[appar111]

Well, after having the Beyers for about a month now, I plugged my Sportapros into my Super Mini Moy, just cause they were close and I didn't want to run upstairs to grab the Beyers, and found that they are still very enjoyable-- scarily so. I went back upstairs to grab the Beyers to do an A/B... and became more frustrated.

This ragged pair of cans with the holes cut in the pads, a pair that has been scrunched up and shoved in more backpacks and pockets than I care to count, borrowed by friends, etc etc.... sound about 90% as good as the Beyer DT770/80. The highs are a little sharper on the Beyers, but they haven't had near as much burn-in as the Sportas. Plus the Koss' are easier to drive, have a shorter cord that's easier to work with, fold up, and have a lifetime warranty.

The Beyers, however, are built like tanks (making the Koss seem like a toy in a happy meal by comparison), are closed (so they don't bother others), have a longer cord for bedroom listening, have a larger soundstage, and have less of that mid-bass muddiness than the Koss' exhibits.

But overall, the sound out of the Sportas is sooo close in enjoyment level to the Beyers, that it frustrates me that I spent $160 for the Beyers, but only $22 for the Koss..... I haven't hit the point where I'm saying "I may as well sell the Beyers", but I'm close to doing what LTUCCI1924 did, which was get a new pair of Portapros and a 75 ohm adaptor, and if the sound is right, then sell the Beyers and have about $100 left over for some new music.

As is stands though, the Sportapros are giving me just as much enjoyment as the Beyers and my Senn HD280's... it's just that the law of diminishing returns is sometimes very frustrating....

Anyone else experience this? Also, would it be insane to get rid of the Beyers and go the Portapro/75 or 120 ohm adaptor route?

 

[rodbac]

Your timing is amazing- I was just doing the same thing yesterday with my KSC-35s and 770/80s (I've used the 770s in the past, but just got this new pair from Zemo).

I'm not sure I'd put the 35s at 90% of the 770s but the sound still compares very well. The 770s are much, much easier to listen to loud without having to fck with the EQ (the sound remains balanced and listenable, while the highs on the 35s get grating if they're too loud, IME), but at $100 more, I should hope that's the case.

Anyway, it just hammered home for me what an incredible bargain the 35/Portapro/etc line is. It makes it easy for me to keep my 770s at home where they belong and happily carry only my 35s (or PPs which are on the way as I type) for portable listening.

 

[LTUCCI1924]

appar111
HI: I thought I went crazy when I sold my pro 770-80 and then bought the koss portapro and like them better than the 770-80.

The portapro are way smaller and way lighter and even more comfortable than the 770-80.

Some think that the 770-80 is the bass king but I think the portapro is the bass king at a much lower price.

It is just amazing when you put a lot of power into the portapro and with the new 75 ohm adapter on the way they may well be better than the 770-80 in all respects.

Now this is with a amp with great power and as my home headphone. With out the power the portapro is just a nice can but with power the portapro is just awesome.

Oh I am using a extension cord that came with the aiwa or sony ear buds and is just about or better than the cord on the portapro to reach my stereo receiver jack while I sit in my lounge chair. LOL.

XIN also said to me that the adapter helps better the sound when a extension cord is used.

 

[appar111]

Keep me posted on how it sounds when you get the adaptor. I figured I could get an extension cable from Grado to use with my home receiver when I'm kickin' back in the leather wingback... I suppose I could get a Radio Shack extension cable, but only if it's of comparable quality to the Grado. Or I could have Drewd make me a cable for a pricepoint between the Grado and the RS cable....

Thing is, it would still have me tethered to my home receiver downstairs-- so I would still want the Beyers for use upstairs with a portable amp and pcdp.

 

[Coalescent]

*chuckle* This thread is interesting to me since I just bought some DT770/80s not too long ago based on recommendations here. I'm just now learning to appreciate them. I got in my first truly long listening session on the Darth Beyers while writing a 30 page paper I turned in this Monday. My first reaction to them was very negative, going from my HD590s, but after this extended listening session, I've really developed an affection for their sound. The situation I was in (mostly in my university's library) required closed phones, and all told I spent probably 60 hours on that paper, so I got some good time in with them.

I've always liked my PortaPros, but it really surprises me to see people posting here that they don't feel that the Beyers are all that much better. There's a lot of detail I get out of the Beyers that I just can't hear with the PortaPros. The PortaPros are very "fun" phones, as are the Beyers, but (like someone else posted) listening to them at any kind of volume level causes them to become fatiguing to me, while the Beyers don't.

Anyway, I'm really loving the Darth Beyers now. A LOT better than they seemed at first, which is a nice surprise. Goes to show how much difference putting in some time with a new pair of phones can make.

-Chad

 

[Blitzula]

I have the Grado SR80.

In the last month or two, I've bought and used the following:

SR225
SR325
RS-1
Senneheiser HD-650 with Zu Mobius.

Every single one of these phones is far superior soundwise to the SR80.

