Ultra Portable Shootout: PX100, PX200, PortaPro, K404, V-Jays, Tracks, Oldskool, and HD238

Ultra Portable Shootout: PX100, PX200, PortaPro, K404, V-Jays, Tracks, Oldskool, and HD238

October 7, 2010 |  by  |  $1-$100, Featured, Portables  |  , , , , ,

When I first discovered IEMs, ultra-portable headphones such as the PX100 suddenly has lost its meaning and purpose. Over the years, however, I started to find a fun factor on portable headphones that I don’t quite get in IEMs. Perhaps it’s something with the ergonomic design that allows you to wear it easily without any pains in the ear canals. Perhaps the way it allows you to enjoy music and still interact with the outside world. Whatever it is, I’m still a loyal fan of ultra-portables. And even owning ultra high-end headphones and IEMs, I still find the ultra portables to fill a niche that none of the other design can. So, here it is, eight ultra-portable headphones compared!

  • The Establishment: Sennheiser PX100-II, PX200-II, Koss Portapro, AKG K404
  • The Newcomers: AIAIAI Tracks, Fischer Audio Oldskool, Jays V-Jays
  • The Supercharged Ultra Portable: Sennheiser HD238

As the auditioning period was done over several weeks, I have used many systems to evaluate the performance of these headphones. From direct to Ipods, with portable amps (mainly Ibasso PB1), to desktop systems (mainly Grace m902), and even using a desktop CDP source. Obviously the portables work fine straight from an Ipod. But many of the newer models are transparent enough that feeding them a better gear up the chain will yield a noticeable improvement. Of course I’m not suggesting you to pair the PX100 with a desktop CDP and a desktop amp, but just in case you wanted to know, yes they do make a difference when amped.

I also apologize for missing a lot of the other mainstream brands, such as Sony, Audio-Technica, and even Ultrasone. No discrimination against those brands, but simply a lack of resources and product availability.

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  • palimad

    PX-100 vs V-Jays

    I used PX-100 for 5 years now so I think I know their pros/cons. You preffered V-Jays here so I ordered them. In my opinion, Px-100 sounds much better for music I listens – hip/hop, acoustic recordings, electronic music. I really dislike the sound of snares on V-Jays and I find the sound of them much more harsh then PX-100s.  Maybe there is just something wrong with mines.

    • Anonymous

      I see,
      Thanks for sharing your thoughts, palimad. I do still enjoy the PX100-II very much, I think it’s one of the best out there.

      • palimad

        or perhaps i am just used too much to sennheiser sound

        • Anonymous

          Yes there is a certain smoothness that you only get with the PX100-II

    • Donunus

      I felt the same way about the V-Jays. You are not alone

      • Anonymous

        Yes I’m in the minority now.

      • Anonymous

        my humble opinion,

        Usually the one who praise V-Jays hear music genres that you didnt mention above,namely PoP, religious songs (oh my), classic, etc. 
        I don’t have any idea if V-Jays will excels PX100-ii on Jazz since sennheiser usually good at it with its smoothness & Thick vocal.

        for hiphop, R&B, electronic music with ‘somewhat’ hot trebles, using PX-s , AKG K403/402, V-jays will make ears hurts. This where cans with some degree of treble attentuation like K404 , HD202, shines. The balance just right.

        • Anonymous

          Good point, thanks!

    • Anonymous

       100% agree

  • navii

    Hey Mike,

    Which headphones let you hear more of the outside noise, the V-Jays or the Aiaiais?

    I want to wear them at work and need to hear when people call my name. Thanks.

    • Anonymous

      Yes I know what you’re talking about, sometimes we want headphones that leaks. It’s gotta be the V-Jays but if you even want more leak, go with this one:
      http://www.headfonia.com/sennheiser-adidas-pmx680/

      • navii

        Thanks Mike, I ordered the v-jays, but if they dont work well Ill look into the Sennheisers.

  • Anonymous

    Hi Mike,

    Beyerdynamic got new portable, called DTX300p. It should be fun & musical at that price range. Anybody bought it yettt?

    • Anonymous

      Yes I’ve seen some reviews of it. Perhaps we can include it the next time we have another ultra-portable shootout.

  • http://twitter.com/Tamokerz Timothy Vivero

    Hi mike,

    Do I need an amp for the aiaiai tracks? Does the sound quality of the tracks  goes into a whole new  level w/ an amp? Sorry i was just curious..

