[Mike]

After my negative experience with V600s, I decided to forego V6s and get high end DT831s. There are countless web reviewers who claim the DT831s are the finest closed cans available, and so I thought those would be the ones to get. Unfortunately, my first impression of the Beyers is not very favorable. The circular earcups aren't nearly as comfortable as the asymmetrical earcups of the V600s, and the ends of the cord are spaghetti thin. One could expect better ergonomics and build quality from a $200 set of headphones, I think. The sound of the DT831s also leaves a lot to be desired. There is a better soundstage and far more detail than with V600s, of course, but the bass lacks oomph and the high end can be annoyingly shrill. On poor quality recordings, you are often blasted by high frequency noises that are absent--or at least recessed--on lesser headphones. I would say in the upper frequency range, the sound is somewhat reminiscent of Klipsch horn speakers. Hopefully, this high frequency harshness will go away after some use (burn-in?), but if it doesn't, I doubt I could give DT831s a positive review. Certainly these things must sound better over time, how else could so many people claim these are the finest closed cans available?

 

[acidtripwow]

Mike, I've often read that the 831s do have a forward presentation. I haven't heard them myself but after reading about them I went with the Beyer 770 instead. I've had the 770 now for a few weeks and it's become my closed headphone of choice. The thing I really like about them is that they are a very balanced headphone top to bottom. Their top end is not shrill or fatiguing at all. You may want to try them if you can.

 

[Gluegun]

Dude, I have the DT831's, and they rock!!

.....But only if you drive them from a warm sounding headphone amp, preferably one with a 120 ohm output impedence...

Otherwise, they kinda suck...

 

[Budgie]

http://headwize.com/projects/beyer_prj.htm

You may want to give this a try. It works for some of the other Beyer phones, so who knows? May work on yours too!

 

[meithkiller]

I'd definitely give the 831's a chance. My first impressions were that they sounded good (after break-in) but weren't nearly as comfortable as my Sennheisers (580, 570) The feel of the earpads does take a little getting used to, but I feel the adjustment period is worth it.

What kind of music do you listen to? I just switched from my Sennheiser HD280s to the 831s in the middle of a fairly heavy dance/techno CD, and the Beyers don't emphasize the bass nearly like the Sony V6 or 280s do, but I definitely get a better soundstage and better overall sound with the Beyers on well recorded music (typically non-rock).

-Keith

 

[Mike]

Quote:

What kind of music do you listen to? I just switched from my Sennheiser HD280s to the 831s in the middle of a fairly heavy dance/techno CD, and the Beyers don't emphasize the bass nearly like the Sony V6 or 280s do, but I definitely get a better soundstage and better overall sound with the Beyers on well recorded music (typically non-rock).

Mainly classical and classic rock, but that covers quite a range of both instrument types and recording quality. Normally, I like a brighter sound (as opposed to thumping bass), and so thought the 831s might be a good fit.

 

[Gluegun]

Mike, you have no idea how much these suckers need a good system and amp....

what is your system and amp???

 

[Mike]

Quote:

Mike, you have no idea how much these suckers need a good system and amp.... what is your system and amp???

I'm running them through the headphone output on a Denon AVR-2500 receiver (~90 watts/channel, I think). My CD/DVD player is a Sony DVP NS400D.

 

[geom_tol]

I suggest you make a 120 ohm impedance adapter. Check out Jan Meiers headphone tricks section on his webpage for instructions.

Or you can do a more 'mechanical' tweak. Try pushing the cups closer to your head and see if you like the sound better. If you do, you can take the pads off and cut off some of the foam from the foam donut. I did it to my dt931's with good results.
Be careful when cutting. If you cut very straight the pads can be restored to their original thickness by putting the cut off portion of the donut back.

 

[Snufkin]

The 831s definately benefit from an extended burn-in, but I personally found them to be too bright for my liking and not as comfortable as the 770pros or 250s.

They are extremely revealing as well, which is good if that's what you're after - but I like to just sit back and chill to my music, I also like a bit punchier bass - hence my preference for the more "veiled" 770pros.

On the other hand, having said that, I do like the 831s when it comes to fidelity... but it's like a good looking girl, I like to see everything at normal viewing range, not under a microscope

 

[KR...]

Quote:

I'm running them through the headphone output on a Denon AVR-2500 receiver (~90 watts/channel, I think). My CD/DVD player is a Sony DVP NS400D.

That amp will make those headphones sound like ****.
Get a good HI headphone amp, and you will see a big improvement in the sound. The 831's are imfamous for being extremely picky with what kind amp they are pair with, aka sounds like **** with some, and amazing with others.

 

[gerG]

Stick with them.

I had the same initial impression, but found that they broke in quickly. The bass response improved substantially with playing, and the overzealous highs mellowed out quite nicely. I was initially using a Corda with the 120 ohm output. Now I kind of like them plugged into the 0 ohm output, or even the output from my Ti-book (once broken, now re-forged). The ear pads also bugged me at first, but now they seem quite correct. Maybe my face changed shape...

I hope that your experience goes the same direction as mine. These are now the first phones that I look for when I get home in the evening.

Oh, I also found that the 831s revert to the harsh behavior if not played often enough. Exercise your cans!

 

[lini]

"...but the bass lacks oomph" is what worries me. Could be time for a proper amp, but could also be a problem with the source... I guess, I'd try an amp with a trial period first in that case.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini