Those who have read my posts will know that I absolutely love the Audio Technica AD700's! They're comfortable and sound AMAZING with the most immersive soundstage I have ever experienced. Strangely though, my favorite sound comes from the ER6i's. The detail, the instrument separation and the neutrality makes what I consider the perfect sound. Only problem is, my ears do not seem to like having bits of foam stuffed in them (I use the Shure Olives) and after 10 minutes or so I begin to experience pain.
And so my quest began, to try find the sound of the ER6i's (maybe with some aspects of the AD700's) in a full sized can. Through vast amounts of googling I came across reports that the DT880's were very detailed and neutral, but with a slight exaggeration in the treble, and lots of soundstage. They sounded near perfect. So I bought a set of 03's (mostly due to people saying the 05's had a more bass which wasn't what I was looking for.)
Out of a sea of foam peanuts...
A Beyerdynamic monster appears!
They come with a nice but fairly useless case. It's quite big compared to the headphones themselves but I guess it would be handy if I were to transport them somewhere (like to a LAN party).
Unzip it...
And there they are! I have to say I quite like the silver and black styling. It makes them look kinda oldschool, in a good way. While the 05's look more modern, I still prefer the style of the 03's.
The build is quite good. None of the creaking that I experience with my AD700's. They seem rock solid. The only part that's not perfect is the swiveling mechanism of the cups. Could just by my pair, but the left one seems to catch on something and make a clicking sound when twisted the right way. Not sure what's going on there, but it doesn't seem to affect the comfort or placement.
And what comfort! The velour pads are EXTREMELY soft, softer (and deeper) than my AD700's. They're sized perfectly to surround my ear and don't reach down to my upper cheek like the AD700's do. By the way each cup automatically touches together you would think that they clamp. In truth, they clamping force is almost zero! They're also VERY VERY light (alot more than they look). They feel like they're about the same or maybe a touch heavier than the AD700's. Since they don't have the 3d wing headband of the AD700's, they put more pressure on the top of your head but it's still not bad. Overall I think they're just as comfortable as the AD700 and would probably suit smaller heads better.
Now, the part that you've all been waiting for... SOUND!
To make thing's simpler, I'll break it down into the different aspects of the sound. I recommend reading it all though, not just the aspects that are of interest to you.
Highs
The treble is quite prominent with lots of 'sparkle' and is exceptionally clear. Some may find this too much but I personally don't mind. The AD700's don't have as much treble sparkle and, in comparison, it sounds grainy. Cymbals are more 'real' on the DT880's. In extremely bright recordings they can become fatiguing due to the amount of sparkle. Very very clear though. They do acoustic guitar VERY well.
Mids
Less prominent, slightly recessed compared to the rest of the music. I personally can't stand recessed mids. Luckily it's not TOO bad on the DT880's. I originally thought that the AD700's had recessed mids, but that seems to have been fixed with burn in. One thing about the mids though is that they seem to be separated from the rest of the music. The mids are in your head and the rest of the music is like around you. The tone of the mids is less bright than the AD700's as well. Overall they seem more natural but less fun.
Bass
DT880's have exceptional bass. It has about the same extension as the AD700's but much more slam and presence, yet still remains totally tight. Very very nice bass. Nicely textured too.
Soundstage
Quite interesting... They do have soundstage, not all in your head like a Grado. It's just interesting soundstage. While the music in the AD700's is front back, left right, all around, in the DT880's it's just left to right. It seems more 2D. Still, it's much more natural and probably more true to the recording.
Tone and Upfrontedness
DT880's are more... Mellow, perhaps warmer. AD700's in comparison seem very bright. I've heard people say the DT880's are cold and thin. While the treble does lead to a slightly thin sound, I don't think they're cold at all. Could just be my amp. They say that tubes do good things to the DT880's... To my ears the AD700's are on the stage and the DT880's are in the front row. They're not like senns so they still suit rock quite well.
Detail and Separation
MUCH MUCH more detailed than my AD700's. Nothing is lost. The seperation is quite good too, but not up to the standard of my ER6i's. On the ER6i's you can focus on one part of the music and it's like in it's own 'part'. Very hard to explain but it's something which I think must be exclusive to Ety's.
Overall I think the DT880's are great totally natural cans. They reveal EVERYTHING and it's always good to have those types of cans around. However I think the AD700's have a more 'fun' sound which suits rock better. Less natural and real, but more enjoyable. As for whether the Beyers do what the Ety's do... I don't think so. Moreso than the AD700's but they just ain't ety's. Probably no full size can has that ety sound... But if anyone has suggestions I'd love to hear them!
So are they a keeper? I'm really not sure yet... It amazes me how well the AD700's perform for there price. They are greatly underappreciated IMO. I find it funny that this has turned into a battle to find a pair of headphones that can beat a set of $120 AD700's. But in comparison to the DT880's I must admit the AD700's sound blurry, coloured, unnatural and lacking in bass while in comparison to the AD700's the DT880's sound extremely clear, more natural but the midrange sounds recessed and they seem slower with less energy.
