[denl82]

Hey guys

Well tonight, I destroyed the left earcup of my dt770 while trying to get rid of a bass vibration, and I'm in the market for a new headphone(I think I'll give the dt770/80 to my bro after it's repaired). My main music is downtempo, trip hop, and ambient. I *really* wanted the dt880/03 as my next headphone, but I cannot find it for the $150 it was going for on bhphotovideo.com, and I simply can't afford the desirable dt880'05/32 for $300~. So I need to buy one of these alternatives within the next few weeks:

-HD580, $124 from amazon.com: Will allow me to buy a Silvertstone EB01 DAC($100) asap. So-so reviews on the web, but it was once considered to be hi-end. Since it was considered to be hi-end, I guess I'll probably need a DAC over on-board audio asap...[size=xx-small]*edit* Just saw that this can has a 300 ohm impedance. Jan Meier says the max my headfive can handle is 300 ohms Grr.[/size]

-HD595, $179 from amazon.com: Highly regarded here on head-fi. Doesn't need an amp(which I have). Probably doesn't need a DAC as badly as the hd580 does.

-HD600, a lowly $210 from amazon.com: Needs an amp, most likely needs a DAC over my on-board audio, and will PREVENT me from buying the DAC for a few weeks...Also, 80-95% of its quality is said to be found in the hd580. Not sure how accurate this estimate is...[size=xx-small]*edit* Just saw that this can has a 300 ohm impedance. Jan Meier says the max my headfive can handle is 300 ohms. Grr.[/size]

-k601, $240 from adorama/amazon.com: Needs an amp, and will push back my DAC plan a bit. Don't know much about this one accept what I read in ASR's review. This can is the least attractive based on what I've read about it for my music(not enough low low bass), and its cost.

-DT990 Pro, $179 from bhphotovideo.com: 250 ohms is almost reaching the driving max of my headfive amp. I've also learned that the dt990 is the open brother of my dt770/80. Being that it is, I know that it will have the same hard-hitting/subwoofer'y/lacking detail yet highly enjoyable bass, and recessed mids.

Are there any other alternatives I should look at? Which headphones would you most recommend for my type of music? Right now, I'm most interested in the hd600, because it's still in the "ball-game" here on head-fi, compared to the hd580; and it has a wider soundstage than the hd595, which has angled drivers that create a comparably smaller soundstage(afaik). Also, when I was first looking for gaming cans, a guy mentioned how happy he was with his hd600; that left a lasting impression on me. [size=xx-small]*edit* The hd600's impedance reaches the max driving ability of my headfive amp. According to this post, the hd600 still pairs well with the H5.[/size]

What I want from my next headphone is detailed, extended bass, a NICE soundstage, sweet highs, and excellent detailing. I had the grado sr80 once, but I'm not really looking for the grado sound any more. I also don't want to buy used, if I can help it.

My source will be the karajan module intergrated audio on my DFI LANPARTY nf4 Ultra-D motherboard, until I can afford the EB01 DAC. Remember, if I get the hd580, I can fit a $100 DAC into my $250 budget. But I'm O.K. if I get the hd600 and have to wait a bit longer for a DAC, as long as it's worth it.

If you guys know how these headphones do with electronic music, or even have heard them first hand with electronic music, and if you can point me to the best value, I would highly appreciate it.

[size=small]Thank you for your time and help, have a nice day![/size]

 

[aaron-xp]

The K601 cost less than $240 when bought from Northern Sound and Light. The price there is about USD190+.

I can't really comment, mainly because I don't really listen to electronic music, and that I haven't heard most of the headphones in the shortlist.

 

[tuhnu]

I have DT990 Pro and K601. For electronic music, I prefer the latter because of detail and clarity. Bass might be a bit lacking for electronic but it is not as big issue as the recessed mids with the DT990 Pro's. This is just my preference, of course some will like the DT990 Pro's better. I might have those for sale, PM me if you are interested.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Here's the 2005 DT880 for $199:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-BEYERDYNAMIC...QQcmdZViewItem

Though I have the 2003 edition, I highly recommend this headphone. It's excellent all around and I listen to it frequently.

The Sennheiser HD-580 and HD-600 are pretty much the same headphone. They use the same drivers and the HD-600 has a slightly updated enclosure. The HD-650 is very similar, as well, though it uses different drivers. The HD-580 was, for several years, Sennheiser's top offering. Don't think you'll settle for less if you get it. The difference between it and the 600 and 650 is marginal. I think all of them are good headphones. As for the 595, I just didn't like it. Though a lot of people love it, I found it lacking in refinement. But maybe that's just me.

You might want to add the K-701 to your list. Northern Sound and Light has it for $244. I'm still breaking in a pair. So far, it's not bad at all.

