KRK KNS 6402 Professional Studio Headphones Review

Verdict
These professional studio headphones are affordable, comfortable and have accurate, wide and incredibly natural frequency response. They’re the perfect partner for KRK Studio Monitor users who need to switch frequently from monitor to headphones as they mix, and they are great cans for home and studio mixing professionals on a budget.

Ideal for any home studio producer or mixing station setup, KRK’s KNS 6402 headphones are the perfect solution for educated ears on a budget. Designed to accurately replicate the sound from their studio monitors, the KNS 6402’s provide a precise listening experience that allows listeners to consistently enjoy accurate voicing and honest reproduction. TWICE was able to test out these professional studio headphones recently, and we were surprised at how well they performed for their price point.

Design

The first thing to note about the KNS 6402 headphones is that they aren’t designed to be regular consumer headphones like Beats or the Sony WH-1000XM4. They aren’t Bluetooth enabled, and they don’t have active noise cancelling or bass boost features. The KNS 6402 headphones are professional-grade studio headphones that are used by producers for detailed editing, mixing and mastering audio.

If we didn’t scare you away with that, then you are in the right place. The KRK KNS 6402 headphones are very affordable at $99, and it’s incredible how good these cans perform at that price point. Made with black impact-resistant plastic, the KNS 6402’s look unassuming with a closed-back around-the-ear design, with highly isolated surround pads that allow you to immerse yourself in the sound without having your monitor mix “escape” into open microphones and keeps live instruments out of what you are monitoring.

Designed for comfort during extended sessions, the acoustical cellular foam earpads are snug, without pressing too hard on your head, and two acoustical cellular foam pads attached to the adjustable low-pressure headband system helps keep from feeling like you have a stack of books on top of your head after an hour or two.

The KNS 6402 headphones are wired only, and come with a highly durable 2.5M single-sided, oxygen-free copper replaceable cable that has a 1/4″ jack plug that can be unscrewed to reveal a 1/8″ plug for laptops and portable media players. Additionally, the lightweight headphones come with a soft carrying case, as well as replaceable head and ear cushions. The speakers feature a high-efficiency Neodymium 40mm driver that gives the KNS 6402’s a large dynamic range with extremely consistent low-distortion detail and clarity.

Testing & Performance

While they are nice looking, we honestly weren’t expecting much from the KRK KNS 6402 professional studio headphones at first glance. We were quickly reminded that you can’t judge a book by its cover!

As we used the headphones daily over a couple weeks, listening and mixing our recorded conversations and music in Adobe Audition, it became clear that while they didn’t look fancy like many of the higher-end studio cans we’ve tested or demoed, the KNS 6402 has power where it counts. They’re made for work, and work well they do.

Switching between regular consumer-grade headphones and the KNS 6402 made the quality difference extremely clear during our editing and mixing. The KNS 6402’s gave us accurate, natural and wide frequency response while providing bass frequency definition without the usual boominess consumer headphones reproduce at the low end of your music. This feature made our recordings more natural and easier to mix, and we enjoyed the clarity the KNS 6402’s produced.

In regards to comfort, we found the memory foam used in both the earpads and head cushions to be soft, yet firm enough to last most of the day with occasional breaks. We especially liked how the earpads conformed to our ears and kept the sound in. The swiveling earcups allowed the headphones to lie flat on our desk when taking a break or listening to sound from our studio monitors, and this feature also made storage easy.

We are used to most headphones being wireless nowadays, so we were disappointed at first that we had to use a wired connection with the KNS 6402’s. Again, we had to eat some humble pie because the cable is great. It’s plenty long for a home recording setup, and we like the twist and lock function going into the headphones. There’s nothing more frustrating than unplugging yourself during an editing session. Additionally, the ability to unscrew the 1/4″ jack plug so you can use a 1/8″ plug is incredibly convenient – just make sure you keep the 1/4” jack plug in the bag so you don’t lose it.

Verdict

If you are looking for a pair of affordable, closed-back professional studio cans, then the KRK KNS 6402 headphones are a great choice. We are impressed with their comfort level, sound accuracy and reproduction. While they aren’t designed for everyday consumer listening, the KNS 6402 headphones are a great addition to your audio production gear kit and we highly recommend them – especially if you’re on a budget.

Key Features

• Driver: High-efficiency 40mm Neodymium driver
• Cable: 2.5m with oxygen-free copper wires
• Driver Enclosures: Adjustable, foldable
• Head and Ear Cushions: Replaceable
• Connection: 1/4” or 1/8” jack plug
• Frequency Response: 10Hz – 22kHz
• Max Peak SPL: 122 dB
• Nominal Impedance: 36 ohms
• Weight: 202g/7.123oz (without cable)

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