Someone out there (apparently based in the US) has been looking for advice on whether Equation Audio RP-21 or Sennheiser PX100 are the “better” choice. Short answer is… There’s no such as a “better” choice when it comes to headphones (and pretty much anything else, really). There’s what may fit a certain role, and there’re several models from several makers that fulfil the same role.

Sennheiser PX100 are small, foldable, portable headphones that can fit into a pocket-sized case. Sounding-wise they’re nothing too special - analytical, “cheerful” and not very natural. PX100 have a nasty dip in the midrange that makes them sound somewhat thinnish and artificial. There’re much better choices for the same money.

RP-21 are closed DJ headphones. They’re the portable equivalent of disco speakers, with a similar (though more controlled) boominess and bassiness. They can provide a pretty good representation of such a setup for a DJ. RP-21 also have a penchant for bringing out drums, percussion and bass instruments forward (again, like disco speakers) while hiding some of the details. Some listeners like that, as the RP-21 make bass-heavy instruments sound “larger-than-life”, and their “prettifying” the mix hides some of the inherent harshness of heavily compressed MP3 files and CD audio. RP-21 also have a synergy with raw synth instruments (saw, sine, square, etc. waves).

However, for a listener and even for professional work, unless the buyer is a DJ aiming to work at a disco with boomy speakers, the Denon AH-D1000 might be a better choice. Costing around $100, just like RP-21, but with much warmer, intimate and sparkling presentation. Weighing half as much and more comfortable than the RP-21. Just as efficient. The AH-D1000 also are excellent portable headphones, and so are a good choice against the PX100 (though AH-D1000 are twice as expensive, the difference in realism and comfort makes up for it).

Then there’s the new lineup of Denon, AH-D301, AH-D501 and AH-D1001, which are the 2008 models. All are full-size circumaural headphones, AH-D301 with a suggested US retail price of $40, AH-D501 $60, and AH-D1001 $100+. They’ve not made it to stores yet (the US Denon website doesn’t even have photos), but any of those ought to have a value and performance superior to PX100. All are full-size headphones without any hint of the “toyish” sounding of PX100.

Some other alternatives are AKG’s K-81DJ (closed, foldable, $60), K-24P (open, foldable mini, direct PX100 equivalent, $29), and, of course, the K-240 Studio (semi-open, $96), which have a much more natural and much larger soundstage than the RP-21 (RP-21 have a constrained soundstage; smaller than that of the K-240, and RP-21 aren’t nearly as good with 3D space).

Pioneer also make portable headphones, SE-MJ3B are closed supra-aural mini headphones ($46).
A bit larger model that could be an alternative to both the PX100 and RP-21 is the SE-M390 (semi-open circumaural, $56).

For guitar-based music, Alessandro MS-1 are often considered to be the best headphones under $100. Those cost $99, shipping worldwide included.

A review of three “portable” mini-headphones, right there at the forums.

Now that’s what I call a portable headphone amp. Welcome to the IASUS MOBILE AMP review.

What kind of influence will the IASUS headphone amp have on your headphones?

How will it compare with The Go-Vibe V5 headphone amp?

Those were the only two answers that I wanted to know from the IASUS MOBILE AMP. Will the IASUS AMP put its own spin on how the music sounds, as much as the Go-Vibe V5 does, and with the size and slight price difference, will it be a viable alternative to the Go-Vibe?

Maybe it’s wrong of me to go into such depth with the IASUS MOBILE AMP, because of the nature of IASUS products. IASUS CONCEPTS began by producing throat mics for elite military forces. However, the MOBILE AMP seems to be one of the only products for a wider application.

Size doesn’t matter; it’s what you do with it!

IASUS boasts that this is the “The world’s smallest and lightest hi-fidelity amplifier for mobile devices.” I have to say; it is tiny. Barely bigger than the current IPod shuffle, you be amazed at how small and lightweight this thing really is. This can only be another plus point when considering the MOBILE AMP for your portable headphones needs.

