[oak3x]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nelamvr6 /img/forum/go_quote.gif You haven't been reading that here at Head-Fi... 880's have very good bass, taut and nimble, very well controlled. But the bass extension is not as deep as with the 990's. 990's have deeper extension, more bass punch.

Exactly...

I own the DT880's (as well as AKG K701). Being a fan of a more balanced presentation, the DT880's (600 ohm) are fairly flat over the entire sound spectrum (lows, mids and highs). They are incredibly detailed headphones and like all Beyerdynamics, very comfortable to wear...

The DT990's provide more of a lower frequency (bass) extention.

 

[donunus]

I'm not alone in thinking that the b&ws are boomy. A lot of my friends think so too. The model I was referring too was the 801. The shop owner said it lacked burn in but I heard it at another shop and it had the same boomy sound to it. Anyways, to each its own but I havent actually known anyone that heard the 801s that liked them more than the magnepans that were set up in another store we went to... anyway i'll stop rambling now cause you will have to hear the setup I am referring to in order to understand just how boomy it was. I am not really into wilson audio but the puppy/watt system that I recently heard before that time killed the b&w system in every aspect of the sound

 

[nelamvr6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donunus /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not alone in thinking that the b&ws are boomy. A lot of my friends think so too. The model I was referring too was the 801. The shop owner said it lacked burn in but I heard it at another shop and it had the same boomy sound to it. Anyways, to each its own but I havent actually known anyone that heard the 801s that liked them more than the magnepans that were set up in another store we went to... anyway i'll stop rambling now cause you will have to hear the setup I am referring to in order to understand just how boomy it was. I am not really into wilson audio but the puppy/watt system that I recently heard before that time killed the b&w system in every aspect of the sound

Well, you're right, to each his own...

But I've never heard an 800 series speaker that didn't have nicely controlled, taut bass.

Perhaps the 801's had deeper extension than you were expecting? perhaps they needed some repositioning?

Who knows... But I think we can still get along, right? I notice you have some of the smaller B&W's listed in your profile, so you like at least some of the B&W line...

 

[EnOYiN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donunus /img/forum/go_quote.gif If they were speakers I would say they are the b&w nautilus series with the bright treble and boomy bass while the 595s are more like a good horn loaded system powered with a SET amp

Quote:

Originally Posted by donunus /img/forum/go_quote.gif The model I was referring too was the 801.

Since when is the 801 the same as Nautilus? Aren't pretty much all B&W speakers extremely neutral to begin with? Oh well, I might heard it all wrong.

To the OP. I like the DT880s better in every aspect. They might not have the punch the DT990s have but I think they give a more natural reproduction of what is there. I suggest you try them both and pick the one you like best. (if possible of course)

 

[Duheed]

the dt880 is 600ohm, woahs thats alot, so a corda move will power them well?
why is it that 880's are cost more than the 990's mm weird.
and am i taking a step into the right direction now? away from the senn 595's, dr 150's

 

[donunus]

http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/bw_nautilus_801.htm

heres the nautilus 801, anyways i'm pretty sure it was bad positioning and the room was a little small for those big drivers too. Still, they are finicky to position and my original point was just a comparison between the 595s and the 990s. And thats how I heard the 801s in the showroom

They were driven with Mark Levinson monoblocks and a krell cd player I think it was... This was almost 10 years ago and then recently heard them at a mall hooked up to a modest surround sound setup and the same sound from memory revisited me. I preferred the much cheaper dynaudio model beside it but anyway thats for a different thread

 

[Duheed]

mm just read on the theyre 250 ohms, mm my bad. then who said that his were 600, must of been the previous model

 

[nelamvr6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donunus /img/forum/go_quote.gif http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/bw_nautilus_801.htm heres the nautilus 801, anyways i'm pretty sure it was bad positioning and the room was a little small for those big drivers too. Still, they are finicky to position and my original point was just a comparison between the 595s and the 990s. And thats how I heard the 801s in the showroom

Yeah, I haven't seen any 801's for years. They've been pretty much supplanted by the 802's, though he 801's are still officially in the B&W catalog.

It's not surprising that those speakers in a small room would sound overpowering...

