[Eagle_Driver]

I have just listened to a trance compilation by DJ Tiesto (one of his Magik series), using my old Pioneer receiver's headphone out and my old Sony carousel CDP. The headphones used are:

1. Grado SR-225
2. Sennheiser HD 280Pro
3. Sennheiser HD 600
4. Sony MDR-7506
5. Sony MDR-V700DJ (I know, the model that DJ Tiesto had used until recently)

After listening to the trance beats and the higher sounds *bmm chacka tss*, I can rule out the Sennheiser HD 280Pro - the beats are utterly hollow and thin. No wonder why Jan Meier said that the bass just isn't there on the 280 compared to the better headphones that he has heard. The Sony 7506 did a bit better - but the low bass actually dominates over the mid-bass (you know, that mid-bass is the fundamental frequency range of a trance beat), making the beats sound a bit murky. And the 7506 sounds abrasive in the upper mids and lower highs, to boot, making for a really fatiguing listen.

The Sony V700DJ was (and still is) a staple in DJing. But don't ever listen to most types of music with the V700DJ's on - NOT EVEN TRANCE! The mid-bass is overboosted, and tends to overshoot and ring - so that you'll get impact all right, but in a BAD way. The highs are very recessed in comparison to other high-end headphones, to boot.

So that leaves the Sennheiser HD 600 and the Grado SR-225. The Grado won out with trance music, however, due to the HD 600's smoothing out the 'impact' a bit too much for my tastes (even though it has more 'impact' than either the HD 280Pro or the MDR-7506). Both are brighter than the MDR-V700DJ and the HD 280Pro, but nowhere near as harsh as the MDR-7506. The SR-225 delivers nearly as much 'impact' as the MDR-V700DJ, but without all that overshooting and ringing in the mid-bass notes.

Hope this persuades anyone that the myth of the MDR-V700DJ being the best for listening to trance/hard NRG music is just that - a myth.

Randy

 

[AIM9x]

hey, what about the beyer 250-80... anybody wanna throw that in the mix for techno?

I agree with you on the V6/7506 for techno. I enjoyed the thump, but the high end just killed it for me. Once i got my KSC-35s, i sold the V6s. They just handled it that much better.

 

[bangraman]

I think you're ready for A-T, Eagle_Driver...

 

[Maxvla]

.

 

[darcangelo]

hey, thanks for the infos, eagle! I was just wondering about that one...

SMI²LE

 

[DigiToast]

Eagle_Driver, I noticed that you have a pair of AKG K240DFs in your inventory. Although these may not be considered 'high end'... if you have time and don't mind, could you please comment on how you think they compare to the other headphones when used for trance? In my experiences in trying out different headphones for trance, I have always kept running back to my AKG K240DFs and would like to see what you have to say about them. It's hard for me to describe why I like using the AKGs; you could hold a gun to my head and I still couldn't tell you. The only thing I can describe, however, is that I can listen to trance for extended periods of time (5-10 hours) yet never get fatigued and feel like I need a break from music whereas everything else will fatigue me within an hour or so. Also, many people say there's a lack of bass in AKGs, but I've never had a problem with that. There's plenty of bass that I'm hearing; and that goes for all genres of music - trance, classical, jazz, etc..

 

[darcangelo]

... and how about the AKG K1000s? How do they compare?

SMI²LE

 

[Old Pa]

While the smurfed HD600s are my reliable standby for trance, my K1000s have recently gotten the nod for this genre as well. [Both are driven by oversampled Ah! 4000 > RKV.] Some of my trance CDs are of the "everybody play as loud as possible" variety, but most also have "small sounds" which favor high end cans. The K1000s sound a bit faster, but this may just be the slight mudding of the mid-bass by the HD600s. Finally, I would say the HD600s do the "maximum immersion" treatment, while the K1000s move me slightly towards being "audience".

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Sorry, I have never owned a Beyerdyanmic DT250-80 or an AKG K1000, so I cannot tell you how they sound. However, I've repeated the test with my Headroom Total Airhead amp and my Sony D-EJ1000 PCDP, with the same headphones and trance music CD as per the first post in this thread. The sound is less muddy overall than on my home system (stupid high-output-impedance on my receiver's headphone jack is to blame for the somewhat muddy sound), but the relative ranking among the headphones remains the same as before.

 

[redshifter]

i really dig the ety er6 for trance, electronica of all sorts, and ambient. i'm sure with the er4s it just gets better.

 

[chrono]

I mostly listen to trance, and I use a recently purchased pair of AKG-401s.

I must say they sound very nice, especially for chill-out, psy/goa, and melodic trance. They have a very open sound, great stereo imaging, and they seem to add very little colour.

The downfall is bass. It's certainly there, but it is pretty weak, without much punch. I have a feeling this is because I don't currently use a headphone amp, and these phones DEFINATELY need one. they are about 1/3 quieter than all my previous phones.

When i get an amp, I assume the 401's will be much more suitable for hard trance, hardstyle, and nrg.

 

[DigiToast]

I must admit that the bass may be weaker than just about every other headphone out there, but that may very well be the reason why I enjoy these headphones so much for the electronica family of music - the bass isn't heavy enough to fatigue me during long listening periods. All that really matters is that it is there, and that I can hear it. I've been using the AKGs heavily as my primarily listening choice for a year, so I'm used to the sound now and I suppose I've adapted (as I feel that the AKGs may actually have *gasp* great bass and everything else is bass heavy)

 

[punosion]

Beyerdynamic DT-770's. There. I said it.

Seriously, though...if you haven't heard these puppies with "electronica," try it out sometime. It's a real treat!

 

[Eagle_Driver]

I've tried the AKG K240DF with trance on my home setup - but they just didn't get me into the groove like either the Senn HD 600 or the Grado 225 did. The beats are even further laid-back on the AKG K240DF than on the Senn HD 600. At least the beats from the K240DF aren't as lifeless as those from the Senn 280Pro or as murky as those from the Sony 7506.

 

[poorimpulsectrl]

Quote:

Originally posted by punosion Beyerdynamic DT-770's. There. I said it. Seriously, though...if you haven't heard these puppies with "electronica," try it out sometime. It's a real treat!

seconded