I've had the new Beyerdynamic DT880 and DT990 2005 Editions on loan for a few days now, as I am curious to hear if there any significant differences.
Here's just a few thoughts of mine. Definitely not to be taken too seriously.
This is what they look like, from left to right, DT880-Old, DT880-New and DT990-New:
Here's the "old" DT990 Pro:
[size=small]Sources: [/size]
CD-player: T+A CD 1230 R
[size=small]Amplification: [/size]
MAD Ear++ with Auricaps, Alps Blue Velvet and an excellent 5-star GE triple-mica 5751 tube.
[size=small]Cables: [/size]
Just some Cardas 300-B Micro interconnects. Headphone cables are all stock
[size=small]Headphones used: [/size]
- Beyerdynamic DT880 Edition 2005 ($270 at Meier Audio)
- Beyerdynamic DT990 Edition 2005 ($300 at Meier Audio)
- Beyerdynamic DT880 (The previous model)
- Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro
All are 250 ohm headphones.
The new DT880, DT990 and DT990 Pro got about 50-60 hours on them, so they might improve slightly with more use.
[size=small]Some of the music used: [/size]
- Porcupine Tree: "Coma Divine" (1997)
- Roger Waters: "In The Flesh - Live" (2000)
- Massive Attack: "Protection" (1994)
- Massive Attack: "Mezzanine" (1998)
- Dire Straits: "Brothers in Arms" - Remastered (1985)
- Mark Knopfler: "Sailing to Philadelphia" (2000)
- Dream Theater: "Octavarium" (2005)
And some MP3's of varying quality (mostly EAC+Lame, though).
[size=small]First a few words on construction and design.[/size]
DT990:
I must say that when I first saw the DT880 and DT990 hanging together with some other headphones, the first one I noticed, was the DT990.
Yeah, some will say that it looks blingish, but I like it. It definitely looks better in person than in the press photos. The vent-like grilles on the housings are nicely made of some sort of metal, and feels nice. In fact, the whole phone feels good to hold and wear.
The basic construction is very similar to the old DT990, and almost identical to the 2005-version of the DT770.
You can say that they have refined it a bit.
Comfortwise, this is great stuff. Noticably less skullpressure than the old DT990 Pro. Same old velour pads (thankfully!).
Somehow it feels lighter, even if the old DT990 Pro weighs 20 grams less. Strange.
DT880:
Almost identical to the DT990. Apparently it's only the grilles that are different. The grilles on the DT880-2005 looks quite like the old models, only rounded, and with a plaque that says "DT 880".
As the DT990-2005, this one is exceptionally comfortable to wear.
Great stuff!
[size=small]Direct comparison between the new DT990 and the old DT990 Pro[/size]
First impression: No huge differences, but there might just be something...
I'd say the overall bass response is about the same, which is a very good thing. It is deep, hardhitting and great fun. Both DT990s really shine with the Massive Attack albums.
There's some slight differences in the highs and mids, though. Especially voices seems to be a bit more defined and prominent in the soundstage.
Yup, after spinning the Knopfler CD, it's quite easy to hear that the mids are clearer and more detailed in the new DT990, they're not as distant as in the old one. These are in no way big differences, but they're there.
It seems like the new DT990 got some of that sweet, natural sounding highs that the new DT770 got. It's hard to explain, it's like the new one got more details, but somehow sounds smoother. Slightly more refined, I guess.
Which one would I choose? Well, I guess price is an issue here, but disregarding that, I'd choose the DT990-New.
[size=small]Direct comparison between the new DT880 and the previous DT880[/size]
First impression: Hmm...even less differences?
This comparison became shorter than I expected. The differences are minimal to my ear.
Again, I had to whip out the Knopfler CD to pinpoint any differences.
When I swapped quickly between them, I could hear a slight increase in details in the new one. Even more air and soundstage than the old.
However, this is very very minor, and the fact that my old DT880 got a few years on it's back, might be enough to make it sound different.
Actually I don't mind that Beyerdynamic didn't try to improve the DT880 much. They could really easily screwed up the good thing they had going, and destroyed the magical DT880.
Fortunately, the new DT880 is atleast as good as the old.
Which one would I choose? The DT880-New, just because it's new.
