[pashhtk27]

Hello, I was looking to buy a headphone for portable use under $30. Has anybody here heard the ISK HP-960B, since they seem to fit my purpose. How would they compare to Takstar HD2000 in sound quality?
I am looking for transparency and good vocals.

Or any other recommendation in that price range that I can buy from aliexpress?
Thanks in advance.

 

[RishiBoodhoo]

You may also see on Gearbest - sometimes they have better prices...

 

[mib91]

Can somebody confirm will Sony MDR V6 pads fit on Pro 80s???

 

[Pharmaboy]

To anyone looking for ISK mdh9000's, these can no longer be found (at least easily) in U.S. As someone else mentioned earlier in this string, these same phones have either been copied or licensed in at least 2 other iterations that I've found:
 
1. LyxPro HAS-30: available on Amazon for ~$50 including shipping. I'm going to get a pair pretty soon. At this price it's hard not to...
(https://www.amazon.com/LyxPro-HAS-30-Headphones-Professional-Entertainment/dp/B018Y5CVO0)
 
2. Stellar Labs (HC-5985) - available on the MCM Electronics website as Part #35-5985. Hard to tell from the single photo there, but the locking cable connector may be a simple cable-in (ie, not locking) on this iteration. But everything else looks identical.
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/35-5985
 
I've had very mixed success with el cheapo Chinese headphones: it's probably a coin flip whether the LyxPro HAS-30's would A. work properly out of the box; and B. be any good. Then again, at these prices, that's not a bad coin flip to make...

 

[Pharmaboy]

I just tried a KILLER pair of inexpensive Chinese headphones, and honestly don't know where else to put this comment but here. A full review will probably be upcoming (they justify it). The mfr's name is "YENONA," and I'd never heard that name before a month ago.
 
I happened to see a picture of these headphones in Amazon.co.uk and began to read up on them (I was in Canada, and Amazon.co.uk pops up often in searches there). They interested me, so ordered them from ebay. Total cost, including shipping, was $78.58. Here they are, the "Yenona Adapter-Free DJ Headphones":
 

 

 

 
I thought they'd be garish up close (the cord certainly is), but they actually look understated and, apart from the chrome around the outside of each earcup, rather subtle. The 1st pair had a dead left channel, so after 3 weeks of drudgery (return them/get credit/reorder, this time from Amazon for just $59.99!), the 2nd pair arrived today. I'd never actually heard them, so plugged in one of my aftermarket cords, then plugged them into my Matrix M Stage HPA-1 with some trepidation. Would they work this time? Would they sound halfway-decent?
 
2 hours later, it was hard taking them off my head. These headphones are shockingly good--and that's with zero warmup, straight out of the box. I was totally unprepared for how good they are:
 
-- They have a somewhat warm sound, but it's not in-your-face. More of a welcome flavor than an over-powering coloration
-- They have real resolution, far more than I imagined inexpensive closed headphones could have. I was able to listen deeply into familiar recordings, and the details had subtlety & texture (this was the biggest surprise)
-- They also have real soundstaging--admittedly not as much as open headphones, but more than some closed headphones I've heard. There;s real depth and space there (another surprise)
-- The bass is excellent, up & down the ladder. I heard "walking bass" played on both acoustic & electric instruments, and it's all there, sounding plump & real. Not sure about sub-bass; I'm not an EDM fan and may not have the right material for that. But every bass-rich reggae & studio pop/rock cut I tried sounds rich & impacful. The lows actually hit with these headphones--it's the opposite of a polite, recessed rendition of bass.
 
This does not comes at the expense of the mids, not at all. I began my listening with a violin concerto (a perverse impulse--it's the absolute last thing I expected to sound good on these 'phones)--and these 'phones aced it. The string sections (cellos, violas, violins) sounded amazingly good--and that's mostly midrange material. That's when I started really paying attention ("what the...?"). Treble is also very nice, a little bite when it's needed, otherwise a nice soft sheen. Just about perfect.
 