Don't get too hung up on the impedance as a limiting factor. Impedance is a measure of resistance. You probably noticed that it is measured in ohms, just like how a resistor is. They are similar. Impedance tells you how much resistance your headphones provide to the amp's output. It's important, but there are other things to consider. Take a look at the sensitivity of the headphones. This is measured in decibels, or "dB." Sensitivity tells you how loud the transducer will get given a particular amount of power. Sometimes, this is called efficiency. Some headphones are more efficient at developing sound than others. Next, look at the output of the amp, which is usually listed in milliwatts, or "mW." The higher the wattage, the more the amp can push.

Now, put this all together. The higher the impedance, the more the headphones resist. The more the headphones resist, the less power gets through. Then the more sensitive the headphones are, the more they will respond to what power gets to them.

Impedance is only part of the picture. The way a headphone and amp interact is really a balancing act among the output, resistance and sensitivity.

 

[DarkWolf]

I own HD590, and have heard 580 and 600. The later two were virtualy identical to my ears when I heard them, but I didn't have time get familiar enough with either. I liked the 590 better; I didn't feel it was any lower quality, but it was more energetic and fun. The 580 and 600 are awfuly laid-back and probbaly not right for you.

I now use Grado 325i, and got to compair them with K701. I decided on the Grado, even though the K701 was probably the better over all phone, I liked the Grado's fun nature and sweet tone. Some have said they aren't bassy enough for electronic, but the Senns are? My 325i has more/better bass than my 590. They respond well to EQ too. They pretty much trounce the 590 in every catagory but sound stage and comfort. By that comparison, the 590 is more like a Cadilac (assuming Cadilac's quality was nearly as good as their ruputation, which it isn't..) and the Grado are like my Miata. (Notice a pattern in my taste?)

Based on what I've read, your DT770 were probbaly already one of the better choices for you. I'm dying to hear them, especially the newest edition that people say adress the rest of the spectrum as well as they do bass. Try to listen to some Grados, and definately do not buy any Senns without hearing them first. The K701 won't ever do anything badly, unless it's alergic to your amp or something, but I found them slightly cold and lacking bass. The headband hurt the top of my head too, but everyone else says they're the most comfortable phone they've used. With a little extra pading around the sides, I'd probably tend to agree. I haven't heard any other AKG or any Beyers, though I really want to.

 

[Blackmore]

I have posted this before, AKG K340. One problem is they need an good amp to drive.

 

[brn80]

My music preferences lean towards electronica as well. I listen to breakbeats, house, jungle and psytrance. May I recommend you take a look at the Audio technica line, more specifically the A900's. Personally I think they are great for electronica.

I haven't heard the K601, but I recently acquired a K701 for the second time, and supposedly their signatures are somewhat similar. For electronica, they are quite nice, they have a nice wide soundstage; however they bass does not go deep/low enough to be satisfying esp. on electronica.

I have only tried a SR-225 from the Grado lineup, and it did have nice punchy bass, but I felt it was too in your face; more suited towards rock. Someone did mention the HD590, although they don't get much love around here, I thought they were pretty good too. Little bit of a high end and nice bass. But the AT's edged them out by a bit in the refinement dept; for me anyways.

The HD595 were another recently acquried headphone, and really surprised me by the amount of bass that they had. From what people described them on here, I thought they would be severely lacking. However it may still not go deep enough to be satisfying, esp. if you're coming from the DT770/80's. They are extremely comfortable and have a decent soundstage.

I have not tried the DT990's and I would like to at some point, since it sounds like it may have the right sound sig for electronica. I have tried the DT880's briefly at a headfi meet; they did have a nice soundstage, but like the AKG's, I didn't think they went low enough to do electronica bass heavy tracks any justice.

I noticed you mentioned Trip-Hop, I always use Massive Attack's 'Teardrop' to gauge any new can I get, esp. how deep it goes, and if it has a satisfying decay. I've owned a DT770/80 in the past, and those do go nice and low. Going out from that, I would say an A900 should be something you would want to look at; they are a bit more rounded out compared to the 770/80's and are quite suited to electronica.

 

[Davesrose]

to x2 brn80's comments......I am a Sennheiser fanboy, but I've listened to the DT770/80, and know those are bass monsters. You've gotten used to your electronic music being mainly bass lines......so while the HD595 would give you more speed and detail, I think you may find them lacking. You may want to try out the HD650 later down the road, as they're the only Senns that have good bass extension for trip hop. Beyers are their own things I've noticed. It's probably best to stick with them.......as ATs are slightly different and more detailed.

I would also avoid the k340 and k601: the AKGs are the opposite of what you're used to.

