Whats the best Classical music can?

[EvilDwarf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjf With a good source, the DT880 really makes you feel ina concert hall, close to the orchestra!.

I can confirm that. Close your eyes and you feel like you had no headphones on (might also be related to their amazing comfort level) and instead were attending a live concert. I like their brighter, airier presentation more than the sound of the HD 650.

 

[catscratch]

"Classical" isn't an overall category IMO in which one or another headphone excels. There are simply too many facets to what you'd consider classical music. What exactly are we talking about? Orchestral pieces? Chamber music? Small ensembles? Strings, woodwinds, piano, choir, organ? All of these instruments impose different demands on a system. An organ will test your reproduction of sub-bass like no other. Strings will show you exactly how well your headphone renders textures. Pianos will show you that impact and dynamic range are really paramount factors in acoustic music.

There isn't a single "classical" headphone, IMO.

For solo piano works, which constitutes the bulk of my classical listening, I'd pick the HD600 (balanced). Correct tone and plenty of impact and dynamic range, which is crucial in this case. For deeply textured, layered, and nuanced music, like choral arrangements, I'd go with an electrostat - something along the lines of the HE90. For smaller ensembles playing energetic music, Grados, with their forward sound signature and killer dynamic range, will really rock your boat. So, it all depends.

 

[milkpowder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by catscratch "Classical" isn't an overall category IMO in which one or another headphone excels. There are simply too many facets to what you'd consider classical music. What exactly are we talking about? Orchestral pieces? Chamber music? Small ensembles? Strings, woodwinds, piano, choir, organ? All of these instruments impose different demands on a system. An organ will test your reproduction of sub-bass like no other. Strings will show you exactly how well your headphone renders textures. Pianos will show you that impact and dynamic range are really paramount factors in acoustic music. There isn't a single "classical" headphone, IMO. For solo piano works, which constitutes the bulk of my classical listening, I'd pick the HD600 (balanced). Correct tone and plenty of impact and dynamic range, which is crucial in this case. For deeply textured, layered, and nuanced music, like choral arrangements, I'd go with an electrostat - something along the lines of the HE90. For smaller ensembles playing energetic music, Grados, with their forward sound signature and killer dynamic range, will really rock your boat. So, it all depends.

You make some good points there. Surprising, I prefer my bright-sounding SR325i for organ works. Although you loose the expansiveness of the chapel/church/cathedral, the bright sounding nature of these cans make the higher registers sound much more more realistic. The less dominant lower midrange/ upper bass also means that the lower registers can be heard in greater clarity. The HD650 are a little too wishy washy in the lower regions for the best clarity.

For large orchestral/concertos such as Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.1, my HD650 do a very good job indeed. One thing I don't like about my HD650 and piano pieces is that if the recording is a darker sounding one, the HD650's overwhelming mid/upper bass will dominate. On the other hand, the SR235i make these dark-sounding recordings shine, but another problem arises: the woodwinds, oboe in particular, sound far too bright in comparison. Hence, you'll get your piano solo passage, which is nice and mellow. A few bars later, the oboes come in with its ear-piercing timbre. No good. The SR325i is too unbalanced for use with large orchestral pieces, whose massive range of timbre and frequencies can overwhelm the can's unbalanced nature. So generally, I do fall back on my HD650 for orchestral pieces.

For string quartet's and small ensembles, I do prefer my SR325i to the HD650. The HD650 make the double basses and cello sound a little too dark. With some recordings, the SR325i can sometimes sound a little bright with the violins. A warm source/amp will definitely fix this. The SR325i's bright sound also means that the violins sound quite natural. I am an amateur violinist myself and it is a naturally bright instrument especially in the higher positions on the E string. The Tacet recording of the Schubert Octet, played by the Camerata Freden is one of my favourite recordings and pieces of all time. The SR325i's sweet and mellow midrange really shines here. This recording is not a bright recording, hence the SR325i is able to demonstrate fully its relative sonic clarity compared to the HD650 without sounding too bright.

What the HD650 really shines at are large vocal pieces and song cycles. Take Bostridge's recording of Schubert's Die schone mullerin and Proprius's recording of Cantate Domino. My goodness do the HD650 reproduce vocals well! I am in awe whenever I use the HD650 because of its expansive and natural sound. The darkness we usually associate with the HD650 is actually very pleasant. Music sounds much richer and also feels like it has some weight behind it. The HD650 never sound congested despite of its dark sound. Even complex orchestra pieces like Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture aren't a problem at all.

I have a pair of AKG K701 are on the way. I hope that they will offer a middle ground compared to the HD650 and the SR325i. BTW, I would not recommend the SR325i for classical music in general, but once they are completely broken in (took me 300+ hours), they sound much more controlled in the upper regions and could be used as a back-up classical music can. I'm sure a warm tube amp will also do the SR325i A LOT of good.

