Towert7
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2005
- Posts
- 5,853
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- 39
Hello everyone! I just recently received my Darth Beyer back from headphile along with my brand new Luke SkyBeyer. Many people have asked me how they sound, so this is a comparison between the two according to my preferences.
First and foremost, I must precede this comparison with the following statement: I have slightly modified both of these headphones from the stock version that comes from Larry at Headphile ( Headphile, headphone tweaks and modding, woodies, interconnects, Grado, Sennheiser, AKG, Beyer, woody and more... ). The stock Beyerdynamic DT770pro 80ohm and DT770 250ohm v2005 come with two small holes (ports) that are open. After the headphile mod, there are four open ports due to the removal of the cord going from the left ear piece to the right ear piece. For both of these headphones, I have plugged up all four holes with Elmer’s adhesive putty (orange putty). This has a huge impact on the bass, and essentially allows you to tune the bass depending on how many holes you plug up. With all four holes open, I find there to be considerable bass reverb within the enclosure giving the impression of more bass. To me, this was very overwhelming and drowned out the rest of the music. By plugging up the two main holes, you reduce this bass reverb considerably. I also noticed more detail and greater soundstage. For those who already have Darth Beyers, you can try this by simply playing music and plugging up the holes with your fingers. If you plug up all four holes, the bass reverb is reduced even more. This applies to both the Darth Beyers and Skybeyers. Please note: All my impressions and comments from this point forward are comparing the two headphones with all four holes plugged up with Elmer’s adhesive putty. This is not a comparison between the Stock Darth Beyer’s and Stock SkyBeyers. I do not have enough listening time to compare the stock versions (nor do I like the way they sound stock).
The Contenders:
1) Headphile Padauk closed Darth Beyer V2 with 1.5M BlackSilver cable (Modded from a stock DT770pro 80ohm).
and
2) Headphile Bloodwood closed Luke SkyBeyer with 1.5M BlackMax cable (Modded from a Stock 2005 DT770 250ohm).
(Please note the different wood’s and cables.)
The V2’s have been extensively used and thus “burnt in”. I have been using the SkyBeyers now for about 15 hours. I’m not sure how much play time these have seen with Larry.
All tests were done with my main headphone equipment: Audigy 2 ZS Digital output > MHdt Labs USB+ Constantine DAC > HeadAmp GS-1 > (headphone)
All equipment and cables have been thoroughly broken in.
Looks and Comfort:
As always, Larry did a truly amazing job with the modifications. The wood’s are nothing short of amazing! The Padauk wood is a darker red than the bloodwood, and also has a deeper grain than the bloodwood. I personally love redwoods, and these are a fine example of such exotic redwoods.
The V2 Darth’s have considerably more wood, both in weight and in size. This effects the weight distribution of the headphones. The V2’s are heavier, have the weight pushed out to the sides more, and have a little more clamping force. The SkyBeyer’s are very similar to a stock DT770pro in both weight, weight distribution, and clamping force. I prefer the feel of the V2 Darth Beyer’s as they seem to make a tighter seal, stay on my head better, and the extra weight gives them a little more substance. This is personal preference though, and I can see how someone could prefer one over the other. Both have the comfy velour ear pads which are a dream to use. The new SkyBeyers come with a new style headband. The new style headband rests on my head with slightly less pressure, with better long term comfort. There is less padding though, meaning they don’t grip my head as well as the old style headband (more prone to movements).
Truly both are a joy to use in terms of comfort. I experience no physical fatigue and the looks of these are first rate!
Moving on to sound signatures!
Bass:
Let’s be honest, the Closed Darth Beyer’s are known for their monstrous bass and rightfully so. After hearing my V2’s, almost every other headphone I have tired seems utterly incapable of a credible amount of bass. Most are so dry and boring, lacking both weight and low end that they don’t excite me the way these can. I came from stock DT770pro 250ohm beyers which are considered to have the most bass out of the stock DT770pro’s. Changing to the V2 Closed beyers (with 4 holes plugged) was night and day. The Darth’s had much more bass weight, and equal amount of slam while having roughly the same extension. There were two things that I wished were a little different on the Darths though. First, they lacked a little bass slam/impact (the puffs of wind from quick bass attacks). Also, despite the four holes being plugged up, there was still a little bit of bass reverb. Despite this though, these can’s have some of the best bass I have heard from almost any headphone. I was thrilled.
