[Zida]

 
Quote:

Now, for the classical music recommendation... there is too much to chose from to just throw something at you. What 'era' suits your taste? Classical like Beethoven - Mozart, Baroque like Bach - Vivaldi, 20th century like Stravinsky? Maybe some 'impressionist' like Debussy or Saint-Saens.
 
shane
 

 
Whatever rocks the hardest

Budget isn't really an issue for me. An 800 dollar headphone solution will take me longer to get to, but I'm not looking to sacrafice quality for price... though an 800 dollar headphone would take me a very long time to get... so I'm gonna try and keep it ~200 used.

My source and files may blow, but that's all upgradeable. I used to have a better soundcard, infact, but I broke it accidentally when I was in highschool and didn't appreciate it.

Would a dt880 in general be considered better for me than an hd600, just more revealing of my lossy details? I'd actually be rather gitty if I got myself to a point where I could hear a difference between lossy and lossless. I'd be interested in getting something like a uDAC if it it'd help get me where I wanted to go.

 

[gjllopez]

Hi,
As you can see I'm definitely new to the forums here, but this whole year, I've been really digging into all this audiophile business, especially this past month.  While I myself only have a pair of M50's I have tried many headphones.  What it seems to me that your looking for, is the same thing I'm looking for.  At first I was confused and by many, thanks to my pitiful way of describing music, I was labeled as a basshead.  Though this is definitely not the case, as I later found out, though thats a different story.
 
Ideally where all looking for that perfect sound, which comes from the perfect combination of all instruments, but its more than just being able to hear everything, there has to be a space, between everything, sound must become in all its graces 3 dimensional, every sound must be distinguishable from every other.  And yes, definitely not looking for headphones that put music right in your face, but offer distance.  This was were i stood, a dilemena I'm sure many have faced here, and while I'm sure everyone has a different opinion and everyone a different solution to thier problem.  The way you describe yours, is the way I view mine.  To cut the story short I just recently used a pair of sr225i's, it was brief, three hours tops.  They were great headphones, I listened to the whole audioslave self titled album, it was just a great experience.  Then just three days ago, another good friend of mine ended up loaning me his pair of DT880 for two whole days, my god, I sat on my bed baffeled for who knows how long, it was just amazing how well everything sounded, I knew that was the end of it, that was all I needed. The sound coming from those cans was, PERFECT, especially the bass (it was strong but non-intrusive, it was exactly what bass needs to be).  They were everything I expect from top of the line headphones. My friends set up was most responsible to a gread degree too I imagine. And I know I shouldn't be recommending headphones I don't own, but I figured I would just put it out there.  Because as soon as I rack up the cash, I'm gonna be blasting music on some DT880 till I'm either deaf or dead.
 
Also, IMO, you should really invest in a better source, the sound from your laptop isn't gonna help much, especially straight from the headphone output, though I'm sure your amp helps tremendously.  And from what I read here and what I've experienced the source plays a very vital role on SQ, you should definitely look into that, as I'm sure you'll be able to get a better sound.
 
....

 

[Mr Joboto]

Yup, source is very important especially the higher you go in the headphone hierarchy. Good to hear you've found a pair of headphones that you feel are perfect for you

 

[Drubbing]

Besides a source upgrade, the 701 needs a decent desktop amp. That said, it's not going to change them any, if you don't get on with the inherent sound.
 
Having listened to the 701 with a decent set up, I don't get the love for them TBH. Agreed they don't really work well for rock, but they left me cold with classical too. Just too airy and dry for me.
 
Your also thinking about this the wrong way - massive spend on phones isn't going to buy primo sound, the whole kit has be decent quality. The better the phones are, the more reliant thy will be on quality back up to deliver their best. And besides that, diminishing return kicks in very hard with audio, so a $800 phone isn't going to be 100% better than a $400 one.
 
You don't want to be running quality phones from a laptop out. It's one of the poorest audio sources available. Amp a set of quality phones through it and you're likely to find out how bad.

 

[Sophonax]

My recommendation for the O.P.:  if you can (eventually) afford it, I would go for a pair of Beyer T1s.
 
What you described screams T1s to me.  They have as much, or possibly even more, detail than the K701/2s, except with a punchy, hard-hitting, well-extended bass presentation.  Their soundstage is a little narrower than the K701/2s, but the imaging and instrument separation are top notch -- in fact I would claim that the precision of the imaging on the T1s outshines even the HD800s.
 
All considered, they sound exactly like what you're looking for.  The only downside, of course, is the cost...

 

[shane55]

 
Quote:

Agreed they don't really work well for rock, but they left me cold with classical too.
 
Your also thinking about this the wrong way - massive spend on phones isn't going to buy primo sound, the whole kit has be decent quality. The better the phones are, the more reliant thy will be on quality back up to deliver their best. And besides that, diminishing return kicks in very hard with audio, so a $800 phone isn't going to be 100% better than a $400 one.
 
You don't want to be running quality phones from a laptop out. It's one of the poorest audio sources available. Amp a set of quality phones through it and you're likely to find out how bad.

Great points.
 
