JK1
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Since I haven't heard the K430, I can't tell you which sounds better. I do know that the PX100II doesn't isolate at all, so if you want isolation then don't get it.
PX100-II vs AKG K420 vs AKG K430
- Thread starter Bahamut2
- Start date
JK1
Headphoneus Supremus
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You don't marry a headphone. You are allowed to have more than one. If you do buy more than one though, I guess the question would be which to buy first. I would grab the CAL at $45 before its gone. The PX100II is nice to own. I like my PX100. I think everyone should have at least one decent closed headphone, and at least one decent open one.
Bahamut2
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Thx for the advice, i want to try them all, but that will be arround 110EUR, about 140USD for the three.
musubi1000
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All three are good. I own all three.
The PX 100 II's are open, efficient, smooth, comfortable, light, great staging for a portable, has strong lower mid bass ( sometimes too much unbalancing the sound) and polite treble that stands behind the bass. quite dark. Sounds very rich but if you've listened to higher end phones you may find the treble lacking.
The K430s are closed, comfortable, light, not as great a stage as the PX, more up front,The Highs are the star and are presented up front. The polar opposite of the PXs. The bas on the AKs just won't compete in term of sheer power compared to the PX.
The K420s have a bit more airy treble but similar sound to the 430s. Look better than cheap looking 430, slightly less bass impact than K430 but sounds more naturally open. good balance.
Only the K430s will isolate to any degree.
The AKs jack isn't the strongest I've seen I ripped mine out of my K420s the first nightwhen I stepped on the cord. Only the terminal was left in my iphone. The jack housing was still on the cord.
The AKGs bass will improve depending on the quality of your source. Directly out of iphone they are a bit bass light. Amp for best results. Still no comparison to the PX's bass
Like I said all three are good phones of reasonably quality I enjoy them all. If I were to rank them I'd
place em like this
AKG K420: Most natural sounding with good dynamics if you have enough power.
AKG K430: Similar sound slightly darker, not as airy treble,
Senheisser PX 100 IIs: Still sound good but the darkness really stands out on certain tracks. If all you want is bass then this is a pretty strong contender for the price.
The PX 100 II's are open, efficient, smooth, comfortable, light, great staging for a portable, has strong lower mid bass ( sometimes too much unbalancing the sound) and polite treble that stands behind the bass. quite dark. Sounds very rich but if you've listened to higher end phones you may find the treble lacking.
The K430s are closed, comfortable, light, not as great a stage as the PX, more up front,The Highs are the star and are presented up front. The polar opposite of the PXs. The bas on the AKs just won't compete in term of sheer power compared to the PX.
The K420s have a bit more airy treble but similar sound to the 430s. Look better than cheap looking 430, slightly less bass impact than K430 but sounds more naturally open. good balance.
Only the K430s will isolate to any degree.
The AKs jack isn't the strongest I've seen I ripped mine out of my K420s the first nightwhen I stepped on the cord. Only the terminal was left in my iphone. The jack housing was still on the cord.
The AKGs bass will improve depending on the quality of your source. Directly out of iphone they are a bit bass light. Amp for best results. Still no comparison to the PX's bass
Like I said all three are good phones of reasonably quality I enjoy them all. If I were to rank them I'd
place em like this
AKG K420: Most natural sounding with good dynamics if you have enough power.
AKG K430: Similar sound slightly darker, not as airy treble,
Senheisser PX 100 IIs: Still sound good but the darkness really stands out on certain tracks. If all you want is bass then this is a pretty strong contender for the price.
musubi1000
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All three are good. I own all three.
The PX 100 II's are open, efficient, smooth, comfortable, light, great staging for a portable, has strong lower mid bass ( sometimes too much unbalancing the sound) and polite treble that stands behind the bass. quite dark. Sounds very rich but if you've listened to higher end phones you may find the treble lacking.
The K430s are closed, comfortable, light, not as great a stage as the PX, more up front,The Highs are the star and are presented up front. The polar opposite of the PXs. The bas on the AKs just won't compete in term of sheer power compared to the PX.
The K420s have a bit more airy treble but similar sound to the 430s. Look better than cheap looking 430, slightly less bass impact than K430 but sounds more naturally open. good balance.
Only the K430s will isolate to any degree.
The AKs jack isn't the strongest I've seen I ripped mine out of my K420s the first nightwhen I stepped on the cord. Only the terminal was left in my iphone. The jack housing was still on the cord.
The AKGs bass will improve depending on the quality of your source. Directly out of iphone they are a bit bass light. Amp for best results. Still no comparison to the PX's bass
Like I said all three are good phones of reasonably quality I enjoy them all. If I were to rank them I'd
place em like this
AKG K420: Most natural sounding with good dynamics if you have enough power.
AKG K430: Similar sound slightly darker, not as airy treble,
Senheisser PX 100 IIs: Still sound good but the darkness really stands out on certain tracks. If all you want is bass then this is a pretty strong contender for the price.
The PX 100 II's are open, efficient, smooth, comfortable, light, great staging for a portable, has strong lower mid bass ( sometimes too much unbalancing the sound) and polite treble that stands behind the bass. quite dark. Sounds very rich but if you've listened to higher end phones you may find the treble lacking.