Now enter the SkyBeyer. This is to me, the best improvement of the SkyBeyers over my V2’s. With all four holes plugged up, there is practically no more bass reverb! In addition, there is so much more bass slam/impact! These headphones seem really fast! I have never used a headphone with more bass slam and impact. And if that wasn’t enough these new 2005 versions have much much more low end bass (talking 5-40Hz) weight. Now, you would think that to get this amount of bass, you are giving up on the quality of the bass definition and detail. Surprisingly though, these are very detailed. Much more detailed than my V2’s. All notes are clearly presented. They have such authority it’s not even funny! Powerful and authoritative bass across the spectrum, with great slam and clarity. I just can not convey how much sweet low end bass these SkyBeyers have (even compared to V2’s), so amazing!
These new SkyBeyers are vastly superior in Bass to the previous bass monsters for my preferences. I demand lots of bass, but controlled bass (can’t stand muddy/flabby/bloated bass) and these deliver. I think I can safely say, without reservation, that these headphones have the best bass I will ever find in a headphone bar none. Everything I’m looking for, in the right amounts, and nothing to not like.
Mids:
Coming from the Stock DT770pro 250ohm to the V2’s was a huge change. The Stock beyers had a recessed midrange that made most vocals sound unnaturally distant. The V2’s fixed this by pushing the mids up to desired levels. The Skybeyer’s are in-between the V2’s and the stock beyer’s, being very close to the V2’s. It’s apparent that the mids are slightly less present than the V2’s. I slightly prefer the more present mids of the V2’s, but it’s a very slight difference and up to personal preference.
The detail of the mid’s on the SkyBeyers have been increased over the already detailed V2’s. I’m noticing some imperfections in recordings that were not evident with the V2’s. I’m very impressed with the increased midrange detail.
Highs:
Again, my stock DT770pro 250ohm beyers had a lot of treble and while they weren’t fatiguing for me, I could have done with a little less. The V2’s tamed the high end considerably. While this made for a very non fatiguing listening experience, it seemed like I was missing a little high end detail. The SkyBeyers are again in-between my stock DT770pro’s and the V2’s. Enough high end to enjoy the detail, without being overly present. I find the highs to fit in smoothly with the rest of the sonic signature. The best of both worlds.
Detail and Soundstage:
The 2005 version of the Beyer’s DT770 must have increased in detail, because I find the SkyBeyers to be more detailed throughout the frequency range over my old V2’s. Much more detailed bass, more detailed mids, and more detailed highs (again with all 4 holes plugged).
Soundstage seems to be roughly the same between the V2 and SkyBeyer. Positioning is very good, soundstage has great depth, and the soundfield is very smooth and continuous. I have a funny feeling these headphones have not reached their maximum soundstage potential being limited by my other equipment. This is one of the areas that the Stock beyers did well in, and these headphones (with holes plugged) take it to a whole new level.
General Usage:
I have thrown all of my musical preferences at these new Luke SkyBeyers and everything is a pleasure to listen to on these. In addition, I have tried gaming and movies. These headphones are “godly” when it comes to gaming headphones, and equally well for movies; truly one of the few headphones that actually make movies sound good and not as if you are listening to them through headphones.
Being 250ohm, these headphones require a little more volume than my 80ohm Darth Beyer V2’s.
Summary:
I have to thank Larry for the excellent product that he has been working on! Larry makes truly audiophile quality headphones available to people who can’t afford multi thousand dollar headphones with the SkyBeyers being the latest addition. Add to the fact that these headphones are some of the best looking headphones I have ever seen, if not the best and you are getting a great deal. What’s more, these headphones are made in the USA by someone who is truly passionate about what he does. His workmanship and attention to detail are first class as can be seen from any of his products. With all of my dealings with Larry, he has been very pleasant and willing to help. Well worth the money!
I am extremely happy with the way these turned out. I would wholehearted recommend these headphones, even to those who already have Darth Beyers (quite a difference to warrant a new purchase). There is no question in my mind which headphone will be my main headphone. The clear winner is the 2005 Luke SkyBeyer. I’m very happy that I purchased these, and hope to enjoy them for years to come!
More information can be found at Headphile, headphone tweaks and modding, woodies, interconnects, Grado, Sennheiser, AKG, Beyer, woody and more...
And now, I present the SkyBeyer in picture form!
