[Kukuk]

I think this thread needs some Sony MDR-CD900ST love.
 
They are my gold standard for the human voice. Not a single headphone, open or closed, has a better mid range. Or, rather, no other headphone comes as close to sounding like a live singer as these do. Some people might like a more energetic mid range, or a warmer mid range, so I guess I shouldn't say they have "the best" mid range, but as far as a true-to-life sound, they are just the tops.
 
They don't have the bass that most closed headphones have (my old AKG K271's were bass monsters in comparison), but these aren't meant to be an "every" headphone. They are pretty much exclusively for folk, lighter rock (folk rock, soft rock, maybe some prog rock, those sorts), and tracking voices in the studio. They sound a little dull for anything else, but for those genres, they are absolutely a top-tier headphone.
 
Isolation isn't so great, and the fact that they only come with a 1/4" adapter limits their use outside the home/studio. Still, they are closed, and do offer some isolation!
 
Oh, and speaking of AKG K271's, how great are they? On the used market they are like $75, and to my ears, are easily comparable to the Sennheiser HD-25's and Beyerdynamic DT1350's.
 
EDIT: I really need to find a local Head-fi meet to bring the CD900ST's to. I'm starting to sound like a broken record, and giving the CD900ST's a chance to tell their story might bring them from relative obscurity.

 

[lejaz]

Quote:

I think this thread needs some Sony MDR-CD900ST love.
 
They are my gold standard for the human voice. Not a single headphone, open or closed, has a better mid range. Or, rather, no other headphone comes as close to sounding like a live singer as these do. Some people might like a more energetic mid range, or a warmer mid range, so I guess I shouldn't say they have "the best" mid range, but as far as a true-to-life sound, they are just the tops.
 
They don't have the bass that most closed headphones have (my old AKG K271's were bass monsters in comparison), but these aren't meant to be an "every" headphone. They are pretty much exclusively for folk, lighter rock (folk rock, soft rock, maybe some prog rock, those sorts), and tracking voices in the studio. They sound a little dull for anything else, but for those genres, they are absolutely a top-tier headphone.
 
Isolation isn't so great, and the fact that they only come with a 1/4" adapter limits their use outside the home/studio. Still, they are closed, and do offer some isolation!
 
Oh, and speaking of AKG K271's, how great are they? On the used market they are like $75, and to my ears, are easily comparable to the Sennheiser HD-25's and Beyerdynamic DT1350's.
 
EDIT: I really need to find a local Head-fi meet to bring the CD900ST's to. I'm starting to sound like a broken record, and giving the CD900ST's a chance to tell their story might bring them from relative obscurity.

Damn, I shouldn't even be reading this Kukuk. The last thing I need is to buy another headphone! Vocals are the main focus of my listening, almost exclusively, lately. I've been listening to almost nothing but good vocalists(from Sarah Vaughan, to Norah Jones, to Sinatra and the Beatles) and classic acoustic jazz, from the 60's and earlier. The dt48E has been my benchmark for good vocal reproduction....also very light in the low end. I wonder if someone has heard both those and the cd900.

 

[Marleybob217]

Quote:

Are there any sound differences between the gmp 8.35D and gmp[size=small] 8.300 D? Is one better than the other?[/size]

The 8.35D should sound more lively than the 8.300. But the 8.300 should sound more balanced. But for general music listening the 8.35D is usually advised.

 

[Marleybob217]

Quote:

 
Marleybob217, please don't be overly influenced by the Headroom FR graphs
(about which so much as been written on these forums).
 
 
For example, the K550's, which I owned for a few months when they first came out,
are incredibly placement-sensitive.  If you read through the threads on them,
you'll see over and again comments about insufficient clamping force as well
as comments about the sound quality being affected by the slightest change in
placement on the ears.
 
Of course, neither issue is addressed by the Headroom FR graphs.

However the frequency graph looks pretty good of the k550! But I get it, take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Marleybob217]

Quote:

I really like my modded Fostex T50RP, they sound exactly like my dream closed headphone.

It is crazy what you can get out of some 100$ studio monitors, 10$ crafting materials and 2h of tuning it to your liking.
You can tune them to your ears and create a reference closed headphone for under 120$?
Simply amazing!
 
BTW: I need to listen to the AKG 550's, they seem to have kind of a clearer Denon-sound which I find quite interesting.

Hmm sounds good! They look pretty sweet too. 
 
I'm very curious to hear what kind of tuning techniques you used!

 

[Marleybob217]

Quote:

I own both the AKG 550 and AT900 headphones and was surprised no ones mentioned the Audio technic 900s,   they are perhaps one of the most popular and top closed headphones going.

Very nice cans,  ok isolation,  comfy nice large wide sound stage and mids and vocals clear and bright and happy cans.

