[Pharmaboy]

mikp, I have the Takstar HD6000's, which I'm pretty sure have the same earpads as the 5500's. They're very uncomfortable headphones. I've already replaced those pads with something else, but it's not enough--the pads need to be not only firmer (the originals are too thin & give too easily), but deeper. I actually have 2 pairs of the HM5 extra thick pads on order. 1 is for the Takstar HD6000's (which I'll probably end up selling soon, regardless--too many headphones). The other pair is earmarked (sorry!) for a pair of JVC HA-SZ1000-E's that I haven't even unboxed yet--almost everybody who wrote about these 'phones & their big brother, the 2000's, said the stock pads were garbage and should be replaced by something thicker.
 
These are the pads I ordered: http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-hm5-thick-memory-foam-earpad-suitable-for-large-over-the-ear-headphones-1pc
 
SKU #4298.
 
I sure hope the right ones come in...pleather, ~1" thick. If I get velour or something else I don't want, it will be very annoying.

 

[mikp]

maybe ill try the hm5 pads on the takstar 5500 also, but i think they are too big. I want to test one pair before ordering another. Only my dt770 and sony mdr-1a have stock pads that are comfortable, thats the risk of not being able to test headphones before purchase.
 
The yenona dj came to 33$ with coupon and aliexpress app, including some mobile holder band.

 

[slowpickr]

  maybe ill try the hm5 pads on the takstar 5500 also, but i think they are too big. I want to test one pair before ordering another. Only my dt770 and sony mdr-1a have stock pads that are comfortable, thats the risk of not being able to test headphones before purchase.
 
The yenona dj came to 33$ with coupon and aliexpress app, including some mobile holder band.

 
Those Yenona's look really interesting.  Definitely an attractive price on Aliexpress.  The Amazon US price is $60.  Would like to read more sound impressions from other Head-Fiers.  The Amazon reviews are very positive but I take those with a grain of salt.  

 

[mikp]

yes, seems the reviews are based on "honest review for free sample". For 33$ I can give it a try and see how they compare to the takstar 5500 or bluedio t3, using them for bluetooth.  The takstar has removable cord, but the plug is pretty deep so have to use a small extension cord and velcro tape.

 

[Pharmaboy]

mikp, $33 for these headphones is amazing. hell, get 2! but I've heard you wait forever for the order w/aliexpress. Is that true. My other concern is wherever you order these, you should be able to exchange them if 1st pair is defective (that's what happened to me). Still, it's so worth it when you get a pair that works.
 
slowpikr, I'm aware of the bias in the US Amazon reviews. One of the 3-star reviewers actually commented on it. 
 
However, I'd already seen 30-40 reviews on Amazon.co.uk before reading the US comments. If memory serves, most of the UK reviews weren't in exchange for freebies. They were rather positive, sounding real-life & detailed. Most seemed to come from younger listeners who plugged into mobile phones. You could pick up on realization that, "These things sound really good--and they're comfortable," was often there. That spoke to me. After all, no one who buys these expects much, either because they're cheap, or because the buyer isn't into a refined audio experience to start with.
 
There are also 2-3 videos on YouTube about these 'phones, again, quite positive.
 
After sampling all these reviews, the picture emerges that these mystery headphones are over-achievers. Then it was up to me take the plunge & figure out what they actually sound like (doing that right now).
 
For what it's worth, the cord issue (3.5mm plug not staying in/6.5mm jack staying in) is a non-issue IMO, easily resolved just by plugging in the 6.5mm. And by comparison to the Takstar HD6000, at least in the early going, the Yenona is far better in every way. The Yenona's are headphones I look forward to using & don't want to take off..

 

[slowpickr]

  mikp, $33 for these headphones is amazing. hell, get 2! but I've heard you wait forever for the order w/aliexpress. Is that true. My other concern is wherever you order these, you should be able to exchange them if 1st pair is defective (that's what happened to me). Still, it's so worth it when you get a pair that works.
 
slowpikr, I'm aware of the bias in the US Amazon reviews. One of the 3-star reviewers actually commented on it. 
 
However, I'd already seen 30-40 reviews on Amazon.co.uk before reading the US comments. If memory serves, most of the UK reviews weren't in exchange for freebies. They were rather positive, sounding real-life & detailed. Most seemed to come from younger listeners who plugged into mobile phones. You could pick up on realization that, "These things sound really good--and they're comfortable," was often there. That spoke to me. After all, no one who buys these expects much, either because they're cheap, or because the buyer isn't into a refined audio experience to start with.
 
