[majkel]

K1000 are headspeakers. Regarding the K701 - they are nowhere as detailed as the DT880's, they just produce more high frequency artifacts which are actually non-existent, fake sounds.

 

[vvanrij]

Amazing how different people hear the stuff. I really dislike the DT880's, as it sounded shrill and sharp to me, where the k701 gives me the same 'high details

' but at a much more natural way. For instance the LOTR-soundtrack (The Bridge Of Khazad Dum), I hear much more with a K701 than I did with a burned-in DT880, this is all out of my MKIVse tube amp. Further more the cymbals on the DT880 were deafening.

 

[nickchen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vvanrij /img/forum/go_quote.gif Amazing how different people hear the stuff.

Indeed. You love your SsssssR325, but get bleeding ears from the gentle DT880.

 

[vvanrij]

woodied sr325i that is

, the old 325 also made me cry

 

[majkel]

I had no problems with enjoying the SR325i's. It looks like you guys have had shrilling amplification.

The DT880 sound good as well while the K701 were losing separation on lots of percussion.

 

[vvanrij]

Yeah the MKIV's with M8100 mullards are known for their shrillness

anyway, I'v found out long ago that the beyer's are not for me, to compare them with stax is to me

!

 

[majkel]

Probably you like that AKG's cloudy and plushy sound, so the SR325i's are a different cup of tea, and the Beyer's not that far from them.

 

[vvanrij]

I own the 325i's..... and they didn't suddenly fall out of the sky

I like them, but for different purposes then my K701'. The 325i woodied really isn't that horribly bright anymore, but they are still unlistenable for Oasis, but heaven for Dire straits...

 

[anoobis]

And I thought I was asking a relatively simple question!

Seems how much detail is as subjective as everything else around here.

 

[nickchen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vvanrij /img/forum/go_quote.gif I own the 325i's..... and they didn't suddenly fall out of the sky

Such sort of weather would be troublesome for Grado's market prices

Brightness or sheer amount of highs propably isn't the only share of an "ear bleeding" fon. There's also an "emotional thing" that is hard to be nailed down. My CD3000 had much more highs than my MS2i, anyhow, it was the agressive MS2i which was too shrill, and not the bright but somewhat tender old Sony.

Same thing with the DT880 - bright, but very soft and gentle.

 

[scompton]

I'm always amazed at people calling the DT880 bright. They're among the bassiest headphones I own. The only headphones I own that have deeper bass are a Yamaha HP-1 and Stax SR-Gamma. Admittedly, I'm not a bass head and wouldn't think of getting something like the DT770.

Back to the OP's question. I own a DT831. I'm not sure how they compare to the DT931. From the little I've read the DT931 is probably a step up but I don't really know. The only person I know of who's had both is Fitz. I don't know if he ever owned a DT880.

On my vintage NAD 3155 amp, the DT831 and DT880 sound remarkably similar. I've only done a casual comparison, so I can't go into details. Maybe I can do that tonight or tomorrow night. I can say, I'd take my Stax over either for detail and just sheer pleasurable listening. They Yamaha HP-1 is a better headphone for me as well. As someone said on the ortho thread, the Yamaha has 80% of the Stax detail and 25% of the price.

Before I got the NAD, I was using portable amps. I was using the portables plugged into the wall, not with a battery. The DT831 sounded a lot worse than the DT880 when driven with the portable amp. They had almost no bass at all. The portable just didn't have the power to produce bass with them. It can with the DT880. The bass was a bit sloppy, but it was there.

 

[Shahrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scompton /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm always amazed at people calling the DT880 bright. They're among the bassiest headphones I own.

brightness and bassiness don't have anything to do with each other.
a headphone can be bassy and bright at the same time. for example...the dt990.

 

[TopPop]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philco /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think you are on to something here...many audiophiles equal high frequency response with detail and low frequency response as mud. Them audiophiles expect tight, less than accurate bass and extremely brittle high-end. Then they call that "flat". Makes me laugh everytime !

Mmmm... disagreed.

Detail and brightness often (unfortunately) go hand in hand... but not always. If a system has a proper synergy of components and cables, the detail can exist without a "brittle" high-end.

Also, for me, detail does not always equate to high frequency extension, but rather to ability to retrieve certain subtle nuances in the original recording (such as spatial cues, lip movements, etc.), and accurately reproduce them. These nuances do not always exist in the higher frequency region.

That being said, the DT-880's are detailed, and can be overly bright if not paired with the proper equipment. If the right gear exists upstream, however, the harshness simply doesn't exist, but all of the wonderful detail is still there. Me likey.

 

[vvanrij]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TopPop /img/forum/go_quote.gif Also, for me, detail does not always equate to high frequency extension, but rather to ability to retrieve certain subtle nuances in the original recording (such as spatial cues, lip movements, etc.), and accurately reproduce them. These nuances do not always exist in the higher frequency region.

I totally agree with this!

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shahrose /img/forum/go_quote.gif brightness and bassiness don't have anything to do with each other. a headphone can be bassy and bright at the same time. for example...the dt990.

I've never heard the DT990 which is probably why the 2 don't go together for me. I think of Grados when I think bright. I've heard others that I can't think of off the top of my head. I tend to hate headphones described as bright. I think of the treble emphasized over the mids, or at least overemphasized treble. These don't fit the DT880. IMO it's a pretty well balanced headphone with nothing really overemphasized.