[bellavida]

Hello all,
 
My name is Bella; just joined the forums and wanted to say hello and ask for some advice
 
Recently purchased the Beyer DT770 PRO-80 Ohm Headphones as a big upgrade from the Koss KTXPRO1's.
 
Very very happy with the comfort and isolation of the Beyers.  Sound-wise, I was expecting to be more impressed in comparison with the Koss headphones.  
To be fair, they have not been burned in and have not purchased an amp as of yet, but would that make a drastic enough difference for what I am looking for?
 
Basically, I need headphones which give great clarity for both listening as well as recording vocals, piano and guitar.  The majority of songs I listen to are soft-rock, alternative.  Love love love OneRepublic and music similar to that and won't be using these for rap, hip-hop, or heavy metal.  I want string instruments and vocals to stand out.
 
So my question is, should I keep the Beyer's and get a decent amp or are there any other headphones which will provide the same comfort and isolation but have a better soundstage?  
 
Thanks so much for reading and I really appreciate any feedback and suggestions.
 
~Bella~

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Garbage in, garbage out, applies here.
 
Before even getting into spending money on equipment, we should probably make sure you're using high quality recorded media. Can you describe to us what media you're playing back, where you get it, what quality (bit rate is a good way to describe this) it's encoded with, whether it's variable bit rate or if it's static and considered lossless (no loss due to compression). Also, a clear understanding that even a perfectly uncompressed audio file can be poorly recorded and sound poor no matter what it feeds through (this is garbage in, garbage out). Nothing you can do about some albums, they are just poorly done.
 
Take your new headphones to HDtracks.com and listen to some sample music there for free. Tell us what you think about your DT770 after you listen to that. Compare to the quality of your own media that you're playing back. This is a simple tool to help exclude your library of media as a problem.
 
The DT770's have an excellent sound stage for a closed headphone.
 
If you want something that has absolutely stunning mids & treble for what you're listening to, and you're ok with shy mid-bass (but ample sub-bass) and a greater sound stage, with great isolation and big comfort, the Shure SRH940 is a headphone to consider. Alternatively, also look at the simple Shure SRH840 but get the SRH940 velour pads separately and simply swap them.
 
Very best,

 

[liquidzoo]

The DT770s are a great headphone, but they really need an amp to get the most out of them.
 
That's not to say they can't sound great without one, but they absolutely benefit from one (I'm listening to mine right now as I need the isolation when I'm working on urgent projects).
 
What is your current setup?  How do you normally listen to the headphones and how do you plan on listening to them?  I ask because my recommendations for an amp will vary wildly depending on the source (as will the prices, to be honest).
 
What is your media player?  What format is your music in?  All of these will make a difference (well, maybe not music player as much with one exception I can think of).
 
You can solve some of the drawbacks in the DT770s with some EQing.  While they have moved back from my favorite cans (my Grado SR225i takes that crown currently, but they have no isolation at all), I still love them.

 

[bellavida]

Thanks for the great replies so far!
 
My current setup is plugging in my headphones directly into my laptop; back home, I have my A2 speaker system which would make a huge difference in the output, but for now, gotta go with the laptop speakers.
 
MalVeauX, I did listen to a few sample tracks at HDTracks.  There is definitely a richer and fuller sound but only when compared to my 320 kbps mp3 files.  If I compare my cd tracks or flac files, the difference is pretty negligible.  I'm still hearing a certain muddiness with specific tracks.
 
The Shure SRH940 seems to be a good option but not sure how comfortable they would be.  Are there any open headphones that have a decent enough isolation?  I will not be using these headphones where I have to be too concerned about leakage but isolation is def. important.  I know these two often go hand in hand but if there are any options, I would certainly be open to trying them out.
 
Thanks again for all the advice!

 

[PurpleAngel]

  My current setup is plugging in my headphones directly into my laptop; back home, I have my A2 speaker system which would make a huge difference in the output, but for now, gotta go with the laptop speakers.
 
MalVeauX, I did listen to a few sample tracks at HDTracks.  There is definitely a richer and fuller sound but only when compared to my 320 kbps mp3 files.  If I compare my CD tracks or FLAC files, the difference is pretty negligible.  I'm still hearing a certain muddiness with specific tracks.
 
The Shure SRH940 seems to be a good option but not sure how comfortable they would be.  Are there any open headphones that have a decent enough isolation?  I will not be using these headphones where I have to be too concerned about leakage but isolation is def. important.  I know these two often go hand in hand but if there are any options, I would certainly be open to trying them out.

"Muddiness" in audio (like in the bass) is one of the signs that the DT770 Pro 80-Ohm is underpowered.
 
Fiio E10 ($62-$75) USB-DAC-Head Amp
Should improve audio quality over whatever on-board audio is built into your laptop.
Also comes with a separate 3.5mm line-out that you could plug speakers into.

 

[cel4145]

"Muddiness" in audio (like in the bass) is one of the signs that the DT770 Pro 80-Ohm is underpowered.

Fiio E10 ($62-$75) USB-DAC-Head Amp
Should improve audio quality over whatever on-board audio is built into your laptop.
Also comes with a separate 3.5mm line-out that you could plug speakers into.

+1

My experience with the DT770 Pro 80 ohm is that it really did benefit with a headphone amp to drive it, particularly with bass heavy music. Plus, the E10's DAC can improve the sound over that of the sound card built into many laptops (although not guaranteed).

However, since you say "I want string instruments and vocals to stand out" I would encourage you to also consider headphones with a little more neutral sound signature. AKG K550s, ATH-A900X, or Soundmagic HP100 would be worth looking into. Don't get me wrong. I like the DT770 Pro 80 ohm. But unless the bass emphasis in the DT770 is important to you, something more balanced might better suit your needs.

 

[Thujone]

However, since you say "I want string instruments and vocals to stand out" I would encourage you to also consider headphones with a little more neutral sound signature. AKG K550s, ATH-A900X, or Soundmagic HP100 would be worth looking into. Don't get me wrong. I like the DT770 Pro 80 ohm. But unless the bass emphasis in the DT770 is important to you, something more balanced might better suit your needs.

This.
 
I have yet to hear a pair of headphones that have a midrange as recessed as the DT770/80 which would make strings and vocals very quiet compared to the bass and treble. This V-shaped signature is what helps give these the wide soundstage despite being closed. However, if you went for the DT880 instead, I think you'll find that it meets your criteria much better. However, they are open, tend to be more expensive, and they will also require an amp.

 

[Alku]

I'm in a fairly similar situation to OP's, also with dt770 80's
Ill get an E10, OP if you get an E10 aswell lets keep in touch.

 

[cel4145]

This.

I have yet to hear a pair of headphones that have a midrange as recessed as the DT770/80 which would make strings and vocals very quiet compared to the bass and treble. This V-shaped signature is what helps give these the wide soundstage despite being closed. However, if you went for the DT880 instead, I think you'll find that it meets your criteria much better. However, they are open, tend to be more expensive, and they will also require an amp.

Yep. I like the DT880 for clarity of strings and vocals better than the DT770, too. In fact, I don't think it's just the more balanced response. I think the DT880 has a little bit better driver, but I could be wrong.

 

[liquidzoo]

I believe it's a combination of a better (or simply a differently designed, the backs look different) driver, the different housing (semi-open vs closed) and different back padding (the 770 has a felt ring surrounding a finned plastic ring on the back of the driver magnet, not sure what the 880 has back there) that have such an effect on the sound characteristics.

 

[Thujone]

The 770 pads vs the 880/990 pads makes a huge difference as well. Put the 770 pads on an 880 and the bass gets super bloated.