Open vs Closed: A Review and Comparison of the AKG K712 Pro and the Beyerdynamic DT 150

[Tiemen]

Velours vs pleather findings may also have to do with how they fit. With my big ears, I barely got a good seal with the smaller DT100 velours pads.

 

[Greeni]

I have had both DT150 and DT250 before. I tend to agree with the above opinion to stick with the stock pad with DT150. If you want more neutral sound signature then simply go for the DT250.
 
My concern with these Beyer phones is their reliability. Both the second pair of my DT150 and DT250 went into problem within three months of purchase. I owned 15+ phones over the years from Ultrasone, Grado, NAD, AKG, to name a few, and none has the reliability issue with Beyer.  
 
Both need a sufficiently powerful amp to shine.

 

[kman1211]

  I have had both DT150 and DT250 before. I tend to agree with the above opinion to stick with the stock pad with DT150. If you want more neutral sound signature then simply go for the DT250.
 
My concern with these Beyer phones is their reliability. Both the second pair of my DT150 and DT250 went into problem within three months of purchase. I owned 15+ phones over the years from Ultrasone, Grado, NAD, AKG, to name a few, and none has the reliability issue with Beyer.  
 
Both need a sufficiently powerful amp to shine.

What issues did you run into on the DT 150 and the DT 250? I've heard about issues with reliability on Beyers, mainly being the internal wiring or something.

 

[Greeni]

 
What issues did you run into on the DT 150 and the DT 250? I've heard about issues with reliability on Beyers, mainly being the internal wiring or something.

 
One side of the driver stop working on its own, without any damage or shock being inflicted. I vaguely remember another member also mentioned in Donunus's DT250 appreciation thread that he ran into a pair with reliability issue.

 

[kman1211]

   
One side of the driver stop working on its own, without any damage or shock being inflicted. I vaguely remember another member also mentioned in Donunus's DT250 appreciation thread that he ran into a pair with reliability issue.

It's most likely the internal wiring though it's possible it's the driver itself. I've seen accounts of a driver stop working on a Beyer here and there and it was often the internal wiring.

 

[Greeni]

 
It's most likely the internal wiring though it's possible it's the driver itself. I've seen accounts of a driver stop working on a Beyer here and there and it was often the internal wiring.

 
I am not so sure if it was only internal wiring issue with my faulty DT150. I sent it back to the local distributor for repair and I was told they have to get some parts from Beyer headquarter in order to fix it. They do eventually fix it but I then decided to sell it for something like $80.
 
For my faulty DT250, apparently because I purchased it over the internet the local distributor declined to provide repair service. I leave message twice to Beyer headquarter requesting servicing but they never get back. Eventually I got someone not related to Beyer to repair but then the sound just deterioate from what it used to be. I guess that someone simply done a lousy job. The phone is now stored away in my closet like a piece of junk. I guess I eventually will get another new pair so parts from the old pair may become handy, just in case the new pair needs repair as well.
 
So if you happen to own a good pair, I say hang on to it.

 

[Lorspeaker]

opps ...think i paid 80bucks for mine...crossing my toes. 
 
I am beginning to think this is the best closed can i ever had.

 

[donunus]

Greeni, the beyer facebook page is the place to ask for service, They reply very fast and I'm sure they would have even replaced your cans with a brand new pair like they did with mine even for channel imbalance issues.

 

[ph0rk]

One side of the driver stop working on its own, without any damage or shock being inflicted. I vaguely remember another member also mentioned in Donunus's DT250 appreciation thread that he ran into a pair with reliability issue.

I have had a pair of DT250-80s and DT250-250s for around 7-8 years, both in daily use with no issues in either headphone (one in the office, one at home). Very sturdy.

For me, the only thing wrong with my DT250s is they don't have a button on the side that temporarily converts them into DT770-80's. Oh well, I suppose they can't do everything, just almost everything.

 

[sssboa]

What a satanic idea to compare these 2 headphones.
I had most Beyerdynamic headphones. DT150 are the darkest sounding of them, the driver is the same as in DT250 I think. I had DT150 250ohm.The extension of treble was lower than in DT770 80ohm.
DT150 250ohm < DT770 80ohm < DT770 250ohm  in terms of brightness and treble extension
I really would love to keep DT150 because of the old school recording studio looks but DT770 are just better in everything. DT250 are now heavily used in studios and radio stations I noticed, like DT100 in the 80's.