((
))
~Drew
Edit (3-18-2007): Please also see my update: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/2792200-post43.html
Edit2 (1-14-2008): My love for them quickly wore off, and I ended up selling them, along with my darths, in favor of the HD650.
First and foremost, I must precede this comparison with the following statement: I have slightly modified both of these headphones from the stock version that comes from Larry at Headphile ( Headphile, headphone tweaks and modding, woodies, interconnects, Grado, Sennheiser, AKG, Beyer, woody and more... ). The stock Beyerdynamic DT770pro 80ohm and DT770 250ohm v2005 come with two small holes (ports) that are open. After the headphile mod, there are four open ports due to the removal of the cord going from the left ear piece to the right ear piece. For both of these headphones, I have plugged up all four holes with Elmer’s adhesive putty (orange putty). This has a huge impact on the bass, and essentially allows you to tune the bass depending on how many holes you plug up. With all four holes open, I find there to be considerable bass reverb within the enclosure giving the impression of more bass. To me, this was very overwhelming and drowned out the rest of the music. By plugging up the two main holes, you reduce this bass reverb considerably. I also noticed more detail and greater soundstage. For those who already have Darth Beyers, you can try this by simply playing music and plugging up the holes with your fingers. If you plug up all four holes, the bass reverb is reduced even more. This applies to both the Darth Beyers and Skybeyers. Please note: All my impressions and comments from this point forward are comparing the two headphones with all four holes plugged up with Elmer’s adhesive putty. This is not a comparison between the Stock Darth Beyer’s and Stock SkyBeyers. I do not have enough listening time to compare the stock versions (nor do I like the way they sound stock).
The Contenders:
1) Headphile Padauk closed Darth Beyer V2 with 1.5M BlackSilver cable (Modded from a stock DT770pro 80ohm).
and
2) Headphile Bloodwood closed Luke SkyBeyer with 1.5M BlackMax cable (Modded from a Stock 2005 DT770 250ohm).
(Please note the different wood’s and cables.)
The V2’s have been extensively used and thus “burnt in”. I have been using the SkyBeyers now for about 15 hours. I’m not sure how much play time these have seen with Larry.
All tests were done with my main headphone equipment: Audigy 2 ZS Digital output > MHdt Labs USB+ Constantine DAC > HeadAmp GS-1 > (headphone)
All equipment and cables have been thoroughly broken in.
Looks and Comfort:
As always, Larry did a truly amazing job with the modifications. The wood’s are nothing short of amazing! The Padauk wood is a darker red than the bloodwood, and also has a deeper grain than the bloodwood. I personally love redwoods, and these are a fine example of such exotic redwoods.
The V2 Darth’s have considerably more wood, both in weight and in size. This effects the weight distribution of the headphones. The V2’s are heavier, have the weight pushed out to the sides more, and have a little more clamping force. The SkyBeyer’s are very similar to a stock DT770pro in both weight, weight distribution, and clamping force. I prefer the feel of the V2 Darth Beyer’s as they seem to make a tighter seal, stay on my head better, and the extra weight gives them a little more substance. This is personal preference though, and I can see how someone could prefer one over the other. Both have the comfy velour ear pads which are a dream to use. The new SkyBeyers come with a new style headband. The new style headband rests on my head with slightly less pressure, with better long term comfort. There is less padding though, meaning they don’t grip my head as well as the old style headband (more prone to movements).
Truly both are a joy to use in terms of comfort. I experience no physical fatigue and the looks of these are first rate!
Moving on to sound signatures!
Bass:
Let’s be honest, the Closed Darth Beyer’s are known for their monstrous bass and rightfully so. After hearing my V2’s, almost every other headphone I have tired seems utterly incapable of a credible amount of bass. Most are so dry and boring, lacking both weight and low end that they don’t excite me the way these can. I came from stock DT770pro 250ohm beyers which are considered to have the most bass out of the stock DT770pro’s. Changing to the V2 Closed beyers (with 4 holes plugged) was night and day. The Darth’s had much more bass weight, and equal amount of slam while having roughly the same extension. There were two things that I wished were a little different on the Darths though. First, they lacked a little bass slam/impact (the puffs of wind from quick bass attacks). Also, despite the four holes being plugged up, there was still a little bit of bass reverb. Despite this though, these can’s have some of the best bass I have heard from almost any headphone. I was thrilled.
