[Argyris]

I remember that article. I was going to post it, but I remembered it being quite an involved process so I didn't know whether or not it would work for what Tranman was after.
 
The unfortunate thing about well-engineered headphones is that a lot of what makes them perform so well is inherent to their design. A change from open/semi-open to closed is a fundamental shift--for one thing, you now have to deal with the backwave from the driver in a closed design. I'm sure there are other considerations as well, but I'd have to be an engineer and privy to the particulars of the DT880 design in order to say more. The DT770 is probably the closest thing to a closed DT880 from a design standpoint, and I'm sure Beyer didn't just close up the cups and leave it at that.

 

[Koolpep]

  I remember that article. I was going to post it, but I remembered it being quite an involved process so I didn't know whether or not it would work for what Tranman was after.
 
The unfortunate thing about well-engineered headphones is that a lot of what makes them perform so well is inherent to their design. A change from open/semi-open to closed is a fundamental shift--for one thing, you now have to deal with the backwave from the driver in a closed design. I'm sure there are other considerations as well, but I'd have to be an engineer and privy to the particulars of the DT880 design in order to say more. The DT770 is probably the closest thing to a closed DT880 from a design standpoint, and I'm sure Beyer didn't just close up the cups and leave it at that.

This +1
 
I have amassed a full row of beyerdynamic phones from open to semi-open to closed over the years. T90 - DT880 - DT770 LE. Each is distinctly different but still all have the "beyer" sound, to a certain extend. Am just listening to my 880 again after a very long time with the T90 and the DT770 as my main headphones and am loving it. I "modded" the DT880 Edition with hifiman pads. Comfort went down two notches but the sound went up one.
 
Cheers,
K

 

[pp312]

Which means I guess that you're one notch down overall, since comfort is as important as sound.
 
I've just ordered a new set of earpads for my 880 at a cost of $47 all up, which is totally outrageous and ought to be investigated (and this is imported from the US; locally they're $57). I took a close look at the cheap Chinese replacements but could see they had no holes in the underside, which, given jerg's experimentations with the jergpad, would easily be enough to stuff up the sound. Pity, as I think someone needs to undermine all this overpricing for replacement parts, but it looks like it isn't going to be the Chinese.
 
You out there, jerg? Care to experiment on some of these cheap pads?

 

[Argyris]

When you get your new pads, be sure to note if you hear any difference in sound between the two sets and let us know what you find. I don't think I've ever actually seen a direct comparison between new and worn out Better pads, but I have seen two examples of the HD650 which measured (and sounded) significantly different from one another. The most likely source for the descrepency, they hypothesized, was pads that were in different stages of wear (and which had worn in different places due to having different owners).

 

[pp312]

Actually I can answer that straightaway, since I was able to rip the pads off a near-new 880 I bought as a backup.
 
I wasn't expecting a change, so was pleasantly surprised to note that the sound seemed smoother, with slightly better inner detail. Now whether there was a subliminal expectation there I don't know, but often these first impressions, before we start to quantify them, are the truest.
 
It's logical, I suppose. Beyer would no doubt have done a lot of research and experimentation on the pads (which maybe accounts for the price), so any deviation from the new dimensions is likely to have slight but detectable effects. They want the drivers such-and-such a distance from the ear; pad compression is going to change that. Would most people notice the change after say a year's average use? I doubt it, but I listen to classical/orchestral exclusively, so any change soon becomes apparent in hardened string tone, overly cutting brass etc. Lately I'd become ever-so-slightly dissatisfied with the sound; now I'm not. So anyone using a Beyer, or I guess any decent phone, who hasn't relaced the pads in awhile, a (not all that cheap) upgrade might be found in a new set.

 

[xkonfuzed]

When you get your new pads, be sure to note if you hear any difference in sound between the two sets and let us know what you find. I don't think I've ever actually seen a direct comparison between new and worn out Better pads, but I have seen two examples of the HD650 which measured (and sounded) significantly different from one another. The most likely source for the descrepency, they hypothesized, was pads that were in different stages of wear (and which had worn in different places due to having different owners).

actually that might be because Sennheiser released the HD6x0 with new (silver) drivers a while back which seemed to add a touch of presence to the treble and lift the infamous "Sennheiser Veil". 

 

[kman1211]

  actually that might be because Sennheiser released the HD6x0 with new (silver) drivers a while back which seemed to add a touch of presence to the treble and lift the infamous "Sennheiser Veil". 

That is probably the difference, I've listened to both the old black driver and new silver driver HD 650s and they were quite different sounding. I never found the old black driver one veiled though although it was likely because they were well amped, it was more laid-back and didn't quite have the clarity or extension in both ends of the newer version.

