CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS
Lobby => Headphone Measurements => Topic started by: Marvey on March 06, 2013, 07:51:31 PM
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AKG K400 Measurements (redone)
(http://www.changstar.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=844.0;attach=3016;image)
Subjective Pre-Measurement Impressions:
- Rolled at the extremes
- Soft sounding
- Not too bad, more much pleasant than K550
- Didn't really listen much. Used it for gaming.
Measurement notes: I did not notice the upper mid / lower treble peak that much. But then again, I did not go through my usual suite of test tracks which would exhibit this. I think the rolled off highs contributes to making that peak less noticeable.
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CSDs
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Not going to bother with harmonic distortion measurements unless someone really wants to see them.
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OK this has to be the worst ringing you've posted so far, right?
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OK this has to be the worst ringing you've posted so far, right?
Any idea how 'smooth' this headphone sounds? The peak is hardly audible. There is just quite some detail.
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It does sound smoother than that. It's a rather decent phone tbh, not a wall of shame phone sound at all.
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Interesting! Looks more like a triple penetrator! Impressed it sounds good.
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It's an open headphone, that gives it some advantages...
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Yeah, I can't figure it out. It doesn't sound that bad. Haven't tried certain Radiohead, Nirvana, and Pixies tracks yet though. The ringing behavior is different tho. More akin to the "wall" found in orthos, which isn't audible ringing to me.
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do k500 next! k500's!
i think lot of older akgs tend to measure out worst then they sound. don't know why though. i always found the k400's interesting. i think i remember someone telling me they're like a baby 240DF or something like that.
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Smoother sounding, very even midrange. That midrange...
P.S. As soon as Purrin & Co. are finished with the K400 and DT48S I'll send the K500s.
P.P.S. Do you guys keep in touch with HC?
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I may redo this one. I wonder if I had something vibrating or mounted the wrong way.
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FYI, these measurements were redone. There is some weird dildo hard-on thing protruding from inside the cloth. I think this is the cause of the disturbance in the force. I offset the cups slightly and used a slightly different material for the coupler. This newest set of measurements seems much more consistent with what I hear.
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Wait, did we just use our ears and brain to catch an objective measurement artifact? O-M-G!! Hell just froze over.
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Wow...
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Consider this post an update.
Today Solderdude and I met up for measurements. I brought the K400, two K500s, the K181, the DT250-250 and the SHP9000.
All of the headphones are measured and we found some interesting results. In short, if your K500 or K501 sounds too rolled off on the frequency range extremes, add the K601 ear pads.
For more information check with Solderdude.
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All of the headphones are measured and we found some interesting results. In short, if your K500 or K501 sounds too rolled off on the frequency range extremes, add the K601 ear pads.
When I had the K501 ( I really like a lot these headphones ) . I put K702 pads . it made a subtile but real improvement with a slight bass boost and a bit softer treble. I much prefer the K501 to the K701 for example.
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Many people outright liked or detested the K701. It was AKG's top of the line controversial headphone years ago.
The K400 just sounds smooth without a hint of glare.
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Many people outright liked or detested the K701. It was AKG's top of the line controversial headphone years ago.
I didn't own the K701. I only tested it seriously ( Eddie Current S7 + Aurali Ark MX+ rig) and I found this headphones a bit odd. I was afraid to find it bright but I didn't. The odd point is that IMO the K701 can soudn very good for some genre ( ambient Electro for exampl) and quite bad for sme other music. The main flaws of the K701 from what I remember are an overly diffuse soundstage with a lack of "focus" and a strange mid. On this two point , the K501 is better . That been said , i liked the K701 more than the DT880 ( or even the T1 i'm currently testing ) but I think I'm not so much a Beyer fan.
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(http://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/akg-k400.jpg?w=245&h=300)
It sounds quite good. Bass is tight but lacks ‘body’. There is no bass extension at all and sounds ‘lean’ compared to other headphones. With some music this isn’t very obvious but with well made recordings the lack of bass extension is obvious. Tonal balance is very good, instruments and voices sound very convincing. The treble peak is there and it makes the K400 sound detailed, yet lacking finesse. Compared to better headphones the treble and fast instruments have some ‘spike’ to it. It accentuates attacks with some instruments in a slightly artificial way.
(http://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/akg-k400-lr.png?w=614&h=345)
Yes, those spikes are really there but aren't as obvious in the sound as one might expect.
[edit]
NOTE: the spikes that are measured here MAY have been caused by the fact that it was tested at 95dB SPL, which may have been a bit too much for it.
This headphone does start to distort at higher listening levels much sooner than most other headphones.
While it did have an edge to it at normal listening levels (around 80dBA) it certainly did not sound as bad as the measurements would suggest.
The CSD shows the 7kHz and 13kHz peaks to be the result of resonances, the 7kHz one quite severe even. The peak in FR and ringing may explain the ‘edge’ in the treble and the somewhat artificial sound on cymbals etc. Below 5kHz everything seems quite good. left, right
(http://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/csd-akg-k400-lr.png)
The positives are a neutral sound, not muddy, and good comfort.
Negatives are the lack of body (bass extension) and the slightly ‘edgy’ treble.
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Solderdude, your measurements seem way off. I realize that we should take these things relative to each other but looking at Marv's plots versus yours is kind of ridiculous. If your plots were indicative of what is heard, it wouldn't be "slightly edgy" treble. 10dB at 7kHz (with that high Q) is "WTF, throw it out the window" treble. Whatever you have seems to be making those resonances worse. Misleading, wouldn't you say?
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These measurements are of the same K400 Marvin measured. Maybe the positioning or something else influenced the measurements.
I was there when Solderdude measured the headphone.
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Did they actually sound like that?
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The K400 sounds very smooth, rolls off at the low end and is detailed in sound without a hint of brightness.
Only when you crank the volume you might notice the peaks. In that scenario you might damage your hearing though. This AKG measured a bit strange but sounded quite pleasant.
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Solderdude, your measurements seem way off. I realize that we should take these things relative to each other but looking at Marv's plots versus yours is kind of ridiculous. If your plots were indicative of what is heard, it wouldn't be "slightly edgy" treble. 10dB at 7kHz (with that high Q) is "WTF, throw it out the window" treble. Whatever you have seems to be making those resonances worse. Misleading, wouldn't you say?
Think of it what you want, it's what my rig says.
For reference it says this about my HD650:
(http://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/hd650.png?w=614&h=418)
(http://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/csd-hd650.png?w=614&h=317)
This too is a 'normal' circumaural and open headphone and doesn't show any signs of coupler trouble or incorrect FR nor strange resonances.
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Did they actually sound like that?
Well... it did have an edge but as stated it wasn't really very audible (which kind off surprised me).
Mind you when we played music it was probably playing around 75dB SPL.
When it was mine I had already found that it didn't want to play very loud and got 'rougher' sounding and didn't like an EQ in the bass either.
It was measured at 95dB SPL (measure everything at that SPL to drown outside noises) and I didn't think of it but maybe should have measured it at a (much) lower level.
Perhaps the measurements may have been more favourable.
It should be noted that I experience the same 'problem' with my KSC75.
That doesn't play very loud and sound nice at the same time either BUT it measured 'correctly' at 95dB and sounds good at 'normal' listening levels.
So do the K400 and K500 I measured.
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There are many factors that can affect measurements. Coupler material and orientation is one:
http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,844.msg20429.html#msg20429
Seal is another one as I found out with Stax, thin membrane orthos, and some closed cans.
In terms of graph visualization, stretching or widening affects things up.
All these (and other) things combined may affect results, and this is why I think listening to the actual cans and honest impressions are very important.
Thanks SD! :)p7