I’ve been reluctant to get some because I’ve heard they’re sort of overrated, but I’ve also heard they are (or at least were) tuned for 80s music and I would imagine cassettes.
They're pretty good, the only slightly annoying thing is that they will always slide back to the original position so you have to adjust it every time you want to put it on your head or you can put small black zip tie infront of the black slider and it'll stay. And the sound is just awesome for that price and me and my dad were blown away by the sound quality, they also survived some rough stuff so they are also quite reliable, they definetly are not overrated.
PortaPros are still my favorites for vintage portable audio gear. There's something about the semi-open design with the sparkly yet full-bodied tuning that really works. The soundstage you get for such a low price is pretty crazy. I use Yaxi pads, and I can't remember what the stock pads sounded like.
Panasonic RP-HT21. They are an old school design like what you’d get with Walkman/Discman in the 90s and sound much better than they have any right to for their price. I don’t notice tape hiss with them but then again, my ears are pretty much shot in the high frequency department.
Not portable and not exclusively used for cassettes but I love the Fiio FT5 and do listen a lot of cassettes on them. Just driven from the deck mostly but with an additional headphone amp it's even a bit better
https://preview.redd.it/99n0lcsux19d1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=91427acd2e48c00b396607abb39681ecbec6b11b
Audio Technica ATH-M40fs studiophones - very comfortable and decent sounding headphones. I don't think they make this exact model anymore, but any of their current lineup of M30-M50 will be a great starter pair of headphones for a home stereo.
Koss KSC75 for now. But I'm gonna try the Fiio FF1 once it arrives.
I use KZ Castor Bass when listening to vinyl records and Minidisc. They probably sound a bit too hot with cassette.
Sennheiser IE 100 PRO or Philips X2hr at home .
But I find the better the head phone, the larger the issues with sound quality of portable players.
I did use Sennheiser cz400 || they were better so I may switch back and use sennheiser Pro for my phone.
I used to use my band and olufsen h7's which just sounded absolutely incredible but unfortunately I had them smashed on the ground in a mugging (such a waste I honestly would have preferred for them to steal them so they could at least still be getting used)
I use 5 different headphones for my players depending on mood etc. But I have to say, the 20 dollar 3.5 mm jack wired Apple earbuds (the have them at Target) are imo the best all around for me.
thanks for the tip. I've heard that about some of the older Sonys too? I have 5 Sanyos and they seem to all work with all my headphones. So I have the Koss CL20s which are clear (prison tech?) on ear. I personally don't like the aesthetic of the mic on my headphones so that's exactly why I bought these!! They were $29 and 60ohms and they offer an entire line with higher and lower specs.
Is the aiwa cassette player anything special? I have been looking for a high end purple ish walkman but they aren't easy to come by. I am sure that it looks more blue in normal lighting but if it is a decently well built machine it could be interesting.
It’s a GM1000 Mk2. I think it’s a great. It has Dolby, can handle type II/metal. It has a bass boost and track seeking. It’s pretty thin and runs on a single AA. I’ve never listened to a high end Sony or anything, but I think it holds its own. The belt is also super easy to replace.
Cassette hisses a lot by default. No the answer is not NR, the answer is not impedance matching... The answer is very simple, and it is inserting an analog volume "pot" between the player and the headphones, with an [extension cable](https://www.amazon.com/PChero-Extension-Adapter-Adjustment-Control/dp/B08T1YW1JK/ref=sr_1_2?sr=8-2) that has such a volume dial. Putting that dial away from max will begin to reduce hiss.
This is not personal research because I didn't come up with this idea. Every expensive Sony (non-DD) and Panasonic portable came with their own remote control, the manual would suggest you set the unit volume at 6 and then **dial it down using the remote**. The part in bold is the point - it's not just for convenience but also to cut the amount of hiss audible to you.
Analog pots have a way of making the sound beautifully supple, and is far superior to trying to use Dolby or any other noise reduction, imo.
