[MERTON]

I CAN'T DECIDE!!! i'm thinking of my next purchase and i wanted a good colsed headphone with some isolation.. and where can i get a good price on these? this will be for a portable in the car and on planes or whatever sorta thing.. and will these work well with my current amp? see below.

 

[pbirkett]

It might help if you could specify your musical tastes.

The DT831 is mega detailed, bright, and lacks bass.

The DT770 is not as detailed, not as bright, and has very prominent bass.

 

[MERTON]

hmmm... i really like bass..as long as it is tight and defined and detailed and such.. i already have the ms2's (counterpart to the sr 325's) and really like it's bass.. but i also really LOVE detail... i need to hear all the bells and such in the vagrant story sound track... well.. i guess the rest is up to me... can you recomend a good inexpensive ($160 or less... preferable $120 or less) portable (trully portable) amp for these? AND ALSO i listen mostly to video game sound tracks... and where's a cheap price/good place to buy the amp and phones.

 

[wallijonn]

why not leave it to providence?

nah, it's better to just check the "for sale" section. why not post a WTB ad?

 

[MERTON]

i can't stand the idea of having used phones.. amps and cdp and such.. but never phones.. and this is somehting i'll be saving for to buy as my christmas present. i've spent enough for now.
how lacking in bass are the 831's, anyway? and these 831 can be used portably as long as ya have an amp, right? and why does beyer say the 831's are really efficient but they have the same efficiency as the 770?

 

[pbirkett]

Quote:

Originally posted by MERTON i can't stand the idea of having used phones.. amps and cdp and such.. but never phones..

Thats a shame, as you get much better value for money that way....

Quote:

how lacking in bass are the 831's, anyway?

This is something only you can answer, bass, as I have found out is a very subjective thing. For example, lots of people around these fora find the bass of the DT770 overbearing. I however, do not, I find it completely to my tastes.

The 831, I have not heard, so I can not comment, but I do own the 931, which to my ears, even out of the 120 ohm socket of the amp, is too thin and bass light for my tastes. However, some people find it perfect. Indeed, I dont believe wallijonn finds his 831's particularly bass light, but this is all subjective.

However I am guessing from this:-

Quote:

i really like bass..as long as it is tight and defined and detailed and such

I believe the bass on the 770 is tight and well defined, tuneful, albeit to some people, rather exagerrated (not to me though).

On the other hand, you also say you like detail. I dont find the 770 to lack detail particularly, but its not as detailed as the 931 (and therefore, the 831 also).

Only you can answer what you'd rather have. Speaking personally, I made the wrong decision first time. I'd recommend an audition if you can.

 

[MERTON]

which bass is more similar to the ms2/sr325? and do you suggest any portable amps for these phones? and head-fi considers the 931 light in bass but has no such thing to say about the 831.. the 831 is their favorite closed phone.

 

[pbirkett]

Well, I havent heard those headphones you mention, nor have I heard the 831s. Perhaps the 831 sound more bassy than the 931 due to their closed design, but as I say, this is just my assumption.

Good luck with your choice.

 

[MERTON]

I'm going with the 831's.. know a good cheap palce to get them? like around christmas time?... ahhhh.. it's always so much more satisfying to buy your own presents!

 

[wallijonn]

Merton,

you really should audition them with your own system. (ever schlep all your equipment to a Meet or mini-Meet?)

the DT831 will NOT tolerate bright sources. And if they are not played everyday the bass tends to "get lost".

I think I will spend some time with the DT831 and add some cotton batting and see if the bass changes. it's all personal preference. the DT831 will NOT have the bass slam of the Grado. (But then I consider the Grado, at least my SR80, to be bass bloated). An equaliser will probably work wonders on the DT831. I use it for my computer (which is a very bright source). see my DT880/DT831/DT931/HP910/HD600 review.

I came close to selling my DT831. Then I got my senses back. Some say that it doesn't have enough bass, or that it is too bright. i just like it. is it right for you? i don't know. I do know that I picked up a 2 week old DT931 for a reasonable price. If you love the Grados, you probably will not like the DT831. it'll probably sound too flat, too restrained, too recessed, not enough slam, not transient enough, not enough intimacy. But they do grow on you with warm sources. And then going to a Grado is a harsh experience.

 

[Geek]

The DT770 is the only one of the two phones you mentioned that I have heard.

The bass on it is extremely powerful and gives the headphone a "thick" sound. I have re-analysed these 'phones, and if you want any sort of punch, you need to drive them with a monster amp imho.

They sound sonically just fine with a small amp which is what you had in mind.

I believe the DT770s to sound "hollow" compared to the open headphones I have heard, but they have clean, clear, slightly forward highs and that killer bass that many people like.

It's a "fun" headphone.

Cheers,
Geek