[wankski]

Hey Guys,

great forum and resource!

melb is pretty pathetic for testing good headphones... That said i did like the sound of senn hd555, better than the 595s (tho the shop owner explained this as b/c the 595s weren't burnt in yet... i thought they were a bit 'cold' and bright cf 555...) For reasonable money i think they will be my fall back plan if i don't get some definitive indication that there is much better out there for similar money....

I'm looking for open, tho the semi-open of the akg is intriguing... I'm after excellent sound staging (i like finding new things to listen to in old fav tracks) and clarity across the range, listen to electronica and some pop/alternative/soul/female vocals... i will be running them on a creative mp3 player (not so much) and my laptop x-fi express card.

I know photos give little indication, but the akg appeals b/c for whatever reason i covet german/austrian made stuff over china, tho japan is a close second. outta those listed i think the K240s have the best looking build quality which is also important to me.... (true in person?)

looking over comments here it seems the beyer and ad700 have better sound than the hd555, tho the 'anemic bass' of the 700s and their size are putting me a bit off to be honest (as does described creakyness and cheapo plastic build), tho i do value comfort... to be honest tho, i can't see myself listening to music for much over 1hr at a time tho.... I think i do prefer circumaural, but the real pet hate is excessive clamp pressure... i can't stand it... (main reason why i'm moving away from closed - have hd202)

i heard the old beyer 531s (open) were the bomb, how do the modern dtx compare? also i see the 800 is recommended, but the 900 is marginally more expensive, is it better? how do these two compare to the more expensive dt440? yet it is described as uncomfortable, are the 900s much better in this regard??

even tho my initial impression is that the akg has decent sound reviews, the ears look to be a good shape, and reasonable looking build quality and good price, i find it weird that many sites like headphonic gives akg no love at all apart from the much more expensive 701s....


i realise this is long winded, but if i do go beyer or akg, looks like i can't return, so i'd want to be sure they are much better than 555 or AD700.

Final question - if any or all of these will greatly benefit from an amp - will the fiio e5 do? or is it really a waste of money when used with these phones? I know headphonic don't sell it, but would the cMoy amp kit be a better, higher quality option (i'm pretty decent at soldering/compiling pcbs)

Thanks so much!

joe

 

[Zombie_X]

It depends on what your definition of better is. The DT900 is brighter and more bassy than the DT880, but the DT800 is more refined sounding of the two. So I would say it isn't exactly better. I have both and greatly prefer the DT880 due to it's flatter frequency response.

The DT880 is fast and can keep up with a large majority of music out there and is punchy as well. Good for rock IMO. The soundstage is a little squished though.

The DT990 is about the same for speed, but can get fatiguing from the amount of upper frequency attenuation. Bass has more impact and weight behind it but mids seem to be a little drowned out. It has a pretty expansive soundstage compared to the DT880.

Both have a great deal amount of detail. They are leagues above the hd555 IMO in terms of sound quality. The

 

[dweaver]

I can only speak about the HD555, AD700 and DT990 and nothing on amps.

The HD555 was a bit to clamping on my head from a comfort perspective. The sound was a bit boomy in the bass while never really managing to go very low. The mids were veiled (singers sounded almost like they were behind something and certain instruments sounded very far away. The treble was not very detailed. Overall I liked them somewhat because of their open nature but knew I would not be satisfied with the sound.

AD700 - These were more comfortable in the sense of no clamp but literally fell off my head at one point and threatened to do so several times, they also were a bit itchy. From a sound perspective I love their punchy bass and it when way lower the the Senn HD555 phones, their midrange was much better (singers sounded like they were right in front of me and many instruments sounded phenominal). The treble was also much more detailed and complete but did cause my ears to ring so maybe a bit to high. Their soundstage was very good. Overall I loved the sound of these phones but couldn't get past the fit issues.

DT990 - These phones were very comfortable to where, the best fitting phones out of the ones I tried that are on your list. For sound I found they were quite boomy again without going very deep on the bass front. The midrange seemed veiled to me somewhat like the Senn 555 and the treble seemed very tinny to ears. Out of the three phones I liked these ones the least SQ wise.

I also have tried the Sony SA1000 and found it to be very comfortable even more so than the 990's but it had very poor bass (the bass just didn't exist much) and the highs on these phones were literally painfull to my ears. The mids were also recessed. I liked these the least out of all phones I have tried to date.

Finally I have also tried the HD595 and found they were more comfortable that the 555 model and improved every area of sound the 555 were problematic in but felt they were not as good as the AD700 SQ wise especially considering how much more they cost. But if all I could get were Senn's they beat the pants off the 555 model IMO.

I have also traded a pair of portable headphones for a pair of Philips HP910 open air phones so if you look in the forum you will see a thread I started asking for opinions on the AD700 and the Philips HP910, I will post how I like these phones when they come in. Price wise they are a steal in comparison to all of the phones listed and I am hopefull they will give some of them a run for their money.

