[pataburd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbonner1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks Pataburd. Sorry you are not happy with the 2005 DT880. My findings align closely to yours and I too was disappointed.

TB1,

The RAL-recabled K701 are due back next Wednesday (with a quieter, black cable jacket), and the DT880/2005 will probably be history. At least I could say I tried them. : )

PatABurd

 

[upstateguy]

I didn't see this thread before, but I would like to reinforce what pataburd has said.

One of the great ways to evaluate headphones is to listen to a human voice. For this evaluation, I'm using the announcer from "Replay Radio" on the internet radio station, Dinner Jazz Excursion. It is the same announcer who is on all of the Replay Radio adds and whose voice I've become familiar with over the years.



Here's the comparison:

I am very used to the sound of his voice from my reference HD650s, but because the 650s proved to be a little too much for long hours of computer work, my main headphones have been the '03 DT880s.

When I got my '05 DT880s, the first thing I noticed was that the announcer's voice quality was not the same as with the 650s or the '03 80s and, listening to where the changes in voice quality occur, you can hear where the '05 880s distort the sound relative to the '03s.

I would like to add that if you don't have both headphones in front of you like this:

and can switch back and forth quickly, you will probably find that the '05 get your attention with their boosted treble and bass. But I find this boosted treble and bass to be artificial and some what annoying to listen to and therefore don't consider the '05s to be a worth while upgrade from the '03s.

I also agree with the loss of air and space between the '03s and the '05s and if you've never had a pair of '03 880s, or like to kick up the equalizer's treble and bass, you certainly will enjoy the new '05 DT880s.


USG

 

[tbonner1]

Quote:

At least I could say I tried them. : )

At this level, there are really not that many dynamic TOL headphones to try.

-The top Senns 600 and 650
-The top Beyers 880,990 and Darths
-AKG 701's
-Ultrasone 705 2500
-Grados
-the new Denon 2000 and 5000
not too many others


You owe it to yourself to try as many as you can if for no other reason to check them off your list and see what tradeoffs you can best live with.

 

[daltonlanny]

Sorry to bring up an old thread.
I am very interested in the older 2003 model Beyer DT880's and I was just curious about something:
Does anyone know whether or not Beyer Dynamic changed to a different driver in 2005, or just changed the equalization/damping, etc., on the same driver?
Thanks!

 

[pataburd]

Quote:

Sorry to bring up an old thread.
I am very interested in the older 2003 model Beyer DT880's and I was just curious about something:
Does anyone know whether or not Beyer Dynamic changed to a different driver in 2005, or just changed the equalization/damping, etc., on the same driver?
Thanks!

I believe this was mentioned elsewhere, but the thread location escapes me.
 
Another head-fier reported that he had spoken with a Beyer representative.  According to the representative, only the ear cup and (possibly the damping) was changed for the 2005 250 ohm model.  Same driver.
 

 

[daltonlanny]

Thanks alot for your reply, pataburd. I really appreciate it.
I searched the threads before I posted above, but I could not find anything about the changes made by Beyer.
I am in the process of purchasing a pair of the 2003 DT880's from cfcubed here on headfi, and can't wait to try them out.
What are the sonic differences between the DT880 600 that you own and the DT880 2003?
Thanks again.

 

[pataburd]

     Quote:

Thanks alot for your reply, pataburd. I really appreciate it.
I searched the threads before I posted above, but I could not find anything about the changes made by Beyer.
I am in the process of purchasing a pair of the 2003 DT880's from cfcubed here on headfi, and can't wait to try them out.
What are the sonic differences between the DT880 600 that you own and the DT880 2003?
Thanks again.

DL,
De nada.
 
I think that casual mention about the "same driver" issue between the DT880/250/2003 and DT880/250/2005 came up somewhere in the DT880/600 appreciation thread.
 
The DT880/600 have more bass slam and are filled out a bit more in the mids than the DT880/250/2003--although critically speaking, they remain ultimately a tad thin in the mids.  They are not as airy, though, nor as extended into the deep bass as the DT880/250/2003.  The DT880/600, because of their improved midrange, offer improved top-to-bottom coherency and better tonal characteristics, too, IMHO.
 
I sold my last pair of DT880/2003 due to unemployment, and would like someday to a/b the DT880/250/2003 and the DT880/600.  Eventually, I would like to hear the 600 ohm drivers in a set of DT880/2003 housings.
 
