Beyer 880 vs AKG K501 Shoot out

[atx]

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If you already had a Sennheiser HD580/600 and you wanted a second headphone, between the K501 and the DT880, which would give you more of a different flavor?

Definitely the K501.

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My opinion here is completely unoriginal-- the AKG has one glaring, obvious flaw (awful bass extension), and one really brilliant aspect (the midrange). The flaw, as far as I'm concerned, makes most of my music unlistenable on the AKG

Maybe I'm one of the minorities then. I don't think the K501's bass is lacking at all-- not in a quiet listening environment anyway. Outdoors is a different story; I do find the bass weak and lacking there. I'm using the sr71/portaphile2 as an amp.

 

[Gigabomber]

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Originally Posted by atx I'm using the sr71/portaphile2 as an amp.

I have heard that the sr-71 meshs very well with the K501, and this is a bit encouraging since I just got one.

 

[Bill Ward]

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Originally Posted by Borat If you already had a Sennheiser HD580/600 and you wanted a second headphone, between the K501 and the DT880, which would give you more of a different flavor?

The DT880 is reported to resemble the HD600 (which I have not heard), so I'd say the K501 would be the choice for a change of pace.

On the original question, I can think of two questions that would influence my choice. The first would be the the amp used. Both headphones are in need of an amp. I find the Beyers somewhat uninvolving with my PPA, but they seem very different when driven with a tube setup.

The other question would concern the musical preference. I have both headphones, and I greatly prefer the K501s for vocals, chamber and small ensemble music. The Beyers come into their own with orchestral and choral recordings where their bass weight is brought into play.

That being said, I'd go with the AKGs on this desert island because they sound cleaner to me, but I'd not feel deprived with the DT880s.

BW

 

[atx]

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I have heard that the sr-71 meshs very well with the K501, and this is a bit encouraging since I just got one.

When I got my 501s, I did subject it to about 3 days of subwoofer test tones (20 - 200 hz) at high volume. I don't know how much benefit this had on the bass if I hadn't done it, but I thought the improvement was quite significant.

Both the sr71 and portaphile2 mates very well with the k501. The sr71 helps the bass extension and adds a very spacious top end (not to mention phenomenal imaging!). With the portaphile2, the k501 never sounds thin and that great midrange gets even better (lush and full) ! It's hard to decide which amp is better-- they both have their own specialties.

 

[S_Dedalus]

The beyers have great extension, but a somewhat metallic sound. What the K501s do reproduce is wonderful. I'd have them both if I had to choose between them, just because they both do the one thing that the other can't do. Actually I'd have SR-325's or HD600's instead of either. Funnily enough, I'm about to add HD650's to my woody SR-325's.

 

[White Fox]

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Originally Posted by Aman The DT880s may be a more balanced headphone, but much more dynamic as well.

This is something that doesn't get brought up much. The K501s sound very flat to me. The micro-dynamics are incredible, but the macro-dynamics are very poor IMO. Also, they can sound hard at very high volumes (my definition of very high volume seems to be a lot higher than others who use the K501. I prefer 'realistic' levels, which the K501 can barely achieve before sounding hard). Ability to play at very high volumes would also be helpful if you have to overcome the background noise of the ocean and wild boars...

 

[rsaavedra]

I don't vote because I wouldn't know unless having both to compare side by side. Long time ago I heard the 501's for a relatively long time, almost a month but eventually returned them. They sounded great for voices, but they lacked a bit of bottom end for my taste. The 880 I've only heard in meets, and have never been much impressed with them. I would think they have more bass than the 501's, but voices I didn't like as much on the 880 as I remember the 501's.

 

[wualta]

It's just possible that the K501's bass is slightly overdamped. But that would mean that some well-judged bass boost would bring up a very tight and clear low end. Has anyone tried kicking the K501 in the fundament to see how it takes bass EQ?

