Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)If you check my other reviews you will find that i've been using the Triple Fi 10 for the past 3 years. I eventually wanted to switch to a regular headphone due to getting sick of putting foam in my ears. I basically tried dozens of headphones and stuck with the Sennheiser HD-600, Shure SRH-840 and Audio Technica ATH-M50. The later two had their issues and were not perfect. Just as I thought I was done with headphones I went into a local store and found this headphone. I took it home and was really impressed with it. It's very neutral and does not seem to do too much of any one thing. There is a lot of detail, but it's not excessive in any way. Everything is crystal clear. There is bass, but many many be disappointed in it's bass. It has a decent amount of bass, but it's not a bass heavy phone. If you want a headphone with lots of bass, look elsewhere. It has much more bass then say the Audio Technica ATH-AD700, but not as much as the Shure SRH-840.
Another thing about it's sound signature I like is that the highs are never fatiguing. They may be slightly rolled off a bit, but this makes it so that I can listen to these for hours. I absolutely cannot stand any sort of harsh highs in a headphone. The absolute best thing about these headphones is the vocals. They do female vocals better then many other headphones I've tried. The overall sound signature is so natural and just like i'd expect instruments to sound like in real life. Basically it's best to find a sound signature you like and try to find a headphone that matches it. All of our ears are different, so something I may like, another person may hate. These just have everything I want in my sound signature. They could use maybe a bit more bass. 5-10% more and i'd be happy. I will admit that my Ipod Touch's EQ is worthless, but the equalizer in itunes seems OK. Another thing I like about these is that the soundstage is very, very good for a closed headphone. The instrument separation is also very good. I sometimes get this sort of surround sound effect like I had with my old Beyer DT-880. It's a bit hard to describe. It's so easy to pinpoint specific instruments compared to some other headphones i've tried.
The design on these is almost perfect. They are extremely light. The earpads are of the cheaper variety to keep costs down, but that's OK. It'd be nice if Koss offered some soft, velour pads to buy, but that'd probably never happen. Hopefully someday I can find some that fit these headphones. The only negative is that I hate the coiled cable, but it's not a big deal.
One thing I have to mention is that I don't think these are a good match for straight out of an ipod. These lower ohm rated headphones benefit more from an amp then any other cheap headphone i've tried. I thought it was just my imagination at first, but after doing lots of testing, I know this is the case. A good portable amp seems to bring out the bass a lot more. I use the "Airhead" and a "NuForce Mobile" DAC/AMP.
These headphones seemed to have turned me into a Koss "fanboy". I seriously like these that much. It's just too bad I often feel as if i'm the only one who has tried them. Hopefully these will be easier to find in the future so more people can try them out.
UPDATE:
My original pair died due to a mistake on my part. It's a long story. I bought a replacement pair and they sounded pretty bad right out of the box. I burned them in for about 24-48 hours and the problems went away. Overall these have the best mids (especially female vocals) out of any headphone i've tried yet. I've also found that Pearstone Velour pads work with them. Those are oval, but can be stretched to fit these! It looks a bit strange, but the pads now give me a better fit and there is even a bit more mid-bass. Yes, pads CAN change the sound of a headphone slightly!
I also found that the Maxell DHP-II has a VERY similar sound signature but it has more bass, more mid-bass and there is a lot more treble, but that's not good for me. Overall these sound a lot better and are more neutral, which is what I like. If you like more bass, check into the Maxell DHP-II. These also have far better build quality. I find these do not lack bass at all, but strangely they have more bass out of the box and gets reduced slightly after burn-in.
12-9-2010 UPDATE:
I still use these all the time. I've even found they're a great gaming headphone. I do prefer the k601 for gaming, but this headphone often feels as if it has slightly more forward sounding detail. I don't always want that in games, but I don't play online. I've also come to the conclusion that the included pads are not deep enough to get a good seal for many and that's required for good bass. I've found the velour pads I used get a bit hot so I prefer the Audio Technica M30 pads. They actually improve the sound and keep my ears cool. The cups on these are round and the pads are oval, but they still work and don't degrade the sound. Still, they may look a bit awkward for some.
I can't say it enough, but these absolutely must have an amp. My Shiit Asgard and Total Airhead are a good match. I think this is one of the first 38 ohm headphones that sounds bad right out of a portable player. Even my Ipod Touch 2G can't drive it properly. Some pairs also need a lot of burn-in.
BTW for those that like the slightly forward upper mids on the k601, you may also like these. I actually prefer the k601 over the k701. People who like the SRH-840 may also like this.
UPDATE 2-11-2011:
I still use these almost every day. I've also obtained the Audio Technica ATH-AD2000 and HD-598. I think I like the HD-598 almost as much as the DJ100, but not quite. The HD-598 are just more comfortable and better for movies and games due to the soundstage. Level of detail on the DJ100 is much higher though. I've now found out that the best pads for these are the official Sony MDR-V6 pads. They give you the most room and are the most comfortable. The M30 pads are good, but seem to tame the treble slightly. The Shure SRH-240 pads fit and offer the best treble and isolation. They're just not comfortable. For a good budget closed gaming headphone under $100, this might be a good one. Of course I'd always suggest an open headphone instead.
BTW I now prefer these to the M50, HFI-680, ESW9, SRH-440/840, K240 Studio AND Sextett, HD-555 and even my new KRK KNS-8400. Strangely, if I EQ the bass on the DJ100 it sounds similar to my K240 Sextett! The mids on the AKG are a bit less forward though. Soundstage and Imaging is far better on the DJ100 though.
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KOSS PRO DJ100 Professional Stereo HeadphonesThe Koss Pro DJ100 is ideal for professional disc jockey use. The Pro DJ100's stylish spun metal earcups swivel 180. Swiveling earcups allow for single or double ear listening, a stereo/mono switch is located on the right earcup. Soft closed cushions provide a perfect seal, extreme bass response, noise isolation and long lasting comfort. The Pro DJ100 folds flat for safe storage. The Pro DJ 100 has an eight foot coiled cord and comes with a 6.5 mm adapter and a 3.5mm standard plug. It employs a dynamic element for an extended frequency response of 10-25,000 Hz and has oxygen-free copper voice coils for signal clarity.FeaturesPressure sealed vinyl leatherette cushions for extreme bass and isolation Oxygen-free copper voice coils for signal clarity Coiled, single entry 4 ft cord / 3.5mm plug / 6.3 mm adapter
Click here for more information about KOSS PRO DJ100 Professional Stereo Headphones
