[BeyerFan]

 
Hi fellas,
 
I've gone through countless of threads on the archives but couldn't find anything conclusive. I do realize this is subjective, but in general which is a superior sounding can, more natural, better bass, more refined highs, whatever, the DT880 Pro or Consumer version?
 
Also, I read that there isn't much between the 250 ohms and 600 ohms versions whereas there are some who mentioned the 600 ohms are better sounding ones. Is the difference noticeable/appreciable or subtle at best?
 
Any advice is appreciated.

 

[BeyerFan]

Any help fellas? Your help would be most appreciated.

 

[jupitreas]

The PRO version has the same driver as the consumer 250 Ohm version. The only difference is how much clamp there is, with the PRO having slightly more. This supposedly changes the sound a little bit but I never noticed it. You can also stretch the metal headband to relieve the clamp on the PRO version, basically making it sound identical to the 250 Ohm consumer version.
 
Regarding the 250 Ohm vs. 600 Ohm version - they have very similar sound signatures, with the 600 Ohm version being slightly darker sounding than the two other version. The 600 Ohm version also has more recessed mids. Most people still think the 600 Ohm version sounds best.
 
Here is a frequency graph comparing all 3 versions:

 

[ProjectDenz]

The are exactly the same, except the Pro version has a higher clamping force and costs less.

 

[Hoax]

The Pro versions of the DT's are meant for studio use .. They give a more neutral sound. They were not designed to make your music/movies sound good, they were made to make your music/movies sound "honest" so the producer/mixer can make a good balanced mix.. so people saying they prefer the sound of the non pro's are probably right if they are HI-FI users. if you want an honest (sometimes boring) sound go for the DT 880/990 Pro's .. Dont forget to check out the 990's too as they're awesome (and a bit more bassy than the 880).

 

[ProjectDenz]

Quote:

The Pro versions of the DT's are meant for studio use .. They give a more neutral sound. They were not designed to make your music/movies sound good, they were made to make your music/movies sound "honest" so the producer/mixer can make a good balanced mix.. so people saying they prefer the sound of the non pro's are probably right if they are HI-FI users. if you want an honest (sometimes boring) sound go for the DT 880/990 Pro's .. Dont forget to check out the 990's too as they're awesome (and a bit more bassy than the 880).

 
They are exactly the same, same drivers, everything. I push my DT880s on my head, bam, they just magically turned into the DT880 Pro.

 

[BeyerFan]

Thanks for the information Jupitreas and Projectdenz. Much appreciated. So they are basically the same even though the Consumer version is said to be slightly more natural and open ie. better sounding on the Beyerdynamic website due to the less clamping force. Since the clamping force can be adjusted on the Pro version, guess the Pro and the Consumer are on level terms. 

 

[BeyerFan]

Thanks for the thoughts Hoax. Yes, the Pro is meant for studio use. That may be the reason the clamping force is higher on the Pro, since the recording or mixing engineers may just swing their heads to the beat of the music when they are working on the equalizers/mixing instrument. The headphones may just fall off the heads with some serious movement.

 

[Brooko]

I've had the DT880 Pro 250 and currently have the Premium DT880 600.  There is quite a big difference in clamp - Pros are quite clampy, but because they are very light, and the velours are very soft, you get used to it pretty quickly.  Aside from the clamp - the other difference was with the cable - coiled on the Pros I had - vs straight on the Premiums I have now.  Jury is still out on which one I prefer.  I'm probably going to recable my current DT880s at some stage - simply because the cable (for me) is too long.
 
As ProjectDenz stated above - the drivers are the same in Pro and Premium, so the only difference you'll get sonically is positioning etc from the cups - and from what I've found, there isn't anything that would make one obviously better that the other.
 
As far as 250 vs 600 ohm - differences to my ears were really small.  600s might have slightly smoother highs. Good thing about the 250s though - they sound OK straight out of an iPod.  Better with an amp - but not bad straight out of a DAP.
 
Both sound great with tubes.  IMO they can be a little dry at times (quite balanced - but mid-range can be a little *ie very very slightly* recessed) - and a reasonable tube set-up helps bring the mid range a little more forward.
 
They are great cans though - one of the really great mid-fi all-rounders IMO.

 

[BeyerFan]

Thanks for the information Brooko. Certainly useful. Guess I need to take the cable into consideration. If given a choice I would go without the coiled cable of the Pro. Since I have not used any of these headphones, I do not know which will be more "user-friendly". My impression is a coiled cable may get tangled more easily, just a wild guess.
 
The new T90 is looking good. Not too sure if it's a huge improvement over the DT880, and whether it comes close to the T1's performance. I can actually stretch for the T1 but after reading some comments about the DT880 coming close to the T1's performance at 1/4th of the price, I am now not so sure.. Though I think the DT880 is certainly a value buy although the T1(and new T90) may be sonically superior.

 

[Brooko]

Sorry mate - can't assist with the T1 - haven't heard their flagship yet sadly.  Just remember - you'll want to allow for an amp as well if you don't already have one - especially if you're considering the 600s - and even if you're likely to go 250s.

 

[Bill-P]

I think personally that even though the sonic difference is mild, the 600 Ohm version is somewhat more "tame" than the regular version.
 
