[Madant26x]

I posted this inside a thread but thought it would get more attention as it's own thread:

Hey everyone I'm new here. Before anyone says it, I do know what the "search" button is, and I have enlightened myself to a new world of headphone knowledge.

I'm looking into buying a set of high-end phones and am coming from the V600's which I've had for years

. I mostly listen to rap/hip-hop, rock, and techno music, so I'm looking for headphones that will be able to play the lows well. I definitely want sealed headphones for privacy and not to annoy my college roommates. Lastly, I am looking to spend >$200 and I want headphones that do not require an amp. I will be using the phones with my i-pod, laptop, and stereo.

So from my research, I have come down to two phones: Beyerdynamic DT 250-80 and AKG K271S. I have not seen a comparision of these two from searching on this site and headwize, though they seem to be similar. Could you all tell me the differences and which would be better suited to the music I listen to? Thanks.

 

[bangraman]

The K271 wins the sound test quite decisively. Excellent liquid and unfatiguing (and not over analytical) sound, very good extension, good soundstaging. The general response is suitable for all kinds of music. Above all, the sound has an intangible classiness. The Beyer is a long way behind in general sound, although both phones do lows well.


The 250-80 is the least isolating full size closed phone I've owned, and the 271S is one of the most isolating.


Both will work unamped out of the iPod although you might need an amp for your laptop. The 250-80 is fairly inefficient for an 80 ohm phone, and the 271 is very inefficient for a 55 ohm phone.


For comfort both phones are about the same, with the 250-80 being just a tiny bit more comfortable in my view. However it has very bad ergonomics in other areas, including an enormous headphone cable plug that is guaranteed to jab you in the shoulders. The K271 does not have this problem.


The 250-80 is more portable than the K271S with a rigid headband and less wide earcups. The 271 has a wire headband which may get bent in transit and wide round earcups. This is the only area in which I feel the K271 definitely loses over the DT250.


Does that help?

 

[Madant26x]

Wow, you just answer ALL of my questions, thank you very very much!!!

I do have a question about this:
Quote:

Originally posted by bangraman Both will work unamped out of the iPod although you might need an amp for your laptop. The 250-80 is fairly inefficient for an 80 ohm phone, and the 271 is very inefficient for a 55 ohm phone.

Can you explain further? What exactly does a low or high ohm mean, and how does it relate to the efficiency of the phone?

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

Originally posted by Madant26x Wow, you just answer ALL of my questions, thank you very very much!!! I do have a question about this: Can you explain further? What exactly does a low or high ohm mean, and how does it relate to the efficiency of the phone?

The two aren't necessarily always related, although high ohmage will affect what you hear as well. The impedance measured in ohms. The higher it is, the more resistance is introduced into the headphone amplifier circuit and typically higher impedance phones are quieter given the same output power of the connected headphone amp. But this is not the whole story, because although a phone may introduce high impedance into the circuit, it may be very efficient at using the power it's given and therefore sound louder as a result. The efficiency, measured in db/mw (typically in decibels with 1mw power input with a 1khz tone) tells you how loud the phone will be given a certain power level.


The AKG has a very low 91db/mw efficiency, but a fairly low impedance of 55 ohms. The 250-80 has a higher impedance of 80 ohms but a higher efficiency of 100db/mw. It can be confusing because very efficient phones with high impedances can be louder than low impedance phones which have low efficiency.


The result of the above figures though is that the Beyer will sound louder in the lab, although it has a higher electrical resistance. However, this is balanced out in the real world by the far better isolation of the AKG. Both phones are not that efficient compared to others like the Sennheiser HD25-1 but should be loud enough from an iPod and any good home headphone amplifier. However the laptop may not have enough power to drive them that loudly (although both should be acceptable).


If you live in Europe, it's imperative that you get one of the volume adjusting programs for the iPod that various enthusiasts have made. Otherwise both the Beyer and the AKG will sound incredibly quiet.

