[MrEleventy]

With the DT880s, I can't stand poorly mastered anything tbh. You can hear little pops, skips, hisses and artifacting, etc. Or they don't sound "right". The HD600s are more forgiving probably due to lower highs so the defects don't stand out as much but at the same time, it's less impact on treble.

A tube amp varies. Some offer a very "tubey" sound, which is warm and lush but there are some that will be clear and crisp with slight warmth. And then the tubes can affect the signature of it. I have a tube amp now but I definitely still love the sound of the DT880s using a neutral SS amp.

 

[quarrymen]

With the DT880s, I can't stand poorly mastered anything tbh. You can hear little pops, skips, hisses and artifacting, etc. Or they don't sound "right". The HD600s are more forgiving probably due to lower highs so the defects don't stand out as much but at the same time, it's less impact on treble.

A tube amp varies. Some offer a very "tubey" sound, which is warm and lush but there are some that will be clear and crisp with slight warmth. And then the tubes can affect the signature of it. I have a tube amp now but I definitely still love the sound of the DT880s using a neutral SS amp.

But would a tube amp possibly help with poorly mastered recordings? Sorry if I read over your reply and missed the answer.

 

[MrEleventy]

I think to a degree, yes. A warm amp, SS or tube, can help mask imperfections and depending on the tube, it can tame highs/lows as well accentuate them depending on the tubes. I wouldn't look for them to perform magic but if it's a minor annoyance, some things can be fixed with a little eqing as well.

 

[daleb]

Quote:

With the DT880s, I can't stand poorly mastered anything tbh. You can hear little pops, skips, hisses and artifacting, etc. Or they don't sound "right". The HD600s are more forgiving probably due to lower highs so the defects don't stand out as much but at the same time, it's less impact on treble.

A tube amp varies. Some offer a very "tubey" sound, which is warm and lush but there are some that will be clear and crisp with slight warmth. And then the tubes can affect the signature of it. I have a tube amp now but I definitely still love the sound of the DT880s using a neutral SS amp.

What causes those types of artifacts? I've never heard them at all in my music, and I'm worried about that messing with me when I get the DT880s... Can they only be heard in high end headphones? I only have some HD 280 Pros now.

 

[HPiper]

Not to confuse the issue any more than it already is, but have you considered the Sennheiser HD-598. They have a  brighter sound than your typical Sennheiser.

 

[daleb]

Quote:

Not to confuse the issue any more than it already is, but have you considered the Sennheiser HD-598. They have a  brighter sound than your typical Sennheiser.

ahaha, I know you aren't referring to me, but If I start considering those again, I'll make a full circle. Rather funny that happens.

 

[stang]

Hopefully this thread doesn't completely die out too soon, because I think people need to recognize that DT880s are a great choice for rock and metal. They are also extremely comfortable, meaning you will typically use them a lot more than you would a Grado (this was the case for me at least). I have tried HD650s before and loved the bass, but found that they truly do need the right amp, whereas I find my DT880 are great with almost any amp (I still enjoy them straight out of my Matrix Cube). A recable certainly does help (this isn't placebo, I have done blind tests and even had some friends do the same and they could tell a difference), especially with bringing out the mids, tightening and amplifying the bass and calming the highs down a bit. I wouldn't recommend a $300 recable on DT880s unless you really enjoy them because that $300 could be better spent elsewhere (better source, possibly). I listen to 99% rock and metal (The Clash, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Alice Cooper, Metallica, Slayer etc) and love the DT880s. They aren't too aggressive that they hurt my ears in certain songs (Grado HF-2 did, and they are a darker Grado), yet aren't too laid back or neutral that I get bored. 

 

[Capt Snow]

  Hopefully this thread doesn't completely die out too soon, because I think people need to recognize that DT880s are a great choice for rock and metal. They are also extremely comfortable, meaning you will typically use them a lot more than you would a Grado (this was the case for me at least). I have tried HD650s before and loved the bass, but found that they truly do need the right amp, whereas I find my DT880 are great with almost any amp (I still enjoy them straight out of my Matrix Cube). A recable certainly does help (this isn't placebo, I have done blind tests and even had some friends do the same and they could tell a difference), especially with bringing out the mids, tightening and amplifying the bass and calming the highs down a bit. I wouldn't recommend a $300 recable on DT880s unless you really enjoy them because that $300 could be better spent elsewhere (better source, possibly). I listen to 99% rock and metal (The Clash, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Alice Cooper, Metallica, Slayer etc) and love the DT880s. They aren't too aggressive that they hurt my ears in certain songs (Grado HF-2 did, and they are a darker Grado), yet aren't too laid back or neutral that I get bored. 

