Tavilyn
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2015
- Posts
- 118
- Likes
- 12
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.
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.