I was quite disappointed with my DT880. I thought they'd make for excellent christmas present, but I was really wrong.
First thing I noticed is very pronounced treble. While it might be OK for listening, e.g. after burn-in and "you'll get used to it", that was not why I got the headphones! I bought them for music production and that treble peak would push me towards equalization the wrong way, which is simply unacceptable for reference headphones.
Reference means something that is uniquely and objectively transparent, from which can one "reference" sound.
Mid-range is severely attenuated, I didn't hear much of it so can't comment on this.
Bass, that's probably the strongest point. Very deep, but feels detached from the rest of the spectrum.
It fell short on all of the vintage "truly reference pairs" I happen to have - AKG K240DF, K240 Monitor and K141 Monitor, all in 600Ohm.
96dB/mW sensitivity is rather good, there were no problems with volume on all my devices, including portable players. Amplifier, while truly not necessary didn't improve the sound a bit (JDSLabs Objective2), that further proves it's transparency, but not headphones.
I tried listening at low volumes close to 50dB, but the spectrum problems were there, clear as day.
As for soundstage, there are hints of 3D in it, but it's too narrow and shallow to precisely position instruments. K240DF is way more reliable in this regard, with clear distinction between front & back, which makes orchestra positioning in DAW much easier. That term Diffuse Field Equalized was not thrown there in vain.
Overall I cannot recommend this pair. Good for audiophiles, but not for producers & engineers.
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