Short Noob Shootout: HD497, SR-60, DT231 and HD201 in classicals

[BirdRobin]

Got my new DT231s today, listened to them for about 1/2 hr. Did a quick mental comparism btw the HD497s, SR-60s and HD201s.

Only doing classicals though. Album: Wienaski & Sarasate, played by Gil Shaham.
Mostly violin solos.

Lows.
DT231: Bass is there, can hear the cellos and double bass, but less boom than the SR-60s.
HD497: Same experience with the DT231s.
SR-60: Deep slightly booming bass, too much for classicals.
HD201: Slightly less bass than DT231s. Not boomy.

IMO for bass: DT231

Highs.
DT231: Abit screechy, but these haven't been burned in yet. At last violins (high notes) sound so much more natural than the other two cans.
HD497: One thing I really dislike about the HD497s are the fake sounding too-much-zanging violins. They really mess up the violin sound. These are really not for classicals. The really high notes have a "eeeeee" behind them. Bad. (Sounds like tinnitus)
SR-60: Clear and not screechy highs, especially really high notes. Virtually non-present "eeeeee"s. Great.
HD201: Veiled highs, tend to screech a little, but lesser than the DT231s (not burned in, may change though). Not good for high notes. Sound far away and
thin.

IMO for treble: SR-60s for now, DT231s need somemore burning in.

Soundstage:
DT231: Sounds like a closed phone, but not as closed as HD201s. Sounds wider than SR-60s and HD497s.
HD497: "In your face" sound.
SR-60: Wider than the HD497s by a little, lesser than the DT231s. Forward.
HD201: "Distant" sound.

IMO for soundstage: HD201. They are great for gaming too.

I think I am not a grado man, when the beyers are burned in I will update again. Maybe I will like the beyers.

 

[DobsOnly]

Thanks For the info..

I couldn't help but notice 4 sets of headphones to 12 posts.

Can't wait to see what your reporting on at 100 posts

 

[burgunder]

Nice info for us low-enders, what about the comfort could you comment on that?

 

[mahlerfan]

I disagree with several things there. The bass for the sr-60s is not overly boomy and distracting for the sr-60s. Though I agree that the highs can be a little grating in the 497s, the sr-60s are worse not better. That's what makes them so fatiguing. The sr-60 has almost no soundstage, while the 497 has a rather large soundstage(not like 580 kind of depth obviously).

Are you using an amp with these comparisons? And if so which one?

 

[BirdRobin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mahlerfan I disagree with several things there. The bass for the sr-60s is not overly boomy and distracting for the sr-60s. Though I agree that the highs can be a little grating in the 497s, the sr-60s are worse not better. That's what makes them so fatiguing. The sr-60 has almost no soundstage, while the 497 has a rather large soundstage(not like 580 kind of depth obviously). Are you using an amp with these comparisons? And if so which one?

nope! no amp! maybe someone with amps can 'truly' reveal these phones!

thats why my title is noob review

But unamped, these are what I observed IMO.

 

[BirdRobin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by burgunder Nice info for us low-enders, what about the comfort could you comment on that?

comfort rating IMO (good to bad)
1) DT231
2) HD201
3) HD497
4) SR-60, (my ears cannot stand the full clamping of the pads, maybe my ears are for supra-aural phones?)

 

[mahlerfan]

If you stretch the band on the sr-60 you can make it perfectly conform to your head, instead of clamping like a vice.

 

[burgunder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BirdRobin comfort rating IMO (good to bad) 1) DT231 2) HD201 3) HD497 4) SR-60, (my ears cannot stand the full clamping of the pads, maybe my ears are for supra-aural phones?)

Thank you for the info

 

[jerryg]

my preference:

1) DT231
3) HD497(the prices are there, the overall quality should be higher than 201)
2) HD201
4) SR-60(SR-60 is kinda fake all the way from high to low, not ideal for classical)

 

[BirdRobin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mahlerfan If you stretch the band on the sr-60 you can make it perfectly conform to your head, instead of clamping like a vice.

I did that, but it was the pads that were bothering me. even after streching.