[Glokta]

The 600Ohm version is one of my favourites of all time, even if I have/had cans 20x the price. These absolutely shine on a powerful amp and trade blows with headphones 5x the price. I had them modified to have a detachable cable and they're also balanced (84 strand litz copper cable). For my taste I found them excellent off an iFi amplifier with Xbass and 3D (crossfeed) settings turned on. What I wanted to ask, how are they comparing to a T1.2, I have the opportunity to buy a new pair. How much better the T1's are and how similar regarding the sound signature?

 

[iFi audio]

For my taste I found them excellent off an iFi amplifier with Xbass and 3D (crossfeed) settings turned on.

Thanks, it's good to know that these settings engaged worked out well for you

 

[Sefelt103]

(Critical review of DT 880-600)
I’ve changed my mind on Beyerdynamic’s venerable DT 880 Premium Edition 600Ω. My overall rating for this headphone would be 3.5 stars. This line of headphones are complicated and as a lover of simplicity this is something I dislike about these models. There’s the PRO range, the EDITION range and other models each of which will have different sounds and be unique in some aspect. There used to even be a PRO 600Ω version that was once made as well as many vintage versions stretching back to the 1980s. One of its big attractions is its price. In a world of high cost headphones it’s cheap but not cheerful. A few years ago this was not the case with prices being fairly steep at around £1/Ω. I was curious about this headphone for years as it was one of the famous HD650/AKG K701 trio. I now know the AKG and the Beyerdynamic DT 880 are much closer together than Sennheiser’s HD650. A new (other) headphone I went through a strange burn in phase with the DT 880. I thought the soundstage was unbalanced, that the driver impedance was uneven and heard all sorts of weird psycho acoustic effects none of which I hear now. Initially what struck me was how different this headphone was from the others I’d heard, mainly in its lack of warmth and lack of euphonic or harmonic distortion which made it ‘clear’ sounding. So initially I thought ‘this is it’ until I discovered all the flaws of this headphone. I was hearing AC/DC’s distorted guitars without any additional ‘crunch’. The first thing I noticed was that this headphone was a big departure from the other (Sennheiser’s) I owned. After being attuned to an old HD580, the DT 880 seems like the whole frequency response has shifted over to the right, bass mostly gone and piercing treble. This of course changes over time and the pleasant bass comes back and the bright high frequency glare reduces a little bit. Going back the HD650 sounds terrible, dull, bass bloated, no detail, dreadful. The problem was once I was ‘zoned in’ to the DT 880 I found it’s not genre independent. One thing I always want from hifi is for the genre to be irrelevant and don’t like the idea of multiple headphones (which I have) for different types of music genres. Yet this headphone was renowned for its neutrality and therefore supposed genre independence. But then there’s a bright album or song or some instrument that lands in the middle of the treble spike at 5kHz or 8 kHz. This headphone becomes like a monitoring one. So the PRO series with the coiled cable for studio use is almost the same as the premium EDITION range for home use ? Beyerdynamic designed a studio and non-studio version and made them the same sonically, except that no two headphone versions are ever identical sonically. These headphones are certainly built to last and I have never had any issues with build and durability of the metal/plastic construction. They’re lightweight and strong and very comfortable. The attached cable is another unusual trait but is reliable. Sounds seem a little further away than Sennheiser’s line of HD580/600/650 headphones which may please some. One thing I prefer about that line is its modularity. Like the soldered single sided cable, repairs on the DT 880 are more difficult. The bass on the DT 880 is an enigma to me. It extends well and is pleasing once you’re receiving it but I can’t help but think it delivers less than has been recorded. Bass distortion is also higher than it might be and putting layers of toilet paper over the drivers to tame the treble spikes could exacerbate this distortion. Bass and the midrange might be the DT 880s best features. My perception of the midrange doesn’t seem that different to the supposedly forward HD580/650 line and yet it is different which could be related to the less intimate presentation of the DT 880. I listen to mostly pop, rock, alternative, heavy metal from CD in lossless. With other headphones I can listen to anything but not unfortunately with the DT 880. I know I could get a different amplifier/EQ or buy a passive hardware filter but I prefer that to all be integral with the headphone. The treble spike at 8kHz is 8-10db over the midrange. The treble is for treble lovers and makes the headphone seem detailed ? It creates a metallic feel in some songs. The treble also limits how loud this headphone can be played. This in turn limits the bass level making the headphone seem brighter. This skewing of the FR makes the headphone seem a little thin compared to others which could be misleading. I sometimes prefer thinner/delicate sounding headphones so I quite like this aspect of the DT 880 but not the strong diffuse field tuning. I prefer oval earcups rather than geometrically perfect circles. The DT 880 seems more affected by positioning on the head than any other headphone I’ve owned. Before owning the DT 880 I’d never considered this possibility. This could be another disadvantage related to the creation of soundstage (like vocal presentation) but I’m not sure. Overall the DT 880 is a puzzle to me. In certain traits it’s better than Sennheiser’s line but it’s not as uniform overall. I wish I could infuse some of its traits into other headphones but that’s not possible. As for amplification that doesn’t interest me as much as the headphones themselves. I am slightly surprised these headphones are so popular but life is filled with contradictions. Now I own the much more expensive Sennheiser HD580 Jubilee (1995) I rarely want to bother with the DT 880 and its issues.

