Hi again, all,
So, the first thing I wanted to do was to thank those of you who have helped me thus far. I'm aware I've asked a bunch of newbie questions and probably could've gotten a few of the answers on my own. That said, I have a few observations, and then a couple more questions sort of based on those observations.
I have had the DT880s for just over a week (sent them back yesterday, as a matter of fact). After deciding I didn't like them much, I wanted to figure out why. What I decided was:
1. Not enough bass; there's some presence, but I want more
2. Not a lot of volume. If I plug these into my E10K and max it, it's just barely loud enough to be uncomfortable, and without the amp I get only modest listening levels. and no...before you ask, I don't like uncomfortable listening levels, but I don't like the idea of having to max an amp/dac to get them either. Sometimes I like being able to crank a good metal or rock tune; yes yes, I know, it's dangerous for the ears for prolonged periods, but something semi--loud is good. I've since been told that Beyerdynamic headphones are notoriously hard to drive or inefficient.
So, then I started playing around with the Sennheiser HD598s, and while I like these more, they've got one particularly fatal flaw that I'm going to have to address. My impressions:
1. I like the bass; it's not slammy or huge, but it's probably good enough...I could stand a bit more, but if I didn't get it I could live with that
2. It's more than loud enough
3. Its soundstage and sound separation are good; not as good as the DT880, but certainly not bad
4. Fatal flaw, clarity. I feel like the ting-ting sound from ride cymbals is often buried under everything else (which I don't find with the 880s). I noticed it first in P.O.D's Youth of the Nation, where the bridge seemed to lack the strident ride cymbal unless I listened really, really closely. I also find that a lot of the upper range is a touch muffled, as if an effort was made to tame the treble. In my case though, this was overkill. The s sounds in voices and the sharper notes from horns and guitars don't have the clarity I was hoping for.
All that having been said, here are a few questions:
1. I'm awaiting the X2s; will they address the treble issue I had with the 598s, or am I going to get a lot of muffling there too?
2. Will the Soundmagic HP200 address said treble issue? It is looking like I appreciate treble that is a bit on the sparkly or sharp side, rather than being rolled off or buried.
3. Does this desire for clarity in the upper range make me a treblehead? For that matter, does my liking for the sort of bass I get from the HD598s (or better) make me a basshead? I ask so that I know what to tell people going forward, in case I have further questions and need to contextualize.
4. I have been looking at the DT990s as a potential alternative if the X2 doesn't really do it for me. Is it a bad idea to get the 32-ohm version, bearing in mind I don't really intend to get a better amp/dac at the moment? Will I sacrifice a lot of what makes the DT990 good if I got the lower-impedance version?
5. Will getting the 32-ohm version mean that my music is louder? The 256-ohm DT880 wasn't too quiet by miles, but it definitely could stand more punch. I do plan to be able to use this through a laptop, but if greater volume and ease of driving means I'm going to get a bad sound by comparison, I might just lean another direction.
6. If I like solid bass and sparkly highs, does that essentially translate to liking a v-shaped sound signature? Yet another context question.
Hopefully one or more of you can shed some light here. I feel like I'm starting to understand bits of this whole business, but it's still apt to be awhile before I'm anything close to comfortable with all the terminology and stuff. Thanks in advance.

Using E10K with DT880/DT990 will make it loose dynamics - such as bass. If you're not willing to use another amp than E10K then you should look for other headphones.
 
According to this graph DT880 while prober amped actually has more bass than HD598 - at least in the low end:
 

I get the feeling that you would like other headphones more than what HD598 can provide.
 
Questions:
 
1) I think you should just try them out for yourself and make your own impression.
 
2) Here's a review of HP200: http://noblehifi.blogspot.dk/2013/05/soundmagic-hp200-review.html
 
3) I'm not sure it makes you a treblehead but you should turn away from laid back headphones. You said that you'd like more bass from HD598 but also said that you could live with it - that means you're no basshead A basshead could not live with that. You can still enjoy bass without being a complete basshead though.
 
4)  First of all I would suggest that you take a look at this - and find the place where he talks about the difference between the different DT990 models: http://www.head-fi.org/t/513393/guide-sonic-differences-between-dt770-dt990-models-more
 
E10K will work with 32 ohm vesion but I would personally not get that one. The other models needs a stronger amplifier.
 
5)  Should already be answered.
 
6) Yeah you sound like one who likes v-shaped cans. Based on what you write the DT990 is probably the perfect headphone for you but the E10K won't be enough to drive it proberly Like with the DT880 you tried. Unless you get the 32 ohm version but I already talked about that in 4).