There are also 2-3 videos on YouTube about these 'phones, again, quite positive.
 
After sampling all these reviews, the picture emerges that these mystery headphones are over-achievers. Then it was up to me take the plunge & figure out what they actually sound like (doing that right now).
 
For what it's worth, the cord issue (3.5mm plug not staying in/6.5mm jack staying in) is a non-issue IMO, easily resolved just by plugging in the 6.5mm. And by comparison to the Takstar HD6000, at least in the early going, the Yenona is far better in every way. The Yenona's are headphones I look forward to using & don't want to take off..

 
How are these on detail retrieval?  If a backup singer farts in the background I'd like to know.
 
Sounds like an Aliexpress purchase might be a dice roll since you got a defective pair the first time.  I've heard tales of shipping costs as much as $50 from the US to China.  That's more expensive than the phones themselves.  Amazon is almost double the price, but at least you have 30 day protection against defects.  Regarding Ali shipping time, I can only speak from a US perspective.  Everything I've ordered typically shows up between 10 and 14 days.  I've never had any problems but have read posts from other HF folks that never got their items or got them very late.  I wouldn't worry so much about Aliexpress shipping as I would getting a defective unit.   

 

[chavez]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCNkOZS9_NY

 

[mikp]

I already got tracking number and picture of tracking label for mine. Ali shipping speed depends, all from 7days -4weeks. I have not yet had a problem with refund for items that never arrived, unlike ebay ali give email notice when purchase protection runs out.

 

[Pharmaboy]

IMO Amazon is the way to go. It's a few cents under $60, including shipping; you get all kinds of protection regarding returns/exchanges; and the shipping was actually very fast (ordered them 9/22nd; received 9/27th).
 
"How are these on detail retrieval?  If a backup singer farts in the background I'd like to know." (laughing at how you phrased this)
 
Before I heard these headphones day-1, cold, I never would've guessed "detail retrieval" is something to expect from them. But that 1st listening session was eye-opening about a number of things, one being resolution. Then, and in several 5-10" listening bursts yesterday under suboptimal conditions (they're in the basement, burning in on a laptop), I kept hearing more deeply into 6-7 familiar "audition cuts" I use to evaluate new gear, than I ever would expect w/inexpensive headphones. I also sampled other cuts randomly and again, heard details/naunces that surprised me.
 
I need to evaluate the Yenona's resolution (+ bass, treble, soundstaging, etc) more fully under better conditions, on multiple amps, once they've burned in 4-5 days. It's too early to pin this down.
 
But at least in early listening, there's way more resolution than I expected. Maybe more than the other headphones I've heard. Audio memory is untrustworthy; I sold my Fostex TH X-100's, they might have had equal or more resolution, compared to the Yenonas (but were unquestionably brighter). The Takstar HD6000's are also rather detailed, but brighter. Need to pin this down.

 

[slowpickr]

  IMO Amazon is the way to go. It's a few cents under $60, including shipping; you get all kinds of protection regarding returns/exchanges; and the shipping was actually very fast (ordered them 9/22nd; received 9/27th).
 
"How are these on detail retrieval?  If a backup singer farts in the background I'd like to know." (laughing at how you phrased this)
 
Before I heard these headphones day-1, cold, I never would've guessed "detail retrieval" is something to expect from them. But that 1st listening session was eye-opening about a number of things, one being resolution. Then, and in several 5-10" listening bursts yesterday under suboptimal conditions (they're in the basement, burning in on a laptop), I kept hearing more deeply into 6-7 familiar "audition cuts" I use to evaluate new gear, than I ever would expect w/inexpensive headphones. I also sampled other cuts randomly and again, heard details/naunces that surprised me.
 
I need to evaluate the Yenona's resolution (+ bass, treble, soundstaging, etc) more fully under better conditions, on multiple amps, once they've burned in 4-5 days. It's too early to pin this down.
 
But at least in early listening, there's way more resolution than I expected. Maybe more than the other headphones I've heard. Audio memory is untrustworthy; I sold my Fostex TH X-100's, they might have had equal or more resolution, compared to the Yenonas (but were unquestionably brighter). The Takstar HD6000's are also rather detailed, but brighter. Need to pin this down.

 
Thanks.  Looking forward to your evaluation after burn-in

.