    • Anonymous

      Timothy,
      I wouldn’t worry about using the Tracks with an amp. If there is any improvement it’s mostly going to be a punchier bass, but the tracks is fine just as it is.

      • http://twitter.com/Tamokerz Timothy Vivero

        Thanks mike, and thanks for the article. It was like God answering my prayers!! You don’t know how hard it is to find comparison of portable headphones on the net. Your article my friend is a life saver for people like me who are new to the audiophile world.

        I have a last question though. Which one would you recommend for Hip-hop and RnB songs. Please dont include the k404, v-jays and Oldskool cause i can’t find it around my place..

  • Johnwood70

    Hi guys, do you think inline volume controls affect SQ? I am looking at the PX200II’s

    • Anonymous

      Hi Johnwood,
      It should affect it somewhat, but at the end the PX200-II are still one of the most refined portables out there so I wouldn’t worry about the volume control.

  • Johnwood70

    Hi guys, do you think inline volume controls affect SQ? I am looking at the PX200II’s

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1580737066 Zaid Saleem

    mike very helpful review again.. 
    Tracks Vs PX-200 ii(PX-100 ii) – which would be more suitable for jazz/piano
    i prefer a clearer sound
    regards

    • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

      Hi Zaid,
      You should go with the PX200-II, or better yet the V-Jays.

      • James L.

        Just to add on, I tried a number of headphones at a local store today. Priced from V-Jays all the way up to HD558. I found the PX200-II and the HD558 to be the two most balanced headphones.

        To recap my experience: the PX100-II was very bottom-heavy and the bass was the most boomy of the bunch. The Jays on the other hand has a more top-heavy tone, comparable to the Audio-Technica AD700. The Grado SR80i was the most treble-heavy, which I found to be too shrill for longer sessions. The ATH-M50 was a nice closed can, but was a little too closed for my taste. Marshall Major was like the M50 but less refined. The HD558 really hit home with comfort, isolation, big soundstage and tonal balance all throughout the range. But it was the most expensive. The PX200-II was like a smaller brother of the HD558, and at half the price it was hard to beat.

        • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

          Thanks for sharing your impressions, James. 

  • http://twitter.com/Ferdy_Setiawan Ferdy Setiawan

    like this review (y)

  • Jake

    Hi Mike, I actually bought a pair of Jays after being recommended by this site, but last week one of the pads broke away from the headband. Even though I found the sound to be amazing – as you said – I found the build quality was pretty flimsy. Anyway, which headphone do you think I should go for after owning a pair of these? I’m definitely willing to spend a little more money, and hopefully they’ll last me longer than a few months! Thanks

    • Ron

      The Jays drivers can be removed and re-attached to the headband.  If you push/pull them just pop in/out with a ball in socket joint.

      • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

        Thanks, Ron.

      • Jake

        Yeah that’s happened before, but this time the ball snapped from the drivers

    • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

      Hi Jake,
      Surprised to hear about the broken Jays! I think it’s the first case I’ve heard.
      Try the Sennheiser HD25-1. It’s built like a tank.

      • Jake

        Well for the time I had them they served me well! I was pretty disappointed when I saw what had happened, cheers for the recommendation, I’ll look into those Sennheisers.

  • Snapinho

    I have been using the PX 100 for some time now, and I really dig the versatile sound quality for a headphone in this price range. However, after using it while biking, sitting in trains, walking around, the (very flimsy, I may say) cable broke right where it connects to the jack. Does the PX 100 – II have the same sensitive connect? I would prefer if my new headphones lasted a bit longer than my current one. 

    Also thanks for the review, it really is a great help. Would you really recommend the V-Jays to people who listen to a wide range of music, or would the PX 100 II serve the same purpose just as well? Cheers! 

    • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

      The PX100-II is great, but I think cable durability is more or less the same as the original. If you want something really durable, try the HD25-1. It’s built like a tank.
      http://www.headfonia.com/sennheiser-hd-25-1/

      • Snapinho

        Thanks! I did read some mixed reviews about the PX 10o II, so I’m inclining more towards the v-JAYS. How would you say the Grado SR60i compares to the above?

        • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

          Well the Grado SR60i has a bigger sound for sure so I don’t think you can compare it to the ultra portables. Although the newer ultraportables here, the PX100-II and the V-Jays have a smoother driver than the one in the Grado.

          • Snapinho

            I listened to the SR60 today and indeed: that IS bigger sound! I was impressed for sure. BTW, what does it mean that the PX100-II and v-JAYS have smoother drivers? What’s the implication for the sound? Cheers. :)

            • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

              Yes the SR60 never fails to impress (except if you’re an RS1 owner).

