EPTSince the price difference between the DT880s v DT990s is not that large I guess purely off of model # the 990s should be superior? So here, I'm really looking for why the 990s wouldn't be worth the extra 20 bucks or so. Or if you care to explain, why the 880s are superior to the 990s and vice-versa.
Headphone enthusiast thread! - Page 99
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bokchoi
Korea (South)9498 Posts
Since the price difference between the DT880s v DT990s is not that large I guess purely off of model # the 990s should be superior? So here, I'm really looking for why the 990s wouldn't be worth the extra 20 bucks or so. Or if you care to explain, why the 880s are superior to the 990s and vice-versa. | ||
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Necro)Phagist(
Canada6644 Posts
HD 598 are worth that price tag? They look amazing and assume they will sound insanely good, but almost 400$ for headphones I don't know if it would be worth it? Any one have these headphones that could possibly give some advice? | ||
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Myrmidon
United States9452 Posts
On October 12 2011 21:38 bokchoi wrote: Since the price difference between the DT880s v DT990s is not that large I guess purely off of model # the 990s should be superior? So here, I'm really looking for why the 990s wouldn't be worth the extra 20 bucks or so. Or if you care to explain, why the 880s are superior to the 990s and vice-versa. For a while, DT 770, 880, and 990 versions were the Beyerdynamic high-end headphones (there are more expensive T1, some portables, etc.). I don't think the higher model number is supposed to indicate superiority, unlike what you might expect. They're just intended to be different. DT 770 - boosted bass and treble, closed-back (i.e. sound isolating) DT 880 - supposedly more neutral (treble still boosted), semi-open (so not really isolating) DT 990 - boosted bass and treble, open-back DT 880 seems to be most popular for home users, then DT 770 because it's closed, but there's nothing wrong with the DT 990. Pick one with the characteristics appropriate for you. On October 12 2011 23:09 Necro)Phagist( wrote: Right now I got a pair of Sennheiser hd 220's nothing special they have been a solid pair of headphones for me, but they are starting to die out slowly. I'm looking to replace them. I have one real question, do you guys think these http://www.sennheiser.ca/live/senn/produit/en/1367/14 sennheiser HD 598 are worth that price tag? They look amazing and assume they will sound insanely good, but almost 400$ for headphones I don't know if it would be worth it? Any one have these headphones that could possibly give some advice? HD 5x8 are all only several months old on the market. Many headphones end up being sold for about half of MSRP, or less. Typical HD 595 (replaced by 598) price was like 175 USD, though when being discontinued it went down below 120 USD for a while I think. I forget exactly. I mean, they're worth as much as they're worth to you, which is hard to say, but I think buying any headphones around MSRP is not a good idea. HD 600 and HD 650 can be had around $400 or cheaper, and they're considered in a different class. The current price on the market for the HD 598 should be more like $250 or a little less. For that price, maybe. As always, there are many alternatives. I've not heard them, sorry. | ||
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ArcticVanguard
United States450 Posts
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Neurosis
United States893 Posts
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Pablito8
6 Posts
![[image loading]](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019RBJOE/ref=asc_df_B0019RBJOE1736703?smid=A3L1V5JQWG240X&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B0019RBJOE) they are worth 400 but you can get them for 200 in amazon. I highly recommend them to anyone looking to upgrade | ||
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HISlight
United States6 Posts
The three that I was suggested was the M50's the Ultrasound HFI-780 and the more pricey Shure 940's. Does anyone have any experience with any/all of them? Especially the Shure, I am leaning toward that but the price jump is around 80 dollars, would it be worth the price? (I am big on comfort and a few reviews said they weren't great for comfort but others said they were good, Thoughts?) | ||
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Blisse
Canada3710 Posts
On October 13 2011 15:28 HISlight wrote: Looking to buy my first set of good headphones. Listen to mainly instrumental/jazz/acoustic type music with some pop/rock/alt thrown in for good measure, not a bass head I like my highs and mids as crisp as possible. Mainly used for bus riding/studying at the library etc. Price range <$250. The three that I was suggested was the M50's the Ultrasound HFI-780 and the more pricey Shure 940's. Does anyone have any experience with any/all of them? Especially the Shure, I am leaning toward that but the price jump is around 80 dollars, would it be worth the price? (I am big on comfort and a few reviews said they weren't great for comfort but others said they were good, Thoughts?) Sennheiser HD 600s or HD 650 would be the best for used at your price range, but they border around $250 and may or may not need an amplifier... From your selection, the best are the Shure 940s by far. Comfort with Shures is really hit or miss, depending on your head size basically since they don't stretch too badly. But some people are used to a lot of clamp with their headphones. The Shure 940 sounds quite a bit better than the M50s, and should sound a lot better for instrumental, jazz and acoustic music. On October 13 2011 06:39 Neurosis wrote: Does anyone have any experience with Audio-Technica ATH-M50? I primarily want a headset for gaming and music with a bigger focus on gaming. Comfort is also a huge deal