[PixelSquish]

I have been scouring the forums for info on cans for classical.

i'd say more concertos, sonatas, and string quartets but also a fair amount of symphonies as well.

the akg501 are only 129 compared to the over 250 dollar 880's. i can't make a decision. it would be nice to save some money but not imperative if the difference is worth it. the source for now is an old technics receiver headphone jack.

 

[Mercuttio]

I think, if you search around, you'll find that most people prefer the 501.

 

[PixelSquish]

that's what it seemed, but i wanted more info on the 880 for classical. i also was debating waiting until the 701 came out, and also considered then ruled out the senn 580's as well, for just under 200.

 

[Mercuttio]

I've personally only heard the DT 880 with classical, and I like the way it sounds quite a bit. You probably couldn't go wrong with it, as it'll server other purposes nicely as well. If you're looking to just get a classical can, I'm positive people will steer you towards the 501.

 

[nickchen]

I have the DT880 and know the 501 quite well, it's the main can of a friend of mine. I regarded the 501 to be great for the quieter things. The DT880 will do that job as well, but it also has a greater bandwidth of styles, thus it also is able to display "redneck" classical like Tchaikowski - the 501 falls slightly short there. It's up to you. Bang for the buck is much better with the 501, but the DT880 is a far superior can IMHO.

 

[fjf]

The general opinion is that the 880 has better bass, and is a better overall phone. It sings beautifully with any classical, and you can have it for 210$: http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/

 

[fjf]

Oops!

 

[iSleipnir]

I own both and I prefer the K501 to the 880. Im my opinion, the K501 has more accurate bass as what you would hear in a concert setting. Tight and controlled. The separation and soundstage in the 501 is also better in the sense that though the 501 has a shallower sound stage it is much wider than the 880 which has a more deeper soundstage. To me, the difference translates to instrumnt separation.

 

[patricklang]

I would find it very hard to justify the cost of the DT880 over the K501. The last time I listened to both was about a year ago, and on a variety of styles, including classical, the difference was not that big. I still swear the dt880 has a slightly metallic sound that I don't hear in the k501.

Recently I listened to the Sennheiser HD650 vs the K501, and it seems that the HD650 has more depth to the soundstage. If you haven't auditioned the k501 already, you probably should to ensure the soundstage isn't too horizontal for you. I would say its more of a matter of personal taste, I don't listen to much classical, and think the K501 excels on acoustic guitar and processed electronic music from my collection better than most other phones. The speed and stereo separation take The Orb to depths nothing else has.

 

[Ferbose]

I think DT880 is a bit too bright at times.
If brightness is a concern, go for K501.
Some people already find K501 kind of bright, but DT880 is even more so.
Personally I think DT880, HD6x0 and K501 all sound great for classical, and presonal preference is what really sets them apart. Keep in mind K501 can't handle bass-heavy music.
K701 to my ears outperform them all on classical.
For the price though, definitely grab K501 for classcial.

 

[MTL]

I, too, own both, the DT 880 and the K 501 and do prefer the K 501 for classical any time as I think it has the more balanced presentation. The bass may not be as strong as on the the DT 880 but it nevertheless is quite natural (and quite sufficient for classical anyway) - as are the highs, which are - imho - are overemphasized on the DT 880.

 

[VR6ofpain]

On the Beautiful Blue Danube sounds incredible on the K601's. Blow my HF-1's out of the water...though only on classical. Some jazz I haven't made up my mind...(though obviously my HF-1's blow the K601's out of the water with rock).

It is nice to have certrain headphones for certain music...I had been listening to everything on my Grado's.

 

[PixelSquish]

the k501 are being ordered!

down the road if i get a headroom portable amp will that be ok out of a PCDP headphone out?

 

[PixelSquish]

you know whats funny. search froogle for these and the best price is like 199. they are like 129 on headroom.

ill take 129 thank you very much sir. **** i might get two pairs.

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by idiotekniQues the akg501 are only 129 compared to the over 250 dollar 880's. i can't make a decision. it would be nice to save some money but not imperative if the difference is worth it. the source for now is an old technics receiver headphone jack.

I own both, and DT880 is well worth the price difference IMO. I always gravitate toward them for classical (every time), and K501 is reserved for other stuff.

Edit -- noticed you already ordered the K501. Well you probably won't be disappointed, but the DT880 is quite a bit better in my opinion. Hope you have an amp with a lot of drive, the K501 really needs it.