I think I broke my headphones

[gnoll]

I dropped my Beyerdynamic DT 770s and now the sound is really tinny without much bass at all. Something must be wrong and I suspect it's from the fall.

1) Would it make sense trying to diagnose the problem and maybe getting them repaired or something?

2) If not and I want to get another pair of closed-backs, what should I look at? Could I get away with something cheaper than 770s or is it worth it paying more? I don't REALLY need them to sound amazing, but something flatter than the 770s could be nice. (I also have Sennheiser HD 600 which I like far more than the Beyers.) Velour pads are a must as well as replaceable pads/headband...

 

[Adieu]

What impedance are you looking for?

If you want cheap budget light comfy and LOUD, the low impedance choice is imho AKG K92 (32 ohms). They kinda fall between consumer junk and "real" headphones though.

 

[jaxadam]

That is a bummer, those are great headphones.

 

[gnoll]

What impedance are you looking for?

If you want cheap budget light comfy and LOUD, the low impedance choice is imho AKG K92 (32 ohms). They kinda fall between consumer junk and "real" headphones though.

They should work with "standard" interfaces and also phone/computer for casual listening. But I don't listen very loud so up to ~200 should be okay I think.

Those AKGs don't have velour pads ;[ The headbands also look so weird and big on AKG, I want them to be somewhat easily stashable in a bag...

 

[wheresthefbomb]

I use ATHM50x as my "studio" headphones and while I haven't done a lot of comparison, they are "known" for having a relatively flat response and I haven't personally had any issues with them. The pads and band are replaceable to my understanding, though I haven't had to.

I went down this rabbit hole back when I bought the ATHM50X and what I learned is that whatever nebulous qualities like "flat response" you're looking for in headphones, numerous consumer reviews will tell you that every headphone on the market both has and does not have these characteristics. To be perfectly honest I eventually kind of picked at random within my price range.

 

[nickgray]

Would it make sense trying to diagnose the problem and maybe getting them repaired or something?

Beyers are very repairable and they sell all the spare parts. It's fairly easy to disassemble them (putting back the earpad is the most finicky part).

 

[gnoll]

Beyers are very repairable and they sell all the spare parts. It's fairly easy to disassemble them (putting back the earpad is the most finicky part).

Hm yeah I've actually had them long enough to have replaced the pads a couple times, I remember it being kind of a pain. I guess I should crack them open and have a look at things, maybe it's just a wire or something that's come off. If not maybe I could just get new drivers, they're like 50€ it seems.

 

[LostTheTone]

I second the notion that you should at least pull them apart and see what is going on.

If you are going to just chuck them out then there's no harm in breaking out the screwdrivers. And just as you say, it could be something really tiny.

Drops and "shock" impacts can easily break a delicate solder joint, or disconnect a push fit connector, and both of those are relatively easy fixes. And since there are parts easily available you can bet that there is a forum or a YouTube channel that will have a guide for how to fix whatever the problem is once you figure it out.

It is possible that you did something more aggravating, but since the cans still (somewhat) work I cant see there being any massive damage in there.

You genuinely might take them apart, then instantly see that a little clip on wire just needs to be replugged. And even if they are properly buggered, you don't even have to bother with the fiddly job of putting them back together. 10 minutes of work to either save yourself some money, or completely confirm that you need to buy something new. That's gotta be worth it.

 

[Giest]

I have AKG 240 MK2, they are only semi closed but I like them so much I now have two sets. Has felt or faux leather cups, 55 ohms (I believe). I wouldn't say they are flat, though others suggested them to me for such reason and may disagree. I think they just slightly lack bass in reality, but the mids and treble are very descriptive. For someone like me who prefers playing a mix through many different systems specifically to dial in the best all around bass it doesn't especially matter, others might feel or do things differently. I'm a guitarist not a sound engineer at any rate, in this modern world with bass and sub often pushed to sonically pornographic levels I think they are very pleasant and useful for both mixing and tracking nonetheless- so not a do all, but a very handy tool if you want to spare yourself the coin of buying dedicated closed and open sets.

 

[Adieu]

K240's leak hard and loud, which can be a problem.

I switch to K92's if there are other people in the room.

 

[Giest]

K240's leak hard and loud, which can be a problem.

I switch to K92's if there are other people in the room.

Yea good point, but I'm a guitarist so doesn't matter to me. Dude seems like he didn't wanna bend over backwards for a solution so I thought it was worth mentioning for guitar and bass behind the desk, which is all I do. My drummer tracks to a click but he uses an in ear, as does the vocalist.

 

[gnoll]

Like I said I also have HD 600s (open) and I use those at home and am very happy, but it's nice to also have some closed-backs if things are loud around me and to have something extra to reference when mixing. I've also used the closed-backs when traveling, commuting, at work etc.

When playing with the band and tracking guitars I use IEMs (with isolating earmuffs at hand as well). There's no way DT 770 would cut it for me next to a loud amp.

 

[Giest]

Sounds like we do things differently. If I were you I'd use this opportunity to consolidate, but then again I can crank my systems and amp at home 24/7 no problems- and don't use any sets or in ear for rehearsal, or gigs when I did them, at all.

 

[Andii]

It would make sense to diagnose them. If you can disassemble and check all of the connections visually you will most likely find the issue. It could be one solder joint that is knocked loose.

There is a fault that can happen where sound can come out of both sides, but it is mono and thin. Right where the cable first enters the earcup is there first place I would look. If you could find someone who can solder, or get you own soldering iron you can probably fix it kinda fast.

Also on headphones. There isn't anything closed back in a comfortable price range that are going to come close to the Senns in neutrality or detail for referencing. For monitoring the new Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X seems nice, but it's $300 and you can't mix on it like you could on the Senns. It's a better move to pull off a low cost repair and keep what you have in service. There are mostly just lateral moves in closed back headphones that aren't insanely expensive IMO. Not worth messing around with.