ATH-A700 vs DT770 Pro

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Jellylesg

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Just a quick one - looked for the headphones thread but couldn't find it.

Using an Auzentech X-Fi with no amp for desktop usage, nothing spectacular. Constant heavy use, rarely use my speakers.

Used the ATs years ago and adored them until they broke, but I can get the Beyers (both 80 and 250 OHM) at the same price point and was curious as to whether they were worth a look in from people with experience with both - I understand there are some popular mods for the DT770s which might sway me that way. But I'm looking at closed backs due to sound leakage, I need shit to be quiet.
 
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ATH-A700s were the headphones that really got me into high end cans and I still love them, and my A900s dearly. That said I suppose it depends on what you're looking for.

The A700 will have a bigger soundstage than the DT770 and it will be much more balanced, although neither is anywhere near neutral, but the A700 can also be EQ'ed to have very strong bass. That said, the DT770 will still soundly thump the A700 in the bass arena in terms of quantity but quality I think would go to the A700.

For a single set of headphones my vote would be the A700, but I would also say that the DT770 is a higher class of headphone, more on par with the A900, so if it has a sound that you like then it's the better deal if they're at the same price point.
 
And as for the amp/OHM deal that's not really a concern at this point, right? I'd assumed as much and was going to go for the 80 if I did take the beyers, but I really did love my A700s and I'm the same with them being the first ones to take me to the point of appreciating better headphones.

So ultimately it's a toss-up, bar the aftermarket customisability. If anyone could chime in regarding that I'd love it, as I have heard of some fun projects people have come up with for the DT770s but they all seemed to require sending them off to shops in the US to have the work done which isn't really an option.
 
Not the same comparison exactly but I've had ATH-AD900s and I sold them for my current BeyerDynamic DT990s. Wouldn't even consider going back to AT. I like the sound of the DT990s much more, and even more than that they are MUCH, MUCH, MUCH more comfortable than the ATs were. The ATs were barely cushioned and sat on the ear itself even though they were supposed to sit around the ear (circumaural). Given that they weren't designed for that, it hurt quite a lot in not a lot of time.

If you do go AudioTechnica, go for the open version if possible. Better bass.
 
Jellylesg said:
And as for the amp/OHM deal that's not really a concern at this point, right?
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The 80ohm Beyers will do fine.

dandragonrage said:
Not the same comparison exactly but I've had ATH-AD900s and I sold them for my current BeyerDynamic DT990s. Wouldn't even consider going back to AT. I like the sound of the DT990s much more, and even more than that they are MUCH, MUCH, MUCH more comfortable than the ATs were. The ATs were barely cushioned and sat on the ear itself even though they were supposed to sit around the ear (circumaural). Given that they weren't designed for that, it hurt quite a lot in not a lot of time.
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Not even close in comparison and not just in sound. The AD900s don't have the second swivel axis that the A700 and A900 do, not to mention they have different pads and for my money it's REALLY difficult to find a pair more comfortable than the A700s. Beyond all of that I think you have to have fucking monstrous ears for the AT pads to not fit around yours.

Sound-wise, the DT770s are very different from their 880 and 990 brethren not just because they're focused differently but they're a bloated mess in the mids from overpowering bass by comparison to the other two that are much more focused on tight, accurate sound.

dandragonrage said:
If you do go AudioTechnica, go for the open version if possible. Better bass.
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I am not sure I understand this part because the AD700 and AD900 are both extremely anemic as far as bass goes, especially compared to the DT990s.
 
guitarslingerchris said:
Not even close in comparison and not just in sound. The AD900s don't have the second swivel axis that the A700 and A900 do, not to mention they have different pads and for my money it's REALLY difficult to find a pair more comfortable than the A700s. Beyond all of that I think you have to have fucking monstrous ears for the AT pads to not fit around yours.
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Wrong dimension. The pads were not thick enough. The cans were of sufficient diameter. And I do not have Obama ears :p

guitarslingerchris said:
Sound-wise, the DT770s are very different from their 880 and 990 brethren not just because they're focused differently but they're a bloated mess in the mids from overpowering bass by comparison to the other two that are much more focused on tight, accurate sound.
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Yes, the DT770s are too bassy, but I think the original comparison is worse. Anemic cans vs bass cans. The AD900s are not bassy, and my DT990s are not overly so either. More than the AD900s, but nothing like the DT770s.


guitarslingerchris said:
I am not sure I understand this part because the AD700 and AD900 are both extremely anemic as far as bass goes, especially compared to the DT990s.
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The difference is just like a sealed vs infinite baffle* speaker, though not quite as pronounced. Open is better for bass. Didn't say they'd have great bass. Less bad though.
 
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dandragonrage said:
Wrong dimension. The pads were not thick enough. The cans were of sufficient diameter.
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Okay, that I can understand.

dandragonrage said:
Yes, the DT770s are too bassy, but I think the original comparison is worse. Anemic cans vs bass cans. The AD900s are not bassy, and my DT990s are not overly so either. More than the AD900s, but nothing like the DT770s.
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The DT990s are actually well known to be very strong in the bass department for open headphones. Their primary differentiating factor from the DT 880s is their trademark "V" shaped sound signature. More than that, the A700 has a more balanced signature than the DT770s but can be EQ'ed to emphasize bass that would suit a basshead and the reverse is not true for the DT 770s.

dandragonrage said:
The difference is just like a sealed vs ported speaker, though not quite as pronounced. Open is better for bass. Didn't say they'd have great bass. Less bad though.
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That might be true if there were a resonance chamber but that's not really true of most open headphones, including the AD700 and AD900. Open air pretty much always leads to more accurate bass yes, but louder certainly not for most headphones as the DT770s can attest to.
 
dandragonrage said:
The difference is just like a sealed vs ported speaker, though not quite as pronounced. Open is better for bass. Didn't say they'd have great bass. Less bad though.
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Well there is a difference between a open and a ported speaker. As much of a difference as ported vs sealed. Mechanically speaking sealed will be more accurate muscly due to the air spring created by a sealed box. That is if you have the appropriate box. If the box is to small it requires more power than it can thermally handle to reach x max. To large and it reaches x max before it creates loud volumes using wattage. Open has this problem also.

This is all for larger speakers, That being said i have no clue if it carries over to headphones or not. I would assume so. Ill just keep using my RX700's
 
Actually I gotta call my fault there. Open is not ported. It's infinite baffle. Sorry. Editing post above.
 
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