New to forums and need to decide between 3 phones
Jul 30, 2010 at 9:31 PM Post #16 of 27
Alright, here I go!
 
The DT990 is a little bass hyper, and the bass sounds static, broken and possibly way too boomy AT TIMES. (nevertheless, the bass is fantastic).
 
The K702 (701? lol) sounds natural and lively. The bass isn't the greatest but the sound stage and detail is unbearable and more fun/reference than the HD650s which are a few years older than the K702.
 
Therefore, I'd go for the 702. Not to mention it's beautiful design, light weight, and detachable cable.
 
Jul 30, 2010 at 9:42 PM Post #17 of 27
I'd get a K601, since they're on sale at TTVJ.com, which is what I did! Or maybe the DT990/600 on sale at bhphotovideo.com, which I have also done! (ok, it was the DT770, but still). Can't seem to find the HD650 or 600 on such sales... which my wallet is thankful for.
 
Can't comment on the sound of any of these 'phones though.
 
Edit: oh, if anyone does know of a sale on the Senns, half of me would be thankful.
wink_face.gif

 
Jul 31, 2010 at 2:23 AM Post #19 of 27
I would get the HD650.
Not because I think it is great, but because I think it is the one that sucks the least among your three choices.
 
Welcome to Head-Fi!
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Jul 31, 2010 at 2:52 AM Post #20 of 27
Love the reply, Kai. At least you are honest!
 
I prefer the HD650 to the K701/2. I've never heard the DT990s, though I was within inches of buying one a couple weeks ago to try out.
 
Jul 31, 2010 at 12:24 PM Post #24 of 27
Instead of asking us to tell you what headphone to buy, you should be asking for information.  That way, you can buy the headphone you want.  Also understand that no headphone is perfect.  The three headphones you listed are all a lot better than anything hanging from a hook in a Walmart, but they're not the top.  You're not going to buy the ultimate headphone for a few hundred dollars.  There's really no clear winner among headphones that cost over a thousand dollars.  If you ask people what to buy, they'll tell you what they like.
 
The HD650 is a Sennheiser.  Until last year, it was Sennheiser's flagship, but it was also a disputed flagship since there were many who preferred Sennheiser's old flagship, the HD600.  In a nutshell, Sennheiser's house sound tends toward the laid back.  Sennheisers are not snappy headphones with a lot of "coloration."  To compare this to a "glass half full" debate, are you the kind of person who walks up to a receiver/amplifier and turns the bass up or down?  If you're the "bass up" type, it's probably because you like to spice things up.  If you're the "bass down" type, it's because you prefer a more neutral presentation.  
 
Sennheisers cater to the neutrality crowd.  The $1,400 HD800 is touted as "the best headphone out there" by listeners who, above all, want accuracy.  While there's plenty of variety among Sennheiser cans, the house sound tends toward balance, neutrality and accuracy - even if it makes for a more boring presentation.  Sennheisers are valued most by purists and musicians who don't want the music altered in any way.  They don't want the music to sound "good"; they want it to sound "right."  The HD650 was introduced to quell criticisms that the HD600 didn't have enough bass.  The HD650 has more bass but less treble, particularly after 10 kHz.  This produced a split in the New Coke/Coke Classic split in the Sennheiser community (not unlike the Grado split between the RS1 crowd and the GS1000 crowd).  Sennheiser's fix, like Grado's, was to introduce a new high-end can that "splits the difference."  Both the 600 and 650 have more mid presence than the 800, but the 800 has a bass signature that's closer to the 650 and a treble signature that's closer to the 600).  
 
The nice thing about the introduction of the 800 is that it has depreciated the cost of the 600 and 650, so you can take advantage of the savings.  If you want more bass, the 650 provides it.  If you want more sparke (for a Sennheiser), the 600 is still there.
 
Of course, if sparkle is what you want, the K701/702 provides it in droves.  While the HD650 has a decent soundstage, the K701/702 provides an even wider one, with tremendous sparkle that's more engaging than the Sennheiser line.  On the other hand, you really have to use your amp to get decent bass out of it.  With a Lisa III, you should be fine in that regard.  The HD650 will give you more bass but the K702 will give you more soundstage and more treble energy (It's not laid back).  Without an amp, you'd be better off with the HD650, but with a decent amp, the K702 offers you a solid alternative.  As I've owned both, which I liked very much, I call tell you that I ended up selling the HD650 first, just because I'm not as big a fan of the laid back approach.  I need my bass, too, but I like sparkle, more sparkle than I was getting from the HD650.  Big fans of the 650 hawk upgrade cables, particularly those with silver, to brighten up the HD650 - but that's an expensive proposition.  If this is a one-time shot, you'd be well-advised to take into account that the HD650 is darker than the K701.  I'm not saying it's a "dark" can but it's going to be more neutral, more laid back, than the K701.
 
Which brings us to the beyerdynamic.  The DT990 has the most bass of all three headphones - and the most treble.  It is not a flat headphone.  It is not a laid back can.  It's not neutral.  It's a party can extraordinaire.  It has throbbing bass and the most pronounced 8-10 kHz treble spike.  If you're looking for neutrality, you'd want the HD650 but if you want lots of bass and lots of sparkle, the DT990 is a no-brainer.
 
If you're asking me to do the thinking for you BUY THE FREAKING DT990.
 
