KRK KNS 8400 Studio Reference Headphones

Product Information

Isolating memory foam in the ear cushions delivers improved low end response and because they gently conform to your unique head shape you'll be comfortable wearing them all day.

The KNS 8400s incorporate many design features that are welcome in closed-back studio 'phones, such as a detachable cable and replaceable cushions for the ears and the top of the head. Each model is best suited to different tasks, but the added comfort and overall fidelity of the KNS 8402 make it our preferred choice. While no match for a good pair of monitors, having a pair of headphones you can trust as a reference is invaluable, and the 8400's have so far proven excellent in that regard. Unfortunately I found that Beyers make some sound masking and thus have limitations for mixing purposes.Excellent ambient noise isolation means they won't bleed into the mics when recording, and you won't be disturbed by external sounds while listening.

Comfortable acoustic memory foam pads with premium leatherette covers provide exceptional comfort over long listening sessions. But the wire in the headphones did yank out but I did sort of get tangled on them, they're not super rugged, they use some stupid fragile inner Litz Wire which doesn't seem insulated at all and someone here said Litz is a pain to work with.Their accurate frequency response, excellent stereo imaging, and consistent KRK voicing means that you can rely on them for the most critical listening applications.

We don’t do any stress tests and very few models are used for longer than a couple of days, so this is a fairly subjective score. I already have decent monitor speakers [M-Audio Deluxe 5a], but the KRK monitors always looked really cool, and I heard them at a friends house and they sounded fantastic. Allow me to assure you that these are headphones, and as such they come with a certain degree of weight/irritation. They allow you to judge things in an objective, unbiased manner to an extent that I wouldn't previously have expected from a pair of headphones. Having One Voice that consistently gives you accurate reproduction of your music or mix will help you achieve just what the artist intended -- especially if the artist is you.A number of online comments concerned the treble of the 8400's - many people described it as "rough" and fatiguing, and there are some frequency graphs out there that showed a somewhat messy high frequency response. The same doesn't apply to the KNS 8402 and from a mixing perspective if anything there’s marginally too much bass, although this is by no means a dealbreaker. KNS 8400’s boost bass and high frequencies like most of the headphones and the mid-range dip is also a common trait.

When evaluating the frequency response score with the Average calibration profile, the pair to pair consistency of the given model is taken into account – if we have measured a considerable frequency response inconsistency among multiple pairs of the given model, the score drops, as the profile loses accuracy. Great care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this article but neither Sound On Sound Limited nor the publishers can be held responsible for its contents. KRK 8400 Headphones provide a precise listening experience that takes you from personal studio to commercial studio to on-the-go track evaluations. With a maximum SPL of 124 dB, they're capable of providing all the level you'll ever need while remaining clear and detailed sounding, with very low distortion. Everything is good balanced from stereo panorama to frequency response even with Mackie Onyx Blackjack.If you want something a little more colored (and bassy) but still monitoring-capable, Audio Technica or Beyerdynamic may have what you're looking for, from what I've read. You can then choose which finance term you'd like to apply for, and change your deposit if you wish.