[Makiah S]

Quote:

 
I'm not sure how far back you're referring to, but I do indeed have an older pair of DT770s (the ones that say "professional" on the headband sides). It's from the mid-90s I suspect. In fact, just this week I heard back from Beyerdynamic about the history of the pair I have. Apparently the 770 line began in the 80s simply as a 600Ω headphone. This continued until the late 90s when the driver was replaced with a 250Ω version. I believe it was later on that this headphone was split into Pro and Premium varieties.
 
As for comparison, I can only comment on what I do/have own/owned: DT770 600Ω (circa 1995), DT770 600Ω, and DT770 Pro LE. Neither of the new ones sound as good as the old pair. I was disappointed in both, to be honest, because I was hoping they would replace this old pair. But, no go. Not good enough. Really, even out of my iPhone these old 600Ω cans have fuller bass than the 32Ω Pro LEs. Go figure.

strange, but I like the Mad Dog atm as a closed dt 880 compliment actually! 

 

[teofilrocks]

Quote:

strange, but I like the Mad Dog atm as a closed dt 880 compliment actually! 

 
I'm sure I would, too!  

 Hope to hear the MD at the NYC meet.

 

[GaijinMo]

Thanks for the responses, guys.
 
Quote:

 
I'm not sure how far back you're referring to, but I do indeed have an older pair of DT770s (the ones that say "professional" on the headband sides). It's from the mid-90s I suspect. In fact, just this week I heard back from Beyerdynamic about the history of the pair I have. Apparently the 770 line began in the 80s simply as a 600Ω headphone. This continued until the late 90s when the driver was replaced with a 250Ω version. I believe it was later on that this headphone was split into Pro and Premium varieties.
 
As for comparison, I can only comment on what I do/have own/owned: DT770 600Ω (circa 1995), DT770 600Ω, and DT770 Pro LE. Neither of the new ones sound as good as the old pair. I was disappointed in both, to be honest, because I was hoping they would replace this old pair. But, no go. Not good enough. Really, even out of my iPhone these old 600Ω cans have fuller bass than the 32Ω Pro LEs. Go figure.

 
I don't know how far back the changes go either, but the reason I was worried is because I came across a thread elsewhere in which some person thought the newer version of the 770/80 was better:
 
http://www.avforums.com/forums/headphones-headphone-amps/804649-beyerdynamic-dt770-pro-250-ohm-better-than-80-a.html
 
Not the most reliable or detailed opinion out there, but until I read that I didn't know there could be a difference. It seems like merchants will simply paste a stock photo of the old or new version when selling it, so I just wanted to be sure.

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

 
I'm sure I would, too!  

 Hope to hear the MD at the NYC meet.

Another sig of the Mad Dogs I enjoy... they are LAID back ;o, my Byer cans are very engaging they have a lot of energy to them, even with tubes and that's a great thing they sound wonderfully engaging... BUT the Mad Dogs will still very Linear are pretty Laid back, the bass is not as tight, the mids are a little more forward, slighty less detail but more warmth and richness, the sound stage a wii bit smaller, and the highs are actually pretty nice :O
 
So I do enjoy it although it's kind of a real dwngrade xD but hey it isolates and it's good for Chill out Nu Jazz

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Another sig of the Mad Dogs I enjoy... they are LAID back ;o, my Byer cans are very engaging they have a lot of energy to them, even with tubes and that's a great thing they sound wonderfully engaging... BUT the Mad Dogs will still very Linear are pretty Laid back, the bass is not as tight, the mids are a little more forward, slighty less detail but more warmth and richness, the sound stage a wii bit smaller, and the highs are actually pretty nice :O
 
So I do enjoy it although it's kind of a real dwngrade xD but hey it isolates and it's good for Chill out Nu Jazz

 
Hmm, sounds like a closed back HD 650. I should really try them some day.....

