[roll-man]

wow! thanks to all for such a hearty response. Neruda, you're right, I never actually said I wanted to spend less than $100, however Eagle_Driver is more or less accurate regarding my implication. Headroom has the ER4S for $249 and the DT250-80 for $169. The DT831's are $229. I've been trolling on ebay for any of the above, with not much luck, save the occasional 25sp. So here are four major questions:

1. Are the DT250-80 worth paying roughly $100 more for than the Senn's from a sound quality standpoint?

2. Do the DT250 earpieces rotate for easier storage?

3. Which of the two are more durable?

4. Should I forget about both and just buy those sony v6's with the beyer pads?

btw, suddenly I'm leaning towards the dt250's, where before I really thought I wanted the Senn's.....

 

[Eagle_Driver]

roll-man, the Beyer DT250-80 is likely worth the extra $100 over the Senn HD25SP, sound-wise. As for whether they fold or rotate for easy storage, the DT250-80 doesn't fold, nor do their earcups rotate enough (for that matter, neither does the HD25SP - only one of its earpieces rotate a wide range).

As for the Sony MDR-V6, it's a close call between it and the Beyers (sure, the DT250-80 sounds better than the V6, but whether it's worth the extra $80 over the V6 is a judgment call).

 

[Gluegun]

You.....DON'T want the DT831's for commuting. Trust me. I have them. You.....just don't.

 

[Neruda]

Although I didn't listen to the HD25sp's, I did handle them, and the beyer DT250's are much sturdier. That's almost an understatement. But then again, the DT250's are like a tank.

I'm going to be borrowing a pair of DT250's from a fellow head-fier soon, and I'll also see about comparing them to the V6. It should be quite interesting to see if the beyers are indeed worth the extra money; I definitely believe that they're superior headphones, but considering they cost more than twice as much as the V6's, that would not be a suprise.

 

[coolvij]

Quote:

wow! thanks to all for such a hearty response. Neruda, you're right, I never actually said I wanted to spend less than $100, however Eagle_Driver is more or less accurate regarding my implication. Headroom has the ER4S for $249 and the DT250-80 for $169. The DT831's are $229. I've been trolling on ebay for any of the above, with not much luck, save the occasional 25sp. So here are four major questions:

Jan sells the 831 for 150 bux.....but Gluegun said that you don't want them for commutes (wonder why?

).

I dunno - if you got 831s, which are bright and probably kinda big, well - your "dark" TA and "bright" 831s would pair fairly well, methinks...

 

[Gluegun]

I've got a TA, and it powers the DT831's perfectly, especially with hte processor on.

They're just tooooo big to want to commute with. Granted, I've ridden on the plane or in the back seat of a car or on a charter bus on a school field trip with these baby's, but.....for normal commuting? noway....

 

[roll-man]

Ok...new day, new consensus. It looks like the Senn 25sp's are out. So it looks like dt250-80 is the new frontrunner. I haven't given up on the V6's and actually think they might have a chance. Question: Do they fold flat?

 

[Gluegun]

I believe both of them fold, but I'm not sure of the device for either....

 

[Neruda]

neither folds flat. the beyers don't fold at all.

 

[Gluegun]

Okay, trying to figure out......

to what extent do the (dt250's, v6's, hd25's) (swivel, fold, bend are durable)?

 

[gloom]

The earpieces on the V6 "swing up" under the band, forming a compact little ball (the V700 does the same). The earpieces rotate only a few degrees, so there's no way the V6 will lie flat, unless you break it to the point of unwearability.

While I wouldn't willingly use the V6 as a weapon, it is certainly durable enough to take that treatment. It isn't quite as hefty as the V700, but it is pretty heavy duty. Certainly much more rugged than my old Senn HD580 or Grado SR325.

 

[Neruda]

yeah gluegun, that's what i meant (referring to ICQ chat). you can flip the V6's earcups up like a DJ might have to, but you can't swivel them 360 degrees.

To end confusion:

beyerdynamic Dt250: built to withstand nuclear war, no folding or swiveling capabilities. Sounds the best out of all three IMO.

Sony V6: built well but not as well as the beyer, folds into a small ball. Sounds good, but again, not as good as the beyer.

Sennheiser HD25sp: flimsiest out of the three. Earcups rotate 360 degrees, like Grados. I didn't listen to them so I can't comment on their sound. all comments i've read lead me to believe that they sound bassy and somewhat dull. Cannot back that up.

 

[roll-man]

Done Deal! And the winner is....Beyerdynamic DT 250-80. It's more than I wanted to spend, but what the heck. That's what credit cards are for, right? Thanks to all for the input and general kindness. BTW, Our friends at headroom agree. Not only do they recommend the 250-80 all over their site, but I spoke with Todd, who seems to think that they are the best choice. I'm sure I'll thank everyone while at 35,000 feet for 6 hours, heading to NY with a Criterion Collection dvd playing on my Sony Vaio FX-290 (Piii, 1ghz, 30GB HD, 512 mb ram, 15.1" XGA tft 1400 x 1050 res - not that dvd's go that high and dual li-on power), not to mention serious tune-age for years to come! Thanks again to all who wrote.