Beyerdynamic DT-880 and DT-990 review (pics)

[Andrew_WOT]

Definitely on of those "Glass half empty" *reviews*.
Gosh, that means I like so much so crappy phones.

What's wrong with me and others Beyerdynamic followers?

 

[Towert7]

It would seem that you don't like the beyer house sound euclid.

As strange as it sounds, I have found the beyer headphones to be extreamly picky about their enclosure and the material used. Even the slightest differences can alter the sound in one way or another dramatically. Part of the difference between the DT880 and DT990 is in what beyer calls "open" vs. "Semi-open", and has to do with the material used in the headphone enclosure. In all honesty, they are both open headphones, but the DT880 have a little more padding (Felt?) in the driver enclosure if I remember correctly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OP i would suggest the K-701, HD-580/600/650, Audio Technica ATH AD-2000 instead.

In all fairness though, for those on a budget, the AD-2000 go for about 500$ new, whereas the beyers go for about 250$. One would hope the AD-2000 sound better for the extra cost. The K701 and HD650 are a much better comparison in terms of price.

Personally your suggestion of the HD580/HD600 over the DT880 or DT990 I do not agree with. I find the DT880 and DT990 to be better than the HD580 or HD600. Not just in terms of sound, but in terms of comfort and build quality.

 

[fuzydice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Towert7 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Personally your suggestion of the HD580/HD600 over the DT880 or DT990 I do not agree with. I find the DT880 and DT990 to be better than the HD580 or HD600. Not just in terms of sound, but in terms of comfort and build quality.

agreed (dt880 vs. hd580 at least).

 

[Skylab]

Headphones, much more than other things we discuss, are going to have very different appeal to different people based on their sonic preferences, which we all have. I prefer both the DT880 and DT990 over the following headphones which I have owned: Senn HD600 and HD650, AKG K601 and K701, AT W1000, Grado GS1000 and HF-1. So any newbies who may read this should be aware that there are plenty of people who think the DT880 and DT990 are terrific headphones. There are also plenty of people for whom they just aren't what they're after.

 

[amartignano]

Quote:

Originally Posted by euclid /img/forum/go_quote.gif it was easily apparent to me that i didnt like either of them, and after hours of burn-in, listening and trying to adjust to the sound i absolutley could not pinpoint a strong-suit in either...

Although I disagree with most of the review, I anyway thank you for sharing your opinion, obviously.
A question: what headphones are used to listen to? (it's not a joke-question, is to understand if it is possible a "strong" bias in your listening impressions).

Andrew

 

[ericj]

You're dreaming if you think the impedance difference between channels caused by a single-entry cable is even in the same league as the impedance difference between the drivers themselves.

The drivers have to be matched at the factory, and they're matched pretty darn close, but nowhere near "22 inches of copper wire" close.

 

[euclid]

i have mainly been listening to the AD2000 lately, but my reference headphone for the last few years has been an HD-650, over that time i have removed the foam and grills, i added a cardas cable and recently modifed the enclusure to a more open design and that has helped lift the veil in the highs. over that evolution it has been the tone of the Senns that has kept me impressed and has motivated me to change experiment with the presentation.

i have owned the SA5000, K701, and Grado 325i. none of which could truely replace my Senns (the k701 was very close). now the AD2K has been the first headphone that i can say has been competitive and possibly better. AD2K are more detailed and dynamic, plus they have better balance top to bottom, they are not sibiblant, they dont introduce color but dont sound flat. i have not heard any other headphone that can approach the sheer power handling of the Senn HD line, the AD2k is close. the AD2k uses a mini-plug but i bought a W5000 cable from Audio Technica to remedy that, i havnt installed it yet so it doesnt affect my listening impressions. ( BTW the AD2K and W5k uses the same wire, they just terminate to different plugs)

i understand the price diifference is significant between the AD2K and the Beyers, i specified that i think its worth the extra cost. in the case of the Manufaktures they are about the same price. in the same tolken the Hd580 is about half price of the Beyers and i think they would be a better choice even at the same price. but i never hear that the Beyers are great headphones for the price, i hear they are great headphones. the resolution of both these Beyers does not compliment a resolving system enough, this could explain the polarizing opinions as i think they could make a modest system sound better by simply compensating for its own imbalance rather than accentuating flaws.

the DT-990 has stronger bass and recessed mids/highs, the same can be said about the HD650. the actual difference is that when i push the Senns to louder volumes to open up in the highs, the rest of the music follows suit in a linear way. the bass becomes amazingly articulate and can be delicate, the mids remain butter smooth and tonally satisfying, the highs are often desribed as veiled but they still have incredible detail retreaval and zero grain. as i push the DT-990 they simply boom more untill it overpowers the sound.

conversly, the DT880 exagerates the highs and recesses the mids and bass. if they were exceptional highs i would have kept them. they are not. IMHO they are generic and grainy. there is no way to dig up the body of the music with the DT880, the peaky highs limit the volume and headroom.

