Beyer DT100 Headphones... Which ones???

zx81

hi

what is the difference between the different types of the dt100s available?
there is 16 ohm, 400 ohm etc?? which ones of these would benefit me using :

1. a monitor for my sampler headphone output

and

2. a monitor for my mixing desk ctrl room/phones output?
mackie 1604vlz pro

cheers if you have the answer to my question as i have always been interested exactly which ones would best suit my purpose, also i'd just like to understand what the difference is between each of the different ones available in simple english

just looked on thomann again and i see these 3 different types?
whats the difference between them all?

BEYERDYNAMIC DT 100 2K-Ohm
BEYERDYNAMIC DT-100/400
Beyerdynamic DT-100/16

is one type going to be any better than the other for me?

my sampler headphone out is 1/4 inch stereo 200mW/32 ohms
mixer phones out is 120 ohms i think (does this sound right?)
so does this mean i'd have to buy 2 diff sets of dt 100s, one for each unit
(i'm not actually going to buy 2 sets now! it's just a query)
just want to know what would best suit me for my purposes.... cheers

Doctor J

DT100s are ****e, sonically, in my experience, just robust and not too expensive which is why they're so popular. I wouldn't use them for anything other than basic live-room work.

zx81

Doctor J wrote:

DT100s are ****e, sonically, in my experience, just robust and not too expensive which is why they're so popular. I wouldn't use them for anything other than basic live-room work.

thanks for your reply

can anyone else give their opinions on said and also suggest/explains which of the models of the dt 100 would be best suited for my needs

cheers.....

(i know i'm repeating myself, i just don't want this to go off the topic of my original question)

BeardyGit

Doc, I've a vested interest here as I've referred the OP from the shop section of boards.ie - Just to make that clear. I've 4 pairs in total, so I'm keeping 2 for tracking purposes. That should explain my own bias/endorsement as such.

They're not going to blow anyone away with their bass response - It's clear and tight but perhaps not suited to a dance studio or those who plan on using them for mastering. I've used these for radio work and for laying down the basic trackwork in my own studio. They're comfortable, very robust and can be easily serviced as parts are available locally (Audio Warehouse in Raheny, Dublin 5 are the importers and sell direct - No affiliation here, just the details!).

The DT100's are the industry standard for vocals, guitar etc. - Their sister product, DT150's have a better low end presence - commonly used for bass and drum monitoring in studio for exactly this reason.

I'd point out that they've been in use for many years at many levels of the audio profession etc. I'd also point out that your assertion that the DT100's are sonically s***e is not really relevant - Nobody should ever buy audio equipment without listening to it carefully first and on that point I'm sure we would strongly agree.

Anyway, moving on to the OP's question - The impedance is basically the level of resistance offered by the headphones to the headphone/monitoring output on your chosen audio device. This will affect the maximum perceived volume that you will achieve with your device. Home audio equipment will normally run with 8ohm loads so although plugging these headphones into your stereo will still work perfectly well, the load will be higher and the max. volume will be reduced. Most studio equipment will perform really well with 200 or 400 OHM loads. Plug in anything with a lower loading and you risk overcooking the headphone amp and the cans in the process. If I've made any mistakes on this, feel free to correct me - I'm explaining it the way it was explained to me. The other option would be to call John or Paul at Audio Warehouse and ask them to clearly explain the difference - They should know best!

Cheers,

Gil

Doctor J

Gil_Dub wrote:

I'd also point out that your assertion that the DT100's are sonically s***e is not really relevant - Nobody should ever buy audio equipment without listening to it carefully first and on that point I'm sure we would strongly agree.

Personally, I believe that the market here stifles the opportunity to try everything and sometimes you've got to go on reviews and third party accounts and take a gamble. I think that attitude is a tad conservative and not entirely practical. Regarding relevancy, zx91 mentioned monitoring from his mixing desk, so I jumped to the conclusion, perhaps incorrectly - hard to say- that one of the tasks he may use them for would be mixing. In this case I belive my point to be quite valid and would re-affirm that I wouldn't use DT100s for this purpose.

Just my opinion, mind.

zx81

Thank you both for your replies

much appreciated

BeardyGit

Your point is well taken Doc and I'd certainly agree to an extent - It's a pain in the backside that we have to make decisions based on 3rd party reviews in a lot of cases. I'd also be quite happy to take it for granted that you know what you're talking about - As much as I do certainly - And would not discount your recommendations or criticisms. zx81, I'd take Doc's comments on board any day - But still suggest you take any available opportunity to actually try out the kit under consideration when circumstances allow it!

I'm not plugging any particular retailer from a commercial point of view but I'd have to mention at this stage that Liam Seely in Musicmaker has always been friendly, helpful and honest when I've asked him for guidance prior to a purchase - Even to the point of recommending I hold off on a purchase until I've had the chance to test the few products MM can't lay their hands on. If you're serious about picking up some great headphones then I'd recommend you drop in to have a chat with him and try out what they have in stock....Ask him what other products are comparable with whatever they carry and then you'll be in a better position to track down the kit you're most likely to be happiest owning.

You'll no doubt be able to pick up a few more words of wisdom (depending on the contributors pedigree of course) via boards.ie regarding your chosen product!

Gil

Doctor J

Gil_Dub wrote:

suggest you take any available opportunity to actually try out the kit under consideration when circumstances allow it!

That is the gospel right there

Kali

If you want a solid pair of studio cans that will bring out everything in the recordings then personally I feel you would be much better off with a pair of DT250-80s or Sony 7506s.. both are excellent phones with the Beyers being the more neutral/flat, the Sonys having a much deeper bass response.
Plus they are actually a joy to listen as well... be it studio work or pre-recorded... not exactly in the same price-range as the 100s but theres a huge difference.

Doctor J

Other ones I've used which were decent would include Sennheiser HD 25 and AKG K 240 S. I have heard good things about those Sony ones alright.

dabhoys

I'm not a fan of the Beyer ones myself. I like the sennheiser hd280 and hd25 and also the Sony 7506 are quite good.

I find the hd280 to be handy all round headphones. In other words good for tracking and also in loud situations where you need to block out external sound pretty well.

Karl Hungus

dabhoys wrote:

I find the hd280 to be handy all round headphones. In other words good for tracking and also in loud situations where you need to block out external sound pretty well.

I just got myself a set of HD280 Pros, and find them quite excellent.

dabhoys

I likes them too

But I'd like a set of HD25 too...

Karl Hungus

I don't see the need for anything else myself, they're quite awesome whether I'm playing guitaristry stuff, or just watching a movie.

zx81

i went for the BEYERDYNAMIC DT-100/400 in the end, i will use them to basically create/program my tracks and then do the actual mastering on a set of ns-10s after.
Thanks all for your help/advice