[matheis]

hello!

i'm looking to get some beyers to use with my portable set-up. my sources will be one of the following:

sony mz-n10, sharp dr7, or rio karma -> portaphile v2 -> shure e3 or beyer (yet to be purchased)

i need some help deciding on which beyers to get. i'm looking in the sub-$200 range. so far i'm considering the dt440 on headroom, and the dt660, 770, 831, & 931 on b&h. if the price were right, i'd also thow in the dt860 or 880, as well.

i listen to idm (autechre, boards of canada, etc), jazz (miles, coltrane, etc), prog-rock (sigur ros, radiohead, godspeed you! black emperor, etc), and modern composition (john cage, philip glass, steve reich, etc).

suggestions on which beyers to get? i'll be using them sitting down at my desk at work - not walking around. when i work in the lab, i'll be working in a laminar flow hood (for those not familiar with it, it's a bit noisy) and might appreciate a bit of isolation. oto, i do have the shure e3 for isolation in the hood already.

and finally, the dt770 come in 80ohm and 250ohm. which would be better for my set-up, if i chose to go that route? the 250ohm version is ~$25 cheaper.

thanks!

nikolaus

oh yeah...what exactly is the 120ohm adaptor for Beyer headphones? I see it referenced alot but don't see it at Headroom or Meier anywhere. Help?

 

[grawk]

I can't say I'd recommend the beyer dt770s for a portable setup. I mean, I LOVE my 770-250s. They sound great. Lots of bass, great soundstage, etc. Big. Don't Fold. Don't store well. Look rediculous. They're great office cans.

 

[BrokenEnglish]

based on the music, you list, i'd bet, the dt860 could be the right cans for you, but i haven't heard them yet..

...the dt880 for sure are no portable phones... (their more loose fit and their power-hunger speaks against such use)

well... i also own the dt440 and while they yield some fun with that electronics stuff on your list (boards of canada are great!), i use them rarely for more complex acoustical/classical music (also jazz) - those are the domains of the dt880, which offer the clearly superior resolution and tempting sparkling highs...

 

[matheis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grawk I can't say I'd recommend the beyer dt770s for a portable setup. I mean, I LOVE my 770-250s. They sound great. Lots of bass, great soundstage, etc. Big. Don't Fold. Don't store well. Look rediculous. They're great office cans.

thanks for the reply. i've been poking around a bit more and think that the dt770-80 seem better suited than the dt770-250 for portable use anyway. i clarified my original post a bit noting that i'm not going to be using these walking down the street or anything - just at work

nikolaus

 

[Oink1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by matheis thanks for the reply. i've been poking around a bit more and think that the dt770-80 seem better suited than the dt770-250 for portable use anyway. i clarified my original post a bit noting that i'm not going to be using these walking down the street or anything - just at work nikolaus

Don't dismiss the DT770-250's - They sound damn good with my mini

 

[The Monkey]

Just curious why you haven't included the 250-80?

 

[matheis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey Just curious why you haven't included the 250-80?

after reading a bit, i thought the consensus was that the treble end of the sonic spectrum was veiled on these compared with the other beyers i mentioned, i guess. seems like the dt440 & dt660 offer a good headphone at a reasonable price. after reading JensL's headphone showdown (as well as just poking around a bit), i'm thinkin that one of these might be my next pair of headphones.

i like the fact that the dt440 seems to be a good groovalizer with a bit of detail thrown in, as well. i also like that it's open. i've already got the e3 and a pair of d66 (no flames, please

). so a pair of open headphones sounds nice.

the dt660 sounds nice, as it's been described as remarkable similar to the dt860. sounds like it has a good soundstage for being closed, too. i imagine it'll spank the d66 i've got.

so, keep the opinions coming on the headphones i asked about. if anyone with particular experience in the dt440 AND dt660 could weigh in on these (besides JensL, since we already have heard from him on this), i'd appreciate it.

thanks!
nikolaus

 

[Carbonman]

I can only comment on the DT831 and DT880. I have both. The 880 is the best headphone in its' price range. I have a pair of Sennheiser HD600s and the 880 stomps them. Keep in mind that I use loudspeakers as my point of reference and am not a truly hard-core cans geek.
The DT831 has good isolation and bass that is very extended. The bass is shelved down substantially when compared to the DT880 or HD600, but is very clean. I figured that I'd get rid of my 831s as soon as the 880s showed up, but find the 831s pleasant and non-fatiguingto listen to. I also have a maxed-out PPA to drive them and this probably accounts for the decent bass and not over-bright top end.
The DT 831 is what you have to call a "lean" or "fast" or "very detailed" headphone. As long as your source isn't on the bright side and your amp can put out enough current to give some bass, they are great cans. You'll hear things that most cans just don't reveal.
I don't know if this little diatribe helps, but it's just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Andrea]

Beyer apparently makes only a couple of phones that seem to be both fitting for my tastes and competitive in their class -- namely the DT880, *perhaps* the DT860 ...... I can't think of a third one.
I don't care for closed phones btw.

 

[amartignano]

I love my DT880, but I really will not go outside with them...

They are exagerated for a portable use.

Andrea

 

[felipe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by amartignano I love my DT880, but I really will not go outside with them... They are exagerated for a portable use. Andrea

I'm agree with you Andrea!!

 

[amartignano]

Quote:

Originally Posted by felipe I'm agree with you Andrea!!

Se you soon on videohifi, I want to know about the comparison!

Andrea

 

[b-sides]

DT880s are rather large and i'd imagine harder to drive on a portable. however, headroom claims that the 860s are some of the best availible for portables. i would guess by looking at design and price that the two models are very similar. however, i have not been able to find any complete reviews. can anyone vouch for these claims?