              As for the PX100-II and V-Jays having smoother drivers, well the implication is that sound is smoother on those small cans. :)

  • Katun

    Is it wrong of me to say the PX100-II is my favorite headphone of all time? I mean, I compared it directly to the HD598 (one of my favorites) and preferred the PX100-II greatly. It’s now my “go to” headphone, and I haven’t bought another headphone since.

    • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

      The PX100-II is a great headphone, lots of fun, easy to drive, easy to enjoy. I think not so positive vibes at launch is what gives it the current mediocre status. I’d take it over the original PX100 any day of the week, and for sure over that overrated PortaPro.

  • James L.

    Hi Mike! Thanks for your great reviews and advice so far. I tried out a bunch of “enthusiast” headphones at the store and chose the PX200-II. It sounded the very neutral, and cost only half of HD558, which is the other headphone I liked.

    Anyway, I am a little bothered by the inline volume control. To have the best sound quality, is it better to:
    (1) Keep headphone volume at 100%, control the source output;
    (2) Keep source at 100%, control the headphone volume; or
    (3) Find a middle ground between the two?

    From what I learned, it is always better to have a stronger source signal. But on the other hand, if the headphone never had a volume control, I’d have to control the source.

    • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

      James,
      If you want a simple answer, it would be best to bypass (aka set the volume to the max) the lowest quality volume control. Because low quality volume control distort the signal and by setting it to the maximum level, you’re “bypassing” it.
      However, with the Ipod and PX200-II, I probably wouldn’t worry about it. I’d just choose whatever is more convenient.

      • James L.

        Sounds good, that’s what I’ll do with the iPhone then.

        But let’s say I get myself a decent portable amp to use with my iPhone, laptop or desktop computer. What if full volume on the phones is unacceptably loud, and the amp has to be turned way down? Is it still good to keep the phones wide open? This is already happening when I plug them directly into my desktop computer’s headphone out. I have to turn the volume in Windows down to 20%, which sounds very thin on my speakers connected in parallel. (Crappy integrated audio that cannot control the volume of each output independently btw.)

        Thanks!

        • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

          Well that’s why I said I would not worry about the technical details and go with whichever is more convenient. If that means controlling the volume on the PX200-II inline volume then do that. I actually use the inline volume control a lot when I did this review. I enjoyed having that convenience.

          • James L.

            I’ll do just that. I guess Sennheiser figured that the effect of the inline volume control would not matter to the PX200-II’s intended audience, especially for the convenience it brings. More serious phones like the HD558 will never have an inline volume control.

            • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

              Yes, that’s right James.

  • Anonymous

    Thanks for the review. I bought a pair of V-Jays after reading this review (and many others including mainstream HiFi press) and I found them shrill; the sine wave between 3KHz and 5 KHz sounds more like a triangle wave – probably explaining the shrillness. Perhaps they need a lot of breaking in?  I greatly prefer my mk1 px100 more euphonic and much more comfortable. I was using Fiio E10 and E7, as my intended use is for my transportable listening setup for laptop and work. Glad I bought a spare pair of px100 before they disappeared, for me V-Jays are no substitute (not as good for transporting either), hopefully they will burn in and get more comfortable too.

    • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

      The Senns are darker and more relaxed on the treble. Some people find it too dark and boring. The Jays have more treble and it’s better for some people. 

      Looks like you are one of those “PX100 for life” guy. 

  • Anonymous

    Mike I wanna be wild so against your suggestions I ordered the Koss Porta Pro! I am really happy to see how they compare against the Sennheiser px90 that i own and I am familiar.
    The Porta Pro is a “storic” headphone that’s why i bought it. After a while I will buy the px100 ii and maybe the v jays.

    • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

      It’s a nice headphone. I’m just against the old driver. ;)

  • Anonymous

    The Koss PortaPro what a headphone!

    I paid just 22 Eur shipping included. Out of the box they rocked with a huge bass and an overall engaging sound that blows my Sennheiser px90 out of the water. 
    The midrange seems good to my hear, the highs sounds a little attenuated.
    Maybe I can label the sound signature a little dark.
    As Mike said the driver is old so there are better refined headphones around.

    I think they are an amazing value for their price and if you are an headphone guy the portapro is a nobrainer purchase.

  • ishank gulati

    Are akg k403 any good

    • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

      Sorry I don’t remember if I’ve listened to the K403.

