[m0nkeybl1tz]

Wow, I was going back and forth between HFI450's and AKG K81's, but these seem like a much better option. However, I have a couple questions. First, are they sealed? Second, how portable are they/do you think they could be powered by an iPod? Finally, I really liked the depth and richness of the Ultrasone bass, how do these stack up?

 

[Almoxil]

Yes, they're sealed. No, they're not what I would call "portable" (big ear cups and cable is a tad heavy). Yes, they can be powered by an iPod, I guess (my Cowon S9 has no problem driving them, and even my Sansa Clip does a good job in that matter). Their bass is near the quality of Ultrasone bass, with a tad less quantity. But I can easily compare them to my HFI-550, for example. And they do very well with sound enhancements and EQ'ing (at least, Cowon sound enhancements).

All in all, great HP, and a steal at their price point.

 

[silentmeloud]

Well, my review. I think now DBI got good burn-in & I can say something about it.

Comfort & build
Great! They are undestructible, very light (exept this armored cable) & very comfy (much better then my HFI-580). Some troubles would appear if you are bighead - 700 do not have much adjustments. Pads are very soft - y0u can even wash it under water. One more thing - this headphones get good fit after 30 seconds when vynil becomes warm. You can weat this cans for 2+ hours without any troubles.
They are not portable. They are bigger & uglier then HFI-580 & cable is very uportable. You can cut this metal shield on cable, but then you need to replace the jack.

Sound & everything else
This headphones doesn't need extensive burn-in. When i got them - they sound distorted, but after 20 minutes on good volume sound became good & the same as after 50 hours of usage with "Ultimate burn-in" track.
I do not find this headphones suitable for player. My Kenwood HD20GA7, Ipod Nano 1stgen, 4gen, Samsung Symphony (B&o serenata analog) can't drive them properly - total lack of bass, edgy highs. When you use equalizer - sound distords. Haven't chance to try it with Cowon.
E-MU 0202 USB drives them good, but even such cheap thing as art headamp4 gives them more power & fullness.
I can describe the sound of this phones as fun & flat - yeah, that's the best word for them.
Bass
Their bass is very low (without equalizing) compared to hfi-580, but very clear & detailed. Reminds my somehow Ety 4p, but it's more full-bodied & big. I like it very much for live music - bass-guitar in Oceansize, Tool, Staind - they sound great & very real. I also like how Madonna sounds on this cans. Absolutely didn't like some contemporary rock stuff like 30STM on this. Also Ultrasones are much heavier in bass & i think, they go deeper then DBI in bass department. Probably, more people would prefer it to DBI. Though DBI go deeper then AT ES7 & it's bass more real-sounding to me. AT A55 also have more bass, but it's not so controlled. DBI have nothing in common with Trple.Fi 10 in case if you are interested.
MIDS
Great, Nothing more to say!!! On HFI-580 i feel like they were recessed a little bit. DBI are great for vocal & very transparent here. They do not have any boost in this department (like ES7 to my ears, or shures scl3) - great for mixing tv-programmes where the voice is the most important.
Highs
That's why i called this headphones fun. I thought HFI-580 had too much highs, but DBI smash them!!! Someone may find it's highs dirty & uncontrolled, sometimes sibilant, but that's big plus sometimes. They are very rich & "meaty" as previous post says. On live recording highs sound very natural, especially on rock tracks. Music DVDs sound fantastic. If you find that highs are too much - you can use equalizer - 700 reacts very well on it.
Soundstage
Modest. HFI-5808 do much better here. Good separation of lest & right, but music doesn't sound wide. Even A55 are much better here. ES7 is on par, i think.

Overall
Great cans for 40$ I payed for them. But really benefit from an amp. DBI market them as ideal for compressed music - but i don't like how mp3 sound on it. Only DVD & CDs with live recordings or very accurate mastering. This phones do not forgive bad recordings.

 

[Acix]

Very fresh review...I like it. Looks like the DBI have similar sound to the GMP 8.35. if this is the case they are more balanced then the 580. If you want more dark and bassy sound you can try the 8.35 custom pads. or just add a round felt on the net that cover the drivers.

 

[silentmeloud]

Thanx! Would try it after Christmas (whole lotta money for gifts ). I actually was at one step from buying qp805 demo (around 75$) half a year ago, but then one guy sold me HFI-580 for 55$ (he hated it's sound) & i change my plans. I can't compare MB Quart & DBI - 'cause there was different source & music, but they were really good. They were driven with apogee duet & sounded very flat & controlled.

 

[djslik]

I will have to agree with all of those points. After more comparison I realized the DBI needs more power than any portable MP3 player can provide. It does sound lackluster especially with in the bass department when compared to other headphones such as a Grado SR80 with the bass mod done to the bowls when using an iPod. As others have already stated the headphones react well to EQing and when I use this with my DJ mixer I kick up the bass and the phones do very very well. The bass is very controlled and tight. I want to get a tube amp such as the Little Dot I+ and see how well these perform.

