Headphones for metal music - ultimate solution
May 8, 2021 at 11:07 PM Post #10,636 of 12,269
I'm so glad you are liking them with metal. When I was looking info about Beyer headphones (1990 Pro and Amiron Home) the path that @DW75 followed -I think he posted that in Amiron thread, because he had the Amirons and purchased the 1990 Pros later- helped me a lot to decide the best of the two for metal music.

But not all is metal, I really enjoy neoclassical, symphonic rock or dark ambient with them. For other genres (pop, jazz, osts) I prefer my other headphones.

The DT 1990 is an amazing headphone for heavy metal music, which is what I listen to. Thanks for the feedback as well. I ended up doing a comparison of the Amiron Home and the DT 1990 back last year in the thread. This is what I said about the 2 headphonones. I will copy and paste it here below.

In terms of sub bass extension, both headphones are about equal. With the mid bass, the Amiron is more elevated. When using the DT1990 with the analytical pads, it does not have any mid bass bump at all. It is rather flat across the entire bass range up to the lower mids. With the balanced pads, there is certainly a hump there. I am not a fan of a mid bass hump on a headphone. I really dislike when mid bass bleeds into the mids on a headphone. I will always EQ this down on a headphone which has it with stock tuning. Even when comparing with the balanced pads though, the Amiron mid bass is still higher and broader in its elevation than the 1990. It bleeds into the lower mids more. Overall, the DT1990 has a faster, tighter, and more engaging bass. It has fast decay in the lower bass frequencies, and is not boomy at all. Both headphones need a mid bass reduction to sound correct though (if using the balanced pads on the 1990). With the analytical pads, the mid bass on the 1990 is completely flat. The bass on the Amiron is warmer and softer across the range. It has a bit of a loose character to its presentation. Keep in mind I am comparing the Amiron against the 1990 with the balanced pads though.

With the mids, the Amiron is more layed back. It is recessed in the mids, partially from that heavy mid bass hump that bleeds in. The Amiron is recessed from 1kHz to 5kHz. Vocals are layed back, and not harsh at all. All of the detail is there. Instrument location is correct. The soundstage is vast, and imaging is excellent. The Amiron offers all kinds of details in the music that most other warm headphones just do not produce. It really is a unique headphone. With the mids being recessed though, there is a sense of distance between you and instruments, as well as the vocals. Nothing in the music is up front at all. The Amiron is not designed to offer a dynamic and energetic listening experience. It is all about sitting back with a quality beverage and enjoying a relaxing listen with the music of your choice.

With the DT1990, the mids are a tiny bit recessed, but only just slightly. Instruments are more defined and up front. Vocals are not layed back. They are right in the center of your head. Imaging is pinpoint, and extremely accurate. Like the Amiron, the DT1990 also reveals all kinds of details in music, but it does so with even more focus. It demands your attention. Soundstage on the DT1990 is slightly less wide than the Amiron. The 1990 is certainly not narrow though. In exchange for it being not quite as vast as the Amiron, it gives you a more focused and realistic presentation. Instruments on the DT 1990 have better separation and layering. The Amiron is already good at detail retrieval. The 1990 pushes this a full step forward, and nothing in the music is able to hide from you.

Regarding the treble, as we all know, the Amiron is certainly more layed back. It is not a bright headphone at all. The treble response is clean, non-fatiguing, and organic. This is a headphone that you can listen to for hours. In my opinion, it could use a little more extension in the upper treble. It is slightly rolled off in the highest frequencies. This is a headphone that you can easily turn up and get blasting because it just has a relaxing sound signature. I can not imagine anyone claiming this headphone is bright or piercing. If that is the case, the person needs to get their hearing checked.

With the DT1990, the treble is more detailed. It is certainly brighter as well, and not layed back. It is a bit bright between 6-10kHz. As a result though, every detail that is present in music is exposed. Just like the Amiron does, the DT1990 also exposes clicks, distortion, pops, sighs, bangs, echos, grain, and any other defect that is present in recordings. The difference between it and the Amiron in this regard is that the 1990 will not ever leave you guessing if you just heard something. You will immediately say "wow, I have never heard that popping sound there before, or that thumping noise in the last track". From top to bottom in the frequency response of this headphone, the 1990 just hammers you with details.

