Sony MDR-CD3000 or Beyerdynamic DT880 for Metal/Rock ??

[Slaxl]

Hallo everybody,

sorry for my bad english (is not my native language)

i'm looking forward to buy an old Sony MDR-CD3000. he oughts to be (he shall to be??? please correct me

) very good, one of the best closed ones.

how good is the CD3000 for a kind of music like heavy metal, death metal, thrash metal but rock and classical music as well.

another one, the beyerdynamic DT880, which I eye, shall (to) be good for such kinds of music as well.


which one should i take?? I don't have an amp, but maybe I will take a Jan Meier one. an Aria or an Arietta, maybe.


but which of the mentioned headphones are optimal especially for metal and rock??

please help me to find the right one.
(if i've made bad language failings, please help me do to do them right (at)the next time)


see you later,
bye

 

[cooperpwc]

Can't comment on the CDR3000. You probably won't meet a bigger fan of the DT880s (admittedly with the extra bass from leather pads) but I still wouldn't point to even the leathered DT880s as a top choice for heavy metal. Bluesy rock like the Black Crowes and Blind Meklon - excellent. Electronica - superb. Progessive rock is sensational - anything with complex arrangements shines. But true heavy metal - and I don't own much - I find to be a bit wierd. The issue is that there is too much detail on the electric guitar distortion. Where that should be a wall of sound, I find that I hear the underlying slam of the guitar and the distortion as dsitinct sound elements. It's okay - I love detail - but I just wouldn't point to the DT880 as optimised for metal if that's your primary music.
[Edit: I want to be sure that I'm expressing clearly on this. Hard rock can be great on the DT880: Rush, the Who, Van Halen. Some harmonics-heavy distorted electric guitar like Husker Du also renders pretty well. But some 'wall of sound' heavy metal just isn't optimum IMHO.]

 

[qazwsx]

IMO you need a Grado for that kind of stuff. But do you live in the US? If not Grados can have really steep price tags.

 

[Blackmore]

CD3000 sucking when you use them with ROCK.

Grado, thats what you need

 

[khbaur330162]

I disagree. The CD3000 plays whatever you feed it. You need a neutral to warm source and an amp with a fair amount of power in reserve backing it up to make it sound its best. I've owned AKG K701's, K340's, Senn HD600's and an undamped pair of Audio Technica ATH-2's and nothing has done this genre better. Drums have major kick and authority, guitars twang like they should and vocals have relatively little coloration, but tend to be set a bit forward. Dyer's Eve by Metallica has never sounded this good. Their superior comfort can't be held against them, either.

Granted, I'm counting the days until I can hear my first Grado, I don't think the Sony's will let you down, especially if you're looking for a closed headphone solution.

 

[Blackmore]

Well, do not want to argue, cos my love for Grado is just a bit BIGGER than the cups of CD3K

Anyway, I think you have to love their presentation / sound to love ROCK music with them, IMO. My amp have more than enough power and did sound pretty well with them, but not with ROCK at all.
They do not have punch and the highs are to spiky. Of course, if you get the right amp for them, they may do better. But even then do not think so, not to my taste anyway. Their soundstage creation feels not real, but artificial, IMO. It seems that the sound coming from cave or something. I don't now, I didn't get any emotions with ROCK, but JAZZ, AMBIENT and some TRANCE were totally o.k. with them, but no more than that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by khbaur330162 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I disagree. The CD3000 plays whatever you feed it. You need a neutral to warm source and an amp with a fair amount of power in reserve backing it up to make it sound its best. I've owned AKG K701's, K340's, Senn HD600's and an undamped pair of Audio Technica ATH-2's and nothing has done this genre better. Drums have major kick and authority, guitars twang like they should and vocals have relatively little coloration, but tend to be set a bit forward. Dyer's Eve by Metallica has never sounded this good. Their superior comfort can't be held against them, either. Granted, I'm counting the days until I can hear my first Grado, I don't think the Sony's will let you down, especially if you're looking for a closed headphone solution.

 

[Slaxl]

ok, i come from austria. fatherland of akg

here in europe, the CD3000 is highly recommended, directly for metal and rock.

the DT880 is as good as well. i don't know, what to do??

