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Koss vs Nakamichi

Posted by DavidLD (A) on August 28, 2014 at 13:30:21

As many of you know, I can’t resist hi fi products with a brand name from the 1970s, even if the company has long exited and sold off the name.
I was shopping for headphones to go with a new 8” Android Kit Kat Intel-powered Apex tablet ($99) I got, figuring I COULD upgrade from the dollar tree ear buds I had been using. I also can’t resist “cheap” as in “performs better than it has a right to given the modest cost”.

The first pair I discovered were some Koss KPH7 over-the-ear phones, not noise cancelling, but a lot bigger than my Dollar Tree plugs. Still, small enough to easily pack in my travel bag, which is where the tablet usually goes when I fly. They looked perfect, and the price at Walmart, $4.88, was right in my budget. The only complaint reviewers seemed to have was that they were definitely not bass heavy, rated at 80 Hz at the bottom. So, I figured they were worth a $4.88 gamble.

Now Koss is the same company it was in the 1970s I think, pretty much, still making headphones. The only other headphones other than the in-ear type I own are Koss Pro4A. I don’t need to tell you when they were purchased.

The other headphones I had my eyes on said “Nakamichi” on them, famous for designing 3-head cassette decks in the 1980s. I’m not so naïve to believe this is the same company that made the decks. I suspect someone bought the name after the company folded, and it now makes mostly headphones and TV sound bars. BUT the products have the old unique “N” Nakamichi logo on them. That has to be worth SOMETHING. The model I was looking at, NK850, seemed to be on sale at Kmart for $15.00, if the on-line info was correct. I got in there and there they were. Even better I could get black and not have to settle for tacky jade or purple. That was a relief!

Anyhow, the low frequency limit says 20 Hz and they DO produce lots of bass. Far better than their $15 price would suggest. And they play louder too for a given computer volume setting. More efficient, I would say than the little Koss phones. Heck, if these aren’t expensive enough for you Kmart has Nakamichi headphones up to $50 or so. The more you pay the bigger the ear covers get.

I GLANCED at the Beats Audio Dr. Dre headphones in the locked cabinet at Walmart. The basic model seems to be $169. I keep wondering what those have that Nakamichi doesn’t offer. Koss surely has headphones at a higher price point too, say at $50. What’s the deal with the expensive red Beats stuff, anyway?

The Koss phones found a nice home along with the Kit Kat mostly for travel, and the Nakamichis plug right into the remote blue LED volume control on the Cyberhome 2.1 sound system connected to the mini-desktop hp Slimline. I’m a happy camper, for now, at least. Colorful headphones seem to have caught on with young people. The kids are reviewing the Nakamichi phones, usually in odd colors, all over on youtube. They seem to be the choice for the lids whose parents won’t buy them the Beats. Go figure. $169 is a lot of money for basic headphones, easily lost, stolen or broken. $15 is better. $4.88 is better still

This post is certified tube amplifier-free.

• Nakamichi   (Open in New Window)

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