Now enter the SkyBeyer. This is to me, the best improvement of the SkyBeyers over my V2’s. With all four holes plugged up, there is practically no more bass reverb! In addition, there is so much more bass slam/impact! These headphones seem really fast! I have never used a headphone with more bass slam and impact. And if that wasn’t enough these new 2005 versions have much much more low end bass (talking 5-40Hz) weight. Now, you would think that to get this amount of bass, you are giving up on the quality of the bass definition and detail. Surprisingly though, these are very detailed. Much more detailed than my V2’s. All notes are clearly presented. They have such authority it’s not even funny! Powerful and authoritative bass across the spectrum, with great slam and clarity. I just can not convey how much sweet low end bass these SkyBeyers have (even compared to V2’s), so amazing!
These new SkyBeyers are vastly superior in Bass to the previous bass monsters for my preferences. I demand lots of bass, but controlled bass (can’t stand muddy/flabby/bloated bass) and these deliver. I think I can safely say, without reservation, that these headphones have the best bass I will ever find in a headphone bar none. Everything I’m looking for, in the right amounts, and nothing to not like.
Mids:
Coming from the Stock DT770pro 250ohm to the V2’s was a huge change. The Stock beyers had a recessed midrange that made most vocals sound unnaturally distant. The V2’s fixed this by pushing the mids up to desired levels. The Skybeyer’s are in-between the V2’s and the stock beyer’s, being very close to the V2’s. It’s apparent that the mids are slightly less present than the V2’s. I slightly prefer the more present mids of the V2’s, but it’s a very slight difference and up to personal preference.
The detail of the mid’s on the SkyBeyers have been increased over the already detailed V2’s. I’m noticing some imperfections in recordings that were not evident with the V2’s. I’m very impressed with the increased midrange detail.
Highs:
Again, my stock DT770pro 250ohm beyers had a lot of treble and while they weren’t fatiguing for me, I could have done with a little less. The V2’s tamed the high end considerably. While this made for a very non fatiguing listening experience, it seemed like I was missing a little high end detail. The SkyBeyers are again in-between my stock DT770pro’s and the V2’s. Enough high end to enjoy the detail, without being overly present. I find the highs to fit in smoothly with the rest of the sonic signature. The best of both worlds.
Detail and Soundstage:
The 2005 version of the Beyer’s DT770 must have increased in detail, because I find the SkyBeyers to be more detailed throughout the frequency range over my old V2’s. Much more detailed bass, more detailed mids, and more detailed highs (again with all 4 holes plugged).
Soundstage seems to be roughly the same between the V2 and SkyBeyer. Positioning is very good, soundstage has great depth, and the soundfield is very smooth and continuous. I have a funny feeling these headphones have not reached their maximum soundstage potential being limited by my other equipment. This is one of the areas that the Stock beyers did well in, and these headphones (with holes plugged) take it to a whole new level.
General Usage:
I have thrown all of my musical preferences at these new Luke SkyBeyers and everything is a pleasure to listen to on these. In addition, I have tried gaming and movies. These headphones are “godly” when it comes to gaming headphones, and equally well for movies; truly one of the few headphones that actually make movies sound good and not as if you are listening to them through headphones.
Being 250ohm, these headphones require a little more volume than my 80ohm Darth Beyer V2’s.
Summary:
I have to thank Larry for the excellent product that he has been working on! Larry makes truly audiophile quality headphones available to people who can’t afford multi thousand dollar headphones with the SkyBeyers being the latest addition. Add to the fact that these headphones are some of the best looking headphones I have ever seen, if not the best and you are getting a great deal. What’s more, these headphones are made in the USA by someone who is truly passionate about what he does. His workmanship and attention to detail are first class as can be seen from any of his products. With all of my dealings with Larry, he has been very pleasant and willing to help. Well worth the money!
I am extremely happy with the way these turned out. I would wholehearted recommend these headphones, even to those who already have Darth Beyers (quite a difference to warrant a new purchase). There is no question in my mind which headphone will be my main headphone. The clear winner is the 2005 Luke SkyBeyer. I’m very happy that I purchased these, and hope to enjoy them for years to come!
More information can be found at Headphile, headphone tweaks and modding, woodies, interconnects, Grado, Sennheiser, AKG, Beyer, woody and more...
And now, I present the SkyBeyer in picture form!
((
~Drew
Edit (3-18-2007): Please also see my update: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/2792200-post43.html
Edit2 (1-14-2008): My love for them quickly wore off, and I ended up selling them, along with my darths, in favor of the HD650.
