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Cans of DOOM – Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro

July 12, 2013 by A.S. Van Dorston

skullcandy-aviator-dinosaurThe evolution of headphones has been fascinating to watch over the years. Pretty much everyone aged 50 and younger has grown up using headphones, and have owned many, many pairs. Some may remember the crappy headphones that came with the original Walkman and its progeny that would usually break long before the foam covers would wear off. They were an afterthought, although Sony’s 1979 introduction of the 3.5mm “minijack” stereo connector was useful. In some ways things haven’t changed much since then, as headphones associated with portable audio is still considered disposable. Good full size “over the ear” headphones existed of course, but were mostly used by audio professionals and audiophile hobbyists with almost art-deco/mad scientist looking tube amplifiers.

In 1985 Sony once again was a step ahead when they introduced the MDR-V6 studio monitor headphones. They were not obviously revolutionary compared to the standard of headphone technology at the time, but their immense popularity with studio and audio professionals expanded to general consumers who realized their flat sound (meaning accuracy), sturdiness and portability was a great value for the price ($70). But not everyone wants completely neutral sounding headphones. In order to enjoy relatively bass heavy funk, dub & dancehall reggae, hip-hop and dance music (especially drum ‘n’ bass and later, dubstep), DJs in particular craved headphones that could simulate the immersive low-end sounds. Again, Sony responded in 1993 with the MDR-V600, which emphasized bass and featured swiveling earcups so DJs could easily switch to one-ear listening. And while previously most quality full size headphones traditionally had high impedance (100-600 ohms), the MDR-V600 was only 45 ohms, which meant they could be used without an amp on portable tape and CD players with decent loudness and sound quality.

In the years since the explosion of iPods and MP3 players, there’s been a reaction to diminishing returns in sound from poor quality sources and transducers (cheap inner ear headphones and computer speakers) that’s manifested in a growing number of people going back to buying records (they really just need lossless files and decent speakers, but I cover that elsewhere), and using better quality full size headphones. The audiophile market seems to have responded to the demand in the past decade, and often exploited it. Around 2003-07, the flagship models of headphones by industry leaders like AKG, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Denon, Audio-Technica, Ultrasone and Grado were priced around $400 to $650. There were a few exceptions of more expensive models, including Sony’s MDR-R10 which sold for several thousand, but that became more common in subsequent years, with most manufacturers, including newcomers Hifiman and Audez’e, offering headphones for well over $1,000. Perhaps fortunately, almost none of them were really made for rock music, working best with classical, jazz and folk. And when it comes to metal, when very few bands of that genre are big selling superstars, it just seems wrong to listen to their music on cans that might be more expensive than the instruments they played with.

motorheadphones-graveyardThere’s a number of sub-genres of metal and heavy rock, which I often clump together as “stoner/psych/doom,” that emphasizes fuzzy low tones and bladder-shaking bass that would benefit from some headphones that do the music justice. Cans of doom! There’s no shortage of bass-heavy headphones, but most of them are models of poor quality and bad value. It’s hard to get heavy bass without being too boomy or just flatulent and all over the place, and sacrificing quality of the mid-range too much. Bose has long been the whipping boy by audiophiles, and more recently, Dr. Dre’s Beats By Dre have become the most common example of bad quality and value. They’re also hugely popular, and while they may serve as a gateway to better things for many people, they’re also a huge rip-off, especially with Beats Studio at $300. So what’s a rocker on a budget to do? Skullcandy’s Aviator offers better sound at half the list price ($150), though again, the quality might not be quite there. Next week they’re issuing a special Dinosaur Jr. edition along with the release of a single. Lemmy Kilmister has his own series of vanity cans with Swedish company Krusell International AB, with the top model, the Motorizer, selling for a more affordable $129. With endorsements from rockers across the globe (who wouldn’t want to support Lemmy?), they should sell well. I haven’t gotten to hear it but Lemmy’s m.o. to “make them louder than everybody else’s” is not exactly promising.

Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro - Cans of Doom!

Surprisingly, at least to some people, you can get audiophile quality cans that will do heavy music justice at comparable prices to the mass-marketed Beats, Monsters, Skullcandy and Motorheadphones, while also putting sufficient boom in your doom. I’ve been lurking and participating in the Head-Fi forums for close to a decade, and the favorite headphone for general rock listening is the Grado SR-225i. I heard it while researching headphones, and while it excels at conveying the excitement of mid-range guitar sounds, it lacks low end depth, and can sound harsh and irritating, causing fatigue to occur quickly, within 15-20 minutes. On top of that, they’re uncomfortable and look like they were assembled in someone’s garage. Clearly I’m not a fan, but they do have their use for certain people. Just not us heavy psych and doomsters. For that kind of music, the favorite by a significant margin has been the Beyerdynamic DT 770. The company is considered one of the German headphone giants along with Sennheiser for good reason, having been around since 1924. In addition to featuring boosted “bass-reflex” technology, the DT 770 was considered since 1985 as one of the best overall sounding closed-back headphones on the market, and listed at only $250. It was discontinued in 2011 and replaced by the T70 which uses Tesla technology from their flagship T1. Unfortunately it’s priced much higher ($649) and does not share the bass characteristics of its predecessor.

Luckily for bassheads and rockers everywhere, the DT 770 Pro model is still available, and for just $179. I treated myself to a “like new” used one for my birthday for $133, a great bargain compared to the T70 and the $1,500 T1. For the past few years the Denon AH-D2000 has been my workhorse in my doom cave listening lair, and the smaller AH-D1001 in the bedroom. They are an excellent choice for rock music, with a healthy amount of bass that would satisfy anyone but the worst bass junkies. In his piece “The Battle Of The Flagships,” Head-Fi Guru David Mahler said, “The DT 770 really digs down deep with tremendous impact. Despite this, its bass presentation manages to be rather tight. What may be most impressive about the DT 770’s bass presentation is that it really is able to bring forward the sub-bass frequencies that many headphones skimp out on.” Unfortunately that Denon series lost their license with Fostex, who created the designs. The line has been discontinued and replaced by the AH-D600 Music Maniac ($550). Being brand new, I was unable to find out much information on it, and I’ve been wanting to try a Beyerdynamic anyway. I wasn’t disappointed. As promised, they are bass heavy without being completely overwhelming. The mids are somewhat recessed, making for a “dark’ sound signature that’s perfect for most heavy psych and stoner/doom metal. The bass on the new Goatess album sounds insanely over the top, and great fun. Previous listens to Age Of TaurusDesperate Souls of Tortured Times seemed a little lacking in bass, and the DT 770 helped remedy that. Sessions with Black Sabbath (new and old), Saint Vitus, Magic Circle, Rote Mare, Jex Thoth, Elder, Electric Wizard, Wo Fat and Pagan Altar all benefited from the cans of doom! They’re definitely not neutral reference cans. They are available with three different impedance ratings (32, 80 and 250 ohms). I got the 250, which would sound very quiet plugged into a computer or MP3 player, but come alive on my home Meier Corda Catante.2 amp. I love this amp, with crossfeed features that helps prevent listening fatigue, which I discuss more here. That one is discontinued, but he has newer models that are even better.  Some DT 770 owners like the portable Fiio E10, which does not have crossfeed.

A close runner-up in the cans of doom category is the Ultrasone HFI-780. While it lists at $279, it’s available new on Amazon for $155, and used as low as $120. I was unable to hear these myself, as no one’s gonna be sending me free review headphones, but lots of people with large headphone collections swear by them. For portable listening, you can’t go wrong with the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 ($199/$159) sturdy studio pro headphones that fold up nicely, similar to the venerable Sony MDR-V6 and V600, both of which are still available for $80 and $250 respectively. But for cans of doom, you can’t go wrong with the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro.

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