[jupitreas]

The seller's ebay name is wang_yifei.
 
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Do you remember the sellers name? Been looking for a case for the dt250 so I can throw them on the backpack without fear.

 

 

[LIEPANEW]

I apologize if this has already been covered... but how is the sound-stage on these? 

 

[jupitreas]

Soundstage is average. Not as spacious as the DT770 but not really a slouch in the soundstage area either. Its a decent soundstage for a closed can. I'd say it is bigger than the soundstage of the Sony MDR-7506 and the M-Audio Q40, but slightly (just slightly) more congested than the Shure SRH940 or the Ultrasone PRO 900 (depending on how well S-Logic works for you). 
 
While it does not look like it on photographs, the drivers are actually positioned on a slight angle on the ears and I believe this has a positive effect on soundstage.
 
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I apologize if this has already been covered... but how is the sound-stage on these? 

 

 

[ph0rk]

I have extolled the virtues of the DT-250 for a number of years; but they aren't flashy, they aren't new, and they appear overpriced. Thus, no one listened.
 
 
They are excellent headphones. I have a pair in 80 (for the campus office) and 250 (for home) ohm, and while I listen to my k-240 MKii's about as much, I'd have a hard time picking the k240 for 100% 24/7 use over the DT250.

 

[JohnnyAppleseed]

Are there any alternate cables to the stock coiled one? I'd like to get a shorter straight one.

 

[donunus]

jupitreas, Actually I like the soundstage of the dt250 because I think if it would be wider that it would sound more fake

 

[jupitreas]

There are two ways to get a different cable for the DT250.
 
You could buy a DT109 straight cable from Beyerdynamic. It costs about 30 bucks. It is; however, not terminated, so you will either need to terminate it yourself (with a Neutrik plug for example) or pay extra to have someone terminate it for you.
 
Another alternative is what I have done with mine (look back at the previous page for photos). I simply cut the stock cable above the coiled bit and terminated that with a Neutrik 3,5 mm socket. I then reterminated the stock cable with a Neutrik plug so I can still use the coiled cable at home or in the studio if I need to. I can also attach a straight cable of any length I want to the new socket. IMO this is killing two birds with one stone; however, you need to make sure that your socket is attached properly and that the strain is well-relieved etc. This method is also dirt-cheap as it costs as much as a Neutrik socket does, which is about 4 bucks.
 
Quote:

Are there any alternate cables to the stock coiled one? I'd like to get a shorter straight one.

 

I like it too, although I guess my post might have made it seem otherwise. By average I meant average in terms of spaciousness ie. not too wide and not too narrow. It is a good sound stage for a closed can, it sounds like you're in the studio with the band. 
 

jupitreas, Actually I like the soundstage of the dt250 because I think if it would be wider that it would sound more fake
 

 

 

[donunus]

Yes I sort of got the impression that you liked the soundstage, i just wanted to post that for people that are just getting in the discussion to get the idea that a good soundstage doesn't always have to be wide Thats my point of view anyhow. I just want to say for example that I despise the soundstage of something like the akg k701 since I find them to sound fake for example.

 

[JohnnyAppleseed]

Quote:

There are two ways to get a different cable for the DT250.
 
You could buy a DT109 straight cable from Beyerdynamic. It costs about 30 bucks. It is; however, not terminated, so you will either need to terminate it yourself (with a Neutrik plug for example) or pay extra to have someone terminate it for you.
 
Another alternative is what I have done with mine (look back at the previous page for photos). I simply cut the stock cable above the coiled bit and terminated that with a Neutrik 3,5 mm socket. I then reterminated the stock cable with a Neutrik plug so I can still use the coiled cable at home or in the studio if I need to. I can also attach a straight cable of any length I want to the new socket. IMO this is killing two birds with one stone; however, you need to make sure that your socket is attached properly and that the strain is well-relieved etc. This method is also dirt-cheap as it costs as much as a Neutrik socket does, which is about 4 bucks.

 
Thanks!! I might do both!!

 

[LIEPANEW]

Thanks guys you've been very helpful!
 
@donunus I see you have metal as one of your preferred genres and that you have auditioned various Grado headphones which have consistently been praised as the "ultimate" metal headphone.  How do the dt250's fare against the grado line for metal (I know open vs. closed is kinda like apples and oranges) and if you prefer them (which you seem to) why is that?  I've auditioned some low end grados and found them quite enjoyable.
 
 

 

[jupitreas]

I can answer this for you as well, since I'm also a metal fan and I have auditioned and owned various Grado headphones in the past.
 