 

[Pharmaboy]

These Yenona's are definitely interesting. Just had another "moment" w/them. Went to make sure the laptop where they're burning in hasn't crashed, as it sometimes does. Couldn't resist putting them on. Happened to be the slow movement of Barber's Violin Concerto, when Hillary Hahn plays up at the top of the instrument, no accompaniment. It sounded really fine--not bright, just high in pitch, resin-on-bow. Then the orchestra comes in, starting w/the cellos, violas & violins, with a wave of bass, mid-bass & lower treble sound filling in the bottom, appearing well below Hahn's violin in space. That's a neat trick--a lot of space on headphones. It didn't sound perfect, maybe a little boomy in the bass. But once again, I had trouble taking the Yenona's off my head.
 
And that's hardly an optimal setup for classical music (FiiO 10K + poorly set-up laptop). It only gets better when I play these 'phones through a NOS 19 DAC + better amps.

 

[1clearhead]

  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...

That's funny, the ISK MDH9000 are easy to find and can easily be shipped to the US.

 Hmmm? Sounds like a sales pitch to me.

 
https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20160930091038&SearchText=isk+mdh9000
 
https://www.aliexpress.com/isk-headphones_reviews.html
 
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Headphone-New-Original-ISK-MDH9000-Monitor-Headset-Headphone-Auriculares-Hifi-Earphone-ecouteur-Computer-K-Song-Earphones/32712604272.html?spm=2114.01010208.3.2.jN1Vte&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_1_10066_10065_10068_112_10069_110_111_418_10017_109_108_10060_9999_10061_10062_10056_10055_10054_10059_10073_10070_10052_10053_10050_10051,searchweb201603_4&btsid=cd173120-e342-4056-9a64-1461fb9b616b
 
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2016-New-Arrival-ISK-MDH9000-Professional-Hifi-Hd-Monitor-Headphone-fully-closed-type-for-Computer-Recording/32621089954.html?spm=2114.01010208.3.10.9TuJKC&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_1_10066_10065_10068_112_10069_110_111_418_10017_109_108_10060_9999_10061_10062_10056_10055_10054_10059_10073_10070_10052_10053_10050_10051,searchweb201603_4&btsid=cd173120-e342-4056-9a64-1461fb9b616b
 
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Headphone-New-Original-ISK-MDH9000-Monitor-Headset-Headphone-Auriculares-Hifi-Earphone-ecouteur-Computer-K-Song-Earphones/32640978002.html?spm=2114.01010208.3.18.jB8MTg&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_1_10066_10065_10068_112_10069_110_111_418_10017_109_108_10060_9999_10061_10062_10056_10055_10054_10059_10073_10070_10052_10053_10050_10051,searchweb201603_4&btsid=dea179c2-81fa-4723-a74d-a533ced8f885
 
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Hot-Headphone-New-Original-ISK-MDH9000-Monitor-Headset-Headphone-Auriculares-Hifi-Earphone-ecouteur-Computer-K-Song/32654258078.html?spm=2114.01010208.3.27.7d6M02&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_1_10066_10065_10068_112_10069_110_111_418_10017_109_108_10060_9999_10061_10062_10056_10055_10054_10059_10073_10070_10052_10053_10050_10051,searchweb201603_4&btsid=dea179c2-81fa-4723-a74d-a533ced8f885

 

[Pharmaboy]

All I can tell you is whenever I searched for these phones (and I live in the U.S.), the resulting Aliexpress links said "Sorry, this item is no longer available." Every time.
 
Your links in the post above all say, "Free shipping to Canada via China Post Registered Air Mail."
 
I'm guessing you live in Canada, so this would signify the ISK MDH9000 is available in Canada. But not in the U.S., for whatever reason.

 

[1clearhead]

  All I can tell you is whenever I searched for these phones (and I live in the U.S.), the resulting Aliexpress links said "Sorry, this item is no longer available." Every time.
 
Your links in the post above all say, "Free shipping to Canada via China Post Registered Air Mail."
 
I'm guessing you live in Canada, so this would signify the ISK MDH9000 is available in Canada. But not in the U.S., for whatever reason.

Nope, all of them ships easily to the US. 

  Mines shows every single one shipping to US. Anyone can easily select "ship to USA" on the upper right of the page and that takes care of everything. Many people here shop on Aliexpress and knows this feature. They can also easily tell you this feature and show you how to use it. Easy shopping.

 

[peter123]

Man I almost thought Takstar had revealed the next great thing when I saw the activity here but I'd guess that's not the case.....