Need help! Where to go from my DT990

[noxa]

I'm thinking of making a change from my DT990 250 ohm. I have loved them in the short time i have owned them but there are some things that slightly niggle me about them. I seem to be a rare case as i love the sharp highs (maybe it's coming from the veiled Senn sound), i also like the bass but being a bit of a basshead i feel i would like a little touch more. The biggest problem is i personally don't like the recessed midrange on certain genres mainly Hip-Hop, infact i don't find myself listening to it as it just doesn't sound right.
I find the DT990 really seem to shine when it comes to Trance music but suprisingly to me artists like Norah Jones and Katie Melua seem to sound so liquid and natural. I seem to really like the Beyer sound and am thinking of moving up the line.
 
I am thinking about these two cans.
 
Beyerdynamic T70P
Ultrasone Pro 900
 
I really don't know much about the T70P as it is pretty new i have read everything i could by searching Head-Fi but can't really seem to find a clear comparison between the DT990. I'm really interested to hear how the bass compares, is it tighter clearner how is the quantity, also do the highs still have that sharp edge i seem to love.
 
Now the Pro 900 i have obviously heard about the mega bass on these but i can't seem to find much about how they perform overall, are they only geared towards bass heavy music or do they excel at soft vocal orientated music aswell.
 
Sorry it's a bit long but i wanted to get across my preferences so you guys can help me out a bit easier.
 
Thanks for any help.
 

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,

The T70P won't have the bass you're looking for.
The PRO900 with have gobs of bass and bright treble--but no midrange, you'll notice it even more with the PRO900 than the DT990 in terms of lost mid-range.

Try the Fischer Audio FA-011 if you want to keep it cheap. Otherwise, look at a used Denon D5000 (or get a new D2000).

Also, have you considered simply equalizing the mid-range up on the DT990?

Very best,

 

[noxa]

I heard the D2000 and was quite impressed, but not impressed enough to buy. The D5000 sound really nice but the price here in the UK is too much for me right now, i'll keep my eye out for prices on the FS forum though.
 
To be honest i hadn't heard of the Fischer Audio FA-011 but after reading a few reviews they sound very good indeed and the price is very tempting. How do these compare to the DT990, particularly a comparison with the bass and i asume the midrange is less recessed?
 

 

[MalVeauX]

I heard the D2000 and was quite impressed, but not impressed enough to buy. The D5000 sound really nice but the price here in the UK is too much for me right now, i'll keep my eye out for prices on the FS forum though.
 
To be honest i hadn't heard of the Fischer Audio FA-011 but after reading a few reviews they sound very good indeed and the price is very tempting. How do these compare to the DT990, particularly a comparison with the bass and i asume the midrange is less recessed?
 

Heya,

I would rate the FA-011 over the DT990. The DT990 to me sounds odd, it's bassy, but it's all mid bass. The treble is tight and detailed, but the mid range just sounds lacking and lost. The FA-011 sounds like a pretty flat headphone essentially but with some good bass pushed in. I like it's sound better.

Very best,

 

[Graphicism]

If the 990s aren't giving you enough bass I would look more towards the amp than another pair of headphones. Sure the D2000 and Pro 900 will give you more of it but the trade off is for sound quality, do you want a step back for a little more bass? If you really want to get your bass-head-treat check out the Sony XB500, EQ'd they're really quite good for the money; I replaced my HFI-780s with the them.

 

[MalVeauX]

Sure the D2000 and Pro 900 will give you more of it but the trade off is for sound quality, do you want a step back for a little more bass?

Please explain how the D2000 is a trade off in sound quality for increased bass from the DT990--as you're implying.

Very best,

 

[Graphicism]

Quote:

Please explain how the D2000 is a trade off in sound quality for increased bass from the DT990--as you're implying.
Very best,

The D2000 is one of the poorest high-end, or do we say mid-fi now, that I've owned. It is nothing more than a $30 headphone with insanely good looks. The Kees mod is absolutely mandatory to control the sound bouncing around inside those cans, the D7000 model corrects a lot of D2000 faults and the price tag reflects this. Similarly the majority of closed headphones, Ultrasone Pro900 included dampening is a prerequisite to control the reverberation. Taking into account the cost of the D2000 and the mod, the resulting headphone is still in my opinion not to the quality of a properly amped DT990.
 
