[bixby]

For your PS- Beyer Dt-150 buy it from amazon uk for a great price.

 

[Longbowman]

Yeah I got it on Amazon.ca for around the same CAD.

If anyone has pointers on the last please let me know.

 

[Me x3]

Thanks again for all the help. Went with DT880's (600ohm) as they're on sale for $214, compared to K702's at $330.

Trying some songs out through my 18i8, the highs really don't bother me as I don't monitor at high volumes, but there seems to be a bit of a lower-mid lack. Opeth doesn't sound particularly "fun", which I don't mind, but I'm worried about mixing kickdrum frequencies and the like properly.

I did trial Sonarworks' Headphone correction (not that I think it necessarily perfectly corrects, but I digress), and A/Bing it, with the correction applied it sounds much more similar to my monitors -- highs are very slightly lowered, and there's just enough low end added to be able to hear a kickdrum sound "punchy" without sounding bass heavy. Good mixes sound good without sounding hyped. I wonder if a slight EQ is worth it? Or is the 18i8's lack of a good amp? Volume is at about 3/4 on the headphone volume knob, so relatively high, but that's with system volume not quite all the way up. I don't think I'm picking up any distortion, though sibilant recordings do seem more transparent.


PS -- Any recommendations for a complimentary closed-back phone? Looking for one for tracking, referencing and simply pleasurable listening. Doesn't need to be perfectly flat, but somewhat more honest that cheap phones would be nice, as it's nice to be able to hear clearer sound during listening with a wider soundstage.

Nice pick! Congrats!

Glad to know, my advice was quite on point.

To make Wintersun and Opeth fun on DT880 you might need a warm DAC/Amp...

You can demo DMG Equilibrium as well.
https://www.dmgaudio.com/products_equilibrium.php
It will let you fine tune the response to your preference.

Genres and recordings always play a role. Try the album "Bridges" by Hans Theessink if you have a chance.
It sounds very well on neutralish setups. You might not feel the need for more lower midrange.

Soundmagic HP150 could serve you very well as a complementary closed back headphone. Not sure about current pricning in your country.

Happy Listening!

 

[Longbowman]

Nice pick! Congrats!

Glad to know, my advice was quite on point.


You can demo DMG Equilibrium as well.
https://www.dmgaudio.com/products_equilibrium.php
It will let you fine tune the response to your preference.

Genres and recordings always play a role. Try the album "Bridges" by Hans Theessink if you have a chance.
It sounds very well on neutralish setups. You might not feel the need for more lower midrange.

Soundmagic HP150 could serve you very well as a complementary closed back headphone. Not sure about current pricning in your country.

Happy Listening!

Quite precisely, actually. I understand why they'd be sub-optimal at lower volumes for low-mids (i.e. metal), but with a touch of EQ they sound fantastic.

Thanks, I'll have a look. Any idea why it is manufacturers seem to roll off lows on cans? EQing seems like a viable compromise, but I'm wondering if there's a reason the rolloff is present on almost any set of more detailed/"mixing" oriented headphones.

Thanks re: Bridges, I'll have a listen.

I'll also read into Soundmagic's HP150. DT770, M50x and others are all around the same price and also on the table. ~$100-150 CAD is probably my limit.

 

[Me x3]

Quite precisely, actually. I understand why they'd be sub-optimal at lower volumes for low-mids (i.e. metal), but with a touch of EQ they sound fantastic.

Thanks, I'll have a look. Any idea why it is manufacturers seem to roll off lows on cans? EQing seems like a viable compromise, but I'm wondering if there's a reason the rolloff is present on almost any set of more detailed/"mixing" oriented headphones.

Thanks re: Bridges, I'll have a listen.

I'll also read into Soundmagic's HP150. DT770, M50x and others are all around the same price and also on the table. ~$100-150 CAD is probably my limit.

The "rolloff" is normally a result of the open back design, but even then it can be debatable since there's no absolut target response for headphones. Depending on the compensation or target used you'll see more or less "rolloff" for a certain headphone. On Innerfidelity compensation DT880 (600) has the same loudness at 30-35Hz than at 1000Hz so that's very flat and extended overall. According to sonarworks or Harman compensations/targets, DT880 (600) rolls off much more in the bass, since they believe the "right" response needs more bass. As I've said, there's no absolut target so it's all relative.

On a side note, most modern music has compressed dynamic range, so you might prefer some bass boost in order to make the bass sound more life like, as well as some treble recession to avoid fatigue.

With high quality audiophile recordings, with little to no dynamic compression, the bass on neutralish reference headphones like DT880 or HD800 is much more satisfying. You get both bass body and proper timing (fast bass) without affecting/blurrying the midrange.

 

[Longbowman]

The "rolloff" is normally a result of the open back design, but even then it can be debatable since there's no absolut target response for headphones. Depending on the compensation or target used you'll see more or less "rolloff" for a certain headphone. On Innerfidelity compensation DT880 (600) has the same loudness at 30-35Hz than at 1000Hz so that's very flat and extended overall. According to sonarworks or Harman compensations/targets, DT880 (600) rolls off much more in the bass, since they believe the "right" response needs more bass. As I've said, there's no absolut target so it's all relative.

On a side note, most modern music has compressed dynamic range, so you might prefer some bass boost in order to make the bass sound more life like, as well as some treble recession to avoid fatigue.

With high quality audiophile recordings, with little to no dynamic compression, the bass on neutralish reference headphones like DT880 or HD800 is much more satisfying. You get both bass body and proper timing (fast bass) without affecting/blurrying the midrange.

Interesting! Indeed, it does say its response is down to 5hz but I'm assuming headphones are limited in this regard. Not much roll until about 40hz.
I'm aware of the irritating loudness war and subsequent dynamic range compression. I'll have to try some Steven Wilson mixes perhaps, something that didn't have a mastering engineer interfering with the final product. I do have a few vinyl rips of some well-mastered records (far less dynamic compression than the CD counterparts), and they sound good but I still feel the bass is a little lacking. A slight boost results in it simply having more presence; not loudly, but simply present. I'll have to keep trying things out.

I'm actually finding I don't prefer the Sonarworks adjustment with acoustic albums. I couldn't find the entirety of Bridges, but found some songs and they sounded fantastic with the DT880 highs (I'd still cut them ever so slightly, personally). 12-strings guitars in particular sing like never before. Opeth's Ghost Reveries (vinyl ripped lossless) actually sounds quite good through these cans, though again I think I'd boost low bass ever so slightly, as well as mids in order to get a bit more of the vocal warmth I'm used to from his voice). YouTube quality notwithstanding, I quite like the textures here:


EDIT: Thanks for the DMG link too, but man is that pricey. I might as well buy HD800's for the price.
I'm actually finding the more I listen, the less I prefer the Sonarworks correction. I'm sure getting a custom profile made would be helpful, but they only have a generic profile for the 250ohm and it seems to overcompensate. The bass is punchier but overall the sound feels more "squashed".