A great value, but not a giant-killer in the truest sense.
Let me explain further: The DT531 is very good all-around with no glaring weaknesses. However, I have come to understand that its performance ceiling is not as high as the much more expensive cans it would seek to undermine. Essentially what this means is if the performance of a certain source/amp combo is below the ceiling of the DT531 and the cans you're comparing them to, the differences will mainly be of flavor. Whereas if they are compared on a higher-end rig, the higher-end cans generally start to make the difference one of quality rather than one soley of flavor.
For example, when I had my setup of the modded EMU 1212M soundcard and Gilmore V1, the DT531 and CD3000 were about equally as enjoyable. There were of course differences in flavor (the CD3000 being brighter, with a wider soundstage), but the differences in quality (such as detail, extension, overall musicality) were minor. Out of my Archos MP3 player, I'd actually say I found the DT531 slightly more enjoyable, since it didn't point out the lackings of even 320kbps MP3's to the point that the CD3000's treble did. However, once I acquired the Benchmark DAC1, the whole ballgame changed. The DAC1 allowed the CD3000 (and later HD650) to climb into a higher realm of musical reproduction, with a certain realism that the DT531 lacks in that setting. Instead of thinking that I was listening to a real orchestra (as I did with the high-end cans) I felt I was almost hearing wax-figure musicians, if that makes sense. It is a level of fast reaction to dynamics and details that the DT531 simply doesn't do.
That doesn't mean I think less of these cans, rather I am still amazed that they used to sell for less than $100 USD. On sound quality alone (not to mention their unrivaled comfort) they are worth at least $200. That they do not begin to falter until compared in systems and to headphones costing many times more is quite the complement. In a low- to mid-fi system, said more expensive cans offer little to no advantage sound quality-wise, and can only really be rationalized if someone really likes a particular flavor of sound. This is the only sense in which they could be considered giant-killers, and how it worked out for fellow head-fier pbirkett. However give the giant a sword and shield of his own stature (i.e. a truly high-end source, if not amp as well) and he can live up to his size. I wanted to say this to debunk a bit of the myth that the DT531 competes with the biggest boys on the block; it can but not on the largest of stages. Of course most folks who would spend the $1K+ for supposrting gear likely wouldn't have only a $150 pair of cans.
Let me explain further: The DT531 is very good all-around with no glaring weaknesses. However, I have come to understand that its performance ceiling is not as high as the much more expensive cans it would seek to undermine. Essentially what this means is if the performance of a certain source/amp combo is below the ceiling of the DT531 and the cans you're comparing them to, the differences will mainly be of flavor. Whereas if they are compared on a higher-end rig, the higher-end cans generally start to make the difference one of quality rather than one soley of flavor.
For example, when I had my setup of the modded EMU 1212M soundcard and Gilmore V1, the DT531 and CD3000 were about equally as enjoyable. There were of course differences in flavor (the CD3000 being brighter, with a wider soundstage), but the differences in quality (such as detail, extension, overall musicality) were minor. Out of my Archos MP3 player, I'd actually say I found the DT531 slightly more enjoyable, since it didn't point out the lackings of even 320kbps MP3's to the point that the CD3000's treble did. However, once I acquired the Benchmark DAC1, the whole ballgame changed. The DAC1 allowed the CD3000 (and later HD650) to climb into a higher realm of musical reproduction, with a certain realism that the DT531 lacks in that setting. Instead of thinking that I was listening to a real orchestra (as I did with the high-end cans) I felt I was almost hearing wax-figure musicians, if that makes sense. It is a level of fast reaction to dynamics and details that the DT531 simply doesn't do.
That doesn't mean I think less of these cans, rather I am still amazed that they used to sell for less than $100 USD. On sound quality alone (not to mention their unrivaled comfort) they are worth at least $200. That they do not begin to falter until compared in systems and to headphones costing many times more is quite the complement. In a low- to mid-fi system, said more expensive cans offer little to no advantage sound quality-wise, and can only really be rationalized if someone really likes a particular flavor of sound. This is the only sense in which they could be considered giant-killers, and how it worked out for fellow head-fier pbirkett. However give the giant a sword and shield of his own stature (i.e. a truly high-end source, if not amp as well) and he can live up to his size. I wanted to say this to debunk a bit of the myth that the DT531 competes with the biggest boys on the block; it can but not on the largest of stages. Of course most folks who would spend the $1K+ for supposrting gear likely wouldn't have only a $150 pair of cans.