27 replies to this topic

[Redspeed93]

Personally I use the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro for everyday use. I use them for gaming, listening to music and even in my car

They are truely awesome, albeit a bit over your budget. But if you ask me, these headphones are right in the sweet spot, the sweet spot between price and performance. At work I use the Sennheiser HD 800 which is way way waaaaay more expensive, but only a good step ahead in quality.
So while the DT 990 may be out of your current budget I really think you should consider saving up and buy those instead(or something equivalent) - You will not regret it and they will be really good for years to come.

While my previous headphones like the AKG 701/702's were pinpoint accurate in the soundstage and in the reproduction of the sound, they were also a bit dull. They were kinda like a professor or teacher; very clever but not very fun

The DT 990 on the other hand is like your drunken roommate: hillarious and always entertaining. No matter what music I throw at them, or what game for that matter, it always sound so much more alive than my AKG's which were by no means bad!


Oh, and one more thing. Even though the DT 990 are open headphones, they don't leak enough sound to bother anyone, unless you turn the volume up so loud your head explodes of course

Edit: Totally forgot to say that the DT 990 come in 3 (well actually 4) versions. A 32, a 250 and a 600 ohm version. The 4th being the pro version(which is also the one I have) is also 250 ohm, but have higher clamping force and a different headband. If you plan on using these un-amped, get the 32ohm version. Anything above that will require a decent amp.

Edited by Redspeed93, 16 December 2011 - 04:53 PM.

[Fogel]

Also, both the AD700 and A700 are available at Amazon and cheaper than the $130 on eBay mention. The AD700s are an open set while the A700s are closed. The wing design for the headband on both can give off some noise whenever you move, but you can tune that out after a while.

Ya the 450s just plain look small.

I will add those to the consideration list as well and see if I can start narrowing the selection down a bit. Not sure I like the wing design though. If I was going Audio Technica, I think I'd almost go with that first set I saw - the M50s. Though supposedly the bass is a little on the weak side too.

I've had them for about a year and as bp9801 said, they are open so people around you are going to hear the sounds a little bit. It's doesn't reach the point of being annoying though. I listen to a lot of dubstep so a lot of bass music and I'd say that they deliver, as well as in all other genres of music. Sorry if I can't be more specific and give more detail but I'm not too sound savy. XD I just compare them to other headphones I've owned or tried.

Overall, I'd say they are pretty good quality for the price.

No problem, I am far from sound savy as well. I am more of a visual person than a sound person. I mean I know what I like when I hear it and I can definitely appreciate good quality when presented with it. Shame my audiophile neighbor moved. He could probably provide detail on these headphones mentioned.

I will definitely consider these as good bass is a must and help with the music I listen to. Shame it has the wing design but it might not be an issue.

Personally I use the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro for everyday use. I use them for gaming, listening to music and even in my car

They are truely awesome, albeit a bit over your budget. But if you ask me, these headphones are right in the sweet spot, the sweet spot between price and performance. At work I use the Sennheiser HD 800 which is way way waaaaay more expensive, but only a good step ahead in quality.
So while the DT 990 may be out of your current budget I really think you should consider saving up and buy those instead(or something equivalent) - You will not regret it and they will be really good for years to come.

While my previous headphones like the AKG 701/702's were pinpoint accurate in the soundstage and in the reproduction of the sound, they were also a bit dull. They were kinda like a professor or teacher; very clever but not very fun

The DT 990 on the other hand is like your drunken roommate: hillarious and always entertaining. No matter what music I throw at them, or what game for that matter, it always sound so much more alive than my AKG's which were by no means bad!


Oh, and one more thing. Even though the DT 990 are open headphones, they don't leak enough sound to bother anyone, unless you turn the volume up so loud your head explodes of course

Edit: Totally forgot to say that the DT 990 come in 3 (well actually 4) versions. A 32, a 250 and a 600 ohm version. The 4th being the pro version(which is also the one I have) is also 250 ohm, but have higher clamping force and a different headband. If you plan on using these un-amped, get the 32ohm version. Anything above that will require a decent amp.

So you have the 250 ohm version? Because if so that puts it at $180 on Amazon. Also I thought you weren't using an amp, which is the whole reason you needed the keyboard with audio passthrough. There is a Premium edition of the 250 ohm for $290. That is definitely closer in price to the Ultrasone PRO 900. Supposedly you don't need an amp with the PRO 900s but they are also $300.

If the version of the DT 990s that you are talking about is $180 that puts it closer to the rest of the competition everyone else is bringing to the table ...granted on the more expensive side of the fence. Though $50 is still a significant jump in price. If getting a good quality of cans is worth saving up for I can definitely wait till I get the money. Not like this has to be purchase tonight or anything. I usually do a good enough job to get rewarded here and there.

[CheeseMan42]

I have been using the Sennheiser HD555s for a few years now and they are awesome. I also have the HD201s, but I just wanted something cheap to use at work.

If size or comfort is a concern, I have a giant head and they fit just fine. I have also worn them for several hours at a time and have never experienced any discomfort.

