music shop guy proposed my a quality headphone of a virtually non-existing brand - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Franki
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2011, 02:03:26 am
content: hihas anyone ever heard of a company named KSR making headphones or other audio stuff?Does anyone know their model KSN16000?I wasn't able to find anything about them on the whole internet, but that music-instrument/audio salesman dude said they even won some award in a classical music magazine, but in turns out, they seem completely untraceable everywhere??Another headphone that dude wanted to sell me is a good well known Beyerdynamic 770 Pro.

author: DJPhil
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2011, 04:43:17 am
content: I didn't have any better luck finding info than you did, and I've never heard of those guys before. It's been five years or so since I did heavy research into headphones though.As for the 770s, if you really, really need closed phones they look ok, though I'm not one to pay more than half that much for headphones. Closed/isolated headphones always gave me a headache from their skull clamp effect after about a half hour, and after a bit of experimenting I learned that I really didn't need much attenuation for what I was doing. It seems to be a bit of a struggle to get good sound out of closed phones as opposed to semi or full open, but then again it does take some looking to find open phones without a built in techno smile EQ effect.My advice would be to check the return policy and if it's sane then try them out 'in the field'. Don't buy any of that crap about 'burn in' either, what little effect it has (if any) is not going to make bad sounding phones improve after the return policy is up, or make the headphones unusable after return (some quack tried that line with me once).Sorry for the rant, hope that helps anyhow.

author: Franki
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2011, 05:27:19 am
content: THXWell, I can't use in-ear because my ears can't bear them. And I can't use open or semi-closed because much too often, there is all kinds of small noises around me...

author: Polossatik
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2011, 12:36:57 pm
content: off topic, but this is the reason why I buy almost nothing "electronic" anymore local.I have yet to come across a local sales guy who's actually knows a thing or 2 about the stuff he's selling, let alone make a decent recommendation.There are a few exceptions but they are far and between.Sometimes , when waiting for the misses on a shopping spree , I go into one of those electronics/pc/camera/hifi/etc retailers for fun and ask some questions about the gear they sell..the answers are always hilariously silly ...

author: metalphreak
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2011, 07:22:59 pm
content: Quote from: Polossatik on February 19, 2011, 12:36:57 pmThat's because all the electronics engineers have engineering jobsYou'll find most salespeople don't really have much of an interest in what they sell. They only know what they get told, and what they need to sell it to the average person. When you work all day selling the stuff, the last thing you do when you get home is research about themThe only reference to KSR I can find in the audio world, is a company called Kodicom, and they mainly do DVRs and similar equipment (All their models start with KSR).A lot of KOSS audio stuff starts with KSC... KOSS are a world renowned brand. Very good stuff.

author: sonicj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2011, 10:16:27 pm
content: i've owned and destroyed many sets of closed ear headphones over the years... sony mdr-v700dj are my go-to workhorses. i don't use them like most consumers so my reasoning for liking them probably doesn't apply, but they do sound good imo, are reasonably well made and should last many years withnormaluse. they are bit bulky, a bit heavy, but thats how all closed ear cans are. be careful if purchasing as there are very convincing clones being produced. buy from a reputable source. j&r, b&h, sweetwater, etc.another popular set i owned were the sennheiser hd-280 pro. i personally hated them, but lots of people love em. the reason i didn't care for them was due to the environment i use them in. they were fine in the studio, but didn't get quite loud enough for most venues i dj'ed at. if you like tight fitting, fat plush foam with plenty of noise attenuation, you will probably like these. as for the sound quality, i thought they sounded good but a little dull for taste. i prefer a little more bottom end than these had to offer. my personal opinion, ymmv. again, a lot of people really like these.my ixos mos dj1001 were a very nice set of cans. i sold a ton of those when i had my record shop. might want to check those out if you can find a set.Sennheiser HD 25-1 II will likely be my next pair of cans. i want to try something a little lighter and tighter.there are many, many more out there. especially if you don't need the get drunk and step on them durability of professional dj headphones. the head-fi forums is a great source if you want to dig deeper. cheers!-sj

author: Franki
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2011, 09:45:38 pm
content: My Fault! I completely mixed up the digits of the model and vendor!It's actually an KRK KNS-8400, which is a top notch headphone, according to some audio forums.Which one should I purchase, the Beyerdynamic 770 Pro or the KRK KNS-8400?(Maybe I should ask that in an audio forum)

author: Kiriakos-GR
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2011, 04:25:36 am
content: I favor KOSS ,but about your selection, you will not get an worthy reply anywhere , you have to test them by your self .This is what I did , the performance of my pair , blow me away....And got them on the spot , before 21 years , they are still alive , with life time warranty.

author: qno
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2011, 10:32:02 am
content: I have very good experience with Beyerdynamic for more then 25 years.

author: Franki
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2011, 12:53:28 pm
content: Quote from: Kiriakos-GR on March 03, 2011, 04:25:36 amOf course, this is what I did. Both are actually good to excellent headphones, but very much different in sound and equipment.The Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (80 ohms) is really perceptive and clear, is very linear throughout the entire frequency range(20Hz-20kHz) except for a noticeable but not exaggerated accent towards the lower frequencies. It has flies padded cups, which is very comfortable to wear and it comes with usual equipment, no fancy flashing christmas trees.The KRK KNS-8400 is just linear with diffiencies in the lower frequencies. It sounds a little as if there are tissues over the cups. From what I've found on the Internet, that's probably because that headphone suffers heavily from the burn-in syndrome, meaning it needs a day of burn-in before sounding great.Now, I can't test the headphone all day long in the shop(even though this is a really sophisticated music/instrument shop), and I don't want to buy, test and then send it back. This is why I'm asking if anyone has this headphone.btw: both are supposed to cost 149,-€ (~200,-US$)I would say, a little expensive for the KRK and a little cheap for the Beyerdynamic.

