judy1992
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2010
- Posts
- 166
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- 16
After having read so much about the DT-48 and considering the fact that the production has ended a few month ago I could not resist and ordered a brand new DT48 E 200 Ohm (it is already no longer listed in most German music equipment online stores).
UPS delivered them today. I could not hold back and had to unpack them at work. The first pleasant surprise was the lack of flashy packaging. Just a small box with some protective materials. Very professional. The build quality is also every nice. Compared to the DT48E my trusty AKG K702 looks like a fragile plastic toy.
So far I have spent less than a hour listening to them. I own a Lehmann Audio Black Cube Linear amp which is connected to the line-out of my iPod and a Grace Design M 903 DAC/amp connected to my Power Mac, so amp wise I should be doing fine, I think.
The first thing I noticed is the lack of bass. Listening to rap will probably not be my favorite use case for the DT-48 E. The soundstage also sounds very closed. But after skipping through a few tracks I came across an audio drama and the quality of the vocals are really astonishing. It completely sounds like one is stands in the recording booth next to the voice actors. After that I tried "The Hazards of Love" by "The Decemberists" and was again pleasantly surprised by the quality of the vocals. The lack of bass was also less noticeable than with the rap tracks. I'm currently listening to "Works for Me" by John Scofield and like how its sound (apart from the claustrophobic soundstage. But it is a closed headphone after all). I guess I have to get used to it.
It's hard to judge this headphone because it can change night and day depending on the recording. There are times, when I listen to the DT48, and think.. Wow, these sound awful.. Then, I listen again to another track, and they sound drop dead amazing.. The bass, type of bass, and extension does very based on how the track was recorded.. Sound stage can get bigger, wider, or more narrow based on the recording.. I never heard such a change with my 701, and the T1 I owned.. The more you listen, the more it will show.
After the recable (standard Beyer cable) and installing the 48E pads on these 48As I'm nothing short of amazed as there is more detail, more mids and the most lovely timpani and shimmering cymbals I have ever heard. I expected less bass, but not really - just more texture. What a winning combo on these now discontinued cans. I'll be playing with different pads in the near future for the E pair
My drivers are numbered A10125/6, btw.
I say with great regret that I have sold my DT48. They just got such little use because they were so mint that I couldn't justify keeping them at the price I was offered. But they're in good hands; they're now owned by a serious collector (I counted at least three pairs of K1000s among many other impressive headphones). I may rejoin in the future, with a more worn-out pair.