Beyerdynamic T90/DT990 and Grado RS2i with Woo Audio WA6

[migasson]

Hello SNA members.

Yep, downsizing the system.. So headphones and amps are on the agenda!!

So I went into Addicted To Audio, and great service. Thank you to the staff.

After buzzing around on the forums, I narrowed down the amp and phones to The DT990, T90, and Grado RS2i. instead of tying myself in knots, the Woo WA6 I chose based on reviews.. It seemed to me to give the closest thing to what I liked.

First off, DT990's, 600ohm version. Wow. Fed by my crappy seven year old Ipod, it was impressive. Certainly better then the GSP Solo Ultralinear/DT990 300ohms(?) I tested. So much body, detail and clarity. (Mind you it will be fed by my Rega P5/2M Bronze/Musical Surroundings Phenomena II Front End:)) Bjork's "Headphones" off "Post" was great.. Nice and deep, and a lot of texture around her vocals.

John Spencer's "Identify" was nice and raw, his voice spitting into the mike:) Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" had effects shooting around the place. I love a bit of sonic fireworks:)

So now I fed it some high res files (Don't ask me what player, what sampling rate.. I haven't got a clue. I'm a vinyl man:)) now even more clarity, and of course a less compressed sound. it's as if the sound had freed up a little more, a bigger stage was created.

Okey Dokey, switched to the Grados. For about five minutes. No joke! Because a) they were bloody uncomfortable.. I must have strangely shaped ears or something... They're a beautiful looking device, granted, but when highs hit, there was a harshness. On the DT990's they go higher to my ears, but not as harsh. Why did I try the Grados? Well the DT's bass was a little loose, and I heard that the Grados had a nice punchy bass, which they did, at the expense of that harshness:( Disappointing:( I expected much, and maybe they weren't synergistic with that amp.

I tried really, really hard not to spend extra, but I felt the urge to try the next tier up. Enter the T90's!!

Why do I do this to myself?! This is good. Really good. The bass is PHENOMENAL. So much control, I can hear the midrange detail, feel the rhythm. I found extra detail on "Headphones" the bass felt more organic, and Bjork's voice soared, and the effects ping ponged beautifully. "Dark Side Of The Moon" was wider in the stage and deeper. Mr Spencer was now jumping like a lunatic:) Veruca Salt's "Fly" sounded so broody and went low, really, really low:) but with control, and none of the bloom of the DT990's. I think the phrase "expressive with control" which makes me smile!

In fact, the DT990's reminded me of the RX2's I once had. Lovely sounding up top, but bugger all control in the bass. I'm actually thinking of getting some DT990s later as an alternative later. Because they're a lot of fun, but you can't have them all the time. Bit like dating Cameron Diaz.. I think she'd drive me mental after a couple of dates;)

I like this headphone lark, great bang for your buck. I chose the T90's with Woo Wa6. The T90's are with me now. My shiny new single ended triode, point to point wired WA6 is on order and will probably arrive in 3 weeks. Poo. Santa, GET MOVING:( In amp/speaker terms, this, to me sounds like a $6000 combo. So a lot cheaper for maximum bang for your buck. Now I can spend more money improving my front end. Love to see what a Fosgate Signature phono pre-amp/Benz Wood/Gyrodec combo would sound like through the T90/WA6:) Or some Groovetracer mods on my Rega with a Benz Glider:)

Thanks for reading my rant!

[kunalraiker]

That seemed like a very fruitful visit to the audio store, glad you're happy and contended.

Most of the time I come out more confused then before.

[migasson]

Haha! Yes. It can be like that, I've found that to at times. I came in with a plan THIS time:)

[kunalraiker]

Haha! Yes. It can be like that, I've found that to at times. I came in with a plan THIS time:)

I got a pair of headphones today too!

Beyer DT880 600 ohms, enjoying them currently

[migasson]

Awesome! To my ears Beyers are excellent.. I also listened to AKG Q701's and they were just as bad as the Grados, but for different reasons... They were dull! Sennheisers also, generally, are too dark for me. Haven't tried Stax or Audeze... I'd be broke:)

[kunalraiker]

Awesome! To my ears Beyers are excellent.. I also listened to AKG Q701's and they were just as bad as the Grados, but for different reasons... They were dull! Sennheisers also, generally, are too dark for me. Haven't tried Stax or Audeze... I'd be broke:)

I did own the LCD2's for a while, good headphones but heavy.

I haven't heard the RS2i's but used to own the RS1i's, loved them - the shrill that you are talking about did not exist.The shrill was something that used to annoy me with the 325is but the RS1i's were great mahogany cups with very tight bass.

They did rock!

