New Headphones

[Faviahn]

Hey guys I need some help from people who have been doing audiophile stuff a lot longer than I have. I currently own a focusrite solo (2nd gen) with a pair of DT990s 600ohm. Foolishly, I bought the 600ohm without doing the research and have been using it with an underpowered focusrite machine and likely have missed out on a ton of audio experience. Now, the left ear has completely stopped working. I play FPS games at a very high level, create and edit content while using adobe audition to live clean up (to give you an example of my love for good audio), and listen to music all the time, all different genres of music as well. My price range is ~ $300, and I'm contemplating replacing the 600ohms and adding a Schiit Magni to really experience what they have to offer, but I was disappointed with the build quality as the band broke about a year in, and I'm unsure if after all this time it's worth just investing elsewhere instead with the wMs that the solo already supports.

 

I realize I'm probably super difficult to offer one good pair of headphones for, but I'm hoping I can get some solid advice on here. Thanks!

[WolframaticAlpha]

hifiman sundara, hd 560s and HD 58X

[rice guru]

Beyers offer spare parts it would be cheaper for you to just order spare parts and fix them. They aren't very hard to fix you could possibly even do a warranty claim if it's within warranty period probably wouldn't hurt to contact beyer

[AnotherGlenn]

24 minutes ago, rice guru said:

Beyers offer spare parts it would be cheaper for you to just order spare parts and fix them. They aren't very hard to fix you could possibly even do a warranty claim if it's within warranty period probably wouldn't hurt to contact beyer

What Rice Guru said.

But, if you want new headphones, you could check out the Meze 99s as well. They are amazing for their price. You could go for the Classic at 309$ (just checked their store -> you could maybe find a retailer that offers a discount?) or go for the Neo which are 199$. 

https://mezeaudio.com/collections/all/products/99-neo

 

If you like the sound profile of Sennheiser, you could go for the HD600 (I personally hate it, but that's just personal preference -> if you liked the DT990s' sound you may not enjoy the HD600 that much though). 

[Stahlmann]

Like the others said, i'd try to take Beyer on a repalcement if one earcup doesn't have sound anymore. But they may refuse the warranty claim if they see that you broke the headband. In my experience Beyerdynamic has excellent customer service though. And if they refuse warranty, they can still repair it for a fraction of the cost of a new one.

 

Then i'd go for a matching AMP like you already mentioned.

 

On a side note, i've had several different DT990's in the last years. And all of them are still in service, albeit not by me, but by friends. None of them have any quality problems.

[rice guru]

22 minutes ago, Stahlmann said:

Like the others said, i'd try to take Beyer on a repalcement if one earcup doesn't have sound anymore. But they may refuse the warranty claim if they see that you broke the headband. In my experience Beyerdynamic has excellent customer service though. And if they refuse warranty, they can still repair it for a fraction of the cost of a new one.

 

Then i'd go for a matching AMP like you already mentioned.

 

On a side note, i've had several different DT990's in the last years. And all of them are still in service, albeit not by me, but by friends. None of them have have any quality problems.

I've been running my 990 for several years now and is by far my most abused headphone. All my other headphones aside from my cheaies are pretty babied. have opened them in the past and even did some modding and still works great. I'm pretty surprised op broke them in a year.

[Faviahn]

3 hours ago, rice guru said:

Beyers offer spare parts it would be cheaper for you to just order spare parts and fix them. They aren't very hard to fix you could possibly even do a warranty claim if it's within warranty period probably wouldn't hurt to contact beyer

So, I cannot find the receipt because apparently this is the only item I have bought in a store in the past 2 years and not on Amazon, rip warranty. It's looking like it'll be ~$20 for shipping and $30 for labor which doesn't include parts. I'm probably looking at minimum $100 for a repair and the headphones are $180 brand new, not sure if it's worth it and not just getting brand new everything.

2 hours ago, AnotherGlenn said:

What Rice Guru said.

But, if you want new headphones, you could check out the Meze 99s as well. They are amazing for their price. You could go for the Classic at 309$ (just checked their store -> you could maybe find a retailer that offers a discount?) or go for the Neo which are 199$. 

https://mezeaudio.com/collections/all/products/99-neo

 

If you like the sound profile of Sennheiser, you could go for the HD600 (I personally hate it, but that's just personal preference -> if you liked the DT990s' sound you may not enjoy the HD600 that much though). 

I've never heard of Meze before, I'll have to do more research on the brand and reviews. I've heard very on and off things about HD600 and Sennheiser in general, but personally have never tried their brand before. What do you hate about it?

1 hour ago, rice guru said:

I've been running my 990 for several years now and is by far my most abused headphone. All my other headphones aside from my cheaies are pretty babied. have opened them in the past and even did some modding and still works great. I'm pretty surprised op broke them in a year.

So funny enough this is my 2nd pair of 990s. First ones I ordered in 2017 had the same issue and an earphone just died, I decided to just order a new pair at the time. With the band this time that's on me, I rolled over it with my chair accidentally when my headphones fell off my desk. 