Almost forgot to mention comfort. The pads are soft & deep. I have a large head and had the earcups extended pretty far, but once I the distance was set, it felt very good. Clamping pressure is moderate. I forgot these headphone were on my head and just listened. I suppose eventually the soft foam of the earpads might become a problem. If so I'll try replacing the pads w/extra thick Brainwavz HM5s. But right now, it's all good.
 
So I have the Yenona's cooking on my FiiO 10K & will revisit them after ~100 hours. I never know whether a given pair of headphones will benefit from burn-in...some do & some don't. But if there's any upside at all with them, they'll become just about the biggest bargain of my recent audio career. More to follow.

 

[dontcallmejan]

Any recommendations on open back headphones? The Takstar HI2050 on aliexpress in 100 usd :/ or the the Superluxes still win?

 

[anticute]

  Any recommendations on open back headphones? The Takstar HI2050 on aliexpress in 100 usd :/ or the the Superluxes still win?

IMO the Somic V2 isn't too bad

 

[RedHarlow]

  I just tried a KILLER pair of inexpensive Chinese headphones, and honestly don't know where else to put this comment but here. A full review will probably be upcoming (they justify it). The mfr's name is "YENONA," and I'd never heard that name before a month ago.
 
I happened to see a picture of these headphones in Amazon.co.uk and began to read up on them (I was in Canada, and Amazon.co.uk pops up often in searches there). They interested me, so ordered them from ebay. Total cost, including shipping, was $78.58. Here they are, the "Yenona Adapter-Free DJ Headphones":
 

 

 

 
I thought they'd be garish up close (the cord certainly is), but they actually look understated and, apart from the chrome around the outside of each earcup, rather subtle. The 1st pair had a dead left channel, so after 3 weeks of drudgery (return them/get credit/reorder, this time from Amazon for just $59.99!), the 2nd pair arrived today. I'd never actually heard them, so plugged in one of my aftermarket cords, then plugged them into my Matrix M Stage HPA-1 with some trepidation. Would they work this time? Would they sound halfway-decent?
 
2 hours later, it was hard taking them off my head. These headphones are shockingly good--and that's with zero warmup, straight out of the box. I was totally unprepared for how good they are:
 
-- They have a somewhat warm sound, but it's not in-your-face. More of a welcome flavor than an over-powering coloration
-- They have real resolution, far more than I imagined inexpensive closed headphones could have. I was able to listen deeply into familiar recordings, and the details had subtlety & texture (this was the biggest surprise)
-- They also have real soundstaging--admittedly not as much as open headphones, but more than some closed headphones I've heard. There;s real depth and space there (another surprise)
-- The bass is excellent, up & down the ladder. I heard "walking bass" played on both acoustic & electric instruments, and it's all there, sounding plump & real. Not sure about sub-bass; I'm not an EDM fan and may not have the right material for that. But every bass-rich reggae & studio pop/rock cut I tried sounds rich & impacful. The lows actually hit with these headphones--it's the opposite of a polite, recessed rendition of bass.
 
This does not comes at the expense of the mids, not at all. I began my listening with a violin concerto (a perverse impulse--it's the absolute last thing I expected to sound good on these 'phones)--and these 'phones aced it. The string sections (cellos, violas, violins) sounded amazingly good--and that's mostly midrange material. That's when I started really paying attention ("what the...?"). Treble is also very nice, a little bite when it's needed, otherwise a nice soft sheen. Just about perfect.
 
Almost forgot to mention comfort. The pads are soft & deep. I have a large head and had the earcups extended pretty far, but once I the distance was set, it felt very good. Clamping pressure is moderate. I forgot these headphone were on my head and just listened. I suppose eventually the soft foam of the earpads might become a problem. If so I'll try replacing the pads w/extra thick Brainwavz HM5s. But right now, it's all good.
 
