MrJoshua
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2005
- Posts
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OK, so I thought I'd take some photos of my headphone (not including IEM) collection, but it turned into a mini shootout!
So, the conteders:
Beyerdynamic DT531
Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro
Sennheiser HD25 SP
Yamaha HP-3 "Orthodynamic Headphones"
The Test:
Track 6 on the STAX Binaural CD (Native African Singing and Drumming)
The Equipment Used:
Yamaha "Natural Sound" CDX-596 CD Player
1m Unknown RCA (mid/high end consumer)
Cambridge Audio C500 Pre-Amp
10m Unknown RCA (mid/high end consumer)
Maplins SP-19 4 Way RCA Switch Box
0.5m QED QNEX2 RCA
Meier Audio HA-1 MKII Headphone Amp
The brief review:
The Beyerdynamic DT531's sounded somewhat ragged and muffled at the top end. I used to think these cans sounded great, but after listening to the DT990 Pro's for a few days, going back to these isn't a great experience. I don't think I like these headphones much any more. They are about a year old now and the cushioning inside the earpads has compressed quite significantly and the cables going to each phone has become twisted and I can't get it straight again. This is probably due to me sleeping in them so much
.
I had to use the amp at about half volume with these headphones to get them to a level I was happy with.
The Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro's sounded amazing, very detailed and crisp. I don't know much about the technical words I should be using, but they just sounded great. Everything was crystal clear and not at all tiring to listen to. The bass from the drums was controlled and clear. These headphones are only a few days old and still smell new. They look very robust and have a curly cable going to only one of the phones, so it doesn't look like the cable will get tangled.
I had to use the amp at almost full volume with these headphones to get them to a level I was happy with.
The Sennheiser HD25 SP's sounded "small" with no real hint of soundstage. Bass was very present but wasn't very controlled. There was a weird feeling with these headphones.... I can't really describe it, but it sounded like it was out of phase. I've just checked and the letters R and L are facing out on the plugs at the bottom of each phone, so I imagine that's correct. These are probably 7 years old and the vinyl on the cups has worn through in places and the cable going to each phone has twisted quite badly and can't be straightened.
I had to use the amp at just under half volume to get them to a level I was happy with.
The Yamaha HP-3 "Orthodynamic Headphones" were purchased by my Mum in about 1982, second hand, for either £8 or £13. I'm not sure how much that amount of money was worth back then (can only be sure that it was worth more than it is now!). So, they're old. The vinyl on the cups has cracked realy badly, but apart from that, they look ok. Regarding the sound, I expected them to sound rubbish. However I was really, really excited about the quality. They were clear as a bell and had great soundstage for almost closed cans. They seemed to work really well with this test track. I know that they don't handle sub bass (Jungle) very well, as I tried using them when I started DJ'ing years ago (which is why I bought the Senns actually), but with more subtle music, I think they're great! The actual phones are about the same size as the Senns, but the headband is a lot wider and more comforable.
I had to use almost full volume on the amp to get them to a level I was happy with.
Conclusion:
The Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro's were my favorite by far. Sounded fantastic and were really comfortable.
The Yamaha HP-3's were a huge shock as they sounded great with this test track. For Superaural headphones, they were actually very comfy, even though the vinyl was badly cracked. Not bad for a pair of 25+ year old headphones!
The Beyerdynamic DT531's came next I suppose, but I've really gone off these cans.
The Sennheiser HD25 SP's came last due to the wierd sound and uncontrolled, bloated bass.
Photos:
Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro:
Yamaha HP-3 "Orthodynamic Headphones"
Beyerdynamic DT531
Sennheiser HD25 SP
So, the conteders:
Beyerdynamic DT531
Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro
Sennheiser HD25 SP
Yamaha HP-3 "Orthodynamic Headphones"
The Test:
Track 6 on the STAX Binaural CD (Native African Singing and Drumming)
The Equipment Used:
Yamaha "Natural Sound" CDX-596 CD Player
1m Unknown RCA (mid/high end consumer)
Cambridge Audio C500 Pre-Amp
10m Unknown RCA (mid/high end consumer)
Maplins SP-19 4 Way RCA Switch Box
0.5m QED QNEX2 RCA
Meier Audio HA-1 MKII Headphone Amp
The brief review:
The Beyerdynamic DT531's sounded somewhat ragged and muffled at the top end. I used to think these cans sounded great, but after listening to the DT990 Pro's for a few days, going back to these isn't a great experience. I don't think I like these headphones much any more. They are about a year old now and the cushioning inside the earpads has compressed quite significantly and the cables going to each phone has become twisted and I can't get it straight again. This is probably due to me sleeping in them so much
I had to use the amp at about half volume with these headphones to get them to a level I was happy with.
The Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro's sounded amazing, very detailed and crisp. I don't know much about the technical words I should be using, but they just sounded great. Everything was crystal clear and not at all tiring to listen to. The bass from the drums was controlled and clear. These headphones are only a few days old and still smell new. They look very robust and have a curly cable going to only one of the phones, so it doesn't look like the cable will get tangled.
I had to use the amp at almost full volume with these headphones to get them to a level I was happy with.
The Sennheiser HD25 SP's sounded "small" with no real hint of soundstage. Bass was very present but wasn't very controlled. There was a weird feeling with these headphones.... I can't really describe it, but it sounded like it was out of phase. I've just checked and the letters R and L are facing out on the plugs at the bottom of each phone, so I imagine that's correct. These are probably 7 years old and the vinyl on the cups has worn through in places and the cable going to each phone has twisted quite badly and can't be straightened.
I had to use the amp at just under half volume to get them to a level I was happy with.
The Yamaha HP-3 "Orthodynamic Headphones" were purchased by my Mum in about 1982, second hand, for either £8 or £13. I'm not sure how much that amount of money was worth back then (can only be sure that it was worth more than it is now!). So, they're old. The vinyl on the cups has cracked realy badly, but apart from that, they look ok. Regarding the sound, I expected them to sound rubbish. However I was really, really excited about the quality. They were clear as a bell and had great soundstage for almost closed cans. They seemed to work really well with this test track. I know that they don't handle sub bass (Jungle) very well, as I tried using them when I started DJ'ing years ago (which is why I bought the Senns actually), but with more subtle music, I think they're great! The actual phones are about the same size as the Senns, but the headband is a lot wider and more comforable.
I had to use almost full volume on the amp to get them to a level I was happy with.
Conclusion:
The Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro's were my favorite by far. Sounded fantastic and were really comfortable.
The Yamaha HP-3's were a huge shock as they sounded great with this test track. For Superaural headphones, they were actually very comfy, even though the vinyl was badly cracked. Not bad for a pair of 25+ year old headphones!
The Beyerdynamic DT531's came next I suppose, but I've really gone off these cans.
The Sennheiser HD25 SP's came last due to the wierd sound and uncontrolled, bloated bass.
Photos:
Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro:
Yamaha HP-3 "Orthodynamic Headphones"
Beyerdynamic DT531
Sennheiser HD25 SP
