[Headzone]

  I can definitely say that my old desktop DAC Creative E-MU 0202 can't drive DT150 well enough, even though the volume is loud enough they just don't play. What I can hear is loud lifeless sound with no trace of emotion. Everything changes when I connect the cans to 15V powered Quickstep... This is when they wake up and get their in born drive. Don't underestimate the power of an amp with these cans. An amp is a must for DT150. Make no excuses like "my phone can easily make them loud enough". This is not enough! No power - no drive with these cans. This why I'm expecting PB2 which is even more powerful than Quickstep powered by an external 16V Energizer battery.
And as a side note. I can compare them with ATH-M50x which I also have. DT150 definitely outperforms m50 with a wider soundstage that suits most music genres. As for more private atmosphere, e.g. bard music where you don't need big soundstage, I still prefer M50 for closer sound and feel as if you are in the same small room with the performer.

Same here. Although with my Fostex T20RP. With amp they get so much dynamic and more effortless. Better layering too.

 

[jdpark]

I'm really looking forward to my DT150s coming in, but I have to say, particularly for those following here, my Beyer 990 pros do sound completely different when played through a vintage integrated receiver than through my relatively expensive rhinelander (+/-$600). Although the rhinelander has finesse, detail, and good spacing overall. My Onky Tx-330 from the early 1970s kills the bass, mids, and because it has analogue eqing possibilities, I can lower the treble a bit and make these sound much smoother in the top end. 
 
Is the lehmann rhinelander just a crappy amp for the money, or are vintage receivers just that good? Also, as much as I want to believe in DACs, my old denon CD player seems to help in the bass and mids department (better op amps?), as I have that hooked up to my Onkyo at the moment.
 
These phones just sound so thick, heavy, and smooth - like cold maple syrup. There is a bit of shimmering fuzz around the edges, compared to the HRT HD and Rhinelander, but the music is there, and it has so much weight. These phones just rattle my head with the double bass from Schubert's "Trout Quartet." I don't have any Dubstep CDs, but I can't image what the old CD player + Onkyo receiver would do. (The annoying thing is that the vintage combo cost less than half the price of the "What hi-fi" recommended gear) and yet carries so much more authority.
 
I feel like the vintage stuff is an old grandpa who fought in the war, telling his grandson to do some push-ups and drink some raw eggs to get some meat on his bones. It might be rough around the edges, but it sure is tough as nails.
 
The problem is that I can't carry around a 2 kg cd player and a 15kg vintage receiver... alas.. 

 

[god-bluff]

An old Discman will give you some of that vintage sound in a transportable if not portable form for very little money. I paid the princeley sum of£8.50 for my near mint D33 on fleebay. DT150s sound great but I must admit my 990 pros sounded even better from this particular source. I may need to get another pair very soon.

 

[jdpark]

I don't want to underestimate the awesomeness of your purchase, but this is not the same thing. I'm talking about a visceral experience where the music is literally in the room, and the bass sounds live, for relatively little money.  The power coming through these phones is incredible, and I forgot how good the sound is, because... you know, sometimes you purchase something and you want to give it the benefit of the doubt. 
 
The Lehmann Rhinelander is a good product, but not necessarily a good value. If you want bass that simply envelopes you in goodness, you need to look elsewhere. If you want a fleet-footed clean sound with nice transients for a lot of money, go no further.
 
Again, I'm looking forward to comparing, since Beyerdynamic seems to be asking the same price for both the 990 pro and the dt150. Does that mean they're on the same level in reality, no. Does that mean we should compare them, yes.

 

[nicolasete]

 
 
Again, I'm looking forward to comparing, since Beyerdynamic seems to be asking the same price for both the 990 pro and the dt150. Does that mean they're on the same level in reality, no. Does that mean we should compare them, yes.

 
The 990s are actually cheaper here, which is funny because when I first started getting into headphones they were quite more expensive.

 

[Defiant00]

  I've done my headphone research, now i have to find a dac/amp (and the money to buy it) ^^ 
 
I'm also under the impression that the leash will cost 4 times more than the dog
 
 
 
Do you use the same amp all the time or do you swap it depending on the task? If you have a favourite, which one is it?
 
