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Gear / Technical Help => Playback Forum => Topic started by: OldNeumanntapr on September 04, 2013, 12:19:35 AM
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I'm finally ready to get some decent headphones. I'm seriously considering the Beyer DT 770s. I don't want to spend much more than $200 - $225, plus I need closed headphones, rather than the vented kind, because one of my primary concerns is to keep others from being able to hear the music. (Mostly it's my wife that I'm thinking of.) Plus, it would be nice to finally have some nice cans for monitoring at live shows, and sealed headphones would seem to be a better choice. Eventually I want to get a nice portable headphone amp, like the Ray Samuels Emmeline amps.
B&H has these for $169. I read the reviews on the internet and some people claim that these headphones have a really sharp high end, compared to the Beyer 880s, which are vented. After 30 years of going to live concerts, my high frequency hearing probably isn't the best. Maybe they would sound good to me.
I like the German engineering. They look like they are well made. I'd probably go for the 250 ohm model.
Any ideas? Comments?
Thanks,
ONT.
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Would you like your tapes to sound less bass heavy or not? The only other set of cans in that price range I'd consider would be the ATH-M50. Those get you an approximately appropriate response, especially for the price. Otherwise, as with most headphones, the bass response just doesn't match open-air speakers, so you end up with "brighter" sound. Maybe thats ok, but something to think about.
For concert use, the etymotic er-4 and er-6 lines are great (I used the er-6 for ages) as they are really good at isolating. Westone makes some nice IEMs as well that can fit into your price range as well.
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I had the 80 ohm version a few years back and they were fine for me, but quite muddy, as in over-emphasised the bass, so I don't think I heard a true representation of what I was listening to.
At your price range I would recommend the Sony MDR-CD900ST, never used them myself, but they're very common as studio monitors in Japan and there are some rave reviews over on Head-Fi:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/593497/sony-mdr-cd900st-why-dont-these-get-more-love
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Thanks for the input.
Don't think I'd like muddy bass, or an over abundance of bass. I had a pair of Sony headphones about 20 years ago; MDR-V600? and they came apart into two pieces. I didn't think they were made all that well, or at least the folding mechanism was a weak link. I like my Beyer MV-100 mic preamp, and I like the quality of German products.
Maybe the Beyer DT 880 vented headphones would be a better choice, for sound quality. Unfortunately there are no Beyer dealers nearby where I could actually listen to something. Looks like more research is needed.
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How loud do you listen, or rather, how loud is the environment you are sharing with your non-listening wife and how close by is she when you'll have the phones on? Generally, I find open backed cans far more natural sounding for listening and they may work for you depending on your wife's proximity, although they don't isolate at all and are useless for monitoring while recording.
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Unfortunately there are no Beyer dealers nearby where I could actually listen to something. Looks like more research is needed.
check out head-fi's meetup forum. One of the best things I ever did was attend a meetup and listen to 7 or 8 pairs of cans in a single sitting.
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And if you're located in the US I would highly recommend purchasing from www.headphone.com They have a 30-day money-back guarantee:
http://www.headphone.com/support/30-day-guarantee.php
Plus, they are a big supporter of head-fi so they are tied in with the headphone community.
A lot of people swear by these: http://www.headphone.com/headphones/audio-technica-ath-m50.php
I personally love iem's, they can sound incredible.
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I have the DT770, the 880 and also the ATH M50 (lucky finds at a discount store). Each is a quality headphone worth having and comfortable, too.
The 880 is probably the most balanced overall. The 770 and M50 are a slight bit more prone to bass than than the 880, but pleasant. For tracking, the isolation of the 770 and the M50 is better than the open design of the 880.
I've forgotten which ohm version I have, but I remember reading that the ohms matter when it comes to your headphone amp. And for that, do some searching and I'm sure you'll find the article on it recommending what you should pick. I think it was Soundonsound that had an article on several models.
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I own and enjoy very much the Audio-Technica ATH-M50. Much better than the Sony MDR-7506 that they replaced. I have been thinking of getting something with a little higher quality, but the only thing that really interests me is the Sennheiser Momentum and those are $350. Maybe I will get a set to try them out, but honestly, the ATs are pretty fantastic for the money and I'm not convinced that the Sennheisers will be $200 better than what I have now.
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http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD25-1-II-Closed-Back-Headphones/dp/B000TDZOXG
Since you brought up Sennheiser, these and the Senn 280s are also worth considering in that price range.
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I have the DT770, the 880 and also the ATH M50 (lucky finds at a discount store). Each is a quality headphone worth having and comfortable, too.
What's the sound quality of the DT-770 compared to the ATH M50? I looked up the ATH M50 and it seems to have a lot of positive reviews.
I enjoy reading Ken Rockwell's reviews on camera and audio gear. He has reviewed both of those headphones:
Beyer DT 770
http://kenrockwell.com/audio/beyer/dt-770.htm
Audio Technica ATH M50
http://kenrockwell.com/audio/audio-technica/ath-m50.htm
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To my ear, the 770 is more neutral and has more clarity, but the AT is a very good headphone. Some may prefer it to the 770. I can't quibble with personal preference for one over the other from an audio perspective. If you have the opportunity to listen to both, I think that would be helpful.
For listening comfort, 770 is the very clear winner. The ear pieces fit over the ear very comfortably compared to the M50's clamping onto the ear so to speak.
If I could only have one of the two, I'd personally pick the 770 overall.
Have you read this article? http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan10/articles/studioheadphones.htm
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I have a AKG K271 MKII (closed headphone). Very neutral sounding. I changed the the earpads with a leather pair made by mrspeakers:
https://www.mrspeakers.com/fostex-t50rp-headphone-accessories-comfort-upgrade?product_id=60
This combination rocks. There's a topic on head-fi.org :
http://www.head-fi.org/t/655333/k271s-with-dog-pads-match-made-in-heaven#post_9646872
Good luck with your search for a pair of headphones!
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I have a pair of the DT-770 250 Ohm model, which I use with an old Creek obh-11. I love the combo. Good sound, good isolation, and no leakage.
<---------- my kid likes them too!
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Cool. Thanks to all for the advice.
ONT.