CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS
Lobby => Headphone Measurements => Topic started by: ultrabike on September 10, 2015, 06:04:16 AM
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This is proly going to be brief. These are comfy (to me), light and black. They sound a bit inoffensive on a first listen. But they are not primo material. You can currently get them for like $45.
In light that an HD518 can be purchased for $85 or less on a good day, I would skip these and save for the HD518 or HD558 (EDIT: maybe worth considering if a closed affordable headphone is required).
My problem with them is that they seem a little forward and tizzy on some songs. The bass is there, but it's a bit recessed (EDIT: seal dependent).
Measurements:
Frequency Response
(http://www.changstar.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2816.0;attach=10930;image)
Distortion Right
(http://www.changstar.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2816.0;attach=10932;image)
Distortion Left
(http://www.changstar.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2816.0;attach=10934;image)
CSD Right
(http://www.changstar.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2816.0;attach=10936;image)
CSD Left
(http://www.changstar.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2816.0;attach=10938;image)
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That's quite different from its predecessor, the HD438 at least below 800Hz that is..
(https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/hd438.png?w=614&h=419)
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The pads on the HD439 are velour and leaky. The pads on the HD438 seem sealed. That would probably account for some of the differences.
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The pads on the HD439 are velour and leaky.
HD438 pads are also velour and quite 'stiff'.
The 418, 428 and 448 all have pleather pads, the '3' version only has velour-ish pads.
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Whoa that doesn't seem right. I have two different pairs of these and they are very warm/ mid bassy but loose and soft. And also the treble is very recessed and rolled off. Might be a bad pair IMO
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The pads on the HD439 are velour and leaky. The pads on the HD438 seem sealed. That would probably account for some of the differences.
Did you measure them like closed cans? The open plate / sponge baffle won't quite work on them. Here are my measurements. Very similar to yours, but I think you are getting a back of seal for the bass.
http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,2013.msg54992.html#msg54992 (http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,2013.msg54992.html#msg54992)
(http://www.changstar.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2013.0;attach=8315;image)
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I measured open plate/sponge. Will measure again like closed cans.
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The appear to be closed clans because of the mesh, but they are actually closed cans.
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Yes. I felt the bass was a little recessed, but perhaps not that much.
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The HD438/9 was the "bassy" one of this HD4x8-series.
I would call it "an old PX100 went closed headphone" and for Pop music in particular this can work.
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Modified first post with close-type measurements.
These cans require seal (and perhaps a good hair cut) to perform best. Relative to other cans these do roll off from ~13kHz and up. Perceived tizziness might be due to the ~4kHz depression relative to the 5-7kHz region. Bass performance depend on how well the headphones sit on ones head.
Not bad for $45. Pleather pads may help bring bass forward. IMO, these are a reasonable step up to an entry level HD202.
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Updated measurements are much closer to how I perceive them. I think the 429 is the best of the bunch, but that one is even tougher to get a seal because of how little they clamp and the paper mache piss poor pleather and stiff pads. The 439 have a reasonable soundstage and decent tonal balance but heavy grain and lack of clarity lets them down. For anyone interested in cheap gear, these at $45 just get portapros or if closed is a must then Sony ZX701 is like $40 on Amazon and that thing sounds amazing for the humble price.
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Yes. having good seal with these type of headphones is IMO pretty important. And yes, it seems the pleather pad options are similar to the ones on my old HD202 which have now disintegrated. Grain and lack of plankton is a problem. On the other hand, these don't have too horrible treble nasties. Getting seal is not too difficult relative to something like a Tascam TH-02 which I have to align and push against my ears to make them sound good.
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A bit of amplification livens the HD4x8-series up. Add dual entry to the drivers and those drivers really come alive.
I had a dual entry modified HD428. These headphones have more potential than they are given.