So I have the Yenona's cooking on my FiiO 10K & will revisit them after ~100 hours. I never know whether a given pair of headphones will benefit from burn-in...some do & some don't. But if there's any upside at all with them, they'll become just about the biggest bargain of my recent audio career. More to follow.

 
Found them on aliexpress for $36.39 with free shipping

 

[Hal Rockwell]

  I just tried a KILLER pair of inexpensive Chinese headphones, and honestly don't know where else to put this comment but here. A full review will probably be upcoming (they justify it). The mfr's name is "YENONA," and I'd never heard that name before a month ago.
 
I happened to see a picture of these headphones in Amazon.co.uk and began to read up on them (I was in Canada, and Amazon.co.uk pops up often in searches there). They interested me, so ordered them from ebay. Total cost, including shipping, was $78.58. Here they are, the "Yenona Adapter-Free DJ Headphones":
 

 

 

 
I thought they'd be garish up close (the cord certainly is), but they actually look understated and, apart from the chrome around the outside of each earcup, rather subtle. The 1st pair had a dead left channel, so after 3 weeks of drudgery (return them/get credit/reorder, this time from Amazon for just $59.99!), the 2nd pair arrived today. I'd never actually heard them, so plugged in one of my aftermarket cords, then plugged them into my Matrix M Stage HPA-1 with some trepidation. Would they work this time? Would they sound halfway-decent?
 
2 hours later, it was hard taking them off my head. These headphones are shockingly good--and that's with zero warmup, straight out of the box. I was totally unprepared for how good they are:
 
-- They have a somewhat warm sound, but it's not in-your-face. More of a welcome flavor than an over-powering coloration
-- They have real resolution, far more than I imagined inexpensive closed headphones could have. I was able to listen deeply into familiar recordings, and the details had subtlety & texture (this was the biggest surprise)
-- They also have real soundstaging--admittedly not as much as open headphones, but more than some closed headphones I've heard. There;s real depth and space there (another surprise)
-- The bass is excellent, up & down the ladder. I heard "walking bass" played on both acoustic & electric instruments, and it's all there, sounding plump & real. Not sure about sub-bass; I'm not an EDM fan and may not have the right material for that. But every bass-rich reggae & studio pop/rock cut I tried sounds rich & impacful. The lows actually hit with these headphones--it's the opposite of a polite, recessed rendition of bass.
 
This does not comes at the expense of the mids, not at all. I began my listening with a violin concerto (a perverse impulse--it's the absolute last thing I expected to sound good on these 'phones)--and these 'phones aced it. The string sections (cellos, violas, violins) sounded amazingly good--and that's mostly midrange material. That's when I started really paying attention ("what the...?"). Treble is also very nice, a little bite when it's needed, otherwise a nice soft sheen. Just about perfect.
 
Almost forgot to mention comfort. The pads are soft & deep. I have a large head and had the earcups extended pretty far, but once I the distance was set, it felt very good. Clamping pressure is moderate. I forgot these headphone were on my head and just listened. I suppose eventually the soft foam of the earpads might become a problem. If so I'll try replacing the pads w/extra thick Brainwavz HM5s. But right now, it's all good.
 
So I have the Yenona's cooking on my FiiO 10K & will revisit them after ~100 hours. I never know whether a given pair of headphones will benefit from burn-in...some do & some don't. But if there's any upside at all with them, they'll become just about the biggest bargain of my recent audio career. More to follow.

 
I think that it fits better in this thread.

 

[mikp]

  I just tried a KILLER pair of inexpensive Chinese headphones, and honestly don't know where else to put this comment but here. A full review will probably be upcoming (they justify it). The mfr's name is "YENONA," and I'd never heard that name before a month ago.
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

what is the size of the earpads and hole? Those look comfy. 

 

[Pharmaboy]

I looked at that thread--and the longer original thread of a similar title--thinking either one must be more suitable for my comments. But all I saw discussed in either IEMs. Didn't see any headphones.
 
