Bad mastering, including the fallout of the Loudness War.

Depends on what you mean by bass heavy. Klipsch s4's can be had for around half that budget, more for the s4i with remote. They may not be bassy enough for you, though - they're on the border of too much for me.

  When I was 14.5, I got a job at a fast food place, which was legal in my state. It might be in yours, too.     I mention the .5 because the cutoff was fourteen years and six months, for whatever reason.

    Thanks, but not really looking - I like having the same sound signature at home and at work too much.

Of prime critiques I had for my 990's, durability and build quality were not among them.   Beyers are built tough.

that might be an over generalization, but I'd wager that those that really enjoy the other beyer flagships won't care for the DT250 sound. (or what used to be the other flagships - phones that cost more than a thousand USD are so far off my radar they don't exist) horses for courses, though -...

Yeah, the DT770 is much more comfortable. (Not that the DT250 is uncomfortable - the DT770 is just more luxurious, I suppose)   I think you can install the DT770 leather headband on a DT250, but I doubt you can make the ear pads fit.

I think it depends, in. part, in how much treble hearing one still has. I have always protected my ears, so I still have a lot for my age. Most beyers are far too bright for me (880 included) Hell, on some recordings, even my dt250 can be fatiguing. For me, too much treble energy ruins a...

  To each their own.   I doubt you'll find a closed headphone for $200 or less that is a good a compromise as the DT250.   And some (like me) would gladly take a bit of bass emphasis in trade for non-fatiguing treble. If you'd like it the other way around, I'm sure there are other options...

  "too much bass" is a matter of taste.   I think they sound quite close to neutral at low volumes. Not entirely neutral, and that's okay - thats why I say the sound a lot like the HD650.

Does the DT880 sound similar to the DT250 (in the way the HD650 does?)   The DT250-250 sounds a lot like a closed HD650 to my ears.

He's looking for isolation, though.

I've noticed this a few times before, and I've even hunted for "warmer" versions of some albums (Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables; Killing Joke - Night Time, Fire Dances. Jaz Coleman will even admit that they were doing too much coke back then and mixes were too trebly) and in...

  The SS amp will likely make much more difference than changing the cable will.

Well, because the best way to answer these things is to hear it yourself, I just unboxed an Asgard 2 and a pair of K612's. Fed by an 0404 USB.   Preliminary listening now. The K612 can produce the low tones I was worried about, but may still be as fatiguing (to me) as it's k6xx and k7xx...

Never heard the soundmagic.   In Beyer's line, I've had DT990's (250 ohm; way too bright), DT 770 pros (80 ohm; way too much bass), and both 250 and 80 ohm 250s. The 250's (both flavors) stayed, the others didn't.   I had a pair of Sony v6/7506's way back when, I disliked the treble (too...

There's more to the equation that just impedance (ohms) - sensitivity is a factor too. That said, the HD 598 is pretty sensitive, isn't it? I haven't heard a pair.   You don't need as much volume in a closed pair of headphones, though - I suggest listening quiet enough you can still hear...

    The 80 ohm version will work fine unamped, depending on the device (some devices have overall mediocre headphone output - and they won't sound stellar there, but this is a problem for most any headphones). I think they're a little better amped, but mostly I use the mini3 because I had it...

    I'm surprised there's no mention of the DT250-250 in this thread. Anyone that likes the HD600/HD650 sound should take a look, really they do pretty much whatever they can, only with isolation (if you're into that). Really great speed and bass extension, even with simple amp like a...

I have had a pair of DT250-80s and DT250-250s for around 7-8 years, both in daily use with no issues in either headphone (one in the office, one at home). Very sturdy. For me, the only thing wrong with my DT250s is they don't have a button on the side that temporarily converts them into...

Four and a half decades of music - I'd suggest starting with the rock and roll hall of fame. Alternately, pick a service like pandora, last.fm, or spotify and see what they recommend based on your start points. Oh, and the White Stripes. Maybe the Raconteurs, too.

Of course you can escape. You might start shopping for some other consumer identity, though - ending the pattern of behavior altogether is a lot more difficult than ending participation in one particular expression of it.

Quote:   I agree, defining terms is important in almost any scenario where people disagree.   I find the ways in which audiophiles are socialized, and moreover the social construction of the listening experience to be fascinating. Too bad that isn't the kind of stuff I do - I'd love...

Quote:   It is always a disappointment when people conclude that positions other than those they hold are simply noise.   I am usually curious as to the reasoning process that led to the position. Disagreement leads to discovery, after all.       This forum is a honey pot...

Is there a reason you aren't considering something like the SBX10 (the M audio companion sub for those speakers)?    (well, other than price, but I wouldn't recommend lowballing the sub)   It has a passthrough connection that would greatly simplify things.   Otherwise, you'll need...