For:
Fairly inexpensive
High availability
Very durable
Very reliable
Very comfortable
Very neutral/bright ‘airy’
Balanced midrange
Excellent bass extension for a dynamic
Good soundstage
Inexpensive earpads
Available in 32Ω/250Ω/600Ω impedances
Signal accuracy of 600Ω
Lack of harmonic distortion

Against:
Too bright/Mount Beyer (treble spikes)
Low bass level (related to volume)
Sensitive to positioning on head
Non-detachable cable
Bass distortion (lacks sub-bass like most dynamics)
Fairly hard to drive 96dB/v (600Ω), 102dB/v (250Ω)
Sound of home EDITION close to studio PRO version
Never ending versions/revisions
Less modular than other designs
Requires a long transition from other headphones
Requires EQ/passive filter to balance FR
Not genre independent
Not ideal for loud listening
Negatives associated with creation of soundstage
Trivial styling dislike of metal ‘wings’

 

[BobG55]

The 600Ohm version is one of my favourites of all time, even if I have/had cans 20x the price. These absolutely shine on a powerful amp and trade blows with headphones 5x the price. I had them modified to have a detachable cable and they're also balanced (84 strand litz copper cable). For my taste I found them excellent off an iFi amplifier with Xbass and 3D (crossfeed) settings turned on. What I wanted to ask, how are they comparing to a T1.2, I have the opportunity to buy a new pair. How much better the T1's are and how similar regarding the sound signature?

Fully agree with your opening statement. I use mine with my vintage Kenwood KA-8006 integrated amp, 70wpc [1974] & Loki Mini+ EQ. They sound absolutely fabulous, as good as any high priced headphones (yes, I’ve owned some in the past, e.g. Focal Utopia, Audeze LCD2 rev.2, HD800, HD800 S, etc.).

 

[blueninjasix]

I'm new to headphones - dt880 250ohm are my first pair. I'm using the Jot 2 amp mainly as a preamp in my speaker system. I'm finding the dt880 a bit thin sounding but I'm loving the level of detail.
I decided to give EQ a go after the latest HQPlayer incorporated AutoEQ. So I downloaded a parametric EQ file from Oracle 1990 specifically for the dt880. I liked the improvement to the mids and bass but missed the sparkle at the top end. I was able to edit the file and change the -6.3db filter to -3.3db at 5898Hz. This seems to have restored some top end and I'm very happy. I'm not 100% certain I know what I'm doing, but it seems to have worked.

 

[Shane D]

I recently got a new headphone amp, the iFi iCAN Pro. It is a nice amp, but not blowing me away. Tons of power and some very cool features. After running four sets of headphones through it, I thought it was very nice but would not be replacing any of my current amps.

I had grown tired of my DT880 (600Ohm) and was thinking about selling them. Nice sound, but nothing special and quite a power hog.

