[Disembodied]

It's interesting but I can't spend anymore for now. Plus purchasing from the US = Italian customs taxes.
 
I'll be in the US in September so if I'm really interested I'll take those when I'm there, but I think I might buy the Fostex ones in the future, just for the sake of trying to mod something. At least it's more gratifying and a lot of the stuff can be done with DIY material that almost everyone has in their homes! If not, it's always easy to retrieve in local stores.

 

[Roderick]

The Pro80 needs a decent source and amp. It sounds closed and congested out of devices like the iPhone

So true. Not that it sounds bad (for the price) out of anything. I've had hi2050 and pro80 allmost since I got into headphones about 4 years ago. Since then I've upgraded from my $7 to a $3000 amp/dac system. The upgrade was gradual of course and a long the way I had Takstars and heard how those improved every time. Going from lehmann rhinelander to spl phonitor was still noticable with takstars. Most $50 headphones reach their limit way before. Not saying you need to spend several hundreds of dollars to make pro80¨s sing but using anything less than a decent soundcard(asus xonar dg for example) doesn¨t do them justice. As for portables good phone/dap with $30 topping nx1 is sufficient but you can still gain more if you get better gear than that.

 

[RedHarlow]

Still waiting for my Takstar 2050's. If they don't arrive till next week I will open a dispute on Aliexpress. This is getting out of control.

 

[spurxiii]

  So true. Not that it sounds bad (for the price) out of anything. I've had hi2050 and pro80 allmost since I got into headphones about 4 years ago. Since then I've upgraded from my $7 to a $3000 amp/dac system. The upgrade was gradual of course and a long the way I had Takstars and heard how those improved every time. Going from lehmann rhinelander to spl phonitor was still noticable with takstars. Most $50 headphones reach their limit way before. Not saying you need to spend several hundreds of dollars to make pro80¨s sing but using anything less than a decent soundcard(asus xonar dg for example) doesn¨t do them justice. As for portables good phone/dap with $30 topping nx1 is sufficient but you can still gain more if you get better gear than that.

Yes they scale quite well and they can make you appreciate the gear upstream. I've had headphones that sound the same out of the $30 amp and the $2000 amp

 

[Disembodied]

  Still waiting for my Takstar 2050's. If they don't arrive till next week I will open a dispute on Aliexpress. This is getting out of control.

I'm still waiting for mine as well, they are stuck in the s***ty Customs which take forever.
 
Anyways, last week I decided the Pro80s via Amazon and they happened to arrive just today!
 
So, I must say I'm astonished by the build quality. Everything feels sturdy and nice. Mine was the 2nd version with straight cable.
 
My listening experience is noticably better coming from the Siberia v2s... The clarity is really good. Bass in punchy, full, and pretty fast which is more than enough for me I'm not much of a Bass lover either but I do believe it's essential for it to be good. I haven't heard that much sibilance so far, but I'm also not an audio expert. Vocals sometimes feel a bit put back in favor of the instrumentals, but I believe it mostly depends on recording quality and the type of files you're playing.
 
I'm pretty sure they need burn-in because the sound still feels a bit congested. Soundstage is very pleasant though, much wider than the Siberia v2s. Instrument separation is also nicely blended in... I can hear everything, especially the bass lines and single guitar strokes! Oh, and let's not forget about the kicks... to my ears they sound rapid and full enough to give them some emphasis.
 
I'm also waiting for the HM5 Pads that will be here soon!

 

[Gr33nL34f]

  I'm still waiting for mine as well, they are stuck in the s***ty Customs which take forever.
 
Anyways, last week I decided the Pro80s via Amazon and they happened to arrive just today!
 
So, I must say I'm astonished by the build quality. Everything feels sturdy and nice. Mine was the 2nd version with straight cable.
 
My listening experience is noticably better coming from the Siberia v2s... The clarity is really good. Bass in punchy, full, and pretty fast which is more than enough for me I'm not much of a Bass lover either but I do believe it's essential for it to be good. I haven't heard that much sibilance so far, but I'm also not an audio expert. Vocals sometimes feel a bit put back in favor of the instrumentals, but I believe it mostly depends on recording quality and the type of files you're playing.
 
I'm pretty sure they need burn-in because the sound still feels a bit congested. Soundstage is very pleasant though, much wider than the Siberia v2s. Instrument separation is also nicely blended in... I can hear everything, especially the bass lines and single guitar strokes! Oh, and let's not forget about the kicks... to my ears they sound rapid and full enough to give them some emphasis.
 