 

[needmoretoys]

If I want to listen to classical music for relaxation or soothing background, I like my HD590. If I want to concentrate on the music and hear all of the detail, I use my DT880. I like Mozart, Beethoven, Bach organ and Wagner (mainly the Ring) the best. I am very happy with both for their uses and don't have a need to spend half of my life looking for the ultimate phone. My wife agrees that the balance and detail of the DT880 is better than the HD590, but likes the warmth of the HD590 and prefers it.

 

[MegaMusicNut]

I just bought my first pair of good cans and couldn't be happier that I decided on the 880's like yourself. Although I listen to a large variety of music, my main concern when looking for phones was it's ability to do small scale classical, acoustic, and jazz really well.

One of the first things I did when the 880's arrived was to check out the 5 discs already loaded in my SACD player. There was some Keb Mo, some heavenly female vocals, and some other good stuff, but when I came around to Vivaldi's "Four Seasons," I stayed right there and listened to the whole thing.

It was lovely.

I'm sure there are better headphones for listening to small scale classical, but the 880's do an outstanding job.

"We all are"

 

[needmoretoys]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MegaMusicNut I just bought my first pair of good cans and couldn't be happier that I decided on the 880's like yourself. Although I listen to a large variety of music, my main concern when looking for phones was it's ability to do small scale classical, acoustic, and jazz really well. One of the first things I did when the 880's arrived was to check out the 5 discs already loaded in my SACD player. There was some Keb Mo, some heavenly female vocals, and some other good stuff, but when I came around to Vivaldi's "Four Seasons," I stayed right there and listened to the whole thing. It was lovely. I'm sure there are better headphones for listening to small scale classical, but the 880's do an outstanding job. "We all are"

Yes, listening to Birgit Nilsson or the Four Seasons is heavenly with the DT880.

 

[sgrossklass]

+1 for HD590. They lend acoustic music a warmth and airiness that's quite pleasant to listen to, and at least a while back one could obtain them around the $100 mark. I doubt they're "the best" though.

 

[MegaMusicNut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by needmoretoys Yes, listening to Birgit Nilsson or the Four Seasons is heavenly with the DT880.

I'm not familiar with Birgit. Does she fall under any particular genre? Is she anywhere near as cool as Joni Mitchell?

 

[billinkansas]

What a great thread guys, keep this one going.

 

[milkpowder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MegaMusicNut I'm sure there are better headphones for listening to small scale classical, but the 880's do an outstanding job.

I imagine that for small ensembles, a detailed pair of headphones like the SA5000 is best. A wide soundstage is not that important because small ensembles are rarely written to be performed on a large scale. As long the instrument separation and positioning is good, then I am satisfied.

 

[Purgatos]

I listen mainly to large scale orchestral works and choral stuff that's supposed to(at least I think) sound like it's in a big church and after listening extensively to both the Senn HD600 and Beyer DT880 I'm really glad that I bought the 880 and only borrowed the 600.

I honestly don't know what I'd pick for the sonatas and smaller scale stuff that I listen to. I'd probably try to find a 3rd option if I listened primarily to that stuff.

 

[MegaMusicNut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder I imagine that for small ensembles, a detailed pair of headphones like the SA5000 is best. A wide soundstage is not that important because small ensembles are rarely written to be performed on a large scale. As long the instrument separation and positioning is good, then I am satisfied.

Once I've been here long enough to realize that owning only one pair of headphones is silly, I'm gonna have to check out those SA5000's.

One can boil water in a frying pan, but a sauce pan is really the way to go. Same thing probably goes for headphones. "Well sure, you can listen to string quartets on your ABC123's, but the DEF456's are made for them."

Now where did I put my wallet?

 

[Alex M]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder I imagine that for small ensembles, a detailed pair of headphones like the SA5000 is best.

I second that. I really like listening to Bach's Harpsichord Concertos or Vivaldi's Four Seasons with my SA5000.

 

[jagorev]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidhw I'm actually very close to purchasing a pair of these for the sole purpose of listening to classical (i.e., baroque, solo keyboard, and chamber) use; it seems they have a reputation for classical. Or have I been misinformed?

I think the K501 lacks the body needed for, say, a grand piano or a baroque basso continuo. Having owned both, I'd still go with the HD 580/600

 

[robm321]

K1000's are my favorites with classical (especially orchestras). The 600's would be runner up for it's neutral FR and soundstage. The 650 would be runner up for runner up because of the slight coloration and accentuated bass. Also, the RS-1's sound incredible on strings, but add warmth that might be better suited for rock, pop, jazz, etc.