If you change depending on tasks... what would you use for (in case you swap that much):
 

1. Movies (immersion)
2. Games (immersion first + decent enough competition)
3. Music:
   1. Jazz
   2. Orchestral classical
   3. Solo classical (solo piano, solo cello)
   4. Acoustic guitar (flamenco, etc)
   5. Blues-rock/Funk
   6. electronic music (trip-hop, big beat etc) (portishead, massive attack, proppelerheads, morcheeba, etc)
   7. cuban and other "world music" (mostly african folk stuff, mali, senegal, south africa, etc).
   8. stuff like muse or radiohead.

 
 
Feel free to englobe as many as you want in bigger groups to save work

 
Same amp for everything. If price is a primary concern I'd suggest the Schiit Magni at $99, you can start off using it with your sound card and can always add a DAC (Modi or otherwise) later as funds permit.

 

[Tiemen]

   
Same amp for everything. If price is a primary concern I'd suggest the Schiit Magni at $99, you can start off using it with your sound card and can always add a DAC (Modi or otherwise) later as funds permit.

 
Or/ and buy the ESI Juli@ soundcart, it has a great sound and won't break the bank.

 

[privilege15]

Ok, I bought iBasso PB2, upgraded it with LME49990 and dummy buffers as I'm still waiting for Ron's (HiFlight) op-amp topkit. I can definitely say that with PB2 at 16V of input power DT150 sound better compared to 15V powered Quickstep as the bass appears to become more articulate and deeper now. Although, on some vinyls (LPs) I have to turn the volume knob up to 4.0 - 4.5 hours at high gain with DT150 (250 Ohm) cans. I'm sure the matter is because I use dummy buffers so when I get the topkit I'll switch them with HA5002 and consider the sound again.

 

[privilege15]

I also recently made it to a headphones showroom in my city and had an opportunity to listen to a couple of much more expensive open and closed cans well known among head-fi community (no LCD 2 unfortunately). I will not name them as my ears still need more training and experience to judge the sound. This is why I don't want it to be a decision factor for anybody now. Anyway, after trying those cans I didn't feel much of a difference in sound quality but the difference in sound signature was apparent to my ears which might be a decision factor in favor of a certain pair of cans for those who like for example a darker or brighter sound. This was when I understood that DT150 are so good that I don't need to upgrade them in the near future and save some money for a desktop DAC/amp and good table top speakers.

 

[jdpark]

In the US for a conference and got these in. After about 15 hours of but in I'm super impressed. Vocals have so much clarity and emotion, and the bass is so right and yet pumping at the same time. Quite different from 990 pros. The highs are exactly as Lorspeaker describes. Not grainy but detailed and non-fatiguing on most recordings. Will update when I can compare directly and plug into something better than my fiio 10.

 

[nicolasete]

  [...] This is why I don't want it to be a decision factor for anybody now. [...] This was when I understood that DT150 are so good that I don't need to upgrade them in the near future and save some money for a desktop DAC/amp and good table top speakers.

 
That's a pretty big statement for someone who does not want to influence other's decission making =)
 
You make me want to buy them right now ^^

 

[Darkimmortal]

Just fitted MrSpeakers Alpha Pads to my DT190 (DT150 with a mic) - very difficult fit but it is possible through pure force.
 
Sub bass is now absolutely ridiculously powerful, I may have to remove my bass boost in equalizerapo that I've always used on these cans.
 
Could not recommend this change more if you like your bass. It's not overpowering, it just has that added thump that you normally only get on speakers, probably from the increased air gap

 

[Synthax]

Is it worth to convert DT150 to balanced version?

 

[Lorspeaker]

for the sake of knowledge, YES  
 
u hv the FELIKs amp... how does the dt150 sound on it? 

 

[Synthax]

  for the sake of knowledge, YES  
 
u hv the FELIKs amp... how does the dt150 sound on it? 

 
Well I love espressivo for its deep black backgroud, no noise, no hum. It is very versatile as it works as preamp. But to my taste it has a bit too rounded heights for DT150, and a bit to loose bass in DT150. But it sound very good with T70. 
Generally I like Espressivo with DT150 for a very 3D but lush presentation. Nice rig. With Lampizator DAC it is very envolving and offer great voices full of timbre and emotions.