I'm also waiting for the HM5 Pads that will be here soon!

hm5 pads make them feel much better.

 

[Disembodied]

Yeah I can't wait! But I'm already happy with the stock pads, they are a bit stiff and shallow I would say, but the overall comfort is just fine. My head isn't all that big, and my ears go in perfectly. I'm loving the Oval shape!
 
The clamping force is just fine for me, could be a bit better, but the bigger pads should improve that. One little downside is the length regulator is a bit loose. It doesn't give you a nice snap when it goes up and down, but this is simply a small thing.

 

[Gr33nL34f]

  Yeah I can't wait! But I'm already happy with the stock pads, they are a bit stiff and shallow I would say, but the overall comfort is just fine. My head isn't all that big, and my ears go in perfectly. I'm loving the Oval shape!
 
The clamping force is just fine for me, could be a bit better, but the bigger pads should improve that. One little downside is the length regulator is a bit loose. It doesn't give you a nice snap when it goes up and down, but this is simply a small thing.

the pro 80s are almost to small for my head i have them maxed out. mine dont feel that loose that have alittle play but i dont see it falling apart. 

 

[theuprising]

  Well, being closed it does lack a bit of soundstage, but are you really sure you'd compare these to an IEM? Did you give them a bit of burn-in?
 
I mean, some people even sold their DT770s etc. in favor of these. Afterall, it all goes down to a matter of taste, so I'm not saying you're wrong, but you're the first person who really complained about the bass and/or soundstage under this aspect.
 
P.S. To all of you (that possibly also have more expensive headphones), what would be your ideal upgrade to The Takstar Hi2050s or the Pro80s?

Meh soundstage is really finnicky and depends on fit, if you have the perfect seal it creates a soundstage I'm used to with instruments sent to different parts of a stage, rather than attacking you from different directions like an IEM. So @Gr33nL34f, ymmv, for me even though it may be uncomfortable, a tight fit and good seal dramatically improves the sound.
 
But don't get me wrong, I think these are fantastic compared to other headphones I got at this price point, I did a review a few days back and gave it 4.5 stars even though I may end up returning them.
 
Just to highlight how good these are, I got my a900x's, and their treble and airiness is really something, however, this shouldn't be happening, but the Pro 80's have way better timbre in the mids as the a900x's sound resonant+tinny and its bass is also resonant + lacks texture/detail. For the mids it sounds like I'm listening to each song at a lower bitrate as compared to the Pro 80. The bass texture is in accordance to reviews, but maybe the rest of the problems are due to my lack of an amp. Though according to the forums both should be easy to drive, but I can tell the a900x is my least efficient headphone as I have to turn the volume higher. Also its cord is longer than the Nile river.
 
So, what do you guys think, sell my a900x, or return my Pro 80 and get an amp, praying that they improve dramatically? Because the a900x should be significantly better, but is the increase worth like 60 dollars more investment?

 

[Disembodied]

  Meh soundstage is really finnicky and depends on fit, if you have the perfect seal it creates a soundstage I'm used to with instruments sent to different parts of a stage, rather than attacking you from different directions like an IEM. So @Gr33nL34f, ymmv, for me even though it may be uncomfortable, a tight fit and good seal dramatically improves the sound.
 
But don't get me wrong, I think these are fantastic compared to other headphones I got at this price point, I did a review a few days back and gave it 4.5 stars even though I may end up returning them.
 
Just to highlight how good these are, I got my a900x's, and their treble and airiness is really something, however, this shouldn't be happening, but the Pro 80's have way better timbre in the mids as the a900x's sound resonant+tinny and its bass is also resonant + lacks texture/detail. For the mids it sounds like I'm listening to each song at a lower bitrate as compared to the Pro 80. The bass texture is in accordance to reviews, but maybe the rest of the problems are due to my lack of an amp. Though according to the forums both should be easy to drive, but I can tell the a900x is my least efficient headphone as I have to turn the volume higher. Also its cord is longer than the Nile river.
 
So, what do you guys think, sell my a900x, or return my Pro 80 and get an amp, praying that they improve dramatically? Because the a900x should be significantly better, but is the increase worth like 60 dollars more investment?

Imho you could try the Fostex T20RP MK2 or T50RP and mod them mostly with DIY stuff, except Shure 840 pads and Sennheiser headband. That could be a 150$ investment that can easily scale to a 500$ headphone if modded correctly!
 
Btw, did you give the headphones enough burn-in? Give them at least 200 hours!