It makes the Go-vibe look huge and bulky. In terms of size, there’s no real competition, the IASUS MOBILE AMP wins hands down when it comes to size and convenience. As you know I’m not the person to go pulling my stuff apart for the sake of modding, so I’ll leave the ‘internal pictures’ to someone who’s more knowledgeable and braver than me.

Features

Design, this is my area! It’s a neat looking thing. I particularly love the volume control. Sleek and stylish, there’s no argument. There is a tiny (and it is small) ‘IASUS’ logo under the volume control, but you’ll need a magnifying glass to see it properly.

There’s a handy loop at the front, for those of you who would want to hang it the end of a lanyard or at a push on your key-ring. I’m planning on buying a lanyard exactly for this purpose, because I’ve found the MOBILE AMP handy to have around the campus, and especially whilst I’m doing my artwork.

With the package you get the following:

• Your MOBILE AMP; of course, complete with a built-in connection cable, for hooking up to your audio device.

• Set of instructions, which is simple and easy to read.

• Plug for recharging.

• Twin 3.5mm female headphones adaptor, so you can share your music with someone with another pair of headphones, you kind person you!

That’s enough for you to be getting on with I think, and it’s a nice little package.

For the modders however, I get a feeling that the connection cable is a little low grade. Now at this point, I’m not encouraging anyone to take the amp apart and refit it with a cable, but in the world of modding, this is exactly what I can see people doing with the IASUS AMP.

The amp took around 2 hours to give it a full charge initially, and with an average day’s use, it’ll take less than that, to bring it up to full charge. In this day and age, it’s about the usual time.

So let’s get down to the nitty-gritty!

Lets answer the question, do you need a headphone amp? The answer is no, but there’s a but. Any headphones will emit sound of you plug them into a source. For the sake of portable use however, your headphones need a fair bit of power. When you take a look at players like my ipod Shuffle, you can see that it has to play music, flash a few LED’s now and then, and provide enough power to get the coils in your drivers moving enough to satisfy your volume needs.

In the case of volume, for my personal preference, there just isn’t enough. And once you get into a noisy atmosphere, you’ll need even more volume to compensate, for the ambient noise. And no talk of noise-cancelling headphones please, ‘noise cancelling’ is a swear word on Headphonedeals.

IEMs are a little better at cutting ambient noise, but still a little more volume maybe needed, more than your MP3 player can pump out, poor thing! So this is where a portable headphone amp like the IASUS comes in. It can boost the volume of your player.

The other argument for having a dedicated portable headphone amp, is to stretch out the power of your MP3 player, by allowing the amp to take provide the volume instead of your player, thus saving your player’s valuable power consumption.
So the answer is no-one needs an amp, but there are immediate advantages to having one.

The other main question is “will it make my music sound better?” Let’s try it out. iGrado, Ultimate Ears Metro.Fi 2 and the Ultrasone Proline 750 headphones I think.

Without the IASUS, With the IASUS. Speed Of Sound - Coldplay and The Creeps - Camille Jones, Fedde Le Grand.

iGrado

O.K. the iGrado up first, with Coldplay. Everything seems to be as you would expect with the iGrado. The highs are shining through, and the sound staging is just first-class. Sharp, focused and class-leading they really are! They can handle the volume in their stride. Oh, you poor Sennheiser PX100 owners, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Switching over to The Creeps - Camille Jones, Fedde Le Grand, things are even more impressive. Not only do you feel the depth of the iGrado but you can feel the backing vocals behind you and above you. The iGrado are truly an amazing pair of headphones. At this price, why would you want anything else?

With the IASUS.

With the amp, the clarity is touched up, but it’s not a light and day difference. If you weren’t purposefully listening out for it, you wouldn’t necessarily notice. Although slightly more detailed, it is a bit more reserved than the IPod Shuffle. The mids are more punchy without the amp, but all that changes once you turn up the volume of the IASUS MOBILE AMP. The IPod can’t produce half the volume the MOBILE AMP can.

