[GREQ]

Time and experience certainly means you don't get fooled by headphones that exaggerate qualities that at first can seem exciting but later you see how they are actually more HiFi than Reference.
Anyway, Im finding more and more over the years that the synergy of everything in your signal flow can make or break a listening experience.

Truth.
I don't think anyone can listen to a single headphone and correctly judge every aspect of it's character and ability alone. It needs to be compared.
Not only synergy, but I'd add power to that list too.
Entry level amps simply can't power a lot of these old headphones properly.
An entry level amp will easily bring the headphone to a listenable volume, and if you didn't know any better you'd probably still think it sounds good, but that's not the issue.
Give the drivers some more watts and there is more control and sometimes better bass definition and extension, and they scale up much more than an efficient modern headphone would.

 

[jon parker]

Very true. I would say almost without exception I really need to use my powerful 80's NAD amp to get the full potential out of all my 600 ohm cans...although the humble Little Dot 1+ hybrid tube amp has such an addictive warm clean tube sound I find it irresistible ! It does a superb job...although as you say, to get the full 100% potential out the vintage cans you really need power
I cant remember but someone explained that the 80's amps where built in such a way that makes them very powerful...something about capacitors?

A couple more rare vintage headphones on the way to have fun with soon

 

[WallofHooligans]

Thanks GREQ, I appreciate the clarification!
TBH I didn't expect much from them - I don't like the regular K240 for music but thought the K250 may be a slight improvement so thought it would be worth the gamble.
I suspect I may have been lucky with this particular pair. Mr Tech wasn't impressed with the 250's either! butttt, I do find them very much as I described - I agree in that the treble 'can be' their weak point on some tracks and as such they are not perfect but listening to some creamy smooth Ella Fitzgerald from the wonderful Verve records gives a buttery smooth treble and a soundstage that is astonishingly good
Technically speaking though you appreciate the how good the sextet is in comparison - I can find the 250's fatiguing sometimes due to their WoW factor
Time and experience certainly means you don't get fooled by headphones that exaggerate qualities that at first can seem exciting but later you see how they are actually more HiFi than Reference.
Anyway, Im finding more and more over the years that the synergy of everything in your signal flow can make or break a listening experience.
I think I have been lucky with my current set up, more than anything!
Its certainly a headphone that has something unique to offer and has its own special place in my collection now

It's good to see people just enjoying their gear as-is. You don't need other people to tell you whether the stuff you like is good or not. Maybe your ears are just shaped perfectly for these cans?

 

[jon parker]

I do find the feedback here to be beyond helpful.
Its a funny thing when you find a headphone that just wows the pants off you and someone else just says 'mehhh' Can be a humbling and thought provoking thing! Especially as I work every day with sound so I sometimes catch myself in the ack of my mind thinking my views are somehow 'more qualified' somehow ? But of course everyone's views and experiences are valid..for them, and as such needs to be respected
One unusual aspect of being passionate about exploring & finding rare headphones is when you do find a special one there are very people who will. or even can appreciate
the qualities you can find! I do have other audio engineer friends who can at least appreciate them and often help by vocalizing how they hear the qualities with them
so yeah, I really appreciate this place. Without Head-fi I certainly wouldn't have the collection I have now
Had another rare vintage headphone arrive just now . . .

 

[Feilong4]

Old/Vintage Beyerdynamic DT990. Probably not the most interesting, but I really like them so far! Came with original box and is apparently NOS according to its original owner. Also came with the original box - no paperwork though (if they had paperwork). No specs listed anywhere on the box. They certainly look unused - coils in cable aren't tangled, no marks or scratches, and pads looks fresh (although I don't like the sound with the stock pads too much).

With stock pads, they're kinda bright up top but not modern DT990 premium bright. I'd say it's like a 3-5 db recession in comparison. I don't have a modern DT990 premium to compare but I think the old DT990 has more midrange. I think the modern DT990 premium has more bass and a wider soundstage. The bass is pretty anemic and seems to roll-off quite a bit on the vintage.

I put Fostex T20v1 pads on them as a joke but to my surprise, they don't sound too bad with them. Warm and possibly a bit boomy, but midrange is pretty great - smooth like a Yamaha ortho's midrange, pretty dark though. Detail seems to be immediately less apparent.

Has anyone tried them with the Beyerdynamic EDT990V or EDT770V pads? I'm sure some people have.


Picture above - with T20v1 pads

More pictures in the spoiler.

Spoiler

 

[trellus]

Old/Vintage Beyerdynamic DT990. Probably not the most interesting, but I really like them so far! Came with original box and is apparently NOS according to its original owner. Also came with the original box - no paperwork though (if they had paperwork). No specs listed anywhere on the box. They certainly look unused - coils in cable aren't tangled, no marks or scratches, and pads looks fresh (although I don't like the sound with the stock pads too much).

I really dig the looks of those! Nice pickup.

 

[nick n]

I use some ebay 3rd party pads on my Beyer 990 vintage. Did a ton of research the other pads I think change the sound ( Newer Beyer ones you mentioned )

 

[Feilong4]

I use some ebay 3rd party pads on my Beyer 990 vintage. Did a ton of research the other pads I think change the sound ( Newer Beyer ones you mentioned )

Could you PM me (or post on here) the link the 3rd party pads you used?

How are the newer Beyer pads with the vintage DT990?

 

[GREQ]

Also Philips SHP2000/2500 pads work really well on these. No joke.

 

[nick n]

pm'd you the link, but i should have been more clear I did not try the newer ones, just a bit too much research on them.
2000/2500 hmmm those as a whole headphone are dirt cheap thanks for the idea.

 

[jon parker]

Could you PM me (or post on here) the link the 3rd party pads you used?

How are the newer Beyer pads with the vintage DT990?

I don't think they are the original pads?. From your pic they look a a lot wider than mine. I have original pads on mine - they couldn't be any LESS bright. They are the most creamy buttery smooth headphones I have

 

[Feilong4]

I don't think they are the original pads?. From your pic they look a a lot wider than mine. I have original pads on mine - they couldn't be any LESS bright. They are the most creamy buttery smooth headphones I have

Yes, as I've mentioned in my post, the pads pictured on the headphones are pads from the Fostex T20(v1).

With the stock pads, I still think they're fairly bright up top but not annoyingly so. I'm more bothered by the lack of bass with those pads.

 

[jon parker]

Yes, as I've mentioned in my post, the pads pictured on the headphones are pads from the Fostex T20(v1).

With the stock pads, I still think they're fairly bright up top but not annoyingly so. I'm more bothered by the lack of bass with those pads.

Oh yes, sorry I forgot you had said that. You wouldn't expect a lot of bass in a more reference tuned headphone although I dont think they sold it as that?

 

[Feilong4]

Oh yes, sorry I forgot you had said that. You wouldn't expect a lot of bass in a more reference tuned headphone although I dont think they sold it as that?

IIRC, Beyerdynamic made the DT990 along with other headphones to compete with Stax's electrostatic at the time. I heard/read that from somewhere, but I forgot exactly where.

I think they were advertised as an "audiophile" headphone. Not sure though.

 

[GREQ]

It's worth mentioning the 880 is a fully open-back and 990 is a semi-open back, with a much smaller opening.
The grills deceptively cover the entire rear of the headphone, but behind the white cloth is a hole about 15mm in diameter in the middle of another plastic cup.
So they served different purposes and were tuned differently.