 

[theuprising]

  Imho you could try the Fostex T20RP MK2 or T50RP and mod them mostly with DIY stuff, except Shure 840 pads and Sennheiser headband. That could be a 150$ investment that can easily scale to a 500$ headphone if modded correctly!
 
Btw, did you give the headphones enough burn-in? Give them at least 200 hours!

Thanks for the recommendation! I'll look into the Fostex, though I do want a closed can to control leakage and isolation. But even the fostex would need an amp right?
 
I got the a900x used at $75, and it looks decently worn, I guess I should ask the seller if he burnt them in. I'm assuming my soundcard DAC is alright, as it can output 192k, so with the Fiio E6 + a900x, its $105 vs $50 HSR-1000/Pro80. Is the sound quality of the former worth the 100% price increase? 

 

[Disembodied]

  Thanks for the recommendation! I'll look into the Fostex, though I do want a closed can to control leakage and isolation. But even the fostex would need an amp right?
 
I got the a900x used at $75, and it looks decently worn, I guess I should ask the seller if he burnt them in. I'm assuming my soundcard DAC is alright, as it can output 192k, so with the Fiio E6 + a900x, its $105 vs $50 HSR-1000/Pro80. Is the sound quality of the former worth the 100% price increase? 

What Soundcard do you have?
 
Ok, so assuming the AD A900x's are burnt in, unless you have a really good soundcard, I think you should go with a DAC/AMP solution like the SMSL or the Fiio E7 (for portable use as well) or even E9 would be better (for both headphones, that is), but I haven't used the E6 so I'm not sure, I really don't know how much extra quality those could give but according to Z Reviews (youtuber) the E9 is still one of his favorites for many Headphones... 
 
The Fostex, YES! I've read so much good stuff about this it's making me crave for it... It's planar magnetic so it's something totally different (and usually better from what I read) from dynamic driver headphones. There's an 800 page thread on here about it. I'm thinking about buying it myself and modding them next month... 
 
They are semi-open, but honestly once you mod them (still depends on how you mod them though) they become practically closed because you fill the cups with dampening, acoustic foam, felts, etc. The Mad Dogs are basically a T50RP mod, and it's sold for 299$, so there you go!
 
In my opinion modding them would be much more satisfying though, so you can tune them and adapt them to your likings, with a bit of time and patience...
 
EDIT: BTW, If I were you I'd go to a local audio store and try both your headphones before returning them or selling them back... Try connecting them to a good source and you be the judge. The Takstars have a lot to offer, so I'd suggest you to make sure you let them burn non-stop for 100-150 hours!
 
Mine are already starting to open up a bit, and I'm only at 30 hours in...

 

[DJScope]

  Thanks for the recommendation! I'll look into the Fostex, though I do want a closed can to control leakage and isolation. But even the fostex would need an amp right?
 
I got the a900x used at $75, and it looks decently worn, I guess I should ask the seller if he burnt them in. I'm assuming my soundcard DAC is alright, as it can output 192k, so with the Fiio E6 + a900x, its $105 vs $50 HSR-1000/Pro80. Is the sound quality of the former worth the 100% price increase? 

 
Because a DAC outputs 192kHz doesn't mean that it's good. In all reality, all you really need is a 48/16 enabled DAC. What makes it good is the distortion levels and dynamic range, as well as being properly grounded. After that comes a decent amplifier.

 

[ginetto61]

Hi if the Pro80 are internally like the hi2050 i have the feeling that recabling them would be hugely beneficial.
I have got my mini mic cable and will start doing that on the hi2050.  I am extremely optimistic.
A better wiring will mean an impeded flow of electrons directly to the driver membranes

The orginal wiring is a highly resistive thin hair ....
Take the Takstar drivers and built an HP ala Grado style and you will end with something really special.
But really really. 
Unfortunately i am not good at DIY. 
Regards,  gino

 

[DJScope]

  Hi if the Pro80 are internally like the hi2050 i have the feeling that recabling them would be hugely beneficial.
I have got my mini mic cable and will start doing that on the hi2050.  I am extremely optimistic.
A better wiring will mean an impeded flow of electrons directly to the driver membranes

The orginal wiring is a highly resistive thin hair ....
Take the Takstar drivers and built an HP ala Grado style and you will end with something really special.
But really really. 
Unfortunately i am not good at DIY. 
Regards,  gino

 
When I was modding the Pro 80 cable I noticed that the stock cable is actually pretty good. Better than what you get with a lot of the Sennheisers and Sonys. It's a 24 AWG copper wire, which is more than adequate.