[himj82]

I recently got the AKG Q701 Black, and was surprised how much more transparent and spacious they sound compared to the DT 990, particularly for acoustic and classical music. I was not expecting this much of a difference. The DT 990s have been relegated to movie watching/rock only because they add extra weight to the mid-range which works well albeit with some loss of detail.  The AKGs sound too cold and analytical for movies at times. I am running both from the Nuforce udac, which can drive both to sufficient volume. The AKGs are harder to drive so I was expecting them to sound  worse than the DT 990s with this cheap setup, but was pleasantly surprised that was not the case. 

 

[fishbulb95]

This is interesting to read, Thank You.  I have been using the Q701 for a couple of months now.  I am absolutely loving the sound stage, and it has renewed my interest in classical music.  Although I feel some of my music is suffering, mostly my rock, pop, (some bass heavy music).  I've been looking at the DT 990 600 ohm as a solution, I do have a Matrix M-Stage on the way.
 
Is there any advice you can give regarding the DT 990, would it make a good compliment to my Q701?
 
Current setup:
FLAC -> Hifiman EF2A (Matrix M-Stage Shipping) -> Q701
 

 

[himj82]

DT990 has a lot more quantity of bass than AKG Q701, quality wise AKG Q701 sounds better since it does not muddle up the mids like DT 990 does. The 600 ohm version might be better in this regard though, I have the 250 ohm version. Maybe the DT770s are better suited for rock, but they will not have the soundstage of the 990s, which works really well in movies. The recessed mids are less obvious since the voices sound heavier which sounds better to me. The DT 990s have even sharper treble than the Q701s though, which are much more refined , but it is not noticeable in movies generally. 

 

[fishbulb95]

Thanks for the response!
 
Looks like I'm sold on the DT990. Seeing as how I use the AKG for movies and TV at the moment. It should also help with all that Reggae and pop I started listening to.
 
When you mention the voices are heavier, is this in regards to the 990 or the 770?  For example: When I listen to Leonard Cohen - First We Take Manhattan, my Sony MDR-7506 add a wonderful weight to his voice, which seems to disappear with the Q701.  I feel spoiled with the sound stage on the Q701.
 
Yay, time to spend more money!

 

[himj82]

I meant the 990s..I do not have the 770..I have the 440s which are more balanced but do not have the soundstage or comfort of the 990s..990s work very well for movies because of the bass combined with the soundstage and weighty voices...I listened to that song and it does sound good on the 990s...the voice is very weighty actually..I noticed a little siblance also in the upper mids but nothing bothersome..I like it

 

[ZenErik]

For me it's Q701 all the way. The DT990 is not a great match for my ears. Recessed mids with excessive and abrasive treble. But the bass is nice!

 

[cornfruit]

For me it's Q701 all the way. The DT990 is not a great match for my ears. Recessed mids with excessive and abrasive treble. But the bass is nice!

I wouldn't say excessive treble...it is just a little more front and center due to the recessed mids. To my ears, AKG gets that right.