[Godot]

So, I've recently bought VSonic VC02 IEMs on account of what I read about them and other IEMs here, and while I'm satisfied with them I'm now thinking that I might upgrade my old Sennheiser HD201 to something better as well (seems like you've successfully infected me too). I'm looking for natural sounding, detailed, articulated, resolving closed circumaural headphones.

Here's the problem though; I live in a small European country and for multitude of reasons prices of most new headphones here are quite inflated when compared to the prices in US, so it's harder to find a decent deal on mid-fi headphones. Currently though, I have an opportunity to buy like new AKG K272 HD (for around $140) or brand new Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO, 250 ohm (around $150) so I was wondering if someone might help me decide which one to buy? I've read countless reviews of said headphones but can't make the final decision. Here are some of my conclusions, my synthesis of reviews and opinions I've read on those headphones.

But first, the "What I'll be listening to mostly" list:
- FLAC files from my PC (Xonar DG + I'm considering buying a dedicated amp as well), possibly V0 MP3 from a portable player (Clip+) after I buy a portable amp.
- Jazz (everything from swing to free jazz; only thing I don't really listen to is smooth jazz and similar)
- Prog rock
- Classical (Don't care much for operas, operettas and similar but am interested in almost everything else)
- some classical rock (stuff like Beatles, Moody Blues, Procol Harum, Deep Purple, Who, Doors and similar. Mostly sort of proto-prog stuff I guess)
- I will occasionally listen to other types of music as well but aforementioned stuff is what I'll listen to most
- also I'd use them for movies (somewhat important) and occasional gaming (less important). Probably with Dolby Headphone. So it would be nice to know which one performs better with movies and video games as well.

Now what I gathered about the headphones in question so far:

AKG K 272 HD
- consumer orientated siblings of K 271 MK II
- can run unamped, however amp is recommended if one wants to fully utilize its capabilities
- clear, detailed and resolving
- somewhat lacking in bass (might be improvable with good amp?)
- unmatched mids in its price range
- midrange - not sure, opinions seem to be to diverse to make a sensible conclusion
- should be well suited for jazz and classical music
- decent soundstage for closed headphones in it's price range
- mediocre isolation
- great comfortability
- not really suited for portable use
- questionable construction quality

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO, 250 Ohm
- 250 Ohm version of Beyerdynamic's well regarded DT 770 series
- amp is a must
- might be a bit to bassy, even though they're supposedly significantly less bassy then 80 Ohm version, however the bass is well defined
- somewhat recessed midrange according to some (certainly not as detailed as K 272 HD)
- extended and well defined treble
- generally considered comfortable (but K 272 HD should be more comfortable)
- not really suited for portable use (although they might be a bit better suited for it than K 272 HD)
- better construction than K 272 HD
- might be better suited for immersive gaming and movies than K 272 HD

The bottom line is; I'm afraid DT 770 might be a bit to bassy for my taste, while K272 might be a bit lacking in bass. I guess I'd like an overall more balanced sound from my headphones...

Also, I doubt anybody actually uses either of these headphones in their portable setup? Even though both are closed, given the fact that neither of them is collapsible and they have long nondetachable cables, I'd guess it would be quite inconvenient to carry them around?

Some other potential options (which I could order for a reasonable price from abroad) and which I'm willing to consider, provided they're closer to the sound signature I'm looking for and under $150, include:
- Fostex Audio T50RP (I know these are semi-open (or is it semi-closed?

))
- Audio-Technica ATH-M50
- Brainwavz HM5
- Sony MDR-V6
- Superlux HD660, HD662 F/B, 669
- Shure SRH440
 
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
 

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
The K272HD and DT770 are kind of opposites. The K272HD is not bassy, it's pretty bass light, it's all mids and treble, very comfortable and light weight. Good sound stage. The DT770 is warmer, more mid-bass, way more sub-bass, a little bright, a little less mids, great sound stage, and very comfortable and durable. So it really comes down to how you want your bass. If you want more bass, the DT770 is the way to go. If you want less bass, the K272HD.
 
Very best,

 

[Godot]

Thanks for your reply.

Well, that's exactly what's bothering me. I'd like headphones which are somewhere in between those two as far as bass response is concerned. Maybe I should buy both and then crossbreed them in hope of them producing an offspring with more balanced sound characteristics? But then again, what if said offspring starts socializing with the wrong crowd and becomes all bassy, abrasive and annoying, with no sign of respect for higher frequencies, instead of well balanced model citizen headphones?!

Now seriously; I see somewhat differing opinions on DT 770's bass quantity; for example I noticed you've said you don't find them to bassy while some other people are describing them as basshead headphones, so I'm not sure what to make of it. There's probably not much worse than overbearing, poorly articulated bass and that's something I'd like to avoid; I might however be able to live with somewhat more emphasized bass provided it's tight and well defined.
 
Since, according to your profile, you own DT 770 and listen to jazz, would you mind sharing your opinion on how well they're suited for jazz and possibly some other genres as well? DT 770's would be better suited for movies than K 272, wouldn't they? I guess, given the choice between these two headphones, you'd choose DT 770?
 
Thanks.