  • Ketan Krishna

    Would you recommend the PortaPros or the v-Jays for listening to classic rock and jazz mostly ? 

  • mikes62

    How does audio technica ath-es55 stack up against these headphones? I own the Sennheiser PX100 & Porta Pros and the es55 better both of them

    • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

      It’s quite comparable. Some of the headphones here, especially the open-back models like PX100, PortaPro, V-Jays have a more natural tone. However one area that the SJ55 does much better is on bass punch. None of the ultra portables, perhaps due to the non-sealing nature of their pads, can compete.

  • Fabio_Rocks

    I am back again! I got the Sennheiser px 100 ii and I want to share my impressions head to head with the Koss Portapro. 

    So big Snare Rolling… The Match Begin!

    SENNHEISER Px-100 ii vs KOSS Portapro

    After 10 hours of burn-in I am pretty sure that the Sennheiser is OVERALL the best headphone. The sound is more refined and is very smooth. The bass response is HUGE: straight to my Iphone the bass sound better than my Sennheiser hd 380 that is professional monitoring headphone 3 times the price. The sound signature you know is label as dark (not much treble presence) but it’s not a drama for me, it’s a plus, because i like dark sounding headphone, you can listen them for hours without being tired.Where the px 100-ii does not shine?The big disavantage is the speed. They are pretty slow and this is a problem with fast music.I Made this little listening test:1) Korn feat Skrillex – Narcisist Cannnibal (fast metal-dubstep)2) Burial – Archangel (slow Elettronica)First the Koss PortaproThey rocked with Korn giving an energy that really exite me to the point that i must dance with my head (LOL)With Burial the job is average the sound is ok but I feel that something is missing in the atmosfere.Now the Px 100 iiWith Korn I noticed really soon that i lost the energy of the portapro now the listening is more quite my head is not moving I lost the energy (sigh!) I don’t like it!With Burial I entered in another World. I was sourrounded by this huge bass. All is crystal clear and very emotional, this headphone is transmitting a lot of feeling to me.As Mike said they are two different headphone one is HIFI the other is ROCKIN so two different category.The Px 100 ii has a big advantage due to the smooth drivers and the brilliant Bass with the 80% of my music collection,  they are a clear winner to me.I keep the Portapro for my fast music.The winner: Sennheiser Px 100 ii (score: 8)Koss Portapro (score: 7)Hope you like my Mini Review

    Cheers! 

    Fabio.

    • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

      Good review there, Fabio. Thanks for sharing with us.

    • http://twitter.com/Jnaids J

      Nice review – I had similar experiences. Here’s my take on the Koss Portapro vs the Sennheiser P100-IIi headphones.

      I had the Best Buy Edition Portapro that I left on a plane. I really like open air headphones for the office as I can keep them at a decent volume and still hear others around me when I need (read: don’t have to take them off often). Missing having them at work, I started my research to see if I wanted to get another pair – at this point I saw the many shootouts between the Portapro and the PX100-IIi.

      Koss Portapro: The passionate, albeit slightly flawed performer – The Koss Portapro phones were very impressive from the moment I first put them on. I first noticed the very deep bass – much like one hears when there is a subwoofer in a room. The bass continued to be elevated slightly muddying its way into the warm sounding mid range. The mid range felt appropriately balanced. The highs were appropriate given the clear warm focus of the headphones. Given this type of tuning, I noticed that some songs sounded fantastic with a crazy amount of energy, while other songs just didn’t seem to dial in. The soundstage was large. I would be remiss to not mention the very annoying problem where one of the headphones would very easily pop off of the headband. They also developed odd bass rattles on one side at random times. To their credit, Koss would have replaced them for free with a refurbished pair.

      Sennheiser PX100-IIi: The solid, unoffensive, reliable, all-arounder with Apple mic and controls – The PX100IIi are much more versatile across musical genres but lack the energy and strong mids of the Portapro. They are fairly unoffensive in everything that you will play on them and do it technically better than the Portapro. I can definitely detect a lack of mid range as vocals seem a bit thin for my tastes on some tracks. Ofcourse, the PX100IIi have the benefit of a built in mic and iPhone/iPad/iPad/Mac controls. To me this is huge as they are now useful for a whole other set of circumstances (I have the Shure s4i earbuds but their closed, earbud nature makes them feel odd for conference calls). All in all, for $55 on Amazon I think the PX100-IIi will fit the bill nicely for a set of well built, collapsible headphones with a mic and controls.