I'm also still actually looking for a headphone lol.
 
But right now I'm tempted by the AKG k550, it's 150 euros and that's falf of the target price of 299 euros.
 
 
But once again, when making me a headphone recommendation please keep in mind that I don't listen to any Death/Extreme metal, mostly just Heavy metal.

 

[stang]

By the way, I'm talking about the 600ohm DT880s, I don't have any experience with the other models. 
 
Yeah I don't listen to as much heavy stuff as I used to. And if anything, that makes the DT880 a better choice because with heavy, fast metal, it generally sounds best with headphones that have an in-your-face presentation with quite a bit of bass. Having said that, the DT880s don't disappoint me, that's for sure. 
 
Unfortunately I don't have any experience with the AKG K550, only the K701, which I would never recommend for rock/metal (based on my hearings). 

 

[Capt Snow]

Quote:

By the way, I'm talking about the 600ohm DT880s, I don't have any experience with the other models. 
 
Yeah I don't listen to as much heavy stuff as I used to. And if anything, that makes the DT880 a better choice because with heavy, fast metal, it generally sounds best with headphones that have an in-your-face presentation with quite a bit of bass. Having said that, the DT880s don't disappoint me, that's for sure. 
 
Unfortunately I don't have any experience with the AKG K550, only the K701, which I would never recommend for rock/metal (based on my hearings). 

You don't experience any fatiguiging highs?

 

[stang]

Quote:

You don't experience any fatiguiging highs?

In the DT880? Definitely not.

 

[Theogenes]

I think the reason you're getting so many diverging opinions is because with metal music, your preference in sound signature is really more important than anything. It isn't like rap or dubstep, for example, in that you really have to have a strong bass response for a headphone to work well (generally). So I don't think there is really a holy-grail headphone for doom, another for progressive, etc. It's just about what types of sound signatures you tend to prefer. In my case, for example, I tend to like a flat and highly detailed sound, with a perhaps slightly brighter tilt. That would certainly color my choice of headphones.

With that said, I would personally steer clear of the HD650, as I find the sound to be veiled and overly lush. (I've never heard the HD600). Between the Mad Dog and DT880, it comes down again to preference. If you like a darker, more forgiving and slightly smoother sound, I'd go with the MD. If you prefer a more forward and perhaps slightly more detailed sound, I'd point to the 880. Personally, although I definitely liked them both, I preferred the Beyers overall. YM, of course, MD.

As for the 550, I heard it briefly and was not impressed. No bass response at all, and a midrange and treble response that can easily be bettered by other cans. Others may disagree.

 

[Capt Snow]

Quote:

I think the reason you're getting so many diverging opinions is because with metal music, your preference in sound signature is really more important than anything. It isn't like rap or dubstep, for example, in that you really have to have a strong bass response for a headphone to work well (generally). So I don't think there is really a holy-grail headphone for doom, another for progressive, etc. It's just about what types of sound signatures you tend to prefer. In my case, for example, I tend to like a flat and highly detailed sound, with a perhaps slightly brighter tilt. That would certainly color my choice of headphones.

With that said, I would personally steer clear of the HD650, as I find the sound to be veiled and overly lush. (I've never heard the HD600). Between the Mad Dog and DT880, it comes down again to preference. If you like a darker, more forgiving and slightly smoother sound, I'd go with the MD. If you prefer a more forward and perhaps slightly more detailed sound, I'd point to the 880. Personally, although I definitely liked them both, I preferred the Beyers overall. YM, of course, MD.

As for the 550, I heard it briefly and was not impressed. No bass response at all, and a midrange and treble response that can easily be bettered by other cans. Others may disagree.

People also tend to say that DT880's are too polite for metal...
 
Maybe I just have to make the plunge and get the Maddogs.

 

[Capt Snow]

Finally ordered the Mad Dogs, what amp should I pair it with? I was thinking the Fiio E09k.

 

[daleb]

And I just ordered the DT880s