[kelly]

Currently (as of December 2002), Beyerdynamic's "top of the line" phone is the DT931. Their "top of the line" open pro headphone is the DT990. The closed models are thought to be lower on the totem pole: DT831, DT770.

Now along comes DT880 and Beyerdynamic is saying that IT is now the top of their line.

What's the deal? Are they purposefully trying to confuse the market? Do they REALLY think DT880 is better than DT990 adn DT931 or is that just marketing product launch spin?

It has been theorized that DT770 and DT990 are legacy products. Old favorites, if you will, and that the consumer DT931 really has superceded them. But not all of their fans agree with this and the build quality of the DT931 isn't as heavy as the DT770 and DT990.

So... again, if the DT770 and DT990 are only there for "stubborn old proaudio people", why introduce a new can with the designation DT880?

At least Senneheiser's system is easier to follow. Everyone may not agree that the HD600 is their best headphone, but we at least all agree that it's their most expensive and that it's the one Sennheiser SAYS is best. Beyerdynamic's message is a lot more confusing to me.

 

[TravelLite]

Well, it would seem that Beyerdynamic's numbering scheme probably isn't really intended to be strictly hierarchical or even chronological.

Rather, it would appear to be more of a lateral or "different" sort of thing. IIRC, Snufkin made this point recently.

OTOH, there does seem to be a kind of marketing pseudo-division between their "HiFi" and "Pro" headphones as evidenced by their separate product brochures.

TravelLite

 

[kelly]

Part of what aroused suspicion with me was that when I went to their web site, the DT990 was listed last and the picture of it was larger as if to say "this is our flagship product." It was curious to me that the DT880 did not receive this designation ... nor did the DT931.

 

[morsel]

I don't usually read headphone threads, but I have been doing searches here to help me choose new headphones.

About 15 years ago I listened to the Beyerdynamic DT770, DT880, and DT990 as well as several other brands and bought my DT990 original non pro 600 Ohm model. At the time, there was no question in my mind that the DT990 was the best of the bunch.

It saddened me to see Beyerdynamic drop the non pro DT990 and introduce new phones like the DT931 that I never warmed up to. Now the old flagships are being brought back, but with lots of confusing marketing babble and product repositioning. It is hard to know what Beyer's intent is. I just found the new marketing pdf, which positions the DT880 first. The DT880 is semi-open, the DT990 is open. I wonder if that is the only difference.

I'm leaning towards either the Audio Technica ATH-A1000, DT990, or DT880, but I am waiting to see how the Beyer mess untangles, and more importantly, for the new DT990 to be heard and compared.

Somehow, I find it conceptually hard to switch from a DT990 to a DT880, it feels like a downgrade, not just from a numerical perspective, but because of my experience with the original models.

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

Originally posted by kelly Currently (as of December 2002), Beyerdynamic's "top of the line" phone is the DT931. Their "top of the line" open pro headphone is the DT990. The closed models are thought to be lower on the totem pole: DT831, DT770. Now along comes DT880 and Beyerdynamic is saying that IT is now the top of their line. What's the deal? Are they purposefully trying to confuse the market? Do they REALLY think DT880 is better than DT990 adn DT931 or is that just marketing product launch spin? It has been theorized that DT770 and DT990 are legacy products. Old favorites, if you will, and that the consumer DT931 really has superceded them. But not all of their fans agree with this and the build quality of the DT931 isn't as heavy as the DT770 and DT990. So... again, if the DT770 and DT990 are only there for "stubborn old proaudio people", why introduce a new can with the designation DT880? At least Senneheiser's system is easier to follow. Everyone may not agree that the HD600 is their best headphone, but we at least all agree that it's their most expensive and that it's the one Sennheiser SAYS is best. Beyerdynamic's message is a lot more confusing to me.

What is so confusing? You listen to them and buy the best one that you can afford. Who looks at model numbers? Sometimes they go forward, sometimes backward. If you really are into numbers and must go this route, then go by list price. Sometimes the price increments will give you an idea about an increase in quality and sometimes they won't.

Perhaps Beyerdynamic are simply introducing new headphone models that merely sound 'different' (which is all that headphones do anyway) and are not trying to sway people over with a higher number, but arousing the curious. It would appear that it is working.

 

[Snufkin]

I went down to the shop the other day to buy myself a chupachup only to find they'd repriced the entire range.

Apparently because the Strawberry flavoured chupachup was the most popular they decided to price it higher as it was obviously a superior product. The chocolate cream was slightly cheaper and the clearly inferior orange flavour was cheapest.

I'm glad they cleared this up for me, previously I had difficulty deciding which chupachup to buy, I'd spent all this time foolishly buying orange flavour because I liked the taste, but thankfully they've cleared things up for me and I now know that I should buy the Strawberry as it's the most expensive, most popular and therefore clearly the superior flavour.

 

[averydonovan]

lol, Snufkin

If it sounds good to you, buy it. Price and model number be damned.