[size=small]Direct comparison between the 2005 Editions of the DT880 and DT990.[/size]
First impression: Oh yeah, these are two quite different headphones.
The DT990 still got more of the fun factor, and the DT880 is the transparent, correct one.
With its slightly increased details, the DT990 is closer to the DT880 than before, but you wouldn't mistake them in a blind test.
When you switch from the DT990 to the DT880, the latter can seem a little boring, or flat, if you like, but give it a few minutes, and you have totally forget about that. It's really weird, but the DT880 just seems to disappear, and all you're left with, is the music. Pure and simple.
When you switch from the DT880 to the DT990, you immediately notice the harder, fuller bass, but also the loss of some midrange and air. Some details are also lost, mostly in the upper bass and lower midrange. It's somewhat of a loudness-type sound.
Yes, the DT990 is colored, but with some music, it's a bloody nice color.
It can add some needed punch, rythmn and fun to a song to push it from just ok to something special. Whereas the DT880 mercilessly delivers whatever's coming from the source. Definitely two different approaches.
Just for the record; The DT990 really likes to rock...
Which one would I choose? Both, unless you like only one specific genre of music. They really complement each other very well, especially if you got a broad music taste.
If I absolutely had to choose just one? I guess the DT880. It's something special with it's transparency and airiness. But I wouldn't have any problems living with the DT990 as my only headphone. In fact, I'd be a very happy camper.
[size=small]Conclusions[/size]
Well, kinda as expected, there wasn't any huge surprises from the new 2005 Editions of the DT880 and DT990. I'm actually quite relieved that Beyerdynamic didn't mess too much with their classics. They're both special, in their own ways, and I would've been sad not to have the sound signature of the old DT990 around.
The DT990 was the one I heard most differences in, when compared to the old Pro, but it's just a slight refinement, which I liked a lot.
The DT880 is fortunately fairly untouched, with just slightly more air and details.
As to the new designs, it's all a matter of taste. The construction itself, is just about the same as the old ones, it's just a little refined and "commercial" looking. I must admit that the new DT990 is quite eye-catching with it's shiny grille.
The robustness should be equal to the old ones.
The two classic Beyers are still just that; Classics.
I welcome any feedback/comments.
Here's just a few thoughts of mine. Definitely not to be taken too seriously.
This is what they look like, from left to right, DT880-Old, DT880-New and DT990-New:
Here's the "old" DT990 Pro:
[size=small]Sources: [/size]
CD-player: T+A CD 1230 R
[size=small]Amplification: [/size]
MAD Ear++ with Auricaps, Alps Blue Velvet and an excellent 5-star GE triple-mica 5751 tube.
[size=small]Cables: [/size]
Just some Cardas 300-B Micro interconnects. Headphone cables are all stock
[size=small]Headphones used: [/size]
- Beyerdynamic DT880 Edition 2005 ($270 at Meier Audio)
- Beyerdynamic DT990 Edition 2005 ($300 at Meier Audio)
- Beyerdynamic DT880 (The previous model)
- Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro
All are 250 ohm headphones.
The new DT880, DT990 and DT990 Pro got about 50-60 hours on them, so they might improve slightly with more use.
[size=small]Some of the music used: [/size]
- Porcupine Tree: "Coma Divine" (1997)
- Roger Waters: "In The Flesh - Live" (2000)
- Massive Attack: "Protection" (1994)
- Massive Attack: "Mezzanine" (1998)
- Dire Straits: "Brothers in Arms" - Remastered (1985)
- Mark Knopfler: "Sailing to Philadelphia" (2000)
- Dream Theater: "Octavarium" (2005)
And some MP3's of varying quality (mostly EAC+Lame, though).
[size=small]First a few words on construction and design.[/size]
DT990:
I must say that when I first saw the DT880 and DT990 hanging together with some other headphones, the first one I noticed, was the DT990.
Yeah, some will say that it looks blingish, but I like it. It definitely looks better in person than in the press photos. The vent-like grilles on the housings are nicely made of some sort of metal, and feels nice. In fact, the whole phone feels good to hold and wear.
The basic construction is very similar to the old DT990, and almost identical to the 2005-version of the DT770.
You can say that they have refined it a bit.