Hi there,
 
I've read that comparison between the DT770, 880 and 990; I don't know if I'm just dense, but it's...a lot to take in. It's also not, as far as I can see, answering my question. If the difference in sound between 32ohm and 250ohm is tiny, then it might be worth getting the cans that are easier to drive; if it's quite noticeable and two average people would easily notice the difference to the detriment of the 32-oohm cans, then I'll have to consider that.
 
I'm not attempting to reject your advice, you understand. I do try and do at least some research before I ask questions, but I'm finding that asking gets me more information than a review or comparison article would. Also bear in mind that I'm still getting used to terminology; I'm not sure what flabby vs. non-flabby bass means, for instance, or what it means when something is light vs. dark sounding. Please bear with me.

tavilyn said:

Hi there,

I've read that comparison between the DT770, 880 and 990; I don't know if I'm just dense, but it's...a lot to take in.

Click to expand...

It's pretty easy to simplify. Get the DT770s for closed headphones with some bass emphasis. Get the DT990s if open headphones will work for the better soundstage with some bass emphasis (although not as much deep subbass emphasis).

Get the DT880 if you want a more neutral sound than the other two with a semi-open headphone.

Yes. That part is easy. I have no issue with that part. Literally my only question regarding anything Beyer at this point is whether or not the DT990 32 ohm is so much different from the 250 ohm that it truly isn't worth it. I have no trouble at all disseminating which is the open-back, closed-back and semi-open headphone from that article; I simply have a bit of an issue with some of the terminology and technicalities presented between the different impedances.
Pretty much everything else I asked is answered, I suppose. The x2 is on its way and I'm looking forward to trying it. I don't know about the Soundmagic (they seem similar to one another, so if I really like the x2 I might try and snag one to test), and the reason I'm asking about Beyers is because if the 32-ohm dt990 has the same sort of sound, generally, as the X2 or Soundmagic HP200, then it may be worth it as well. I love the build quality on the 880s when I tried them, and they're comfy as hell.
Heh. As you can see, the more I learn the pickier I get.

I don't know about the whole different impedance thing. That's a very subjective evaluation, and then consider how many people have tried both at the same time and actually volume matched them. If you don't volume match speakers or headphones of similar sound, the one that is turned up a bit louder will often sound better by virtue of being louder, even if it's only a small bit louder--you need measurement equipment to set the volume to guarantee that's not happening (the human ear is generally not discerning enough to match the volume close enough). And given that the headphones have different impedance, most amps are not going to provide the exact same amount of volume to each with the volume dial in the same place. In other words, what I'm trying to say is that trying to figure out how different they are is going to be impossible unless you hear them for yourself.

Hmm. I think the best way is to try it out then If you buy all 3 and test them with the FiiO E10K you can see which you like best and return the 2 you like less. That is also an option - at least if you buy from amazon, they have good return policy.

The DT880 most definitely does have a pointy treble spike/boost.  Thats probably its one characteristic that has kept it out of my collection, since elevated treble over smooth mids aggravates my tinnitus.
 
The HD598 and its stable mate HD558 that I have, I think have a smooth and gentile treble presentation.  I don't think its severely rolled off at all, but it definitely is more on the pleasant side.  FWIW these cans are detail revealing enough to clearly highlight the sonic differences in all my amps.  Plugging the 558 into my PPA livens up the treble over the other amps in my profile.  My darkest "amp" is a Sony home theater receiver and the HD558 responds accordingly with a dark rolled off high end.
 
Not sure about your fiio E10K.  But if it is a darker / smoother sounding circuit the HD598 will respond accordingly.

Thanks, guys. I was hoping maybe one of you had tried the DT990s with both the 32 and 250 ohm flavours, even dry without an amp. If I knew, for instance, that the DT990s at 32 ohms would be considerably louder than the 880s are, that'd be a strong point in their favour. And if the sound difference between the two models really isn't much, then I might be willing to sacrifice slightly worse sound for better driving potential.
 
I'm ridiculously excited to hear the Fidelio x2. It should be here on Tuesday. I've promised myself that if these are good cans, I'm going to stop fiddling around, send the 598s back, and stop the train right here for a little while. Sending items back via Amazon is a tricky business for me since I'm totally blind. I don't have a printer to easily whip up the labels and such. Getting the DT880s sent back was a bit of a pain in the neck; I just hope that they get there in time and that I'll be refunded for them. The box they were in tore just a little, and I might have missed a page of promotional material (I don't think I did, but it's possible, I tend to lose track of printed material rather quickly if I'm not careful, and I wasn't that time).