The K430s are closed, comfortable, light, not as great a stage as the PX, more up front,The Highs are the star and are presented up front. The polar opposite of the PXs. The bas on the AKs just won't compete in term of sheer power compared to the PX.
The K420s have a bit more airy treble but similar sound to the 430s. Look better than cheap looking 430, slightly less bass impact than K430 but sounds more naturally open. good balance.
Only the K430s will isolate to any degree.
The AKs jack isn't the strongest I've seen I ripped mine out of my K420s the first nightwhen I stepped on the cord. Only the terminal was left in my iphone. The jack housing was still on the cord.
The AKGs bass will improve depending on the quality of your source. Directly out of iphone they are a bit bass light. Amp for best results. Still no comparison to the PX's bass
Like I said all three are good phones of reasonably quality I enjoy them all. If I were to rank them I'd
place em like this
AKG K420: Most natural sounding with good dynamics if you have enough power.
AKG K430: Similar sound slightly darker, not as airy treble,
Senheisser PX 100 IIs: Still sound good but the darkness really stands out on certain tracks. If all you want is bass then this is a pretty strong contender for the price.
Bahamut2
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Hello people (and musubi1000 too), i now have all the headphones in my hands.
I made a little test (5 minutes of every unit) and now i can have my first veredict, but i want to test them more.
My first impression is (in test order):
- Aurbana Live: Sounds really really nice! 100% comfortable (best of all), they are a bit big so they are not portable, but the sound quaity is very good (different from the other 3 headphones). For the price it is the best deal but as it is very big and it is not portable, you can not use them in the street for "everyday" for example. I have to test them more but the first impression is really good, the sound is somewhat professional and for a closed headphones it sounds better than other open ones... nice. Ummm i just noticed the bass is not much heavy for how big they are, and some highs just "harm" my ears, i will test more.
- AKG K420: Wow, the sound clarity is really awesome. I can't even notice they are "open" (maybe because im amplyfying the sound with my THX 2300) i can go to a very high sound and it isolates perfectly. This one has the "best sound clarity" of them all, i really was surprised, it sounds very natural and crisp. The bass is not bad at all (its not a big big bass but i dont think you need more then this, its a normal semiperfect bass). For my songs (pop/rock and soundtracks) i just tested, this was the best sound, the clarity makes it like your songs are recorded "better" even thought they are the same mp3 files! lol Very good quality, its not as comfortable as the aurvana but the pads are comfortable for me. It also has like "more volume" and doesn't "harm" my ears with high volumes. It's pleasant to ear. I didin't like open headphones (fullear) but i think im liking supraarual open ones.
- AKG K430: In my first listen, i am a bit dissapointed about this one, i just love the white design and i wanted to get them but before the sound test i dont think i can keep these, the sound is slightly worst (only a bit) than K420, the clarity at least is not the same (maybe because it is closed), and the bass is only a "bit better" it doesn0t worths because i feel the bass is "forced" and not natural. I dont know if its because it is closed or because the K420 has a mor neutral and natural bass, but i didint like it at all, i think K420 is better in terms of sound clarity and crispness, and off course neutral sound. I feel they are not very good at all but i will test them more. I thought closed phones where going to be better for me but now i can say its not about open/closed, its just about the headphone itself.
- PX100 II: Very hard to analyze... at first the sound was a bit dark, yeah, its like an "old sound" (does the portapro sound like this too?) It doesn't sound bad, its just that the sound is like more dark (i cant tell the exact word), like not fun. But if i put the volume to "very high" then it starts to do a good job, the problem is with this headhphone (i dont know if it is defective or what) but if you put it to very high volumes the bass "breaks" and sounds like it is broken" lol, but when you lower the sound it comes back to "normal". The bass is like more present than in the other ones but i feel it very dark, the bass is not funny it is "old sounding" and even if its a little bit higher bass, it doesnt makes it a better headphone. Because of my amplyfier (THX 2300) the isolation wasn't a problem too, but the problem is that if you put the sound too high, the bass fails, (is this normal?) Maybe im a bit dissapointed because everyone talks very good about this one, but the sound was too dark for me, and compared to the AKG420, they is a real difference in sound clarity. And also you dont need a forced bass, you just need a neutral-natural bass like the AKG420. I will test more off course!
Maybe i have to burn them all (how many hours?) but that is my first impression. I will write back later
Im glad i didn't buy just one headphone because i was going to buy K430 wich from now, is one of the worst i tested
I made a little test (5 minutes of every unit) and now i can have my first veredict, but i want to test them more.
My first impression is (in test order):
- Aurbana Live: Sounds really really nice! 100% comfortable (best of all), they are a bit big so they are not portable, but the sound quaity is very good (different from the other 3 headphones). For the price it is the best deal but as it is very big and it is not portable, you can not use them in the street for "everyday" for example. I have to test them more but the first impression is really good, the sound is somewhat professional and for a closed headphones it sounds better than other open ones... nice. Ummm i just noticed the bass is not much heavy for how big they are, and some highs just "harm" my ears, i will test more.
