[thewaka]

I have read the forums, doing searches on all of these and they all are recommended, also sometimes not recommended. But I haven't seen them discussed for the kind of music I listen to with the same source.

I have a Sony MZ-NE410 Minidisc recorder. This is the lowest model of the netMD recorders. I am ripping my CDs at 132 kbps for ATRAC L2 compression transfer to MD.

I listen mostly to classical and spoken word, but also bluegrass, jazz, folk, and other things along those lines.

I have narrowed it down to these three models, all portable, all same price point ($35-38). I can spend more ($60-70 budget) and they don't have to be portable, but don't know that it is worth spending more considering the source. I have even considered spending less (KSC50 or KSCPRO1) in order to buy more music (

), esp. since next year I plan to upgrade all the equipment (top-of-the-line Hi-MD and ~$200 headphones). But I also want better sound now.

The best I have now is Radio Shack Pro 35A. I know I can get better. My need for comfort is equal to sound quality.

Thank you,

Diana

 

[leechem]

I have PX100 and use ksc 35 before
in my opinion,ksc 35 is better than px100 at bass frequency,I don't know whether it is fit for u?

 

[saint.panda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thewaka I listen mostly to classical and spoken word, but also bluegrass, jazz, folk, and other things along those lines.

Hi Diana, if you're going to spend more next year then I think a 35$ headphone would do just fine for now. I listen to jazz a lot and some classical as well and I really like my Koss Ksc35. The Koss Porta Pro are rather bass heavy and don't sound too well with the kind of music you mentioned. The PX100 and the Ksc35's sound quality are very close. It then really depends on the looks, portability, etc.
I believe the Ksc35 are a touch better but I might be biased because I own the Ksc35.
For around 60$ the best headphone in my opinion is the Grado SR60, excellent sound though not the best for classical music because the SR60 does not have a lot of soundstage (soundstage is the amount of 3 dimensional space the headphones can create and classical music needs a lot of that space. Ignore this if you already knew what soundstage was

)

 

[Taurui]

The PX100 and the Koss phones have almost zero soundstage too, by the way.
If you're looking for a phone that's a pretty ok allrounder, why not try the Sennheiser HD497?

-Taurui

 

[Erik_C]

Hi. I just bought both the PX100 and KSC-35. I gave the PX100s to my girlfriend, and kept the KSC-35s for myself. The PX100s have granier treble, and are darker in sound than the KSC-35s. Bass is about equal -- maybe a touch more bloated on the PX100s. For $35, both are good buys, and the PX100s feel more substantial and are more comfy to wear. But the PX100's suckout between (just my guess) 4-9kHz is just too pronounced for me to be able to enjoy them. Color me a KSC-35 man.
-Erik

 

[Earwax]

I have a MD player too, the R500, and I listen to some of the same music. I like the Senn PX-200 for classical with the MD player, it's got very good detail and nice midrange and treble, not as bass-heavy as some of the others you're considering. I also have the KSC-55 (like the 50, but neckband instead of clips) and I use it more for pop/folk/rock stuff, it has a little less detail than the PX-200. Comfort is going to be a very individual thing, but I think the KSC-55 is very comfortable, especially for walking around.

And, since someone mentioned soundstage, using LP2 compression eliminates a lot of the "soundstage" info in the recording, so I wouldn't worry about finding a headphone with good soundstage at this point.

 

[phonatic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erik_C The PX100s have granier treble, and are darker in sound than the KSC-35s.

Did you let them break in? They open up a lot, but it takes a while, in typical Sennheiser fashion.

These are all very good phones for the money. I managed to blow my Koss phones using them with my MZ-N505 listening at half volume... maybe there was something wrong with the phones from the beginning and it didn't surface until later.

In theory, the Senns will be driven more easily by your MD player, since they have lower impedance, but in practice it may be that the Koss cans will seem louder at a given volume setting. You need a lot of sensitivity and low impedance in something you want to use with an MD player -- they are not very powerful. Could you be happy with ear buds? The Sennheiser MX400 sound decent and are less than US$15. They'll be easier to drive.