Then these two "underwhelming" partners met. And it was magical.
The Pro is using X-bass and 3-D sound affects. It is in high gain via the 1/4" Jack and the volume sits around 10:00. WOW! The best I have ever heard these 'phones sound. The bass rumbles like a subwoofer (when appropriate) and no undue brightness. The clarity of the vocals and the instruments are amazing. Yesterday I was feeling pretty underwhelmed with my Senn headphones on this but the Beyer's are really bringing it home.
I won't be selling these puppies for a good long time.

 

[BobG55]

I recently got a new headphone amp, the iFi iCAN Pro. It is a nice amp, but not blowing me away. Tons of power and some very cool features. After running four sets of headphones through it, I thought it was very nice but would not be replacing any of my current amps.

I had grown tired of my DT880 (600Ohm) and was thinking about selling them. Nice sound, but nothing special and quite a power hog.

Then these two "underwhelming" partners met. And it was magical.
The Pro is using X-bass and 3-D sound affects. It is in high gain via the 1/4" Jack and the volume sits around 10:00. WOW! The best I have ever heard these 'phones sound. The bass rumbles like a subwoofer (when appropriate) and no undue brightness. The clarity of the vocals and the instruments are amazing. Yesterday I was feeling pretty underwhelmed with my Senn headphones on this but the Beyer's are really bringing it home.
I won't be selling these puppies for a good long time.

Try and get your hands on an vintage receiver or integrated amp made between 1964 - 79, w/ 40wpc & above. Either a Pionneer, Sansui, Kenwood, Marantz, etc. Some can be had at a decent price either on CAM or eBay & many of them have been refurbished.
It’ll make your DT880s [600 ohm] sign like never before. Just my opinion. I use mine w/ my Kenwood KA8006, 70wpc [1974], oh, and I use the tone/ sound knobs to EQ the sound. That’s what they‘re there for. Makes a hell of a difference.

 

[cxmplex]

880s are great entry-level headphones. I started my headphone hobby with DT 880 pros and a fiio portable amp.

 

[Shane D]

Try and get your hands on an vintage receiver or integrated amp made between 1964 - 79, w/ 40wpc & above. Either a Pionneer, Sansui, Kenwood, Marantz, etc. Some can be had at a decent price either on CAM or eBay & many of them have been refurbished.
It’ll make your DT880s [600 ohm] sign like never before. Just my opinion. I use mine w/ my Kenwood KA8006, 70wpc [1974], oh, and I use the tone/ sound knobs to EQ the sound. That’s what they‘re there for. Makes a hell of a difference.

The Pro iCAN makes a great partner. X-bass and 3-D, combined with lots of power, is quite a combo. I was smiling all day.
Keeping four amps seems a bit excessive, but each amp really has its own niche.

 

[Shane D]

880s are great entry-level headphones. I started my headphone hobby with DT 880 pros and a fiio portable amp.

I never had any interest in these because I knew they were power hogs. After a few years and building up some decent amp power, I decided to look into them.

 

[Magicman74]

Slap a pair of Dekoni Elite Velour pads on them. Trust me!!

 

[Shane D]

Slap a pair of Dekoni Elite Velour pads on them. Trust me!!

I find the stock pads very comfortable and they have finally found their soul mate (amp).

 

[Deceneu808]

Slap a pair of Dekoni Elite Velour pads on them. Trust me!!

You may think I'm a madlad but my fav so far are the Choice Leather pads followed by the Choice Suedes ( these require EQ because they sound very muddy and weird but once you fix it they are like Elite Velours but with more bass ) and then the Elite Velour

 

[Magicman74]

Yeah I listened to Zeos on those suedes, what a fool. That was a wow moment, I was What...What's he smoking? The leather works well on the 770, The velour also works fantastic on the 990's. The suede sound pretty good on the 770 as well.

 

[Deceneu808]

Yeah I listened to Zeos on those suedes, what a fool. That was a wow moment, I was What...What's he smoking? The leather works well on the 770, The velour also works fantastic on the 990's. The suede sound pretty good on the 770 as well.

I do agree that the Suedes are very rich sounding but the midrange takes a huge hit and just sounds awful. I was able to get better results with the stock black foam disks removed but I've put them back on for now and EQ'd. Might slap the Leather ones tonight for a little extra detail and experiment