[AnotherGlenn]

20 minutes ago, Faviahn said:

So, I cannot find the receipt because apparently this is the only item I have bought in a store in the past 2 years and not on Amazon, rip warranty. It's looking like it'll be ~$20 for shipping and $30 for labor which doesn't include parts. I'm probably looking at minimum $100 for a repair and the headphones are $180 brand new, not sure if it's worth it and not just getting brand new everything.

What Rice Guru and I meant to say is that you can just order the parts, and the repair yourself. All beyerdynamic headphones are pretty good for DIY repair and maintenance. Plus, you can find a lot of guides.

22 minutes ago, Faviahn said:

I've never heard of Meze before, I'll have to do more research on the brand and reviews. I've heard very on and off things about HD600 and Sennheiser in general, but personally have never tried their brand before. What do you hate about it?

I had the chance to test all Meze products at a local retailer about 2 years ago, and I was just blown away at how good they are at their respective price point. They are a Romanian brand which have started to gain a lot of traction in audiophile communities. Many artists seem to like them as well, but I do not know how much of that is marketing

I do not like the sound signature of Sennheiser, period. It does not work for my listening preferences. The ones I prefer are the ones from Shure, Fostex and Beyerdynamic (funnily enough). And of course, I love the Mezes (which is why I recommended them), but I have not had the pleasure to daily drive them for a long period of time. I currently use a pair of Fostex T60RP for listening, Pioneer HDJ X7 for DJing, and HyperX Cloud Alpha for gaming (similar to the Beyerdynamic sound signature, but worse in every way). Oh, and Samsung Galaxy Buds+ for on the go (better than I thought they would be, but they are the first ones that will be upgraded to something else first).

[Faviahn]

10 minutes ago, AnotherGlenn said:

What Rice Guru and I meant to say is that you can just order the parts, and the repair yourself. All beyerdynamic headphones are pretty good for DIY repair and maintenance. Plus, you can find a lot of guides.

I had the chance to test all Meze products at a local retailer about 2 years ago, and I was just blown away at how good they are at their respective price point. They are a Romanian brand which have started to gain a lot of traction in audiophile communities. Many artists seem to like them as well, but I do not know how much of that is marketing

I do not like the sound signature of Sennheiser, period. It does not work for my listening preferences. The ones I prefer are the ones from Shure, Fostex and Beyerdynamic (funnily enough). And of course, I love the Mezes (which is why I recommended them), but I have not had the pleasure to daily drive them for a long period of time. I currently use a pair of Fostex T60RP for listening, Pioneer HDJ X7 for DJing, and HyperX Cloud Alpha for gaming (similar to the Beyerdynamic sound signature, but worse in every way). Oh, and Samsung Galaxy Buds+ for on the go (better than I thought they would be, but they are the first ones that will be upgraded to something else first).

To be honest they are beyond repair. Most of the internals of the band have been ripped out, the right headphone hangs from a cord. The plastic on the band is ripping back. The only thing that would not need to be replaced on this is the right earphone itself. It's a mess. I'm seeing Meze has great reviews though, I might have to check it out. I do really want to hear what a 600ohm sounds like full powered though..

[Faviahn]

I'll just show you guys the embarrassment of not taking care of these bad boys so you understand where I'm coming from.

[AnotherGlenn]

5 minutes ago, Faviahn said:

I do really want to hear what a 600ohm sounds like full powered though

Don't get too bogged down on specs. There are PLENTY of headphones that are driven by less powerful drivers that sound better than ones that are driven by more powerful ones. 

 

I do get your point on the repair though ...

[Faviahn]

16 minutes ago, AnotherGlenn said:

Don't get too bogged down on specs. There are PLENTY of headphones that are driven by less powerful drivers that sound better than ones that are driven by more powerful ones. 

 

I do get your point on the repair though ...

Do you think it's worth getting the 600ohm again with a schiit magni or just going for the 250 ohm? I just want to make sure I at least upgrade a little from where I was and not downgrade at all.

[AnotherGlenn]

A Schiit Magni will be an improvement, no doubt about that. However, I much prefer how the Meze 99 fit and sound than the Beyerdynamic DT990 (from what I remember, at least). I would actually go for 250ohms, or even go for ones that are 80ohm or lower, so you can continue using your Scarlett Solo to its capacity (which is actually a pretty awesome DAC for its price -> it just cannot handle more power). Truth be told, I have not noticed any difference in sound between 300 Ohms and 80 Ohms in headphones, except for the volume. The sound signature, clarity and sound stage seemed to be the same between the headphones (same model, different capacities).

 

I think you would be happier with better headphones and the Scarlett Solo than if you went back to the DT990s and a Schiit Magni, but that's just my personal opinion. Also, please keep in mind that when choosing headphones, personal preference is king (as long as you compare similar quality headphones).

[rice guru]

If your very much into comp gaming though. Meze isn't a great performer and I would stick to beyerdynamic personally, and buy the easy to drive beyerdynamic tygr. But if build is a concern you could do a side grade. And go with a hifiman he 400i2020( though I would buy an amp with this guy) or akg k712 (if your in europe) or akg k612.