[ComputerEd]

They look more like for gaming than for music. I got a pair of gaming headets. Besides I am a purist when I game. I don't like listening to music on the same machine I am playing games from.

I am looking for a pair of headphones audiophiles (though probably more on their low-mid range) would listen to for music.

Do not be fooled, these are awesome speakers for gaming or music or even movies. I would put these against any Sennhieser or Gato's I have ever owned for pure sound quality. We even had a pure audiophile do a review of them for us as well and he actually bought a set to replace his nice Sennhieser set for use with his stereo.

For the money these are really hard headsets to beat for pure sound quality.

[Redspeed93]

So you have the 250 ohm version? Because if so that puts it at $180 on Amazon. Also I thought you weren't using an amp, which is the whole reason you needed the keyboard with audio passthrough. There is a Premium edition of the 250 ohm for $290. That is definitely closer in price to the Ultrasone PRO 900. Supposedly you don't need an amp with the PRO 900s but they are also $300.

If the version of the DT 990s that you are talking about is $180 that puts it closer to the rest of the competition everyone else is bringing to the table ...granted on the more expensive side of the fence. Though $50 is still a significant jump in price. If getting a good quality of cans is worth saving up for I can definitely wait till I get the money. Not like this has to be purchase tonight or anything. I usually do a good enough job to get rewarded here and there.

Yup, those are the ones you found on Amazon
I've been using my good ol' Fiio e7+e9 combo and just using my Razer Blackwidow Ultimate until a keyboard which tick all my boxes comes
The DT 990 is good enough to sound pure and have an amazing soundstage even without an amp, but like I said earlier an amp will give you much more 'punch' but if you go with the 32 ohm version there really isn't much to gain from an amp.

Also just want to mention that these are superior to every sennheiser below the HD 650. I Was considering the HD 598 before I bought my current DT 990's but they lack alot of soundstage with low volume. I felt like I had to 'crank it up to 11' just to get some decent sound quality. But because of the higher clamping force in the Pro version of the DT 990, this isn't a headphone made for 5-hours listening, but you can wear them without stress for at least a few hours. The consumer version(the "normal" non-Pro version) is made for that. But the positive thing about the higher clamping force is that headphones actually sound semi-open. It's like they dont let just as much sound in. And the headband on the pro is better than the normal version: It's a lot thicker but also a lot more comfortable.

The e7+e9 combo is nice and quite amazing compared to the price, but I'm planning on buying the Apex Butte soon, which is a much more powerful desktop amp. But I still love the Fiio E7 because it's portable, and can really give mp3 players/phones a lot better sound.

Edited by Redspeed93, 16 December 2011 - 07:40 PM.

[Fogel]

If size or comfort is a concern, I have a giant head and they fit just fine. I have also worn them for several hours at a time and have never experienced any discomfort.

Ya my Sennhiesers are very comfortable, I have no reason to doubt the comfort level of the models better than mine.

Do not be fooled, these are awesome speakers for gaming or music or even movies. I would put these against any Sennhieser or Gato's I have ever owned for pure sound quality. We even had a pure audiophile do a review of them for us as well and he actually bought a set to replace his nice Sennhieser set for use with his stereo.

For the money these are really hard headsets to beat for pure sound quality.

Which Sennhiesers did he replace with them? I can't really say I am impressed one bit with my Sennhiesers, so unless you say he replaced the HD650 or HD800 I really wouldn't be surprised. My 7yr old Sonys are better than my Sennhieser. Granted I haven't tried the HD650 or HD800 but they do have a rep for being very good so I will trust that. I also hear anything below the 650 won't give me what I want ...and neither will Gato's.

Yup, those are the ones you found on Amazon
Also just want to mention that these are superior to every sennheiser below the HD 650. I Was considering the HD 598 before I bought my current DT 990's but they lack alot of soundstage with low volume. I felt like I had to 'crank it up to 11' just to get some decent sound quality. But because of the higher clamping force in the Pro version of the DT 990, this isn't a headphone made for 5-hours listening, but you can wear them without stress for at least a few hours. The consumer version(the "normal" non-Pro version) is made for that. But the positive thing about the higher clamping force is that headphones actually sound semi-open. It's like they dont let just as much sound in. And the headband on the pro is better than the normal version: It's a lot thicker but also a lot more comfortable.

The e7+e9 combo is nice and quite amazing compared to the price, but I'm planning on buying the Apex Butte soon, which is a much more powerful desktop amp. But I still love the Fiio E7 because it's portable, and can really give mp3 players/phones a lot better sound.

So the biggest difference between the Pro and Non-Pro is the clamping force ...and the headband being thicker overall? I haven't had time yet to research between those two versions yet. Or is one actually more open than the other? Is the sound quality the same?

I saw on Head-Fi.org they are planning on releasing two new Fiio's early next year.


