Best Trance Headphones
Jun 23, 2004 at 8:39 AM Post #3 of 72
Agreed, DT531 / DT440 are both excellent
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Also, I really like the DT880 for stuff like Shpongle/Infected mushroom, they don't have quite as much bass impact as the 531/440 but the sense of spaciousness they give is great for zoning out
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Jun 23, 2004 at 8:55 AM Post #4 of 72
The precision and clarity of the CD3K with a PPA (with hardware bass boost) is a pretty good combo, but it is a little lacking in the bass. Plus I guess that's a bit above your target price.

Actually you should probably ignore me. I'd love a recommendation for something that'd do the job well too
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Oh - avoid AKG 271s and Senn 280s.
 
Jun 23, 2004 at 9:55 AM Post #7 of 72
Quote:

Originally Posted by BaboonGuy
Hmmm. Is Beyer stuff quite bassy? I'm really sensitive to bass so I can't take too much of it.



The DT770/990 are too bassy IMO, but the DT531/440 do it just right.
 
Jun 23, 2004 at 10:06 AM Post #8 of 72
Quote:

Originally Posted by zoot2boot
nothing can touch cd3000s for trance... crazy soundstage takes it a level above imo


jeez they sound really tempting, but i can't afford $500+. so what's the best beyer/price of it i should look at?

and are grado sr225s and senn 580 or 595 not good for trance?
 
Jun 23, 2004 at 11:01 AM Post #9 of 72
Baboon guy, the Beyers have ample bass but its not overwhelming. Just right and very tuneful I'd say. And IMO, the DT531 is a bit better than even the CD3000 for trance, because of its better bass and more forgiving / groovy manner.

I've owned the following phones and this is what I thought of them (90% of my listening is trance BTW).

Beyer DT931 - Very bright, dynamic, fast, but fatiguing.
Beyer DT770 - Very bassy, sounds muddy and slow
Beyer DT880 - Nice soundstage, not groovy enough, weak bass impact
AKG K271 - Not good enough at all IMO
AKG K240S - Same as K271, but maybe slightly better. Too slow to be a trance headphone
Sony MDR-CD3000 - Very good, soundstage excellent, but coloured and totally brutally unforgiving, bass is slightly too weak.
Sennheiser HD650 - Too dark and slow for my tastes. Plenty of bass though.
Sennheiser HD580 - Quite good, but can be harsh in the treble, too slow.
Grado SR80 - Too uncomfortable, little soundstage, fatiguing
Beyer DT531 - Best yet, groovy, quite bassy but not over the top, good soundstage, best comfort and most forgiving. Magic with the right amp, inexpensive, flexible enough to cope with all genres.
Sony MDR-CD1700 - Like the CD3000 but warmer and more veiled.
Beyer DT990 - Better than the 770, but sounds fake.
 
Jun 23, 2004 at 11:20 AM Post #10 of 72
Sweet thanks for the help guys. Looks like the DT 531 is my headphone! I've looked online at the head-fi sponsors and none of them have it. Any idea of where I can get these cans?

Also, what would be a good (cheap) amp to pair with these? I will be using them on my laptop through an echo indigo pcmia sound card. oh and it has to be small/battery powered, because i'll be using it portably.
 
Jun 23, 2004 at 11:45 AM Post #11 of 72
Good luck finding one, they are discontinued. That is why I suggested the DT440 as an alternative, since a couple of members here believe they sound very similar.

The DT440 also has the bonus of being a lower impedance, making it more useful unamplified than the DT531.
 
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