šŸ”¶ Koss KPH30i

Already have a 600 on the way, but specifically looking for something easy to drive from a Nintendo switch.

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Yeh then just stick to koss, 560s and 660s are easier to drive than 600 but still need a decent source…

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This is exactly how I feel about the 6XX.

Here’s something I wrote on another board a while ago:


The 6XX are an interesting headphone because most people love them (myself included), but they’re not a flashy or show offy headphone.

With some headphones, you put them on and you can immediately hear something really notable about them, like powerful bass or piercing highs or incredible detail or some other quality that stands out immediately.

The 6XX are more subtle. They offer pretty good detail, the bass is decent (but not powerful), and the mids are excellent, but as a whole, there is no singular aspect about them that is immediately apparent like with some other headphones. They just feel like a really well-rounded, warm, enjoyable headphone.

Their build is the same way. They don’t look flashy and they don’t use any exotic materials or crazy designs, and yet if you ask anyone with a pair, they’re built to last. Even though they’re mostly plastic with a bit of metal, they’re just a very solidly constructed headphone that will last you years to come. Same with the aesthetics. They’re not ostentatious in the way something from Focal or Meze is, but they just have a classy, respectable look to them.

The 6XX are like the Honda Civic of the audiophile world. They’re built well, they perform really well for their price, and they just provide an overall really enjoyable experience to users. Even people who are well acquainted with top of the line, multi thousand dollar headphones from Hifiman or Meze or Abyss or Audeze - still tend to love the 6XX/650/600 and have a pair in their collection.

In terms of both sound quality and build, the 6XX are like a warm blanket. There’s nothing super exotic about them, but they’re just really lovable all around.

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dekoni makes pads for grados?

Zeos showed a set in a video or 2 the past couple of weeks. Looks like they are not available yet.

They have definitely piqued my interest though. Looking forward to giving them a try.

Was this in the unboxing channel, or a small cameo in a review? I’m interested in seeing what they look like.

For anyone familiar with guns, I see the Sennheiser 6-series as being analogous to Glock.

Tried and true design, doesn’t do anything poorly, nearly universally liked and admired, and while some people may not like them, everyone should try one and most people own one.

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This is a seriously impressive collection of Koss gear and modifications!

any ideas for a good EQ?

Screen Shot 2021-11-27 at 20.02.35

This is what I use on my KPH30i’s, stock pads, no mods. I think they sound pretty damn good out of the box and I think my settings are just modest tweaks. I’m on a Mac so I route all my audio through AudioUnits, and I find the KPH30i’s respond really well on the 31-band.

Here’s my logic behind my settings:

  • I pump up the 50Hz for some bass impact and body
  • Decrease the 125-160Hz a little bit to remove some of the boominess and bring more clarity to the low end
  • Push up the 500Hz range to bring vocals a little bit more forward and present
  • Push down the 2k range to mitigate some of the shoutiness
  • Push up the 16k range to add some sparkle, clarity and presence

I find my settings really adds life and naturalism to the KPH30i stock configuration. For me, with the EQ they rival my Sennheiser HD58x, which has only a very slight edge in soundstage and clarity. The KPH30i makes up for it in bass quantity, where I find the HD58x is detailed in bass but lacking in oomph. I listen to everything, from rock to orchestral, jazz, hip hop, EDM, etc., and I find my settings sound pretty good for most music.

My setup: Foobar2000 (Crossover on Mac) > SoundSource (AUGraphicEQ) > Topping D30 > JDS Atom

SOLVED KPH40 BALANCED

I already had the sennheiser cable and it TOTALLY works, im planning on getting the connectors from amazon to make my own shorter cable but thats a while down the road

i have NOT tested phasing on the new fantasia cable but that MAY be an issue

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FINALLY did the ultra mod with the grado pads. I’m kind of liking the sound with original pads taken off, the foam backing inside placed in front of the speaker inside the grado pads. In this setup I’m getting a little more sparkly but i’m getting some great definition on bass while not totally losing the slight boom to some of it. Especially in something like Hot Summer Night by Jimi Hendrix it’s clear these are what I probably want to listen to.

Christmas presents for the family might have to be some modded kph30i

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Someone is getting an excellent Xmas present.

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I know I’m probably saying nothing new, but I finally got a pair of these on Black Friday for $20 and they are one of the most fun pair of headphones I have (up there with my meze 99 classics). I held off doing the ultra mod for a bit, but it just made them even better! They make everything I throw at them fun to listen to.

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continuity update: i think i found a good video that features the dekoni grado pads:

they don’t seem to be on sale just yet though

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When the pads cost twice as much as the headphones

Left the pair I got Friday to burn in through this morning, and figured I’d give them a go running off my Fiio M5. It may simply be I’ve experienced more technically accurate products, but I don’t find myself being blown away. Don’t get me wrong, they aren’t bad… I’m just not getting that ā€œOh my God, this is incredible!ā€ kinda reaction. As weird as it sounds, I kinda like my 5XX more. The 5XX isn’t close to my favorite, but I like it a bit more then I like these.
These feel more like a ā€œgood enoughā€ kinda headphone

They are good for the price but when compared side by side to other more capable headphones they show their downsides.

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I disliked the KPH30i normal or ultra modded due to being too uncomfortable to wear for more than ~30 minutes while PortaPros/KSC75 are fine for me. They just didn’t sound good enough for me to try to find a way to make it work out, especially when I knew that the plastic is a ticking time bomb.

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The problem is, it has been a few weeks since I’ve listened to any other headphones. Mostly it’s been the Sony WF-1000XM3 and Edifier TWS1 PRO, which are both tws, I tend to use at work and around the house, not when doing critical listening… and yet I prefer both over the KPH30i. This isn’t even taking into account comfort, or all the nit picking problems I have with the Sony. On a ā€œhow does it sound with how have I used themā€ I don’t care for the Koss as much.