[Taephan]

Quote:

Yes, yes and yes.  The 8400s have all of that.  Not bassheady bass, but certainly not lacking.  Drums sound very good; very realistic, you might say.

 
I'm really leaning towards the 8400s, they are lighter than the Shure 840s which is a plus. Have a detachable cable - another plus. But there are so many mixed reviews about the KRKs, but I understand that sound can be pretty subjective. Marximus, do you have any suggestions for modifications that will improve the 8400s?

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

Another quick question,
How is the bass when listening to songs like 'More Than A Feeling' and 'Drift Away' ?
Also, how do these compare to the Creative Aurvana Lives? I'm trying to decide between the two.

 
I'm think I'm going to bite the bullet and order the KRK 8400 from Amazon for $113. Hopefully it's not too terrible with my playlist in terms of treble. I just hope Amazon's return policy isn't too bad but crossing my fingers that these work out. I don't want to spend so much on headphones only to have it sent back.

 
I've found that they're less fatiguing when they have a good portable player or a decent amp. I would say the Clip+ or Ipod Touch may be enough.
Amazon's return policy is great. You want to return it you print out a return label with postage already on it. They deduct the shipping fees from your refund! For me they give me a refund before I even mail the item back! Crazy!
If they're fatiguing, most likely it'll be due to any bad tracks in your collection. I have entire artists I avoid in my collection due to how bad their recordings are. This is rare for me though.

 

[Zoom25]

Drums are indeed very fantastic on these, just so natural sounding. They have an entry level price, but the performance is above entry level for sure. Definitely well balanced and really clear and precise throughout the spectrum. Bass is tricky with this depending on the genre, due to mastering style. For example, I find the bass lacking with electronica recordings, the KRK does sub-bass but the impact isn't there in the right region. Although with rap, hip-hop, rock and pop, the bass kicks very well. Again E10 or other Fiio products to simply turn the bass boost on when you want more oomph.     
 

 

[Marximus]

Quote:

 
I'm really leaning towards the 8400s, they are lighter than the Shure 840s which is a plus. Have a detachable cable - another plus. But there are so many mixed reviews about the KRKs, but I understand that sound can be pretty subjective. Marximus, do you have any suggestions for modifications that will improve the 8400s?

I generally avoid modifications and DIYing; I guess I'm a bit gun-shy about destroying a driver or something.  I did, however, modify the headband of both my previous pair and my current pair.  I removed the stock foam from the cushions in the headband and replaced it with a much more forgiving synthetic down (I cut a slit in the cushion material, pulled out the old stuff, stuffed in the new, and sealed with super glue), .  I previously found the headband to be the weak link in the comfort chain; no longer.  Apart from that, I haven't messed with them.  The earcups are pretty shallow, but I found them to sufficiently deep for me.  My only suggestion is to try them out.  Even without the headband modification, they're substantially more comfortable than the 840s (IIRC; it's been a while, and I only owned the Shures briefly).

 

[azurite]

Quote:

 
Look elsewhere if you want forgiving headphones. Plus, I thought the treble was a bit too hot, but I know we all hear things differently. 

 
Can someone please explain what exactly is meant when people say the headphones are or aren't forgiving?
 
 
Quote:

CAL leaks more....it doesnt block out outsdie noise tat well..but it has a fuller sound.
KNS8400 is sort of thinner sounding, the trebles are accentuated, not so forgiving..
the bass has a slight rumble to it...not massive ..quite enjoyable can.
 
if u wan something more "balance"...musically more weight..check out the philips citiscape Uptown.
It is also more forgiving, v entrancing vocals. also v comfy.. v light on the head..good isolation too.
 
============

 
Thanks for the suggestion, I've went back and read around on about the Philips Citiscape Uptown and now I'm torn between the KRK and Philips
I don't know if the BestBuy around here will have one that I can demo.
 
I mught get the KRK's from Amazon and if they're too treble-y, return them to Amazon and purchase the Philips from BB. The only thing is, I don't want to go through the hassle of returning A and buying B, and then return that B to rebuy the A.
 
Also for the person that returned headphones to Amazon, how much did they deduct from your refund for shipping?

 

[Taephan]

When a track is of poor quality whether because of file type or poor mastering, detailed headphones will typically reveal the lack of quality - making the hps unforgiving. Forgiving is when hps don't reveal too much of poor quality.

This is what I got from reading so far, I could be wrong.

 

[staticfi]

Quote:

When a track is of poor quality whether because of file type or poor mastering, detailed headphones will typically reveal the lack of quality - making the hps unforgiving. Forgiving is when hps don't reveal too much of poor quality.
This is what I got from reading so far, I could be wrong.

 
Or headphones with a 2kHZ - 5kHZ bump can make even good recordings fatiguing sometimes.

 

[azurite]

I went down to Best Buy today and demo-ed the Philips Citiscape Uptowns. The sound out of those sounded kind of muffled, I don't know if it was because of the settings at BB or what. I wouldn't necessarily pay $150 for them which was the instore price.
 
While I was there, I also tried out the Klipsch Image One, and those things sounded very piercing to my ears.
My question is, do the KRK's sound the same as the Klipsch Image Ones (piercing)?
 

