[VanCitySound]

 
I have been changing my gear up a bit and decided to compare the (1) AKG k702; (2) Beyerdynamic DT880 (600); and the Shure SHR840 on a set-up that consists of: PC - Udac2 - Burson HA-160.  In respect of burn in all the gear has at least a couple hundred (or more) hours on it.  I have doing intensive back to back listening in multiple music genres using lossless rips and some 96/24 files.   I note that the cable (I think) on the K702s seems to be having some intermittent issues which may color my impressions
 
(I) Shure SHR840
 
Compared to the AKGs and the Beyers, the Shures hold up quite well.  I thought that they would be trounced by the others but that it not so.  Overall I would consider them the least technically capable of the three but not by much.  In electronic music, hip-hop and a lot of pop music they are quite enjoyable.  They appear to have boosted mid-bass and mid-range (possibly contributed to by the udac2) that can work favourably in many instances.  However, the mid-bass can be intrusive in many instances and can muddy certain passages.  They do have great warmth in the female vocal range which is, shockingly, probably the best of the three.  They are by far the easiest to drive and I may actually enjoy them more straight out of the udac2 than out of the Burson.  The Burson seems to slow them down a bit and reduces their warmth, go figure.
 
Pros:  Value for the money and warmth in female vocals
Cons:  Muddy mid bass and smallish soundstage
 
(II) Beyerdynamic DT880(600)
 
I find that the Beyers fit between the Shures and the AKGs in some respects such as bass response, warmth and soundstage.  I find them difficult to drive, the Burson will drive them loudly enough but not to a very high level, which is something I find surprising.  They also appear to suffer from some slightly fatiguing treble and even some mild sibilance at times.  They have better soundstage and separation than the Shures but much less than the AKGs.  They have the best bass response of the three (but it is not perfect).  The bass is not muddy and seems to have good extension and containment but may be a bit artificial and intrusive to some in some situations.  The Beyers seem to be a good jack of all trades but they don’t truly wow me in any one area.  They are, well, kind of boring to me.
 
Pros: Decent bass and “good” at most things
Cons: Hard to drive and some sibilance.
 
(III) AKG K702
 
I was somewhat surprised by these in a positive way but they do lack low end impact in many situations.  The bass is clearly there but it seems to be overshadowed by the soundstage, like the bass has been pushed “under” the rest of the sound presentation (which some may argue is where it should be).   However, in many genres of music the low end adds power and impact and without it the piece can come off seeming anemic .  They also suffer from a bit of a clinical sounding midrange and as a result, to my ears, warmth suffers a bit.  The treble representation is accurate in my opinion.  If the bass were to be slightly more present and there was a dash of extra warmth then I think I could learn to like them quite a bit.   Nevertheless the clarity and soundstage can be breathtaking with the right music.  Simply put the soundstage of the AKGs utterly destroys the other two.   The issues with this HP may be solved by messing with the dac, amp and cables… but then again it may not.  I understand that for solid state the Burson is supposed to have some synergy with these HPs, so who knows…
 
Pros: Soundstage, clarity, and separation.
Cons: Lack of bass presence and warmth.
 
Conclusion:
 
If I had to choose just one of these to do everything then it would probably be the Beyers, but only with a good amp.  In the following scenarios I would choose one of the others:

• portable use, no or small amp = Shures
• interested in analytical listening or classical music = AKGs

 
Surprisingly the Shures with only the uDac2 are very good and will likely satisfy most people, most of the time for very little money.  I feel that there is some general superiority with the Beyers and technical superiority with the AKGS but you will need to triple your money over the Shures to realize this. 
 
 

 

[Katun]

Great effort, I'm liking this!
 
I think the format you used is great too. I would definitely love to see more comparisons like this in the future, especially if you compiled them all into this thread. Mega comparison thread like that always get my attention, especially when it's easy to read and understand.

