[Xander]

God.. I know how you guys hate this question.

Well, I need something portable to use when I go down to my friends.. It's really a pain to lug my whole audio rig down there just to listen to my headphones. Anyway, I need two things...

1) A pair of headphones, ofcourse.. Something that I can find for less then $150. Not the V6's, and Grado's are out of the question. I need something thats neutral across the response, no exaderated bass or treble or any of that hoo-haa... Not that the V6's are colored, just.. Well, theyre annoying, to say the least.

2) A portable CD Player that can drive the respected headphones without the need of another amp. And one that SOUNDS good, as well.

Is this even possible? Help me make the right decisions and I'll give you a cookie.

 

[Xander]

Or, I could get PCDP + Total AirHead and use my AKGs...

 

[MacDEF]

Xander, I've said this before, and I'll say it again

Anyone who wants a portable headphone owes it to themselves to at least *try* the KSC-35. For $30 the sound is amazing, and due to the limitations of "portable" environments... suffice it to say that they're small, light, comfortable, and sound great. Unless I need isolation, they're the only headphone I use portably.

The great thing about "starting cheap" is that if you're happy, you save money

 

[Pepsione1]

how about the mx500 MacDEF? I don't know why i have the impression about the ksc35 being too bass heavy like the sony v6. Is this true? Would the mx500 be more neutral?

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

how about the mx500 MacDEF? I don't know why i have the impression about the ksc35 being too bass heavy like the sony v6. Is this true? Would the mx500 be more neutral?

I find the KSC-35 to be better-sounding (by quite a bit) than the MX500. The KSC-35 do have a good deal of bass, but they never sound bass-heavy. To me, they have a fairly balanced sound. They are a bit "warmer" than the MX500, but in a good way, IMO.

 

[Buddha]

*agrees with macdef*

 

[wab]

Also try the Philips HP550. Very neutral sound and unbeatable for $20 IMHO.

 

[Xander]

The idea isnt really a portable system that I get to run around town with. Rather something that I can lug to my friends and enjoy music on. A friend of mine owns the KSC35's, and while I think theyre rediculously excellent phones for the money, they arent nearly sufficient.

Anyway.. I think I've pretty much decided to go with an AirHead and use my AKGs. It's the only way. Still thought, I'm stuck on the PCDP issue. What about that Panasonic one that HeadRoom sells?

Also, I've heard from some people that there is a lack of dynamic range on PCDP's due to compression to save battery life.. How true is this?

 

[utdeep]

110,000% agree with MacDEF. Metalhead speaks the truth!! The KSC 35 rules!

Maybe we should found Team 35.

 

[MacDEF]

Xander, if you're going to go that route, have you considered the PortaCorda, as well?

Quote:

Also try the Philips HP550. Very neutral sound and unbeatable for $20 IMHO.

Except in the U.S. they aren't $20

(I am curious to hear them, though, to see how they stack up against the KSC-35.)

 

[Xander]

MacDEF, I havent considered the PortaCorda.. Is there something I should know? I dont know a thing about it. Will it outperform the AirHead?

 

[a1leyez0nm3]

You could get the er6's, or ex-70's and mod them as I did. For pcdps, I wouldn't recommend the 580, as it doesn't have a line out the last time I checked, and the cover on my 780 with a line out is about to fall off any day now.....

but anyway, I find that isolation is a must for me when I am on the go, So I recommend something that is closed... For pcdps, you might try the sony ej721 0r 725. Good line out and a decent headphone out, the cover wasn't loose on the one I tried, solid feel. I plan to get the 725 to replace my 780 or a minidisc player

 

[Joe Bloggs]

And apparently you can turn off data compression on the D-EJ72x

Though nobody has figured out whether it's G-protection 'on' or 'off' that's uncompressed

 

[a1leyez0nm3]

there are 2 levels, 1 or 2, I think it is on 2 where there is no compression

 

[Joe Bloggs]

For the D-EJ725 it's actually 'on' or 'off'

A while ago I asked people to run this test: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...&threadid=3985

It seemed to show that the 'off' position offered less memory time, strictly speaking, so that's probably the uncompressed mode.

But then this happened: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...&threadid=4606

blr said things sounded better with G-protection on, but I could never figure out whether he was using the headphone out or the line out w/amp. (coz with the phones he was using it could have gone either way, the way I see it

)