Jul 31, 2010 at 12:50 PM Post #25 of 27
Take a look at this FR chart.  Whether you're looking at the 250 ohm or 600 ohm version, the DT990 is a very dynamic headphone with the most bass and the most treble energy of these three.
 

 
Jul 31, 2010 at 4:54 PM Post #26 of 27


Quote:
Instead of asking us to tell you what headphone to buy, you should be asking for information.  That way, you can buy the headphone you want.  Also understand that no headphone is perfect.  The three headphones you listed are all a lot better than anything hanging from a hook in a Walmart, but they're not the top.  You're not going to buy the ultimate headphone for a few hundred dollars.  There's really no clear winner among headphones that cost over a thousand dollars.  If you ask people what to buy, they'll tell you what they like.
 
The HD650 is a Sennheiser.  Until last year, it was Sennheiser's flagship, but it was also a disputed flagship since there were many who preferred Sennheiser's old flagship, the HD600.  In a nutshell, Sennheiser's house sound tends toward the laid back.  Sennheisers are not snappy headphones with a lot of "coloration."  To compare this to a "glass half full" debate, are you the kind of person who walks up to a receiver/amplifier and turns the bass up or down?  If you're the "bass up" type, it's probably because you like to spice things up.  If you're the "bass down" type, it's because you prefer a more neutral presentation.  
 
Sennheisers cater to the neutrality crowd.  The $1,400 HD800 is touted as "the best headphone out there" by listeners who, above all, want accuracy.  While there's plenty of variety among Sennheiser cans, the house sound tends toward balance, neutrality and accuracy - even if it makes for a more boring presentation.  Sennheisers are valued most by purists and musicians who don't want the music altered in any way.  They don't want the music to sound "good"; they want it to sound "right."  The HD650 was introduced to quell criticisms that the HD600 didn't have enough bass.  The HD650 has more bass but less treble, particularly after 10 kHz.  This produced a split in the New Coke/Coke Classic split in the Sennheiser community (not unlike the Grado split between the RS1 crowd and the GS1000 crowd).  Sennheiser's fix, like Grado's, was to introduce a new high-end can that "splits the difference."  Both the 600 and 650 have more mid presence than the 800, but the 800 has a bass signature that's closer to the 650 and a treble signature that's closer to the 600).  
 
The nice thing about the introduction of the 800 is that it has depreciated the cost of the 600 and 650, so you can take advantage of the savings.  If you want more bass, the 650 provides it.  If you want more sparke (for a Sennheiser), the 600 is still there.
 
Of course, if sparkle is what you want, the K701/702 provides it in droves.  While the HD650 has a decent soundstage, the K701/702 provides an even wider one, with tremendous sparkle that's more engaging than the Sennheiser line.  On the other hand, you really have to use your amp to get decent bass out of it.  With a Lisa III, you should be fine in that regard.  The HD650 will give you more bass but the K702 will give you more soundstage and more treble energy (It's not laid back).  Without an amp, you'd be better off with the HD650, but with a decent amp, the K702 offers you a solid alternative.  As I've owned both, which I liked very much, I call tell you that I ended up selling the HD650 first, just because I'm not as big a fan of the laid back approach.  I need my bass, too, but I like sparkle, more sparkle than I was getting from the HD650.  Big fans of the 650 hawk upgrade cables, particularly those with silver, to brighten up the HD650 - but that's an expensive proposition.  If this is a one-time shot, you'd be well-advised to take into account that the HD650 is darker than the K701.  I'm not saying it's a "dark" can but it's going to be more neutral, more laid back, than the K701.
 
Which brings us to the beyerdynamic.  The DT990 has the most bass of all three headphones - and the most treble.  It is not a flat headphone.  It is not a laid back can.  It's not neutral.  It's a party can extraordinaire.  It has throbbing bass and the most pronounced 8-10 kHz treble spike.  If you're looking for neutrality, you'd want the HD650 but if you want lots of bass and lots of sparkle, the DT990 is a no-brainer.
 
If you're asking me to do the thinking for you BUY THE FREAKING DT990.


You're saying DT990 got good bass, but DT770 also have good bass. Except that DT770 is closed cans, and DT990 is open cans, Out over that, what's the difference in sound between them? As I can not seem to seperate what's different and therefore have problems selecting who I should buy. I've read that the DT880 is a semi-open/closed and that it is more accurate and clear, but do have less bass, which makes them more balanced and flat, more boring(?) since I didn't like the Sennheiser HD555 when I tried them in store.
 
Aug 1, 2010 at 3:13 AM Post #27 of 27
I'm with Kai here. I haven't owned the DT990, but have listened to it at meets. The bass is overdone and I never enjoyed it. I had the K-701 and never liked it. Compared to other headphones, speakers and even live events, it has an unnatural and plasticky sound to the vocals that grated on me like a bad aftertaste. Zero regrets about selling them. I also had the HD-650 for awhile. Excellent headphone. Slightly darker than neutral but smooth and tonally accurate despite being a bit dark - think of it as looking through a tinted window with no distortion. The others are more like windows that are wavy and distort what is seen through them. The HD-650 is the best of the lot. They also scale nicely with better equipment and can be lively off a good amp. I miss the pair I had, but I love the HD-800 so much I don't miss them.
 

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