Beyer Dt770/80's vs. Audio Technica A700's

[infjew]

Which are better and whats the difference between the a900's and a700's?
im not going to be using an amp.

 

[Jaska]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infjew /img/forum/go_quote.gif im not going to be using an amp.

With no amp, better steer clear of the DT770-80.

 

[infjew]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaska /img/forum/go_quote.gif With no amp, better steer clear of the DT770-80.

why is that? ive had people tell me i dont need an amp for the dt770s

 

[Jaska]

They are a very demanding (power hungry) headphone, and sound quite awful without proper amplification. When amped well, they're hard to beat if the sound signature is something you like.

The ATH-A900 on the other hand is reported to sound pretty good with even modest amplification. I don't own these, so can't vouch for this.

 

[infjew]

i will be using these with a laptop so power isnt really a concern...ive heard so much about the a900's but they are slightly out of my price range does anybody know anything about the a700's?
also anybody else say the dt770s are crap without an amp?

 

[Jaska]

If you're wanting to go with a closed headphone that's easy to drive straight from a laptop, I would suggest either the beyerdynamic DT250-80 or the AKG K-271 S. In my opinion, you really can't go wrong with either of them.

 

[Asr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infjew /img/forum/go_quote.gif Which are better and whats the difference between the a900's and a700's? im not going to be using an amp.

There is no "better" here and if you want to know anyway, there's only one way to do it, you have to listen for yourself. Everyone here can tell you what they think but you can't make a good decision without hearing both for yourself.

As for the difference between the A700 and A900 (other than obvious model number and price), do you really want to settle on the A700 when you'll always have a nagging feeling of wanting to know how the A900 sounds? I think not! Just save up and go for the A900 first!

I've heard the DT770-80, DT250-80, and AKG K271S, and I dissent with the previous post that said the latter two are easy to drive. Well the DT250-80 is easier to drive than the K271S but both benefit a lot from amping (the K271S much more so, I would not use it without an amp in fact). You can certainly use the Beyerdynamic cans without an amp but I wouldn't really recommend it. If you want their bassy signature to be under control, you'll want an amp.

Audio-Technica headphones are among the most easily driven from a computer, and their lower-end headphones work just fine unamped too. Grado too, depending on how you're planning to use these headphones.

 

[Jaska]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asr /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've heard the DT770-80, DT250-80, and AKG K271S, and I dissent with the previous post that said the latter two are easy to drive.

Fair enough. I own all three of these, and have listened to them amped and unamped. From all the reports I've read about the K-271 Studio benefiting so tremendously from amping, it sure hasn't proven to be the case for my ears. The changes are minor.

Someone might still come along and say the DT770-80 sounds great unamped, and that opinion will count too...

 

[infjew]

ok so with NO AMP and NEVER WILL GET AN AMP what do you guys think i should get for <$150

i just want them completely closed, decent bass, and comfortable so I can wear them for hours.

 

[Jaska]

The DT250-80 is a lot more slim and trim than the K-271S, but both are comfortable for extended listening. If your ears are the slightest bit large, you may have fit problems with the DT250-80, and this could cause some pain after a while.

When you say "decent bass," right away I think you may prefer the DT250-80 over the K-271S. I happen to like the bass of the AKG, but not for all types of music and not all the time. When I need a switch, I go for my DT770-80 or HD-580. I do find that the bass of the DT250-80 is sufficiently deep and reasonably well controlled even when running straight out of the headphone jack of my Karma.

 

[infjew]

thanks for your help.

 

[HPIMTRACER]

I'm looking to purchase the DT770pro 80's and you say they need an amp.. Which amp would you recommend no more than 100$, thats portable and can be plugged into a laptop?