 

[finbad]

Honestly, I've come to conclude each of us have very different abilitys and response to sonic stimuli most often noted in the higher frequencys.
With the 990s to my ear, their higher frequencys were unpleasent all to often, finding myself not reaching for them.

I'm willing to conceed this may be in part due to my own sensitivity to their high frequencys presentation, and that perhaps the majority will not hear it this way.

Trust your own ear as to what sounds right, is the mantra here.

Fortunatly, we do have a great many choices to properly fit our individual preferances, tolerances and disposition to find "our sound".

/diplomatic mode off

 

[euclid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericj /img/forum/go_quote.gif You're dreaming if you think the impedance difference between channels caused by a single-entry cable is even in the same league as the impedance difference between the drivers themselves. The drivers have to be matched at the factory, and they're matched pretty darn close, but nowhere near "22 inches of copper wire" close.

out of everything youve read in this thread you criticize me for preferring an equidistant cable for each channel, when i look forward and see cables going to either side of my head it promotes good balance in my chi, which has nothing to do with impendance. or maybe it's more about the microphonics involved in snaking two thin wires through an adjustable headband.

 

[d-cee]

Tell me what your headphones are and I will tell you who you are.

 

[Towert7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrew_WOT Definitely on of those "Glass half empty" *reviews*. Gosh, that means I like so much so crappy phones. What's wrong with me and others Beyerdynamic followers?

Quote:

Originally Posted by euclid when i look forward and see cables going to either side of my head it promotes good balance in my chi

Andrew_WOT, what's wrong with us is that we simply have not asked our inner chi to see if the headphones are worthy of keeping. ^_^




j/k..... kinda

 

[aphex944]

Quote:

Originally Posted by euclid /img/forum/go_quote.gif the resolution of both these Beyers does not compliment a resolving system enough, this could explain the polarizing opinions as i think they could make a modest system sound better by simply compensating for its own imbalance rather than accentuating flaws.

The DT 880 is notorious and widely known for it's ability to bring out flaws in systems. This makes them a poor choice if the main listening selection consists of lesser recordings. It's the only headphone I've heard that consistently sounds better with higher end equipment, and better recordings. All the other headphones I've owned have reached a limit in their sound despite further upgrading.

Since you mentioned that your main headphone has been the HD 650, it's not surprising that you don't like the DT 880! I really dislike the HD 650 on the many systems I've tried it out on. I think it's a fundamental difference that probably deals with ear shape, and sensitivity to different frequencies, et al. I disagree that the system differences explain the polarizing opinions, because you can find several members with the same amps/sources that vastly prefer one over the other.

 

[ericj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by euclid /img/forum/go_quote.gif out of everything youve read in this thread you criticize me for preferring an equidistant cable for each channel, when i look forward and see cables going to either side of my head it promotes good balance in my chi, which has nothing to do with impendance. or maybe it's more about the microphonics involved in snaking two thin wires through an adjustable headband.

I don't think i've ever heard any microphonics from a headband cable.

 

[GANESHA]

I appreciate your well written review. However, I own the SA5000's, K701's,
modified HD580's, and Dt990's (2005) version. The DT990's are the ones I listen to the most. The overall balance, warmth, carity and bass puts them well ahead of the K701's. The only area the 701's beat them is the soundstage, and not by much. The SA5000's beat the 990's in the treble range with their incredible high end. They are also faster. These are the only areas. The modified HD580's are close to the DT990's in overall performance, but the soundstage and comfort gives the 990's the lead. When I turn the volume louder on the 990's they are even more ahead of the mentioned headphones. I would appreciate reading other DT990 owners views.

 

[cooperpwc]

There is room for much subjective difference in our view of things. "That's why there's chocolate and vanilla." But if someone claims that vanilla is saltier than anchovies, well... that's a different story.

I don't just not agree with this review. I think that in its claims about the DT880s resolution, it's wrong.