[Saxon Hall]

That was a great write up. It was dripping with your enthusiasm and that is a good thing. I am also a fan of Addicted to Audio as I have been well looked after by them too. There is still a place for "Bricks and Mortar" stores when you get the right attention and you actually get to try different combinations during auditions. How are you going to do that online?

[migasson]

Thanks Holden:) just a bit bubbly after today! @kunilraker, I guess everyone is sensitive to different things in different ways.. Like I said, maybe they just didn't pair well with the Woo.

[migasson]

And yes, you can't get that kinda service online! Buy from a store folks!

[Addicted to music]

Hi Migasson,

I was @ jaben Audio this afternoon and I checked out the following:

Beyerdymanic, 880, T70, T1

Sennhieser HD650, 800

AKG701.

Did you audition the T1 and the HD800 by any chance?

For me the toss was the T1 and the HD800, they where both special in there own different way but the HD800 can really excel with some good recording. The T1 and the 880 were darker and had some betails in the bass that was addictive. The HD800 can come alive but its almost 60% more than the 880.

The T70, was like listening to a tranny radio, harsh brightness that dominated the presentation, cant listen to it for long.

The AKG 701 is at a league on its own. Very different and is possible an alternative if you are considering an 880, but the 880 has a nicer bottom end

I was just wondering whether you have tried these that I have tried if so do they match what I have experienced?

[migasson]

I guess everyone hears sound differently!

I tried the AKG 701, and found them a little dull. The sound for me was a little muffled. I love tight bass, and that's what you heard by the sound out of the T1.

I bought the T90's because of the expansive sound. Reading the forums it appears that people that dislike the T70, love the T90. So my headphones you might like.

They're on special at Addicted to Audio for $699

http://www.addictedtoaudio.com.au/Beyerdynamic-T90-Open-Air-Headphones

Oh, T1's are going reeaaaalll cheap too there too. That's why I didn't listen to them.. (I would have spent an extra $400;))

Yep, $1099 for the T1's

http://www.addictedtoaudio.com.au/Beyerdynamic-T1-Audiophile-Stereo-Headphones-1

The HD800's I haven't heard yet. If I was in that price category, I would seriously try the Audeze LCD-1 ... $ 1190

[henry218]

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/BeyerdynamicT1.pdf

there's huge breakups and dips. im not saying measurement tells all, but what i have tried these past few weeks, the measurements really corresponds with what i heard and liked.

LCD-2 definitely one of the best i've heard, and even more so the LCD-3 is like LCD-2 without any strain or something like cruising 100km/h with 300hp engine.

Senn HD650 also good for its price.

[migasson]

Interesting.

Some people love Grado, (not me) and they measure poorly! Valve Amps don't measure as well as Transistor amps, but to some people like myself prefer the sound... Just a thought.

[migasson]

Oh, yeah, saw my mistake.. LCD-2

[Addicted to music]

Jaben Audio didnt have the T90 or the Audeze LCD2&3 so Im going to have to make my way to Addicted to Audio.

I went home and I put on the Stax Lambra Pro, I would say the HD800 comes close if not better in dynamics and livelness and the SQ becomes artificially impressive, even with different recordings. With average and below average recording material the HD800 is dull, and the presentation is not worth the money.

However the Beyer 880/T1 have a liveable presentation and no matter what material you thow at it, it has the same smoothness that you can live with.

I didnt like the HD650, although I like this more than the AKG701. It just didnt do anything for me.

My mission is to at least have a listen to the Audeze LCD2&3, T90 and also some of the latest Stax,

I didnt realised that the presentation and sound signiture was so different as I have been locked in a time warp with my Stax Lambra Pro that I own since the early 80s.

To think that I didnt want to spend more than $500, because I need a normal set that I can just put on and toss around, Im beginning to think I need to spend more.

Then again what is interesting is that I can give this a total miss and be quite happy to live with a set of Behringer 3031A active speakers at $600

[migasson]

Mmm, I guess the decision is partly whether headphones are for you! For me due to having a bedroom setup, no chance for speakers!! And the fact that I need more room for my graphic design setup!!

Don't make a decision without trying the T90's and Audeze's. Apparently the T90 gives most of the performance of the T1 at a cheaper price. Yeah Addicted To Audio are fantastic. They have a great range of gear to try, and happy to help. Mmmm. So wish I could afford the T1 or the Audeze. I'm a little green with envy!! Try the LCD-2 with the Schiit Lyr or Woo Audio WA6 SE .. Or T1 with my amp (which I'm patiently waiting for!!) WA6.. Good Luck!

[migasson]

I also think if your under $500, stick with the DT880's but try the 600ohm version too.