And so my quest began, to try find the sound of the ER6i's (maybe with some aspects of the AD700's) in a full sized can. Through vast amounts of googling I came across reports that the DT880's were very detailed and neutral, but with a slight exaggeration in the treble, and lots of soundstage. They sounded near perfect. So I bought a set of 03's (mostly due to people saying the 05's had a more bass which wasn't what I was looking for.)
Out of a sea of foam peanuts...
A Beyerdynamic monster appears!
They come with a nice but fairly useless case. It's quite big compared to the headphones themselves but I guess it would be handy if I were to transport them somewhere (like to a LAN party).
Unzip it...
And there they are! I have to say I quite like the silver and black styling. It makes them look kinda oldschool, in a good way. While the 05's look more modern, I still prefer the style of the 03's.
The build is quite good. None of the creaking that I experience with my AD700's. They seem rock solid. The only part that's not perfect is the swiveling mechanism of the cups. Could just by my pair, but the left one seems to catch on something and make a clicking sound when twisted the right way. Not sure what's going on there, but it doesn't seem to affect the comfort or placement.
And what comfort! The velour pads are EXTREMELY soft, softer (and deeper) than my AD700's. They're sized perfectly to surround my ear and don't reach down to my upper cheek like the AD700's do. By the way each cup automatically touches together you would think that they clamp. In truth, they clamping force is almost zero! They're also VERY VERY light (alot more than they look). They feel like they're about the same or maybe a touch heavier than the AD700's. Since they don't have the 3d wing headband of the AD700's, they put more pressure on the top of your head but it's still not bad. Overall I think they're just as comfortable as the AD700 and would probably suit smaller heads better.
Now, the part that you've all been waiting for... SOUND!
To make thing's simpler, I'll break it down into the different aspects of the sound. I recommend reading it all though, not just the aspects that are of interest to you.
Highs
The treble is quite prominent with lots of 'sparkle' and is exceptionally clear. Some may find this too much but I personally don't mind. The AD700's don't have as much treble sparkle and, in comparison, it sounds grainy. Cymbals are more 'real' on the DT880's. In extremely bright recordings they can become fatiguing due to the amount of sparkle. Very very clear though. They do acoustic guitar VERY well.
Mids
Less prominent, slightly recessed compared to the rest of the music. I personally can't stand recessed mids. Luckily it's not TOO bad on the DT880's. I originally thought that the AD700's had recessed mids, but that seems to have been fixed with burn in. One thing about the mids though is that they seem to be separated from the rest of the music. The mids are in your head and the rest of the music is like around you. The tone of the mids is less bright than the AD700's as well. Overall they seem more natural but less fun.
Bass
DT880's have exceptional bass. It has about the same extension as the AD700's but much more slam and presence, yet still remains totally tight. Very very nice bass. Nicely textured too.
Soundstage
Quite interesting... They do have soundstage, not all in your head like a Grado. It's just interesting soundstage. While the music in the AD700's is front back, left right, all around, in the DT880's it's just left to right. It seems more 2D. Still, it's much more natural and probably more true to the recording.
Tone and Upfrontedness
DT880's are more... Mellow, perhaps warmer. AD700's in comparison seem very bright. I've heard people say the DT880's are cold and thin. While the treble does lead to a slightly thin sound, I don't think they're cold at all. Could just be my amp. They say that tubes do good things to the DT880's... To my ears the AD700's are on the stage and the DT880's are in the front row. They're not like senns so they still suit rock quite well.
Detail and Separation
MUCH MUCH more detailed than my AD700's. Nothing is lost. The seperation is quite good too, but not up to the standard of my ER6i's. On the ER6i's you can focus on one part of the music and it's like in it's own 'part'. Very hard to explain but it's something which I think must be exclusive to Ety's.
Overall I think the DT880's are great totally natural cans. They reveal EVERYTHING and it's always good to have those types of cans around. However I think the AD700's have a more 'fun' sound which suits rock better. Less natural and real, but more enjoyable. As for whether the Beyers do what the Ety's do... I don't think so. Moreso than the AD700's but they just ain't ety's. Probably no full size can has that ety sound... But if anyone has suggestions I'd love to hear them!
So are they a keeper? I'm really not sure yet... It amazes me how well the AD700's perform for there price. They are greatly underappreciated IMO. I find it funny that this has turned into a battle to find a pair of headphones that can beat a set of $120 AD700's. But in comparison to the DT880's I must admit the AD700's sound blurry, coloured, unnatural and lacking in bass while in comparison to the AD700's the DT880's sound extremely clear, more natural but the midrange sounds recessed and they seem slower with less energy.
