[Geissler]

Hi all! I want to buy a pair of closed headphones for recording and mixing music. I've narrowed it down to the beyers, either the dt150 or the dt770 pro.

advantage dt150
- more accurate sound reproduction (true/false?)
- awesome old-school looks
- 20 euros cheaper

advantage dt770
- more comfortable
- 80ohm impedance, can run them off any source
- more comfortable

basically, I have two questions. First, exactly how much better is the sound quality of the dt150? Will I still be able to get a decent mix if I settle for the 770? And second, if I do get the 150, can my soundcard drive them? It's a native instruments audio kontrol 1 (AK1) and I'm not sure what specs I need to look for in the tech sheet to get this info..

Many thanks!

 

[lejaz]

I haven't tried either, but FWIR the dt770 pro is not nearly as accurate as the 150 for mixing...somewhat scooped out mids and hyped bass. I've often seen it referred to as a 'bass monster'...not exactly what you would want for producing an accurate mix. Have you considered the ath m50? They can be easily driven by even an iPod. To answer your second question, I think yes...the audio control should have a powerful enough amp. I'm not %100 sure, but assuming it's a pro audio interface, I would think it has a decent headphone amp. I use an emu 0404 usb interface and it seems to have more than enough power even for the 600ohm k240DF. Why don't you e-mail the tech support at NI?

 

[phandrew]

If you are mixing music then go with DT150.

 

[Geissler]

Lejaz, as it happens I also have a pair of k240DF. I'm looking into a new pair because these leak a lot while recording, and for critical listening they have let me down.. practically zero bass and really muddy midrange. I have a feeling this could be down to their massive impedance.

Maybe these will improve once I get an amp but for now I need something that is closed and will sound decent unamped. I think this last requirement eliminatese the dt150 at 250ohm (hadn't noticed this before).
So the contenders are the dt770(80 ohm), ath-m50 and the AKG k271 mkII.
I am really drawn to the AKG industrial design, one of the things I love about the 240DF. However, I've heard people on this forum saying they are lacking in bass. I don't want to get a headphone which sounds exactly the same as the 240DF - variety will be good for the mixes.

To summarise, here are my requirements. If anyone has any other suggestions then go right ahead:
- accurate sound reproduction for mixing
- closed
- low impedance (no amp)

 

[jageur272]

I can run the DT150 unamped right out of my laptop headphone out. If you're mixing music and you don't have a headphone amp/distributor, than the quality that you get out of it unamped should be fine.

In otherwords, the DT150 should be fine. And it's invincible.

 

[lejaz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geissler /img/forum/go_quote.gif Lejaz, as it happens I also have a pair of k240DF. I'm looking into a new pair because these leak a lot while recording, and for critical listening they have let me down.. practically zero bass and really muddy midrange. I have a feeling this could be down to their massive impedance. Maybe these will improve once I get an amp but for now I need something that is closed and will sound decent unamped. I think this last requirement eliminatese the dt150 at 250ohm (hadn't noticed this before). So the contenders are the dt770(80 ohm), ath-m50 and the AKG k271 mkII. I am really drawn to the AKG industrial design, one of the things I love about the 240DF. However, I've heard people on this forum saying they are lacking in bass. I don't want to get a headphone which sounds exactly the same as the 240DF - variety will be good for the mixes. To summarise, here are my requirements. If anyone has any other suggestions then go right ahead: - accurate sound reproduction for mixing - closed - low impedance (no amp)

Sorry, I assumed the audio Kontrol had an amp. The DF's sound anything but muddy with my emu 0404 amp, so I guess yours are underpowered. I would pass on the dt770 pro for the reasons I mentioned. M50 may be your best bet, because all the akg's I've heard are somewhat(or even more than somewhat) lacking in bass. Haven't heard the DT150 but have read lots of praise on the forum. You can also do a forum search on the RP21. I think it is probably comparable the M50. It seems very similar in frequency balance to my Event speakers...with better bass. My speakers have only 5" woofers.

 

[Geissler]

I think I'm going to email native instruments support, because with the k240DF I can get enough volume to hurt my ears but it sounds muddy and extremely lacking in bass.

Interesting that the dt150 can be powered from a laptop soundcard, have you tried it with an ipod or another DAP? Have you compared it with an amplifier to see if it improves substantially? Does headphone impedance really mean anything?? I would have thought that the 80 ohm dt770 would be far easier to drive the than 250 ohm dt150.

I'm resisting the dt150 because another member of this forum, Tiemen, eventually returned them because they were so uncomfortable. dt770 has a reputation for amazing comfort..
I'm also resisting the audio technicas because they look like they're made of extremely flimsy plastic, unlike the beyers or the AKG.

oh my, the tribulations of choosing headphones..

 

[Geissler]

update: a quick test with the big marantz amp at my parents' house reveals that the K240DF are actually driven quite nicely by my audio kontrol 1. The amp does fatten up the mids and lows a little bit but the difference is not earth shaking. Conclusion: I'll have no problem driving the dt150.

I'm getting the dt150, comfort be damned. My 240DF are plenty comfortable and they'll still be around for when I get tired or I need to doublecheck a mix.
Sometimes the only thing that can get you out of a deadlock is recklessness.. I'm placing my order, hope I'm not disappointed!

 

[phandrew]

I made my DT150 more comfortable by squeezing the pads so that they softened more. Running the DT150 through a laptop port will work but won't get the full potential of the headphone.

 

[Geissler]

Thanks for the tip phandrew. I don't plan on driving them from my laptop, it turns out my soundcard has more than enough juice for a pair of 250ohm cans.

The order is placed, still not sure whether I should have gone with the trusty 770s. Oh well, if anything goes horribly wrong I have 30 days to return them!

 

[Tiemen]

The DT150 is in my opinion a much better and natural sounding headphone than the DT770 Pro 80 ohm.

 

[Geissler]

Thanks Tiemen. If the discomfort is too much for me to bear I'll return them and get the ath-m50 everyone is raving about. How is thomann for returns?

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geissler /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks Tiemen. If the discomfort is too much for me to bear I'll return them and get the ath-m50 everyone is raving about. How is thomann for returns?

I never returned an item to Thomann, so I don't know.
But their consumer service is rather good in my experience.

 

[leeperry]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geissler /img/forum/go_quote.gif How is thomann for returns?

perfect! they reimbursed my 1 day old Proline750 on the spot, and included the return shipping costs

 

[jageur272]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geissler /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the tip phandrew. I don't plan on driving them from my laptop, it turns out my soundcard has more than enough juice for a pair of 250ohm cans. The order is placed, still not sure whether I should have gone with the trusty 770s. Oh well, if anything goes horribly wrong I have 30 days to return them!

Trusty 770s? The 150's are more widespread in sound engineering use! The only time I've seen 770's used were for the musicians playing. Also, the 150's sounded okay with my Sansa e280, but amping really helped, even with my cheap Qinpu.