- AKG K420: Wow, the sound clarity is really awesome. I can't even notice they are "open" (maybe because im amplyfying the sound with my THX 2300) i can go to a very high sound and it isolates perfectly. This one has the "best sound clarity" of them all, i really was surprised, it sounds very natural and crisp. The bass is not bad at all (its not a big big bass but i dont think you need more then this, its a normal semiperfect bass). For my songs (pop/rock and soundtracks) i just tested, this was the best sound, the clarity makes it like your songs are recorded "better" even thought they are the same mp3 files! lol Very good quality, its not as comfortable as the aurvana but the pads are comfortable for me. It also has like "more volume" and doesn't "harm" my ears with high volumes. It's pleasant to ear. I didin't like open headphones (fullear) but i think im liking supraarual open ones.
- AKG K430: In my first listen, i am a bit dissapointed about this one, i just love the white design and i wanted to get them but before the sound test i dont think i can keep these, the sound is slightly worst (only a bit) than K420, the clarity at least is not the same (maybe because it is closed), and the bass is only a "bit better" it doesn0t worths because i feel the bass is "forced" and not natural. I dont know if its because it is closed or because the K420 has a mor neutral and natural bass, but i didint like it at all, i think K420 is better in terms of sound clarity and crispness, and off course neutral sound. I feel they are not very good at all but i will test them more. I thought closed phones where going to be better for me but now i can say its not about open/closed, its just about the headphone itself.
- PX100 II: Very hard to analyze... at first the sound was a bit dark, yeah, its like an "old sound" (does the portapro sound like this too?) It doesn't sound bad, its just that the sound is like more dark (i cant tell the exact word), like not fun. But if i put the volume to "very high" then it starts to do a good job, the problem is with this headhphone (i dont know if it is defective or what) but if you put it to very high volumes the bass "breaks" and sounds like it is broken" lol, but when you lower the sound it comes back to "normal". The bass is like more present than in the other ones but i feel it very dark, the bass is not funny it is "old sounding" and even if its a little bit higher bass, it doesnt makes it a better headphone. Because of my amplyfier (THX 2300) the isolation wasn't a problem too, but the problem is that if you put the sound too high, the bass fails, (is this normal?) Maybe im a bit dissapointed because everyone talks very good about this one, but the sound was too dark for me, and compared to the AKG420, they is a real difference in sound clarity. And also you dont need a forced bass, you just need a neutral-natural bass like the AKG420. I will test more off course!
Maybe i have to burn them all (how many hours?) but that is my first impression. I will write back later
Im glad i didn't buy just one headphone because i was going to buy K430 wich from now, is one of the worst i tested
Danneq
Headphoneus Supremus
Bahamut2 - So how would you rank the headphones?
I like my K420, but I don't feel that they have great clarity or sound natural (at least not compared to my PX100). They just sound fun with good mids and mid bass. Not as strong bass as my PX100. I have only listened to the PX100-II for a short while in a store, so I cannot compare the original PX100 and the PX100-II. Some people seem to prefer the original version. The PX100 is pretty dark sounding, but it still is more airy and detailed than the more compact sounding K420.
Anyway, it is difficult choosing and it's best if you can try the headphone out before you buy.
Which headphone(s) will you keep?
I like my K420, but I don't feel that they have great clarity or sound natural (at least not compared to my PX100). They just sound fun with good mids and mid bass. Not as strong bass as my PX100. I have only listened to the PX100-II for a short while in a store, so I cannot compare the original PX100 and the PX100-II. Some people seem to prefer the original version. The PX100 is pretty dark sounding, but it still is more airy and detailed than the more compact sounding K420.
Anyway, it is difficult choosing and it's best if you can try the headphone out before you buy.
Which headphone(s) will you keep?
musubi1000
100+ Head-Fier
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What are you runnin em out if?
musubi1000
100+ Head-Fier
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[VIDEO]hey Bahamut what up!
Too late you've been infected
Seriously though I'm glad to hear you picked my daily carry with me everywhere I go favorites. They are so comfortable for hours on end. But I'll let you in on one of my recent rediscoveries. If you want an even better portable mix. Sennheiser HD 238 w/ CMoy BB and an 8066 chip and don't forget the Line out doc. I'm listening to these right now. My new favorite all over again. My jaw is still dragging. They are just so dynamically chill I can't explain it any other way. It was the 8066 chip in the CMoy it enhances all of the pleasantries of the 238s. For on the budget peeps who demand quality consider this set up. This is my new open, lightweight, chill and listen to music for hours on end favorites. They're so comfortable and light I need reminders to recognize I got cans on my head. Now for the bad. They're open and leak in and out sound. The drivers are so smooth and dynamic but surprisingly inefficient. They need help (CMoy) Also because these drivers are working so hard across the board they won't take it real loud. The vocals will "resonate" with long elec bass lines when pushed to limits. Other than that they will play nicely with your music and just make it all so real and natural on stage. Even for my Break beats these guys rock with a surprising amount sub bass! My quest has come to an end for now
Primarily cause I can't spend any money right now! LOL!
