- Well made
- Lightweight
- Good sound
- Great value for money
- Average looking
- Not ideal for use on the move
While many parts of the DJ experience are negotiable (you can always get a laptop, turntable, or mixer that is “good enough”), one area that every DJ inherently understands the value of is a pair of good performance quality headphones – and the KRK KNS-8402 could be the perfect choice for this.
The fact of the matter is that, if you’re a DJ, you are going to need to know when to cut tracks up and when is the best time to merge them as well as include different beats and sounds.
In other words, you are going to need to have a volume level of critical listening that just isn’t available unless you’re working with some quality DJ monitoring headphones or a dedicated pair of studio headphones.
That ultimately leads to the next important question, which is, “What constitutes a good set of headphones?”
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)
Building on its predecessor’s incredible clarity and sound detail, the KNS 8402 headphones set a new standard, giving you a level of detailed sound quality precision that keeps up with other good-quality studio headphones. We can’t recommend the KRK KNS 8402 cans strongly enough.
KRK KNS 8402: Overview
My preferences sway towards more expensive headphones, like Pioneer DJ, Sennheiser, and AIAIAIA, so when I got to try out the KRK 8402 Studio Headphones, I was interested to see exactly what made them stand out from the rest of the pack.
Now, to be clear, KRK systems are hardly the new kids on the block.
They have years of experience and have been out there helping DJs for over 35 years.
Their 6400 and original 8400 immediately made waves for their incredible levels of sound isolation, with the 8400s offering an improved amount of tuning for sound mixing. The only downside to either headphone was that they were light on the bass.
Now, just over a decade after the 8400, KRK has updated their tried-and-tested headphone set with the 8402. And I can tell you now…
They won’t disappoint.
KRK KNS 8402: First Impressions
Going by their initial impressions, the KRK KNS 8402 is primarily made from high-impact plastic, memory foam ear cups, and a metal band, giving it an increased clamping force as well as overall durability. I personally found this to be a welcome change compared to a lot of headphones.
Compared to a lot of other options that force you to treat your headphones like babies, these very much gave off the feeling of being a “DJ tool” rather than something particularly delicate.
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.
They aren’t perfect, however. If you’re someone that wants their stuff to constantly change to best possible fit a new look, then the 8402 may not be the one for you.
Their look and design haven’t diverged too much from the initial 6400 looks.
They also have been known to get a bit warm around the head and ear cushions, so you’ll want to take exceptional comfort breaks now and then to let your ears breathe, especially after long periods of use and long listening sessions on the decks!
- Well made
- Lightweight
- Good sound
- Great value for money
- Average looking
- Not ideal for use on the move
Headphone Specs
Starting with the headphones themselves, the 8402 has a 97 dB sensitivity level or 32 ohms. It has a full excellent dynamic range driver that is 40 mm and is a Neodymium design.
The connecting cable is 2.5 meters (98″) long with an additional 3.5mm connector adapter.
Sound Characteristics of KRK
As mentioned earlier, the KRK KNS 8402 is every bit the updated heir to the sound throne that was the KRK KNS 8400.
If you’re new to the KRK brand, you have to understand that they focus specifically on giving you an excellent ambient noise isolation studio monitor experience. This is largely different from most audiophile headphones, which normally focus on offering high “sound quality.”
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”.
For example, if you were trying to lose weight, you’d opt for a power bar or an energy drink instead of a soda or junk food snack, right?
Well, the issue is that most companies understand that if their energy drinks and power bars don’t taste good, people aren’t going to want to eat them. As a result, they load these things up with tons of sugars and chemicals.
This makes the item taste better, yes, but now you’re back to square one since the power bar or energy drink is pretty much the same as the soda or piece of candy.
This is kind of the same sentiment that a lot of other audiophile headphones run 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 problem with this is that DJs don’t play their music to an audience through headphones. Playback is through speakers.
The KRK KNS 8402 doesn’t follow this trend. Instead, they are the power bar that tastes like a block of peanut butter.
They are the bland-tasting watery power drink.
They are the tool that intentionally gives you the same sound their KRK Rokit 5 studio monitors give.
And while this may not always sound pleasant, if there are any issues with the sound-any issues that you need to fix- these headphones will make it abundantly clear.
Sound Ranges
There are four different overall sound dimension ranges that the 8402 has.
- The Upper-Midrange is, as alluded to earlier, meant to mirror the KRK Rokit 5 studio monitor. Again, this ensures that any issues that may have been found in the recording are on full display, in comparison to other headphones that may be more forgiving overall.
- The Midrange is very well-controlled while having a slightly recessed sounding lower midrange compared to its slightly exaggerated upper midrange.
- The Low End is somewhat more present in the mix, though still not raised above neutral levels. It also seems to have a more textured bass.
- The Top End wide frequency response range is smoother than the original 8400, making it a better listen when doing more prolonged music sessions. This is a stark contrast to the 8400, which could get harsh and a bit exhausting over time.
Additional Features
There are a few fun little additions to the KRK KNS 8402 that make it stand out, even from the simple perspective of a set of closed-back headphones.
For example, they have an entirely replaceable straight connection cable that connects to the left cup.
This cable has a locking screw mechanism set up, so accidental head spasms aren’t going to rip the cord out of the speaker anymore (a huge issue for me, so thank you).
The KRK KNS 8402 also has an optional in-line volume control that is placed in between the headphone and the cable.
Not only does this make adjusting the volume control a lot easier, but it also comes with the same twist-lock feature that the plug-in interchangeable cable has.
Again, if you’re someone that’s constantly pulling out cords because they aren’t long enough (or you twist your head because your cat thinks everything’s a toy or a scratching post) then this is going to be a very real selling point all on its own.
KRK KNS 8404: The Verdict
When it comes to the KRK KNS 8402, whether you should or shouldn’t buy it ultimately comes down to exactly what you are using them for.
For me, these were very much the tool that I wanted them to be.
While they looked like standard headphones – from their feel and heft to their cable lock-in feature, to their sometimes damning accuracy – these were the perfect tool that I felt I didn’t even know that I needed.
If you are someone that wants a more pleasant-sounding set of pretty comfortable headphones, that’s fine. There are plenty of amazing audiophile headphones out there worth checking out.
If you are someone that wants to improve your track merging so that it sounds amazing to your audience when performing, I can’t recommend the KRK 8402 headphones strongly enough.
- Well made
- Lightweight
- Good sound
- Great value for money
- Average looking
- Not ideal for use on the move
