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I truly believe these are one of the best Classical Music headphones I've ever heard - Page 7

post #91 of 142
1/8/13 at 7:32pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kodhifi View Post


The title "one of the best classical music headphones I've ever heard" was construed to mean that. My apologies if I misread your statement.

 

And not trolling, just snarky.

 

The resonances and soundstage issues most closed backs have would seem in my opinion to make them a poor choice for classical. My 880's are semi open and still leave room for improvement in that category.

i think the thing that leaves a great impression on me about the 660 is that its not the "normal" closed back headphone.

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post #92 of 142
1/8/13 at 7:33pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by AJHeadfi View Post

I bought the the T5p, after David's recommendation, with the intention of using them for classical from the HP-P1. After a few seconds on Bach's solo violin sonata No.1 it's awesome! 

:)

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post #93 of 142
1/23/13 at 11:27pm

Since I have a pair of HD600 and think those are great for classics,

will you compare DT660 with HD600 in terms of classic music?

 

Besides DT660, what are other "one of the best Classical Music HPs" ?

Thanks!


Edited by john65537 - 1/23/13 at 11:29pm
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post #94 of 142
1/25/13 at 12:49am

Another late-comer to the bandwagon, but I feel impelled to add one more post to the list here.  I just acquired a set of DT660's, slightly used, for a very reasonable price, to complement my lighter weight (and generally excellent) portable Creative Aurvana Live!'s (which as many have pointed out are basically reborn Denon D1001's).  And the first pieces I have been listening to are not 'classical' or jazz - but some acoustic Celtic selections. The legendary Scottish fiddler Alisdair Fraser has a richness and crispness on the DT660's which makes me feel not that I am in a concert hall listening to him....but rather, I am at the crazed musicians' after-party after the concert....in the kitchen, drinking a peaty single malt while Alisdair sounds like he is right across from me.  HIs musical collaborator, cellist Natalie Haas, plumbs the lower depths of her cello in a way which isn't remotely bass-shy.

 

By contrast the CAL!'s, which I find quite pleasing for many reasons, are slightly thicker and....muddier. Only slightly....but there is a difference.

 

I would say in a nutshell: these are great phones for cello's.  And pianos.  The sounds of Chris Norman's wooden celtic flutes have a satisfyingly haunting quality to their lower registers, though when they get higher, the CAL's seem (subjectively) just as good.  And finally, the richness of James Edwards' classical guitar interpretations of 19th & 20th century folksongs.....which always have a ringing sonority that seems to bypass not just space but time..... are quite wonderful on the DT660's.

 

Have to work my way through the rest of the strings and winds but so far, these are ridiculously fine phones.  I would expand your original comments - on these being suited for classical music - to include quite a few varities of both Celtic....and most strings.

 

Thanks for the recommendation, David.

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post #95 of 142
1/26/13 at 12:26pm

Hi David,

 

Many thanks for your reviews, it seems I've studied most of them incl. your famous "flagships battle"!

 

I'd be seconded to the john65537  question:

Originally Posted by john65537 View Post

Since I have a pair of HD600 and think those are great for classics,

will you compare DT660 with HD600 in terms of classic music?

 

Besides DT660, what are other "one of the best Classical Music HPs" ?

Thanks!

Or even more,

As you have (or had) in your possession most of mid- and higher-mid priced HPs which are often considered to be well siuted for classics,

how would you rank them for this particular genre? I would name here DT660, DT880, AD900, HD600, K702, SRH1840...

 

As a condition I'd put home listening -> amped (SS, tube or both - the more details the bettersmily_headphones1.gif)

 

And it would be just great to see the sub-genre rankings, like, let's say, for BSO/chamber/solo piano/opera. I'm sure for every sub-genre it will exist its' own champion.

 

Thanks in advance!

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post #96 of 142
1/26/13 at 7:58pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by john65537 View Post

Since I have a pair of HD600 and think those are great for classics,

will you compare DT660 with HD600 in terms of classic music?

 

Besides DT660, what are other "one of the best Classical Music HPs" ?

Thanks!

It's a tough call here.  The HD600 are more transparent overall and are tuned with a sense of mid-forwardness.  Being open-back doesn't hurt.  If I had to call it, I would say the HD600 edge out the DT660 in classical music, though they don't have quite as much air.  Some will prefer the the DT660.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MiguelATF View Post

Another late-comer to the bandwagon, but I feel impelled to add one more post to the list here.  I just acquired a set of DT660's, slightly used, for a very reasonable price, to complement my lighter weight (and generally excellent) portable Creative Aurvana Live!'s (which as many have pointed out are basically reborn Denon D1001's).  And the first pieces I have been listening to are not 'classical' or jazz - but some acoustic Celtic selections. The legendary Scottish fiddler Alisdair Fraser has a richness and crispness on the DT660's which makes me feel not that I am in a concert hall listening to him....but rather, I am at the crazed musicians' after-party after the concert....in the kitchen, drinking a peaty single malt while Alisdair sounds like he is right across from me.  HIs musical collaborator, cellist Natalie Haas, plumbs the lower depths of her cello in a way which isn't remotely bass-shy.

 

By contrast the CAL!'s, which I find quite pleasing for many reasons, are slightly thicker and....muddier. Only slightly....but there is a difference.

 

I would say in a nutshell: these are great phones for cello's.  And pianos.  The sounds of Chris Norman's wooden celtic flutes have a satisfyingly haunting quality to their lower registers, though when they get higher, the CAL's seem (subjectively) just as good.  And finally, the richness of James Edwards' classical guitar interpretations of 19th & 20th century folksongs.....which always have a ringing sonority that seems to bypass not just space but time..... are quite wonderful on the DT660's.

 

Have to work my way through the rest of the strings and winds but so far, these are ridiculously fine phones.  I would expand your original comments - on these being suited for classical music - to include quite a few varities of both Celtic....and most strings.

 

Thanks for the recommendation, David.

Nice post, and thank you for the kind words!

Quote:
Originally Posted by FieldPoint View Post

Hi David,

 

Many thanks for your reviews, it seems I've studied most of them incl. your famous "flagships battle"!

 

I'd be seconded to the john65537  question:

Or even more,

As you have (or had) in your possession most of mid- and higher-mid priced HPs which are often considered to be well siuted for classics,

how would you rank them for this particular genre? I would name here DT660, DT880, AD900, HD600, K702, SRH1840...

 

As a condition I'd put home listening -> amped (SS, tube or both - the more details the bettersmily_headphones1.gif)

 

And it would be just great to see the sub-genre rankings, like, let's say, for BSO/chamber/solo piano/opera. I'm sure for every sub-genre it will exist its' own champion.

 

Thanks in advance!

Of that bunch, I may put the DT660 last, but it has its merits for being closed back and rather open sounding.  Right there you name some extremely good open-back/semi-open back classical music "monsters" :).  

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post #97 of 142
1/26/13 at 8:34pm
Thread Starter 

Just thought I would update what the next review will be....

 

I am working on two reviews simultaneously.  

One of them is the LCD-2 rev. 2

 

The other is going to be a custom in-ear that I have long since wanted to own.

 

Hopefully these two will be posted soon!

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post #98 of 142
2/24/13 at 3:49am

I bought the DT660 yesterday, I had to try them out after reading David's review. I listen 90% classical, mainly Mahler, piano solo and chamber music and use the Grace M902 dac/amp out of a sony cd-player- or pc..

 

Very first out of the box impression: horrible..this HP reminds me of my SR325i experience. The treble is almost unbearable and my head hurts from the clamp...hmm

 

 

One day later the clamp is much better since I streched them out over night and the sound is wonderful. VERY detailed, very neutral, treble is very clear but the sibilance is gone. unbelievable balanced sound for a 130 euro HF. Also they sound quite open indeed.. I really like the bass and midrange, just the way I like it

 

My girlfriend also likes this HF very much, she listens to Passenger, Adele, Jack Johnson

 

Thanks David for leading me to these wonderful phones.