Bass on the 600 Ohm version has more texture and control, so it hits, but it doesn't keep decaying and bloat up lower frequencies. Instrument separation is also better on the 600 Ohm version where it's concerned. Midrange is mildly warmer, but I'd think that that's more "accurate" because the "neutral" signature of the DT880 is very dry and cold-sounding. A warm tube or solid amp with some midrange boost would do wonder with the DT880 where it helps bring the whole presentation forward (as in in front of you, not toward your ears).
 
As for the T1, I have also had the chance to audition it once. It's even darker than the DT880, but also more open. I think it sounds more like a good hybrid of DT880 and DT990. T1 retains and improves upon the warm midrange of DT880, but also adds more details and textures to it. High frequencies are even more tame and smooth on T1, so it extends, but it doesn't pierce your ears. Basically, it allows you to feel the music, but doesn't force you to listen to it. Bass on T1 is a good tradeoff between DT990 and DT880 as well. It's as much impact as DT990, but with the texture and body of DT880. Soundstage is more like DT990, or actually wider, and it sounds more airy than DT990... while being a lot darker than DT990.
 
That's the best way I can sum the T1 up. Too bad I didn't have the funds for one, but the T1 is a very very nice headphone.
 
But if I have to choose... I would say the DT880 600 is the closest to sounding like the T1, but obviously it won't be "exactly" like the T1.

 

[BeyerFan]

Quote:

I think personally that even though the sonic difference is mild, the 600 Ohm version is somewhat more "tame" than the regular version.
 
Bass on the 600 Ohm version has more texture and control, so it hits, but it doesn't keep decaying and bloat up lower frequencies. Instrument separation is also better on the 600 Ohm version where it's concerned. Midrange is mildly warmer, but I'd think that that's more "accurate" because the "neutral" signature of the DT880 is very dry and cold-sounding. A warm tube or solid amp with some midrange boost would do wonder with the DT880 where it helps bring the whole presentation forward (as in in front of you, not toward your ears).
 
As for the T1, I have also had the chance to audition it once. It's even darker than the DT880, but also more open. I think it sounds more like a good hybrid of DT880 and DT990. T1 retains and improves upon the warm midrange of DT880, but also adds more details and textures to it. High frequencies are even more tame and smooth on T1, so it extends, but it doesn't pierce your ears. Basically, it allows you to feel the music, but doesn't force you to listen to it. Bass on T1 is a good tradeoff between DT990 and DT880 as well. It's as much impact as DT990, but with the texture and body of DT880. Soundstage is more like DT990, or actually wider, and it sounds more airy than DT990... while being a lot darker than DT990.
 
That's the best way I can sum the T1 up. Too bad I didn't have the funds for one, but the T1 is a very very nice headphone.
 
But if I have to choose... I would say the DT880 600 is the closest to sounding like the T1, but obviously it won't be "exactly" like the T1.

 
Thanks for the information. Interesting that the T1 slots between the DT880 and DT990 in having the best of both worlds. Although I could stretch for the T1s, that would leave me without an amp, so a moot point. Will think through it whether I am willing to consider the "poor-man's" T1, the DT880 600 ohm version. Somehow the DT990 doesn't seem to get too many good words as the DT880, and I think the DT880 looks slightly better than the DT990.
 
Cheers.

 

[Bill-P]

I think the DT990 gets a bad rap because it has way too much treble emphasis. In electronic songs like those by Owl City, it overpowers pretty much everything else and leaves nothing (but hot treble) to be heard.
 
Taming that treble is also surprisingly hard from my experience, especially with bad recordings that have sibilant flares of treble.
 
If not for the treble, I'd think the DT990 is superior to the DT880 in almost every way.
 
But to be fair, it does shine where treble isn't an issue. I'm still somewhat missing my DT990 Pro now after pushing them away. But I ultimately put my DT880 600 on more often.
 
And to be fair, I don't think the DT880 is a poor man's T1. I think some would prefer the DT880's balance over the T1. I have read around that some people actually got the T1, and then sold it again because they preferred their DT880.
 
To each their own, I guess. But I'm certain of one thing: you won't be disappointed with the DT880. I concur that the T1 is nicer, but somehow, I don't think it's worth the 3x price premium over the DT880.
 
And though I say that they are different, the differences are actually pretty miniscule.

 

[BeyerFan]

Thanks for the thoughts again.
 
I'll listen to the Beyerdynamic DT880/600, T1, Audeze LCD2 and Sennheiser HD880 soon and have a feel how all these headphones sound like. Out of all these cans, it is likely that I will end up with either the DT880 or the LCD2.
 
The T1 and HD800 are too much money (for me) at the moment, not to mention in a T1 vs HD800 review ASR felt these headphones are overpriced and should cost around $500-$1000 and not at their retail. To each his own I guess. Since the DT880 shares a pretty striking sonic resemblance to the T1, though not at a similar level, at its price point it does represent excellent value. As with most high-end headphones, point of diminishing returns will likely be evident. That may explain the miniscule sonic differences between the DT880 and T1. Although the differences are appreciable rendering the T1 to be a superior model, I can understand your thoughts and share the same sentiment of the lower-priced DT880 on a value perspective.