Having owned/heard both DT990, D2000 Pro900 and HFI780/580 the quality of bass from the 990 far exceeds that of the D2000. I prefer the more natural sound (again my opinion) of the DT880 to the DT990, and find the 990 to have just that extra +2dB bass that slightly runs into the mids. The D2000 on the other hand is more like +3/4dB and with this closed construction the bass simply engulfs the mids; resulting in a very sloppy sound, typical of bass-buds and other cheap phones. The Pro900 are in my opinion somewhat better, however as with most bass-forward headphones they are typically aimed at electronic genres and miss out on the accuracy when it comes to real instruments.
 
With that said if you're not interested in accuracy and all you want is bass then a D2000 or Pro900 could be considered 'better' than a DT990. However I feel a headphone like Sony's XB500 to suffice or even excel with the likes of poorly recorded dubstep/DnB for a lot less money.

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Interesting. That's the complete opposite of what I hear when I listen to thePRO900, DT990 and D2000 having all three as well. The PRO900 has a huge hump of volume in mid-bass and massive loss in mids, I don't see accuracy or quality bass happening there as much as quantity. The DT990 is very similar, still a big mid bass hump, loss in the mids, but not as reverbing as the PRO900 and a better mid-section. The D2000 is pretty flat. Has more present mids than both aforementioned and the bass at 30hz is controlled and accurate, instead of a bloated 200hz drowning the entire sound.
 
Maybe I have upside down ears from yours.
 
Very best,

 

[TMRaven]

You're like the only person on head-fi who actually says the D2000 sounds on par with 30 dollar headphones.  It's an absolutely ridiculous, sensationalist statement, and one a lot of people would gladly disagree with you on.  The D2000 has every bit as much accuracy as the DT990 when it comes to timbre and mid strength.  

 

[Graphicism]

 
Don't get me wrong, the DT990 are far from neutral, I simply think they're a little better, if not 'just-as-bad' as the D2000 and Pro900. We all have our own opinions, and personal taste, some may prefer the cinematic experience while others an intimate acoustic session.
 
As far as the D2000 being flat and not suffering from these reverberation symptoms I speak of; how do you explain the MarkL mod? In addition with these issues corrected with the D7000; do you see that as a step back? Furthermore the same goes for Pro900 and the Kees mod, and to a lesser extent the Edition series.
 
In short the D2000 suffer from over-the-top bass, there is no such accuracy with these headphones.
 
Sticking up for headphones you own is expected, but shoveling this misinformation around is replete with fanboyism.
 

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

Sticking up for headphones you own is expected, but shoveling this misinformation around is replete with fanboyism.
 

At first I thought you were serious.
 
D2000's are the least of my worries in terms of fanboyism.
 
But I think you're take on it is interesting.
 
Very best,
 

 

[Graphicism]

Quote:

At first I thought you were serious.
 
D2000's are the least of my worries in terms of fanboyism.
 

That was aimed more towards TMRaven on how I'm the only person on head-fi that dislikes the D2000. It's misinformation, and even if it were true would be a logical fallacy.
 
Edit: Want to have a go at answering my questions? 

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

Edit: Want to have a go at answering my questions? 

With brandy in hand, good sir.
 
Very best,

 

[TMRaven]

No, you're twisting my post to your liking-- but I never said you were the only person who dislikes the D2000.  I've seen plenty a post from people who say the mids are too recessed to their liking, but you're the only person I've seen who has said a 30 dollar headphone could best it in sound quality.  It's not really flat-out fanboyism either.  The D2000 isn't my only heapdhone, and the headphones in my list aren't the only ones I've tried out, either.  MalveauX is correct, your take on them is extremely interesting-- but I'll add in an 'interesting' for humor sake.
 
The markL mode does exist, but it's an extremely subjective mod.  A lot of people like the changes, and there's a whole group of people who don't like the changes.  It's also common for people to say the D7000 is only minutely better than the D2000, yet you always see D7000 get praised for its sound and how it competes with other flagships.  If something only minutely better than the D2000 is one of the favorite headphones of head-fi, yet the D2000 sounds worse than a 30 dollar headphone you've auditioned, then let's get a flavor of the year trending for this headphone--- let's crush the current flagship favorites with it.

 

[Rawrbington]

interesting.  im pretty sure the D2000 is my next set of cans to complement my 990/600.
or the 880/600.
 
or maybe ill just sell them all for the LCD2
 
BUT, i beleive the 2000 could be bloated.  not a concearn for the though.
 
how are they on clarity compared to the 990/600?
 
and do they benifit from amplification like the beyers do?