[Shahrose]

which one of these is best for my dt990 pro? i want 3 things:

1) this one's important. i want to reduce the high end sharp treble (smooth it out, since it fries my ears sometimes with certain songs if i'm not using an eq)

2) bring out the midrange if possible.

3) and the last criteria is just as important as #1 really. bring out some BASS. not sloppy either, i want to add speed but quantity as well if that's possible. i'm going to be using an eq so i CAN boost the bass if needed but i need the amp to not clip and be clean with this extra bass input from the eq.

my budget is around $200-300 maximum.

i listen to mostly electronic, drum and bass, rock, r&b. i do NOT want to buy a tube amp, i'm a solid state guy, i need my deep powerful bass

and speed in sound.

thanks in advance

 

[augustwest]

All three are quality amps and you won't go wrong with any of them. I think you would really need to hear each, otherwise all you will get is the biased opinions from the fans of each.

You also might want to add the "Heed" amp to the list as well.

- augustwest

 

[Redo]

Look at some tube amps

 

[Shahrose]

i'm definitely not going the tube route, sorry i failed to mention that in my original post. i'm going to add a few more details to make it easier for you guys and for myself. (hopefully)

 

[Shahrose]

which one is best for the price? i know the arietta goes for $200-250, the Eddie Current is around 350? and the OEM is 200.

 

[keyid]

the newer version ec/ss does all that you list and more. Esp in the details. The highs are smooth but not so much that they disappear. Mids are forward and the bass is as good as the recording. Im very impressed with the separation of instruments and layers of music. Each instrument is very distinct and you can follow them throughout the song. This is with the 811 opamp that comes with the newer version ec/ss.

You can change opamps with almost any (single) opamps out there.
I rolled about 8 so far and have ordered more.

The 637's are soo good with er4p's, but needs good recorded cd's though.
with hd600 im currently leaning with 8065 cause soundstage is huge. I can roll opamps for each album and always get something different.

 

[darkswordsman17]

I was kinda under the impression that the Original Master was discontinued (I seem to remember it was going to get a replacement, however I haven't heard anymore on it). It wasn't a particularly popular (just didn't get the widespread recognition), although it did get high praises from pretty much everyone who heard it. As such, it will likely be difficult to get (doesn't come up for sale too often on the forums here).

The Arietta, being a Meier product, should match well with the Beyer sound. It should be fairly easy to come across without too much trouble (at least I think its still in production).

I really don't know much about the EC/SS. It seems to be a popular amp, so I doubt you'd go wrong with it, but I don't know about price, availability, or if it will match well with your particular headphones.

 

[druelle]

I recently purchased an Arietta for my DT990's about 1 month ago. I'm quite satisfied with it (as many have said, the crossfeed is quite natural & subtle, and very well-implemented), build quality is outstanding, and the customer service was unbeatable.

I'll try and address your three main areas of interest as best I can:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shahrose 1) this one's important. i want to reduce the high end sharp treble (smooth it out, since it fries my ears sometimes with certain songs if i'm not using an eq)

While it won't completely remove the sibilance of the DT990s, I've found that it certainly tames it slightly, or at least makes it much less noticeable as compared to going from the headphone out or using my old portable amp (Xtra X-1). Overall I'd summarize the Arietta as neutral but slightly warm. I find the Arietta tames the DT990s slightly, making it very pleasant to listen to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shahrose 2) bring out the midrange if possible.

Compared to some other cans, even with the Arietta the midrange in the DT990s is a bit less present/in your face. The Arietta "warms" the signature slightly, but again it's a fairly neutral amp and won't do miracles for the DT990's slightly recessed midrange. To do this, an amp would have to colour the sound quite a bit, making it not neutral. Although the Arietta warms the sound a bit, the DT990's mids still sound slightly recessed to my ears. I'll put it this way, the Arietta won't magically turn your DT990's into a Grado!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shahrose 3) and the last criteria is just as important as #1 really. bring out some BASS. not sloppy either, i want to add speed but quantity as well if that's possible. i'm going to be using an eq so i CAN boost the bass if needed but i need the amp to not clip and be clean with this extra bass input from the eq.

If you're looking for a simple "bass boost" type of increase, then this amp isn't for you. If you're looking for a vast improvement in the bass quality, texture and speed then yes, the Arietta delivers all three (again, to my ears). When I first listened, I thought the Arietta's bass level was lower than my previous amp (X-1). It wasn't until I listened more closely that I realized the texture of the bass was much improved. My ears had to get used to listening for quality over quantity, which is much more difficult to get used to, after years of just listening for the "thump" of bass.

I'm not sure of your source, but be careful if you're using an iPod because using the iPod's EQ will clip and distort. It's not the amps fault, it's the iPod's terrible EQ. If you're using another source, disregard this.

If there are any other questions you have, ask away and I'll try to answer them. Remember that Dr. Meier's customer service is second-to-none, and he might be able to answer questions better than I.

 

[Wilashort]

I completely agree!
Quote:

Originally Posted by druelle /img/forum/go_quote.gif I recently purchased an Arietta for my DT990's about 1 month ago. I'm quite satisfied with it (as many have said, the crossfeed is quite natural & subtle, and very well-implemented), build quality is outstanding, and the customer service was unbeatable. I'll try and address your three main areas of interest as best I can: While it won't completely remove the sibilance of the DT990s, I've found that it certainly tames it slightly, or at least makes it much less noticeable as compared to going from the headphone out or using my old portable amp (Xtra X-1). Overall I'd summarize the Arietta as neutral but slightly warm. I find the Arietta tames the DT990s slightly, making it very pleasant to listen to. Compared to some other cans, even with the Arietta the midrange in the DT990s is a bit less present/in your face. The Arietta "warms" the signature slightly, but again it's a fairly neutral amp and won't do miracles for the DT990's slightly recessed midrange. To do this, an amp would have to colour the sound quite a bit, making it not neutral. Although the Arietta warms the sound a bit, the DT990's mids still sound slightly recessed to my ears. I'll put it this way, the Arietta won't magically turn your DT990's into a Grado! If you're looking for a simple "bass boost" type of increase, then this amp isn't for you. If you're looking for a vast improvement in the bass quality, texture and speed then yes, the Arietta delivers all three (again, to my ears). When I first listened, I thought the Arietta's bass level was lower than my previous amp (X-1). It wasn't until I listened more closely that I realized the texture of the bass was much improved. My ears had to get used to listening for quality over quantity, which is much more difficult to get used to, after years of just listening for the "thump" of bass. I'm not sure of your source, but be careful if you're using an iPod because using the iPod's EQ will clip and distort. It's not the amps fault, it's the iPod's terrible EQ. If you're using another source, disregard this. If there are any other questions you have, ask away and I'll try to answer them. Remember that Dr. Meier's customer service is second-to-none, and he might be able to answer questions better than I.