(when i do grammar failings, please correct me, i want to learn the language correctly)

 

[Blackmore]

Here in Europe where? And who is recommended to whom? Please, tell us more

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slaxl /img/forum/go_quote.gif ok, i come from austria. fatherland of akg here in europe, the CD3000 is highly recommended, directly for metal and rock. the DT880 is as good as well. i don't know, what to do?? (when i do grammar failings, please correct me, i want to learn the language correctly)

 

[MaZa]

DT880 would be about perfect for metal, BUT, the bass is too flat. Its clear and deep reaching, but it lacks all punch. Mids and highs are just right otherwise.

Beyerdynamic DT-990 '05 is similar to DT880, but boosted bass and somewhat boosted highs. Probaply better choice than DT880.

Grados have vibrant uppermids that makes guitars sound fantastic, and bass has satisfying punch too. But with standard Bowl pads bass isnt too deep reaching which is noticeable in some parts. Flat pads increase the bass punch and deepnes, but also softens highs so they arent as headbanging.

Alessandro is modified Grado, more balanced so it should work with everything. But its also less headbanging than pure-bred Grado. But the Grado trademark "excitement" is still definetly noticeable. Which style is better, depends on taste.

Im itching to listen CD3000 too as I have heard a lot of good things about it. Unfortunately its discontinued, and people tend to ask insane prices in auctions. Leechers...

 

[Blackmore]

The last one, I have seen on FS forum, gone for EUR 350. And I do not think you will love them with ROCK, however we all have different tastes

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaZa /img/forum/go_quote.gif Im itching to listen CD3000 too as I have heard a lot of good things about it. Unfortunately its discontinued, and people tend to ask insane prices in auctions. Leechers...

 

[Slaxl]

Ok, ok. Some other guys have written, not in this forum, that the highs are too sharp. Midle and Bass are very good for a headphone.

Does anybody know the MDR-SA Series from/of (i dont know whether of or from) Sony. thus the 1000, 3000 and 5000

Does anyone know the Sony MDR-XD 400??

 

[Blackmore]

Is there something between you and Sony? Dont get me wrong, but if you really like Sony sound, CD3K will be a very good choice for you.

Here is the link from FS forum and maybe you are lucky one. they are already recabled, which is their weak part, orig. cable I mean.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=234596



Quote:

Originally Posted by Slaxl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ok, ok. Some other guys have written, not in this forum, that the highs are too sharp. Midle and Bass are very good for a headphone. Does anybody know the MDR-SA Series from/of (i dont know whether of or from) Sony. thus the 1000, 3000 and 5000 Does anyone know the Sony MDR-XD 400??

 

[MaZa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slaxl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ok, ok. Some other guys have written, not in this forum, that the highs are too sharp. Midle and Bass are very good for a headphone. Does anybody know the MDR-SA Series from/of (i dont know whether of or from) Sony. thus the 1000, 3000 and 5000 Does anyone know the Sony MDR-XD 400??

Well, Sony SA-line is only serie that is worth considering, together with CD3000, MDR-V6/7506 and obviously insanely costly MDR-R10.

Avoid cheapie XD stuff.


Sony SA5000 is said to be BRUTAL in detailing. The detailing is so sharp that it can extract every ratfart there might be in background of the recording. However, sound is very cold and analytical, devoid of life and smoothness. Also the sound is, according to some, piercing atleast without warm-toned amplifier like tube amps or such. Also due to their sharpness, badly recorded albums might be annoying to listen cuz every distortion and artifact is easy to notice.

But then again, some people like it with Metal. Iron Dreamer, the user here at Headfi, used one for metal IIRC.

 

[Slaxl]

no, there isn' something between sony and me.

i'm just searching a good/perferct headphone for metal and rock.

the SA-Series are very cold. i heard the SA-3000 and the detaillevel ist very very high, but it sounds too cold for me.

in some german hifi-magazines, the cd3000 has been reference for over 16 years. and the cd3000 is still being reference.

my worries are the too sharp highs. does know anybody know such "problems"??

 

[DJShadow]

I have the sa5000 and I use them for rock, jazz and electronic music, then everything in between. Their speed, attack and seperating ability makes them very satisfying although I don't think that they're 'cold' as such. Maybe it is, but I'm enjoying it nevertheless (nor am I bothered, they're more involving than the HD 595 imo). My main gripe is that it has a compact soundstage which can get too claustophic on some CDs considering the intimate nature of headphones anyway, but mostly its all good-like being in the middle of the music but just very slightly back. Another is that female vocals aren't as lush as they perhaps should be.