You can deafen yourself, but you’ll seriously affect people within a five-meter radius of you. At full volume (which I seriously wouldn’t recommend) your hearing would be seriously affected.

With Camille Jones, at high volumes, the IASUS/Grado combination keeps most of its composure, only getting slightly hardened and losing some of the bass and midrange at the top end. It’s impressive - the top end is too much, even for me. So I’m gonna take a quick break!

…Hey, I’m back. Like I said, you shouldn’t be listening to music at that high level anyway, but for the sake of my hearing, and testing the amp to the max, I’ll do it for you!

The Metro.Fi 2 headphones (full review to come)

I have to say that with Coldplay, they sound warmer than the iGrado, but as with the usual problem with some IEMs, you can hear them slipping out of the optimum position. I’ve just swapped the earplugs over with the earplugs from the Crossroads Mylars, and problem is solved.

There’s nothing bad to report with the standard IPod, only that I’m testing them sitting next to the computer, inside my house. If I got outside with these, I’ve experienced a fair bit of ambient noise. With that said, I’ve just swapped over the earplugs which make for a more secure fitting, and that slipping-out feeling, just doesn’t happen.

Camille Jones comes in firm, strong and with lovely deep bass, nice! The highs get sweeter, as the volume gets higher. But all is under control.

With the amp?

The mids and highs are freer with the IASUS AMP. The depth of Chris Martin’s voice is unbelievable; it really is. It’s far more forward with the IASUS AMP setup than with the standard IPod. Now I’m beginning to hear a solid argument for having the IASUS AMP, more so than with the iGrado. The IASUS/Metro.Fi 2 set up is a night and day difference from just plugging the Metro.Fi straight into the IPod.

There’s more control, more refinement, it’s just brilliant. The bass isn’t deeper, with the amp, but better defined and controlled. It’s not a boomy or loose. Now, I have to say, I love boomy and loose bass, but I know it’s not everyone’s preference.

There’s no mistaking that with IEMs, the difference with the IASUS amp is clearly a noticeable difference. For this reason, and in this setup, the IASUS is pretty much a must. And that’s before we even get close to the argument about the extra volume you’ll get with the amp.

Ultrasone Proline 750

Now I’ve chosen the Ultrasone Proline 750 headphones for a few specific reasons. Number one is that in the forums, I’ve been answering a few queries regarding plugging the Ultrasone Prolines 750 into an IPod, for what you could call part time portable reasons.

The other reason is that I know that the IPod Shuffle can’t really drive the Ultrasones very well, and so it shouldn’t! The Ultrasones are huge, and I think to ask something as small as the IPod Shuffle, to power a pair of headphones this big, is asking too much.

It performs well enough, don’t get me wrong, but I think you should give your IPod a bit of a fighting chance. With the standard set up (IPod Shuffle/Proline 750) everything is good and well-weighted. Chris Martin is slightly recessed.With Camille Jones and Fedde Le Grand, you just want more bass, and volume. You also get a feeling there’s not as much depth in the soundstaging as the iGrado and it’s not as sharp and pin-pointed as the iGrado.

Let’s plug it in!

Straight away, with the amp, the Ultrasones are allowed to breathe a bit more and show you what they can do, and I don’t think it has anything to do with the extra volume the IASUS can muster up either. The midrange on the Ultrasones are not to everyone’s taste, they can be a little on the recessed side at times, but the IASUS better defines the midrange of the Ultrasones, making it easier to concentrate on them.

Again with Camille and Fedde, the same is true, the midrange is better defined. The extra power the MOBILE AMP gives the Prolines a different edge. So again the IASUS MOBILE AMP scores highly.

Conclusion One

So with the iGrado the difference is only slightly noticeable, but with the Metro.Fi 2 earphones and the Ultrasone Proline 750 the difference is far more obvious, especially with the Metro.Fi’s. I could argue that the iGrado are good enough and easy enough to drive that you don’t really need an amp to give them a bump up in performance. The biggest surprise was with the Metro.Fi 2 earphones. It just goes to show that you don’t need costly headphones to hear the difference.