op[/VIDEO]
Too late you've been infected
Seriously though I'm glad to hear you picked my daily carry with me everywhere I go favorites. They are so comfortable for hours on end. But I'll let you in on one of my recent rediscoveries. If you want an even better portable mix. Sennheiser HD 238 w/ CMoy BB and an 8066 chip and don't forget the Line out doc. I'm listening to these right now. My new favorite all over again. My jaw is still dragging. They are just so dynamically chill I can't explain it any other way. It was the 8066 chip in the CMoy it enhances all of the pleasantries of the 238s. For on the budget peeps who demand quality consider this set up. This is my new open, lightweight, chill and listen to music for hours on end favorites. They're so comfortable and light I need reminders to recognize I got cans on my head. Now for the bad. They're open and leak in and out sound. The drivers are so smooth and dynamic but surprisingly inefficient. They need help (CMoy) Also because these drivers are working so hard across the board they won't take it real loud. The vocals will "resonate" with long elec bass lines when pushed to limits. Other than that they will play nicely with your music and just make it all so real and natural on stage. Even for my Break beats these guys rock with a surprising amount sub bass! My quest has come to an end for now
Primarily cause I can't spend any money right now! LOL!
op[/VIDEO]
Hello people (and musubi1000 too), i now have all the headphones in my hands.
I made a little test (5 minutes of every unit) and now i can have my first veredict, but i want to test them more.
My first impression is (in test order):
- Aurbana Live: Sounds really really nice! 100% comfortable (best of all), they are a bit big so they are not portable, but the sound quaity is very good (different from the other 3 headphones). For the price it is the best deal but as it is very big and it is not portable, you can not use them in the street for "everyday" for example. I have to test them more but the first impression is really good, the sound is somewhat professional and for a closed headphones it sounds better than other open ones... nice. Ummm i just noticed the bass is not much heavy for how big they are, and some highs just "harm" my ears, i will test more.
- AKG K420: Wow, the sound clarity is really awesome. I can't even notice they are "open" (maybe because im amplyfying the sound with my THX 2300) i can go to a very high sound and it isolates perfectly. This one has the "best sound clarity" of them all, i really was surprised, it sounds very natural and crisp. The bass is not bad at all (its not a big big bass but i dont think you need more then this, its a normal semiperfect bass). For my songs (pop/rock and soundtracks) i just tested, this was the best sound, the clarity makes it like your songs are recorded "better" even thought they are the same mp3 files! lol Very good quality, its not as comfortable as the aurvana but the pads are comfortable for me. It also has like "more volume" and doesn't "harm" my ears with high volumes. It's pleasant to ear. I didin't like open headphones (fullear) but i think im liking supraarual open ones.
- AKG K430: In my first listen, i am a bit dissapointed about this one, i just love the white design and i wanted to get them but before the sound test i dont think i can keep these, the sound is slightly worst (only a bit) than K420, the clarity at least is not the same (maybe because it is closed), and the bass is only a "bit better" it doesn0t worths because i feel the bass is "forced" and not natural. I dont know if its because it is closed or because the K420 has a mor neutral and natural bass, but i didint like it at all, i think K420 is better in terms of sound clarity and crispness, and off course neutral sound. I feel they are not very good at all but i will test them more. I thought closed phones where going to be better for me but now i can say its not about open/closed, its just about the headphone itself.
- PX100 II: Very hard to analyze... at first the sound was a bit dark, yeah, its like an "old sound" (does the portapro sound like this too?) It doesn't sound bad, its just that the sound is like more dark (i cant tell the exact word), like not fun. But if i put the volume to "very high" then it starts to do a good job, the problem is with this headhphone (i dont know if it is defective or what) but if you put it to very high volumes the bass "breaks" and sounds like it is broken" lol, but when you lower the sound it comes back to "normal". The bass is like more present than in the other ones but i feel it very dark, the bass is not funny it is "old sounding" and even if its a little bit higher bass, it doesnt makes it a better headphone. Because of my amplyfier (THX 2300) the isolation wasn't a problem too, but the problem is that if you put the sound too high, the bass fails, (is this normal?) Maybe im a bit dissapointed because everyone talks very good about this one, but the sound was too dark for me, and compared to the AKG420, they is a real difference in sound clarity. And also you dont need a forced bass, you just need a neutral-natural bass like the AKG420. I will test more off course!
Maybe i have to burn them all (how many hours?) but that is my first impression. I will write back later
Im glad i didn't buy just one headphone because i was going to buy K430 wich from now, is one of the worst i tested
Bahamut2
New Head-Fier
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Here is my 2nd quick test including music and movies (i will make a 3rd and final veredict soon including ipod source):
All is tested via PC while connected to the THX Z-2300 amplyfier (i dont know if it portables amplys are better but its all i have). I also burned them all for like 9 hours; (maybe i have to burn more, idk)
Aurvana Live: Now i discovered a little problem for me, but i can say for sure, this is the perfect bass. 100% good and into your ears (the size helps to produce this). Althought the size is too big for being portable. Also is the most comfortable headphones of all. The sound is almost perfect... if it wasn't by the "highs" that are very "high" for my ears! The overall quality of the sound is 99% the best but it has a very big problem! The highs are really high, i dont like that, when you listen to people singing with the "S" a lot, it hurts my ears... And if i lower the sound, this problem fixes but i can not ear the other details of the music, so this is something i really don't like, I feel like highs are not well balanced with mids and lows Even thought, generally it is the best sound produced of them all.