 

[Taurui]

I own both the KSC-35 and the PX200. Out of those two, I'd easily choose the KSC-35 for all kinds of music. However, I still like the PX200 because it doesn't leak sound.
The detail and instrument seperation is horrible on the PX200 compared to my other cans. They have a dark sound, a nonexisting soundstage and are thus well suited for rock. I got a nice seal, and the bass improved extremely after burn-in.
But still, every aspect is bested by the KSC-35. If it only would isolate, too ..

I still think that the HD497, that I sent back in favor of my DT531, is well suited for classical and all other kinds of music. They have nice detail, are overall pretty neutral and .. well .. most people think they're comfortable. However, I thought the sound was too non-involving (Like a lesser HD600), but I'm sure there are people who like that. Headroom also likes them, see here

-Taurui

 

[thewaka]

Thanks for all the replies. As I thought, the PPs are out.

As to the others, seems the sound is better in the KSC-35, but the PX100 is easier to drive. Will the two perhaps then have a similar level of quality from my MD player? I don't quite understand how harder to drive affects the sound in an underpowered player.

I am seriously considering the KSC-35 since they do have another advantage over the PX100--extreme portability. The player and 'phones could fit in a pocket together. I don't have to have it, but it wold be nice. And I forgot to mention that I would prefer open (I have three littles running around and I would like to hear the music and the trouble they might be getting into <G>).

I looked at the HD497, but wondered with the source I had, if they were worth the additional $20. Then figured they wouldn't be good enough once I got money to upgrade the source. If I am wrong about these, and can expect the comfort to be higher, they would be under consideration. I would say that my ears are average size, perhaps stick out a bit at the top (but not enough to push my hair aside), and my head is small-medium.

If I could afford good, open, easily-driven-by-a-portable (*my* portable) headphones, I would go with those now and Ety's next year. I am just trying to make the most of my money while not feeling like I spent for quality I can't take advantage of right now.

Diana

 

[saint.panda]

Any player will be able to drive the Koss KSC 35, I didn't have any problems with my Slimx350.
In my opinion, the HD 497 has better highs and better soundstage than the PX100 and KSC35 but I found it less comfortable and it's not as portable as the PX100 / KSC 35 and I found the bass to be a bit too lean.

Quote:

Originally Posted by thewaka Thanks for all the replies. As I thought, the PPs are out. As to the others, seems the sound is better in the KSC-35, but the PX100 is easier to drive. Will the two perhaps then have a similar level of quality from my MD player? I don't quite understand how harder to drive affects the sound in an underpowered player. I am seriously considering the KSC-35 since they do have another advantage over the PX100--extreme portability. The player and 'phones could fit in a pocket together. I don't have to have it, but it wold be nice. And I forgot to mention that I would prefer open (I have three littles running around and I would like to hear the music and the trouble they might be getting into <G>). I looked at the HD497, but wondered with the source I had, if they were worth the additional $20. Then figured they wouldn't be good enough once I got money to upgrade the source. If I am wrong about these, and can expect the comfort to be higher, they would be under consideration. I would say that my ears are average size, perhaps stick out a bit at the top (but not enough to push my hair aside), and my head is small-medium. If I could afford good, open, easily-driven-by-a-portable (*my* portable) headphones, I would go with those now and Ety's next year. I am just trying to make the most of my money while not feeling like I spent for quality I can't take advantage of right now. Diana

 

[ooheadsoo]

If comfort matters to you, throw the pp's back in. I for one don't mind the pp's for classical and jazz at all. Make sure you set the temple pads to light. Not only is the bass more balanced, it's more comfortable too. The clips on the ksc35's just aren't for everyone. I really think the bass on the pp's isn't so bad and is actually quite fun. The bass in jazz is one of the most important instruments, you gotta feel it supporting everything!

 

[JaZZ]

The PX 100 is by no means «easier» to drive than the PortaPro/KSC-35. Well, it's 32 vs. 60 ohm, but this only speaks for the Koss models, since most portables have better bass extension with higher impedances, and given the higher efficiency and sensitivity of the PortaPro/KSC-35, it's them which should be called «easier to drive».

KSC-35 and ProtaPro have the same driver; the difference in sound results from different position/pressure on the ears. But you can adjust («ComfortZone») and stretch the PortaPro's headband until it sounds exactly like the KSC-35. If you have an EQ in your MD portable (unlikely) you could decrease the bass and thus wouldn't have to bother with headband adjustments.