 

[wankski]

thanks alot guys - ok so now i've decided i probably wont amp early on - but may move onto that....maybe

so now i've refined the choices (note dt990 is simply not an option for me!

$$$) to dt440, ad700 and k240s.

I like the look of the build quality of the AKGs and how they look they will feel. (if that makes sense)...

Zombie, i notice you own a set of the K240s, can you comment on these? anyone?

Also would it be worth chasing up a set of old beyer dt531 or AKG 501s for similar money?

As long as all the above are better than the 555 or even 595, that'll do b/c i should be able to swing it similar money...

cheers

 

[fhuang]

wankski, did you mean dtx800/900 or dt880/990? dtx800/900 is a lot cheaper. fun sounding, lot of bass, kind of headphones and dt880 and 990 said, like Zombie_X or dweaver, 880 is more flat sounding/frequency while 990 is a good headphones while still fun to listen too. by the way, 990 is not fatiguing at all to me.

 

[wankski]

correct, i originally said dtx800/900, but only dt440.... the dt770,880,990 outta my price range.


i think right now i've narrowed it down to DT440 and AKG K240s, with AD700 still being a strong contender...

outta those three, something that can be easily driven, good clean bass and excellent sound stage would be great.

 

[Ishcabible]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wankski /img/forum/go_quote.gif Also would it be worth chasing up a set of old beyer dt531 or AKG 501s for similar money?

Yes!

What happened to your DT531 anyways? I'll take it if it's broken.

The old double headband DT990s go for cheap (almost never over $100) at ebay.de

 

[wankski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ishcabible /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes! What happened to your DT531 anyways? I'll take it if it's broken. The old double headband DT990s go for cheap (almost never over $100) at ebay.de

lol, wish i could help... i don't have any of the phones i've mentioned, its just that i can get the older phones locally, and the reviews on them sounded really positive, whereas the newer versions not so much...

eg, dt 531 are described as better built and more comfortable than the current dt 440s.... and better sound...just wondered if there was merit to chasing around the older stuff, or if it was just nostalgia on the part of the reviewer...

thanks for the ebay tip btw!

 

[Ishcabible]

Oh, I misread heard for have. Sorry.

Yeah, I've been kind of trolling ebay, but I have a DT48 on the way which is said to be better (more neutral and detailed) than DT990s. I am still in search for a fun headphone, so that might be it. Or a Sextett. You should consider them over K240Ss.

I'm guessing the older stuff is better because as of late, most manufacturers are after PROFIT. Back then, it wasn't that bad.

 

[freakydrew]

what will you be listening too? what will the source be?

 

[Zombie_X]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wankski /img/forum/go_quote.gif Zombie, i notice you own a set of the K240s, can you comment on these? anyone? Also would it be worth chasing up a set of old beyer dt531 or AKG 501s for similar money?

They K240S's are smooth yet nicely detailed and focus on the mids. Highs are relaxed and bass in punchy, yet not bloated. Overall they are really nice. I'd highly recommend them. Oh and they are ultra comfortable. You wont even notice they are on your head.

K501's are very nice as well and retain the AKG comfort. If anything I would say try to stretch for the K601 as they sound far more open and more engaging (to my ears) then the K501. Also the K601 has a little bit more bass.

 

[ddoingwell]

Personally, the AKG K240S are my "desert island" headphones; if I were marooned on a desert island and could only have one set of headphones in the whole world, I'd have these. More fun than the AD700s by light years, comfortable, a bit congested sometimes but very musical. In good conscience, I cannot recommend either of the Senns-less models being considered and I've had them too. I've only had DT660 Beyers so I cannot comment on your Beyer choices though if you're DownUnder, maybe try to get a set of Philips SHP9000 from on of the Aussie online clearance sites. I got a set for $49AUD plus shipping late last year and for the money, they're the best headphones I've ever heard. I also have AKG K501s and love them but they're fussy so if you're not going to buy a decent amp, forget them for now. Just for now. And forget the FiiO too; there's an Aussie bloke making really nice little portable amps for little dosh. Look on eBay.com.au. Or get a HotAudio40 product. More great cheap thrills. But I'd buy the AKG K240s in a heartbeat. No question.

 

[wankski]

thanks mate, that's awesome - i was leaning towards the akgs for so many reasons, really wanted someone to say something positive about them! i probably will pick em up.... some reviews i read weren't great.

thanks for the tips on the amps too.... i've been looking at that, kinda embarrassed i even brought up the fiio...

 

[Zombie_X]

The HD555 isn't exactly bad, but you could get far better for the money. They aren't the best bang-for-the-buck IMO. They are also a little bass shy, but not to me, but if you've had bass heavy phones you may not like em.

 

[Ishcabible]

Before you buy them, look for a Sextett for around the same price. It will need a lot more amplification though...

It doesn't seem you are using these portably. May I suggest a Starving Student Millet if you don't plan on taking it around. If you are using your headphones portably, disregard what I've said.