If it wasn't by this problem then this would surely win. I feel this one is perfect for electronic music, yeah it sounds really better. (i suppose closed helps) But as they are too big it can produce eat into your ears, (its just a matter of taste...)
For movies: Perfect 3D surround sound. More sensation of space (less voice clarity but best surround for movies and games).
K420: The bass is more natural sounding than K430 (at least for me) and i feel like its a better bass. The bass seems a bit like PX100 II but not as deep, its just good and fine. The overall sound is very sharp, i thought i was going to love that, but now i think it is excessively sharp, because of this the problem with the "S" pronunciation by singers appears again and its a little bit anoyying for my ears, its not so prononcued as the Aurvana Live, but i still can ear it. Maybe my ears are "delicate".
For movies: The voices are really crisp and good sounding (it is perfect for book reading for example and for movies with not much action. It is not very inmersive at all but at least the sensation and surround is better than K430.
K430: This is the worst bass for me! I thought AKG sells this headphone as a bass one... but well it doesnt works very good for me! It is not comparable and it is the worst bass of the four headphones, its like very "punchy punchy" and forced, it doesn't sounds deep, it sounds like more artificial than PX100 II's bass. Overall sound quality for me is average. And ALSO i can ear the "S" behing very high! It hurts my ears again... i dont know much about this effect but i like putting the sound very high.
For movies: The voices are very crisp again, but not as inmersive as K420 and the others, its not very good.
PX100 II: The bass has improved since last time! Cool! (maybe because i burnt them). Now the bass feels like it has more power (not as much as aurvana live thought) but it feels like the bass is very good for such little headphones. Still is not the best bass but it is the best bass sounding if you don't count the aurvana live. The sound is still somewhwat dark and not very crips or sharp, but it sounds good. I think this is really good for electronic music and metal heavy music. Guitars sound better. The good thing about this one is that the "S" effect dissapears! Nice! Well i still can hear the highs and when singers use the "S" effect is still there, but is not so anoyying and i think that is because the overall sound is more neutral and dark, not so high and more warm, so my ears feel like are more relaxed to this sound, like you can listen this sound for more hours than the other AKG headphones.
Also, when you amplify the sound very much, it fails in the bass and sounds like a broken inear phone (if anyone experienced this just tell me because i dont know if this is a defective unit).
For movies: The bass helps a lot to be inmersive and a little bit of surround, (the 2nd best for movies next to aurvana) but the voices are not as much crips as the others. But this is not a problem, for movies this is better, for books not.
First Conclussion: AKG's sound more "crisp" in general" but if your ears are delicated, it can be a problem. Sennheiser is the most balanced overall, warm and with a better bass, but the dark sound is something i still don't know if i like... The Aurvana is the winner for now, but i can't get rid of the "S" effect! Its very anoyying for my ears and i dont like that... i will test a but more tomorrow and give my final veredict and my selection (for my personal taste, off course).
All is tested via PC while connected to the THX Z-2300 amplyfier (i dont know if it portables amplys are better but its all i have). I also burned them all for like 9 hours; (maybe i have to burn more, idk)
Aurvana Live: Now i discovered a little problem for me, but i can say for sure, this is the perfect bass. 100% good and into your ears (the size helps to produce this). Althought the size is too big for being portable. Also is the most comfortable headphones of all. The sound is almost perfect... if it wasn't by the "highs" that are very "high" for my ears! The overall quality of the sound is 99% the best but it has a very big problem! The highs are really high, i dont like that, when you listen to people singing with the "S" a lot, it hurts my ears... And if i lower the sound, this problem fixes but i can not ear the other details of the music, so this is something i really don't like, I feel like highs are not well balanced with mids and lows
Even thought, generally it is the best sound produced of them all.If it wasn't by this problem then this would surely win. I feel this one is perfect for electronic music, yeah it sounds really better. (i suppose closed helps) But as they are too big it can produce eat into your ears, (its just a matter of taste...)
For movies: Perfect 3D surround sound. More sensation of space (less voice clarity but best surround for movies and games).
K420: The bass is more natural sounding than K430 (at least for me) and i feel like its a better bass. The bass seems a bit like PX100 II but not as deep, its just good and fine. The overall sound is very sharp, i thought i was going to love that, but now i think it is excessively sharp, because of this the problem with the "S" pronunciation by singers appears again and its a little bit anoyying for my ears, its not so prononcued as the Aurvana Live, but i still can ear it. Maybe my ears are "delicate".
For movies: The voices are really crisp and good sounding (it is perfect for book reading for example and for movies with not much action. It is not very inmersive at all but at least the sensation and surround is better than K430.