When they're in a big enough room they are definitely not "boomy" though. The bass is certainly powerful, but always controlled and nimble. Those are my "Powerball" speakers, the 802d's... If I ever win the Powerball...

 

[majkel]

To the OP: go DT990Pro's. they are neither DT990's nor DT880's, disregarding the model year which has changed several times for these two. DT990 Pro is a flat and more natural sounding studio version of the DT990's. Most of heaphones junkies I know point this Beyer's model as recommended. The other two seem to be tuned for obtaining a certain effect.

 

[nelamvr6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duheed /img/forum/go_quote.gif mm just read on the theyre 250 ohms, mm my bad. then who said that his were 600, must of been the previous model

600 Ohm is a special order option. I'm waiting on a pair of 600 Ohm DT-880s' as I type this.

 

[karma]

I've owned both. If you listen to a lot of vocal trance and ambient, I would steer away from the DT990. The highs can be harsh on these, and I found I couldn't listen to some of my trance tracks because of the sibilance. Rap will sound better on the DT990 though.

I generally prefer the DT880 over the DT990 regardless of musical genre. The DT990 is fun, but I found it fatiguing. The 990 definitely has more bass quantity. IIRC, the 880 has deeper, more extended bass.

I've also owned the HD595. Are the Beyers a step up from that? Well, everybody's ears are different.

The Senns have a darker, more laid back sound compared to the Beyers. Beyer's signature is in the highs, while Senn's signature is in the smoothness, so it comes down to what you generally prefer. You can see how I rank the headphones I've owned in my sig.

FWIW, I feel the HD595 is one of the better bargains you can find on Head-Fi, based on how much it normally goes for used here. I've also never had another phone that is as comfortable as it was either.

Ultimately, if you're looking for better highs, I would say the AKG K701 is better than either Beyer. It can be a little lacking in bass punch though, depending on what amp you have. If you already like the Senn sound, then I would say the HD580/6x0 like would be right up your alley and a significant step up from the HD595.

Good luck in your journey!

 

[donunus]

karma, just wondering why you think the 580 is a step up from the 595? Are you talking about refinement or overall balance? I myself am interested in knowing what I missed with my hd580s. I never thought they were as alive as the 595s. If I wasn't ordering a k701, I'd order another 580 for my neutral reference can

 

[karma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donunus /img/forum/go_quote.gif karma, just wondering why you think the 580 is a step up from the 595? Are you talking about refinement or overall balance?

First, let me say that I think the 595 is a great headphone. Also, I have only briefly listened to a 580, and it was a damaged one that had imbalanced drivers. So my experience is limited the HD6x0. From what I've read, the 600 is similar to the 580.

With that out of the way, I think the HD6x0 phones have a special something to them that just make them more enjoyable. They have velvety mids and punchy bass. The 595 also has beautiful mids, but from memory, I don't think the bass is as enjoyable as the 6x0s. I also remember that I didn't find the 595 very engaging at times.

My one quibble with the HD6x0s is that I wish they had more sparkly highs. With some music, they're a little too smooth, and that's when I miss the magic that the K701 would impart on the music. But overall, considering that there's no perfect headphone, I think the 6x0 are the best I've had with the least amount of compromise in SQ.

 

[Duheed]

yer though the 6x0 are more costly then the beyers and dont seem to have much of a diff. Read some reviews on the dt880's and they seem like the perfect set of cans, bit costly though. Ive learnt that i cant suggest a pair of headphones and expect everyone to agree with my last and final choice, i first thought of getting th 595's but everyone steered me away from them and suggested dr150's and ad700/ad900's. And then away from those saying the beyers would be a better choice given my music choice, but i feel entirely comofrtable with buying the beyers more so than my previous choices, The reviews on it make it sound great. Bit uncomfy with the price diff better them and 595's thats bout it really. but the dt-880's and a corda move sound like the perfect combo for me

 

[karma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duheed /img/forum/go_quote.gif but the dt-880's and a corda move sound like the perfect combo for me

I'm sure you know already, but Meier amps and Beyers are supposed to be a tremendous pairing. I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

BTW, I would highly suggest you try picking up the Beyers used here in the FS forum. You will save a significant amount over their brand new price, and someone else will have saved you the trouble of breaking them in.