My genres are hard rock and heavy metal. For this type of music, I think the DT1990 is the better headphone. The reason for this, is because it just attacks the music. It pulls all the detail out of it. Instead of the headphone saying " I am going to let the artist show you what is on the album", the headphone says "hey artist, you sit back, and let me show the listener myself". Guitars are engaging, and have a nice bite to them. Instruments sound layered, and details are pushed forward. It is a real toe tapper of a headphone for heavy styles of music. The thing is though, for anyone who has not heard either headphone, I actually recommend both headphones, unless you have a specific sound you want. If you want a headphone that has pinpoint imaging, is engaging, and has up front detail retrieval, the DT1990 is a great choice. If you want a more relaxing listen, where you want a sound which is reminiscent of listening to vinyl, then the Amiron is a great choice. If you want both of these experiences, then I recommend both headphones.
 
May 9, 2021 at 7:24 AM Post #10,637 of 12,269
I absolutely love my Empyrean for metal. It's not my main genre, so I didn't decide on the Empyrean specifically because it's ideal for metal, but I've naturally been listening to metal more regularly since owning the Empyrean, and gained a new appreciation for it.
Empyrean are too slow and soft to metal.
 
May 9, 2021 at 6:23 PM Post #10,638 of 12,269
The DT 1990 is an amazing headphone for heavy metal music, which is what I listen to. Thanks for the feedback as well. I ended up doing a comparison of the Amiron Home and the DT 1990 back last year in the thread. This is what I said about the 2 headphonones. I will copy and paste it here below.

In terms of sub bass extension, both headphones are about equal. With the mid bass, the Amiron is more elevated. When using the DT1990 with the analytical pads, it does not have any mid bass bump at all. It is rather flat across the entire bass range up to the lower mids. With the balanced pads, there is certainly a hump there. I am not a fan of a mid bass hump on a headphone. I really dislike when mid bass bleeds into the mids on a headphone. I will always EQ this down on a headphone which has it with stock tuning. Even when comparing with the balanced pads though, the Amiron mid bass is still higher and broader in its elevation than the 1990. It bleeds into the lower mids more. Overall, the DT1990 has a faster, tighter, and more engaging bass. It has fast decay in the lower bass frequencies, and is not boomy at all. Both headphones need a mid bass reduction to sound correct though (if using the balanced pads on the 1990). With the analytical pads, the mid bass on the 1990 is completely flat. The bass on the Amiron is warmer and softer across the range. It has a bit of a loose character to its presentation. Keep in mind I am comparing the Amiron against the 1990 with the balanced pads though.

With the mids, the Amiron is more layed back. It is recessed in the mids, partially from that heavy mid bass hump that bleeds in. The Amiron is recessed from 1kHz to 5kHz. Vocals are layed back, and not harsh at all. All of the detail is there. Instrument location is correct. The soundstage is vast, and imaging is excellent. The Amiron offers all kinds of details in the music that most other warm headphones just do not produce. It really is a unique headphone. With the mids being recessed though, there is a sense of distance between you and instruments, as well as the vocals. Nothing in the music is up front at all. The Amiron is not designed to offer a dynamic and energetic listening experience. It is all about sitting back with a quality beverage and enjoying a relaxing listen with the music of your choice.

With the DT1990, the mids are a tiny bit recessed, but only just slightly. Instruments are more defined and up front. Vocals are not layed back. They are right in the center of your head. Imaging is pinpoint, and extremely accurate. Like the Amiron, the DT1990 also reveals all kinds of details in music, but it does so with even more focus. It demands your attention. Soundstage on the DT1990 is slightly less wide than the Amiron. The 1990 is certainly not narrow though. In exchange for it being not quite as vast as the Amiron, it gives you a more focused and realistic presentation. Instruments on the DT 1990 have better separation and layering. The Amiron is already good at detail retrieval. The 1990 pushes this a full step forward, and nothing in the music is able to hide from you.

Regarding the treble, as we all know, the Amiron is certainly more layed back. It is not a bright headphone at all. The treble response is clean, non-fatiguing, and organic. This is a headphone that you can listen to for hours. In my opinion, it could use a little more extension in the upper treble. It is slightly rolled off in the highest frequencies. This is a headphone that you can easily turn up and get blasting because it just has a relaxing sound signature. I can not imagine anyone claiming this headphone is bright or piercing. If that is the case, the person needs to get their hearing checked.

With the DT1990, the treble is more detailed. It is certainly brighter as well, and not layed back. It is a bit bright between 6-10kHz. As a result though, every detail that is present in music is exposed. Just like the Amiron does, the DT1990 also exposes clicks, distortion, pops, sighs, bangs, echos, grain, and any other defect that is present in recordings. The difference between it and the Amiron in this regard is that the 1990 will not ever leave you guessing if you just heard something. You will immediately say "wow, I have never heard that popping sound there before, or that thumping noise in the last track". From top to bottom in the frequency response of this headphone, the 1990 just hammers you with details.

