[metalhed]

I am also looking into some good cans for classical music around $300 - I did read the reviews of the 50+ best headphones which was excellent:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/634201/battle-of-the-flagships-58-headphones-compared-update-audeze-lcd-2-revision-2-6-4-13
 
But some of those headphones listed there are now cheaper or may have been surpassed by later models. In particular, after checking Amazon.com, I found the following ones that interested me:
 
Audio Technica ATH-A900x -> $219 at Amazon
Beyer DT 660 Premiums -> $139 at Amazon
 
Both of these rated very well for classical music and excellent buys in their price ranges. The ATH's all seem to review excellent for sound, but not for how they fit on the head. The DT 660's are an older can and to be honest, I could get DT 880's for ~$250 so I'm not sure the 660's make sense although the price looks appealing.
 
Anyone owning these two headphones have any thoughts on which might be better?

 

[vkalia]

I have the A900X I got off classifieds from a member on head-fi. They are decent but nothing spectacular.

 

[Mink]

I find the A900Xs excellent, they are my 1st choice for classical.
They combine the best of two worlds: an intimate, warmish, slight fun sound with a solid bass, you'll find in closed headphones and a pretty large open soundscape, with excellent imaging, characteristics you'll find in open-back headphones.
Since I prefer closed headphones over open-backs I may be more forgiving to A900Xs flaws, nope they are not entirely neutral, nor is the soundstage on par with similar priced open-back headphones.
But they are very musical, whatever that means...yep it is all just very subjective

 

[Claritas]

  Audio Technica ATH-A900x -> $219 at Amazon
Beyer DT 660 Premiums -> $139 at Amazon
 
Both of these rated very well for classical music and excellent buys in their price ranges. The ATH's all seem to review excellent for sound, but not for how they fit on the head. The DT 660's are an older can and to be honest, I could get DT 880's for ~$250 so I'm not sure the 660's make sense although the price looks appealing.
 
Anyone owning these two headphones have any thoughts on which might be better?

 
You're right about DT880 instead of DT660. They're on different levels. DT880 is a very good headphone like the other mid-priced headphones commonly recommended for classical such as K70x and HD6x0. DT660 is really a portable, not a main headphone for home listening. It's good but not very good. David's thread about it made it known among classical buffs. I saw a pair on FS for $99.
 
I've been curious about AD900 and AD900x, but my impression of Audio-Technica has always been good but not very good, so I'm wary. Another concern is comfort because their earcups tend to be shallow. Some AD900 owners reported that the tips of their ears were touching the felt in front the drivers. I can believe that. Supposedly, AD900x doesn't have this problem. But 900x was made in China instead of Japan, so I'm concerned about quality control. They're still on my list, but not high up. If you own it, please tell us more.

 

[Mambosenior]

Originally Posted by Claritas /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
DT660 is really a portable, not a main headphone for home listening. It's good but not very good.
 

 
Are you kidding? The 660 is as good as the 880 in many things. I own them both. By portable I gather you are referring to the earcups folding up neatly due to the swivel mechanism as it is, in every respect, a full-sized headphone. Don't let the price fool you, the 660 is an extraordinary headphone on many levels.

 

[snowshoe]

Stating the obvious here, but since the OP initially asked for an open pair of headphones, I'll point out that the ATH-A900x is closed. I currently own the ATH-A900x, DT-990 Pro, KRK 6400, and GMP 250. Of those four, the ATH-900x are heads and shoulders above the other three, particularly for classical. There was some debate about soundstage on this thread (or am I thinking of a different one?). Personally, I find that the Audio-Technica's do the best job of spatializing instruments (and spatially distinct sounds). For example, in the version of Eric Satie's Trois Gymnopédies (Aldo Ciccolini) I have, not only can I hear almost every pedal movement (piano pedal), but I hear them in the appropriate place (if that makes sense), so much so that, if I've forgotten the experience, I start looking around the base of my desk for the source of the sound.
I suppose they are not entirely neutral, particularly compared to the KRK's...
 
Now, the ATH-900x are rather uncomfortable for long listening periods. I find that the clamp is just too tight and so they will eventually give me a headache if I wear them too long.

