[AliG]

A few of the AC'ers own this headphone, I wonder can you guys tell me which version sounds best? (I see it being sold with different impedences - 250 Ohm? 600 Ohm?)

Also what's the best amp to drive this can? I already have a good source (ARC CD7)

Thanks
barry
 

[ecramer]

A few of the AC'ers own this headphone, I wonder can you guys tell me which version sounds best? (I see it being sold with different impedences - 250 Ohm? 600 Ohm?)

Also what's the best amp to drive this can? I already have a good source (ARC CD7)

Thanks
barry
 

I'm using a pair of te 250 ohm that i like a lot.

here's a thread at Head-fi about the difference in the 250 and 600 ohm
DT880: REAL difference between 250 and 600 ohms?

I would say you have the source covered  AS far as amps go A little more info on what price point are you looking at and are you looking at tubes  or solid state ect.

Ed

[BradJudy]

I have a pair, but they are the older style, before the impedance options.  I really like them. 

[soundbitten1]

I'm looking at buying the 250 ohm version. I have a headphone amp but I also want to use it occasionally with 2 other systems using just the pre-amp headphone jacks. Will my pre-amps be able to sufficiently drive these cans? Thanks.

[hibuckhobby]

that depends on your other systems and how loud you like to listen.Both my Marantz integrated and Super Audio CD player had headphone outputs and have plenty of drive for anything but the very hardest to drive cans.  It's hard to make a recommendation w/o knowing what you are going to drive them with.
Hibuck...

[Russell Dawkins]

I'm looking at buying the 250 ohm version. I have a headphone amp but I also want to use it occasionally with 2 other systems using just the pre-amp headphone jacks. Will my pre-amps be able to sufficiently drive these cans? Thanks.

I'd go for the 600 ohms ones, from what I read on the Head-Fi forum, and live with the 3dB less absolute output. Either model is high impedance by normal standards and will not play nearly as loud as a 35 ohm headphone at the same volume setting, but either will probably still play loud enough when you crank it up. The buzz seems consistent that the 600 ohm versions sounds better, and they are only $10 or so more expensive at Amazon.
The AKG K240df, which was 600 ohm, was about the best sounding conventional headphone I've ever auditioned, and I'm still on the lookout for a used pair now that they have been discontinued. I understand they didn't sell well enough due to their high impedance making them quieter than competitors at the same volume setting, or people imagining their headphone amps were straining because the gains were turned up so high. The opposite is actually true - the 600 ohm 'phone is a light load on the amp and may be part of the reason they sound better. Damping factor is theoretically better, too, by the same 3dB, but that might be a red herring.

[soundbitten1]

that depends on your other systems and how loud you like to listen.Both my Marantz integrated and Super Audio CD player had headphone outputs and have plenty of drive for anything but the very hardest to drive cans.  It's hard to make a recommendation w/o knowing what you are going to drive them with.
Hibuck...

The Denon PRA-1500 & Adcom GT 500. I had no problem using my Grado SR60 phones with them. My head amp is a Sennheiser DSP Pro which I'll probably upgrade down the road.

[soundbitten1]

I'd go for the 600 ohms ones, from what I read on the Head-Fi forum, and live with the 3dB less absolute output. Either model is high impedance by normal standards and will not play nearly as loud as a 35 ohm headphone at the same volume setting, but either will probably still play loud enough when you crank it up. The buzz seems consistent that the 600 ohm versions sounds better, and they are only $10 or so more expensive at Amazon.
The AKG K240df, which was 600 ohm, was about the best sounding conventional headphone I've ever auditioned, and I'm still on the lookout for a used pair now that they have been discontinued. I understand they didn't sell well enough due to their high impedance making them quieter than competitors at the same volume setting, or people imagining their headphone amps were straining becaust the gains were turned up so high. The opposite is actually true - the 600 ohm 'phone is a light load on the amp and may be part of the reason they sound better. Damping factor is theoretically better, too, by the same 3dB, but that might be a red herring.

Thanks, I'll check those out.   

[ajzepp]

I've done more hours of research on headphones over the last few months than I care to admit, and I can tell you that I've never read anywhere that someone preferred the 250ohm over the 600. I recently had the 600 ohm version in here and it was a very good headphone. I liked it so much that I ended up sending it back in order to get some T1s 

[soundbitten1]

I've done more hours of research on headphones over the last few months than I care to admit, and I can tell you that I've never read anywhere that someone preferred the 250ohm over the 600. I recently had the 600 ohm version in here and it was a very good headphone. I liked it so much that I ended up sending it back in order to get some T1s 

I'm looking at the Sennheiser HD 600 also. Do you know how it compares with the Beyerdynamic DT 880 600 ohm?

[ajzepp]

I sure don't. The only Sennheiser I've owned was the 518. I didn't really care for it, so I sold it on Amazon. I know others are quite fond of it, however, so it may just be that I don't care for the Sennheiser house sound. The model you're considering has an excellent reputation.

[7x57]

I own the 250 ohm DT880 and an AKG K601. Overall and for most types of music, the K601 is my preferred headphone. The DT880 midrange is lacking in involvement for me relative to a good AKG headphone, but the midrange is where AKG has usually excelled. I prefer either the DT880 or K601 to my old Grado SR200 headphones. The DT880 excels on very wide range electronic music or nonvocal classical music.

[Russell Dawkins]

If I were buying now, and based on what I've read recently and my familiarity with AKG 701s and 601 to which they've been compared, I'd look closely at the AKG Q701 Quincy Jones version. It's a little cheaper than the 880, too:
http://www.headphone.com/headphones/akg-q701-quincy-jones.php

[milford3]

For a little bit more money I would kick up to the 990 600 Ohm. 

[eclein]

The Quincy's are popping up alot it seems to me. I spent money without listening on the HE-5LE's and only because I was offered a tremendous
deal. I think anything over $100-$150 unless I read everywhere that the unit I'm looking at is a "must have" needs to be a candidate for audition.
Do you guys have limits like that??

There are a ton of new lines and models coming out right about now for the holidays so we should hear about a ton of new ones to lust after.
It would be great if we had some kind of "Try mine if you want" and folks could offer up models they don't use all the time for auditions.
 Is this a crazy idea??? Do you guys already trade with each other??