K550s much better isolation,  just as comfy and a better build/durable looking cans,  accuracy is better with the K550s also,  sound stage is impressive but not as big as the A900s.

Both very good headphones,  Id be half tempted to sell the A900s but there the jacks iffy and one pads gone so ill just keep them for now besides least I can do more comparisons. 

Im using the K550s for now simply since of the noise isolation factor... far better then the A900s its night and day difference.

Id love to go Open headphones when I borrowed a mates Senn HD595s I was blown away and I cant recall but I belive my music sounded much better with the issue that everyone in the house could hear it also....

Perhaps for those days when its quiet and no ones around Open headphones may favour !

For now I dont think you can go wrong with the K550 or the Audio Technics A900s

 
The K550's are getting a lot of love!
 
And I've never heard the HD595s but I owned the HD650 and yeah, open headphones are super unpractical.
Unless there's a wall between you and other people, they are going to hear what you are hearing, just without the bass
 
However, I'm probably going to buy the hifiman HE-400. I don't care for unpractical if the sound is so freaking amazing!

 

[miow]

subscribed.
 

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Are there any sound differences between the gmp 8.35D and gmp[size=small] 8.300 D? Is one better than the other?[/size]

 
From another thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/406658/the-german-maestro-gmp-8-35-d-monitor-in-the-studio-serious-about-audio-indeed/330#post_7934107
 
I have the 8.300 D and the sound is rather similar to a NoXter modded DT880 closed back without the sibilance. And also like the K-400 without the soundstage
 
Musical, detailed, smooth, no sibilance problems, lively with toetapping PRaT, textured and tunefull bass. A little forward mids, good for vocals.
That is with the DT770 velour pads and some driver damping.....
See also the link in my sig.

 

[Marleybob217]

Quote:

 
From another thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/406658/the-german-maestro-gmp-8-35-d-monitor-in-the-studio-serious-about-audio-indeed/330#post_7934107
 
I have the 8.300 D and the sound is rather similar to a NoXter modded DT880 closed back without the sibilance. And also like the K-400 without the soundstage
 
Musical, detailed, smooth, no sibilance problems, lively with toetapping PRaT, textured and tunefull bass. A little forward mids, good for vocals.
That is with the DT770 velour pads and some driver damping.....
See also the link in my sig.

Hmm the GMP 8.35D is a bit sibilant with the oval pads. They would probably be a bit more sibilant with velour pads. So I guess the 8.300 is less sibilant. That's probably where the less 'exciting' came from on head-fi. But the 8.35D wins the portability match. Which is pretty important for me because I use it at work.

 

[miow]

One worth mentioning is the DENON HP700 since it is so similar to the D7000 and even more after some modifications.

 

[Marleybob217]

Quote:

One worth mentioning is the DENON HP700 since it is so similar to the D7000 and even more after some modifications.

Interesting, never knew cheap Denon phones existed. I'm learning so much from this thread

 

[Kukuk]

Quote:

Damn, I shouldn't even be reading this Kukuk. The last thing I need is to buy another headphone! Vocals are the main focus of my listening, almost exclusively, lately. I've been listening to almost nothing but good vocalists(from Sarah Vaughan, to Norah Jones, to Sinatra and the Beatles) and classic acoustic jazz, from the 60's and earlier. The dt48E has been my benchmark for good vocal reproduction....also very light in the low end. I wonder if someone has heard both those and the cd900.

 
I think the guy I bought them from described them as being the DT48's with bass.

 
It's been a long time since I heard the DT48's, and audio memory being what it is I'm not super comfortable making any solid comments, but I think it's a pretty accurate description.

 

[lejaz]

Quote:

 
I think the guy I bought them from described them as being the DT48's with bass.

 
It's been a long time since I heard the DT48's, and audio memory being what it is I'm not super comfortable making any solid comments, but I think it's a pretty accurate description.

Sorry I even asked, lol. It could spell disaster for my wallet! I remember one forum member claimed the Sennheiser hd250 was a dt48 with bass. Those are super hard to find, and if you do find one, they will cost you, second hand. 

 

[Kukuk]

The CD900ST's aren't too bad in the used market. I got mine for $150, and whenever I see them show up on the FS board, that's what they're priced at as well.

 

[lejaz]

Quote:

The CD900ST's aren't too bad in the used market. I got mine for $150, and whenever I see them show up on the FS board, that's what they're priced at as well.

Sounds reasonable....about what I paid for a used hd580. I know a forum member who has both....or did at one time.. I'll have to PM him about his impressions. I'm still in awe of the dt48 when I listen to vocals. Luckily I'm not a bass head. I'm fortunate that I also have some phones that do the whole frequency range. I couldn't listen exclusively to the dt48....some music sounds better with solid bass....and sound stage.