K430: This is the worst bass for me! I thought AKG sells this headphone as a bass one... but well it doesnt works very good for me! It is not comparable and it is the worst bass of the four headphones, its like very "punchy punchy" and forced, it doesn't sounds deep, it sounds like more artificial than PX100 II's bass. Overall sound quality for me is average. And ALSO i can ear the "S" behing very high! It hurts my ears again... i dont know much about this effect but i like putting the sound very high.
For movies: The voices are very crisp again, but not as inmersive as K420 and the others, its not very good.
PX100 II: The bass has improved since last time! Cool! (maybe because i burnt them). Now the bass feels like it has more power (not as much as aurvana live thought) but it feels like the bass is very good for such little headphones. Still is not the best bass but it is the best bass sounding if you don't count the aurvana live. The sound is still somewhwat dark and not very crips or sharp, but it sounds good. I think this is really good for electronic music and metal heavy music. Guitars sound better. The good thing about this one is that the "S" effect dissapears! Nice! Well i still can hear the highs and when singers use the "S" effect is still there, but is not so anoyying and i think that is because the overall sound is more neutral and dark, not so high and more warm, so my ears feel like are more relaxed to this sound, like you can listen this sound for more hours than the other AKG headphones.
Also, when you amplify the sound very much, it fails in the bass and sounds like a broken inear phone (if anyone experienced this just tell me because i dont know if this is a defective unit).
For movies: The bass helps a lot to be inmersive and a little bit of surround, (the 2nd best for movies next to aurvana) but the voices are not as much crips as the others. But this is not a problem, for movies this is better, for books not.
First Conclussion: AKG's sound more "crisp" in general" but if your ears are delicated, it can be a problem. Sennheiser is the most balanced overall, warm and with a better bass, but the dark sound is something i still don't know if i like... The Aurvana is the winner for now, but i can't get rid of the "S" effect! Its very anoyying for my ears and i dont like that... i will test a but more tomorrow and give my final veredict and my selection (for my personal taste, off course).
Bahamut2
New Head-Fier
- Joined
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Quote:
Danneq, I will rank them later, but for me (not counting aurvana as it can not be compared because its bigger and produces a better sound) K420 has the best clarity of them all (maybe too much, and its good for voices for example and classic music, etc). The mid bass helps a lot and i think they are nice, but the anoying "too much highs" is bothering me (the S effect i talk about), maybe my amplyfier is not very good? My ipod will make my final veredict with last burning hours and a final test.
It is very true that the PX100-II has a better bass overall, but the K420 bass is not bad at all, its just fine. But i want to ask you, what do you mean by "PX100 is more airy and detailed"? Both are airy because they are open, but K420 is more crisp that (for me) leads to a more detailed sound, but PX100 is like more neutral and warm, maybe better (for some people). PX100 sounds more like my THX Z2300 (i know i can not compare them!) but the sound is more natural, i mean.
Quote:
musubi1000, What do you mean? Im running them frm my computer plugged to the THX Z-2300 system so i can amplify the sound.
And about your last post, your english is a bit strange for me, i can't understand everything.
Do you mean that Sennheisser 238 is better than those ones? What is the 8066 chip? Sorry im a noob...
And do you really need the CMoy ampli? Why CMoy?
Danneq, I will rank them later, but for me (not counting aurvana as it can not be compared because its bigger and produces a better sound) K420 has the best clarity of them all (maybe too much, and its good for voices for example and classic music, etc). The mid bass helps a lot and i think they are nice, but the anoying "too much highs" is bothering me (the S effect i talk about), maybe my amplyfier is not very good? My ipod will make my final veredict with last burning hours and a final test.
It is very true that the PX100-II has a better bass overall, but the K420 bass is not bad at all, its just fine. But i want to ask you, what do you mean by "PX100 is more airy and detailed"? Both are airy because they are open, but K420 is more crisp that (for me) leads to a more detailed sound, but PX100 is like more neutral and warm, maybe better (for some people). PX100 sounds more like my THX Z2300 (i know i can not compare them!) but the sound is more natural, i mean.
Quote:
musubi1000, What do you mean? Im running them frm my computer plugged to the THX Z-2300 system so i can amplify the sound.
And about your last post, your english is a bit strange for me, i can't understand everything.
Do you mean that Sennheisser 238 is better than those ones? What is the 8066 chip? Sorry im a noob...
And do you really need the CMoy ampli? Why CMoy?
Danneq
Headphoneus Supremus
Quote:
Well, I have the impression that the K420 are much more forward and in your face than the PX100, which have a more distant sound. To me, the K420 have strong mids. Especially the upper mids are a bit too much in the beginning. I also had problems with sibilance from my K420, but it settled down after 40-50 hours. Still they do sound more "crisp" than my PX100, and much more forward. The PX100 and PX100-II have got a slightly different sound, I think, even if they both have a dark sound signature. but still I find good detail in them, especially after EQing treble up a bit.
musubi1000
100+ Head-Fier
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- Jan 7, 2009
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Hi Bahamut
I'm glad you are enjoying your headphones. I found very similar results to your experiences. I use the 420s for my everyday carry headphones. They are great but after some time you may have noticed that the aggressive highs become a bit fatiguing.
