[Eagle_Driver]

Today I tried listening to the so-called "Street Style" headphones (the small-sized ones, not the big one) through my recently purchased Headroom Total Airhead amp (with the crossfeed turned off). For comparison I also listened to my Koss KSC-35's - which I will use as a reference point for all cheap headphones.

Here are my findings of those "Street Styles" when amped:

Philips SBC-HS800: What a piece of crap!!!! Very dark tonal balance, with very boomy upper bass, and sharply rolled-off highs! Also, there is no deep bass extension with those! Rating: 3/10

Sony MDR-G51 (first generation): Craptacular! Muffled, honky, bassless... BLECH! Rating: 2/10

Sony MDR-G56V: My mother taught me this saying when I describe the tonal quality of those headphones: If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all (or as my brother would say, "shut the ****** up!"). In other words, it holds no surprises, good or bad. Rating: 5/10

Sony MDR-G63LP: Similar in sound to the G56V, but less boomy in the upper bass. Rating: 5.5/10

Sony MDR-G72LP: Those 'phones are closest to the Koss KSC-35's in overall quality, but the Koss is still better. The G72's have deeper bass extension than the other Sony and Philips Street Style 'phones reviewed here, but like other Sony Street Styles they still suffer from resonances in the upper midrange caused by their semi-closed backs. And all of the Sonys also suffer from rolled-off highs compared to the Koss - they simply lack the top-end detail that the Koss delivers. Rating: 6.5/10

Oh, well... Time to order the Koss KSC-55's, even though they may hurt some people's ears.

(Note that my ratings are on an absolute scale; the Koss KSC-35 would receive an 8.5/10 here. And the 10/10? It's reserved for such expensive headphones as the Sony MDR-R10 King.)

 

[jlo mein]

ya i used to have the sony 72's until i ran into head-fi...like a brick wall i tell u

. Needless to say i promptly sold them.

To this day however, i still wonder if the sound would have improved if i ripped off the semi closed backs, to open up the drivers so sound doesnt reflect back in.

 

[Magicthyse]

Um... I have to ask the question:

For such a regular Sony basher as you, why punish yourself listening to these genuinely crappy phones? Is this some S&M side of you spilling over into phones?

PS: Compared to the G72, the KSC-35's - they be ugly. Perhaps it's the Grado Factor that appeals to you guys?

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Magicthyse, I'm not actually bashing Sony (in fact, there are a few Sony headphones that are pretty good). And those Street Styles? Well, they are mediocre at best even compared to the KSC-35. All I'm trying to prove that the Sony Street Styles aren't the worst of their kind as a whole.

And my Total Airhead? That amp is about the size of a cassette tape box.

And what about the V700DJ? I've actually heard those extensively enough to come to my own conclusion about that model. And with the hot summer days here, I'm finding myself NOT carrying around any full-sized 'phones no matter how they sound or what they sound like.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

And please note that I've added numerical ratings in my review at the top of this thread. My findings on these Street Styles is with an amp - and I use a 10-point scale. If I were using letter grades (A, B, C, D and E - A being best, E being worst), those Sony G72's would get a C- (C minus) for a grade, based on the following scale:

1. A - 9/10 to 10/10
2. B - 8/10 to 8.9/10
3. C - 6.5/10 to 7.9/10
4. D - 5/10 to 6.4/10
5. E = 0/10 to 4.9/10

And anything with a 7/10 rating or less shall be considered mediocre or worse.

 

[acs236]

Interesting reviews. I'm shocked to learn that the pair of streetstyles I own (Sony 72) are among the best you've tested. It makes me wonder how much worse the others sound.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

acs236, as I said earlier, take my review with a grain of salt. I said the G72 is the best of a wretched group of Street Styles that I own and tested. I haven't heard the Koss KSC-55 or the Sporta Pro (the latter is more of a convertible headphone than a true Street Style headphone), but both should sound better than the G72.

 

[Magicthyse]

It depends in what kind of environment you're in.

If you really want to test these babies out, Eagle_Driver, you should tell us in what kind of environment you tested these in.

When I test phones, especially portables - and those which were recommended as suitable for portable use, cough, cough - I think these should be tested in the environments that these are intended for. If this means carrying 4 headphones and swapping them every 20 seconds in the subway, so be it - I do this.

-------------------

Incidentally folks, Koss 'The Plug's kill the Sony MDR-EX70 in the intended environment, at less half the cost. The Plugs are very roughly finished products and take some getting used to, but they certainly deliver in terms of audio once you sort them out a bit. You can't lose - throwaway cost, without the throwaway temptation of the EX70's.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

I tested them at home, from a TAH 4.5V connected to the line-out of a Sony D-EJ1000 PCDP, in a *slightly* noisy room environment (my somewhat loud fan on my AMD Athlon XP 1600+ CPU).

 

[jlo mein]

ya whats up with the noisy fans for AMD athlon xp's? I have the 1600+ and its fan is way loud compared to my friends 1.4gig P4....

btw: im so happy! i think i am going out tomorrow to purchase a sony d-ej1000!

plus i already fired off my payment to JMT, so he should recieve it monday!!! horrah....i will have a d-ej1000 and CHA47 combo very soon!

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally posted by jlo mein ya whats up with the noisy fans for AMD athlon xp's? I have the 1600+ and its fan is way loud compared to my friends 1.4gig P4....

There are a LOT of quiet but crappy fans for AMD's, and kickass but noisy fans for AMD's...

Quote:

btw: im so happy! i think i am going out tomorrow to purchase a sony d-ej1000! plus i already fired off my payment to JMT, so he should recieve it monday!!! horrah....i will have a d-ej1000 and CHA47 combo very soon!

Now, try to buy something better than the Grado SR-60's for headphones; the SR-60's don't improve much in sound quality when amped.

 

[Matthew-Spaltro]

Hello Mr Eagle Driver. If you have not heard the W100s I recommend them. If you have what do you think about them?

 

[Eagle_Driver]

That's a bit off topic, since the AT W100's are way larger than what I consider "portable".

 

[Ebonyks]

A bit off the topic, but the stock AMD fans suck quite hard. They run at 5000 RPM as compared to the 3000 RPM of the intel stock fans. Yes, AXP's run hot, but getting a better heatsink, like a AX-7 (Avaible at newegg.com for 27 dollars last time i checked) and a quiet 25 DB panaflo 80mm fan will give you decent temps, and quiet.

Of course, silence is golden, and so is watercooling

.

I can modify my setup to still give me temps in the 40's celc, and have it be at most 15db's, even quieter if i mount my on some neoprene.

A bit off the topic, of course, but remember, i am a hardcore overclocker, and a n00b audiophile.

 

[jlo mein]

Quote:

Now, try to buy something better than the Grado SR-60's for headphones; the SR-60's don't improve much in sound quality when amped.

An opinion that i will take heavily into consideration. however, i have noticed that i have been spending A LOT on audio gear (im a student so extra cash is light). I think im going to put more into CD's and my computer first. Then i might consider some ety er6's

.