My genres are hard rock and heavy metal. For this type of music, I think the DT1990 is the better headphone. The reason for this, is because it just attacks the music. It pulls all the detail out of it. Instead of the headphone saying " I am going to let the artist show you what is on the album", the headphone says "hey artist, you sit back, and let me show the listener myself". Guitars are engaging, and have a nice bite to them. Instruments sound layered, and details are pushed forward. It is a real toe tapper of a headphone for heavy styles of music. The thing is though, for anyone who has not heard either headphone, I actually recommend both headphones, unless you have a specific sound you want. If you want a headphone that has pinpoint imaging, is engaging, and has up front detail retrieval, the DT1990 is a great choice. If you want a more relaxing listen, where you want a sound which is reminiscent of listening to vinyl, then the Amiron is a great choice. If you want both of these experiences, then I recommend both headphones.
I had read this review but I think what I read was a short edition of it. I can't stop to listen metal with the 1990s, right now I'm listening to "Artrosis" first album (Ukryty Wymiar) and, althought production is not good, I can enjoy these bad produced albums with the 1990s and can't with other headphones... I have my Sony Z7s waiting in a headphone stand to listen some jazz in a few minutes (or hours) :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
 
May 9, 2021 at 11:21 PM Post #10,641 of 12,269
My recommendation would be the Quad Era-1. Maybe check them out.
Just bought a pair of Quads off the classifieds. Now to figure out amplification. I know they are easy to drive. I have my phone (S10+) and my Marantz 2240b at home. Any suggestions on a reasonably priced amp for these? Source will be a raspberry pi/picoreplayer server, so RCA or optical input would be best.
 
May 9, 2021 at 11:28 PM Post #10,642 of 12,269
I find this thread interesting... 99% of my music is poorly recorded black or death metal. For this reason, the HD650 has always been my favorite listening tool as they make even the worst recordings sound listenable and pleasing to the ear while being non-fatiguing... Not to mention the HD650 makes vinyl sound even more euphoric and pleasing, especially in terms of the guitar tones with black metal.

But all the suggestions in this thread are always very treble rich and energetic headphones - to where I am sure they would make my ears bleed from the poor quality of recording I am often listening to. I prefer slow, soft, and warm when it comes harsh recordings and demo tapes.

What kind of metal do you people prefer for these headphone suggestions?
 
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May 9, 2021 at 11:42 PM Post #10,643 of 12,269
This is a great progressive metal album, and it is very well mastered as well. On the DT 1990 it sounds awesome. I do not use either of the stock pads on my DT 1990. I use the Brainwavz round velour pads. They totally remove the treble spike and increase the bass, all while keeping the energetic sound signature of the headphone intact.

 
May 9, 2021 at 11:51 PM Post #10,644 of 12,269
This is a great progressive metal album, and it is very well mastered as well. On the DT 1990 it sounds awesome. I do not use either of the stock pads on my DT 1990. I use the Brainwavz round velour pads. They totally remove the treble spike and increase the bass, all while keeping the energetic sound signature of the headphone intact.


Alright... This makes more sense now, I guess.

...To each their own. Certainly not my "cup of tea", however. Thanks for sharing.
 
May 10, 2021 at 1:03 AM Post #10,648 of 12,269
Would you say the hekse would be better?
I enjoyed the HEKse a lot less, including for metal. Was it better in terms of resolution/speed? Sure. But it doesn't slam as hard as the Emyprean does, has a less coherent soundstage and a slightly weird, plastic-like timbre. And I compared these 2 on an MScaler > DAVE > AIC-10 setup, for context.
 
May 10, 2021 at 1:05 AM Post #10,649 of 12,269
I find this thread interesting... 99% of my music is poorly recorded black or death metal. For this reason, the HD650 has always been my favorite listening tool as they make even the worst recordings sound listenable and pleasing to the ear while being non-fatiguing... Not to mention the HD650 makes vinyl sound even more euphoric and pleasing, especially in terms of the guitar tones with black metal.

But all the suggestions in this thread are always very treble rich and energetic headphones - to where I am sure they would make my ears bleed from the poor quality of recording I am often listening to. I prefer slow, soft, and warm when it comes harsh recordings and demo tapes.

What kind of metal do you people prefer for these headphone suggestions?
I listen to everything from raw black metal, symphonic black, experimental/psychedelic black, OSDM, prog metal, traditional hm, and everything in between. I think that the poorly recorded stuff is much better on forgiving cans like the Meze 99's.
 

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