 

[commtrd]

Well I got the DT990/600 phones and the Microamp/dac all connected up and now have around 10 hours on all. I am a little disappointed in how they sound at this point. Maybe expected too much or maybe it will take some time for them to "burn in"? Not that it sounds bad but not really hearing a "soundstage" to speak of and if volume is turned up past about half way just falls apart. I am not hearing any excessive brightness in the highs though. Bass is ok but not real powerful like I had read it was. I am not sure how much of this is due to the amp, and how much it's the headphones. I have never had any other headphones or dedicated headphone amp or dac before so not sure how to diagnose it all. Right now honestly I think the money would have been better spent on some speakers and possibly some other amp. Listening to digitally mastered cd's only for input. Will they start to sound better eventually or maybe go ahead with the T1 purchase? Speakers not really appropriate for my situation right now but still REALLY want to listen to good quality audio so that meant a foray into the realm of headphones which I know nothing about except what I am reading on the internet.
 
I am not an audiophile far as I know but I have been seriously listening to music for four decades now and I know what sounds good to me and what doesn't. What I am hearing right now is ok but really nothing at all to write home about. Certainly nothing to get all fired up and emotional over. Can headphones really compete with speakers or is that just the way it is? Do these cans need 200 hours of play time before they start sounding good? Soundstage seems to be right inside my ears. So far very very disappointed. Oh well I will just continue listening to the system and maybe it will start sounding better. I have no access to different amps/dac or other headphones to substitute so no way to start to troubleshoot and isolate the problem. I think everything is functional far as I can tell. Reading all this stuff about headphone performance and I have to ask "Really? That's it?" Should I just send all this stuff back and start over?

 

[gilliesjake]

Hi everybody,
 
I have hopefully a very simple question. I have a Digi 002 Rack Converter, which has a headphone amplifier which has a load of 150Ohms.

I have been looking for a good pair of closed head phones (for recording and mixing music) and have settled on the DT 770's mainly out of budget. 

A) I'm not sure whether to go with the 80Ohm or 250Ohm 770's. How far off the output load does the headphone impedance have to be before it distorts or damping happens easily? Which one would be better for a load of 150Ohms?
 
B) As I am also a guitarist so the mid's are relatively important as well, and thus am considering the 880's. How big is the difference between the DT 880 250Ohm and the DT 770 250Ohm? Also, is the spill from the 'semi closed' 880's dramatically more than the 770's? 

I'm sorry if the answers to these questions have already been answered in this thread somewhere, I am new to quality headphones and to head-fi and havent had much luck in-regards to the Digi 002. Thought it might be easier getting a direct response! 

Cheers!

 

[devhen]

Quote:

Well I got the DT990/600 phones and the Microamp/dac all connected up and now have around 10 hours on all. I am a little disappointed in how they sound at this point. Maybe expected too much or maybe it will take some time for them to "burn in"? Not that it sounds bad but not really hearing a "soundstage" to speak of and if volume is turned up past about half way just falls apart. I am not hearing any excessive brightness in the highs though. Bass is ok but not real powerful like I had read it was. I am not sure how much of this is due to the amp, and how much it's the headphones. I have never had any other headphones or dedicated headphone amp or dac before so not sure how to diagnose it all. Right now honestly I think the money would have been better spent on some speakers and possibly some other amp. Listening to digitally mastered cd's only for input. Will they start to sound better eventually or maybe go ahead with the T1 purchase? Speakers not really appropriate for my situation right now but still REALLY want to listen to good quality audio so that meant a foray into the realm of headphones which I know nothing about except what I am reading on the internet.
 
I am not an audiophile far as I know but I have been seriously listening to music for four decades now and I know what sounds good to me and what doesn't. What I am hearing right now is ok but really nothing at all to write home about. Certainly nothing to get all fired up and emotional over. Can headphones really compete with speakers or is that just the way it is? Do these cans need 200 hours of play time before they start sounding good? Soundstage seems to be right inside my ears. So far very very disappointed. Oh well I will just continue listening to the system and maybe it will start sounding better. I have no access to different amps/dac or other headphones to substitute so no way to start to troubleshoot and isolate the problem. I think everything is functional far as I can tell. Reading all this stuff about headphone performance and I have to ask "Really? That's it?" Should I just send all this stuff back and start over?

 
Either something is wrong with your setup or you are expecting an experience that headphones are incapable of delivering. If you're that unhappy with the soundstage of the 990 then there isn't a headphone in existence that will satisfy you. You can't change the fact that the speakers are right next to your ears instead of several feet in front of you. If you want the soundstage of speakers then you need speakers.
 