Comfortwise, this is great stuff. Noticably less skullpressure than the old DT990 Pro. Same old velour pads (thankfully!).
Somehow it feels lighter, even if the old DT990 Pro weighs 20 grams less. Strange.
DT880:
Almost identical to the DT990. Apparently it's only the grilles that are different. The grilles on the DT880-2005 looks quite like the old models, only rounded, and with a plaque that says "DT 880".
As the DT990-2005, this one is exceptionally comfortable to wear.
Great stuff!
[size=small]Direct comparison between the new DT990 and the old DT990 Pro[/size]
First impression: No huge differences, but there might just be something...
I'd say the overall bass response is about the same, which is a very good thing. It is deep, hardhitting and great fun. Both DT990s really shine with the Massive Attack albums.
There's some slight differences in the highs and mids, though. Especially voices seems to be a bit more defined and prominent in the soundstage.
Yup, after spinning the Knopfler CD, it's quite easy to hear that the mids are clearer and more detailed in the new DT990, they're not as distant as in the old one. These are in no way big differences, but they're there.
It seems like the new DT990 got some of that sweet, natural sounding highs that the new DT770 got. It's hard to explain, it's like the new one got more details, but somehow sounds smoother. Slightly more refined, I guess.
Which one would I choose? Well, I guess price is an issue here, but disregarding that, I'd choose the DT990-New.
[size=small]Direct comparison between the new DT880 and the previous DT880[/size]
First impression: Hmm...even less differences?
This comparison became shorter than I expected. The differences are minimal to my ear.
Again, I had to whip out the Knopfler CD to pinpoint any differences.
When I swapped quickly between them, I could hear a slight increase in details in the new one. Even more air and soundstage than the old.
However, this is very very minor, and the fact that my old DT880 got a few years on it's back, might be enough to make it sound different.
Actually I don't mind that Beyerdynamic didn't try to improve the DT880 much. They could really easily screwed up the good thing they had going, and destroyed the magical DT880.
Fortunately, the new DT880 is atleast as good as the old.
Which one would I choose? The DT880-New, just because it's new.
[size=small]Direct comparison between the 2005 Editions of the DT880 and DT990.[/size]
First impression: Oh yeah, these are two quite different headphones.
The DT990 still got more of the fun factor, and the DT880 is the transparent, correct one.
With its slightly increased details, the DT990 is closer to the DT880 than before, but you wouldn't mistake them in a blind test.
When you switch from the DT990 to the DT880, the latter can seem a little boring, or flat, if you like, but give it a few minutes, and you have totally forget about that. It's really weird, but the DT880 just seems to disappear, and all you're left with, is the music. Pure and simple.
When you switch from the DT880 to the DT990, you immediately notice the harder, fuller bass, but also the loss of some midrange and air. Some details are also lost, mostly in the upper bass and lower midrange. It's somewhat of a loudness-type sound.
Yes, the DT990 is colored, but with some music, it's a bloody nice color.
It can add some needed punch, rythmn and fun to a song to push it from just ok to something special. Whereas the DT880 mercilessly delivers whatever's coming from the source. Definitely two different approaches.
Just for the record; The DT990 really likes to rock...
Which one would I choose? Both, unless you like only one specific genre of music. They really complement each other very well, especially if you got a broad music taste.
If I absolutely had to choose just one? I guess the DT880. It's something special with it's transparency and airiness. But I wouldn't have any problems living with the DT990 as my only headphone. In fact, I'd be a very happy camper.
[size=small]Conclusions[/size]
Well, kinda as expected, there wasn't any huge surprises from the new 2005 Editions of the DT880 and DT990. I'm actually quite relieved that Beyerdynamic didn't mess too much with their classics. They're both special, in their own ways, and I would've been sad not to have the sound signature of the old DT990 around.
The DT990 was the one I heard most differences in, when compared to the old Pro, but it's just a slight refinement, which I liked a lot.
The DT880 is fortunately fairly untouched, with just slightly more air and details.
As to the new designs, it's all a matter of taste. The construction itself, is just about the same as the old ones, it's just a little refined and "commercial" looking. I must admit that the new DT990 is quite eye-catching with it's shiny grille.
The robustness should be equal to the old ones.
The two classic Beyers are still just that; Classics.
I welcome any feedback/comments.