How does the IASUS compare to the similarly-priced Go-Vibe V5 amp? Join the forum discussion and find out!

The only true rival to the HD280’s, are now cheaper. Is it ‘curtains’ for the 280’s?

My quest to get people off the Sennheiser HD280 headphones and onto the the brilliant Equation RP21 headphone, has just been given a violent shove, with a dramatic price reduction of the RP-21 headphones. So my plea is a simple one today. As someone who’s owned a pair of Sennheiser HD280 headphones, and who currently has a pair of Equation RP21 headphones, I say go with the equation RP21 headphones.

They sound fantastic, fulfilling my bass needs, which the HD280’s never did. The headband on my HD280 had cracks and stress fractures on them after 2 months, the RP-21 headphones have no such problem. The HD280’s are boring to look at, the Equation RP21’s are refreshing.

Basically, the RP21’s sound better, look better, are better built and they are new and refreshing, and if you’re considering either the HD280’s or even the Grado SR60 or SR80 headphones, then stop! Take a look at the RP21’s, they are very, very good, and at that price, you’d be foolish not to give them a second glance!

Don’t try this at home!

So Which One Of Them Are You Interested In?

Interesting outcome of the headphone review is waiting for you, but which headphones are you leaning towards? The sleek and detailed sound, the ‘oh so comfortable’ Denon D1000 headphones, or the deep, tight punch from the RP21’s. Either way, it’s going to be a hard choice for you!

Get full details of the review today! Click here or the Image for the Full length headphone review.

I’m thinking of doing a group test of the following;

Koss Porta pro

Kossart iPro

Sennheiser twins (PX100 PX200)

Sennheiser CX300

CrossRoads MylarOne X3

iGrado

Sony MDR-710

Take a look at my current list in the Quick Headphone Review page, and tell me if there’s any more you want me to throw in.

Quick Headphone Review

As far as time scale, because Mrs headphonedeals and I are still planning to move, and could be getting the O.K. any time soon, I’ll say within the next six weeks or so, if not sooner.

Group Test: Koss UR-18, Kossart i40, Sennheiser HD201,

Sony MDR-CD280, Sony MDR-XD200

Welcome to the first headphonedeals.org, group test. Today, it’s the low key, ipod budget choices, the pocket money headphones. Not to damn them with faint praise, some perform very well, some are just average, and some aren’t really worth you handing over your hard earned cash, to be fair.

So why This five?

The main reason is that after I feel for the Kossart iPro headphones, I was then dying to get my hands on the i40. Bigger, more comfortable, and I also wanted to see whether the new boy could cut it against the establishment. Koss, Sennheiser and Sony are old timers, each with a proven rack record, but the Kossarts are trying to make a name for themselves, and I think that you need to sit up and take notice, because the i40’s are good, very, very good.

So I already have the i40’s, The Koss UR-18’s are new to me. I like the Koss Porta pro headphones, it’s just a shame that they aren’t quite up there with equivalent (PX100) Sennheiser headphones, but still the Koss Porta pro have a huge following. The UR-18’s are light and comfy, not comfortable, but just comfy.

The Sennheiser HD201, have name a good name for itself as well, and with fairly good reason. Out of the five, the HD201’s have the most reassuring build quality, reassuring, not best build quality. But believe me, in this group that’s not hard to do. The HD201’s have been around for 320 years, and to be fair, good though they are, it is time for change.

The Sony MDR-XD200’s aren’t exactly new, but they haven’t really made the same name for themselves as the HD201’s. They aren’t the prettiest headphones you’ll ever own either. The biggest surprise however is the weight, because there isn’t any. Although they are one of the biggest headphones …..ever, they weight nothing. They’re so light, you’ll have to tie them down when you’re not using them, just in case a rapid movement of air should carry these away.

