[Canman]

Critical review of the Beyer 880 (vs Senn 600 vs HP-2):

I've been listening to the Beyer 880 for a few weeks now after buying them from Solude and I wanted to provide a different view for all you folks who may want to think that due to all the shining reviews of the Beyerdynamic DT-880 it is absolutely better than the Sennheiser HD-600. This is not true. Now it is a fact that the HD-600 has been a long time reference of mine and I have upgraded it with the smurf blue Cardas cable. It is also true that I didn’t realize that the HD-600’s character wasn’t necessarily linear until I had a few weeks with the Grado HP-2.

The HD-600 does lack some air guitar factor sometimes and I have discovered that there is a hump in the midbass that sounds slightly bloated and a dark character in the upper midrange that some people call “veiled”. Well on my current system (Rega Planet 2000àKimber PBJàGilmore V2) the HD-600 sounds fantastic but I think it is lacking in some midrange microdynamics that keep the music from truly sounding exciting.

The Grado HP-2 (with vwap pads and ref cable), in comparison is hard to fault, except for the comfort aspect. If only I could bend the headband enough to make the earcups fit tighter to my head, they wouldn’t fall off every time I leaned forward. This annoyance is mitigated by the amazingly dynamic and natural sound though.

But hey, onto the 880’s. These phones are stylin’ with brushed aluminum mesh on the earcups and plush gray velvet pads. They are comfy, until you move further away than 2 feet from the amp. The wrapped telephone headset style cord is annoying as hell, always pulling on one side of the headphones. An extension cord is a must with these cans, but I did not test them out with one as I don’t like to put extra cables in the signal path.

First impressions:
The 880’s sounded crystal clear with all types of music, especially jazz and stringed instruments. The soundstage was wide and clear with excellent instrument separation. Attack and decay was tight and although the bass impact was light there was nothing objectionable.

After a few weeks:
Like all headphones there is good and there is bad. I have read way too many reviews that idolized the 880’s so I had to try ‘em out for myself. Let’s put it right out in the open: The 880’s are just OK and I would even go as far as to say that they are boring (more so than the Senn HD-600). They really sound sweet with bass deficient stringed recordings (like David Grisman & Jerry Garcia) due to their openness in the treble. Cymbals and drums sound fantasticly true to life. Ultimately though, the treble sounds tipped up and fatiguing. I don’t think my Kimber’s were a good match for this headphone, but due to the rolled off highs of the Rega I was surprised to hear this much brightness. Bass notes sound hollow. One great example of this was Charlie Hunter: Duo (Blue Note Records), which is an awesome pairing of 8 string guitar with percussion. This guy is amazing, playing bass and lead guitar at the same time from 8 strings. Anyway, the bass notes which come in full, tight and clear on the HP-2’s, full, fairly tight and a little bloated on the Sennheiser, come in very tight but with no impact on the 880’s. Bass notes are hollow, with little weight behind them. The cymbal and drum action sounds crisp and tight. Comparatively, the treble on the Senn can sound “splashy” at times but overall is very airy and natural and never sounds tipped up or bright.

Of all three headphones, I am listening to the HP-2 the most and often I use the Sennheiser’s too. But I don’t often have the urge to listen to the Beyerdynamic. They are less sensitive than the Sennheiser (I have to turn the volume knob higher to achieve the same loudness) so I would imagine that they benefit from plenty of power. The Gilmore provides the current without problems but I can’t help from wondering if there is some lack of synergy with the Beyer’s in my system. Who knows? Don’t get me wrong these are high caliber headphones. But besides being a good alternative for people who truly hate Sennheisers I don't think that they live up to the hype that everyone feeds them.

 

[blessingx]

Thanks for the review. It's always good to see the other side.

 

[Rizumu]

Thanks for the great impressions, Canman! I love reading stuff like this. To tell you the truth, this fits with a lot of what I've heard about all three of the phones (and heard myself in the case of HD580's). I know nate (analogtan) finds the DT880 to be even more distant sounding than the HD600. This, to me, does not sound like a good thing

You might want to look into that lack of synergy though...maybe ask Tuberoller about that one, heh.

 

[screwdriver]

tnx for the i impressions canman.

i have not really tried the HD600 and i am wanting to audition it one of these days.

 

[becomethemould]

i've got the dt880s now and a stock hd600 with mg head otl and corda blue. i haven't really listened to the amps yet, but yeah i do agree with your opinions of the dt880s.

to me they sound pretty boring for most types of music i listen to. for like hip hop, bassy music, there is not enough bass, it does sound hollow compared to the hd600. they aren't as forgiving as the hd600, like for cds with sibiliance, it shows up on the dt880 and doesnt show up on the hd600. one example was listening to jurassic 5's 2nd album, it was sooo boring!! compared to the sony 7506.

however, i do like the soundstage compared to the hd600, to me the hd600 sounds more closed and not as airy, a little muddlied i reckon.

i've only had the stuff for under 1 week, still gotta listen critically

but yeah maybe for other types of music the dt880s may excel at, im gunning for dt770s for bass music

 

[CD44hi]

I've heard the HD600s with the cardas cable and the Beyer 880s in combination with the EAR HP-4, which is a phenomenal amp for this phones, and also with the Moretto HAP-3 (?) [Please, correct me here Hirsch, the correct model number?]. IMHO the Beyer 880s are a bit less detailed, I also find that the Senns give me a more defined high end.

One thing is that in combination with these two amplifiers, the Senn HD600s are anything but "vailed." The beyers present in my mind a larger performing stage. I may be tempted to also call this impression as distant, but on a positive context, they give me a wide panorama. I like this aspect of them.

Thanks for your excellent impressions Canman

CD44hi

 

[HappymaN]

Thanks for the great review.

 

[Hirsch]

Yes, we listened to the HAP-03 and the HP-4. The HAP-03 has a very lush midrange, just the cure for the dryness of the DT-880, and possibly the best amp for it of any that I've tried. To me, the midrange of the DT-880 sounds a bit dry and lifeless. There's a lot of detail, but very little PRAT with a number of amps. In a comparison we did this weekend of open reel tapes (master-to-tape) of classic albums to current media, we tried several headphones on an open reel version of Led Zepplin II. The amp in use was the HP4 (got to love those four headphone outputs). The DT-880 seemed to sit there lifelessly, while the music really smoked with almost anything else (HD-600, RS-1, and R10). The HP4 is actually a pretty good amp for the DT-880, but is a bit of overkill

It's got a bright and hollow sound that just isn't my cup of tea (The DT880, not the HP4

).

 

[wallijonn]

Canman,

good job.

I think that i have heard the HP-2s and I was not impressed. I've also heard the V6s and hated them. So it ultimately comes down to synergy, hearing, and personal preferences. Yes, I can hear the HD600 "veil". And as such, I find it objectionable.

If I loved the DT880s so much, I would not have modified them as much as I have. But they continue to be one of my more popular headphones.

Anytime one pays over $200 for a headphone, they should audition it for at least a week to see if they can live with them.

Again,

 

[Hiker]

Holy crap!

I mentioned that I was going to get the DT 880s a few weeks ago. I still haven't and quite frankly after reading this post, I am not so sure that I want them anymore (damnit, more frustration!). Having them described as "lifeless," "distant," "fatiguing," and "bass deficient" is really turning me off to them. I guess I was caught up in all the hype and now I am leaning more toward the HD600s yet again. Damn, decisions, decisions. Even though this complicates things for me, I am glad you posted this so I didn't make a mistake. Thanks man.

Hiker

 

[Guyferd]

hiker , let me give you a piece of useful advice
if you love your ety er4p sound, you will definately like the beyer. They are both similar.. neutral and quite flat in the frequency. Except that beyer has more air and bigger soundstage, plus more slamming bass.
I agree that the bass is a little lean compared to hd600 .
However, to say it's lifeless.. hm.. more like system synergy. I use corda ha-1 and many have said that this combo works quite well. I also agree that beyer needs alot of power.. probably even more than hd600. That's why jazz is using corda ha-2 and even emp . Both are juicy according to him

To say dt880 is distant, lifeless is certainly not true in this context. Perhaps it's the lifelessness that makes the sound very very unfatiguing. But I would rather take unfatiguing sound as to great headphone with fatigue factor to it.
Just my humble 2 c.

 

[Hiker]

Guyferd, you really think the bass on the beyers is as good as the er-4ps?? If so then I guess I would like the beyers since I feel that the etys have plenty of good bass. But I am still unsure at this point. The best thing for me to do would be to audition them both, but I don't know of any store in my area that carries the beyers. I know I can hear the HD600s at several different stores. I'll have to look around I guess. Looking at how the DT880 vs. HD600 argument seems to be taking place, it seems that a lot is up to personally preference here with no clear cut winner.

Hiker

 

[spaceman]

Quote:

Originally posted by Hiker Holy crap! I mentioned that I was going to get the DT 880s a few weeks ago. I still haven't and quite frankly after reading this post, I am not so sure that I want them anymore (damnit, more frustration!). Having them described as "lifeless," "distant," "fatiguing," and "bass deficient" is really turning me off to them. I guess I was caught up in all the hype and now I am leaning more toward the HD600s yet again. Damn, decisions, decisions. Even though this complicates things for me, I am glad you posted this so I didn't make a mistake. Thanks man. Hiker

Hiker,
You should take into consideration one important factor; everyone has different tastes and headphones are very subjective. I would read all reviews with a critical eye, and then try the phones you are interested in to see how you like them.

 

[Hiker]

I guess you are right about looking around. I thought I was all ready to buy, but not so much anymore. Thanks for all the input guys. Of course more is definately welcome and would surely help.

 

[arnett]

while i agree that the DT880 is a bit thin in the bass department and is slightly dry in the midrange, i completely disagree with the idea that the DT880 is fatiguing. the DT880 is the least fatiguing headphone i've ever heard (and i've heard plenty!). to me, brightness and fatiguing are two different things. the DT880 may be slightly bright compared to the HD-600, but its treble is as clear as a bell.

the DT880 -- and all beyers i've heard -- seems to have a special synergy with tube amps, IMO.