[Disiskurt]

Without getting into the AT Woodies, which if I did buy one I wouldn't have nearly enough money left to put a decent system around it, I don't see any closed headphone that piques my interest as much as the Beyer DT831. Does anyone know of a place that still sells them? I've done searches, kept a close look on eBay and maintained an WTB thread in the Sale forum for a week to no avail. If it's really going to be worth it and I can't find it anywhere else, I might just wait until something pops up.

I'm basically looking for a closed can that doesn't SOUND like a closed can. It needs to be airy and detailed, with a decent soundstage. Also, it has to sound good at low-moderate volumes. I'm very protective of my hearing, and cans like the DT770 only balance out at louder volumes.
Cans I liked:
Koss A250 (soundstage and detail in spades, wonderful)

Beyer DT531 (comfort is best I've felt yet, nice signature)

Philips HP1000 (haven't used in current rig yet, but definitely prefered over DT770 at the time)

Cans I don't like:
Beyer DT770 (very muffled and undetailed unless the volume is higher than I'm used to listening at, not a fan)

Koss A130 (sound is no A250, isolation is next to nothing)

AKG K81DJ (decently resolving, but an unpleasant signature headlined by a sloppy bass and unimpressive soundstage, clamp really hurts ear cartilage around the 50-60 min mark of continuous wearing)

Senn HD280 (long time ago, but all I remember is a nicely detailed can with ear-bleeding harshness in either the upper-mids or low-highs)

AKG K271S (ok, maybe this one isn't fair, since my short time with them was without the use of a headphone amp, but I don't think it would suit my music tastes anyway)

Altec iM716 (very nice detail and sound, soundstage and comfort is a different story)


So as you can see, I liked all of the open cans I've had and liked none of the closed ones. I do need closed cans because of all the tapping and clicking I do at my computer while doing much of my music listening. Plus my roommate (who's also my brother) is occasionally inconsiderate with noise when I'm trying to work, and drowning it out with music is much easier when the headphones are closed. I have a feeling that I won't like the A900. Although it's legendary soundstage for a closed can is intriguing, I read too much about closed-sounding honkiness in the mids to be interested. I also thought about getting the DT250-250 due to many remarks about its neutrality, but it seems pretty agreed upon that it isn't very detailed and I find that to be important. I do like bass, but I want it tight and well-balanced within the rest of the spectrum. So if the DT831 was no longer an option, what would the next best thing be?


I know that post is all over the place, so thanks for reading through it.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

I think you are on the right track seeking out the DT831, it is quite what you're looking for in a closed headphone: detailed, somewhat open sounding, and surprisingly lacking in reverberations/closed can colorations (due to the very good internal dampening system the headphone has). The DT250's are a bit dark and dull in comparison, with a much narrower soundstage, however they are more forgiving of recordings and associated gear. I am not sure if you've read this about the 831 yet or not, but they really should be use with a 120ohm adapter, without one they are a bit lacking in bass and somewhat overly bright. Such an adapter can easily be made by any competent DIY'er with a couple of connectors and resistors.

The 831's are a fair bit like the 531's (I own both). The comfort is nearly as good, but the pads are slightly less soft, and the clamping slightly higher than the 531's. Soundwise, the 831's are more detailed, with a similar punchy bass, but the midrange is not as emphasized, so the overall presentation is more even. The 831 has a smaller soundstage, but a more precise one.

In terms of finding a pair, I'd keep after the FS forums here. I got a nearly new pair a while back for a disgustingly low price, I think because most people don't know how good these cans can be. Also check eBay. You might try calling Beyerdynamic USA and asking them to direct you to some dealers that still have stock.

If you can't get a hold of an 831, the A900 isn't a bad option. It's not as extended in the highs as the 831, but it does have a larger soundstage thanks to the angled drivers. The midrange is a little odd, but I found it not to be very distracting (after all, all headphones, especially cheaper ones, have flaws of one sort or another). It's also extremely comfortable.

Read the review in the following thread, it might help you figure out where to go as well: http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=130998

 

[jamesm7485]

hey man damn fine choice i got mine from spearitsound.com for 130 bucks shipped but i think there out of stock try ebay or googling them i know one dealer has them for 180 which i still think is an awesome deal if your into rock/industrial/aggrotech like i am

 

[jpelg]

Give Headroom a call and ask if they might still have a DT831 around. Sometimes they have the odd piece left over. It's worth a shot.

 

[Disiskurt]

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

I gave a call to Headroom and Spearit Sound at Northhampton (because it's a 20 min drive from where I live,) and neither of them had a pair. I might give Beyer USA a call in the near future, but I don't have much hope there.