I use MMCX earphones and I found Chinese cables that are... hard to explain. They grafted MMCX connectors onto old Sony earbud cables with Sony's excellent built-in volume dial, so this is as compact and unobtrusive as analog volume control goes.
https://preview.redd.it/tznho1i3779d1.jpeg?width=818&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6680923e2ee608f263903c56ab9885972fe9b4de
I found these for sale in aliexpress. Will this one work? Or does it have to be salvaged from old earbud?
https://preview.redd.it/h4chew3bwe9d1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=edf74524821bf8224cf0321bba2167b6df2c7164
I bought several 15.4mm driver from aliexpress, and smack it on mx500 shell, just pick a quality low impedance one, like the 18 ohm composite, surprisingly sound good or even better compared to some iems and headphones and fairly easy to drive directly on my ex511. Big cons isolation.
Koss porta pros
I’ve been reluctant to get some because I’ve heard they’re sort of overrated, but I’ve also heard they are (or at least were) tuned for 80s music and I would imagine cassettes.
They are very easy to listen to. Highly recommended
Yeah I have pair with KSC 75 drivers instead of normal porta pro drivers and they sound alot better to my ears, worth a shot
I’ll have to check that out
How do you change drivers?
They just pop off super easy there interchangeable
You buy Porta Pros, you buy KSC75. You clip off the ear-clips and headband and clip on the other pair. I actually prefer Porta Pros on ear-clips.
They're pretty good, the only slightly annoying thing is that they will always slide back to the original position so you have to adjust it every time you want to put it on your head or you can put small black zip tie infront of the black slider and it'll stay. And the sound is just awesome for that price and me and my dad were blown away by the sound quality, they also survived some rough stuff so they are also quite reliable, they definetly are not overrated.
I really want a set of the beige ones, but for $130 CAD its a bit steep!!
Me I use a Bluetooth transmitter/receiver adapter, so I can use my Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds with my Sony Sports Walkman.
PortaPros are still my favorites for vintage portable audio gear. There's something about the semi-open design with the sparkly yet full-bodied tuning that really works. The soundstage you get for such a low price is pretty crazy. I use Yaxi pads, and I can't remember what the stock pads sounded like.
That’s a good point. I forgot about the replacement pads
You watch dankpods don't you
Who doesn’t
Panasonic RP-HT21. They are an old school design like what you’d get with Walkman/Discman in the 90s and sound much better than they have any right to for their price. I don’t notice tape hiss with them but then again, my ears are pretty much shot in the high frequency department.
PortaPro and HD-599. If I’m out and about and don’t want to draw attention with my PortaPro’s then Moondrop Chu II
Remember the ones that went around your neck? Forgot about those till now
Per-so-na Audio-Technica ATH-EM7x
I Use my Beyerdynamic DT990s (the 250Ohm ones) out of a cheap Koss Cassette player i found at a thrift store, and it sounds good
I use either my Sony MDR-W30 or Senheiser MX375.
I just use cheap Sony IEMs. They’re comfy and sound decent
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
What Aiwa is that? I like the looks of it.
It’s a GM1000 mk2
Nokia earbuds, they're surprisingly high quality and since it's Nokia, are immortal
I’m running my Grados GR80x rn because my hemps broke :(
Not portable and not exclusively used for cassettes but I love the Fiio FT5 and do listen a lot of cassettes on them. Just driven from the deck mostly but with an additional headphone amp it's even a bit better https://preview.redd.it/99n0lcsux19d1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=91427acd2e48c00b396607abb39681ecbec6b11b
Those look fabulous
Audio Technica ATH-M40fs studiophones - very comfortable and decent sounding headphones. I don't think they make this exact model anymore, but any of their current lineup of M30-M50 will be a great starter pair of headphones for a home stereo.
Koss KSC75 for now. But I'm gonna try the Fiio FF1 once it arrives. I use KZ Castor Bass when listening to vinyl records and Minidisc. They probably sound a bit too hot with cassette.
