Why I love DT-990-250's, or why I think some people just don't 'get' bass

[ph0rk]

So, I've had these for a bit now, say 5 days. Those that used to lurk at H-F will probably know I detested disliked the K701's and managed to swap them for some dt-990-250's (2005) through some FS forum and ebay kung-fu.

Currently using PowerMac (toslink or usb) -> 0404 usb (1/4" to old monster studiolink RCA) -> Glite w/ elpac -> dt-990's.

I'm sure arguments could be made about the quality of my rig, but given budget constraints (and the roving eyes of the woman - thankfully the glite is tiny and the 0404 USB gets used for recording too), I think it is pretty damn decent. Definately approaching the elbow in the price/performance diminishing returns curve - which is where I want to be.

The inflammable part:

I can't imagine tolerating much less bass quantity than this. -Especially- on older recordings. Though even with newer recordings (NIN year zero, for example), it seems close to just right. Lacks a bit in the deep bass range (30-50hz), but they're open phones and them's the breaks. I want to be able to hear the bass part of Steve Harris' basslines, not just the slap of the strings against the fretboard. I can hear that with the present setup without it being overpowering. Tracks like the cure's "the holy hour" are similarly just about right, can hear the bassline (and the bass flange) clearly, and the sporadic harder attacks are clean.

I guess I'd say these cans are bright with bright recordings and thumpy or dark with thumpy or dark recordings. With stuff like the dorati arrangement of the 1812 overture there's just enough sizzle and sting from the trumpets and the cannon, well, sound great, but at all overly bassy.

I suppose some if it may be the Glite's sound signature, I don't have many other phones to try it with though (I have some loaner k601's on the way to see if I dislike them as much as the k701, my DT-770's which sound plenty beefy out of the 0404's headphone out, I may try my old toss-around senn hd-590's). The 770's are fun, but obviously I didn't think they were the perfect can for every job, or I wouldn't have been looking for higher-end open cans to begin with.

If the comparisons between 990's and 880's I've read are even half true... how can anyone tolerate that (small) quantity of bass in the 880's? How much (or how little) bass are people expecting to hear?

Disclaimer: everyones ears are different and have differing levels of damage, etc. I play electric bass but never with a live drummer (go electronic music) and always with earplugs, I've always been very careful with my ears due to a partially deaf relative who used to blare too much opera. I also usually listen very quietly - I have to be able to hear myself drumming fingers lightly on my desktop for example, and can hear mouse clicks and key clicks clearly when listening.

[henmyr]

DT880 has got it's qualities.

The bass in DT880 and DT990 is also different. I would not at all describe the DT880 05 as bass light, neutral but not light.

The bass is very different in more ways than just thump between dt880 and 990. I feel that DT880 has more texture. Sometimes, the bass on dt880 has got so much texture that I get a WOW feeling. It's very hard to describe the it. A thunderstorm can sound much more real with dt880 than dt990.

I feel that the texture of the bass in dt880 often wins over the thump of dt990. Sometimes though I just need thump, and thats what dt990 is for.

When a record is basslight, the dt880 will not enhance it. When a recording is neutral or bassheavy, dt880 does in no way miss bass.