[MikePio]

Hello everyone, its nice to post something on here since I cannot remember the last time I posted... I just wanted to share my experience with you guys, before we begin I should state my system set-up (I know its far from perfect...) Laptop->MKIII (M8161 tube upgrade)->K701 or DT 150...

I read some posts here on the DT 150's before making my purchase final, since they are not that cheap... They arrived today, and I would like to give you guys some kind of comparison between these two headphones, since they are probably the most opposite to each other regarding sound characteristics, and looks lol!

Firstly I would like to state that I had not much expectations going in since, I had the K701 which are excellent headphones, but boy was I surprised! During testing I tried different genres of music, classical, rap, ambient, rock, jazz etc... and I would with no doubt in my mind leave the K701 to gather dust... I know this sounds outrages, but I cannot stress how full, warm and rich the music sounds, so weighted... Perfectly balanced, now the bass... heheheheheh... (devilish smile comes on). Well this really knocked my socks off, I will admit the bass is really heavy, sometimes overwhelming the music, but man, this greatly represents a speaker effect for me, the bass almost feels like there is a 12" subwoofer in the room, without sounding distorted or bloated. So It basically comes down to this, the K701 have a very flat and cold sound, but are very analytical in nature, The highs are higher, the mids are more clear but even considering these aspects its still falls short, this probably sounds ridiculous, but I gave my parents both these headphones to try out with my system, and they both completely said the DT 150's just blew the K701's away, now is this an audiophiles perspective, are they sonically perfect? probably not, but you know what, I don't care lol! I can say this much, my search for headphones has officially ended, since now I can relax lay back and enjoy this hobby for what it really is... and that is the passion for music! I hope this mini- review/write up may give some people some insight into these special headphones, beauty and the beast... CHEERS!

PS (Once I had more time with these headphones I will update, with more impressions, and a more detailed analysis! I will also add the HD 595, HD 650 to the mix, The HD's are my friends, since these are hours old lol).

 

[moonboy403]

Congrats on reaching the end of your road...for now. The K701 really isn't everyone's cup of tea(not mine either) but it still has plenty of room for improvement given that you're using the LD MKIII right now.

 

[dcpoor]

yeah, congrats on the DT150's but the LD MKIII doesn't really pair well with the k701's from my experience.

 

[Germancub]

Blasphemy! You arent allowed to have opinions like this, upgrade your amp at once and come back. LOL no really though Im glad for you, I really want to give the DT150s a more thorough testing. I personally like the K601 over the K701, so its not odd to like the underdog, especially when you cant spend millions on equipment.

 

[tdogzthmn]

The DT150 is the best beyer I have heard, very natural sounding. Much better than the DT770. However my HD600 was still much better sounding than the DT150 so I let them go.

 

[estreeter]

Both the DT150 and DT250/80 are up around $400 here in Oz - for that kind of money, I would definitely chose the DT250 based on the recommendations of people whose opinions I value.

I dont know if there is much else to be said on the 701s - an acquired taste for those with the right amp - but I have yet to read anything (including the Stereophile review) which would cause me to hand over the asking price for a pair. I absolutely dont want to join the 701 backlash, but they seem to be niche cans : if you are in that niche, they are incredible.

 

[MikePio]

Hey everyone,

I have been thinking the same that my set-up is holding back the K701's, I for sure will hold on to them, as in the future I will invest in a more solid amp, hopefully making them really shine... but for now I am so happy with the DT 150's in the current configuration.

Does anyone know why these headphones are not more popular? I know they are ugly as hell, and maybe not sonically perfect, but damn they sound great... Never heard the DT 250's, but I wouldn't mind comparing them, also if anyone owned the K1000's, how is the overall sound performance from these? Either way, thanks for reading the post guys, cheers!

 

[partysnatcher]

I am listening to my DT150s as I discovered this thread

Can only confirm OPs impression; I really like the sound, balanced and full, and that beautiful round finish to the highs is really the selling point for me! Clarity without any sign of harshness or aggressiveness.

I was going to buy some expensive headphones to upgrade my setup, but I decided to (for now) get a better amp (LD MKIII

) to honor the DT150s with in stead.

One disadvantage though: After a year of use, the pads have somehow burst at the (glued) seams inside, so I need to do something smart there. (comfort issue, but still..) Any tips?

 

[partysnatcher]

Quote:

Does anyone know why these headphones are not more popular?

It's a good question. For one, stupidly enough, I think it's the model number, 150 < 880, I think many people imagine it to be an "entry level" Beyer. When they haven't read the reviews, I can certainly understand that.

I also think since it is a "monitor headphone", it puts some audiophiles off. It comes in a very unglorified cardboard box and looks very industrial, it wasn't meant for this market, it was meant as a professional tool for studios and DJs.

EDIT: By the way OP, I don't want to choke your wallet, but you should consider getting a proper DAC, get an USB plugin DAC, it's the kind of thing these DT150s really respond to.

 

[MikePio]

Hey fellow DT 150 user!

This seems very logical that people would assume that the DT 150 is an inferior model to the DT 880, but I guess its a lesson me for searching for my future wife, not everything that is beautiful can sing!!!!

I was considering getting a DAC as well, I will consider this upgrade after some time with my DT's has gone by, but I will put it on my to do list lol! The MKIII with the M8161 tube upgrade just sounds amazing, I was surprised that there would be that much sound difference, very tubey, warm, glowing and little bit laid back but can shine through without being harsh or extra bright. Well I wish you all the best searching for your next upgrade to accompany your DT 150's... Regarding the pads, can you get a replacement pair, or just glue them back? I am not that familiar with the construction of these yet ,since I just had them for maybe 14 hours now, and I just woke up lol... I will look into it though, I am not surprised the pads glued off, since the drivers generate some heat... Cheers,

 

[bhanja_trinanjan]

Feed the K701 MORE JUICE, MORE WATTS...(WooAudio WA6/Musical Fidelity XCANV8) get a good CDPlayer via Line-out as source... then watch your DT150 eat dust.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhanja_trinanjan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Feed the K701 MORE JUICE, MORE WATTS...(WooAudio WA6/Musical Fidelity XCANV8) get a good CDPlayer via Line-out as source... then watch your DT150 eat dust.

Could this really be? (I ask in jest) That one's preference actually could change depending on the synergy of the equipment used?

 

[Tiemen]

Yup, the DT150 are very, very good.
If only they were more comfortable to my head an ears....

 

[MikePio]

Hello 1time and Tiemen,

There is no doubt that spending more money on equipment such as amps, dacs etc... will improve the sound, but I highly doubt that it will change the natural characteristics and dynamics of the headphone itself... In my opinion with gear mentioned by "bhanja_trinanjan", I don't see a logical reason to suggest that the DT 150's would not respond accordingly... either way, this is none of my concern, since headphones should sound acoustically superior (especially reference ones) with decent amps and dacs, without spending a fortune for equipment, since lets face it, not everyone has the funds to spend on such luxuries. I agree with Tiemen that the DT 150's could be more comfortable, the clamping effect I can already feel, but this does not produce any sever discomfort for my typical cd length, maybe longer periods would be an issue, and the K701 weren't exactly what I would call comfortable as well... All issues and equipment talk aside, more people should give these babies a try... Cheers,

 

[phandrew]

I think why people don't like the DT150 is the looks and comfort level. To me the comfort is fine but durability makes up for the looks.