i2ehan
Aka: Nightcrawler, Oof Oink
Was flipping items from the classifieds on eBay.
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2009
- Posts
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- 101
These are really hidden gems IMO. It's funny how when I first gave them a listen, I quite honestly thought they sounded atrocious. Were if not for the Comply foams, I'd have been all too naive to realize their potential, and what potential they have. They easily rival my EX1000's, without question. I wouldn't necessarily say one is technically above the other; as always, preference comes into play. Unlike my Sony's however, the j-phonics aren't nearly as forgiving. In a nutshell, the K2's are quite true to the source of the recording/mastering. As they say, trash in, trash out.
There's no arguing that the SP was channeled to sound neutral, albeit they're certainly on the warm and sweet side, and all the while, quite musical. Having just recently spent a few days time exclusively with the RE252's, I've discovered neutral in all its glory. The K2's treble, much like the midrange, is rather revealing, yet laid-back with respect to the rest of the spectrum, without any fatigue or harsh qualities; just enough to appreciate it alongside the remainder of the spectrum, without any particular emphasis. Bare in mind however, as revealing as they are, they'll certainly bring out the worst if asked to. All of my test tracks ranged between 320kbps and FLAC/lossless; almost as though I was compelled to play only the best quality tracks, and nothing but, in order to unleash the K2's true sound. The midrange presents with great detail, clarity, and boasts a slightly intimate feel. The lows are surprisingly well-bodied (for in-ears with particular emphasis on sounding neutral), powerful, and extend rather low. The presentation, as mentioned, is closer to neutral than not, with a hint of warmth, albeit nowhere near as warm sounding as say the SM3. I've always found it best to critique staging on a whole, taking into consideration the rest of the signature/presentation. As such, the staging compliments the signature quite well, in that it's not excessively wide, nor is it by any means narrow; it feels just right with respect to the spectrum. I wish to avoid use of the word 'average' here since what I consider to be average may not correspond to what another listener considers to be average. After all, whether or not I label a sound as bright/warm, thick/thin, neutral/colored, it's all relative to whatever in-ears I've experience with.
There is certainly a learning curve, if you will, in the case of the K2's. I can almost guarantee that they won't impress upon first listen (unless of course given the rather unlikely event that they're your first in-ears, and you've nothing to compare them to). Then again, I can't say that all top-tiers I've owned have impressed me upon first listen. There was certainly no wow factor to begin with, and even after nearly a full days worth of listening, I can't say that's changed. However, while they may not have wow'ed me, they haven't failed to impress me, in that they do have an engaging sound, that, if given the opportunity, has a tendancy to grow on you by the minute. All in all, the K2's are certainly fit for top-tier SQ, but I'm not quite sure that they live up to their intended purpose: to offer a sound which is said to rival customs, in a universal package. If that were true, I'd hold them to much higher expectations, which at most they may potentially fulfill, but certainly wouldn't exceed.
There's no arguing that the SP was channeled to sound neutral, albeit they're certainly on the warm and sweet side, and all the while, quite musical. Having just recently spent a few days time exclusively with the RE252's, I've discovered neutral in all its glory. The K2's treble, much like the midrange, is rather revealing, yet laid-back with respect to the rest of the spectrum, without any fatigue or harsh qualities; just enough to appreciate it alongside the remainder of the spectrum, without any particular emphasis. Bare in mind however, as revealing as they are, they'll certainly bring out the worst if asked to. All of my test tracks ranged between 320kbps and FLAC/lossless; almost as though I was compelled to play only the best quality tracks, and nothing but, in order to unleash the K2's true sound. The midrange presents with great detail, clarity, and boasts a slightly intimate feel. The lows are surprisingly well-bodied (for in-ears with particular emphasis on sounding neutral), powerful, and extend rather low. The presentation, as mentioned, is closer to neutral than not, with a hint of warmth, albeit nowhere near as warm sounding as say the SM3. I've always found it best to critique staging on a whole, taking into consideration the rest of the signature/presentation. As such, the staging compliments the signature quite well, in that it's not excessively wide, nor is it by any means narrow; it feels just right with respect to the spectrum. I wish to avoid use of the word 'average' here since what I consider to be average may not correspond to what another listener considers to be average. After all, whether or not I label a sound as bright/warm, thick/thin, neutral/colored, it's all relative to whatever in-ears I've experience with.
There is certainly a learning curve, if you will, in the case of the K2's. I can almost guarantee that they won't impress upon first listen (unless of course given the rather unlikely event that they're your first in-ears, and you've nothing to compare them to). Then again, I can't say that all top-tiers I've owned have impressed me upon first listen. There was certainly no wow factor to begin with, and even after nearly a full days worth of listening, I can't say that's changed. However, while they may not have wow'ed me, they haven't failed to impress me, in that they do have an engaging sound, that, if given the opportunity, has a tendancy to grow on you by the minute. All in all, the K2's are certainly fit for top-tier SQ, but I'm not quite sure that they live up to their intended purpose: to offer a sound which is said to rival customs, in a universal package. If that were true, I'd hold them to much higher expectations, which at most they may potentially fulfill, but certainly wouldn't exceed.
