Beyerdynamic DT-880, but closed?

The DT880 is a part of the DT700 series. All headphones in these series use the same drivers (but tuned slightly differently to account for the different cups). The DT770 is the closed can of the series. The DT880 is semi-open and the DT990 is fully open.

In other words, the DT770 is the 'closed version of the DT880'.

Quote:

Originally Posted by reticon 

 

Ah, that makes sense, thank you! I've heard people remark that the DT770 is slightly bass and treble boosted. Perhaps the change from semi open to closed is the reason for this? I was thinking the bass and treble would have no change to escape thus either a real or perceived bass/treble boost... that is my n00b hypothesis anyways. :)

It is very likely that resonance within the closed cups account for the slightly boomy bass of the DT770 and the treble is likely boosted to prevent the can from sounding too boomy. 

My personal hypothesis is that the DT880 is tuned to be listened to in short durations at louder levels, for critical studio applications, while the other two cans are tuned for longer sessions at lower volumes, based on the Fletcher-Munson curve (at lower volumes the bass and treble needs to be boosted to sound linear). 

It is also possible that the DT770's bass is boosted as outside noise tends to drown out bass frequencies the most...

With all this said, the difference is not huge either way:

Quote:

Originally Posted by reticon 

Sweet, thanks for the graph, makes a lot of sense. With the risk of being off topic, have you gotten to try the T70p? Big price jump, but I've heard many different stories about it from perfectly balanced to spiky treble. I figure source and frankly how deaf someone has become could account for this?

I have never heard the T70p so I can't really comment on how they sound. Based on the graph below, they should probably sound quite similar to the DT770, but with even more recessed mids and rolled off treble. The bass looks really nice though as the curve is quite smooth for a closed can. All of this is my guess though, as I haven't heard them and graphs don't give you the whole picture.

Judging solely by the graph, it is possible that the treble seems really boosted due to how the frequencies below 6k are recessed, even though the spike is actually at around the same level as the DT770. But then again, the DT770 has also been accused of having spiky treble. And indeed, the source and how deaf someone is can certainly have an influence on how they perceive headphones.

While the DT series all use the same drivers, the DT770 250Ohm and DT880 250Ohm sound nothing alike. The DT880 is flatter and more balanced while the DT770 is brighter and thinner sounding with less bass. The 80Ohm Pro DT770 is the one that is bass heavy.

How about checking out the AKG K550 and Audio Technica ATH-A900X.

Not as bassy as the DT880, but they are easy to drive.

Shure SRH940?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jupitreas 

In other words, the DT770 is the 'closed version of the DT880'.

Well, I think this is gross misinformation. The DT770 and the DT880 sound nothing alike. The drivers may be the same, but the headphones themselves really sound nothing alike.

In fact, I think the DT770 is more like a closed DT990 with somewhat more rolled off treble and significantly less soundstage. The DT880 is like the oddball of the DT770/DT880/DT990 trio.

In terms of being a closed DT880, I honestly haven't found anything quite like it. The ATH-M50 is very close to being so, if you can find one with more forward midrange, but it obviously lacks the soundstage.

The Audio Technica ATH-A900X are the only closed headphones I've heard that come close to having that super airy sound.  (Check here for my review).  It also happens to be the most balanced closed headphone I've heard, which again is what I assume you seek coming from the DT880's.

Good luck on your search!

Quote:

Originally Posted by reticon 

How are you doing these awesome graphs? I would like to learn. It would be cool to see the DT-1350 vs the T70

You can make them by going to http://headphone.com and clicking on "Build A Graph".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill-P 

 

Well, I think this is gross misinformation.

Its not gross misinformation, the OP asked if "Beyerdynamic has another model with the same EQ / drivers / etc, but closed for a bit of isolation". The answer to this specific question is that yes Beyerdynamic has another model with the same drivers but closed for a bit of isolation and this model is the DT770. Graphs show that EQ is also fairly similar, although people will subjectively tell you that they sound nothing alike. Its not true, they don't sound the same but they are not completely unrelated to each other either. As I already explained above, the DT990 and DT770 sound similar to the DT880 at lower volumes, based on the Fletcher-Munson curve. Neutrality is not linear on the volume scale...

But yes, if you want a closed headphone from another company that sounds similar to the DT880, I would recommend one of the models that have already been mentioned in this thread by PurpleAngel and Mysteek. With this said, IMO the biggest trademark of the DT880 is its emphasized, sharp, crystal-clear treble and I don't think any of the competition has that. Coincidentally, the DT770 does...