 

[Claritas]

  DT660 is really a portable, not a main headphone for home listening. It's good but not very good.

 

  Are you kidding? [...] By portable I gather you are referring to the earcups folding up neatly due to the swivel mechanism as it is, in every respect, a full-sized headphone. [...]

 
DT660 is especially good for a closed headphone at any sort of string music, which makes it good for orchestral music generally. I think that's why it has been recommended for "classical." It plays piano music adequately, but I found it slow and uninvolving. Organ music sounds literally painful. So, good but not very good. You obviously enjoy it as much as I wish I could. 

 
I suppose one can use it at home as a closed model, if you need one there. So far among closed models, I prefer SRH840. It's inferior to DT660 at strings and orchestral, but better at piano and not bad at anything: it's another good but not very good headphone. I haven't yet found a very good closed model and I'm still looking, so recommendations are welcome.

 

[earfonia]

   
 
Stop recommending the Soundmagic HP100  ......... i tested them against 3 others in similar price range and they are BAD!
 

 
Well, I disagree with you about HP100.  In my opinion they are very good closed headphones, especially for those looking for natural tonal balance with good clarity.  For those looking for dark sounding headphones, with explosive bass, they are not suitable.

 

[Lorspeaker]

   
You're right about DT880 instead of DT660. They're on different levels. DT880 is a very good headphone like the other mid-priced headphones commonly recommended for classical such as K70x and HD6x0. DT660 is really a portable, not a main headphone for home listening. It's good but not very good. David's thread about it made it known among classical buffs. I saw a pair on FS for $99.
 
I've been curious about AD900 and AD900x, but my impression of Audio-Technica has always been good but not very good, so I'm wary. Another concern is comfort because their earcups tend to be shallow. Some AD900 owners reported that the tips of their ears were touching the felt in front the drivers. I can believe that. Supposedly, AD900x doesn't have this problem. But 900x was made in China instead of Japan, so I'm concerned about quality control. They're still on my list, but not high up. If you own it, please tell us more.

 
i owned the ad900x n Q701 together b4,  the AD isnt as refined sounding as the AKG...
AD is more "perforated"...more "coarse".  Q701 is smoother..
i sold the AD first...

 

[Bigglesworth]

First post here guys! I'm a classical music listening nut and professional classical musician and my go to headphone for all things classical are my hd580's. Quite transparent and lifelike with very accurate midrange tonality - really great for mass string sound. Since hd600 uses the same drivers, I can also recommend them. I think it's important that a Classical music headphone give a representation of an orchestra a few rows back and not right in front of the orchestra to give a sense of scale, especially so as they aren't too harsh for loud dynamic passages. Hd600/580s offer this experience...not a surprise that many of the professionals working on classical recordings use them. If they're good enough for them, they're good enough for you.

 

[metalhed]

Thanks all! I ended up finding the DT880's on Amazon for $199 (250 ohm) - I ordered those and a Fiio e12 amp for $129 - I have the iBasso DX50 so with that combo I hope I am good to go...

 

[Claritas]

Glad if I was able to be helpful. (I got to learn about ZMF, so thank you too). Enjoy, and please tell us about your experience with DT880.

 

[punks15]

First post here guys! I'm a classical music listening nut and professional classical musician and my go to headphone for all things classical are my hd580's. Quite transparent and lifelike with very accurate midrange tonality - really great for mass string sound. Since hd600 uses the same drivers, I can also recommend them. I think it's important that a Classical music headphone give a representation of an orchestra a few rows back and not right in front of the orchestra to give a sense of scale, especially so as they aren't too harsh for loud dynamic passages. Hd600/580s offer this experience...not a surprise that many of the professionals working on classical recordings use them. If they're good enough for them, they're good enough for you.

Yes the senns are good recommendations too if you want a slightly dark sound for classical

 

[CJG888]

Suggestion:

Open: HD600 (with aftermarket silver or SPC cable)
Closed: DT-250 (250 Ohm version!!!)

 

[WitHuntybee]

I really enjoy my HD598s for classical.