The Beyerdynamic DT880 Appreciation / Discussion thread - Page 156

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbophead 

As I mentioned in another post, I gave up after two tries with amazon warehouse and went with one of their third party sellers.  It worked!

Yeah, I just had a great price locked in from Amazon for new, better than the used prices, so I was willing to play the game as long as they were willing.

Doing a review of my $100 Indeed G3 Modded Tube Hybrid Amp now! So stick around because the 250 ohms sound GREAT with it! The 250 are very analytical. With VERY modest flat line Bass Response and slighty bright

The Amp adds the extra warmth and detail in teh bass and mids and takes away some of the grain in the treble! Really nice... but more later :D 

Quote:

Originally Posted by yokken 

So after having a bit more time with these bad boys, I have a few observations to make.

 

1. They sound great out of my E17 connected to my Nexus 4. They can definitely use more power if it's available but the E17 on 0dB gain does just fine between 50 and 60 volume, with the Nexus 4 at max.
2. The imaging is addictive. Compared to my HD650 these things actually tell you where stuff is, whereas the HD650 is just good at left-center-right imaging. The DT880 is much more 3D.
3. They are quick. There are some parts of songs that feel just a tad blurry on the HD650 after hearing them on the DT880, transitions and stuff like that. Obviously Infected Mushroom is much better on the DT880 because it's very fast and detailed music.
4. Pianos sound fairly real on them. The HD650 has the upper hand but only slightly. I very much enjoy pianos on these headphones.
5. I also enjoy the airy sound. My HD650 sounds thick, even a little flat, the day after listening to my DT880. Now this is normal, I know... it took me a day to warm up to the DT880. But after listening to the same songs and comparing them to how I remember them on the HD650, I've found some songs the DT880 is clearly better at, like Infected Mushroom. I try not to listen to 2 different pairs of headphones in the same day (with the exception of my KSC75s at work) because I think it takes away from the enjoyment of the sound and makes it more critical listening.

 

I still think the Lyr adds noticeable warmth to the DT880 sound. Vocals are so much better on the 600ohm than the 250ohm, and I noticed this without reading anyone saying the same thing; I have thrown out expectation bias as an explanation for the better sound. Vocals are actually enjoyable now, and not disappointing and distant like they were with the 250ohm. All in all, I'm pleasantly surprised by these. For a day or two, I was wondering if I made a mistake by buying them, like I thought they sounded good when I was coming from nothing, but after the HE400, HD600, and HD650, realized they weren't that good after all -- but they are! They're better at different things.

 

Glad to be able to enjoy these once again.

Not too sure if you ever use your system on a desk or somewhere "fixed", but the DT880 600 Ohm work really well with the E17 and E09K combo.  The E09K adds that extra voltage swing you need to drive the 600 Ohm DT880s.

I've been using my E09K for the past couple of days and so far no real compliants for the $$$.

Good tight punchy bass, good clarity, nice sense of dynamics.

Have to post again. These cans really don't get enough love. The mids on mine are absolutely fantastic! The bass is so articulate... the treble never offensive. I'm much more pleased with the Lyr/DT880 combo than I thought I would be. 

DT 880 + Amp ( $500-550  Budget)

My head is about to explode, can't decide between

• DT 880 600 Ohm + $150 Amp (preferably portable/transportable)
• DT 880 250 Ohm + $250 Amp/Amp set

1. Is it really worth spending $100 more on 600 ohm version ?
2. Does it make more sense to invest in better amp to drive different headphones I might have in future ?

I was really excited with my $500 budget until I started exploring Head-Fi forums....:(

Appreciate your comments.

p.s. My sources iPhone 4S / iPod Nano 6 / iPad 3 / Thinkpad Laptop

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob439 

DT 880 + Amp ( $500-550  Budget)

 

 

My head is about to explode, can't decide between

• DT 880 600 Ohm + $150 Amp (preferably portable/transportable)
• DT 880 250 Ohm + $250 Amp/Amp set

 

1. Is it really worth spending $100 more on 600 ohm version ?
2. Does it make more sense to invest in better amp to drive different headphones I might have in future ?

 

I was really excited with my $500 budget until I started exploring Head-Fi forums....:(

Appreciate your comments.

 

p.s. My sources iPhone 4S / iPod Nano 6 / iPad 3 / Thinkpad Laptop

O2+DT-880-600 and you are done  

But even with the DT-880-250 you would be happy ... head fi is just here to make you spend more money  

Find a DT880/600ohm for $250 (no problem) and get yourself either a Schiit Asgard or a Schiit Magni/Modi stack. You'll want a better DAC than the one in the Thinkpad. The O2 is semi-portable in that it takes 9V batteries. But I've read enough about the O2 making analytical headphones even more analytical and thin sounding that I would never buy one. You could also consider the Maverick D1/A1 or the Audio-GD NFB-15.32.

Quote:

Originally Posted by yokken 

But I've read enough about the O2 making analytical headphones even more analytical and thin sounding that I would never buy one.

The O2 does not make headphones more analytical. It just does not artificially make the sound "warmer" by rolling off the treble, adding audible distortion and/or noise, or boosting the bass with high output impedance. For those who want to avoid bright or peaky treble, it is probably better to simply get Sennheiser HD6xx headphones instead.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stv014 

 

The O2 does not make headphones more analytical. It just does not artificially make the sound "warmer" by rolling off the treble, adding audible distortion and/or noise, or boosting the bass with high output impedance. For those who want to avoid bright or peaky treble, it is probably better to simply get Sennheiser HD6xx headphones instead.

No matter what you or any O2 lovers say, there are quite a few people who just don't like the sound it puts out. Just want people to know that even though it has all the "great specs" and is semi-portable it's not all it's cracked up to be.

It's easier to use EQ or change headphone than changing sound with an amp 

I didn't buy my Lyr to change the sound, I bought it for more power. I would never buy another amp to change the sound. Now I could buy different tubes, but that's a different story.

Quote:

Originally Posted by yokken 

No matter what you or any O2 lovers say, there are quite a few people who just don't like the sound it puts out.

They are of course free to have and express that subjective opinion, but that does not necessarily make it a fact. After all, it is not surprising that a biased listener would expect a "small portable amp" to have a "small" or "thin" sound, or that something with great measurements would be expected to sound "analytical" or "clinical". It is also not clear what their (presumably perfectly neutral, and hopefully accurately level matched) reference is, compared to which the O2 allegedly sounds "thin".

Quote:

Originally Posted by yokken 

I didn't buy my Lyr to change the sound, I bought it for more power. I would never buy another amp to change the sound. Now I could buy different tubes, but that's a different story.

So you are saying that O2 => not enough loud for you ? or i didn't get something ? 

Quote:

Originally Posted by stv014 

 

They are of course free to have and express that subjective opinion, but that does not necessarily make it a fact. After all, it is not surprising that a biased listener would expect a "small portable amp" to have a "small" or "thin" sound, or that something with great measurements would be expected to sound "analytical" or "clinical". It is also not clear what their (presumably perfectly neutral, and hopefully accurately level matched) reference is, compared to which the O2 allegedly sounds "thin".

It's funny you mention the word "clinical", because that's exactly what the O2 is. It was manufactured to be the most technically efficient, measurement-rocking amp in its price range. It might be technically superior but despite its measurements it's not as loved as it should be. I'm biased because my Lyr sounds amazing, and because I've never heard the O2. I don't know a single person in real life who is looking to buy one, so I may never hear it. But people seem to find amps that do just as good a job or are more pleasing to listen to, for the same price.