[astroid]

So my work has rethought its ban on headphones and i the only pair of closed can i have is the PX200 , after selling my D1001s and ATH-A700s.
I took a trip around my local electronic and hifi stores and listened to quite a few cans , none really grabbed me.
Just as i was about to give up i remembered there was a richersounds near me and headed there.
They didnt have many closed cans, the d501 , K512 + K514 and the K430s, they didnt have a opened pair of the K430s and the others were not really grabbing me.
I took a gamble and bought the K430s.
Got home , plugged in , queued up my usual test tracks , beck - tropicalia, Lady Gaga - pokerface, Canon in d major, Sweet carolina - ryan adams.
 
Listened for around 3 hrs in total and i think they are really good, they present a sense of space in the music that closed cans often fail at and they are very good at cutting out noise. I was worried a little because i have a pair of K26p at home and they suck beyond belief, the bass is sickening and the clamping force practically squishes your head.
Treble on the K430 is well extended and not 'tissy' at all , the mids are a little recessed at present but some burn in may improve that.
 
All in all far better than the PX200 imo and is well worth the £45 i paid for them.

 

[apatN]

Hahaha you have a very special collection of test tracks.

 

[priest]

Thanks for posting, astroid. How would you say these rate on comfort? Are they like the K 81 DJ?

 

[astroid]

They are comfy enough for long listening, i managed 3 hrs without issue. Not a lot of people here seem to have tried these but closed portable phones are few and far between and good one even more so.
If you commute and dont want 'brain' phones these are very good value.

 

[earerror]

How's the build quality? I have seen them before, and it feels like they are very fragile. 

 

[astroid]

build is overall good, solid plastic band and good quality metal runner underneath. I think they seem fragile because the the cups are so light.
The case is nice, neoprene.
I am really liking the sound coming out of these.

 

[desktophifi]

They are good with ipods, and portable mp3 players in general....very very portable, thats something that i like. 

 

[astroid]

 
Found this graph for the K430 , any experts comment on it?

 

[kurtzi]

Thanks for sharing, I've always been curious about these. I've tried for some time their open brothers (K420) and I was not too happy with them.
 
 
Regards
K.

 

[Danneq]

 
Quote:

Thanks for sharing, I've always been curious about these. I've tried for some time their open brothers (K420) and I was not too happy with them.
 
 
Regards
K.

 
Interesting that you did not like the K420. What did you not like about them? At first the treble was much too strong on my pair of K420, but after 50 hours or so the harshness of the treble had been reduced. For a while I preferred the K420 over my PX100, but now I have started to appreciate the PX100 more as they are a bit more detailed as opposed to the more "fun" presentation of the K420. But they are both nice phones...

 

[kurtzi]

They are not really bad, only they were maybe not what I was really looking for. Me too was coming from PX100, at first I liked the 420 for their crisp trebles, but I've found them to be fatiguing after a while and never been able to find the right listening volume. Time did not solved this issue to my ears and then I got more used to closed cans sound.
Now I'm happy with my PX200-II and JVC Flats for everyday use, but this 430 is interesting. Like you I think that the old PX100 (not the II) are still a better choice for open portables. 
 
 
Regards
K.

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

Looks like you got some extra treble there, when the graph goes up again after the expected drop at 1K. Could be enjoyabe, but could also get too bright.
 
Quote:

 
Found this graph for the K430 , any experts comment on it?

 

[bobxxxbob]

Btw Becks Tropicalia is a really good test track. Well recorded and lots of stuff going on.

 

[astroid]

Beck has some tunes for sure, Mutations , sea change and Midnight vultures are all well recorded IMO, later stuff not so.
The K430's peak may be why i like them, on paper looking at the specs these look the same as the K26P and K414 but they couldnt be further away IMO, the bass on the K26P and 414 invaded the mids and the treble was barely audible, the K430 is one of the best closed can i have heard , it beats my ES7 and is very close to the M50 in signature.
Seriously the best £50 i have spent for a while.
Oh i just picked up this -http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AUNE-HIFIDIY-NET-Mini-USB-DAC-Headphone-Amp-MK2_W0QQitemZ260464075448QQcategoryZ12050QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m263QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DDLSL%252BSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BIEW%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D8%26pmod%3D330444130582%252B330444130582%26po%3D%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D7691870903671464409#ht_11190wt_1137, Got it for £65 though! will it power HD600's ok ?

 

[astroid]

 
This is the K26P , the bass is truly spectacularly ...... unrealistic and bloated, look at the sucked out mids !  what were AKG thinking.....