Beyerdynamic DT 880 - 32 Ohm

General Information

At the other end of the audiophile spectrum from folks who like big bass are listeners who like their audio presented in a light, clear, precise tonality enter the Beyerdynamic DT-880. Capable of rendering the sounds of a fingernail stroke on gut, the stiction of rosin on a cello string, and the airy spaciousness of sound bouncing on cathedral walls, these full-size cans deliver musical detail and depth with extraordinary clarity. The DT-880 may also be totally re-wired with upgraded after-market cable and also re-terminated for balanced operation.

Latest reviews

Koolpep

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Soundstage, detail, bass, fun
Cons: need burn in
Just a quick review.
 
A local dealer closed his shop and sold off his Beyerdynamic stock for very attractive prices. I couldn't help and purchased a T50p and a DT 880 Premium from him.
 
I never owned a Beyerdynamic before, but Sennheiser, Ultrasone, Shure, Ultimate Ears, Koss etc. and finally wanted to find out if the "Beyer" sound is something for me. 
 
In short: yes it is and I can highly recommend these headphones to everyone who looks for a all in one headphone. It's engaging, fun, crisp and detailed and has a nice soundstage. And it has a very nice sounding bass. 
 
I am running them on various DACs and Amps but my preferred combination is a Griffin Powerwave as DAC (yeah it's old but I love it's sound) into a Schiit Valhalla.
 
For me, it's close to perfect actually.

BlackbeardBen

1000+ Head-Fier
Pros: Quite detailed, great soundstage, tight bass
Cons: Lifeless, recessed mids and somewhat bass light. Bright and quite harsh sounding, as a result.
Just a note: The price paid is used, off of Craigslist.
 
I wanted to like these - the build quality is absolutely beautiful!  The aluminum forks, stainless cup backings, and luxurious headband exude quality, but I just couldn't get over the sound signature.
 
Yes, they're very detailed.  However, it seemed more as a result of the recessed mids and bass than sheer resolution.  Everything that lives and dies in the midrange - vocals, horns, saxes, guitars, and so on - sounded dull and lifeless.  Cymbals and snare hits sounded great, on the other hand - but the treble often sounds quite harsh to my ears.  The bass, while a little on the light side, is very tight and controlled (more so than the Sennheiser HD 600), with no hint of a "one note" sound.
 
The soundstage, perhaps accentuated by the prevalence of the highs, is great.  It's a little better than the HD 600, with more precise placement and a good perception of depth, but not quite up to the level of the AKG K701.
 
Don't let the 32 ohm rating fool you - these aren't particularly easy headphones to drive (they're quite inefficient).  The Clip+ has trouble driving them to anything above quiet room levels, although it does sound quite good in comparison to my uDAC.  The HD 600, on the other hand, seems to improve a bit more with the uDAC (at least my limited testing seemed to indicate this was the case - maybe it's just a placebo effect), despite being able to play louder on the Clip+.
 
So my conclusion?  Technically, very proficient headphones.  They just sounded too harsh in the treble and too lifeless in the mids to be anything I'd like to hang on to.  For some music, it was great - but in particular, electric guitars and brass just sounded so sterile and unrealistic.
nathanachen
nathanachen
It could be a fake.

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