Basically, the typical Grado headphone is more colored than the DT250 and the Grado coloration happens to suit most metal fairly well. Metal tends not to have a lot of sub-bass (although there are exceptions, fe. djent) so Grado's rolled-off bass is not a huge issue when it comes to this musical style. Grado also has a mid-bass hump that works well for metal as it gives kick-drums more slam and impact, which is another trait that metal fans appreciate. Grado is also known for clear and in-your-face mids and treble, and there is a consensus that this makes guitars and vocals sound particularly energetic and natural. The downside to this is that the hot upper-mids and treble sometimes results in high levels of sibilance, particularly with badly recorded albums (and a lot of metal is very badly recorded).
 
The above description applies to all Grados in the Prestige series, as they all sound extremely similar to one another, with the higher-end models refining the sound slightly over the cheaper models, but without changing the general sound signature. Grados in higher series (reference, signature etc) vary in sound a little bit more, but the majority still retain the above sound signature.
 
By comparison, the DT250 will sound boring, as there is no mid-bass hump and the mids are neutral as well. The DT250 will sound thin compared to a Grado as the bass is very neutral and doesn't warmify the rest of the frequencies. The trebles of the DT250 are just slightly emphasized above other frequencies, but not nearly as much as in Grado. The soundstage of the DT250 and the typical Grado is actually rather similar since Grado has a rather narrow soundstage for an open-back headphone. The DT250 is not particularly prone to sibilance (at least to my ears), even though it is a fairly bright headphone. Grados are way more sibilant and fatiguing than the DT250. The DT250's bass is much better extended than the typical Grado, the DT250 is very good at sub-bass frequencies. With all this said, the DT250 is in no way a bad headphone for metal - it has very clear, detailed and natural mids that are not recessed in any way. Vocals are very clearly distinguishable over music with the DT250, which is useful for metal since vocals often get drowned out by the bombastic music in this genre. 
 
To summarize - Grados are colored in a way that suits most metal and makes it sound more energetic. The DT250 is a very flat (as in the frequency rate curve is flat) headphone and does not add any additional energy or character to the metal that is being played through it. Nevertheless, the DT250 is far more neutral than any typical Grado and sounds good with any genre you throw at it, whereas Grados don't sound great with some genres (particularly bass-heavy genres like electronica and hip-hop, as well as genres that require a neutral, balanced sound signature, like classical music). 

 
Quote:

Thanks guys you've been very helpful!
 
@donunus I see you have metal as one of your preferred genres and that you have auditioned various Grado headphones which have consistently been praised as the "ultimate" metal headphone.  How do the dt250's fare against the grado line for metal (I know open vs. closed is kinda like apples and oranges) and if you prefer them (which you seem to) why is that?  I've auditioned some low end grados and found them quite enjoyable.
 
 

 

 

[LIEPANEW]

Thanks so much for your lucid response jupitreas!  I appreciate your honesty and unbiased approach.  I have heard many "flat" headphones and have actually liked a lot of them, so I don't think their lack of coloration should be a big problem.  I am upgrading from a very sibilant headphone (280 Pros) so that might be the deal-breaker for me with the Grado's.  It seems you're describing the DT250 as a good all-rounder, which is great because I do listen to a good amount of other genres and am really looking for a headphone that can deal well with an eclectic range of music.  Also, you're right on the money when you say a lot of metal is recorded very poorly, which is another reason why the occasionally harsh sound of the grados might not be a good pick for me.  Thanks to your feedback, I'll likely get the DT250's as an all-rounder and as I have more time to audition/consider the grados and save up a bit of money, I'll make my decision from there.

 

[bookaboo]

go for the 80ohm model and you will get a bit more of a mid bass hump and an upper mid hump with zero sibilance  - perfect for rock

 

[donunus]

LIEPANEW,
I agree with most of what jupitreas is saying but I would like to add that the neutrality he was speaking about the dt250 mostly applies to the 250 ohm version. The 80 ohm version will be bassier than a Grado. So far as grados are concerned with metal, I myself do not like them so much because they are just simply too bright and etched sounding for me. The dt250-250 is a winner hands down in my book. The 80 ohm version is also good with metal also if you just want a bassier and slightly more forward version of the 250 ohm with less highs. Basically like I said before the 80 ohm version dt250 is like an hd650 version of the 250 ohm version which would represent the hd600 in that comparison.

 

[LIEPANEW]

Thanks bookaboo, unfortunately I only have the 250 ohm model available for purchase :/  I do have a fiio e17 amp/dac and plan to get a fiio e9 as well so powering them wouldn't be a problem.  
 
Unfortunately I haven't tried the HD600 or HD650 but from here-say I can understand the gist of what you're saying!
so donunus, when you listen to metal, do you typically use the 250ohm or the 80ohm version?