 

[Tyson]

bangraman,
Thank you, I've been wrestling over this same decision myself, I have 2 pair of Senn HD230's and one is getting sold so I can try a different flavor of headphone. Looks like the K271 Studio is in my very near future. . .

 

[bangraman]

I have Groove Armada playing now. The 271 is very techno friendly.

 

[Tyson]

Is $164 a good price? It's the best I could find. . .

 

[bangraman]

$164 is a very good price, especially as I got mine for £139.95 ($223), and I'm several thousand miles closer to AKG than you!!

 

[Madant26x]

bangraman, I think I understand it now. I live in the US, so there shouldn't be a problem with th ipod. Two more questions:

Will my laptop provide sufficient power for the headphones if it is plugged into an outlet? I rarely just use it off the battery. Does this make a difference? Or is it the power from the sound card?

Second, the reason I don't want to buy an amp is because I don't have an extra $100 to shell out over the cost of the headphones. Are there amps that cost around $50 that are decent? Or is making one myself the only low cost alternative?

 

[Tyson]

Cool, I just ordered it from DJ Mart. How does it compare to the Senn 280's? I think you've mentioned owning or hearing the 280's in the past. . .

 

[bangraman]

The maximum output rating of a laptop soundcard is highly veriable in both quality and power. The output will be the same regardless of whether it's plugged into the mains or not. I can't obviosuly tell you if it's powerful enough. But as I said, I doubt you'll find the AKG or the Beyer lacking in presence with either the iPod or the home system. If you decide you need an amp, the best and cheapest way is to build it yourself but I suppose you could try Tigger (aka Headsave)'s META42's. They aren't as expensive as other builder's amps based on the same design.


The 271 is definitely a better all rounder than the HD280. It's punchier yet more fluid in the delivery. That doesn't mean that the HD280 is very good value because it is, but the 271 is clearly a better headphone as a music listener in virtually all respects. My total headphone list even in the past 2 years will probably astonish you Tyson... Looking at it, it's not that funny as I suspect myself to have obsessive compulsive syndrome

It includes the entire current high-end Audio-Technica range from the A900 upwards (including the 2002), and that's only the beginning...

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally posted by bangraman The maximum output rating of a laptop soundcard is highly veriable in both quality and power. The output will be the same regardless of whether it's plugged into the mains or not. I can't obviosuly tell you if it's powerful enough. But as I said, I doubt you'll find the AKG or the Beyer lacking in presence with either the iPod or the home system. If you decide you need an amp, the best and cheapest way is to build it yourself but I suppose you could try Tigger (aka Headsave)'s META42's. They aren't as expensive as other builder's amps based on the same design. The 271 is definitely a better all rounder than the HD280. It's punchier yet more fluid in the delivery. That doesn't mean that the HD280 is very good value because it is, but the 271 is clearly a better headphone as a music listener in virtually all respects. My total headphone list even in the past 2 years will probably astonish you Tyson... Looking at it, it's not that funny as I suspect myself to have obsessive compulsive syndrome It includes the entire current high-end Audio-Technica range from the A900 upwards (including the 2002), and that's only the beginning...

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Very true. And without the Grato in the K271S's.

Okay, bangraman, you've owned even the Gratos at some point withing this obsessive spending spree, eh?

 

[Rizumu]

There should be a sticky somewhere that says the title format above is a no-no if you're asking for a comparison of phones. I thought I was going to get a cool review. Bangraman's comments are good enough though I guess

 

[Hiker]

I was just about to buy the AKG 271s but then I thought, what about the Ultrasone 650 Trackmasters! How do these two compare? Are the 271s that much better? Pricing is similar so that doesn't matter to me. Thanks.

 

[Hiker]

Hasn't anyone heard both the 650 trackmaster and the AKG 271? I am aware of their individual characteristics, but I was just wondering if one is clearing a better choice than the other.