1) Works for one, works for the other: If the cans produce a sound that (to my ear) seems natural and 'correct', it will do so with all music. The more 'correct' set of cans might not be as 'fun' or specific to a genre as another, but they will be faithful to the source. So your first point about the 701's makes sense for all types of music. If it's not true (to you) for rock, it probably won't be for any other form. My M50's are fun. They are fun for classical, rock, jazz, etc. My DT880's are 'neutral'. Neutral for classical, rock...etc. You get the point. It depends on mood and tastes. The quandary comes in where you like a ‘fat’ sound for rock and ‘thin’ sound for classical (or whatever). Then you’ll need at least 2 cans.

 
2) Diminishing returns: Unless I'm willing to spend 4x what I spent on my DT880/600's, I doubt I'll get significant ‘improvements’ in sound. My next cans will most likely be the T1… or whatever replaces it (by the time I work up the scratch). I expect to be pleased by the sound and will assume at that point, that the music I’m listening to is being produced about as accurately (to the recording) as possible. But I don’t really expect to be blown away by the difference. My $200 DT770/600’s are extremely good for the price. And the M50’s are a steal!
 
3) Source, source, source. As Sonic 748i points out, it’s the ears, man. But second to that it’s GIGO – garbage in – garbage out. You can only ‘improve’ so much on bad source files, bad DAC, bad amplifier, etc. The weakest link in the chain, indeed. The HD600 will slightly mitigate the harshness of lossy. The more revealing cans will make you aware of the limitations. How deep do you want to go? How much is in your budget for a complete overhaul of your system?
 
4) Clarity and revelations: If you want revealing, your 701’s should do that very well. If you want something with more bass, try the Denon D2000 (or similar), HD600 / 650, or M50 (yeah, kind of crazy idea). A good mix of revealing with a good bottom end would be the DT770 / DT990. Though I’m not familiar with their Pro versions – 80 ohm, I think – I hear they really dig deep.
 
5) Veritas: For me, the closest I came in my limited listening, to the truth of a recording is the DT880/600 ohm. It has a wonderfully neutral tonality. It has very good bass, can slam when necessary, and produces more than enough detail and highs. Its clarity is astounding and it comes close to being (for me) the perfect headphone. I would have recommended it from the beginning, but I wanted to avoid sounding too ‘fanboy’.
 
shane
 


 

 

[Slaughter]

Good post Shane.

 

[Zida]

Do you guys think an HD600 or DT880 would match well with a Meier Corda Headfive?
Also, is it worth waiting to find a 600 ohm dt880 or are the differences between 250/600ohm exaggerated in some reviews?

 

[gjllopez]

.....

 

[chinesekiwi]

Quote:

Do you guys think an HD600 or DT880 would match well with a Meier Corda Headfive?
Also, is it worth waiting to find a 600 ohm dt880 or are the differences between 250/600ohm exaggerated in some reviews?

Far from exaggerated tbh. Noticeable difference between the two DT880's. It'll match OK but it'll improve much more with better amps.
Lopez, the doubters are always the ones that haven't compared the two.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/429371/the-beyerdynamic-dt880-600-ohm-appreciation-discussion-thread
 
Far too many people noticing differences and no criticism for it be 'placebo'. A lighter driver diaphragm not surprisingly improves the sound.

 

[Zida]

Damn, I wish they were easier to come by then... Thanks!

 

[shane55]

Quote:

Far from exaggerated tbh. Noticeable difference between the two DT880's. It'll match OK but it'll improve much more with better amps.
Lopez, the doubters are always the ones that haven't compared the two.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/429371/the-beyerdynamic-dt880-600-ohm-appreciation-discussion-thread
 
Far too many people noticing differences and no criticism for it be 'placebo'. A lighter driver diaphragm not surprisingly improves the sound.

Indeed... Maybe not so much a doubter as a skeptic, but that’s just semantics.  

 
I couldn’t understand it and maybe still don’t, but the difference, while not night & day, is tangible and not imagined. Having gone back and forth between 250 and 600 ohm sets under different amps and very different music types I found little difference was made by the amps. Of course mine are all SS. I’m sure tubes would introduce a whole other variable in sound signature.
 
That said… your initial write up of the differences is still spot on. The main and most notable (and noticeable) difference for me is in the highs. I’ll use the word ‘tamed’ to describe the 600 ohm variant’s highs in comparison. Less fatiguing and harsh (sibilant, spiky, overly bright… whatever).
 
Overall the 600 ohm provides a more accessible and naturalistic tonescape.  I could not recommend the 250 ohm version.
 
shane

 

 

[Marximus]

I'd recommend the Pro 750s, which have both amazing clarity and detail, and fantastic bass.  Drums sound excellent.  $250.

 

[Zida]

Quote:

 
Overall the 600 ohm provides a more accessible and naturalistic tonescape.  I could not recommend the 250 ohm version.
 
shane

 

really. It's such a big difference that you wouldn't even recommend the 250 ohms? even though they go for maybe 100 dollars less? noted. I'll keep my eyes out for a 600 ohm
 

 

[shane55]

Quote:

really. It's such a big difference that you wouldn't even recommend the 250 ohms? even though they go for maybe 100 dollars less? noted. I'll keep my eyes out for a 600 ohm
 

Really. The main reason is that the highs in the 250 ohm were downright painful at times. Pain is something that I'll pay $100 extra to avoid. I want to enjoy my music, not be tortured by it.
The difference may not be massive to some, and it may not be massive to me, but it was enough to reduce that one characteristic. And that was enough.