[bardolator]

Hi, all!

Cutting to the chase: I'm in the market for a full-size set of cans, closed-back, to be used at home and at work. I've settled on the Beyer DT770 and would like help selecting the appropriate "flavor."

Now, for more info, I currently own:
-Sennheiser Momentum on-ears and V-Moda M-80s, but they aren't comfortable enough for me for long periods of use, nor are they isolating enough (I don't want to disturb others as much as I don't want to hear them). I thought they would work for me and basically cheaped out by getting the on-ears, and now I'm paying for it. [Thanks, though, to those head-fiers who correctly steered me toward the quality of these two sets three years ago.]
-SHP-9500s for home use (recently purchased), but they're open, of course.
-Bose QC20i that I got for free with points from my credit union, but they developed a short about a year ago, and I can't stand it any longer!

I missed the Amazon deal on the 80 ohm DT770s by less than an hour and have been wondering whether 250s would work as well for me. I don't mind buying an amp (was thinking about the Fiio E12); I'll be using primarily a Fiio X3, iPhone 6, or work laptop, and listen to anything from classical (both instrumental and vocal-heavy) to rock to musical theater, with a little rap.

I'm not a basshead; I'm looking for comfort, fairly good isolation (so the students in study hall can't hear my music and I can focus on grading), and good sound reproduction, but don't need analytical headphones. The Beyers look ideal, but I need to choose the version. And I guess if there are any opinions on why this wouldn't be the right 'phone and another would, I haven't actually bought them yet, so....

 

[PurpleAngel]

Check out the Soundmagic HP150 headphones.
Should be easier to drive then the DT770.

 

[tz0531]

Available budget would be useful info, although I'm assuming around $150 since that's the price of the DT770 250ohm. Alternatives in that price range I've had experience with are the Audio Technica M50x and Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro. Your listed sound signature requirements are kind of vague, being more specific would be helpful. What did you like/dislike soundwise about the Momentum On-Ears and M-80s?

 

[Mr Head P Hones]

Go with the Fiio e12 and the250ohm Version I have all that set up in the past they work very well together.

 

[jazzwave]

I'm in same situation couple year ago, decide between DT770 80 ohm vs  250 ohm. I choose the 250 ohm with portable amp.
For me 80Ohm too V shape sound, more bass and treble. The 250ohm is more balance which is perfect for my music collection (from jazz, classic to R&B).
 
Btw, have you try Sennheiser Momentum over ear? Probably good choice because you already familiar with the Momentum sound signature

 

[bardolator]

tl;dr: I bought MSR7s.

Yep, I realized I didn't give budget; my apologies. I was really thinking Beyer 80 vs Beyer 250 when I initially asked, thinking I'd done enough homework that I was going to make this relatively simple. I really should have come here first; I'd been looking for awhile and was trying to make a decision at the end of the process, so didn't allow myself the time for discussion.

And then I saw a decent deal on ATH-MSR7s...and I jumped. To be fair, I'd considered them before but didn't want to spend over $200 at this point for something I will be taking to work (school). I saw them on eBay and Xeos's review (plus the reviews here) convinced me that they could work for me. $152 plus shipping, for the brown (they're really not grey) ones, new. I'm excited....

My main problem with both the Momentum on-ears and the M80s was comfort, and that was because they were on-ear (my fault). They were my first foray into decent headphones, coming from a long line of earbuds.

I'm not nuanced enough yet to be able to tell you what I like in terms that would be anything like most of the reviews here. I like to "find" things in music I haven't heard before, but I also like to be able to just listen to it while I do something else (specifically, read drafts for essays my students will be submitting to qualify for their International Baccalaureate diplomas, so I need to be able to concentrate). The rest of the time--I like bass when it's there but don't need anything that really thumps. I want to be able to hear the vocalists, but the instruments are probably just as important to me, personally. I want to learn about soundstage and so forth, but don't necessarily need these to be able to do that, because they have to be closed-back. I really need them to give me a way to create room in my head for giving feedback on those papers, though I'll listen to them other times, as well (but the over-ears sure will provide a better "leave me alone" cue than the departed Bose in-ears did). To give you an idea, I'm currently listening to the _Hamilton_ soundtrack, Patty Griffin, and Mozart. I'm hoping the Philips SHP9500 will be a good contrast (complement?) to these.

I have a few recordings I'm particularly excited to listen to with these--I'm hoping I made a wise choice. I was looking forward to the comfort of the Beyers but concerned about that long, fixed cable and the size--maybe Brainwavz pads with these, eventually? I can spend a bit more on them...it's just the guilt over whether I *should* spend on myself....

 

[tz0531]

Congrats on the MSR7s! Given the sound signature requirements you listed, they seem like a good fit for you. Well-extended, but not overemphasized bass, and high detail retrieval are two of its traits that should work for you. Fair warning that it leans to the thinner and brighter side of neutral, with a bit of an analytic edge, though.

 

[bardolator]

Thanks. The brightness does worry me a bit, if only because my ears run a bit sensitive, but I figure I can fiddle with my X3 a bit. I've read that Brainwavz pads might actually make this issue worse, so I guess that's a no-go, even for the pleathers....

 

[bardolator]

Okay, just had an odd experience with the MSR7s.
 
I'm one of those who is having difficulty with the clamping force of the MSR7 (I've tried stretching them over a box, using cotton in the pads, bending the headband as per Tyll's video). I just accidentally put them on backwards, and they feel better. It's not that the drivers aren't touching (I fixed that by putting a little cotton at the very top of the pad to move it out just a bit)--it's that the clamping force seems much better somehow. Maybe it's because these headphones fold flat, and it's putting the "hinge" at the back instead of the front? Soundwise, the biggest difference I notice is in soundstage. I'm guessing that's a result of the angled drivers.
 
Ugh. I just need these to be more comfortable. I didn't think I had a very big head, but it's very sensitive. The hot spot on top of my skull is gone, thanks to Tyll, but they're just so tight (especially for someone prone to headaches). They make my neck ache.
 
Guess it's back to the box-stretcher. 
 
On the up-side, they sound fantastic and are easy to drive from my Fiio X3ii, iPhone 6, and MacBook Pro.