[Mr.Radar]

It's Christmas time and I'm about to get a ton of money (well, $200 but that's a ton for me, in the winter). I'm not very satisfied with my system. It sounds nice, but it's not what I want. The main problem with my system right now is it is not as dynamic or impactful as I would like. Also, the mids are lacking and the highs are a bit harsh (however with the DT770 that is not surprising). What I DO like about my current system is the bass extention and tightness, comfort, detail, and isolation (my PC is about a foot away from my ears). In addition to counteracting the things that I don't like about my system, I'd like more musicality and smoothness, without compromising the funness of my current setup. I'm also trying to get the best bang for my buck with this upgrade. I mainly listen to New Wave, with some rock and pop and a bit of electronica. I've considered a number of possibilities, but I'm not sure which one would make the most difference towards making my system perfect for me.

1. Get my DT770s recabled by Headphile/Xanadu777- I've though about this but I'm not entirely sure this would make a really big difference, and $125 is a lot for me to spend on a recable considering I've only spent $250 total on my source and amp.
2. Get a new Headsave Classic - from what I've read about the new Headsave Classic, it should solve my problem with dynamics, though I'm not sure if it would help the other deficiencies in my system.
3. Get a new headphone - perhaps the DT770's just aren't for me, and I should look at getting a completely different headphone. In this case I'd have $300 to play with, though I'm not sure what I'd get as a replacement for my DT770 (the DT990, or perhaps a Grado?)
4. Get my EMU 0404 modded - This is the cheapest option, and if I have money left over from another upgrade I may get this in addition to that. The problem with this being the main upgrade is that the difference might be too subtle or that it will change the sound of my 0404 (which I really like as it is) too much.

Please help me decide on what to get. I'm open to any reasonable suggestions as well. Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[GoRedwings19]

May I suggest a used MS-2? It has smoothness and is a fun headphone. They cost $300 but a used one is less. Or if on a tight budget maybe a SR-225. The bass on the 225 is not as tight as they are on the MS-2's but they do cost less by $100 retail. Take a look at todd's website and he offers a certain period money back offer. Or keep a lookout in the for sale forums.

 

[Mr.Radar]

The MS-2 or SR-225 may be an option, but they're both very open, and like I said, my ears are literally a foot from my computer. The fan noise, even when I had my fans turned down, drove me crazy when I had my DT440s (though I don't mind it with my PortaPros depsite the fact that they isolate even less according to HeadRoom's graphs). Also, I'm afraid of their brightness (the DT440's to me were so bright that I couldn't listen for more than an hour with them). I think I might order a pair from Todd or HeadRoom and see how they work out though.

 

[bg4533]

If you can live with the highs of the DT770 the highs of the MS2 should not be an issue. I am not sure if either Grado will give you smoothness compared to the DT770 though.

My suggestion is to quiet down that computer and then buy what you really want.

Depending on what you have done to the 0404 it likely will not be subtle. I modded mine, but ultimately failed and killed the card. The removal of the buffers and output caps is somewhat sublte, but revealed more highs than anything else. The change of the opamp made a noticable difference in sound. Personally I think the opamp changed the sound a fair amount, but I killed the card before I had a lot of listening time. The card seemed less rockin' but had more audiophile charecteristics. More to the level of the 1212M, but still a fairly different sound.

 

[Mr.Radar]

Anyone else have any suggestions? I think that quieting down my computer is an option, so just forget I said anything about isolation. Right now I think that the new Headsave Classic would be the way to go as my main upgrade, and I might be getting more money than I expected so I might try a pair of SR-225s from Todd or HeadRoom as well (I have a feeling that I've really wanted a Grado since getting into this hobby).

 

[450]

Mr.Radar: Maybe A-T A900's are your type of headphone. Closed, musical, around 200. Isn't the A900 considered Grado-ish?

 

[Smurf]

The classic is a great amp (I have one myself). For its price it's one of the best proformers out there.