Edited by Quinto - 2/24/13 at 4:07am
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post #99 of 142
2/24/13 at 5:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quinto View Post

I bought the DT660 yesterday, I had to try them out after reading David's review. I listen 90% classical, mainly Mahler, piano solo and chamber music and use the Grace M902 dac/amp out of a sony cd-player- or pc..

 

Very first out of the box impression: horrible..this HP reminds me of my SR325i experience. The treble is almost unbearable and my head hurts from the clamp...hmm

 

 

One day later the clamp is much better since I streched them out over night and the sound is wonderful. VERY detailed, very neutral, treble is very clear but the sibilance is gone. unbelievable balanced sound for a 130 euro HF. Also they sound quite open indeed.. I really like the bass and midrange, just the way I like it

 

My girlfriend also likes this HF very much, she listens to Passenger, Adele, Jack Johnson

 

Thanks David for leading me to these wonderful phones.

 

Thanks for these reflections. I am also interested in these headphones. Would you consider them portable? Do you think they seal well?

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post #100 of 142
2/24/13 at 6:51am

They are portable in the sence that they are very easy to drive and sound pretty good out of my ipod. Isolation is fairly good, personally I wouldn't use them outside in traffic.

For me they are a bit bulky for portable but others may argue different

 

 

- edit-  I love the midrange on these phones, Sonny Rollins (On Impulse) sounds astonishing, the amount of bass is just right for me, the midrange very detailed and neutral, the treble crisp and clear and a bit extended beyond neutral, but not in a sibilance kind of way (my hearing is quite sensitive in the upper range)..Much more open sounding from what I remember from my Shure SRH840..again the detail of these phones in unheard of for  in this price range


Edited by Quinto - 2/24/13 at 7:27am
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post #101 of 142
2/24/13 at 8:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quinto View Post

They are portable in the sence that they are very easy to drive and sound pretty good out of my ipod. Isolation is fairly good, personally I wouldn't use them outside in traffic.
For me they are a bit bulky for portable but others may argue different


- edit-  I love the midrange on these phones, Sonny Rollins (On Impulse) sounds astonishing, the amount of bass is just right for me, the midrange very detailed and neutral, the treble crisp and clear and a bit extended beyond neutral, but not in a sibilance kind of way (my hearing is quite sensitive in the upper range)..Much more open sounding from what I remember from my Shure SRH840..again the detail of these phones in unheard of for  in this price range
Thank you. I am pretty sure I will order them and try them out. I see that you and I have similar music taste (and headphones taste in k501). I can have them for 130 euro shipped.
How do you like the build quality?
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post #102 of 142
2/24/13 at 10:45am

Build quality is ok for a 130 euro hp, nothing special..I'm now listening to Anner Bylsma's Bach suites, sounds very good on the 660 and so does Mahler!

 

I'm getting trouble with my GS1000 now, they used to sound good blink.gif
 

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post #103 of 142
2/24/13 at 10:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quinto View Post


I'm getting trouble with my GS1000 now, they used to sound good blink.gif
 

 

That sounds really good I think! wink.gif

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post #104 of 142
2/25/13 at 7:08am
Ok. I ordered dt660 now. Initial impressions coming soon :-)
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post #105 of 142
2/25/13 at 7:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidMahler View Post

I also like the HD 25 1-II but they sound very different from the DT660.  The DT660 have less bass impact but a far more natural tone in my opinion  but they really do shine only with classical.

 

They sound almost, but not quite, like opposites - the HD25 excels at rock, where these are apparently weakest?

 

What happens when you try to EQ the bass up? Is the lack of bass purely a signature thing, or does it lack slam/attack/definition even when EQed?

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