I have more fun with the SR80 than every single pair of these phones. There's something about the sound I like, even if it isn't technically as proficient. It's more viscerally driving and enjoyable to me.

So yeah, I can not only relate but was thinking this very morning about posting a topic like you did. I'm close to getting rid of my remaining high end phone (RS1), and just sticking with the SR80. It's about the fun of the music for me, not the technical proficiency. While I wasn't shocked to make that statement about the Sennheiser's, I am in regards to the higher Grado phones.

 

[NotoriousBIG_PJ]

I prefer the porta pros to beyer 770's.

Biggie.

 

[Jahn]

You never know what you ears might like. I enjoy the KSC-35 with the 75 ohm adapter and think it is ideal for my portable rig. But when i get home, when you slap the Darth Beyers on, and crank up some electronica on Pinkie, the home rig just feeds those cans some serious current and the Bass starts flying.

Ideal situation? Keep both!

 

[LTUCCI1924]

Jahn
HI: how are you? Wow you have the XIN 75 ohm adapter. Great please tell me the difference it makes with the 35s. I should have the adapter tomorrow or SAT.

Also have you tried the 35s and adapter in you home amp?

 

[Aman]

Yeah, I have this issue too.

Sometimes cheaper sounds better. Especially with the Beyers, they are really "classy" headphones. I have the most fun with the SR60s up to the SR225s. Anything above that is either too harsh for me or not exciting enough.

Unlike many here, I buy headphones based off of how fun, exciting they are to listen to - I am not an audiophile by any means - I am a "musicphile".

That is why I too prefer the PortaPros over any Beyer can. However, this is also why Grados are and always will be my favorite headphones.

 

[llmobll]

I'm in the same situation. I agree the Portapro's sound very very good. However i'm not about to sell mine yet. The bass is unmatched in these things. May I suggest a better source and an AMP for your 770's. EQ's dont' hurt either.

 

[Jahn]

Actually I don't use the Xin 75 ohm adapter, I use the P to S from Ety - but same diff right? When I use it I just crank the SR-71 a bit more to get the mojo back to a respectable level. Definitely tighter bass, and imho more detail, and less harsh up top, and the mids are smoothed out too. But that's as far as I would go - it's really an incremental improvement, but one I wouldn't do without now that I have it. Of course the cable cost almost as much as the can itself, so take that in consideration.

Through the Solo, the KSC-35 sounded like a Baby Grado. But still a baby. For the purposes of good sound I'll always just slap on some real Grados for that aural goodness of bass and forward presentation (and lack of soundstage).

But the DT770 really brings a different flavor to the mix. It's a nice change of pace can, and in certain circumstances (dance stuff, electronica, movies, gaming) I'd use the Beyers over even the Grados.

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

Yep, that sounds about right...

The Koss line is too good, imo. It makes you feel guilty for wasting money on more expensive headphones.

Currently listening to: "Automatic" by Utada Hikaru on my PX-100s

Quote:

Originally Posted by appar111 Well, after having the Beyers for about a month now, I plugged my Sportapros into my Super Mini Moy, just cause they were close and I didn't want to run upstairs to grab the Beyers, and found that they are still very enjoyable-- scarily so. I went back upstairs to grab the Beyers to do an A/B... and became more frustrated. This ragged pair of cans with the holes cut in the pads, a pair that has been scrunched up and shoved in more backpacks and pockets than I care to count, borrowed by friends, etc etc.... sound about 90% as good as the Beyer DT770/80. The highs are a little sharper on the Beyers, but they haven't had near as much burn-in as the Sportas. Plus the Koss' are easier to drive, have a shorter cord that's easier to work with, fold up, and have a lifetime warranty. The Beyers, however, are built like tanks (making the Koss seem like a toy in a happy meal by comparison), are closed (so they don't bother others), have a longer cord for bedroom listening, have a larger soundstage, and have less of that mid-bass muddiness than the Koss' exhibits. But overall, the sound out of the Sportas is sooo close in enjoyment level to the Beyers, that it frustrates me that I spent $160 for the Beyers, but only $22 for the Koss..... I haven't hit the point where I'm saying "I may as well sell the Beyers", but I'm close to doing what LTUCCI1924 did, which was get a new pair of Portapros and a 75 ohm adaptor, and if the sound is right, then sell the Beyers and have about $100 left over for some new music. As is stands though, the Sportapros are giving me just as much enjoyment as the Beyers and my Senn HD280's... it's just that the law of diminishing returns is sometimes very frustrating.... Anyone else experience this? Also, would it be insane to get rid of the Beyers and go the Portapro/75 or 120 ohm adaptor route?

 

[rodbac]

Quote:

Ideal situation? Keep both!

Couldn't agree more. At home, properly driven, getting loud, the 770s seperate themselves, IMO, and make it worth keeping them, even for $100 more.

 

[hentai]

is koss a giant killer?

btw i had a similar feeling btn my sportapro and sr225 , but sr225 completely trash the koss when i upgrade from pcdp to a marantz