[falkon72]

Lookin for a pair of closed cans to hold me over in college.
Factors from most important to least:
1. Closed
2. Overall SQ/Musicality/Enjoyment
3. Comfort
4. Doesn't get hot
5. Fatigue Factor
6. That zing factor (velour pads, Sony look, etc)

Mostly lookin in the $150 range. Maybe can stretch to $200.

Music I listen to from most to least:
1. Indie
2. Brit Pop
3. Rock
4. Pop
5. Soundtracks/Classical
6. Rap
7. Everything else cept country

I consider myself a bona fide midrange freq (freak)

But I like my bass too. Looking for mostly musicality without too much fatigue.

Right now I'm mostly considering the A900 or DT770-80 but I welcome other suggestions. Opinions?

Oh and I'm listening to music on a laptop encoded 160 or above but mostly 192 through the Echo Indigo.

 

[meesha]

right now, i own a a500 and a dt770-80.

neither of these will give great midrange.
dt's are more energetic than a500's
a500 are more comfy.

I might look elsewhere based on the midrange factor alone.

 

[bahamaman]

Given your criteria, my vote would be for the A900 over a stock 770/80. Better midrange, imo, though not perfect.

 

[itza2mer]

I'm a 'basshead' and I've owned both. I prefer the dynamics of the A900's. Bass you can hear and feel without disturbing the neighbors. Sometimes I think my head is gonna cave in from the bass slam

 

[bobeau]

Though the A900's mids can be improved quite a bit with the blu-tack mod.

 

[itza2mer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobeau Though the A900's mids can be improved quite a bit with the blu-tack mod.

Agree. Upgrading the cable also does wonders, however the blu-tack mod alone is worth the effort (and is less risky).

 

[falkon72]

Yeah, well, I didn't expect perfect midrange with closed cans, really.

But what about in terms of comfort?

 

[saint.panda]

If it's the midrange in particular that you're after, then you should also consider the AKG K271. The AKG K271 just like the DT 770-80 will, however, most likely require an amp to sound to their fullest. The A900 sounds pretty good without one. All three of them offer great sound quality and high comfort.

Both the DT 770-80 and A900 have their deficencies in the midrange with the A900 having an overal bowl-like frequency response, which gives the impression of a recessed overall midrange, and the DT 770-80 having a weak lower midrange leading to the impression that the midrange feels sucked out at the bottom. The AKG K271 on the other hand has a more convex frequency response with a bias in the midrange. Sounds a bit coloured but it's a nice coloration. The AKG K271 has a pretty weak bass however. Its treble is the best from the three. There's much more to say about these three headphones and a search should turn out a lot of helpful suggestions. I don't listen to a lot of indie so my personal suggestion might not be helpful to you.

Edit: Comfort-wise they're all good and only different. The A900 is heavy but it has huge circumaural pads which will make you feel like sinking into a comfy sofa. Might be a bit sweaty in summer perhaps. The AKG K271 is much more lightweight but the earcups are more shallow and your ears might be slightly touching the drivers. Clamping force is not high. The DT770-80 is somewhere in-between the A900 and AKG 271 as far as weight is concerned. Its main asset is the use of velour pads instead of the AKG's or A900's pleather. Very comfy and just like the A900 it is truly circumaural (unlike the K271). if you had to pin me down, I would say the A900 is the best for long-term comfort because the DT 770-80's clamping was a tad stronger. Further, the DT 770-80's headband won't extend far enough if you have an oversized head. All things considered, I wouldn't base my decision on the comfort because all of these three are quite comfortable for closed headphones.

Good luck.

 

[falkon72]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look into it more but the last time I tried the AKG's, I wasn't impressed from my source due to the lack of an amp and I don't plan on investing in an amp anytime soon.

 

[saint.panda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by falkon72 Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look into it more but the last time I tried the AKG's, I wasn't impressed from my source due to the lack of an amp.

If you don't plan on getting an amp in the long run, I think the A900 might be the best solution. However, the A900 get a tad hotter than the AKG K271 or DT 770-80 (least hot due to velour pads).

 

[falkon72]

Well, I usually won't stay on them for more than the length of a typical movie. And I'm in Chicago.

 

[saint.panda]

Both the DT 770-80 and A900 are better for movies than the AKG K271 with the A900 being the best probably due to the biggest and most holographic soundstage. The DT 770-80 has a stronger bass impact although in overall bass amount the A900 is about equal. It really comes down whether you are willing to get an amp but even if with an amp, the decision is not an easy one. It's just that without an amp, the A900 takes the clear win.

The DT 770-80 sounds more aggressive than the A900. Maybe that will suit rock and indie a bit better, I don't know. For pop, both were equally good. For jazz and classical I preferred the A900.

Edit: I just re-read your initial and you said that midrange is your main concern. That certainly has been the main concern about the A900 as well with many people complaning about its recessed midrange. I don't think it's that bad and mostly it's a matter of acclimatization or pyschoacoustical effects (comments hold much less value if you don't own the headphones or haven't heard them over an extended period of time). While human vocals at times don't have the weight they ought to have as coming from the DT 770-80 for instance, they're pretty good nonetheless. I'm not sure how much this shallow valley in the midrange would bother you. The AKG K271 would fit your description of a bona fide midrange but it lacks in other areas such as for gaming or movie watching and the mentioned bass "issue" (whether it's an issue depends on your usual bass intake).

 

[itza2mer]

Try a search for 'Blu Tak' instead. I found several threads using that spelling.

 

[warubozu]

I also own both A900 and DT770-80, both are great phones and as it has been mentioned both have their own deficiencies in the mid-range section. I would say base on your musical tastes I would recommend the A900's. The A900's like the the DT770/80 have lots of bass but the A900's bass is tighter and a bit faster than the DT770-80 IMO. To my ears the stock DT770-80 bass is a bit more loose and has a deeper extension than the A900's. Also the DT770-80 is the warmer sounding of the two. Both cans don't really need an amp to sound good although they both would really benefit from one.

Both cans are equally as comfortable, however some may have an issue with the pads getting too warm or sweaty on the A900's during the warmer months of the year. I personally don't have that problem and enjoy using both cans.

 

[falkon72]

Just to clarify: I'm not really lookin for movie watching qualities.

They both sound pretty good right now although I'm leaning towards the A900's because you can mod it to get more midrange.