[derbigpr]

Ok guys, I need help quite quickly (until tomorrow lol).  
I planned on buying the DT770 (250) headphones, but as I walked into my local store and asked the salesman to order them for me , he offered me the DT990  32 ohm version that he had on the shelf.   He said that 990 are better headphones than 770 and that he can give me a 20% discount on them,  which would make them cost only slightly more than DT770's.
 
So...my concern is that the DT990 has 32 ohms impedance, which makes it "the worst" of the DT990 if i understand correctly after reading loads of reviews.  
 
However, what no reviewers say or explain in detail is HOW MUCH (and please be honest) worse are the DT990 32 ohm version compared to their 250 ohm and 600 ohm version?  Lets say when used with a cheap low/mid tier amplifier like Fiio E9.
I am aware that they all sound somewhat crappy with portable sources, even though 32 ohm version get loud on ipod unlike 250 and 600 versions.   
Do 32 ohms sound MUCH worse and sound like different / less expensive / worse headphones compared to 250 or 600 ohm version from an amp, or is it really a tiny difference that most people would not notice and its not like your missing out on something noticeable?   Is the difference drastic, or is like changing the some EQ settings by 1 or 2 db's?
 
Also, how would the DT770 (250 ohm) compare to the DT990 (32 ohm)?  So far after reading loads of reviews my conclusion is that they are pretty similar in sound signature but DT990 have a big more bass and treble...but again, nobody describes the differences in detail. 
Do the 32 ohm version give you like 98% of the quality that you get from 250 and 600 version, is it more like 60% of quality?
 
Which ones would you pick if you wanted FUN headphones , that dont necessarily need to be neutral. I have opened Sennheiser cans to listen to classical, vocal, jazz, but now I need something for hip-hop, techno, rock, metal, pop...something more aggressive, punchy and fun.
 
 
Thanks in advance for your opinions.
 

 

[HaVoC-28]

Take a look here :
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/513393/guide-sonic-differences-between-dt770-dt990-models-more

 

[derbigpr]

Thanks,  i read that already, but as I said, nobody says how BIG the differences between 32 ohm and 250 / 600 ohm versions are when using a weak amplifier.
 
I really want to know whether the difference between using the 32 ohm version with a cheap amp and 600 ohm version with a good amp is worth the price difference of a couple of hundreds of dollars.

 

[spekkio]

I have listened to the DT990 on all 32, 250 and 600 ohm impedances on weak amplifiers (Fiio E7, handphone phone out etc). I noticed that for the 32 and 250 ohm versions, the highs are very spiky and trebley, while the bass is rather muddy. This is as compared to the 600 ohm one on the same setup. The extent of listening tolerability rises with the ohmage -> 32 as least listenable and 600 as most. The treble spikes are very jarring on the 32 ohm one and I had to use bass boost level 3 on the E7 to make it barely listenable. The spike was less jarring with the 250ohm one in that I didn't need the bass boost function. For the 600 ohm, the highs are actually much more subtle in comparison. They still retain the sound character of the 600ohm 990s but do not sound like they are out to kill your ears. 
 
I would say that even with an inexpensive setup, the 600 ohms990s represent the best choice out of the three because they do not sound bad no matter what setup you use. They scale better as well. Do not worry about volume and the ease of driving them because you will obtain decent volume out of almost any source (even the Fuze). It is just that the dynamics may not be fully there.

 

[derbigpr]

Ok , thanks a lot.  I'll see what I'll do. For now, ill put these headphones on hold, and try to get a hold of a better amp.  Currently im running Asus Xonar D2X + Fiio E9,   but i think ill go ahead and buy Nuforce Icon HDP, as some say for 500$ it gives you the quality of some 1500+ $ amp / dac combos.

 

[jupitreas]

I'd be careful with that, some Nuforce devices measure very badly and are therefore very over-priced. The Fiio should be a better choice. Price is not everything, you have to think about what an amp is actually supposed to do. The Fiio E9 does just that without adding any coloration.
 
Quote:

Ok , thanks a lot.  I'll see what I'll do. For now, ill put these headphones on hold, and try to get a hold of a better amp.  Currently im running Asus Xonar D2X + Fiio E9,   but i think ill go ahead and buy Nuforce Icon HDP, as some say for 500$ it gives you the quality of some 1500+ $ amp / dac combos.

 

 

[derbigpr]

Yea I know, but Nuforce HDP is really a high-end device for 500$, and offers sound quality for much more.  I'll also check out Pro-Ject Headbox SE II, the newest version, as its apparently also very good. Its about 350$, as an amp only, without DAC.