But, the Sony MDR-XD200’s has a little trick up their sleeves, in the way of a little switch under each ear cup. The buttons give you the choice of ‘Music’ or ‘Movies’. As far as I can tell, this firms up and deepens the bass, but the difference seems to be so minor, that the average user (me) will struggle to tell the difference, in the real world.

The Sony MDR-CD280, have you heard of them before? I didn’t until a trip to ebay. Oh sure, amazon.co.uk has them, as does etronics.com, I think, but they’re hardly a well-known headphone, even among Sony it would seem. Yes, they can’t wait to tell you about their Sony Bluetooth headphones, or the Sony noise-cancelling range, but the poor ol’ CD280’s are left on the shelf, quite literally. To be honest that’s a shame, because I love them. Comfortable? Absolutely perfect!

So how do they sound?

I’ll start with a British group from the 80’s. I’ll start with, Adam And The Ants - Prince Charming, from the album, Prince Charming. Now I beg you, if you’ve never come across Adam And The Ants before, then click this link, and give this track a blast. The preview doesn’t sound very good on gomusic.ru, but you can get a better sounding preview from your local itunes store. But do give it a try.

Lets start in alphabetical order.

Koss UR-18

The Koss give a firm but a slightly closed-in feel. The highs are rolled off far too much for my liking, but there is a good amount of depth. Now having said that, I haven’t tested anything else yet. The sound staging is good, with the vocals very much in the center, but the backing vocals are hard to define form the lead singer.
Although the guitar is strumming nicely in the depths of each corner, it doesn’t really make for a memorable sonic experience. Everything seems to be present and correct, but there’s a lack of life in the presentation. Not a bad effort, just not an exciting one. The Koss UR-18’s along with the Sennheiser HD201’s are the only headphones here with two cords, one in each head cup. The others have a single cord.

Kossart i40
The Kossart are lively and more involving, the low end is deeper, and the guitars are far more realistic and detailed than the Koss. Again, the highs are rolled off, but it might be a trait that comes from headphones at this price range. But, the Kossart aren’t off the hook yet. The vocals (mid range) aren’t as detailed or as forward as I would like.

The midrange suffers slightly from what I call the ‘Ultrasone iCans’ syndrome. That means the midrange is recessed and swallowed by the rest of the music. The i40’s doesn’t suffer quite so much as the Ultrasone iCans, however, you do find yourself toe tapping to the background music, instead of the vocals.

Sennheiser HD201

I could sum the sound up in three words, but let me go into a bit more detail. The Sennheiser sound is crisp and detailed, and the clarity is very refreshing. The Sennheiser HD201 taps into the highs in a way the Koss and Kossart don’t, but there is a massive trade off in low-end weight. And when I say massive, I mean there’s no weight whatsoever.

The Kossart fares the best so far for overall warmth and weight, and the HD201 just can’t compete. Because of the lack of low-end grunt, placing the vocals is easier than the Koss and Kossart, which is good for a vocal track like this. The trade-off in bass, is not something I couldn’t live with though!

Sony MDR-XD200

The difference in low-end weight is noticeable instantly, and again, moving from the HD201’s to the MDR-XD200’s, all is well with the world again… …well, almost. The midrange is in balance with the rest of the music, and so far in that respect, the Sony fare the best.

The sound comes across as being synthesized, artificial, and quickly flicking back to the i40, the sound is more pleasing, even with the slightly distant vocals. The vocals also lack the bite of the HD201 and the i40, and they also suffer from that little echo effect. Yes, the extra weight over the Sennheiser HD201 is welcome, but somehow the Sony leaves you wanting.

Sony MDR-CD280

This is a revelation compared to its brother. The sound is the most neutral in the group. It’s the detail of the HD201, if not better, with a touch more bass weight. The Kossart i40’s is more forward, deeper than the MDR-CD280, but with this track, the Sony MDR-CD280’s is near perfect. The bass is there, but not overwhelming, the midrange is detailed, the sound staging is as wide and detailed as you’d want it to be, the Sony just works.