 

[kman1211]

  What a satanic idea to compare these 2 headphones.
I had most Beyerdynamic headphones. DT150 are the darkest sounding of them, the driver is the same as in DT250 I think. I had DT150 250ohm.The extension of treble was lower than in DT770 80ohm.
DT150 250ohm < DT770 80ohm < DT770 250ohm  in terms of brightness and treble extension

It is the darkest Beyer I've owned. Honestly after more time and new tubes, I feel the K712 is noticeably better though. After a couple months the DT 150 really started showing their issues. I plan on comparing the HD 600 and K712 next.

 

[sssboa]

 
It is the darkest Beyer I've owned. Honestly after more time and new tubes, I feel the K712 is noticeably better though. After a couple months the DT 150 really started showing their issues. I plan on comparing the HD 600 and K712 next.

DT150 is just not a very good headphone mate , it is sturdy and looks cool but it's behind in sound after other only slightly pricier Beyer cans. But to show off to friends I could not justify keeping them. Interesting thing is also that ears do not touch the sponges in DT150, I mean with original pleather pads that is cool, but they put some undue pressure on the skull behind ears.
I remember buying HD600, I was not a headphone geek yet and not familiar with reviews etc. I already had had Beyerdynamic DT990 250 ohm and when I put HD600 on I felt like something was between the drivers and my ears impeding the sound, I removed the sponges and used them with naked drivers and it slightly only improved. The sound seemed like filtered, digitally processed and rounded on edges. Then after I had sold them on I read about Senheiser "veil". I coined a term "pink candy sound" for this, it quite sucks if you listen to 1950s jazz for instance as saxophones sound like processed through Amiga computer he he. 
I never had AKG K712 but with K701 it was like listening to music on a large open plateau, with little intimacy, comparing to this Beyer cans give me intimate feel of a club.

 

[Tiemen]

I really would love to keep DT150 because of the old school recording studio looks but DT770 are just better in everything.

 
I had the DT770/80 twice, one of them this year. But the DT150 is IMO superior in almost every aspect.
 
Smoother, fuller sound. Much better bass, natural mids and nice treble (without the grating DT770 glassy treble and sibilance).
The DT770 sounded just awful to my ears compared to the DT150 (and many others).

 

[sssboa]

   
I had the DT770/80 twice, one of them this year. But the DT150 is IMO superior in almost every aspect.
 
Smoother, fuller sound. Much better bass, natural mids and nice treble (without the grating DT770 glassy treble and sibilance).
The DT770 sounded just awful to my ears compared to the DT150 (and many others).

I guess it's very subjective, but I think most people prefer DT770. Beyer also marketed  the line DT770/DT880/DT990 as the most refined before the super expensive T1 and so on came along.
You say you like treble more than of DT770 80ohm, to me both give no treble to talk about , treble starts with Dt770 250ohm. It's individual aural sensitivity issue I guess.
ABout bass I remember Dt150 as giving shovels of middle bass encroaching on everything else not that much of really deep bass and no treble as I said above DT 770 80 ohm gave lots of very deep bass little mids and not much treble to talk about again

 

[kman1211]

 
DT150 is just not a very good headphone mate , it is sturdy and looks cool but it's behind in sound after other only slightly pricier Beyer cans. But to show off to friends I could not justify keeping them. Interesting thing is also that ears do not touch the sponges in DT150, I mean with original pleather pads that is cool, but they put some undue pressure on the skull behind ears.
I remember buying HD600, I was not a headphone geek yet and not familiar with reviews etc. I already had had Beyerdynamic DT990 250 ohm and when I put HD600 on I felt like something was between the drivers and my ears impeding the sound, I removed the sponges and used them with naked drivers and it slightly only improved. The sound seemed like filtered, digitally processed and rounded on edges. Then after I had sold them on I read about Senheiser "veil". I coined a term "pink candy sound" for this.
I never had AKG K712 but with K701 it was like listening to music on a large open plateau, with little intimacy, comparing to this Beyer cans give me intimate feel of a club.

It's not really that, I find them better than the other mid-tier Beyers I tried(DT 880, DT 990, and DT 770), the DT 150 has the problem I have with every Beyer I tried, they become boring and I realized their sound is too uniform and lacking textured compared to Senns and especially AKGs. I'm just not a Beyer person. The HD 600 do have a bit of a rounded sound to them which takes the edge off, it becomes noticeable when the treble kicks in, sort of lush as well, pink candy sound is a good description, it's not really a veil but more of a soft rounding to their sound like you said. Listen to a K712, Q701, and K701 on a powerful system with good synergy, I honestly think they are the best of the classic trio when amped right, they are just so picky. They can sound quite aggressive and intimate to overly laid-back depending on the system, the bass also varies wildly from system to system. I haven't owned headphones that varied in sound from song to song and amp to amp near as much as the K712 or Q701.