[CJG888]

BTW, I am also intrigued by the DT150, and may get a pair when I get back to Europe next.

At the moment, my reference closed can is the DT48E, but this is not for everyone.

In terms of SQ, I would compare it to a well set-up Decca Super Gold cartridge. Fantastic speed and dynamics, amazing midrange clarity and resolution, but some odd colorations at the frequency extremes. Sometimes nothing else will do, sometimes they are infuriating. Oh, and the ergonomics are 1930s vintage!

 

[DCofficehack]

I was able to borrow a friend's FA-003 and put it through its paces. It's good. But I was underwhelmed, particularly for symphonic pieces. (Rush sounded great, as did my Zeppelin). Nothing sounded bad, but I guess I wanted it closer. Sort of like wanting to go from the back row to the front to get a better look and hear better, with greater definition.
 
Possibilities:
1. I was expecting too much.
2. It wasn't the phones, it was simply the switch from my exclusive use of IEMs which of course are more intimate.
3. It was the phones. Might I have had a different result from different phones?
 
Thoughts?

 

[mackcd]

The FA-003 were my first set of real headphones. I loved them when I had them, but I too felt underwhelmed after a while. I replaced them with Sennheiser HD380 Pro's. The 380's, to me, were a step up from the 003's. Some people think the 380's sound weird though. I found them neutral and accurate. My only wish is that they had slightly more bass. Its there, quick and punchy, but I wish it had a tad more boom at certain times... but then again I don't have an amp.

 

[DCofficehack]

So, we can all agree (I think) that for $100 the fa003 clones are fantastic. At $200, there's nothing that is clearly better-- just different, and thus preferable to the fa-003 to some by not others. I'm including the shr-840 and dt 250 in this category. Meaning maybe I'd like one of those better than the 003, but maybe not. Does such a thing as a headphone that's universally accepted as better than another? Or is it all a matter of taste once one gets beyond $30 crap? Or, do I just have to go up in price? Is there a $250 or a $300 pair that is clearly better?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DCofficehack]

I must confess to being tempted by the Senn Momentum Around-Ear, now that the price seems to have dropped to below $200.

 

[god-bluff]

Must admit only listened to them fairly briefly but I'd imagine they don't have the treble extension, soundstage and perhaps detail retrieval to be ideal for classical. Buy a Beyer !

 

[DCofficehack]

Must admit only listened to them fairly briefly but I'd imagine they don't have the treble extension, soundstage and perhaps detail retrieval to be ideal for classical. Buy a Beyer !

 
I just might do that: I just returned from Guitar Center, where I had gone in hopes of trying a DT 250 and a Shure 840. They had neither in stock, but they had a DT 770 (80 ohms). They offered to let me try one out of the box, and even though it was more than I wanted to spend ($225), I figured, what the heck? At least now I'll have another point of comparison.
 
So I plugged it into my iPhone 6 and dialed up the Beethoven. Wow.  I mean: Wow. Spectacular. Compared to the Fischer FA-003, it was brighter and more detailed. And there's a little more bass, just a tad, which I could really enjoy...in the symphonic stuff I sampled I appreciated being able to hear/feel the guys with the big double basses dig in with their bows while violins sang and triangles sparked. It was all there.
 
Bach cello: live.
Bjork: rich and textured.
Salif Keita; God, those drums
Rush: Yes!
 
Oh, plus they're crazy comfortable.
 
But here's the catch: I had to crank the volume of the iPhone up to max to hear the music well in the admittedly loud Guitar Center. I know from painful experience that I cannot do that with my IEMs without really hurting myself.
 
So: now that I know I dig the Beyer sound, do I get a 770 with 32 Ohms? Will it sound less good than the 80? Or, does this mean I should pull the trigger on some different Beyer model?

 

[god-bluff]

Good stuff. The DT770 Limited Edition has a great reputation so regular 32 ohm should be equally as good. 

 

[DCofficehack]

The 770/32 reviews complain of a recessed mid-range. I didn't notice, although I wasn't paying that much attention to the mids. Hopefully I won't notice now that it's been pointed out to me.
 
I'd love a big article spelling out all the differences among the Beyers. 150 v 250 v 660 v 770. Good grief. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[DCofficehack]

Anyone have any strong opinions on DT 770/32 vs. Soundmagic HP150? They're roughly the same price.

 

[MrPanda]

See?  I told you the Beyers were great!   There isn't much difference in the sound, but the 32 ohm will be easier to drive with just a phone. 
I have the 80 ohm version which is all-around terrific....

 

[cocolinho]

  Anyone have any strong opinions on DT 770/32 vs. Soundmagic HP150? They're roughly the same price.

Well.. to me 2 different beasts. HP150 will be more balanced than DT770 for sure. 
For classical, HP150 is a very good candidate!

 

[jodgey4]

I haven't tried many closed cans in this range, nor do I really listen to much classical, but I think the AKG K550/553 deserves a good look. It's like a closed Q701 which is highly recommended for classical. My only concern would be amping, and the stage might be too open for your ears. Incredibly extended, neutral, detailed, and tonal. Comfort and build are a plus too. The first can I'd call a step up from FA-003's.

 

[DCofficehack]

Thanks for the rec. Only recently have I stumbled across the K550 as a good option...
 
I pulled the trigger on the DT 770s. Why? I enjoyed what I heard when I tried it at Guitar Center, and I'm satisfied that for the extra $70 above what I would pay for XPT 100 Fischer clone, I would be getting something I'd enjoy more. Also, I think it's absurd for me to try to find the best 'fit' via written descriptions of different sound signatures. I don't have enough points of comparison. I'll either love the DT 770s, or I'll dislike them, but if I dislike them, I'll have a good point of comparison. If I start hunting for a replacement, I'll have a much more precise Idea of what I like and don't like.
 
I'll keep y'all posted.
 
I just hope I can resist the temptation to blow money on a DAC/Amp. I want to save that: my wife and I just bought a house, which means I'll finally have an opportunity to dabble in home audio. I figure that maybe then I should start thinking about upping my budget and getting some fancy open cans and an amp to power them....HD 600 anyone?

 

[DCofficehack]

An update: I'm now the proud owner of the a pair of Beyerdynamic DT-750/32 ohms.  Love them. I thought it best to christen these German cans with  Beethoven, the 6th symphony, to be precise, and I thought what I heard spectacular. Bright and shiny yet warm and engaging. Fantastic clarity. Too much bass? I don't think so, not at all. I heard stuff I hadn't heard before (sort of, hey, cellists, I heard that!), but I don't think I heard anything I wasn't supposed to hear; on the contrary, I'm finally hearing bass notes Beethoven wanted me to hear. Anyway, the only way I can really judge is if I could compare what I'm hearing via the DT-750s versus a live performance. Alas, I can't do that.
 
I'm listening to some "pop" music now, the wonderful band "The Family Crest." I hear nothing that would suggest that any part of the spectrum is over or under-emphasized. It's all great.
 
So, my bit of wisdom for fellow noobs is not to get lost in the quicksand of Head-fi trying to find the holy grail. Let the guys who have access to dozens of models, etc., the real audiophiles, to chase that. But if what you want is your first good pair of cans, pretty much anything that you can identify as being good quality and not excessively one thing or another will do. So, in my case, there were a half-dozen models, at least, that I could have purchased and that probably would have pleased me very much. So, pull the trigger, and move on. As it is, I'd argue that almost any pair of headphones at or above $100 will knock the socks off of Apple earbuds or anything else of the sort.