Sennheiser makes another model the HD 238. Been around for a while. Here in the US it's going for about $65. It is an open lightweight portable headphone. The 238s are better balanced than the PX 100s. They correct the excessive darkness and extend the treble just shy of true sparkle. The sound is very airy, open, real, and natural. The only problem is they are power hungry. They sound fine directly out of an iPhone but improve dramatically with power. You wouldn't power a 12" sub directly from your car deck right? You need a good amp. I'm not familiar with your amp so I don't know what you can expect.
But with the proper power I'm impressed. With power the 238s will tighten the bass, open the soundstage, layering, and depth. I'm listening to the 238s with CMoy BB and 8066 op amp. next to my audio technica M50s and while the M50 are a bit better, the 238s offer a very competitive more portable package that sounds very close. Compared to my M50s the M50s have more treble extension but the M50 highs can be fatiguing over time. The 238 highs aren't quite as extended but the treble sounds real, natural, sweet, present and haven't fatigued my ears yet. The mids are smooth and natural. The 238s sub bass is stronger than the M50s but the M50s have more bass impact (leads to fatigue). Keep in mind I'm comparing a "portable" with a studio/home headphone. This has become my listen at home/portable rig. It is so light, comfortable, musical, and I can listen with no fatigue at all. These really hit all of the points I expect from my headphones. Presenting everything so musically. While these won't beat my M50s they give a very very strong performance with less fatigue. Strong bass present mids and solid non fatiguing highs.
The CMoy is a portable amp with a bass boost circuit. This amp has a swappable op amp. The op amp is the actual amplifying chip. You can tailor the sound of your amp via swapping the op amp. This is the next step in your new disease. The 8066 is an op amp that will provide strong bass and enhance the highs and really make the 238s shine like no other portable headphone I've heard yet. Especially at this price point. This set up crushes the B&W P5s ($300 US). It is just my opinion but I feel I struck gold with this combination as they compliment each other beautifully.
I'm glad you are enjoying your headphones. I found very similar results to your experiences. I use the 420s for my everyday carry headphones. They are great but after some time you may have noticed that the aggressive highs become a bit fatiguing.
Sennheiser makes another model the HD 238. Been around for a while. Here in the US it's going for about $65. It is an open lightweight portable headphone. The 238s are better balanced than the PX 100s. They correct the excessive darkness and extend the treble just shy of true sparkle. The sound is very airy, open, real, and natural. The only problem is they are power hungry. They sound fine directly out of an iPhone but improve dramatically with power. You wouldn't power a 12" sub directly from your car deck right? You need a good amp. I'm not familiar with your amp so I don't know what you can expect.
But with the proper power I'm impressed. With power the 238s will tighten the bass, open the soundstage, layering, and depth. I'm listening to the 238s with CMoy BB and 8066 op amp. next to my audio technica M50s and while the M50 are a bit better, the 238s offer a very competitive more portable package that sounds very close. Compared to my M50s the M50s have more treble extension but the M50 highs can be fatiguing over time. The 238 highs aren't quite as extended but the treble sounds real, natural, sweet, present and haven't fatigued my ears yet. The mids are smooth and natural. The 238s sub bass is stronger than the M50s but the M50s have more bass impact (leads to fatigue). Keep in mind I'm comparing a "portable" with a studio/home headphone. This has become my listen at home/portable rig. It is so light, comfortable, musical, and I can listen with no fatigue at all. These really hit all of the points I expect from my headphones. Presenting everything so musically. While these won't beat my M50s they give a very very strong performance with less fatigue. Strong bass present mids and solid non fatiguing highs.
The CMoy is a portable amp with a bass boost circuit. This amp has a swappable op amp. The op amp is the actual amplifying chip. You can tailor the sound of your amp via swapping the op amp. This is the next step in your new disease. The 8066 is an op amp that will provide strong bass and enhance the highs and really make the 238s shine like no other portable headphone I've heard yet. Especially at this price point. This set up crushes the B&W P5s ($300 US). It is just my opinion but I feel I struck gold with this combination as they compliment each other beautifully.
JK1
Headphoneus Supremus
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Is the HD238 so much better than the HD228? The HD228 is only $30(on Amazon) These are very inefficient though(110 db/V 24 ohms for the HD228 which is only 93.8 db/mw,and 114 db/V 32 ohms which is 99 db/mw for the HD328 , so some people with a low powered portable might not get enough volume, especially with the HD228.
Bahamut2
New Head-Fier
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- Jan 9, 2012
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Final Conclusion after burnign them for about 100 hours: Winner: PX100-II (greetings sennheisser!)
