KRK KNS 8400 Studio Reference Headphones

Product Information

For the longest time, I didn’t have a pair of studio monitors. My only pair of speakers was a home theatre system and that was good enough for me to mix my music with.

They want their items to be used by DJs and music gear producers but they also want the critical listening experience to be good. As a result, some will often lean more on the quality improvements of the headphones. The lightweight design and foldingear cupsmake them portable. They ship with a 6.35 mm screw-on adapter and a protective carry pouch. If you’re making music of any sorts from a home studio (whether just hip hop beats or complete songs with vocals on it) then I’m sure you already know the importance of having studio monitors for mixing your songs. No, I wasn’t throwing them on the floor or anything like that. But I did have a sense that I was using something that wouldn’t immediately fall apart if it fell on the floor by accident. I should also mention that the wire for these headphones are detachable. While I'm not even personally close to needing to replace the wire, that would be an option for you in case it gets damaged for whatever reason. The wire defaults to a 1/8″ plug, but it also comes with an adapter to convert it to 1/4″ which you would likely need if you're plugging it into an audio interface such as the Scarlett 2i2. Something to note is that the wire is incredibly long. It's easily over 2 meters long. This is great if your studio desk is cluttered like mine is, but I can imagine this would be a pain if you're walking around with these headphones.When KRK says these cans are designed to have the closest response as possible to their monitor speakers, they aren't kidding. A new standard in headphone comfort, even over extended periods of use, designed to avoid feeling uncomfortable during long sessions. The special foam conforms to the ear to help ensure an improved fit. The M50x has 180-degree swivelear cupsand adetachable cable. It ships with 3 cables – 1.2m and 3m straight, and 1.2-3m coiled.

Build quality: The best way to describe the feel of these phones is "utlitarian." They're made of plastic, they feel cheap but they also feel sturdy. If you're looking for audiophile jewelry, stop reading now. These phones appear to be structurally similar to the KNS 8400, which was designed for pro studio use and abuse. By all accounts I've read online, the 8400's stood up well to heavy use, and I'd assume the 8402's should do the same. Most importantly, the ear pads and headband pads are replaceable and KRK sells reasonably-priced replacements. This is a huge plus, so far as I'm concerned. I had to give up previous headphones because factory replacements were not available (or in the case of the NAD, the factory replacement turned out to sound quite different from the original pad) and I don't like treating headphones as disposable items. Now, the reason for this is simple. As much as other headphone are great in their own right, and have a lot going for them, the vast majority of them still want to treat their headphones like “user experience” items rather than “tools”. Simply put, you want headphones without ‘bleed,’ that aren’t too colored and are comfortable enough to wear for long hours. Everyone needs a reliable pair of studio headphones torecord vocals. The good news is the online market boasts a range of headphones you can consider.There is a spike in the treble range that can accent the ‘S’ and ‘T’ sounds in vocals and speech. Verdict They are the tool that intentionally gives you the same sound their KRK Rokit 5 studio monitors give. This finally brings us to the low end, which is where I think most of us will have mixed feelings about the KNS8400. I found them to have the lowest bass response out of the headphones that I’ve mentioned so far in this article, and that could be both a good and a bad thing. The mids are easily what I like most about the sound of these headphones: Focused and clear, they’re great for listening to vocal-heavy music. Some songs that I’ve listened to for ages now reveal vocal harmony nuances, along with some very subtle production touches coming from synths and percussion. It may sound like I’m diving too deep into details and esoteric stuff here, but I really do think that the main purpose of monitoring headphones is to present a very detailed picture without blowing it out of proportion through a hyped sound. This gives youoptions to swap cables as per your needs. You can opt for the ATH-M50xBT, which is the Bluetooth version, but this version can result in lag or latency.

You can use these for hours without breaking a sweat or feeling fatigued. The super cushyear padsmake these headphonesperfect forrecording vocalsand longmonitoringperiods. These headphones are lightweight and fold down into a compact shape for storage. The cost-cutting measures are evident in the plastic build, which is far from premium looking. The exposed screws and metal inserts don’t help the cause either. Sound: The headphones I currently own are the NAD HP50 and AKG K371 [edit: AKG K167]. I loved the sound of both when they were new, but both now have worn or 3rd-party earpads that mess up the sound (no bass, over-emphasized treble). For reference, I listen to my well-set-up ProAc 1SC speakers allied with a small subwoofer to get clean bass down to around 35hz. I'm not a bass head and find that many headphones over-emphasize the bass, so take that into consideration. I should also emphasize that I've never heard the KNS 8400, so I can't compare their sound to the 8402 based on my own experience. However, the new addition has the same versatility with a more comfortable design. Invest in one of these to experienceoptimalsound qualityand supreme comfort. While the jury is still out on what type of headphones are the “best”, there are a few key signs that tell you whether the headphones you’re using are worth your time; namely, the audio accuracy and sound clarity. Are the KRK KNS 8402 DJ headphones any good? (in short)

KRK KNS 8400 - Pros & Cons

Audio Technica ATH-M50x has dominated the best-selling lists for years. From critical listening to studio use, this headset is a solid all-around performer. For example, they have an entirely replaceable straight connection cable that connects to the left cup.