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

I went down to Best Buy today and demo-ed the Philips Citiscape Uptowns. The sound out of those sounded kind of muffled, I don't know if it was because of the settings at BB or what. I wouldn't necessarily pay $150 for them which was the instore price.
 
While I was there, I also tried out the Klipsch Image One, and those things sounded very piercing to my ears.
My question is, do the KRK's sound the same as the Klipsch Image Ones (piercing)?
 

 
From my understanding, the Uptown is quite warm with a little extra bass and a treble. The demo sounded slightly muffled to me too. It could be I just don't like it's sound signature or didn't give it a fair chance.
 
BTW did you check out the pro audio department hidden in the back? That's where they have the good stuff. Mine has the HD-280, HD-380, TMA-1, HDJ-2000, 1500, DJ200 and some others.
 
As for return shipping, it's around $5 or something. They limit the return shipping costs and give you a discount. I imagine Amazon gets one from USPS or UPS.
 
Not sure about the Image Ones, but those are supposed to be fairly bassy i've read.
 
Also..the downtown (on ear) paid sounded better, but had less bass it seemed like.

 

[azurite]

Is there a problem or defect with the KRK's when it comes to piercing/fatiguing treble? I've read some people say that they've had to return their pair and get new ones to solve the problem. How common is it to get a defect pair?

 

[electropop]

I don't think it's as much of a defect as its slightly boomy mid-bass... Haven't gone through several pairs of course. Mainly just reading into people's perceptions. The treble may be hot, but it's very fast and not overly repulsive. But it did get to be quite fatiguing. I had to get a bit used to it... 

 

[azurite]

Just tried out the KRK 8400's, does anyone else find the soundstage to be somewhat small?

 

[Zoom25]

Quote:

Just tried out the KRK 8400's, does anyone else find the soundstage to be somewhat small?

 
Yea it is small, but very precise in the limited soundstage. This also makes it great for monitoring which they were designed for.
 

 

[zazex]

Quote:

 
I'm really leaning towards the 8400s, they are lighter than the Shure 840s which is a plus. Have a detachable cable - another plus. But there are so many mixed reviews about the KRKs, but I understand that sound can be pretty subjective. Marximus, do you have any suggestions for modifications that will improve the 8400s?

The 840's are the (significantly) better sounding headphones,
but the 8400's are more comfortable to wear.
 
IMO&IME
 
 
I owned both at different times and really couldn't live with either.
With the 8400's, on certain recordings with which I'm very familiar
I'd wait for a kick drum or kettle drum and it would be barely audible.
 
The Shure's were too heavy and didn't seem to fit well regardless
of how I adjusted them.  In the price range, I liked the ATH M50's more.
(Though I ultimately sold those as well...)
 
For closed headphones, I had to move to a different price range
to get something I liked.
 
 
Today, though, a set of Brainwavz HM5 arrived.
I've yet to listen to them but will be doing so very shortly.
Perhaps, for me, they will be the winner in this price range.

 

[FlySweep]

I vividly remember having a nagging sense of regret when I sold these almost a year ago.  I did it out of curiosity to try other phones more than any specific dissatisfaction with the 8400.  Obviously it's been a very long time since I've heard them.. but to my ears, their sound was all too impressive to simply forget.
 
What I do remember quite well was a sound that blended neutrality & naturality exceedingly well, a phone that had immense detail retrieval, and a phone that portrayed a gorgeous treble response.  The general sound reminded me of what a "more robust" RE0 would sound like.  The 8400 had an excellent, tight bass response with a surprising punch.  The mids were very clear & delicate, possessing excellent timbre.. while the show-stealing treble had an uncanny blend of crispiness, air, clarity, cleanliness,smoothness, and sparkle.  Despite all these superlatives, the treble was not excessively enhanced or boosted to give the perception of artificially enhanced detail retrieval. I remember them having a mesmerizing tinge of 'ethereal' warmth at the edges of notes that provided a soft smooth, liquid touch to the neutrality & incredible resolving ability.  I also remember them "opening up" to a distinguishable amount after approx 50 hours of use.  The other thing I remember was they had a surprisingly dynamic sound (soundstage depth).  For such a neutral, monitor-leaning sound.. notes had excellent weight and dimensionality.
 
After selling the 8400, I had the chance to audition (and/or own) many other fine universal/custom IEMs, reference grade, full-sized phones.. and various amps/DACs.  Through all that.. the desire to re-purchase an 8400 (at some point) never went away.  I was wowed beyond belief at the gear I heard subsequent to owning the 8400.. but the 8400 always held a special place due to their clear clean, balanced sound.  My phone/gear collection had also swollen since owning the 8400.  I've slowly trimmed it back to something more manageable (after all, we all only have two ears).  I'm at a point now that (with a couple of customs coming down the pipe, too) I find myself very satisfied with the quality of sound my phones/gear delivers.  Despite having the HE-500.. it felt as if my collection was missing something.. what could it be? 

 
So with that, I re-ordered the 8400 a couple of days ago.. and it should arrive later today.  I can't wait to hear these beautiful phones (again).  I look forward to A/Bing them with the GR07 MKII, HE-500, RE272, and the Heir 4.A (that's soon to arrive).  Those seem to be the closest siblings to the 8400 in terms of sound signature & technicalities.