Round 1

1) Sony MDR-CD280

2) Kossart i40

3) Sennheiser HD201

4) Koss UR-18

5) Sony MDR-XD200

The only problem with this verdict is that the two best headphones, the Sony MDR-CD280 and Kossart i40 don’t and probably won’t get enough attention. Most people will choose the biggest name, which in this group, is the Sennheiser HD201. That’s the MDR-CD280’s and the i40’s only problem here. On a sonic level, the Sony have it.

But, there is a problem with the Sony, and that is like with the Kossart, people pay far too much attention to the other headphones.
Fast dance track with bass. Hybrid Remix of - Filter, Take My Picture. Another classic that you should hear, if you’re into your dance music. I’m Looking for pain and strain from these headphones. In reverse order.

Sony MDR-CD280

The Sony kicks off with very fine detail and ….very fine detail. Amazingly, the Sony can also take a fair bit of volume, and it remains very composed at full volume from my itunes collection.

The bass is admirable, and well-controlled, as is the rest of the music. The highs are very dominant, even to the point of becoming tiresome, so I’m going to jump onto the MDR-XD200’s if you don’t mind.

Sony MDR-XD200

Oh yes, the bass weight is there, although the rest of the sound isn’t as impressive. It’s only right at the top of the volume range that the XD200 show an ever-so-tiny sign of bending under the pressure. The XD200 display a small culling of the highs, which is very welcome, and make for a more bearable listening experience, than the CD280.

The XD200 aren’t anywhere near as neutral as the CD280, and you still get that artificial sound. The bass mid and highs are better balanced than the CD280, which showed a not so welcome tenancy to scream at the top end, until you scream “I give up!’

Sennheiser HD201

Pin sharp detail, that’s better controlled and far more bearable than the CD280’s. This track is about bass and low end weight, and the Sennheiser HD201’s don’t have any. It’s an enjoyable listening experience, nonetheless. The HD201 is the best so far at handling deafening levels of volume.

Kossart i40
I have to say I have high hopes with i40’s and indeed they don’t disappoint. The low end is far, far deeper than any in this test so far. You feel as though the i40’s has been given an artificial bass boost, but I assure you they haven’t. They churn out bucket loads of low end weight that can be felt (on occasion) as well as heard, and not at the sacrifice to the sonic range.

Any downsides? The i40’s tends to get a bit to aggressive at the very top end of the volume level. It’s not as composed as say the HD201’s. But who cares about that, ’cause you get loads more bass than the others. You (and that includes me) shouldn’t really be listening to music that loud anyway, or so I’ve been told. The forward presentation is also to Kossarts advantage with this dance track.

Koss UR-18
The Koss also performs well in the bass department, as well as the i40’s if not better on bass extension and depth, which is a shock. The Koss UR-18’s problem is that it’s cloaked by the hopeless performance of the rest of the sonic spectrum. Unfortunately for Koss, with this track, the Koss lives up to its price range, or not as the case maybe.

If we’re going for sheer bass depth and weight, the Koss UR-18’s would win hands down, but the rest of the sound is so appalling, that you just wouldn’t be able to live with it on an everyday basis. You’d end up hating me for recommending them to you, so I won’t. Instead, I say, go for the i40’s.

Round 2

1) Kossart i40

2) It’s up to you which headphones you choose next, but they won’t offer the overall ability of the Kossart i40’s.

To the movies, or the movie I should say. I’ve chosen Star Wars two, no not Empire Strikes Back, but the Attack Of The Clones. I’m going to play track 28 (region 2 disc), the ‘Asteroid Chase’ with Obe One and Jango Fett. Houston, we have a problem! Sorry, my imac was refusing to play the disc……here we go.

Sony MDR-XD200

So with the Sony MDR-XD200’s choice of ‘Music’ or ‘Movie’ setting, lets see what they can do!

