using beyerdynamics without an amp

[Still Young]

i'm thinking about gettin some beyerdynamics since i heard lots of people mix on those..
i dont have enough for speaker monitors and even if i had i work in a small untreated room

anyway if i'm gettin beyers (not sure which yet) i will still be able to get the most of them without an amp?
and feel free to recommend models

[mthrfnk]

I just picked up some AKG K702's for a similar reason, they work well off my external audio interface (Yamaha Audiogram 3) but I can tell they need a little more power as you start cranking the volume (especially to drive the low end). On my iPod I can drive them at max volume and they're still not "loud". So I just purchased a Pro-Ject headphone amp too - I'll give you an update when it arrives and I've tested it

Ironically I've spent nearly as much on this new setup as I did on monitors but to me it's a decent investment... since I regularly listen/produce music on my home setup and it's nice to be able to switch between a good pair of headphones and my monitors.

[nowaysj]

I use dt 770's without an amp, 80 ohm version, and I've never had to crank anything. My laptop volume is a bit lower, but I can't go ANYWHERE near full volume, I think I would bleed.

[AxeD]

Very good decision. Like nowaysj says here, you can easily use the 80 ohms version without extra amplification. The lower the resistance of the drivers, the easier they are to power. The advantages of high impedance are a bit more complicated.

80 ohms is not that low, but you won't need an amp.

[Still Young]

I use dt 770's without an amp, 80 ohm version, and I've never had to crank anything. My laptop volume is a bit lower, but I can't go ANYWHERE near full volume, I think I would bleed.

oo and as far as mixing how flat are those? i mean do u mix on em and still like what u hear when u turn up your speakers? and hows the highs cuz' ive heard people say the dt77 dont have shiny highs

[nowaysj]

They are very very useful to me. I work in an untreated, unsymmetrical room, that is so totally fucked an acoustician would shit their pants (not to mention I've lost 28db of hearing in my right ear between 4-8khz).

the 770's representation of bass is VERY VERY good. It is almost physical. Yes, there are no shiny highs on the 770's and that is a very good thing. They are not for consumers to listen to music. They are studio headphones. I generally mix on rockit 5's, and I've turned their highs down, but still, if I mix on the 5's my mixes are dull. When I mix on the 770's, I have to work, and really push those highs, get them bright and clear without being harsh. My 770 mixes translate much better to a wider variety of playback systems. I hate wearing headphones, so, I spend time with the 5's, but with the 5's there is no bass, my room has absolute fucked nodes, the highs are too prominent, so I make dull mixes....

I will say that I haven't figured out mids on either the 5's or the 770's.

AND it is really frustrating going between the 770's and the 5's as on each, the track will sound like it is unmixed. Like certain elements will stand out so much more on one than the other, it is really really difficult for me! It is like when I switch from the 5's to the 770's I've got to totally redo the mix... ah. I'd love to have some good quality monitoring in a good quality room, so I hear what I'm doing. My frustration levels are RISING.

[AxeD]

Yeah the frequency response isn't that flat, but I've also noticed my mixes translate quite well.
Tend to mix in a bit too much mid-high though.

[nowaysj]

Is that it, that range? I've not figured this out yet. I'll have leads just pop on the krk's and disappear on the 770's, or sometimes the inverse. I think it is a pretty narrow band that is weird on the 770's.

[trsreagan3]

here is a thread that I started a few months ago that may have some useful information for you. I currently am using: bd dt770 pro 250 ohm with no amp, and the krk rp5's. I use the dr dre beats pro for comparison/louder volumes. I find that the 770's just don't get loud enough for me sometimes.

http://www.dubstepforum.com/forum/viewt ... 8&t=273037

[trsreagan3]

nowaysj, looks like we are both working with the exact same monitors/headphones. I experience ALL of the symptoms you have and my mixes end up dull if i only use the rokits to reference. I also A-B with the beyers, dre beats pros, shure in ear (forgot the model, about $150), and sometimes bluetooth to my Polk system in my truck so I can sit in there with my laptop and make adjustments. Still trying to decide on a headphone amp and new set of monitors haha

[nowaysj]

Yeah, I turned down the highs on the krk's to darken them. They're still bright.

[AxeD]

trsreagan3, you need a headphone amp for those cans. As I said, the relation between resistance and 'volume' is inversely proportional. Consumer electronics are designed to drive headphones of
around 30 ohms.