[Ghost Hog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aphex944 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Let me gets my facts straights. If you're listening to a brighter headphone(which yes, as you pointed out the DT 880 is a brighter-than-neutral headphone) any intelligent person with a decent ear will NOT mix it brighter. If the goal is neutrality, you must take into consideration the medium which is reproducing the audio. I KNOW the DT 880 frequency response curve, and I know how it reproduces audio. I'm not going to sit there and EQ up the high frequencies on a DT 880. Just as I would not crank up the bass on a DT 770 or 990.

aphex944, the test is in the pudding. have a go for yourself with the DT880 for mixing. mastering and mixing music are not the same as listening to music. some music might sound fantastic coming throught your DT880 but alas it's bias and colored. taking into consideration all the factors that play into a proper neutral and balanced mixed, i don't recommended the DT880 for that. it might be great for listening pleasure.

 

[cube]

I have forgotten to tell you that it is the edition 2005 I have.

I have tested them on different systems: MacPro with iTunes, my Stereo Arcam Diva A80 Amp with Arcam Diva CD73, My ministereo Yamaha CRX-E3000.

And yes they sound muddy and uninspiring, lack of bass and sort of compressed sound compared to my Philips, almost like I have put some cotton in my ears.

I can not hear reverb tails, delays and microdetails that is loudly hearable on my Philips.

The only thing that is good is the trebble, but littel bright.

I begin to think that there is something wrong with them? I can almost get the same resoult with my speakers if I connect the speaker cable wrong + on - if you know what I mean?

The DT880 should at least sound as good as the crappy Philips unburned and mutch better after the burn in period?

I hope it is only the burn in period and that they can bloom and grow in time?

Anybody thinks that it is wrong manufactured?

 

[Skylab]

Three comments:

1. All Beyers need 100 hours to sound their best

2. The 2005/06 DT880 most certainly do not have recessed mids, and have pretty darn good bass (but less in quantity than the DT990 or 770, to be sure)

3. The DT880 could never be described as muddy. Anything but that. After 100 hours if they don't sound clean and open to you, and assuming they aren't malfunctioning, it sounds like you'd prefer a different sounding headphone with a VERY forward presentation, like maybe the AT W1000.

 

[cube]

Thanks Skylab!

They should have good bass, massive amount of microdetails, you should hear foults in bad produced music(details that should not be there) and more.

None of the things mentioned is with my DT880 2500 Edition.

I can not think that the burn in period can completely change the sound so much so they can be that i wanted them to be?

I hope that I am wrong?

This is the cause I think there a manufacture faliure with my cans.

Anybody! do you think they are broken or manufacure faliure=that they have led the cables wrong + on the - if you know what I mean by that?

Thanks for all the replies by the way!

 

[luckybaer]

I can think of three (3) possibilities:

1. Them cans is broke!
2. There is horrible synergy between your gear and the cans.
3. You may not like their sound signature. Nothing wrong with that!

Good luck!

 

[Uncle Erik]

You might want to check your source and material. With "hot" CDs, the DT880 sounds awful. But since I've mostly switched to SACD/LP/FM (jazz), they're smooth as silk. Add some tubes and the DT880 is magical. They're nothing like you described and detail retrieval is in league with the K-1000. Excellent headphones.

Also, I disagree with whoever said their bass was recessed. It isn't, it just doesn't overemphasize bass, as is the fashion these days. It sounds like live music as opposed to sloppy car subwoofer.

 

[Mrvile]

I didn't find the DT880 to require that much burn-in time, maybe a couple of hours to round off some of the sibilance in the highs. Although the DT880 is very detail oriented and rather forward, it doesn't have quite the detail of, say, the K701, SA5000, or various IEMs like the ER4.

Also, like what Uncle Erik said, the DT880 not only needs the proper synergy with source (more so than the HD650, IMO) but also with the recordings...any poorly mastered CDs will sound absolutely terrible on the already bright DT880.

Again, you may not like the sound of the DT880. I personally found it too bright and the trebles sounded a little messy.

 

[cube]

The source is not an issue here, because a cheap headphone (my Philips) should not sound way better on any source than a high end headphone like DT880.

They (DT880)have almost no micro details at all and voices sound muddy, I have listen to many different CD:s that I know has good soundquality (good produced) with much microdetails like reverbtails and different instruments almost not hearable on a bad system.

The DT880 just dont have the small details, they cant pick it up, and I can not think that it ever can be way better than the Philips compared how they sound now after 150 hours.

A good headphone should sound better than a bad on any system.

I think they are bad from the factory, at least I hope so.

I am going to return them.

 

[LithosZA]

Quote:

A good headphone should sound better than a bad on any system.

 

[Fitz]

One of the main reasons I didn't keep my 2003-edition DT880s was that vocals were too distant and muddy sounding.

 

[Mrvile]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cube /img/forum/go_quote.gif A good headphone should sound better than a bad on any system. I think they are bad from the factory, at least I hope so. I am going to return them.

Are you sure your source can drive the 250ohms of the DT880?

 

[luckybaer]

Either Beyer has quality control issues, or people's perception of sound varies widely.

 

[bonesinc]

I don't own the DT-880 (I do own the DT-770 and DT-990 though) but perhaps you could give us the name of a track that sounds horrible on your headphones while you believe that particular track is actually a good recording. Maybe other DT-880 owners can hear what you are hearing that way if they own the same track. It's just an idea, think it over.

Anyway, I think you are right to expect that even an out-of-the-box DT-880 should sound better then your 'cheap' Philips, on at least one of your sources.

Matthieu

 

[Michael415]

Sounds like a defective pair. I have the cd73 and use the dt880 for classical. The level of detail present is amazing. Not all phones will sound great with all systems for sure so possibly they don't work well with your amp.

 

[shigzeo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cube /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have bought a pair of DT880 and they sound really bad, how long is the burn in period before I can really hear how they should sound? They sound muddy and not as open as I expected, the bass is lacking and voices are not sounding real. Almost no 3D sound at all and details are not just there, they sound worse than my Philips that cost almost 1/5 of the price for DT880. Some kind of manufacture faliure? are the + and - twisted=wrong fase? Or is it just the burn in I have to wait for? Need your help badly!!!

you haven't by any chance been listening to a plastic knockoff have you? i've had these for over a year, owned the hd600 and heard the k701 and they all sound beautiful, 'burned in' or no. from the outset, they were liquid, somewhat sharp and produced deep notes. they were perfect.

now, after a year and my own personal introduction phase having developed to where it has, i enjoy them more now than then. details, 3d was never a problem. i watched lord of the rings the other day and suddenly gandalf's explanation of his disappearance when fighting the balrog jumped outward to the outer edge of the room i was in.

your post is no help. if you are listening to a cheap casette player, i understand that they sound rubbish.... if the cd or whatever you have was mastered by a 4 year old, i understand. but i have never heard these headphones sound bad and i have listened for lengths to many headphones. all sound good in the upper price bracket, but these have been my favourites.

they sound great straight from a shuffle, from one with a supermini, from philodocks mcalister... it goes on and on. if you have such trouble enjoying such a high-quality headphone, then it is your ears that cannot hear the treble/bass/soundstage. you should quit listening to audio and pickup something you may be good at like curling.

no headphone will sound good to you if that is what you have heard, full stop.