      Do you want the German car with its great performance and “lovable flaws/quirks”, or the Japanese car with feature-rich, reliable performance? While this comparison may be a bit of a reach, it really isn’t too far from my experiences. Fortunately, both of these can be had for around $50 or less so you can have both if you want!

  • dalethorn

    http://www.stereophile.com/content/sennheiser-px-200-ii-eq-headphone-review-dale
    Here in text and video is the experiment I did with the PX-200ii. The EQ’d result was so good you would not believe ordinarily, but here for your consideration….

  • Bruce Banner

    Great review!
    I own a Brainwavz M2 and I would like to buy a portable headphone. I like the bass of M2 but I feel it could do better in soundstage.
    Which one is better for mids,highs and soundstage, between Portapro and px100 II.
    How different are they in terms of sound signature from the M2?
    Thanks!

  • Fabio_Rocks

    I got 2 (yes two!) v-Jays in the mail today (Amazon error) On the first listening test the headphone seems a way too bright and on some track hurt my ears. The song “Hundred” from the artist The Fray was unlistenable because of that. Maybe they need some burn-in for sure to get off the sibilance. They are for sure the brightest headphone i have ever listened. So the first impression is not that positive. I will tell you later. Cheers:D

    • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

      Really? They have some treble but they are not that bright.

      • Fabio_Rocks

        I got very unlucky this time… I opened the second v-Jays to test the sound and the pad was broke! The sound was better than the previous one not harsh, quite nice, maybe too much treble than I like. The first one I think it’s defected in the driver. Anyway on 2 brand new v-Jays I have no one working that’s very weird. Maybe Jays is not for me. Cheers:)

        • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

          That’s really weird, Fabio.

  • Edward Wrigley

    Hi Mike, I’m a little confused on which headphone to get and need your help. I’m stuck on deciding between the Sennheiser px100-II, Sennheiser 238, AKG 518 and AKG K450 (all around the same price point). I know that both Sennheisers are open backed so taken that into account, but which has the best sound quality. I’m looking for an all rounder, that has good bass for electronic and pop music, but also good highs for soundtracks. Also a good seal is important so there is no loss of bass if possibke. Thanks!

    • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

      Edward,
      Electronic music tend to be mixed differently than soundtracks. If you have a good headphone for electronic it probably won’t work well for soundtracks. So you have to make a choice here.

      For electronic the AKG K518LE would be best
      For soundtrack the Sen 238.

      • Edward Wrigley

        Thanks Mike! I’ve decided to buy the Sennheiser 238.
        Just a quick note, I got a chance to listen to the Sennheiser 239′s today and I was wondering is the Sennheiser 239 a cosmetic update to the 238′s or is there also an improvement in sound quality? Thanks Again!

        • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

          Edward,
          I haven’t listened to the 239, but last time I was talking to the local Senn dealer and she said it’s just cosmetics.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1250923044 George Lai

    I bought the VJays but the earpads are very uncomfortable. I solved the problem by putting the Grado S-Cush pads from my SR60 over them. For the record, my SR60 inherited the L-Cush from my SR325i which have new G-Cush pads.

    • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

      Good solution, George.

  • http://twitter.com/Jnaids J

    Some nice reviews here. Here’s my take on the Koss Portapro vs the Sennheiser P100-IIi headphones.

    I had the Best Buy Edition Portapro that I left on a plane. I really like open air headphones for the office as I can keep them at a decent volume and still hear others around me when I need (read: don’t have to take them off often). Missing having them at work, I started my research to see if I wanted to get another pair – at this point I saw the many shootouts between the Portapro and the PX100-IIi.

    Koss Portapro: The passionate, albeit slightly flawed performer – The Koss Portapro phones were very impressive from the moment I first put them on. I first noticed the very deep bass – much like one hears when there is a subwoofer in a room. The bass continued to be elevated slightly muddying its way into the warm sounding mid range. The mid range felt appropriately balanced. The highs were appropriate given the clear warm focus of the headphones. Given this type of tuning, I noticed that some songs sounded fantastic with a crazy amount of energy, while other songs just didn’t seem to dial in. The soundstage was large. I would be remiss to not mention the very annoying problem where one of the headphones would very easily pop off of the headband. They also developed odd bass rattles on one side at random times. To their credit, Koss would have replaced them for free with a refurbished pair.

