REVIEW: 3 Closed Portables Compared—AKG K81 DJ, Audio Technica ES5 & Sennheiser PX200
Mar 5, 2006 at 7:48 PM Post #16 of 33
The AKG K81 DJ sounds a lot like the 26P, only moreso.

Some folks love the presentation of the 26P, and some do not...I doubt those who dislike it will like the K81 DJ from the sounds of it.

As for me, I'll be winding my way over to HeadRoom to order a pair.
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Mar 5, 2006 at 11:25 PM Post #17 of 33
Quote:

Originally Posted by markl
But again, I don't want to over-emphasize the amp/power issue because it's not a big deal IMO (the K81 sounds *great* un-amped and I don't intend to buy a pocket amp for them), and the K81's definitely not a "slow" headphone by any means.


I couldn't agree more with you on this one. Yes many headphones benefit from proper juice and its articulation. But the K81 performs flawlessly solo. I use it on my desktop for office rig. Really happy with these AKGs for it intimacy and fun factor. They really compliment my Beyer DT880 which are neutral and analytical cans.

Besides the AKGs provide plenty bass which has tightened up since new. Although the mids are recessed, I was surprised by its piano reproduction. aIlso reckon some over emphasis of treble in instructment presentation at certain recordings, but the central imaging and musical synergy make up for their weakness.

I wouldn't be surprised if one of the major magazines from US/UK will list these cans as recommended headphones along the bargain cans like Senn PX100, Grado SR60, and Koss KSC35. After all there are not many closed cans under $100 with vibrant energy and good detail.
 
Mar 5, 2006 at 11:47 PM Post #18 of 33
Great review, thanks!

BTW, why are you listening to .wav files, which are hard to tag and take up tons of space? The iPod Nano supports the ALAC format (Apple Lossless Audio Codec), which is a lossless compression algorithm that decodes to a bit-perfect output, exactly the same as a CD Audio, WAV, or AIFF file. But it takes up about half as much space (on average), and supports much better tagging.

EDIT: If you set "ALAC" as the import format in iTunes preferences, you can convert WAV to ALAC within iTunes by just right-clicking on a wav file and selecting "Convert to ALAC..."
 
Mar 6, 2006 at 12:28 AM Post #19 of 33
Very helpful review, thanks.

How geeky is the K81 when being worn compared to the PX200?
 
Mar 6, 2006 at 3:43 PM Post #20 of 33
jagorev, yes, I keep meaning to use apple lossless, but as it turns out, the battery on my Nano runs out of juice at just about the exact moment the last song plays when I've maxed it out with .wav files. So then I re-charge and download a new set of songs. Eventually, though, I'll get to it...
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Quote:

How geeky is the K81 when being worn compared to the PX200


Well, they are twice the size, so, yes, they are a little dorky. On a scale of dorkiness with 0 being no headphones, and 10 being walking around with R10s on your head, they're at about a 4, but a strong 4.
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Mar 9, 2006 at 6:36 PM Post #22 of 33
Well, I picked up the AKG K81DJ...just arrived from HeadRoom this AM.

First impressions: this is the best inexpensive headphone that I've had on my head. I love these!! They sound very natural, though they are a bit rolled off on the upper and lower end. Mids to die for (considering the cost) - it's your basic AKG house sound.
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About this cord - you weren't kidding about that thing being long!!
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Mar 9, 2006 at 7:57 PM Post #23 of 33
Looks like the K81 DJ might be a great upgrade to my K26P. I still really like them, they have gotten more comfortable over time, they isolate very well, the sound is decent for most of what I listen to. But lately I've been wanting...more. More balance, more soundstage, just better overall sound.

I'm mostly listening to electronic music these days, ranging from Fennesz, Four Tet, Ikue Mori... but also a fair amount of classical, especially string quartets.

Headroom says they sound quite a bit better than the K26P but isolate a little less, any thoughts on this?
 
Mar 9, 2006 at 11:37 PM Post #24 of 33
Glad they are working out for you so far elrod-tom. Keep us posted when you have some more thoughts!

atomic,
I, too would love to get feedback on the k81DJ from other K26P owners, I'd love to know how much difference there is.



In the last few days, the mids of the K81DJ have continued to open up even more, vocals are now excellent, the slight recession has diminished. I'm noticing a lot more soundstaging information, too. I notice that there is no hole in the middle of the soundstage that you get with some cans, the K81DJ is very coherent and full. When I run outside with the K81DJ, it's starting to feel like I'm walking around in my own private sound-world (I think also in part due to the superior isolation they provide compared to the others). It's really neat. Again, I'm getting a lot of front-to-back information that I've never gotten with other portables.

Anyway, I'm really enjoying them, respect for them is still growing, they keep surprising me. By far the best portable I've had.
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Mar 10, 2006 at 2:28 AM Post #25 of 33
BTW - This review has been stickied!!
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Mar 11, 2006 at 4:12 AM Post #27 of 33
Quote:

Originally Posted by markl
I notice that there is no hole in the middle of the soundstage that you get with some cans, the K81DJ is very coherent and full. Again, I'm getting a lot of front-to-back information that I've never gotten with other portables.

Anyway, I'm really enjoying them, respect for them is still growing, they keep surprising me. By far the best portable I've had.
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I actually thought they had excellent center imaging. I'm glad finally there's some bush fire going on for these good cans.

Markl, did your cans get more speedy overtime? Less bass bloat too right? Those are few things which improved after break-in. I really love the fit and finish of these cans for sure. Top class like K501!

I still don't think they're so natural but far more groovy. Maybe we ought to hear from more members. Let's keep the fire going for this beauty.
 
Mar 11, 2006 at 4:28 AM Post #28 of 33
Quote:

Originally Posted by markl
Well, they are twice the size, so, yes, they are a little dorky. On a scale of dorkiness with 0 being no headphones, and 10 being walking around with R10s on your head, they're at about a 4, but a strong 4.
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Just out of curiosity, but where does the wearing of Jeckin Floats in public fall into your scale?
 
Mar 11, 2006 at 4:39 AM Post #29 of 33
Excellent and timely reviews. I'm hoping that AKG will continue to innovate in the closed portable space, which in turn will cause the HD 25-1 to come down in price.
 
Mar 11, 2006 at 7:52 AM Post #30 of 33
Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey
Excellent and timely reviews. I'm hoping that AKG will continue to innovate in the closed portable space, which in turn will cause the HD 25-1 to come down in price.


I wouldnt wait because that definately wont happen. The HD-25-1 besides being used as a DJ and portable phone is mainly used by tv stations, tv/movie productions, anything were you have an audioengineer on the go. It's aimed at "Pro's" and the price is stable since it's release. This is not a consumer product where prices fall largely throughout its lifetime.
 
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