author: sonicj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2011, 10:32:36 pm
content: at my shop, i would have had no problem letting a customer exchange a set of headphones after a few days of use if he/she didn't like the way they sounded. i think your local retailer will offer the same if you ask.-sj

author: Kiriakos-GR
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2011, 03:34:41 am
content: Franki sounds a bit dramatic .But the point is that you do not need one complete day to test headphones.Usually you getting with you the 3-4 songs that represents the style of the music that you like most,and then you use this samples to make your mind.The burn-in in headphones, does not make sense to me.Every headphone set ( the good ones ) they get tested before they get in their box.

author: Franki
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2011, 12:39:10 pm
content: Quote from: Kiriakos-GR on March 05, 2011, 03:34:41 amYeah, sometimes I'm a little drama queen. Just like Dave sometimes is a sesame-street-like exuberant childQuote from: Kiriakos-GR on March 05, 2011, 03:34:41 amThat's right, I took like 4 hours of testing using my favorite music and sine sweeps, steps and white/pinknoises.And the reason that 4 hours were enough is because the music dudes at the shop were kind enough to let the headphone burn-in and I came back the next dayQuote from: Kiriakos-GR on March 05, 2011, 03:34:41 amWell, I definitely didn't hear any change before and after burn-in of the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro, but the tissue-over-the-cup effect that was present on the KRK KNS-8400 definitely went away after a day of burn-in.

author: Franki
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2011, 12:40:21 pm
content: Quote from: sonicj on March 04, 2011, 10:32:36 pmI asked them, and they actually do

author: Kiriakos-GR
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2011, 05:33:24 am
content: Ok you did your testing , where is the picture of the ones that you got ?Do not tell me, that you did not got them yet !!

author: Franki
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2011, 12:29:07 pm
content: Quote from: Kiriakos-GR on March 06, 2011, 05:33:24 amNo no, I actually got them. I'm looking forward of making pictures of it, but believe me, but I currently have no digital camera at all available to shoot some pictures. BTW, that's a shortage I wanted to overcome a long time ago, but in the mean time, I would have to ask someone else to lend me one. Currently, I would need to ask my uncle or my dad, but their distance and availability is hindering me, expect this to take some weeks.Who wants to give me some advice for buying a camera? For that purpose, I would need one for still images, but for what other purposes I plan to use, I would actually need a movie and sound camera.THX

author: Franki
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2011, 01:04:20 pm
content: I just noticed I missed to describe the equipment that comes with the KRK KNS-8400.This one comes with more fancy stuff: The cable can be disconnected on the headphone itself by another 1/10" jack plug with a bayonet connector while the other end is a regular 1/8" jack plug. I first thought, jee, this may deteriorate the sound quality on higher volumes, but this really doesn't seem to be the case with this one. BTW: the only times I have actually heard that metal deteriorates sound quality was on a loud speaker with bass on high volume or a medium frequency resonating with a loosely fixed screw or protective grid(found on PA speakers, almost never on quality home or studio speakers). The headphone comes with a carry case bag, an instruction manual and a screwable 1/8"-to-1/4" jack plug adapter. All plugs are gold plated of course. The box is stuffed with a protective PU foam to absorb mechanical shock during delivery.Now, KRK is giving you one flashing christmas tree with that headphone: a detachable mechanical volume fader on a short extra 1/10" bayonet connector jack plug-socket cable. This fader works nice and without scratches(yet), but is completely superfluous since every headphone amp, phone out and audio equipment I know has faders. KRK should sell this optionally, but not with the standard package.

author: Franki
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2011, 01:39:40 pm
content: OK, I've done some more listening tests @home. This headphone is incredibly linear, clear and distortion free, it really helds up to its promises on the box. It isolates every clock ticking, fan fuzzing and distant soughing streets, but close loud noises are still audible(the specs say up to 30dBA isolation).I never thought I would find a 32 ohm headphone able to produce such clear and detailed sound, this is out of the ordinary for that price and allows you to plug it in even more problematic audio devices. This is especially useful if you are using a headphone to test audio devices and want a comparision between the good, the bad and the ugly ones. Plus, it's also good to check how a record really sounds like before you buy it, because some shops have acceptable headphone amps, but use headhones that mumble the details and have bathtub frequency curves, which this one doesn't have. And, of course, it's great for mixing sounds.This headphone is not suitable for DJing: sound isolation is great, but there is not bass accentuation like the Beyerdynamic DT 770 or such.

author: Kiriakos-GR
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2011, 04:29:36 pm
content: I am one bad adviser, about digital cameras and HD video cameras.I own only worthy and expensive ones.Generally I will advice you, to look at the Olympus brand, they have nice products, and very good support as "after sale" service.

author: Franki
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2011, 04:11:05 pm
content: You know what, I think I should move parts of this thread into the "Product Reviews, Photos, and Discussion" section