Extended Conclusion:
Direct amplyfied music: Winners: PX100-II / K420
k430 seems bad at high volumes! k420 is way better :S
Aurvana perfect for all volumes, perfect bass and most precise sound, but i still see something "strange" in the sound, like the highs are very high and not "natural", i think the isolation and comfort is better of all but the px100 sound can be more "relaxed" and netural to your ears.
px100-ii has very good sound with high volumes, (but the bass seem to be broken with high volumes, i will return it and buy a new one... i hope it gets fixed) It has the best bass, warm sound to ear for hours, it is a complete winner.
k420 very good at high volumes, crisp and sibilacne is mostly gone now the sound is really good for classical music, but overall i preffer more warm sound of px100, valid for all kind of musics and with a good bass
Movies: Winner: Aurvana (overall, it just deppends of what kind of movie or video are you listening too)
k420 voices are really crisp but highs are too much... also (bad isolation)
k430 has the best crisp voice and much of a "direct sound"... good for auditions and mini series, also (good isolation)
aurvana: Good voice but is more deep, fits really better for movies than for miniseries, also (good isolation)
px100 is less crisp but more deep, that means better for movies, and also i feel it is a better sound overall, also (bad isolation)
videogames: (portable systems) Winner: PX100-II
aurvana and k430 are very bad, it shows like "artifacts" and the sound is not like "original sound" (gameboy games tested here)
but at least we have k420 and px100! the sound is perfect for portable gaming, for me the px100 is more neutral and warm, more like the original sound is meant to be heard.
k420 has more highs and it seems it soudns "better" because of this but in reallity it distorts a bit the sound, it sounds more clear but also not warm, i preffer a warm sound if i play too many hours. Overall px100 is better for me.
iPhone4/iPod: Winner: PX100-II
Aurvana made a bad sound (seems like an high end headphone, it doesnt fit well with ipod and i still can hear the "bad highs" like not accurate) also it needs more power to sound good, i guess amply is needed so its not good for portability in every way...
k430 is really bad, ugg, no... its like a "bad k420", the sound is very bad compared with the other 3...
k420 and px100 are the best, but k420 sound is more crisp and the highs can hurt your head if you listen too much time, not comfy for your ears, you can get tired, but sounds more crisp and maybe a bit better than px100 in terms of crispness and for other kind of music, like classical music and maybe some electric music.
Overall px100 is the best, the sound is neutral, the bass can relax your ears, you can never stop! once i put them on its like the time goes very fast! really! it is because the sound is very warm and it relax me, also it is so neutral and sounds like it was meant to be eard... i love it.
I will now return them all because i want PX100-II wich seems broken (to me). And maybe... i will get portapros and analyze them too, and HD238.
Aiaiai tracks seem expensive i can read its like PX100-II.
Extended Conclusion:
Direct amplyfied music: Winners: PX100-II / K420
k430 seems bad at high volumes! k420 is way better :S
Aurvana perfect for all volumes, perfect bass and most precise sound, but i still see something "strange" in the sound, like the highs are very high and not "natural", i think the isolation and comfort is better of all but the px100 sound can be more "relaxed" and netural to your ears.
px100-ii has very good sound with high volumes, (but the bass seem to be broken with high volumes, i will return it and buy a new one... i hope it gets fixed) It has the best bass, warm sound to ear for hours, it is a complete winner.
k420 very good at high volumes, crisp and sibilacne is mostly gone now
the sound is really good for classical music, but overall i preffer more warm sound of px100, valid for all kind of musics and with a good bass Movies: Winner: Aurvana (overall, it just deppends of what kind of movie or video are you listening too)
k420 voices are really crisp but highs are too much... also (bad isolation)
k430 has the best crisp voice and much of a "direct sound"... good for auditions and mini series, also (good isolation)
aurvana: Good voice but is more deep, fits really better for movies than for miniseries, also (good isolation)
px100 is less crisp but more deep, that means better for movies, and also i feel it is a better sound overall, also (bad isolation)
videogames: (portable systems) Winner: PX100-II
aurvana and k430 are very bad, it shows like "artifacts" and the sound is not like "original sound" (gameboy games tested here)
but at least we have k420 and px100! the sound is perfect for portable gaming, for me the px100 is more neutral and warm, more like the original sound is meant to be heard.
k420 has more highs and it seems it soudns "better" because of this but in reallity it distorts a bit the sound, it sounds more clear but also not warm, i preffer a warm sound if i play too many hours. Overall px100 is better for me.
iPhone4/iPod: Winner: PX100-II
Aurvana made a bad sound (seems like an high end headphone, it doesnt fit well with ipod and i still can hear the "bad highs" like not accurate) also it needs more power to sound good, i guess amply is needed so its not good for portability in every way...
k430 is really bad, ugg, no... its like a "bad k420", the sound is very bad compared with the other 3...
k420 and px100 are the best, but k420 sound is more crisp and the highs can hurt your head if you listen too much time, not comfy for your ears, you can get tired, but sounds more crisp and maybe a bit better than px100 in terms of crispness and for other kind of music, like classical music and maybe some electric music.
Overall px100 is the best, the sound is neutral, the bass can relax your ears, you can never stop! once i put them on its like the time goes very fast! really! it is because the sound is very warm and it relax me, also it is so neutral and sounds like it was meant to be eard... i love it.
I will now return them all because i want PX100-II wich seems broken (to me). And maybe... i will get portapros and analyze them too, and HD238.
Aiaiai tracks seem expensive i can read its like PX100-II.
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