GN3RAL KARL
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2009
- Posts
- 263
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- 19
I've owned almost all the DT770-990 series, and some of them in different impedances. The "old-skool" DT860's takes the cake. I was immediately hooked on the forward mids (yup, they are more forward than the DT880, regardless of impedance), deep, punchy bass (but not as loose as the DT990), and the deliciously shimmery highs. What got me interested to try these was that Headphoneinfo dot com tested these with machines that, apparently, I don't own. One test was the maximum loudness test.
This test interests me greatly because I like my music loud. Really loud. These can achieve almost 115db SPL at the ear. With no distortion of the bass notes - which is usually the first thing that appears with all headphones when it's cranked (for comparison, the DT770 hits a measly 103db and both the DT880 and 990, regardless of impedance, punches a bit more at 107db [Still not enough for me]. In addition, the T70P hits 112db. I hope if Beyer does release a Tesla version of the DT880 [T80] or DT990 [T90], *speculation*, that they can achieve at least 116db). Considering that the can gets loud, and it's from Beyer (my fave), I figured nothing could go wrong. Man I was right. I just sold my DT990 32ohm recently - and don't miss it not one bit.
The DT860 have solid construction, they are certainly heavier and more durable than the 770-990 series, so you can let your child play with them. If he breaks the phones, your son will grow up to be the Hulk. Stop feeding him prime-cut. The black velours on these are not quite as cushy as the grey/silver ones on the DT990. The cups are shallower as well on the DT860 and they clamp almost as tight as the DT770 pro's. However, with some modding (inserting foam pieces), the DT860's become very comfortable - almost on the same line as the consumer edition DT880-990.
The imaging is great, the bass is tight and surprisingly thick, but the DT880 600ohm (my previous favorite) is a touch more controlled in the low-end. However the DT880 600ohm doesn't have the quantity - I prefer the DT860 any day. Soundstaging is incredibly wide and deep, a complete 3D sense-of-space that the DT990 and DT770 also share. I believe that the soundstage actually feels a little wider and more focused than the DT990 - probably due to the upfront mids. Speaking on the mids, voices and singers come through like a freight train, and shows no signs of slowing down either. This is the first Beyer phone that I've heard yet that I didn't need to EQ the mids or the highs at all (I always add bass to everything...I'm just greedy like that). This phone is VERY non-EQ friendly if your source lacks it. I certainly don't need it period with the DT860. The mids are excellent, I see no need to elaborate. The high-hats do have a bell-like ping to them. They are sharp, but non-fatiguing and are full of detail. They lack the slight ultra-crisp edge that the DT990 32ohm has, but they don't skimp on definition. The DT860's are full from top to bottom, these are some excellent sounding phones.
Also leakage is virtually the same compared to the DT990, which means others can hear your tunes even at a moderate volume. However, neither are like the Audio Technica AD700's, which are so "open", that the music is virtually the same volume - whether you're wearing them or not. The AD700's are the loudest open-air headphones when it comes to leakage. To illustrate from most of the phones that I've owned when it comes to leakage here's a comparo - from most leakage to least leakage : Audio Technica AD700 > Beyer DT880 > Beyer DT770 (non-pro editions, believe it) > AKG K702 > Beyer *DT860 ~ DT990 > Denon AHD2000 > Audio Technica ATH-M50 > Beyer DT770 pro 80ohm > Audio Technica ATH-PRO700MK2 > Etymotic ER4P (this one was just for kicks
.This might be all that I need...
It is amazing how the Beyer T1-T5P's are top (have not heard these...yet), DT770-DT990 series are considered middle ground, and the DT660-DT860's are the lower-line. Trust me, these are not lower-line at all. These are my favorites, no questions asked. They get loud, and sound fantastic (especially when amped - sounds good on the E9, maybe a little analytical though, JDS Labs BB Cmoy excellent) on everything - including games and movies. They even best the DT990 and 770 when it comes to games and movies, due to the forward mids (gunshots are something to be heard on this phone), and the near perfect bass-response giving incredible weight to any audio piece that comes out your source. These phones are virtually flawless to me, and none of the previous phones that I've owned have done so many things excellent in many ways. Unabashed 5-Stars from RTiKOLD (artic-cold).
Beyerdynamic DT860 = A diamond in the rough.
