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DT880 or DT990.. which one is better

post #1 of 8
11/28/08 at 2:56pm
Thread Starter 
I would like to add a Beyerdynamic headphone to my collection. Currently I have Ultrasone Edition 9, JVX/RCA DX1000, Denon D5000 Markl moded, Denon D2000 modiffied and woddied, MB Quart QP85 and Audio Technica ESW10JPN.

I normally listen to Pop and Classic Pop like Fleetwood Mac, America, Dido, Train, Life House, etc..

Which one of the Beyers is the best for this kind of music and why?

My amplifiers are Rudistor. RPX33 MkII and RP-7 Lite. Sources upstream are at Hi-Fi level.

Thanks,
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post #2 of 8
11/28/08 at 3:19pm
Having heard both for quite some time (I still own the DT880) I think that I can safely say that the main difference between the two is that the DT880 is not fun and the DT990 is.

The DT880 is neutral, not so much bass, more perceived detail and can be very uninvolving. This does work really well depending on your taste and the genre you are listening to. I kinda like to use it when listening to classical and jazz.

The DT990 has a lot more bass, somewhat less perceived detail than the DT880 - which I think could be because of the more prominent bass and could be described as being a 'fun' headphone. Maybe not as much 'fun' as Grados, but certainly more fun as the more neutral headphones around. (although I didn't think Grados were fun at all since they hurt my ears)

I have been using both with the setup in my signature.

Edit: Since I completely forgot to actually answer your question...

I think the DT990 might be more suitable for the kind of music you are mainly listening to, but that's really my opinion. I think it mainly has to do with how you want to listen to music. Either in a more analytical (not sure if I spelled this correctly) way or in a more fun way.

The best way, as always, is if you can listen to both headphones yourself.
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post #3 of 8
11/28/08 at 4:18pm
DT880 is more flat and having sweet midrange. The DT990 '05 can kill your ears in some setups with their nasty trebles and big empty bass. Given the headphones you mentioned, the DT990's would stand out as those with sucked out midrange and car audio like sound.
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post #4 of 8
11/28/08 at 7:26pm
EnOYiN describes the difference between the phones accurately. I have never heard the problems majkel describes. The difference is very subtle. If you value accuracy and detail above all else go 880.
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post #5 of 8
11/28/08 at 9:38pm
.
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post #6 of 8
11/29/08 at 1:51am
dt990 has accentuated treble/bass. i think their bass is great in quality and quantity (without being overwhelming), but the treble is a bit too much for me. i haven't had enough experience with the dt880 to recommend them, but they're definitely more neutral than the dt990.
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post #7 of 8
11/29/08 at 4:56am
DT990 has strong bass. You have already owned the JVC DX1000 so i don't think you really need the DT990
However, you should consider a recable DT880
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post #8 of 8
11/29/08 at 12:04pm
I like my DT880s. They're very smooth imo.
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