Also, this lengthy Takstar thread has some occasional side-steps into other Chinese brands (such as Somic).
 
My other option was to start a new thread, but I don't really know how, to be honest.

 

[mikp]

does a standard 3.5mm jack fit? i have some 3.5mm aux bluetooth devices i would use with it.

 

[Pharmaboy]

They're extremely comfy. I just measured them, somewhat crudely (they're burning in on a laptop in the basement--long story). Earpad measurements are approximately:
-- 93 to 94 mm wide (outside diameter)
-- 50 to 52 mm wide (inside diameter)
-- A full 2.5 mm (1") deep
 
Net/net: plenty of room for even large ears. My ears really don't touch the drivers; and even though the pads are rather soft, their force is applied evenly & without great force, so I don't sense much compression as listening time goes on.
 
I played with the pads enough to tell they're almost surely, probably with the Brainwavz HM5 "Extra Thick" replacement pads I have on order (pleather--look about the same size as the stock Yenona pads). The only reason to do that would be the greater density/springiness of the Brainwavz (or so I've heard).
 
These Yenona's are very interesting. I have them burning in on a laptop w/the FiiO 10K on a fairly loud, ~2.5, volume setting (they're pretty efficient). This laptop (in the basement so sound leakage from the Yenona's won't disturb my work) isn't really set up for audio: digital output is not optimized at all, and the FiiO 10K sounds a bit brighter via these 'phones than it does on the much better laptop in my home office. Even so, somehow these headphones sound very good--they give me the additional brightness, but it's not punishing or harsh. And the bass is definitely slamming (on very well-produced studio AfroPop).
 
I need to let them burn in days more, then get them in the home office and do some serious listening through the NOS-19 DAC + the M Stage HPA-1 HP amp and/or Lake People G109A HP amp.  Need to sort out whether the graceful treble quality of these 'phones is due to roll-off or just a subtle voicing of the upper frequencies; and whether the bass is really as good as it sounds in preliminary listening.
 
Most of all, I have to somehow "listen through" my sonic preferences: I'm very sensitive to emphasized upper-midrange & treble, and tend to select audio equipment that avoids this. Thus I like warm headphones, and the NOS DAC is self-explanatory. I also LOVE bass--not head-banging EDM or hip hop, but instrumental bass, powerfully & faithfully reproduced. If a bass guitar sounds more or less like it does in a club, and I "feel" the bass to some degree, as well as hear it, I'm happy. So it's warm, bassy headphones for me. But that means I have to watch out for excesses in the same qualities I most appreciate...

 

[Pharmaboy]

Re 3.5mm jacks, these headphones are unique in my experience: one headphone cup has a 3.25mm input; and the other one has a 6.5mm input. The crazy-looking red cable that comes w/it has one end that's 3.5mm, and the other is 6.5mm. Any/every cable  you use w/these 'phones is, by definition, detachable.
 
The 1st pair of these that I had--the pair I sent back because one side was dead (no sound)--connected equally well on either side. My new pair, which sounds terrific and is well balanced, had trouble keeping the 3.5mm cable plugged in(a fairly heavy aftermarket cable). The connection was loose enough that the weight of the cable made it drop out several times. So I just turned that 2M cable around and plugged its 6.5mm jack into the other earcup, which works perfectly well, very solid. I'll now have to use an adapter on the 3.5mm end of this cable when I plug into one of my serious HP amps, but it's totally worth it.
 
So IMO, you can use your 3.5mm bluetooth devices, but depending on the Yenona sample you get, you may or may not have to supplement that connection w/a 3.5mm-to-6.5mm adapter.

 

[mikp]

thanks, might check them out. was looking for ear pads for the takstar 5500 that never have been used because they are too uncomfortable. Since these deep ear pads are from 15$ might as well pay 36$ for a headphone.  Im guessing they are easy to take off and have a lip?
 
im waiting for hm5 pads to try on the dt770 or some other geadphones i have.