 

[nickchen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brn80 /img/forum/go_quote.gif My music preferences lean towards electronica as well. I listen to breakbeats, house, jungle and psytrance. May I recommend you take a look at the Audio technica line, more specifically the A900's. Personally I think they are great for electronica. I noticed you mentioned Trip-Hop, I always use Massive Attack's 'Teardrop' to gauge any new can I get, esp. how deep it goes, and if it has a satisfying decay. I've owned a DT770/80 in the past, and those do go nice and low. Going out from that, I would say an A900 should be something you would want to look at; they are a bit more rounded out compared to the 770/80's and are quite suited to electronica.

Absolutely true. I am your genre twin and sometimes curse the day when the A900 showed me how sloppy my big Beyers actually are.

 

[KrooLism]

If you are into supra-aural, I strongly suggest the HD-25.

It has excellent bass extension and performs really well with electronic music.

Detail and clarity can rival the HD-650. It won't match it, but then again, the 650 is their current flagship.

I don't know why the 25 get's so little mention (except from me) here. It's a marvellous headphone. Very durable and portable as well as good SQ. Very easy to drive as well. Also, any cable that will fit the 650 or 600 will fit the 25's too.

 

[nickchen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KrooLism /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you are into supra-aural, I strongly suggest the HD-25. It has excellent bass extension and performs really well with electronic music.

I guess rather the Dance- and House type of Electronica than Ambient and Downtempo...

Quote:

Originally Posted by KrooLism /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't know why the 25 get's so little mention

Because its right to exist, besides DJing, is mostly (only) portable usage at highest possible audiophile levels. It costs freaking much, that's why the world is so happy about the cheap K81.

 

[denl82]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaron-xp /img/forum/go_quote.gif The K601 cost less than $240 when bought from Northern Sound and Light. The price there is about USD190+.

[size=small]Hey guys!
Thanks for all your help, tips, and advice![/size] Dag, head-fi really owns!=]

I'm pretty much settled on buying a new dt880 from ebay for less than $230. During my research for a next headphone, I've had the chance to listen to other headphones, such as earbuds, hd555, etc, and I've learned that I can live without the big big bass of the dt770/80, and in fact, I might be ready for tight, accurate, and lean(if you will) bass now. For that, the dt880 is perfect. I was interested in the hd600, but, as you said Darkwolf, it might be too laid back for me. I've read that that problem sometimes has to do with insufficient amping, but that's one problem I don't want to deal with once I plunk down my $200+ on the hd600.

Also, I was very interested in the dt990, but it's basically going to be a moderately improved dt770/80, and, as I've said above, I think I'm ready for a different, more refined sound. The a900 was going to be my first choice before I bought the dt770/80, simply because it was held to be more of an all-arounder, but the earcups' size is too big for me, as I do most of my music listening in bed. The same holds true for the k701, that, and it reaches closer to my $250 max than the new dt880(both are supposed to have a very neutral sound).

What attracts me to the dt880 is how(afaik) it has a pretty flat response that will allow each frequency range to be heard clearly at all times, something I definitely miss with the dt770/80. It is also said that it has very deep, tuneful bass...which lacks weight. If I find myself missing the bass weight of the dt770/80, I'll just buy another pair later on=]

--

I will research all the headphones mentioned here to get a true idea of what's best for me, then, when I'm ready, I'm going to get one=]

[size=small]Thanks for all your help guys, I GREATLY appreciate it, later![/size]


*edit* Hey Nickchen

if you like listening to online radio, I'll recommend some stations that I love listening to: groovesalad on somafm.com, and buzzoutroom.com. I like buzzoutroom more for their music, but they've been seeming to have buffer problems during their streams lately, which causes the music to pause every now and then.
=]]]

 

[dj3500]

Great you share your buying thoughts with others... Also, could you elaborate more on why the DT880 and not K601/701? Surely the bed listening isn't the only reason, especially as the size of DT880 earcup is only a tad smaller than that of the AKGs?

 

[M0T0XGUY]

Quote:

