side comparisons I can confirm my prior assumptions about the SHP9500 and HE-400i. I wasn't completely sure about this in the past because, as prior mentioned, I had different pads on my SHP9500 last time I owned them. I never bothered comparing them when the Philips was in stock form. Now that I can, I must say that the sound signatures a very similar with the HE-400i obviously sounding like the more expensive headphone (faster tone, better instrument separation, bigger soundstage, more clarity, less grain, cleaner bass with similar impact... maybe slightly more). Those of you looking for an upgrade while wanting a similar tone to the stock 9500 should really consider the Hifimans.
 
I'll be on spring break next week, which will give me time away from the books so I can start writing my review.

 

[fumblingforward]

I've been using a Fiio x3 2 for about a week and it sounds pretty ok though muted (in high gain) to me with my he-400i. To get them to what I feel is an immersive volume with a sound stage more Timmy liking I' use about 70 of the 120 step volume, sometimes 75 with source files. I've turned it up and it gets louder but remains "veiled" to my ears. Has anyone experienced this same issue and did a portable amplifier such as the fiio a5 rectify it? Does it require more yet than the a5 produces? I bought the Fiio to take on vacation with me. I won't be waking around, headphones on, more for listening at the motel at the end of the day so a smaller/ economical desktop amp is okey too but I don't want to Haul my Asgard with me.

 

[fumblingforward]

TO MY NOT TIMMY. Autocorrect sucks.

 

[iamhanin]

Curious on your impressions between the 9500's and the HE400i.  Found the HE400i for a very good price on sale until Friday.

Care to share the sale?

 

[iamhanin]

So this whole thing about SHP9500 v K7xx making me very uncomfortable as I will receive my 9500s tomorrow and I have a K7xx sitting brand new in the box that I totally impulse bought on the first day of the drop. I don't have any Dac/amp so was planning to sell them after massdrop stoped but now....

 

[Limblifter]

 

Curious on your impressions between the 9500's and the HE400i.  Found the HE400i for a very good price on sale until Friday.

Care to share the sale?

 
 
 
I'm in Canada, sale was at www.visions.ca for $349.  Back to regular price of $649.  

 

[iamhanin]

I'm in Canada, sale was at www.visions.ca for $349.  Back to regular price of $649.  

thanks

 

[VRacer-111]

So this whole thing about SHP9500 v K7xx making me very uncomfortable as I will receive my 9500s tomorrow and I have a K7xx sitting brand new in the box that I totally impulse bought on the first day of the drop. I don't have any Dac/amp so was planning to sell them after massdrop stoped but now....

 


Why uncomfortable? Just take a good month or two to compare the two...you'll either love one or the other OR maybe like them both - all depends on what you like to hear a headphone reproduce. Everyone hears sound differently, you need to listen to both to see what works for you. If one doesn't work, then you can sell it and try something else...