With the sound setting on ‘music’ the Sony’s performs well. When Jango releases the seismic charges, all is sounding very good. With the a quick flit over to the ‘Movie’ setting, to be fair, I can’t really hear or feel any audible difference. Maybe an ever so slight enhancement to the sound staging, but to be honest, I think the difference is so minute and questionable to take this choice serious.
The bass and sound staging should be enough to satisfy the most hardened Star Wars fan, at this price level. There’s nothing lacking.

Sony MDR-CD280

The Open and crisp sound is more welcome with this scene. Although the bass weight has gone, you get a more clear sense of sound staging, which is evident when Jango is behind Obe, firing his guns. Yes a little more weight would be welcome, but the exchange of low end weight for detail, is quite a welcome one.

I though these would leave me wanting, but they’re fine. They have enough bass to get on with, and for a compromise between movies and music, these would be my choice of the two Sony’s here.

Sennheiser HD201

The Sennheiser HD201’s sound well detailed, but they also sound very thin. For sound staging, they are probably the best so far, but that doesn’t compensate for the lack of bass weight that a film like this needs. Again between the Sony MDR-CD280’s and the HD201’s, my money would be on the Sony’s.

It’s hard to conjure up any real enthusiasm for the Sennheiser with this film, other than the very good sound staging. Even with this in their favor, they still leave me wanting.

Koss UR-18

The bass depth is again instantly noticeable, there’s a constant low end burble during most of the scene, especially when you see the characters are shown in their space ships. But, the severe rolled off highs doesn’t endear me to the Koss at all. The sonic spectrum is far too narrow, and that will be even more noticeable if you choose to use the Koss for music as well as movies.

Kossart i40

The i40’s is just astounding here. The bass depth can’t match the Koss, but they are far more open and detailed. Not the best sound staging and detail in this group, but they’re fast enough and deep enough, to please. I think we’ve found the i40’s forte. I’m sure that if I were a big gaming fan, that these would please even more.

Round 3

1) Kossart i40

2) Sony MDR-CD280
Sennheiser HD201

4) Sony MDR-XD200

5) Koss UR-18

Conclusion

Well, two rounds to the Kossart i40, and one round to the Sony MDR-CD280 headphones, surprised? So am I. The Kossart may not be the most open sounding headphones in this group but they are one of the best complete performers. A great music and movie headphones, with deep bass and good sound staging.

I have to say that I do love the Sony MDR-CD280’s, and it’s a shame that they will be over looked. They deserve your attention. One of the most detailed and the most comfortable performers here.

The Sennheiser HD201’s was a bit of a disappointment here, despite their fine detailed sound. Oh, the three words, Thin, Thin, and Thin. Were the HD201’s to have the bass weight of the Koss or Kossart, they would have walked this group test, but sometimes you need more than just high detailed sound. Sometimes, you’ll want for a more gutsy sound. And this is where the Sennheiser’s fall short.

The Sony MDR-XD200,……..again, I’m a little disappointed. I’m struggling to find a good use or market for the XD200’s, because in every respect, they are bettered by the CD280’s or the i40’s. The ‘movie’ and ‘music’ settings, don’t really add to the appeal of the XD200’s. If you have a better pair of all-rounders like the Kossart i40’s, why would you need such a choice?

The Koss UR-18’s bass depth was a shock and a surprise. The only problem is that sometimes it was overwhelming and bloated, and the rest of the headphones didn’t really match the bass. The highs were dreadfully rolled off; making the UR18’s sounding muddy. They weren’t fast enough to handle detail and bass simultaneously. In this test, overall, I’m afraid they couldn’t really keep up with the rest of the headphones in this group.

Final words

As I’ve said before, the two best headphones (CD280 and i40) are the two headphones that most people will over look, which is the biggest shame really!

Sennheiser HD25-1 vs Bose Triport OE’s

which is the best performer out of the Sennheiser HD25-1 vs Bose Triport OE? For me, the question is, which is the better portable headphones? Both are capable headphones, and small enough to go unnoticed when walking around town.