Is there any way you can try the 990s with a different setup?
 
What other headphones have you used?
 
"Burn-in" will not change anything about what you've described.

 

[commtrd]

It seems like these 990's are slowly starting to sound better. I have around 20 hours on them now. I may have just had unrealistic expectations about what headphones can do. Also have no access to a retail outlet where I could listen to different combinations of phones/amps/dac and that does not help either. I think my little system is just under amplified. Here is my question: What would be the most recommended SS amp and tube amp to drive these or T1 cans?

As far as sound stage still sounds like everything is happening right at the headphones... Tried to imagine I am hearing something other than sound origin and I am not. As I don't think any of the gear is defective not going to worry about it. What I am going to do eventually is get some T1's first and then later after much research get another amp to try. I suspect that is really what needs to be upgraded maybe before getting T1.

I think I just had unrealistic expectations and with no way to audition anything first and no knowledge of headphone systems at all just needed to get expectations aligned with reality.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Sounds like virtual surround tech may be for you, though not for music. For movies and games... yes, headphones can sound like things are happening around you, and not next to you.

 

[commtrd]

I think I will contact Headroom and see about sending this micro amp back to try out a much stronger amp if they have one available, I know they have one they sell for around 1200 so that one should be somewhat beefier and able to hit those 990's a little harder. Still would like to try a tube amp someday but whatever it is needs to be able to drive the cans absolutely as hard as they will take it.

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

I think I will contact Headroom and see about sending this micro amp back to try out a much stronger amp if they have one available, I know they have one they sell for around 1200 so that one should be somewhat beefier and able to hit those 990's a little harder. Still would like to try a tube amp someday but whatever it is needs to be able to drive the cans absolutely as hard as they will take it.

DAMN, if you've got the money for it why not get the T1 e.eand I use a cheap $100 Hybrid Tube called the Indeed G3, and it's BEEEEEEFY. An that's all it is really. I recommend a clear top 12ua7a rca tube for more sound stage. 
 
I like the dt 990, but for edm only as the bass is too much for me in other genres. I prefer the Dt 880 out of my thick tube for everything elese! 
 
Still both great cans. The dt 990 is not BAD with non edm just not my taste ;3

 

[commtrd]

DAMN, if you've got the money for it why not get the T1 e.eand I use a cheap $100 Hybrid Tube called the Indeed G3, and it's BEEEEEEFY. An that's all it is really. I recommend a clear top 12ua7a rca tube for more sound stage. 
 
I like the dt 990, but for edm only as the bass is too much for me in other genres. I prefer the Dt 880 out of my thick tube for everything elese! 
 
Still both great cans. The dt 990 is not BAD with non edm just not my taste ;3

 
Thanks for the recommendation I will look into that. Update on how my current system is performing: Now I have over 30 hours on it and surprise! starting to experience the soundstage! Listening to an Alan Jackson recording and realized that the vocals were more front and centered vs the guitars and other instruments which were clearly separated and even heard something I thought was outside so I replayed that part and sure enough it was actually in the music and presented from way in back of head! It sounds a little like the bass guitar had a misplaced note and never heard that before. I have to say that I am just not hearing a weak mid range from these headphones at all. The vocals and acoustic guitars are just soul-searching. I can only imagine how the T1 sounds. I must apologize for first rant about the micro-amp/dac and the DT990's. I didn't realize it may take some time for everything to start loosening up and "get in their groove". Now hopelessly hooked on high-end audio with headphones... I really want to try a Schiit or Burson or WA amp most likely the Lyr as it will output 6W per channel and comes highly recommended from what I am reading. BUT my current setup is really not too bad for a starter set of components... Like photography, (or anything else) as we get more experience and exposure to equipment; we progress and the components evolve as form follows function. And so it goes...