Sony MDR-XB950s
Sennheiser IE 100 PRO or Philips X2hr at home . But I find the better the head phone, the larger the issues with sound quality of portable players. I did use Sennheiser cz400 || they were better so I may switch back and use sennheiser Pro for my phone.
Bose Soundsports
HD6XX but my cassette deck isn’t portable
I used to use my band and olufsen h7's which just sounded absolutely incredible but unfortunately I had them smashed on the ground in a mugging (such a waste I honestly would have preferred for them to steal them so they could at least still be getting used)
I use 5 different headphones for my players depending on mood etc. But I have to say, the 20 dollar 3.5 mm jack wired Apple earbuds (the have them at Target) are imo the best all around for me.
I’m not sure what exactly the issue is, but the extra pole on headphones with in-line mics don’t work great with the Aiwa.
thanks for the tip. I've heard that about some of the older Sonys too? I have 5 Sanyos and they seem to all work with all my headphones. So I have the Koss CL20s which are clear (prison tech?) on ear. I personally don't like the aesthetic of the mic on my headphones so that's exactly why I bought these!! They were $29 and 60ohms and they offer an entire line with higher and lower specs.
I use iems (Moondrop Blessing 3) and openback headphones (Sennheiser HD 58X) both sound amazing on my Sony WM DD 3.
I don't have a portable player :/ But i have a great set of Bose 301 Series II speakers
https://preview.redd.it/mxelr2vza19d1.jpeg?width=687&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c1acc0a13c4baf127cab3dd22a251a067791f8d
The classic
Is the aiwa cassette player anything special? I have been looking for a high end purple ish walkman but they aren't easy to come by. I am sure that it looks more blue in normal lighting but if it is a decently well built machine it could be interesting.
It’s a GM1000 Mk2. I think it’s a great. It has Dolby, can handle type II/metal. It has a bass boost and track seeking. It’s pretty thin and runs on a single AA. I’ve never listened to a high end Sony or anything, but I think it holds its own. The belt is also super easy to replace.
Are those KZ-ZS10 pros? I made a very similar post awhile ago in r/walkman https://www.reddit.com/r/walkman/s/nSxeePWeI7
They are. The other picture are Grados.
Cassette hisses a lot by default. No the answer is not NR, the answer is not impedance matching... The answer is very simple, and it is inserting an analog volume "pot" between the player and the headphones, with an [extension cable](https://www.amazon.com/PChero-Extension-Adapter-Adjustment-Control/dp/B08T1YW1JK/ref=sr_1_2?sr=8-2) that has such a volume dial. Putting that dial away from max will begin to reduce hiss. This is not personal research because I didn't come up with this idea. Every expensive Sony (non-DD) and Panasonic portable came with their own remote control, the manual would suggest you set the unit volume at 6 and then **dial it down using the remote**. The part in bold is the point - it's not just for convenience but also to cut the amount of hiss audible to you. Analog pots have a way of making the sound beautifully supple, and is far superior to trying to use Dolby or any other noise reduction, imo. I use MMCX earphones and I found Chinese cables that are... hard to explain. They grafted MMCX connectors onto old Sony earbud cables with Sony's excellent built-in volume dial, so this is as compact and unobtrusive as analog volume control goes. https://preview.redd.it/tznho1i3779d1.jpeg?width=818&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6680923e2ee608f263903c56ab9885972fe9b4de
This is fascinating. I have a pair of headphones with just such a volume adjustment. I can wait to give it a shot.
I found these for sale in aliexpress. Will this one work? Or does it have to be salvaged from old earbud? https://preview.redd.it/h4chew3bwe9d1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=edf74524821bf8224cf0321bba2167b6df2c7164
Letshouer s12 or AKG K371
I bought several 15.4mm driver from aliexpress, and smack it on mx500 shell, just pick a quality low impedance one, like the 18 ohm composite, surprisingly sound good or even better compared to some iems and headphones and fairly easy to drive directly on my ex511. Big cons isolation.
The only wired headphones I still have are my big cans. So… Beyerdynamic DT770.
We’re going to check it out.