 

[Almoxil]

Quote:

Originally Posted by silentmeloud /img/forum/go_quote.gif (...) Sound & everything else This headphones doesn't need extensive burn-in. When i got them - they sound distorted, but after 20 minutes on good volume sound became good & the same as after 50 hours of usage with "Ultimate burn-in" track. I do not find this headphones suitable for player. My Kenwood HD20GA7, Ipod Nano 1stgen, 4gen, Samsung Symphony (B&o serenata analog) can't drive them properly - total lack of bass, edgy highs. When you use equalizer - sound distords. Haven't chance to try it with Cowon. E-MU 0202 USB drives them good, but even such cheap thing as art headamp4 gives them more power & fullness. I can describe the sound of this phones as fun & flat - yeah, that's the best word for them. (...)

Both my Cowon D2+ and Cowon S9 can drive the DBIs to more than reasonable listening levels, with plenty of bass and no distortion. I guess it has to do with Cowon players tipically having a bit more beefy output. Great review, by the way. I haven't compared them to the HFI-580, but have done that to the HFI-550, which I find very comparable. The DBIs have the advantage of being much more comfortable, and selling for approximately a third of the 550s. Great value and sound in closed headphones.

 

[srcHG]

I just got my dbi pro 700 this week and I'm quite pleased with their sound. But the Highs are a bit too sharp and pronounced for my taste (I'm used to my SR80is).
I think I will try some other pads, the only problem is that I'm currently in the USA and I don't know how easy it is to get GMP pads here... So alternative suggestions or hints for good places to buy pads are welcome.

I also noted that compression artifacts/bad recordings become very obvious with those phones, you don't want to listen to any low quality stuff.

Edit: I also would prefer the pads to be a bit thicker since sometimes my ears are touching the inside of the phone which makes them less comfortable than they could be

 

[Almoxil]

Quote:

Originally Posted by srcHG /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just got my dbi pro 700 this week and I'm quite pleased with their sound. But the Highs are a bit too sharp and pronounced for my taste (I'm used to my SR80is). I think I will try some other pads, the only problem is that I'm currently in the USA and I don't know how easy it is to get GMP pads here... So alternative suggestions or hints for good places to buy pads are welcome. I also noted that compression artifacts/bad recordings become very obvious with those phones, you don't want to listen to any low quality stuff. Edit: I also would prefer the pads to be a bit thicker since sometimes my ears are touching the inside of the phone which makes them less comfortable than they could be

I bought replacement pads and protective screens for the used pairs of DBI Pro 700 I have directly from German Maestro. It was a straightforward process and the delivery was quite fast. I guess you'll have no problems ordering from GMP through their website. By the way, I live in Brazil.

 

[ourfpshero]

pic with denon pads

 

[srcHG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Almoxil /img/forum/go_quote.gif I bought replacement pads and protective screens for the used pairs of DBI Pro 700 I have directly from German Maestro. It was a straightforward process and the delivery was quite fast. I guess you'll have no problems ordering from GMP through their website. By the way, I live in Brazil.

Sounds good but I have some questions:
- how is isolation affected by the GMP pads?
- are the highs much less sharper?
- how much did you pay (especially for shipping etc.)?

Thanks

 

[Almoxil]

Quote:

Originally Posted by srcHG /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sounds good but I have some questions: - how is isolation affected by the GMP pads? - are the highs much less sharper? - how much did you pay (especially for shipping etc.)? Thanks

The pads I bought for my DBIs from German Maestro are the same as the stock model. I only bought them to replace the pads on my used DBIs. So, the isolation and highs are the same as the stock DBI.

As for prices, my order was EUR 33.53 (for two sets of pads and two protective foam sheets plus international shipping).

 

[ourfpshero]

Quote:

Very fresh review...I like it. Looks like the DBI have similar sound to the GMP 8.35. if this is the case they are more balanced then the 580. If you want more dark and bassy sound you can try the 8.35 custom pads. or just add a round felt on the net that cover the drivers.

i now have a dbi pro700 and quart qp805 side by side. they sound nothing alike. the dbi is aggressive and forward. the quart is flatter, clinical (but not as much as a k240df or beyer dt480)
the quart takes much more amp

 

[joelpearce]

Yeah, the DBI Pro 700 sound completely different from the neutral overall sound of German Maestro/MB Quart cans.  They are aggressive, forward, narrow, bassy, but still quite fast and detailed.  I'm finding myself reaching for these guys quite often these days.

 

[zephyr90]

where can you still get them? ebay says no...