The review is waiting for you, and comments would be more than welcome. I have no doubt that the Bose bashers will take interest in this review!

Happy reading.

Remember had it not been for people like yourself, sharing information, I wouldn’t have experienced half the headphones I now had. And, on top of that, I would have missed out! So come and join us, ask your question and show me something new.

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AKG vs Ultrasone

Someone has asked for ‘akg vs ultrasone’. The only AKG’s I have are the AKG K27i’s and the JBL 410’s (AKG K27i’s in drag..so to speak).

The only Ultrasone’s I have are the lovely Proline 750’s and the (bling bling baby) Ultrasone iCans. I’m assuming whoever was looking for ‘akg vs ultrasone’ was referring to the K27i’s and the iCans.<

For the purpose of this quick test, I'm going to use the JBL Reference 410 headphones in place of the AKG K27i's. I've packed the K27i's away (for the house move), but the 410's are basically the same headphones, but with a fancy leather headband.

Sound Test
Oh, I’ll have to take off my RP21’s now……shame! First Let’s turn to the JBL’s/AKG’s with an old classic, ‘Axel F - Harold Faltermeyer’.

The JBL’s/AKG’s certainly make their presence felt……. actually that make me think of the joke.

How does Darth Vader know what Luke has brought him for Christmas? Because he’s felt Luke’s presents!

O.K. on with the review. The JBL’s bass depth certainly makes itself known. For a pair of headphones this size, in terms of bass, nothing, and I mean nothing can touch it. In fact the JBL’s have more bass thump than most full size headphones in my collection.

The rest of the sound struggles, especially the midrange. Also that ‘closed in’ feeling doesn’t do this track any favors. I’ll try something else with the JBL’s, I’ll Try ‘Coldpaly - Clocks’.
Again, it’s not the widest sound staging, but Chris Martin (lead singer) is very central. Even with the backing vocals, it just feel a bit ……on dimensional. But you can’t deny the weight and authority the JBL’s have. Want to blast your ears into next week? the JBL’s are for you, and that’s why I chose them.

If you want to adjust the headband length on the Ultrasone iCans, then start weight training, now! This is interesting because with my recent ear infection, I haven’t really spent much time with these. Yeah right!

Let’s go back to ‘Axel F’. The two words that conjure up the iCans sound are, ‘distant’ and ‘recessed’. Don’t get me wrong, they are near perfectly detailed for a sub £60 headphones ($129 in the US), but it’s like your listening to the music from two fields away.

‘Axel F’ is more detailed than the JBL’s, the sound staging is as open as a field, but you just want more. It never quite produces enough. Not enough forwardness, not enough volume come to think enough, you just end up screaming for more. The detail and weight are about as good as it gets, but the midrange is stifled and lacks any finesse.

Over to ‘Coldpaly’ and once again the detail is almost perfect, but the overall sound suffers at the hand of the midrange. The midrange shows itself better than it did with ‘Axel F’, but the performance is too disjointed. You get the sense that somethings not quite right with the iCans.

The Ultrasone iCans offer great detail, and that’s how I want to end this sound test, on a good note for the iCans. The JBL/AKG’s can’t match the iCans detailed sound.

Conclusion

I love the iCans, they are stunning to behold, they really are. In terms of looks there’s nothing like them, and they are a very satisfying ownership prospect. But with the JBL’s/AKG’s being nearly a quarter of the price (in the US) of the Ultrasones, your left with a large question mark hanging over the iCans.

The JBL’s/AKG’s bass rules! it’s kicks like nothing else at the price or size. But you get the feeling that’s the only talent the JBL’s have. The closed sound you’ll either love or hate. But in this test and because of the price, it’ll be hard to ignore! They do shout, and they’re shouting ‘buy me instead of the iCans’.

I’m the weak one here, so I’ll leave the decision making for you, but let me just end by saying how much I love the Ultrasone iCans, and owning them is a bit more satisfying than owning the JBL’s!

Now can I get back top my RP21’s please?