I did read the saint.panda review a while ago, and it had a large part in starting my interest in the DT831 (along with the similar looks to the DT531, which I love.) I'm also considering the A900LTD, but really don't want to drop $300 + shipping from AUS on a headphone unless I know I'll love it. And conflicting reviews on it seem to debate how much it improves upon the regular A900.

I do know about the DT831 improving with the 120 ohm adaptor, and if I got an adaptor it could serve double duty with the Koss A250 as well, which are also claimed to improve with added impedence.

 

[nichifanlema]

I'm also interested in getting a DT831.....

how would it stack up to DT931?

 

[BushGuy]

Your only hopes, generally, for dt831 would be to see if Jan Meier can help, or watch German eBay.

 

[facelvega]

I've seen only one on german ebay in four months. The 5/8/931 series is rare even here, especially compared to the plentiful 880s and 990s. There is an old series DT660 listed right now, which has been relisted several times because the seller kept asking a very high start price. These are relatively little-known, but I've heard reports that they sound quite good.

Or, let's see, how about an MB Quart Phone 450? It's the closed version of the 400, which is the update of the old QP95, which I have. Supposedly it's also darker, which is good because the 95, though excellent, is too bright. Otherwise, I'd say at least my 95 is just one notch below my A250 in presentation and detail resolution-- and unlike the A130, the QP450 was not conceived to be a step down. Sure it's a unusual choice, but I really think they might suit you. Plus then someone can report to the crowd here on how they sound.

I've lately become a big MB supporter; especially used they're so little-known nowadays that they don't retain value, and really in general they're quite comparable to Beyer, with whom they used to be in close competition.

 

[Disiskurt]

I actually stumbled on an eBay auction last night and was really psyched. It had 6 days to go, but I checked again today only to find that the listing was ended with the cryptic message, "The seller ended this listing early because the item is no longer available for sale." Well gee, that says a lot!

Anywho, those MB Quart 450s look pretty nice, what do they go for and where can I get them from?

 

[facelvega]

How frustrating for an auction to disappear like that. I had that with a watch I wanted once, and it turned out the guy just kept pulling it because he didn't want it to go for a last-minute minimum bid. In the end I made a first-minute minimum bid and got the damny (a Silvana with an eta movement, very James Bond) on the third listing. Why not send the guy a message asking if he's going to relist?

Yeah, the QP450's do look nice, and I really wish I had those and not the open version, but you take what you can get with such hard to find headphones. The only place I know where you can buy a QP450 right now is on German ebay, but it's nearly full price and you'd have to ask for US shipping. Since they're so little-known these days, if the same headphone came up used it would surely go for less than 100. Alternatively you could just ask on the MB Quart website where you can get a pair in the US.

These guys and Beyerdynamic used to be in close competition in the 80s and early 90s, but MB started to focus on car audio and a little on high-end speakers, and left the headphone branch on the back burner catering mostly to pro and OEM customers. The headphones still on offer are like tweaked and evolved versions of the best Beyer headphones circa 1990-- in my opinion, old school in a good way. For me they're also the most comfortable headphones I've ever tried. The guy who runs the MB pro audio branch, Willi Pressuti, has actually written a few posts on head-fi in a thread about some old MB headphones I found.

Anyway, sorry to be a broken record pushing this company, but I really like the idea that a tiny old headphone company that once made some very cool headphones (earspeakers, electrostats, orthodynamics) is still chugging on almost in secret, making updated versions of vintage headphones.

 

[Disiskurt]

Hmmm...I'm going to keep an eye out on each of the headphones for the time being. And thanks for clueing me in on the QP 450, facelvega. Also, I sent a message to the seller that pulled the DT831 listing, but haven't received a reply yet.

 

[Disiskurt]

http://cgi.ebay.de/Kopfhoerer-beyerd...QQcmdZViewItem

Well, there's a DT831 auction up on German eBay, but I don't understand a word of it (babelfish doesn't help) and it seems like they're only looking to ship within Germany.

 

[rain_uk]

http://www.keene.co.uk/multi.php?mycode=DT831

This place appears to have the dt831

 

[Disiskurt]

Thanks a bunch, rain_uk!

I might try waiting a little bit longer for a used pair to come up, since while $167 shipped is fine for a new pair, the used value seems much lower. It's great to see that I have an option available though! Thanks again.

EDIT: I did the wrong currency conversion (I converted from the Euro instead of GBP) on finding out the USD cost of getting it from the Keene Electronics website, it would actually cost closer to $240 shipped. Sorry for misleading anyone.

 

[skullguise]

Another possible contender is the Sony CD-3000 if you can find it. Leaks some sound, but had a HUGE soundstage (sometimes seemed bigger than my Senn 650's) and lots of detail. Driven by the right amp, I never found them bright like some complained.

They are also discontinued, and fetch a high price used. Not sure how close the CD-1700 sounds, but that may also be an option.

But don't go putting away that HP1000 I sold you!