breaker for me. I'm willing to sacrifice quality if it means I can wear the headset for 8+ hours at a time. The M50s are shit for positioning in games. Please don't get them for that purpose. And they will not be comfortable for 8+ hours at a time. For comfort and sound, you're looking at the HD59X (make sure you check sizing!!), HD6XX or the Beyerdynamics (I forget whether the DT880 or DT990 is better for gaming). If you can, I would suggest buying a separate microphone. Else you'll have to look for some of Sennheiser or Tritton's offerings for comfort and built in microphones. On October 13 2011 06:14 Myrmidon wrote: The current price on the market for the HD 598 should be more like $250 or a little less. For that price, maybe. As always, there are many alternatives. I've not heard them, sorry. From my impression with the limited time I had with them, very small on my huge head, bass light compared to what I'm used to, and slightly more forward. Comfortable, but too small for me. I feel like jumping around and checking out the HD600s and DT880s right now... | ||
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HISlight
United States6 Posts
On October 13 2011 15:44 Blisse wrote: Sennheiser HD 600s or HD 650 would be the best for used at your price range, but they border around $250 and may or may not need an amplifier... From your selection, the best are the Shure 940s by far. Comfort with Shures is really hit or miss, depending on your head size basically since they don't stretch too badly. But some people are used to a lot of clamp with their headphones. The Shure 940 sounds quite a bit better than the M50s, and should sound a lot better for instrumental, jazz and acoustic music. The Hd600/650's are in the 300/400 dollar range right? 80 dollars is quite a bit, would it be worth that jump? and in terms of build quality how is it? I don't feel like having to send it in for warranty like 10 times. ESPECIALLY if I'm going to spend 300 bucks on it. | ||
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Blisse
Canada3710 Posts
On October 13 2011 16:01 HISlight wrote: The Hd600/650's are in the 300/400 dollar range right? 80 dollars is quite a bit, would it be worth that jump? and in terms of build quality how is it? I don't feel like having to send it in for warranty like 10 times. ESPECIALLY if I'm going to spend 300 bucks on it. Shures are supposedly better built than the M50. The 840s at least were built like tanks. Unless you're very, very abusive or like throwing stuff against the walls, they'll last you. Most audiophile headphones are not built like SkullCandy and Beats, so don't worry about constant returns, unless you happen to get a really bad batch, which is very unlikely. Also, as an example, I've dropped my $350 Ultrasone PRO 900s, which share a similar build to the M50 and Shures, from 3 feet high without any problems. Of course, not on purpose... Also, you get a case. Here's some pictures off head-fi. Here New HD650s can be had for less than $320, and I've seen used HD600s at $200, so it fluctuates a little. The HD600 and HD650s are studio headphones, so I wouldn't recommend them for travel at all. | ||
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Neurosis
United States893 Posts
The M50s are shit for positioning in games. Please don't get them for that purpose. And they will not be comfortable for 8+ hours at a time. For comfort and sound, you're looking at the HD59X (make sure you check sizing!!), HD6XX or the Beyerdynamics (I forget whether the DT880 or DT990 is better for gaming). If you can, I would suggest buying a separate microphone. Else you'll have to look for some of Sennheiser or Tritton's offerings for comfort and built in microphones. Alright I'll check out the ones you listed. Also what about ATH-AD700 or ATH-AD900? Supposedly those are extremely comfortable with great sound positioning. | ||
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Shraft
Sweden701 Posts
On October 12 2011 21:38 bokchoi wrote: So I would like some advice/tips. I have some low-mid level headphones, HD555s, but I left those at home when I moved out here to Korea and I'm looking to upgrade into a more mid/mid-high range of headphones. I am currently looking at Beyerdynamic DT880s or DT990s and an accompanying AMP. Any and all tips, comments, reviews, etc. are welcome. Since the price difference between the DT880s v DT990s is not that large I guess purely off of model # the 990s should be superior? So here, I'm really looking for why the 990s wouldn't be worth the extra 20 bucks or so. Or if you care to explain, why the 880s are superior to the 990s and vice-versa. I bought the DT770's and a cheap amp for a couple of months ago, and they were a great upgrade from my Steelseries headset. The difference is very noticeable, especially if I plug in my old headset now that I'm used to the sound of the 770's. Edit: Saw that you were looking at the 880's and the 990's, but whatever. | ||
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ArcticVanguard
United States450 Posts
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Myrmidon
United States9452 Posts