[Addicted to music]

I'm going to make an effort to get down to Addicted to Audio and have a listen to the T90, audeze LCD2&3 and hopefully some Stax models. Living in the West is a bit difficult to get to ATA

I am actually into headphones and the Stax Lambra Pro was at the the time an ideal way to enjoy the best of the best without spending megga dollars. To equal the clarity of any speakers in the early 80s you will have to spend $5-10k and beyond. This is because some of the technology today wasnt available back then. Now you have maggies, full panel ribbons and AMT. The world of amplifiers were just getting into mosfets and jfet input stages and if you mention polypropolyne caps to a Telecom technician or at places like "the Sound Craftsman, Encels, Intersound, Tivoli HiFi etc, the f/back you get is WTF, d'oh, what the F#@$! are you on about! Actually I had to order MKP as samples though Wima and waited 6mths, now you can get it at a click of a key.

Headphone are also great if you need to give piece to other occupants in the house. The Stax was also a turning point were I have gone digital and gave up the black disc, cant stand sylus contact distortion, tracking errors and SCP. 16/44 is so close to the original recording without litening to all these other factors that you can hear in vinyl.

Definately try the 600ohm version of the DT880/990, @ Jaben Audio they had the 250.

BTW, just being checky, why not for $20AUD and delivered, took a chance and ordered a Koss ksc75. Let ya know when I get them

[migasson]

Koss would be most interesting! Yeah, can't let vinyl go....To me, valves and vinyl go hand in hand... my love affair with vinyl started when I played my Dads Beatles records, (I'm 36) and reignited when I bought a Rega Planar 3 from Intersound, when I was 19! Love headphones now. Don't have to muck about with speaker positioning etc...

[Addicted to music]

Koss would be most interesting! Yeah, can't let vinyl go....To me, valves and vinyl go hand in hand... my love affair with vinyl started when I played my Dads Beatles records, (I'm 36) and reignited when I bought a Rega Planar 3 from Intersound, when I was 19! Love headphones now. Don't have to muck about with speaker positioning etc...

Sorry M,

please accept my apologies, I didnt want to put you of vinyl, I still have vinyl and wont let it go.

The other good thing about cans is that you dont have to worry about reflections and standing wave in a typical house room, especially when most houses have parallel walls, and yes your right speaker positioning, its even more critical if its a small house as big speakers in small rooms dont agree with me

[henry218]

i do wonder about the dimension or sound stage for the headphones. honestly im not that impressed even with LCD-2 in regards of soundstage. tonality is perfect, details prob more than any speakers capable of.

it is the feeling of being there in front of music that i didnt get from headphones.

any opinions on this?

[Addicted to music]

i do wonder about the dimension or sound stage for the headphones. honestly im not that impressed even with LCD-2 in regards of soundstage. tonality is perfect, details prob more than any speakers capable of.

it is the feeling of being there in front of music that i didnt get from headphones.

any opinions on this?

I had an SNAer at my place at the beginning of the year and he has maggies, when he tried the Stax, he wasnt happy with the way the cans give you an impression that its in between your ears! It takes a lot to get use to if you havent dealt with it before. Cans 'such as the AKG 701 and the Sennheiser 650 didnt do it for me, the HD800 did and the Stax to a degree will give you that. Normally its the material you are listening to and the equipment upstream will determined that. If the voices in the recording sound forward, then its going to sound forward regardless with cans or normal speakers OR rig etc. With equipment upstream I find ,and most people find that the NAD 51 dac is in your face forward, it doent give you an illusion of placement of intruments in the room or where the vocals are, where the EE mini max plus with a EE 9018 chip gives you an image that is not forward but around the speaker that makes the whole image laid back.

But this is not what I look for in a set of cans, in cans I look for a neutral spectrum throughout the freq range, amount of detail that it can extract, and whether I can live with the presentation. Thats why if im going on a journey to aquire a piece of equipment I want to check out all that available to me and then decide what Im going to spend. When I was single cost didnt matter, having 2 kids forses you to consider reservation!

[migasson]

@pchan.. No, not at all, no offence taken! And yes, big speakers/small room isn't fun at all... @henry.. I think it's a different kind of soundstage. You're right, with the right room, right speaker, the sound is to die for! But I'm currently in a very compromised situation, so I've adjusted to the pros/cons. Headphone soundstaging is different. The sound is between your ears, so I view myself as the centre of the performance, not in front of it.. Then things become much more enjoyable! Like pchan, I look for different things in cans, similar to what pchan described. Cans give you great bang for your buck.

[Addicted to music]

But I'm currently in a very compromised situation, so I've adjusted to the pros/cons. Headphone soundstaging is different. The sound is between your ears, so I view myself as the centre of the performance, not in front of it..

I love this,

fantastic way of wording it , why didnt I think of it, d'oh! :huh:

[henry218]

ok i get it. i think this is prob the assumption i had in my mind, hence i decided to get the portable ones, rather than home rig.

thanks pchan and mig.