[gastro54]

Hey, I am considering both of these headphones for use with smooth music that has a certain degree of finesse to them. I have a pair of DT531s on the way for music with more impact. Even though from what I have read, K501s are normally compared to headphones in their price range, I was wondering whether, in your opinion, it is worth it to spend 2x the cost of the K501s to get the Dt880s. I realize that people consider these headphones to be in different strata of "audiophile-ness," but from what I have read, people seem to describe both headphones similarly.

Thanks in advance.

 

[blessingx]

I can't comment as I've never heard the DT880s and my K501s are on the way, but I don't think it's a general consensus that the Beyers are in a different audiophile strata. Well, I guess it depends on how many hundreds of strata.

Curious about answers for bang-for-buck question too. Not to threadjack, but I'm also wondering the related, are the AKGs and Beyers more different than either and the Senn HD580/600? Also which has the best midrange? Keep hearing (and wanting) both have such a smooth center (as gastro54 is also looking for).

 

[wallijonn]

The DT880 has a better seamless transitioning soundstage. For this alone buy the DT880; the K501 tends to have a slight hole in the middle. The K501 is more comfortable and lighter feeling. The DT880 soundstage is deeper and higher, with a 3D quality to it.

The K501 has better high end dynamics, especially piano high notes, triangles, snare brushes, etc.; the highs just sound more pristine. But the DT880 can handle much more power, the DT880 has better dynamics over the whole frequency range. Where the K501 starts to distort the DT880 keeps right on going and begs for more. Be careful, you can get some massive undistorted SPLs from the DT880s. Both do female vocals very well.

 

[adhoc]

the dt880 soundstage is deeper, but narrower, while the k501 soundstage is wider, but much shallower. your choice would depend on how you like your music served.

imo the k501 does female vocals better than the dt880- they sound more crisp on the k501 while the dt880's heavier lower end tends to obscure them slightly. however this also makes the k501s more specialised phones than the dt880 - the dt880's far stronger bass makes it more acceptable with more genres of music.. do note however that imo the k501 can dig as low as the dt880, which is very low. i personally feel too that the dt880's highs are slightly tinny. the k501 has a more rich midrange than the dt880. the k501's midrange is prominent though, and uncomfortably so with some types of music.

both headphones rate about the same in comfort for me - neither have great clamping pressures, and while the k501 is much lighter, the dt880 makes up for that with a more luxuriously comfy velour pad. i've noticed that with heavy use the silver-grey velour pad discolours to a faint yellow over time.

the dt880 comes with a very annoying coiled telephone-cord style cable. 3m stretched out, but realistically only 1.5m in practical usable length. the dt880 is more solidly built than the k501, and more expensive looking. it also comes with a really cool looking (and useful) aluminium box.

however based on my need for a headphone that is not a jack-in-all-trades-master-of-none type, i prefer the k501.

 

[BigD]

Quote:

The DT880 has a better seamless transitioning soundstage. For this alone buy the DT880; the K501 tends to have a slight hole in the middle. The K501 is more comfortable and lighter feeling.

by wallijohn

My experience with k501 was a roller coaster one, but after good amp/headphones pair, this combo started to shine. I agree with wallijohn having the hollowness in the middle. My k501/perreaux combo evidenced such feel. Also the vocals were very recessed and seem like they're behind the band.
However, this sensation disappear with k501/mcintosh c28 combo. Center imaging improved vastly and this weird emptiness was gone. One lateral effect was also slight reduction of the width in soundstage, very slight. K501 are very demanding headphones, but fine synergy can really offset this temper and character.
Not to many people here talk about these attributes. The fit and finish of k501 is among the best in the world. These are one handsome cans!!! Beautiful matte finish dark grey plastic with gold trim, durable black leather headrest with light dual wire headband and breezy earcushions are truly grade "A". Only complaint I have is the thin cables.

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallijonn The DT880 has a better seamless transitioning soundstage. For this alone buy the DT880; the K501 tends to have a slight hole in the middle. The K501 is more comfortable and lighter feeling. The DT880 soundstage is deeper and higher, with a 3D quality to it. The K501 has better high end dynamics, especially piano high notes, triangles, snare brushes, etc.; the highs just sound more pristine. But the DT880 can handle much more power, the DT880 has better dynamics over the whole frequency range. Where the K501 starts to distort the DT880 keeps right on going and begs for more. Be careful, you can get some massive undistorted SPLs from the DT880s. Both do female vocals very well.

Wallijohn, be careful to what you ascribe the distortion. I've never been able to get my 501's loud enough to distort while they were on my head. My amps run out of gas first. (K-1000 amp excepted) Hole in the middle? The 501s have some of the best mids I've ever heard! What was your program material? Amp?
Cheers!

 

[wallijonn]

kw,

We are speaking of relative terms; the K501 is being compared strictly to the DT880. the K501 can distort - it has a definite amount of power that can be input. Whether or not one can keep the headphones on one's head at such elevated volume levels is another matter. I find that it does not distort as readily as, say, ATH headphones, but eventually it will distort.

I find a very real danger with the DT880s - since it has very large undistorted dynamic headroom it can reproduce massive SPLs. I find that the K501 has much more undistorted dynamic headroom in the upper mids to the highs (which is why I say that the highs sound more pristine than the DT880s. I find that the DT880s can sound fuzzy or slightly smeared in the high end range). At normal to high volume levels this may not present a problem. I find that people may turn up the volume to try to dig out a more pleasing or hard hitting low end.

For the most part, the K501 and the DT880 do not display the propensity for the frequency response range to change in proportion to volume level. (For example, cetain headphones sound better at lower volumes, some at higher volume, and most have an input volume level that matches our senses where we 'hear' balanced sound.) I find that the K501 has a better tonal balance over a wide range of volume levels.

As to the 'hole in the centre,' I find that the K501 has a little bit too much hard left / hard right sound to it. It is strictly amp dependent. With a Technics amp I find that the soundstage collapses somewhat and the centre fills in nicely. But I find that the tonal quality shifts to the lower midrange, and so find it slightly distracting with certain types of music - it all depends on the recording itself. I like a wider soundstage with an airier recording, but I like a narrower soundstage with congested recordings. With the DT880 I never worry about it, it just seems to transition better from left to right; ie, the DT880 is not as sensitive to this phenomenon.

The only headphone I have found that seemingly can handle as much input power as the DT880 is the CD3000. The HD600 can handle a lot of power but I find that the overall frequency response changes with changes in relative volume levels; it sounds best in a narrower range than the K501 or DT880 'do'.

We all have an internal sense of where we perceive flat frequency response. When we reach that volume level we seemingly overcome our hearing losses at certain frequencies, but it also has to be below the threshold of where an adjacent frequency range, which we are 'overly sensitive to' and at which a certain volume level is reached we perceive distortion. I call this 'the fatigue range'. I therefore find the K501 and DT880 non-fatigueing.

This is why we many times find ourselves changing the relative volume levels as we change CDs. It may not only be compression or dynamics, but the overall tonal quality changes. A recording which is bass heavy may necessitate a lowering of volume so that we perceive it 'more flat' or 'more neutral'. Likewise a recording which we perceive as very bright may necessitate a lowering of volume level so that we no longer perceive it as distortion. Between these two extremes we adjust the volume level for a pleasing vocal rendition.

I know that I am not saying anything which everyone here does not know, I'm just putting forth my explanation as to why the K501 and the DT880 are so pleasing; to me. 'Grooveilisers' these are not. But this may be the reason why we like them so much. I believe that most of us prefer 'flat and neutral' to 'ramped and hot'.

 

[kiwirugby]

I own both 'phones, and, in a nutshell, I wish I could combine features of both and come up with a hybrid, if that's not headphone heresy!

I listen to mostly classical music and some jazz, especially latin jazz. I use a headphone amplifier and use both pcdps and a Nakamici component system.

Much of what has been said above (with considerable more authority and better, more descriptive accoustic assessments than I could ever come up with) I agree with, save that I feel the 501s have a wonderful midrange. I really like the upper ranges of the 501s. The midranges for the 880s and 501s are a wash for me. Both 'phones are light, but tight, in the bass, with the edge going to the 880s. It's all I need. (With the new Xin SuperDual portable amp I do use the bass boost with the 501s and it does make a difference for me.)

I use both: the 501s at work and the 880s at home. The change is always interesting to note differences even if subtle in most instances, and I enjoy them both. But if push came to shove, I would probably go for the 880s, even though they are more expensive, just because they have that bit of extra bass.

It's a tough call.

 

[wallijonn]

Does anyone feel that SACDs mitigate the perceived lesser bass or does it exacerbate it?


gastro,

Be aware that most of us K501 users are now speaking in nuances and relative terms. We are splitting hairs. I find that boosting the bass about 2 dB mitigates most of the K501s short comings. If you come over from Grados which have a bass bloat it will take a little longer to get acclimated to the K501 flat sound. Heck, even the DT880 has a slight bass bloat. The DT880 has a midrange ramp down which I prefer for female vocals because then I cannot as readily perceive the "S" at the end of words.

If you do get the K501 or the DT880 don't be surprised if you find your music preferences changing.

 

[strid3r]

All this talk about the DT880 and K501 lately is making me want to purchase one. I'm looking for something with a relaxing and non-fatiguing sound to compliment my DT440s and both of these sound like great candidates. I have heard the K501s for a bit but not the DT880s, and all I can remember is the wide soundstage that went very nice with classical. What a tough choice.

It's tearing me up inside.

Really.

 

[gastro54]

Thanks for all the replies so far, they have all been very informative

As far as the K501 bass goes, is it really as recessed as people say? Will the K501s be able to reproduce the lower octaves of a piano recording well without that section of the music losing its "feel"?

 

[adhoc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gastro54 Thanks for all the replies so far, they have all been very informative As far as the K501 bass goes, is it really as recessed as people say? Will the K501s be able to reproduce the lower octaves of a piano recording well without that section of the music losing its "feel"?

the k501 will reproduce them in a way that would seem strangely realistic.

you certainly wont have your head shake from the crashing lower registers of any piano recording, but then again since when does that happen in a real concert??!

 

[wallijonn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by strid3r It's tearing me up inside.

You have to get a handle on hype, otherwise you're a goner. just try to attend a mini meet in your area.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gastro54 As far as the K501 bass goes, is it really as recessed as people say?

Yes. It's not a matter of it being recessed, it's a matter of not being able to perceive it. Most people are used to bass bloat. Some people even complain of the HD600 being slightly bloated. But with the K501 it is a matter of extention, or rather the lack thereof. I usually find that a slight EQ will fix up things quite nicely.

Quote:

... losing its "feel"?

How will you know what you're missing? Unless you directly compare it to another set of headphones, the overall balanced sound (not to bassy, not too bright) should be sufficient.

 

[wallijonn]

K501:

DT880:

HD595:

DT250-80:

HD580:

SR125:

SR225:

K240S/55:

 

[Mr.Radar]

All on one graph (for easy comparison):