 

[scottiebabie]

nice! having had the DT880-600 & 840s with an incoming K702 (very 1st of nxt mth eta), i certainly have more than a bit invested in the aforementioned trio.
 
my personal take was that the 840 make a darn fine porty cans jus offa sansa fuze. as it was, it gave more than good fight (& was prolly atad better) with a Nullaudio recable TF10 but with even better isolation. howeva to my ears, there was only slight improvements thru amping which to me, wasnt worth the bother but its quite possible an unsynergistic match with my amps.
 
i found the DT880-600s very nice with deep bass & extended highs. ultimately i found it lacks the heft & body that i liked in my music & traded it for a HD650. i still have the 650 & plan a recable for it too so that that for whats its worth.
 
i traded the recabled TF10s for a K702. though i keep hearing how lean & clinical it is, im seriously hoping one of my warmer & lusher amps (Sansui AU-517 for those that have a need to know) will synergize well with it. im sure it wont have the thunder of my HE5LE nor the rumble of the HD650 but i must admit im more than intrigued by its (supposed) large soundstage. am keeping my finger x'd fo sho!
 
regardless good effort & keep it up!
 
 

 

[VanCitySound]

[size=10pt]Thanks guys.[/size]
[size=10pt][/size]
[size=10pt]Scottiebabie, if you can make the meet on the 4th I'd be interested in trying the cable from your 702s to see if it solves an intermittent problem that my 702s seem to be having. [/size]

 

[scottiebabie]

roger that. will def try me best to make it fo sho! let me know if u guys would like to take a gander at my vintage 'dedicated' headamps duo of Pioneer SA7500 & Sansui AU517. mite be revealing at how they compare with traditional headamps.

 

[VanCitySound]

[size=10pt]Ya for sure, I’d love to hear those old skool amps.[/size]

 

[KB24]

To the OP: You find the dt880 600 ohms boring? I find them more engaging than the k702. They are more forward, while the 702 are more passive. If I'm reading or doing other work the 702 are what I use because they aren't as distracting.

 

[KB24]

I keep doing A-B tests with the K702 and the dt880 600 ohms, but I just can't seem to hear the soundstage difference between the two. The differences I can tell are that the 880 has slightly more bass, the simbal crashes are nice and prominent, and the highs are just crispy especially with guitar strings. I feel like the 880 is a superior can compared to the 702. The only advantage the 702 was supposed to have is the soundstage, but since I can't really tell the difference the 880 wins. Keep in mind that the Schiit Lyr is powering these. Maybe the Lyr is enhancing the soundstage of the 880? The A-B tests were done with live music and studio music.
 
I just ran around town to get here. I originally had the 990 600 ohms and they were too harsh with the highs and couldn't wear them for longer than 30 minutes. So then I went the opposite way by getting the HD650. These were missing the entire high frequency part of the spectrum. Then I got the K702 and was totally amazed  because it was wayyyy more balanced compared to the 650. Lastly, I wanted to try the 880 600 ohms and here I am. I came back to Beyerdynamics. Talk about a run around.
 
Headphones are a bit crazy or maybe I'm crazy. Lol. I hated beyerdynamics after my experience with the 990. I became a Senn HD650 fanboy. I've written here that they are the best cans EVER. Haha well that changed. Then i was like "yeahhh go Austria." After all that, currently, I'm loving the 880!! Now it's all about Deutschland!!
 
P.S. I have the RCA 6BQ7A tubes in the Lyr. I think these produce great soundstage, which is what I think is happening with the 880s.
 
P.P.S. I hear no sibilance with the 880s. Just perfect highs.
 
 
 
 

 

[VanCitySound]

Hey Ram, maybe try the demo sound clip for track 1 at the link below with both the AKGs and the Beyers and post your thoughts on soundstage between the two? Let me know what you think.

https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=catalogdetail&valbum_code=HD00089408354328

I agree that the Beyers are darn good but I think the AKGs have the edge on stage.