 

[Gigabomber]

I have heard that the K501s do have tight and controlled bass with the fantastic and engrossing mids, and that is why I decided to pick them over the 880s because I do not seem to lust after bloated bass like I used to, and I have never heard the 880s described as tight and controlled in the lower bands. But now, Others have posted that both the highs and lows are drastically rolled off, causing the cans to be great for only a small selection of music. I posted this thread to get down to brass tacks because I do not like the somewhat veiled sound of these 595s, but I couldn't stand the bright edge of the ms-2is I sold. The 880s would be the natural midground because I want a good jack-of-all-trades, but if the mids are that sweet with the 501s, I might just go that route, hence the "be accountable for your vote" in my thread-starting post.

 

[SDA]

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It's just possible that the K501's bass is slightly overdamped. But that would mean that some well-judged bass boost would bring up a very tight and clear low end. Has anyone tried kicking the K501 in the fundament to see how it takes bass EQ?

Well enough, but what it lacks is that bass growl (as another member pointed out).. the notes just seem to fade away too quickly.


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But now, Others have posted that both the highs and lows are drastically rolled off, causing the cans to be great for only a small selection of music.

The K501's bass really isn't drastically rolled off at all. It starts to roll off at 40-50Hz or so, but is still acceptable (though hardly flat) down to 20Hz or so. The HD580/600's bass is rolled off too, but this isn't noticed as much due to the midbass hump and how long low notes linger. Either way, it's that lack of growl that makes the K501 less suitable for many types of music.

Treble is hardly drastically rolled off either. Treble response looks like a cardiogram as usual, but it's nothing out of the ordinary (for a headphone). Certainly doesn't look like cheap phone or Shure canalphone roll-off (not associating Shure's canalphones with cheap 'phones, just saying they both have pretty bad treble roll-off).

 

[wualta]

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Originally Posted by SDA Well enough, but what it lacks is that bass growl (as another member pointed out)..

That's starting to sound like resonant bass to me, ie, on the underdamped side. Nothing wrong with that; it's what most people prefer, since they're used to speaker sound in a room with its resonant modes, and headphone makers are always working against the prejudice that headphone bass is thin and watery.


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The HD580/600's bass is rolled off too, but this isn't noticed as much due to the midbass hump and how long low notes linger. Either way, it's that lack of growl that makes the K501 less suitable for many types of music.

Does the 580/600 have growl, then?

 

[spike33]

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Originally Posted by wualta It's just possible that the K501's bass is slightly overdamped. But that would mean that some well-judged bass boost would bring up a very tight and clear low end. Has anyone tried kicking the K501 in the fundament to see how it takes bass EQ?

Well said, k501 has some of the tightest bass around, every bass note is heard clearly even on fast tracks. I use a little to alot of bass boost and it takes it very well. The bass problem is really overblown, it's a shame people go after quantity over quality.

 

[SDA]

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That's starting to sound like resonant bass to me, ie, on the underdamped side. Nothing wrong with that; it's what most people prefer, since they're used to speaker sound in a room with its resonant modes, and headphone makers are always working against the prejudice that headphone bass is thin and watery.

You mean that "bass growl" sounds like resonant bass, or that the lack thereof does? The former makes more sense to me, but I want to make sure.


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Does the 580/600 have growl, then?

Definitely. Low notes take longer to fade than with most of the other headphones I've tried. It works quite nicely with some music, but I find it annoying sometimes. Honestly, I'd rather have something in the middle, probably nearer the K501. I guess that'd explain why I use the K501 90% of the time.

 

[atx]

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Honestly, I'd rather have something in the middle, probably nearer the K501. I guess that'd explain why I use the K501 90% of the time

I barely touch my 580s ever since I got my 501s... which pretty much says what my preferences are.

1. k501
2. hd580
3. dt880
4. sr225

 

[bubbagump]

a vote for the 501. The airiness and mids rule all. Never heard the 880s though. ask me after the meet