    Sennheiser PX100-IIi: The solid, unoffensive, reliable, all-arounder with Apple mic and controls – The PX100IIi are much more versatile across musical genres but lack the energy and strong mids of the Portapro. They are fairly unoffensive in everything that you will play on them and do it technically better than the Portapro. I can definitely detect a lack of mid range as vocals seem a bit thin for my tastes on some tracks. Ofcourse, the PX100IIi have the benefit of a built in mic and iPhone/iPad/iPad/Mac controls. To me this is huge as they are now useful for a whole other set of circumstances (I have the Shure s4i earbuds but their closed, earbud nature makes them feel odd for conference calls). All in all, for $55 on Amazon I think the PX100-IIi will fit the bill nicely for a set of well built, collapsible headphones with a mic and controls.

    Do you want the German car with its great performance and “lovable flaws/quirks”, or the Japanese car with feature-rich, reliable performance? While this comparison may be a bit of a reach, it really isn’t too far from my experiences. Fortunately, both of these can be had for around $50 or less so you can have both if you want!

  • cyborg drackle

    im thinking of buying px100 ii, nd had 1 ques. can i get same quality of bass, or even more in full size cans..-in the same price range? :P sennhiseres r my first priority as they easily available in india (less time consuming) i listen to metalcore, hard rock nd a little rap, i need bass as i like the blend of base nd distortion. thks in advance mike

    • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

      Try the HD202 I think it’s cheaper than the PX100-II and it’s a full size.
      You can also try the AKG K518DJ.. It’s a little more expensive than the PX100-II, I believe around $90 USD.

      • cyborg drackle

        unn.. mike i already owned hd202i, nd i sold it to my frnd, lol i wasnt happy with its bass(maybe coz it was closed) even px-80 sounds a lot better than 202i… i had doubt as sm1 told tht px100ii r more bassier than akg518dj…..(me kinda basshead)
        can u help me out a little more, aftr tht i had to buy for sure..
        thx for reply dude

        • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

          Sorry I’m not really sure what you’re looking for here.

          You want really big bass? Try the ATH Pro700 Mk2.

  • http://www.facebook.com/julien.pansera Julien Pansera

    Own Koss PortaPro and PX100-II.

    I’m listenning mostly to rock/metal/dubstep.
    It seems the Koss has better bass, tight, resulting in more straight to your face sound, with the kick drums for example.
    The PX100-II has a sound more spatial, more detailled maybe, but lacks tight bass and dynamics from the Koss.
    I would choose the Koss the sound and bass are more dynamic for my ears.

    As I like the Koss, maybe someone can direct me to a better headphones?

  • http://www.facebook.com/domagoj.tokic Domagoj Tokić

    Kudos on review, now, my opinion :)

    I have Sennheiser PMX100 (same sound as PX100) but they broke after 2 years of wear and tear. It was time to buy something new. First, i bought Koss KSC75, but I wasn’t pleased with them. They were very uncomfortable and the sound was good, but not even close to my old Senns. Looking over various reviews I came across this and I decided to look on ebay for v-Jays but I didn’t expect anything because lack of $. I had this insane luck of finding them for 30$ (auction – shipping included).

    I got them and didn’t like them at first because high tones were killing off my ears. After some time they burned in and got better, but highs were still a bit wild. Recently I fixed my old PMX100 ( PX100 ) and compared them. They are complete opposites. PMX100 has too much bass and it lacks detail, v-Jays lack a bit bass but it has much more detail.

    Now, after some time i discovered SRS Premium Sound on my laptop. After some tweaking, v-Jays lost all of it’s disadvantages. Bass is really strong (it works gr8 on dubstep, techno etc.) and highs aren’t that wild. The sound is really breathtaking, definitely better than PX100.

    btw.
    I’m using Sansa Clip for portable use but it isn’t good enough to use v-Jays on it’s full potential. On some bass overkill dubstep songs the bass can get distorted, but it doesn’t occur on my pc (laptop). On my pc (with SRS), the bass is clear, loud and boomy.

    • http://www.headfonia.com Mike

      Thanks Domagoj. If you find the Jays to be too hot on the treble, should try the PX100-II I think it’s much improved than the PX100. Not as well known as the original PX100 but I think that’s just due to marketing faults.

  • johnny

    i have to say..i owned vjays once but sold after several months..the treble and overall characteristics probably just isn’t for me..the treble is quite fatiguing after around half hour of listening..right now im using the px100-ii..it’s pretty laidback and comfortable for long listening..maybe i just love the sennheiser “warmness” :)

  • radit

    hi, mike…
    that’s really nice review..but i have one question…
    i wanna ask you about sony mdr zx100….what do you think about it??
    thanks..

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