Beating a dead horse... Need advice - DT770 80ohm vs. AT M50 - Page 2

Originally Posted by CirrusPilot 

Doc, your advice is much appreciated! I started a new thread RE: the AKG K240. What do you think of those compared to the DT770s? Comfort wise and sound wise?

Originally Posted by Kaldari 

I don't mean to hi-jack a thread, but the issue seems resolved here. I only ask because my question directly concerns these two headphones.

 

Since you guys have the M50s as reference, how would you compare the bass of the DT770s in comparison? I've also read variances of the 770s can be more or less bassy than each other.

 

I'm asking as someone who also has M50s and now a pair of HM5s. I'm contemplating the DT770s, depending on what you guys say about the bass.

 

You'll find tons of weird information about the DT770's bass. Some will say they have loose bass, some will say they're super bassy, some will say they're not that bassy and a lot of weird information about the different versions of the DT770 having different bass and that one or another is more bassy than the others. You'll find most claim the 80ohm DT770 PRO has the most bass, but this is not due to the 80ohm or anything, it's simply the headband has more clamping force. I have the DT770 600ohm and it's just as bassy when amplified properly. So I don't buy the whole "this version has more bass". I have several DT770's and they all sound the same to me. The headband is the difference. The other difference is simply if you have properly amplified them or not, since bass frequency requires the most energy to produce, an under amplified DT770 will have less bass when compared.

 

Me, I find the DT770 to have a little more than neutral bass, it's mostly mid-bass. They're not basscannons (those would be Ultrasone PRO900's and Sony XB500's and MAudio Q40's). The DT770 is more like a slightly bassy headphone with sparkly treble. It can become very bassy with equalization, both hardware or software. My DT770's on a Fiio amp with EQ/Bass turned up (hardware EQ) are very bassy. The bass is a little slow, it's not a super fast headphone, if you want super fast bass response, for the tightest bass possible, look to a planar magnetic headphone (like a T50RP modded). But it's still a good sound and I don't see it as a negative to be critical over since the headphone is only $170~220 depending on where you buy it new (let's not compare it to the bass of a flagship dynamic or planar magnetic). The M50 by comparison has less natural sound to me, less realism, with a drier sound. The HM5 is a more neutral sound than both to me. The HM5 is not a bassy headphone, but it is warmer than most AKG's to me, and very isolating (which is why I like the HM5/FA003/FA002W, isolation is fantastic on them for a full size). Again, with a Fiio amp, they can be quite bassy actually (+3 db to bass frequencies with no distortion is fantastic on them). I prefer them to the M50, even though they have slightly less mid-bass, but can produce the same sub-bass just fine, because they're more comfortable, better soundstage, better mids to me, and just bigger cups in general which I prefer.

 

Very best,

Originally Posted by CirrusPilot 

Hi all, I need your collective wisdom. I was looking for a new set of headphones. I currently own Grado SR60s (which due to their poor cable design has issues with the left side shorting out) and a pair of Shure 115s. I just got rid of my Bose AE2s. I tolerated the sound of the Bose because of their extreme comfort, which is undeniably awesome, and I now want to upgrade, but I have a limited budget. 

I picked up a pair of Grado iGi's at a local store, and wasn't impressed at all with the quality. I liked the sound a whole lot, but the cables were very cheap, it didn't have any way to prevent tangles, and the ear tips left a lot to be desired. They weren't uncomfortable by any means, but they didn't isolate well. I returned them because they weren't worth the $90 in my opinion. I don't want another pair of full-sized Grados because I think their cable design is unforgivably stupid. They are allowed to twist, which ruins the cable in short order no matter how careful you are. Grado really needs to go to a single-side cable. 

That being said, I picked up a pair of AT M50s on Amazon for a great deal using reward points. I also bought a pair of DT770s at a local music store. I kept reading great things about the M50s on here, which is why I went with them to begin with. The only problem I have with them is that they are a little uncomfortable. I have a big head and wear glasses, not a good combo for circumaural cans. The M50s clamp pretty dang hard and have shallow cups, which tends to be a little uncomfortable. Does this get better with time, or should I assume that if I am having problems now I will hate the cans after a few hours of listening?

I wanted to try the DT770s because I heard they are comfortable, which they are. The only problem is that they cost considerably more than the M50s and I can't use my reward points on them. We are talking $35 out of pocket for the M50s on Amazon vs. $180 in-store for the DT770s. I have to return one, keeping both is not an option. I don't want to keep the M50s only to hate them after a month because they still feel uncomfortable, but I don't want to spend all that money on the DT770s if the M50s will break in and become more comfortable.  

I am running my current setup mostly unamped. If I am listening to vinyl, the headphones are amped, but if not the cans are running from my Macbook or my iPod classic. I rip all of my music to at least 320k MP3 or Apple Lossless when possible. I listen to a very wide variety of music from Dylan to Nirvana to Rap and everything in between. Bass isn't a huge concern of mine at all. I just want something comfortable, high quality, and excellent sounding. Amping my cans isn't really an option either, as I need them to be portable and I don't want to carry around an amp, no matter how compact. I have found that the 80ohm DT770s don't seem to have a problem being driven by an iPod, albeit at a higher volume than is needed for the M50s. 

So whats my problem? Well I need to know if the $35 vs. $180 is worth the difference in comfort between the M50s and the DT770s. Right now they both sound great to me, though they each have their nuances that I can appreciate. If you own one or both of the headphones, please let me know what your experiences have been. It would also be nice to hear from other larger headed glasses wearing audiophiles!

Thanks for the help!!