[GreenEggs313]

I've never heard the HD25 version, but the sp definately ain't bad. I really like it as a closed headphone. It sounds like a refined version of the HD212 with less bass.

I have a macbook and the 25sp is a great phone for using in the library and such.



Sweet pair of headphones, you should check them out if you ever get the chance.

 

[waterboy]

had one about two years ago, nice piece.

 

[episiarch]

It's really an underrated headphone here. Nice and neutral-ish if somewhat dark, with very good isolation and none of the jaw-clenching sonic flaws that most moderate-cost closed headphones have.

 

[ericj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by episiarch /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's really an underrated headphone here. Nice and neutral-ish if somewhat dark

Really?

On some tracks, the upper mids on mine sound unnaturally bright. Like there's half an octave boosted by about 2db. I fiddled with my eq for a while but i couldn't figure out precisely where to flatten it out.

They're really not bad, though, if you can get them at a reasonable price. Pleasant to listen to, but admittedly i don't know how they relate to the signature sennheiser sound, since I'm more of a beyerdynamic fan.

 

[episiarch]

Well, I perceive them as being on the dark side. I feel the highs peter out sooner than I'd like and they lack air and sparkle compared to, for example, the HD25. But a headphone response curve is a messy thing, and while my overall impression of the 25SP is somewhat dark, I won't claim that it has an across-the-board treble cut.

 

[ericj]

Well yeah, they are overall dark, with a weird bump in the high mids.

I paid $22 for mine because some filthy DJ broke the cord right at the plug, and after listening to them for a few hours yesterday I don't regret buying them, even though i had to bleach every washable part on them.

You'd hope that for the retail price you could get something with a more natural sound, but i can't think of anything in a compact, light-weight, highly convenient, very portable formfactor that matches them.

For half the money, the DT-231 is probably on par, better if you like the signature beyer sound, but nowhere near as durable. I've said before, they look like something that came free with a discman.

If they were still being manufactured, Mk1 Fostex T40's totally slaughter them for the same street price - but they are big and heavy and circum-aural.

 

[episiarch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericj /img/forum/go_quote.gif For half the money, the DT-231 is probably on par, better if you like the signature beyer sound, but nowhere near as durable.

The DT231's not nearly as isolating, though, and is really leaky. At least mine was. It utterly failed the spousal-distraction test, and I wasn't playing it loud.

Personally I didn't like the DT231. Its mids just sounded really muddy to me, and eventually I gave it away to an coworker from the "all headphones sound the same" camp. But a lot of people have good things to say about them, so clearly opinions can vary.

 

[ericj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by episiarch /img/forum/go_quote.gif Personally I didn't like the DT231. Its mids just sounded really muddy to me, and eventually I gave it away to an coworker from the "all headphones sound the same" camp. But a lot of people have good things to say about them, so clearly opinions can vary.

Yes, I wasn't considering the isolation issue.

It's been my experience that people who prefer Sennheiser or Audio-Technica refer to Beyer mids as being 'muddy' or 'recessed'.

I prefer the beyer sound, and think of it as being more 'warm' than either of the other two terms. Some other cans can be more crisp, but taken to an extreme, it can become uninteresting.

Admittedly I've never put on a pair of respectable AT's. Close as i get to Audio-Technica is my Realistic Pro 30's.