Closed headphone that has Hd600's quality?
Jul 28, 2002 at 7:06 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 59

Guyferd

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I currently own Beyer Dt250-80. I just love the phone. but in near future I am hoping to upgrade to something better. Probably will be a closed phone. I might still consider open headphones though. But i prefer closed as it doesn't leak sound and block outside noise. Well, I tried the Hd600 a few days ago. While the sound is superb and natural(very enjoyable), it is an open air...
So I wish to know whether there are any phone out there that has sound quality that at least on par or better than the hd600? Things to note that I like the bass on my dt250 so I prefer a phone with great bass extension that goes deep and tight. The soundstage is also important.Most importantly, they mustbe comfortable.

Thanks in advance
 
Jul 28, 2002 at 7:26 AM Post #2 of 59
Sounds like you are a prime canidate for the ATH W100. There is a lot of info on these forums.

These headphones sound excellent, and I can't see myself needing to upgrade anymore.
 
Jul 28, 2002 at 10:04 AM Post #4 of 59
Quote:

Originally posted by Guyferd
what a coincidence...


Don't you see it: this is no conincidence! dohminator is right: you are a prime candidate for the W100.
smily_headphones1.gif


There is just one problem: the W100 offers a lot less isolation against outside noise than the DT 250-80. But to my ears, the W100 is better in any other regard: bass extension and slam, soundstage, naturalness, timbral fidelity, rhythmic coherence, resolution, musicality. And I feel the same about the W100/HD600 comparison. But I have to admit I have never liked the HD600.
 
Jul 28, 2002 at 1:24 PM Post #5 of 59
Have you considered the Ety 4S?
 
Jul 28, 2002 at 3:32 PM Post #8 of 59
Quote:

Originally posted by dhwilkin
Most people get Etys from Headroom.


That's exactly where I got my ER-4S from - when it still sold for $269. Now it's $299!
eek.gif
 
Jul 28, 2002 at 3:57 PM Post #9 of 59
Quote:

Originally posted by Tomcat


Don't you see it: this is no conincidence! dohminator is right: you are a prime candidate for the W100.
smily_headphones1.gif


There is just one problem: the W100 offers a lot less isolation against outside noise than the DT 250-80. But to my ears, the W100 is better in any other regard: bass extension and slam, soundstage, naturalness, timbral fidelity, rhythmic coherence, resolution, musicality. And I feel the same about the W100/HD600 comparison. But I have to admit I have never liked the HD600.


Oddly enough, I'm just like TomCat; I think the HD600 is falls short to the W100 in terms of correct sound reproduction, but some people disagree. I'm a musician, and after listening to so many live performances from being on the stage and being in the audience, I can say that, IMO, the HD600 is far less like the real thing. But just like TomCat, I actually never did like the HD600!
 
Jul 28, 2002 at 8:11 PM Post #10 of 59
Quote:

So I wish to know whether there are any phone out there that has sound quality that at least on par or better than the hd600? Things to note that I like the bass on my dt250 so I prefer a phone with great bass extension that goes deep and tight. The soundstage is also important.Most importantly, they mustbe comfortable.


You may also want to check out Sony's CD3000. I only have the 580's to compare them with, not the 600's, but the 3000's sound every bit as good as the 580's -- probably a little better, but I haven't had the time to listen to both in depth (sigh). The 3000's are also very easy to drive, the bass goes ridiculously low, and I find them more comfy than the 580's.

Good luck.
 
Jul 28, 2002 at 8:59 PM Post #11 of 59
Quote:

Originally posted by newspaperguy
You may also want to check out Sony's CD3000. I only have the 580's to compare them with, not the 600's, but the 3000's sound every bit as good as the 580's -- probably a little better, but I haven't had the time to listen to both in depth (sigh). The 3000's are also very easy to drive, the bass goes ridiculously low, and I find them more comfy than the 580's.


I was recently able to AB the CD3000 and HD600 out of identical hi-end source/amp combos. I have to agree with the people in the "HeadRoom Tour" thread who gave the CD3000 bad reviews. I personally found them to be significantly inferior to the HD600 in pretty much every area except for comfort. They were way too bright (not just in comparison to the HD600, but also compared to other "bright" headphones like the Beyer DT831), had poor soundstage, and had "closed-in" bass that was quite unnatural. The DT250 are much closer in sound (and sound quality, IMO) to the HD600 than the CD3000.

But regardless of our differences in opinion on the CD3000
smily_headphones1.gif
one thing I think we should be able to agree on: the CD3000 will not give you anything close to the sound of the HD600. They are simply very different in their sound signatures.

Another closed headphone to consider is the Beyer DT-831. Like the CD3000, they have a much different "sound" than the HD600 (they are a bit brighter and don't have as good of bass as the HD600), but they're probably my favorite closed headphone right now. You'll also probably get a few recommendations for the DT-770. Unfortunately, I haven't heard these so I can't comment on them.
 
Jul 28, 2002 at 9:56 PM Post #12 of 59
I'm looking for the same thing Guyferd is - a set of slosed cans that will sound just as good as the HD600s. I'm not crazy about the W100, though. I'm not crazy about how the wood looks, an d I have heard very mixed reports on the sound. I'm more interested in the ATH-A100Ti. These look better to me, but I haven't heard anything about how they sound. Does anyone have a pair of these?
 
Jul 29, 2002 at 12:26 AM Post #13 of 59
"But regardless of our differences in opinion on the CD3000 one thing I think we should be able to agree on: the CD3000 will not give you anything close to the sound of the HD600."

This is MacDEF's opinion, not a statement of fact. I like the CD3K better than the HD600 with Clou blue. If you're curious, check my review in the permanent section above.

I'd be willing to bet that the "problem" with the CD3K on the Headroom tour was more amp/source related than the "fault" of the CD3K. There are plenty of people here that like the CD3K just fine.

markl
 
Jul 29, 2002 at 1:28 AM Post #14 of 59
nevertheless, he should def. audition the cd3000 first. Or at least order from a place that has a return policy. They seem to be sort of hit or miss. . .
 
Jul 29, 2002 at 2:05 AM Post #15 of 59
Quote:

Originally posted by markl
I'd be willing to bet that the "problem" with the CD3K on the Headroom tour was more amp/source related than the "fault" of the CD3K. There are plenty of people here that like the CD3K just fine.


Count me as one of them. The CD3000 is indeed bright with certain amps and interconnects. It is not friendly with a poor setup. Give it a source that it's compatible with and the brightness goes away, leaving a large amount of detail, nicely balanced midrange, and possibly the best bass response I've heard in any headphone whatsoever.

Pyrrhus, I do have the A100Ti, but I've only had it a couple of days. I can say that it is a nice sounding headphone, IMO superior to the W100. The frequency balance is much closer to neutral than the W100, IMO, and the midrange is fuller.
 

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