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

Originally posted by Snufkin I went down to the shop the other day to buy myself a chupachup only to find they'd repriced the entire range. Apparently because the Strawberry flavoured chupachup was the most popular they decided to price it higher as it was obviously a superior product. The chocolate cream was slightly cheaper and the clearly inferior orange flavour was cheapest. I'm glad they cleared this up for me, previously I had difficulty deciding which chupachup to buy, I'd spent all this time foolishly buying orange flavour because I liked the taste, but thankfully they've cleared things up for me and I now know that I should buy the Strawberry as it's the most expensive, most popular and therefore clearly the superior flavour.

They should at least arrange the flavors in alphabetical order, then you pick the highest number. Vanilla would rank high, apple would be quite poor. Lemon would be the ultimate budget choice, maybe.

 

[plainsong]

Quote:

Originally posted by Snufkin I went down to the shop the other day to buy myself a chupachup only to find they'd repriced the entire range. Apparently because the Strawberry flavoured chupachup was the most popular they decided to price it higher as it was obviously a superior product. The chocolate cream was slightly cheaper and the clearly inferior orange flavour was cheapest. I'm glad they cleared this up for me, previously I had difficulty deciding which chupachup to buy, I'd spent all this time foolishly buying orange flavour because I liked the taste, but thankfully they've cleared things up for me and I now know that I should buy the Strawberry as it's the most expensive, most popular and therefore clearly the superior flavour.

I love Beyers and Chupachups - this clears up all the mysteries of life for me.

 

[Snufkin]

Chupachups make everything easier!

Glad I could clear things up

 

[Toe]

Quote:

Originally posted by morsel I don't usually read headphone threads, but I have been doing searches here to help me choose new headphones. About 15 years ago I listened to the Beyerdynamic DT770, DT880, and DT990 as well as several other brands and bought my DT990 original non pro 600 Ohm model. At the time, there was no question in my mind that the DT990 was the best of the bunch. It saddened me to see Beyerdynamic drop the non pro DT990 and introduce new phones like the DT931 that I never warmed up to. Now the old flagships are being brought back, but with lots of confusing marketing babble and product repositioning. It is hard to know what Beyer's intent is. I just found the new marketing pdf, which positions the DT880 first. The DT880 is semi-open, the DT990 is open. I wonder if that is the only difference. I'm leaning towards either the Audio Technica ATH-A1000, DT990, or DT880, but I am waiting to see how the Beyer mess untangles, and more importantly, for the new DT990 to be heard and compared. Somehow, I find it conceptually hard to switch from a DT990 to a DT880, it feels like a downgrade, not just from a numerical perspective, but because of my experience with the original models.

Do keep in mind that the modern DT880 is a new design, unrelated to Beyer's old DT880s. Your experience with the new ones may be a bit different than with any other Beyers you heard in the past. Jan Meier seems to have warmed to the new DT880s quite a bit more than the modern 770 or 990.

(I've never had a chupachup)

 

[Anders]

I was a little intrigued by this thread, wondering if it was about numerology or something more substantive. And downloaded the product description booklet in German. I am a little tired now so I haven't read it completely, takes a little longer time in German than in Swedish or English, but have found this yet.
There are reasons for the naming. Beyer is an old company that started in 1923 by Eugen Beyer. They state that they produced the worlds first dynamic headphone in 1937, model DT 48, and first dynamic mic next year.
They introduced a model DT 880 in 1980. They describe it as "A sensational new development, the dynamic headphone DT 880 puts the tradition on its head. For the first time, someone succeeded to construct a dynamic headphone with exceptional impulse response". (Was this previously only possible in electrostats?, my comment)
This DT 880 seem to have been discontinued for some reason (seems that it reproduced frequencies over 30 kHz and components of that time produced much high frequency noise at 15 KHz). They seem to regard the new DT 880 as the top of the line, and as worthy to take over the name of the legendary phone with the same number.

 

[morsel]

DT990 frequency response is 5-35,000Hz.

I love my original DT990. Back then Beyer's product line was straight forward. Now, Beyer's confusing marketing and product positioning makes me wary of their products. I've seen too many good companies go bad, thus my caution and hesitation.

My guess is that the DT880 is a DT990 with something that partially blocks the vents on the earcups, which happens to make the phone sound better to some people. I'm hoping Beyer will see fit to give us more than confusing marketing pablum and tell us _exactly_ what the difference is between the DT880 and the DT990.

 

[Snufkin]

How do model numbers or quoted specs possibly effect the quality of headphones?

Some companies don't even bother with model numbers, they have names - it's just a way to identify them, not group them into good/better/best.

If Beyer had a simpler 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 system which ranked the headphones according to them, would that make it easier to choose which one you like the sound of the most without listening first?

 

[kelly]

Grado, Sennheiser and Stax have a much clearer system of identification and I think most would agree on which models rank higher. Beyerdynamic is really the exception here.