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Beyerdynamic DT931 - Initial Impressions

post #1 of 3
12/15/03 at 11:43pm
Thread Starter 
I have recently had occasion to use a fellow Head-Fi member's Beyerdynamic DT931's for an extended period. I was really looking forward to this opportunity, as I had had little exposure to the line up to this point. I'd heard the DT880's at one of our meets, and liked them a lot. I was looking forward to more

First, the specifics:

Source:
Pioneer DV-47Ai modded w/ MSB Network Interface
MSB Gold Link III DAC, 192K capable

Cables:
Audioquest Coral

Amp:
Emmeline XP-7 (stock - battery powered)

I've compared them to several different headphones of my own, including:

Grado SR225
AKG K271S
AKG K501

As I said, these are as yet INITIAL impressions. More will be forthcoming as time allows after the first of the year. The short answer is that I like the Beyer DT931 a lot.

I find that the Beyer DT931 is a bit leaner on bass than I would like ideally...to these ears, moreso than the AKG K501. Having said that, it's still plenty impactful, which makes up for it somewhat. It's also a bit more forward than most of my other cans, with the exception of the Grado. Like the Grado, I find it a bit more fatiguing than my favored AKG K501's. That said, it's got a lot more get up and go, which is good when I'm in the mood for something with more oomph to it.

I find that it's not quite so smooth in the midrange as the AKG K501's. This is not to say harsh, by any means, but is simply for comparisons sake. It's a bit more emphasized in the upper and upper mid range, which means that (in concert with the somewhat leaner bass) it must be driven to a higher level to attain my personal preference for sonics. Again, I don't consider this a bad thing...when I'm in the mood for something a bit rowdier, but without a lack of refinement, I'll turn it up a bit.

I found the Beyerdynamic DT931 to be most like my Grado SR225's. It's a very nice headphone, and I've enjoyed having it to evaluate. Stay tuned - more to come.
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post #2 of 3
12/16/03 at 4:00am

Re: Beyerdynamic DT931 - Initial Impressions

Quote:
Originally posted by elrod-tom
I find that the Beyer DT931 is a bit leaner on bass than I would like ideally...to these ears, moreso than the AKG K501. Having said that, it's still plenty impactful, which makes up for it somewhat. It's also a bit more forward than most of my other cans, with the exception of the Grado. Like the Grado, I find it a bit more fatiguing than my favored AKG K501's. That said, it's got a lot more get up and go, which is good when I'm in the mood for something with more oomph to it.

I find that it's not quite so smooth in the midrange as the AKG K501's. This is not to say harsh, by any means, but is simply for comparisons sake. It's a bit more emphasized in the upper and upper mid range, which means that (in concert with the somewhat leaner bass) it must be driven to a higher level to attain my personal preference for sonics. Again, I don't consider this a bad thing...when I'm in the mood for something a bit rowdier, but without a lack of refinement, I'll turn it up a bit.

I found the Beyerdynamic DT931 to be most like my Grado SR225's. It's a very nice headphone, and I've enjoyed having it to evaluate. Stay tuned - more to come.
elrod-tom,

There's something wonderful going on between K501 and Emmeline amp. The amp broght out the best out of both frequency extrems. It is really odd that the combination of Emmeline/RS1 was lot to be desired.

I've tried the DT931 with Naim Headline2, and I have heard absolutely no lack in bass weight. Conversely, when I listened to K501 with Headline, all the magic it had with Emmerline was gone. It sounded like what people routinely describe of K501. i.e. lack of bass and leansounding 'fone.
so, perhaps, DT931 was at disadvantage driven by Emmeline.

I agree DT931 had a good transients unlike DT880 and offered forward perspective than the latter. Only common ground between them was a lack of absolute control in the midbass area when directly compared to the RS1 in all Naim set up.

DT931 in some ways resembles Allesandro Music Pro. Sort of like more sedate version of RS1. You are spot on about it sounds similar to your Grado.

At any rate, DT931 seems to be somewhat overlooked in this forum but, I found that this is a very good all-rounder for all kind of music and might be good for folks who are *afraid* to go Grado but want to get a taste of them.
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post #3 of 3
12/17/03 at 12:51am
If you have a 1/4" Stereo plug and 1/4" stereo receptecle, you may want to buy some Radio Shack 100 ohm resistors (or put two 220 ohm resistors in parallel for 110 ohm) and see if putting the resistors into the circuit will change the overall sound. It should tame the high end. likewise a half dollar sized piece of WalMart velour over the drivers should tame the highs even more.

With these changes you should find that the sound approximates the DT880 a lot more, ie, a lot of the high end is tamed. you should also find that it plays very well at low volume levels.

I'd be interested in your opinion on bass quality. And if you have access to a crossfeed circuit...
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