Originally Posted by denl82 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey guys Well tonight, I destroyed the left earcup of my dt770 while trying to get rid of a bass vibration, and I'm in the market for a new headphone(I think I'll give the dt770/80 to my bro after it's repaired). My main music is downtempo, trip hop, and ambient. I *really* wanted the dt880/03 as my next headphone, but I cannot find it for the $150 it was going for on bhphotovideo.com, and I simply can't afford the desirable dt880'05/32 for $300~. So I need to buy one of these alternatives within the next few weeks: -HD580, $124 from amazon.com: Will allow me to buy a Silvertstone EB01 DAC($100) asap. So-so reviews on the web, but it was once considered to be hi-end. Since it was considered to be hi-end, I guess I'll probably need a DAC over on-board audio asap...[size=xx-small]*edit* Just saw that this can has a 300 ohm impedance. Jan Meier says the max my headfive can handle is 300 ohms Grr.[/size] -HD595, $179 from amazon.com: Highly regarded here on head-fi. Doesn't need an amp(which I have). Probably doesn't need a DAC as badly as the hd580 does. -HD600, a lowly $210 from amazon.com: Needs an amp, most likely needs a DAC over my on-board audio, and will PREVENT me from buying the DAC for a few weeks...Also, 80-95% of its quality is said to be found in the hd580. Not sure how accurate this estimate is...[size=xx-small]*edit* Just saw that this can has a 300 ohm impedance. Jan Meier says the max my headfive can handle is 300 ohms. Grr.[/size] -k601, $240 from adorama/amazon.com: Needs an amp, and will push back my DAC plan a bit. Don't know much about this one accept what I read in ASR's review. This can is the least attractive based on what I've read about it for my music(not enough low low bass), and its cost. -DT990 Pro, $179 from bhphotovideo.com: 250 ohms is almost reaching the driving max of my headfive amp. I've also learned that the dt990 is the open brother of my dt770/80. Being that it is, I know that it will have the same hard-hitting/subwoofer'y/lacking detail yet highly enjoyable bass, and recessed mids. Are there any other alternatives I should look at? Which headphones would you most recommend for my type of music? Right now, I'm most interested in the hd600, because it's still in the "ball-game" here on head-fi, compared to the hd580; and it has a wider soundstage than the hd595, which has angled drivers that create a comparably smaller soundstage(afaik). Also, when I was first looking for gaming cans, a guy mentioned how happy he was with his hd600; that left a lasting impression on me. [size=xx-small]*edit* The hd600's impedance reaches the max driving ability of my headfive amp. According to this post, the hd600 still pairs well with the H5.[/size] What I want from my next headphone is detailed, extended bass, a NICE soundstage, sweet highs, and excellent detailing. I had the grado sr80 once, but I'm not really looking for the grado sound any more. I also don't want to buy used, if I can help it. My source will be the karajan module intergrated audio on my DFI LANPARTY nf4 Ultra-D motherboard, until I can afford the EB01 DAC. Remember, if I get the hd580, I can fit a $100 DAC into my $250 budget. But I'm O.K. if I get the hd600 and have to wait a bit longer for a DAC, as long as it's worth it. If you guys know how these headphones do with electronic music, or even have heard them first hand with electronic music, and if you can point me to the best value, I would highly appreciate it. [size=small]Thank you for your time and help, have a nice day![/size]

Where did you find the 600's for 210? I'm on Amazon now and they're still 267 like they've been for a while.

 

[shigzeo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by denl82 /img/forum/go_quote.gif [size=small]Hey guys! Thanks for all your help, tips, and advice![/size] Dag, head-fi really owns!=] I'm pretty much settled on buying a new dt880 from ebay for less than $230. During my research for a next headphone, I've had the chance to listen to other headphones, such as earbuds, hd555, etc, and I've learned that I can live without the big big bass of the dt770/80, and in fact, I might be ready for tight, accurate, and lean(if you will) bass now. For that, the dt880 is perfect. I was interested in the hd600, but, as you said Darkwolf, it might be too laid back for me. I've read that that problem sometimes has to do with insufficient amping, but that's one problem I don't want to deal with once I plunk down my $200+ on the hd600. Also, I was very interested in the dt990, but it's basically going to be a moderately improved dt770/80, and, as I've said above, I think I'm ready for a different, more refined sound. The a900 was going to be my first choice before I bought the dt770/80, simply because it was held to be more of an all-arounder, but the earcups' size is too big for me, as I do most of my music listening in bed. The same holds true for the k701, that, and it reaches closer to my $250 max than the new dt880(both are supposed to have a very neutral sound). What attracts me to the dt880 is how(afaik) it has a pretty flat response that will allow each frequency range to be heard clearly at all times, something I definitely miss with the dt770/80. It is also said that it has very deep, tuneful bass...which lacks weight. If I find myself missing the bass weight of the dt770/80, I'll just buy another pair later on=] -- I will research all the headphones mentioned here to get a true idea of what's best for me, then, when I'm ready, I'm going to get one=] [size=small]Thanks for all your help guys, I GREATLY appreciate it, later![/size] *edit* Hey Nickchen if you like listening to online radio, I'll recommend some stations that I love listening to: groovesalad on somafm.com, and buzzoutroom.com. I like buzzoutroom more for their music, but they've been seeming to have buffer problems during their streams lately, which causes the music to pause every now and then. =]]]

I am a trance-head at heart and have begun to like/love electronica as well as IDM/space music and my DT880 have shined through every genre. They are not slam-bass headphones, but go very low and very detailed. If you want to hear the beauty of electronica bass, mids, highs (the highs are beautifl - and until you have experienced the beautiful atmospheric highs in IDM/space and even trance, you have not experienced electronica through headphones).

I love them and if you can get them for that good of a price, you will enjoy. Are you by any chance going for the 2005 model or is it the 2002? They are both good and I have the 2002 model, beautiful.

Cheers