So I been doing a lot of thinking, go back and forth over the head phones mentioned here. Giving my Sennhiesers more play time to see if I need to break them in before they unleash this awesomeness I keep hearing about Sennhiesers. I even had them playing music with them off while I was working or gaming and while I was out and about training. They aren't getting better, and if anything they are losing the clarity (a bit, just a bit) they once had but without any of the bass. Its funny too because they advertise it being a high bass performer and there is practically zero bass. They also advertise it as a close unit but if I put the volume half way on the player I can actually hear the song quite clearly with the headphones on the desk ...as in, the words the beat everything. At 3/4 volume I can hear the words to the song from the other room. Even at that volume ...no bass. These were sold as $150 headphones retail! That is horrible. I paid $40 for them on Black Friday and I feel taken.

So I am thinking I probably will not try Sennhiesers again unless I can sample them myself. I am debating on returning them and trying out the $30 Panasonics. Then use the Panasonics for work, travel, etc... then have a decent pair for at home.

Right now it is looking like:

• Low End ($33) - Panasonic RP-HTF600-S Stereo Headphones
  
• Mid Range Op #1 ($114) - Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Audiophile Headphones (A700 looks uncomfortable)
• Mid Range Op #2 ($160) - Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Professional Studio Monitor Headphones
• Mid Range Op #3 ($180) - Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO Open Studio Headphones 250 Ohms
  
• High End ($309) - Ultrasone PRO 900 S-Logic Surround Sound Professional Headphones - Black

So if I spring for the M50s I might as well pay the extra $20 for the DT 990s. Though if I am going to save up for some really nice headphones the PRO 900 looks so nice ...but damn so much more! The price is definitely more my style on the AD700 and A700 but not liking the wing design. I'd prefer a closed set like the A700 but they look uncomfortable. My current Sennhiesers are open despite how they advertised so its not like open is horrible, I could probably learn to like open. I'm not paying $170 on HD555s since I don't like my 438s ...tho I wish I had seen the deal BP got as I'm sure I'd like the 555s much more than my 438s. The $137 price on the 558 is tempting but I keep thinking about how much my 438 listed for prior to the sale and it makes me hesistant ...especially when you would think the 558s would be more expensive than the 555s. All I truly know is... why did I start this quest?

Edited by Fogel, 19 December 2011 - 03:59 PM.

[sack_patrol]

To be honest, I was also skeptical of the wing design on the ad700 but it really isn't a big deal. If nothing else, they are more comfortable than the regular type. In my opinion it doesn't apply as much pressure on your head, they just sort of stay where they need to stay. Also these headphones are sort of big if you can't tell from the pictures but they aren't going to slide down or anything. The springs in the wings are quite sturdy so they stay in place unless you are bobbing your head aggressively. And if you feel that they are too big or whatever, you could just put an elastic, bringing the two wings together for a tighter fit.

As for the open vs closed headphones. Basically if you see that the outside part of the cans have some sort of mesh instead of solid plastic or wood or any other material, then they are open. It means that air can circulate through more than one place - which is often times the inside of the headphones. That's how I see it anyways. Though this is made for a reason and from what I've read, closed headphones tend to go for isolation and can cause sweaty ears and are just overall more tiering to use for longer periods of time. Open headphones go for clarity and 'realism'. Obviously with open headphones you'll be able to hear more from the outside world so if you are in a noisy surrounding then it might be distracting.

EDIT: I forgot to say that you could save up for the more expensive headphones or get the ones that are 20$ more or less, but you should ask yourself if you really need them. Can you justify the extra money you're paying? Will it make a difference if they are slightly better or slightly worse? Do you really need those high end professional headphones? They might be better as a pair of headphones but depending on your other sound equipment at home as well as your knowledge of sound and your ability to tell the difference between similar quality headphones, you might not be able to use them to their full potential. Look around the internets and see what other people have to say about a given model. What sort of sound cards and amps they have when using this or that pair of headphones.

Edited by sack_patrol, 21 December 2011 - 10:00 PM.

[4th3truth]

Razer Tiamat 7.1 is what I have been looking at. And with a i7-3820 going to crank the on board sound to 24bit 192Khz or higher if available hyper threading will take care of the load I am not going bottle-necking at the CPU for BF3+VOIP let alone listening to HD music maybe all at the same time who knows.

[Fogel]

I decided to go with the Beyers 990/250 ohm for $242. I got $200 for Christmas so I sprung for a nice set.

[Psywar]

Funny another person got headphones! I got my real first pair of nice Headphones this year.
Sennheiser HD518, I picked up he Fiio E11 for them as well.. All I can say is... "I am in love!"

[Fogel]

Funny another person got headphones! I got my real first pair of nice Headphones this year.
Sennheiser HD518, I picked up he Fiio E11 for them as well.. All I can say is... "I am in love!"

Nice!

But how did u know I picked up the E11 as well?

The headphones came in today Man I love Amazon!!!
I would be a nice guy and give away my old phones but I'm not sure I should subject anyone to that misery. If these things sound this good straight from the PC, I can't wait to try them when the E11 arrives

[Stonerboy779]

Well done you two lucky bastards I have been wanting a Fiio E11 for a while now. However with my 480s dead I have nothing to use it with

Both of you enjoy your headphones