 

[mstrmind5]

Hi all,
 
On the cusp of getting the O2/ODAC combo from Epiphany to pair with my DT880 600 ohm. Gain settings on their site list 1.0x/5.0x. Am I able to request a change of value from 5.0. If so, does it cost and what value to. On another post someone suggested the following:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/616331/o2-amp-odac/3135#post_10703732
 
Does that sound about right, or is 2.5x gain better than 3.5x?
What is your experience of pairing the O2/ODAC with the DT880 600 ohm?
Especially like to hear from anyone who has Epiphany's version.
 
Thanks.

 

[MrEleventy]

Hi all,

On the cusp of getting the O2/ODAC combo from Epiphany to pair with my DT880 600 ohm. Gain settings on their site list 1.0x/5.0x. Am I able to request a change of value from 5.0. If so, does it cost and what value to. On another post someone suggested the following:

Does that sound about right, or is 2.5x gain better than 3.5x?
What is your experience of pairing the O2/ODAC with the DT880 600 ohm?
Especially like to hear from anyone who has Epiphany's version.

Thanks.

Perhaps you should be asking Epiphany that question and not the 880s thread?
As for the pairing, the versions shouldn't matter at all. Under HeWhoShaltNotBeNamed's licensing, no one is allowed to make changes to the board designs and sell them so in theory.... they should be the same.

 

[mstrmind5]

Perhaps you should be asking Epiphany that question and not the 880s thread?

As for the pairing, the versions shouldn't matter at all. Under HeWhoShaltNotBeNamed's licensing, no one is allowed to make changes to the board designs and sell them so in theory.... they should be the same.

You're right, I'm sorry. Just hoped someone might already have a quick reply ready.
I understand about no variation across the different O2/ODAC combos, just wanted feedback on the O2/ODAC pairing with a DT880.

 

[Xyrium]

Totally valid, no worries.

 

[Epunrated]

This thread lasted over 5xx pages so its difficult for me to see all the comments. I have been given a Dt880/250ohms Premium edition as my birthday gift. Is it still a good deal till now? I intend to recable its stock cable by SilverDragon v3 and then pairs it with Audio Gd Nfb 1 (with max options upgraded). I wonder if it (dt880) still worth for me (till now after so many new other products appeared) to spend for??
Hope to be given ur advices for this .. many thanks

 

[florin5000]

Hello I have a DT 880 Pro 250 ohms. I used some time ago Fiio E07K + E09K and it was really good, bass, treble, high and mids... After I have selled this combo and i bought Little Dot MK V.
I am using my iphone or the computer as a DAC and i connect it to little dot MK5 and listen in my dt 880 pro... It is good.. but i remember that with fiio combo it was better.... maybe this is because i need a good dac ?? like e07k ?? Can you please give me some suggestions ?

 

[Argyris]

This thread lasted over 5xx pages so its difficult for me to see all the comments. I have been given a Dt880/250ohms Premium edition as my birthday gift. Is it still a good deal till now? I intend to recable its stock cable by SilverDragon v3 and then pairs it with Audio Gd Nfb 1 (with max options upgraded). I wonder if it (dt880) still worth for me (till now after so many new other products appeared) to spend for??
Hope to be given ur advices for this .. many thanks

 
Well...do you like the way your DT880 sounds? That, more than anything else, is the most important thing to consider with any audio device. The DT880 is often considered to be an excellent value, but it also has a sound signature (bright-leaning neutral) that some people love but others just can't get on with, so it's not going to be a universally good or bad choice. If you're asking if it's worth putting upgrades into, I'll admit that I'm a known skeptic of a lot of the benefits touted by cable/amp/DAC upgrades, so you can take what I'll say with a grain of salt, but I would say that nothing source- or cable-related is going to fundamentally alter the way the DT880 sounds. If you really like the DT880 and want to get that last little bit of performance out of it (real or perceived), then go for it. It's certainly not going to sound worse with higher end equipment behind it. But if you're hoping for a drastic transformation, you might want to look for something that comes closer to your sonic preferences even before you start upgrading the rest of the audio chain.

 

[xkonfuzed]

Hello I have a DT 880 Pro 250 ohms. I used some time ago Fiio E07K + E09K and it was really good, bass, treble, high and mids... After I have selled this combo and i bought Little Dot MK V.
I am using my iphone or the computer as a DAC and i connect it to little dot MK5 and listen in my dt 880 pro... It is good.. but i remember that with fiio combo it was better.... maybe this is because i need a good dac ?? like e07k ?? Can you please give me some suggestions ?

Some options that come to mind:
Schiit Modi
Aune T1 (tube DAC, but also has a built in amp)

If you want to go cheaper id recommend the Hifimediy Sabre usb DAC, a solid performer for $40. However it only has one output which is a 3.5mm jack.