CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS

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Author Topic: Beyer DT-48 S Measurements  (Read 6580 times)

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RexAeterna

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Re: Beyer DT-48 S Measurements
« Reply #30 on: February 12, 2013, 06:19:41 PM »

interesting results. always wanted to try these but never got a chance to. if you don't like them you probably won't like the DT48A's too. they are heavy and give a good pressure squeeze on your head(probably because i have a big head). only thing i liked was there midrange at low volumes. turn it up and kinda got echoy- like a room reverb was in your head or something.
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koolbubbaice

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Re: Beyer DT-48 S Measurements
« Reply #31 on: April 13, 2013, 09:59:14 PM »

I will c/p an explanation as to why the DT48 sounds the way it does.


To me, the difference between most headphones today and the DT-48 is philosophy. There seems to be three main issues that modern headphone designs are intended to address:

1) Wide bandwidth (extended bass and treble)
2) Tonal characteristics that approach the characteristic of a good speaker in a good room
3) Spatial characteristics that mimic the space heard through a good speaker in a good room

1) and 2) have been largely accomplished, especially in today's best available models, 3) is much more elusive and only tentative moves in this direction have been made by, say, the K-1000, HD-800, perhaps Ultrasone and a few others. But the point is that, today, the intent is to make a headphone that sounds much more like a speaker. Refering again to post 1503 on this thread reinforces this, the way modern headphone responses are tailored is in consideration of the sound of external speaker systems.

The DT-48 was designed before this was, I suspect, even considered. The DT-48 sounds unabashedly like a headphone. No tricks to try to take the sound "out of head" and no reference to far field equalizations to mimic speakers. The DT-48 doesen't even address 1) above, the frequency extremes droop, as a result the phones are "Midrange-centric".

This (in my view) is what makes the DT-48 so unique. NO ONE would manufacture a headphone this way today. The designer would never be able to hold his head up at a Audio Engineering Society meeting!

But wait. Who says that using this external speaker model to design a phone is the be all and end all? Perhaps a headphone sounding like a headphone is not a bad thing.

That is the core of the comparison between the HD-800 and the DT-48. The HD-800 has a "comfy" kind of sound, broadband and somewhat out of head with the familiar sonic thumbprint of a good modern hi-end speaker system. I can go from my HD-800 to my home Harbeth Monitor 40 without too much culture shock (though the Harbeth M-40 does have a warmer sound and there is always the presentation of space to consider).

The DT-48, on the other hand, at first sounds downright claustrophobic with its' rolled off treble and in-head sound. But after a bit, you appreciate the relaxed sound and midrange magic. I wouldn't say the DT-48 midrange is better really, it's just more "exposed" and to my ear draws your attention to the midrange (where most of the music is) and away from the filigree of the treble and (somewhat) from beat of the bass.

(BTW, I will award the "brass figligee with bronze oak leaf palm" to whoever knows who used to say this on the radio...)

The DT-48 reminds me of a speaker system I once heard at a vintage audio dealers house. It was his pride and joy, the pinnacle of his collection and made by Western Electric using a mid-treble horn with the throat bent at a 90 degree angle and a cone woofer in a large bookshelf cabinet beautiful with art deco detailing. It looked like it came right out of a '30's radio station! It suffered at the extremes, didn't image as well and was otherwise not quite as sophisticated sounding as modern systems. But somehow, listening to it made me think of "concentrated music", it seemed to squeeze out all of the music juice. And despite any flaws, communicated the music magnificently.

Now the DT-48 is more technically correct than this vintage system, but the communicative qualities are similar. The HD-800 does sound more like a modern hi-end stereo and, I dare say, closer to the literal sound of the concert hall on recordings that contain that sound. But perhaps, at least with headphones, this more complete sound can be too much and a bit overwhelming at such close quarters. The DT-48 may not give it all, but it gives what is most important and there is something to be said for that. And it's why I would be very loath to modify a DT-48 in any way, the least thing could just break their magic spell...

So maybe it IS sacreligious to compare the DT-48 to anything else. At this point, it's more or less unique to itself and, I suspect, never to be duplicated. So get 'em while you can.

BTW, hell yes, I won the pair recently listed on Audiogon...
Kevin



 
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n3rdling

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Re: Beyer DT-48 S Measurements
« Reply #32 on: April 13, 2013, 10:13:18 PM »

Oh. My. God.

Troll account or?

Am I still the president of your "DT48 h8ers club"? ;)
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Marvey

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Re: Beyer DT-48 S Measurements
« Reply #33 on: April 13, 2013, 11:01:01 PM »

Hey, I 'memba you from HF from ages back. Why did you get banned? (It's OK, a few of us are banned here.)
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fishski13

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Re: Beyer DT-48 S Measurements
« Reply #34 on: April 14, 2013, 02:53:28 AM »

Kevin,
please read the first post and post/introduce yourself: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,302.0.html
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Deep Funk

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Re: Beyer DT-48 S Measurements
« Reply #35 on: April 14, 2013, 05:13:59 AM »

« Last Edit: April 14, 2013, 05:32:08 AM by Deep Funk »
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koolbubbaice

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Re: Beyer DT-48 S Measurements
« Reply #36 on: April 14, 2013, 08:42:35 PM »

Hey, I 'memba you from HF from ages back. Why did you get banned? (It's OK, a few of us are banned here.)

How am I trolling? Yes, you are still numero uno..
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koolbubbaice

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Re: Beyer DT-48 S Measurements
« Reply #37 on: April 14, 2013, 08:53:20 PM »

Hey, I 'memba you from HF from ages back. Why did you get banned? (It's OK, a few of us are banned here.)

I was never told. I know I had an argument with another member, and I was banned. My only beef with headfi is there are double standards. I can list many instances, but it's not appriprate in this thread. If you want to know send me a pm.
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Maniacal71

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Re: Beyer DT-48 S Measurements
« Reply #38 on: July 07, 2013, 04:34:55 PM »

Hi Y'all, Thanks for the measurements, I'm using the Kudelski labelled DT48S 25Ω Nagra and with the very soft vinyl ear pads, does not roll off as much as with the new pads or any other DT48 models that i own even the DT48S 5 and 25Ω versions. Driving it only from a Meier Arietta or an Objective2, some other amps colored the sound.

Hello KBI, how are things with you? I hope all is fine.
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