On October 13 2011 16:01 HISlight wrote: The Hd600/650's are in the 300/400 dollar range right? 80 dollars is quite a bit, would it be worth that jump? and in terms of build quality how is it? I don't feel like having to send it in for warranty like 10 times. ESPECIALLY if I'm going to spend 300 bucks on it. If you're using headphones on the bus and in the library, you absolutely do not want the HD 600 / 650, or any open-back headphone. They pass sound right in and out of the earcups. You'll hear bus noises as if you have nothing on, and other people will hear your music just as if you're wearing mini speakers right next to your ears (def not cool for public transit or the library). A lot of the closed headphones are bass emphasized or otherwise don't seem to be tuned for the genres you're listening to, so maybe stick with one of the Shures. On October 13 2011 17:34 Neurosis wrote: Alright I'll check out the ones you listed. Also what about ATH-AD700 or ATH-AD900? Supposedly those are extremely comfortable with great sound positioning. Yeah those Audio-Technicas at would work. Comfort is pretty hit or miss since there's not much in the way of adjustment. But for most people, it's a hit, though on the loose side. On October 13 2011 21:09 ArcticVanguard wrote: Looking towards the future, does anyone have any low-end headphone amplifiers (desktop please!) that I could look into? I'm building a system one part at a time, and my goal is to spend < $100 for each component, excluding additional warranties. I heard the E5 and E6 are nice entry level portable amps, but portability isn't necessary since I'm using full sized closed headphones and I'm not taking them anywhere. I'm using the SRH440s I mentioned earlier in the thread (sound amazing btw). I listen mostly to Rush and Iron Maiden, but I sometimes listen to Sabbath and Metallica. I prefer clarity and a flat tone above everything else, but something with a bass boost option would be lovely since the 440s don't exactly have a ton of bass. tbh I'd look at new headphones before upgrading anything else. Anyway, there's nothing wrong with using a portable amp at the desktop. You may think that maybe they're not good price/performance picks since they often include batteries, battery-charging mechanisms, certain battery failure protection mechanisms (I hope; not always true), and are optimized for low power consumption and size as well as good performance. However, many portable amps really do a good job, despite those above features and challenges. Maybe the FiiO E10 is really good and you can just get a USB DAC + amp for like $80. Use it as just a DAC if some day you need a better amp than that. If the DAC performance is good, then hopefully it's already past the point of highly diminishing returns (can't really get audibly more accurate). edit: it has a bass boost option by the way. But if you're sitting at a computer, you can probably customize a bass boost more to your liking with a software EQ. | ||
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ArcticVanguard
United States450 Posts
As far as upgrading the headphones first, I'd rather not upgrade to more expensive headphones first and then get the amp, partly just personal preference. That and I'm close(r) to the point I can start looking at jobs seriously (17 yrs old now), so I'd rather wait until I've got a better source of income before I start considering more expensive headphones. I just checked the frequency response on the E10, and apparently the freq. range is 20Hz to 20KHz. Should I eliminate it as a possibility since the range is smaller (10 fewer Hz on the low end) than my headphones' range? | ||
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Myrmidon
United States9452 Posts
This foobar plugin is better for EQ since you're allowed to control lower frequencies, there are more bands, the FR curve is smoother, and so on. I'm not sure why the default EQ doesn't take effect immediately though. http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=88505 (follow the link for download, then extract to foobar components directory) Frequency range, the way it's quoted for headphones, is a completely useless spec. Most headphones, DACs, and amps can output below 20 Hz and above 20 kHz (regardless of whether or not you can hear it, which you probably can't anyway). What they're not listing is how much power can be put out at those frequencies, which is the only relevant information. Maybe your headphones are -80 dB at 10Hz? Or -25 dB at 10 Hz? Who knows? | ||
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ArcticVanguard
United States450 Posts
I didn't know that about the frequency range, actually. That's handy to keep in mind. Thanks for answering my questions, I'm pretty new to all this after all ^^; As far as the headphones go, I've found that these are really good for practicing bass guitar through, which was part of my thinking when I went looking for headphones. They have a good tone and the bass is very clear, not distorted at all. | ||
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Rob28
Canada705 Posts
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ArcticVanguard
United States450 Posts
On October 13 2011 23:34 Rob28 wrote: I know it must have come up at some point on these almost 100 pages of posts, but I'll put this up any: I've built a new computer and am getting a headset for it. My question - Razor Tiamat, yes or no? The advice I've been told in regards to headsets is to buy a set of headphones and just tape a cheap desktop microphone to the earpiece. That way you get better headphones for the cost and you can replace the mic alone if it goes bad. | ||
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Blisse
Canada3710 Posts
On October 14 2011 00:50 ArcticVanguard wrote: The advice I've been told in regards to headsets is to buy a set of headphones and just tape a cheap desktop microphone to the earpiece. That way you get better headphones for the cost and you can replace the mic alone if it goes bad. If you play mostly first person shooters at a high level, I'd recommend any gaming headset unless you're good with modding your own. Clip on microphones are not sufficient in shooters where you need full communication with a team. The slightest bump and having the microphone gone and you fumbling to fix it means you're dead. Having the microphone attached is an absolute necessity. The other option is a desktop microphone, but people usually don't have enough room. I don't have the best knowledge of every gaming headset, but the Razer Tiamat seems fine for first person shooters. For any other genre, I would still suggest non-gaming headphones with an external microphone. | ||
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