[aluren]

I ordered a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 880 (250 ohms version) over the weekend and was wondering which amp works best with them. So far I've read that the 880 is a little neutral and doesn't exaggerate the sound too much, which I liked (yes I'm a little tired of the exaggerated mids on my e3c's). I'm not sure if the PA2v2 will have enough juice to power the cans, but even so, I don't think I will use them. So which amp seems to fit well with the DT 880?

I also want to know more about the headphones/amp combination. Some amps are more laid back (SR-71) while others are more punchy and forward (Hornet/PA2v2). If I have a somwhat neutral cans in the DT 880, would a laid back amp like the SR-71 make the sound extremely neutral (detrimental) or would it be more of an improvement? Or would I be better off with a Hornet for the DT 880?

 

[kiwirugby]

Have you checked out Xin's amps on fixup.net? I have the SuperMacro IV and it works really well with my DT880s.

 

[kramer5150]

Something with some bass kick and forward mids... Pint at 18V or any of the buffered amps that use that OP amp.

 

[aluren]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiwirugby Have you checked out Xin's amps on fixup.net? I have the SuperMacro IV and it works really well with my DT880s.

I just checked that website and the Supermacro IV does look interesting. The 4 buttons are also interesting as well and I don't think those options are offered with any other amps. Basically I'm willing to spend $300-400 on a new amp. How much of an improvement is the Supermacro IV over the PA2v2?

Here's a list of amps I'm considering: SR-71, Hornet, AE-1, Pint, the upcoming DIY mini3... the soon to be AE-1 refresh seems to be my top pick right now, but I'm definitely looking for recommendations from you experts.

 

[Filburt]

I personally prefer the SR-71 to the Hornet with the DT880, but neither quite does it for me I guess. I had a mini-meet with some folks over the weekend and I found that one fellow's old Supermini w/ AD8397 and my PINT with LM6172 both did a nice job with the DT880, with the Supermini giving a more aggressive, punchier sound and the PINT giving more air, detail, and high end extension. The op-amp had a lot to do with this...as the PINT with the AD8397 would have sounded closer to the Supermini with it. Hornet uses the AD8397 as well. I don't think the SR-71 will hurt you, though, and will probably make a decent match. It isn't my favourite match for the DT880 as far as portable amps go, but I know I could do a lot worse.

Something you might like with the 880s is an amp which uses the LM6172 or LM6171. I at least like this chip with both the 880s and K701 as it warms them up a bit while preserving their detail, air, and depth. I know Jan Meier makes copious use of the LM6171, so you could look into his stuff...although I don't know much about how good each of his amps are. You could also try a PINT if someone is willing to build one for you, or some other DIY portable that can take one of these chips.

Me, ATAT, and DieInAFire are going to be testing out various PPAS configurations, and maybe I'll come upon something that works well there. If so, I'll let you know.

AE-1 could work also. I guess we'll have to see what the revision brings.

Another chip that may work well is the OPA2107 or the OPA627 if you want single. The OPA2107 isn't quite as detailed as the 627, but I found it to be punchier and a bit brighter, which I liked on the K701 (didn't get a chance to try it on the DT880). The 627 of course sounds nice on both. I tend not to like the AD op-amps with these headphones, especially the AD8610/20, although there are some amps that do a pretty good job with it (like the SR-71 and some PIMETA configurations), so I guess there are cases where it can work. You may find you prefer the AD sound, though, so it may be a good idea to get a mini-meet (or find one) around you and listen to some stuff

 

[GreatDane]

To my ears my Micro works great with my 880. The crossfeed adds a bit of warmth which works well. The Micro has more than enough power.

You don't mention if you desire crossfeed but if so the Supermacro IV or Micro would be the ticket.

I don't think that the PA2v2 would make you happy pairing it with the 880, imo it simply doesn't have enough power to drive them properly.

I'd like to hear my 880 with a Supermacro IV someday...although I plan to buy a Supermini IV to use with my IEMS.

 

[aluren]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiwirugby Have you checked out Xin's amps on fixup.net? I have the SuperMacro IV and it works really well with my DT880s.

Just checked out Xin's website and the macro is pretty impressive. But the discussions threw me off as I have no idea what these chips do or sound like.... AD and OP chips, what are the differences?

What about a maxxed out option that costs another 100 bucks? is that worth the cost? I don't know what crossfeed is either....

 

[ComfyCan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aluren Just checked out Xin's website and the macro is pretty impressive. But the discussions threw me off as I have no idea what these chips do or sound like.... AD and OP chips, what are the differences? What about a maxxed out option that costs another 100 bucks? is that worth the cost? I don't know what crossfeed is either....

Xin's options are very confusing unless you are a techie (I'm not). The usual advise is to get the default configuration, because you can always tweak it later if you choose to. The default Macro has enough tweaking options to keep your head spinning for quite some time without worrying about changing components.

There's a good explanation of crossfeed on the Headroom website (there's a crossfeed switch on the Headroom MicroAmp). Basically, it sends a little bit of the signal intended for the left ear to the right ear, and v/v. It is supposed to help make headphone listening less fatiguing, and come closer to speaker sound. I generally use it unless listening to some surround sound tracks.

 

[aluren]

tweak it as in sending the amp back to dr. xin?