MooGoesTheCow
500+ MOOOderator: Needs a better MOOOOmate
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2001
- Posts
- 782
- Likes
- 15
Beyerdynamic DT250-80 Initial Impressions:
Construction:
Lotsa plastic, but well put together. One-sided 4ft coiled cord that is detachable. Velour earpads
Looks:
Quite inconspicuous. No bulges where there shouldn’t be, no flashy colors. Hey, it’s a studio monitor, and People who monitor studios are already sharp looking as it is…any more would make them too sexy for their own good.
Comfort:
Comfy
. They fit completely around my ears, and don’t exert much pressure. I could wear these for hours, and will soon find out if that is possible (with frequent breaks, of course!)
Sound:
As a reference, I have my trusty Etymotic 4P with 4S adapter, which I consider second to none in sound reproduction. They are remarkable, in every respect. However, I bought the DT250s based on a few different criteria:
1. I wanted a pair of closed, circumaural cans that I don’t have to clean my ears every time I want to listen to music.
2. I wanted something a friend could listen to if ever need be. (like hell anyone’s gonna stick my etys in their ears!
3. I wanted a pair of rocking headphones -- something that has impact and rhythm and is fast enough to keep up to the pace of the music.
4. I don’t expect them to be as good as the etys.
And so, here I am, 30 minutes after taking them out of the cardboard packaging and slipping them on my head. I’m listening to Blue Man Group. And these are not etys. I know I should not compare them to the etys, but that’s all I’ve been living with for the past six months, so I know them inside out. The Beyer bass is not as extended, the soundstage isn’t as large or precise, midrange is slightly cuppy, and highs are not as extended and smooth. The DT250s are not as detailed, the instrument separation is not as good, and instruments don’t have the tone, texture, or timbre the etys bring out in a recording. All that adds up to being less musical in my mind.
But! But! I did not buy these as direct competition. I bought them as an alternative. These have that visceral impact that etys lack (obviously), as the DT250s surround your outer ear and interact with it. They are surprisingly clear -- no mush. The presentation is forward, but not attacking. These are not grados. I wish I did have a pair of grados on hand to compare, but I do not. The beyers do have detail, but not enough to draw your attention away from the music. You won’t hear all the mistakes in the recording with these.
I just took em off. 45 minutes…needed a break. I guess I’m not used to full-sized headphones. Anyhow, these really can rock. The bass is taut, impactful, yet doesn’t get in the way of the rest of the spectrum. They really do seem remarkably flat for closed cans. I sense no imbalance, except perhaps for an upper-midrange hump, although I’ll need to do some more listening before I can make any real assertions. Take this with a grain of salt. I will listen more and report back tonight with some further observations. Don’t think I dislike these cans -- I like them for what they are. As I listen to more recordings, I’m sure I’ll get a better picture of what these babies are capable of. They are a dream to wear, and present music in a pleasant, simplistic way. They are tonally a tad warm, which is definitely better than cold (especially in pittsburgh winters...hoho!).
So there it is. The Beyer DT250-80. They cost $170 at Headroom. Headroom, as always, a pleasure to do business with.
Associated equipment:
Meridian 586 cd/dvd player
McCormack Micro Integrated Drive
Bolder Type 1 Power Cord
DH Labs Silver Pulse Interconnects
Just for laughs -- since the MID has two headphone ouputs and the Beyers and Etys have virtually identical impedances (80 vs 100 ohms), I might try em both at the same time, the beyers over the etys. I don’t know if the beyers will interfere with the ety stem that sticks out, but we’ll see. Should be fun
Construction:
Lotsa plastic, but well put together. One-sided 4ft coiled cord that is detachable. Velour earpads
Looks:
Quite inconspicuous. No bulges where there shouldn’t be, no flashy colors. Hey, it’s a studio monitor, and People who monitor studios are already sharp looking as it is…any more would make them too sexy for their own good.
Comfort:
Comfy
Sound:
As a reference, I have my trusty Etymotic 4P with 4S adapter, which I consider second to none in sound reproduction. They are remarkable, in every respect. However, I bought the DT250s based on a few different criteria:
1. I wanted a pair of closed, circumaural cans that I don’t have to clean my ears every time I want to listen to music.
2. I wanted something a friend could listen to if ever need be. (like hell anyone’s gonna stick my etys in their ears!
3. I wanted a pair of rocking headphones -- something that has impact and rhythm and is fast enough to keep up to the pace of the music.
4. I don’t expect them to be as good as the etys.
And so, here I am, 30 minutes after taking them out of the cardboard packaging and slipping them on my head. I’m listening to Blue Man Group. And these are not etys. I know I should not compare them to the etys, but that’s all I’ve been living with for the past six months, so I know them inside out. The Beyer bass is not as extended, the soundstage isn’t as large or precise, midrange is slightly cuppy, and highs are not as extended and smooth. The DT250s are not as detailed, the instrument separation is not as good, and instruments don’t have the tone, texture, or timbre the etys bring out in a recording. All that adds up to being less musical in my mind.
But! But! I did not buy these as direct competition. I bought them as an alternative. These have that visceral impact that etys lack (obviously), as the DT250s surround your outer ear and interact with it. They are surprisingly clear -- no mush. The presentation is forward, but not attacking. These are not grados. I wish I did have a pair of grados on hand to compare, but I do not. The beyers do have detail, but not enough to draw your attention away from the music. You won’t hear all the mistakes in the recording with these.
I just took em off. 45 minutes…needed a break. I guess I’m not used to full-sized headphones. Anyhow, these really can rock. The bass is taut, impactful, yet doesn’t get in the way of the rest of the spectrum. They really do seem remarkably flat for closed cans. I sense no imbalance, except perhaps for an upper-midrange hump, although I’ll need to do some more listening before I can make any real assertions. Take this with a grain of salt. I will listen more and report back tonight with some further observations. Don’t think I dislike these cans -- I like them for what they are. As I listen to more recordings, I’m sure I’ll get a better picture of what these babies are capable of. They are a dream to wear, and present music in a pleasant, simplistic way. They are tonally a tad warm, which is definitely better than cold (especially in pittsburgh winters...hoho!).
So there it is. The Beyer DT250-80. They cost $170 at Headroom. Headroom, as always, a pleasure to do business with.
Associated equipment:
Meridian 586 cd/dvd player
McCormack Micro Integrated Drive
Bolder Type 1 Power Cord
DH Labs Silver Pulse Interconnects
Just for laughs -- since the MID has two headphone ouputs and the Beyers and Etys have virtually identical impedances (80 vs 100 ohms), I might try em both at the same time, the beyers over the etys. I don’t know if the beyers will interfere with the ety stem that sticks out, but we’ll see. Should be fun