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

 
Thanks for the recommendation I will look into that. Update on how my current system is performing: Now I have over 30 hours on it and surprise! starting to experience the soundstage! Listening to an Alan Jackson recording and realized that the vocals were more front and centered vs the guitars and other instruments which were clearly separated and even heard something I thought was outside so I replayed that part and sure enough it was actually in the music and presented from way in back of head! It sounds a little like the bass guitar had a misplaced note and never heard that before. I have to say that I am just not hearing a weak mid range from these headphones at all. The vocals and acoustic guitars are just soul-searching. I can only imagine how the T1 sounds. I must apologize for first rant about the micro-amp/dac and the DT990's. I didn't realize it may take some time for everything to start loosening up and "get in their groove". Now hopelessly hooked on high-end audio with headphones... I really want to try a Schiit or Burson or WA amp most likely the Lyr as it will output 6W per channel and comes highly recommended from what I am reading. BUT my current setup is really not too bad for a starter set of components... Like photography, (or anything else) as we get more experience and exposure to equipment; we progress and the components evolve as form follows function. And so it goes...

yar, and I commend you for starting at least in Mid Fi, do NOT BUY the T1 until you've worked you way up through cans like the HE 400/he 500 dt 80 Pro 600 Senn HD 650 ect.. ect... it's no fun when you start at the very top e.e. Also closed and open head phones r vert different I think, in addition if you've got cash to waste and space to take up, I like using cans un eq'd and having a different can for different music depending on the coloration of the can and how that music benitifts from that additional coloring. For example Classic Jazz likes my clean dt 880 pro 250. The Hip Hop infused Nu Jazz enjoys the laid back presentation of my closed Mad Dog Fostex T50, my Techno like my open Dt 990 [and I eq the crap outa techno, for MORE BASS] 
 
So that's my approach to music, I also use different amps for the same pourpose. I have a Thick Mullard 12ua7 tube for the dt 880s and everything else gets the Airy Tigh Rca Cleap Top 12ua7a [I even have different amps for them] so it's a fun hobby we have! And stuff re sells pretty well

 

[napsternemesis]

Hi all, I need some help to find a suitable dac/amp setup to go with my DT-770 32 ohm anniversary edition Beyerdynamic's. First off, I should mention that i'm a complete noob to the audiophile world and this is my first ever high-end headphone purchase (upgrade from a bose QC15). Everything I know about high-end headphones, dacs, amps and the sort have come from only about 5-6 hours of research (yes I can be quite an impulsive consumer at times, lol). So you guys can assume I know effectively nothing about the same. That said and done, let me move on to the nature of my usage of these headphones. Although i'm an electronic music fan for the most, I do listen to all genres of music and am constantly exploring. Consequently, you may direct your suggestions to accentuate overall sound clarity and preciseness as opposed to any genre specific configurations or the more "fun" configurations that audiophiles seem to refer to lol. Although i'm probably a terribly shallow audio critic as of now, I would certainly like to try and train my ears in the upcoming future and for that reason too would prefer a configuration which is more representative of the source of the audio. I will be using these cans mostly with my macbook pro 13" and occasionally with an ipad or iphone (almost exclusively for music I should add). From the limited pool of information I have managed to acquire, i'm inclined to believe that the audioengine d1 or the fiio e7 will do a decent job. Then again, people also tend to find the 770's a bit bass-heavy and suggest that the Fiio E7 actually hinders performance by further accentuating the lows (not sure if the audioengine d1 causes the same problem). I should also note that this has been the gist of opinions on the 80 ohm and above versions of the 770's (really can't say if the same even applies for the 32 ohms) just because for some reason there's very few people actually even testing/discussing the 32 ohm version; possibly because it's a limited edition perhaps. Also, price is certainly a key factor as well and I would be rather uncomfortable to stray any higher then the $180-200 mark. That said and done, like I said earlier, there appears to be very few people out there actually testing DT-770 32-ohms extensively with various hardware. I have learnt a fair amount about the other impedance versions and what works with them but still have found almost nothing specific to the 32-ohm's. I was hoping there would be someone here who'd potentially even have some experience with the same. Well, that's the end of that, and i'd like to thank anyone with absolutely any feedback in advance; any bit of advice could go a long way and is much appreciated 

. Also, I apologize if i'm being vague or ambiguous in anything i've said, or if something i've said is wrong, because frankly i'm not completely sure about what im saying either lol; as such any constructive or even mildy destructive feedback to do with my post is always welcome too!! Cheers!!!!