That said, I am pretty happy with the DT880/600.  They sound very, very good, offering a beautiful tonal purity, with the WeeeeeeSquirrel upgraded DV336SE.  In fact, I prefer them to the T1.  : )
 
PAB
 
    
 

 

[daltonlanny]

I received the DT-880 2003 version yesterday and I am VERY IMPRESSED with them to say the least!
I like them better than my Sennheiser HD650's and my AKG K701's.
In fact, I like them so much that I am selling my K701's. I simply cannot warm up to the K701 sound for some reason. I have owned them twice, tried different amps and sources with them, etc., and I simply cannot truly like them nomatter what I try. To my own ears, there is a truly unnatural emphasis in the upper mids/lower treble that makes them sound sort of harsh or shrill, that I cannot overlook, and they simply sound alittle too dry, and bass light for my tastes. They do have a sort of "artificial" or "plastic" sound that Uncle Erik mentioned in some threads, and also to my own ears. They sort of have an "odd" sort of sound to my ears that I can't really completely figure out? I have come to the conclusion that I could NEVER be happy with the 701's on a full time basis. I really and truly tried to like the 701's, tried different gear and amps with them, and gave each 701 that I owned atleast 350 hours of burn-in, but my gut feelings did not change.
On the other hand, the DT-880's that I bought sound very smooth, balanced, open, and have surprisingly good bass weight and extension. The highs are VERY extended and open. They sound better balanced, controlled, and more open than my 650's, without the slight veil in the upper mids/highs, and the slight boominess/muddiness in the bass that the 650's can sometimes exhibit, and the 880's are better balanced, sound more organic, and are much smoother in the upper mids/lower treble than the 701's, and have more powerful and extended bass than the 701's, IMHO.
I can listen to the 650's or the 880's without listening fatigue, but when I listen to the 701's listening fatigue rapidly sets in for some reason. The 701's do soundstage alittle better, have better overall detail, sound alittle better with female vocals, and may have better attack and decay than the 650 or 880, but I still prefer the latter overall.
The only real weakness that I hear with the 880 is maybe occasional brightness, and a very slight "metallic" sound with some bad program material, but this is rare.
Thanks to pataburd and others on here for steering me in the right direction!
Just my 2 cents.

 

[pataburd]

daltonlanny,
Glad to hear that the DT880/2003 are to your liking.  I'm not sure what you are amping them with, but I really liked the '03 Beyers paired with the all-tube Darkvoice 336i.  
 
Like you, I, too, owned the K701 on two, separate outings and, rec-cabled with RAL Paradise Cryo-Silver, they were actually my reference cans for over a year.  The K701 have a disjointed smear/kink in their upper midrange/lower treble that reeks havoc particulalrly with vocals and makes the frequency transition on either side of it problematic, if not altogether impossible.  
 
After I heard how cohesive the K501 were by comparison, with their ultra-pure, seamless midrange, I could never go back to the K701.  I still own and very much enjoy the K501 (w/UP-OCC solid silver re-cable).  As far as I am concerned, they establish THE benchmark for midrange reproduction within their price class, above their price class, and sometimes WAY above their price class.
 
While the DT880/2005/250 were a huge disappointment for me, I have found solace in the DT880/600.  The DT880/600 seem to adequately address the midrange deficit of the '03 model, but at the same time retain enough of the HF and LF extension of the latter to produce a balanced and satisfying listen that still feels "in league with" or "faithful to" the '03's "house sound".  Because of their more fully developed and better integrated midrange, the DT880/600 offer a dimension of tonal shading and dynamic contrast comparatively lacking in the '03 version.  
 
That said, though, the DT880/600 do not offer that nth degree of frequency extension at either extreme which the '03 version generously deliver.  For me, that is the bona fide "magic" of the DT880/2003, producing a very airy, often wildly expansive and enveloping listening experience unparalleled by any of the subsequent Beyer offerings--up-to-and-including, IMHO, the flagship Tesla T1.
 
In fact, I sold my T1 and kept the DT880/600 mainly because the DT880/600 exhibited a closer sonic kinship with the DT880/2003, while the T1 sounded, to my ears at least, nearer in essence to the DT880/2005/250, my least favorite of the last three DT880 iterations.
 
Anyway, enjoy the DT880/2003.  No matter how you cut it, they are and ever will be true headphile "classics" in my book!
 
 
Cordially,
Patrick

 

[daltonlanny]

Hey Patrick,
Thanks for the kind words.
Yeah, my dream is to try the 880's with the Darkvoice 336i!
Right now I am stuck with using the Headroom Micro Amp, but it sounds pretty good. It is good enough. IMHO, to judge the different sonic signatures of the various headphones that I have tried with it, and it is not a harsh sounding amp like some other lower priced offerings. I have also used HeadAmp GS-1 and GSX, Musical Fidelity X-Can V.3, Heed Can Amp, Creek OBH-11 with upgraded power supply, and the Headroom Max in the past, and I always came to the same conclusion about the K701, nomatter what amp or source I have tried. If it wasn't for the smear/kink or whatever it is in the upper mids/lower treble, and if they had alittle more extension on the very top, and on the bottom, I think they would be much better sounding headphones with lots of potential.
What is strange about the K701's is how different people seem to hear them differently!
I have 4 other friend who are headphone enthusiasts, not as much as me mind you, but 2 of them love the K701's with my set-up, and think they seem more balanced than my other cans! But, the other 2 agree with my findings!
I think this is very odd and kinda weird in a way.
Yeah, I agree with you completely that the DT880/2003 is a "classic" as well, and I was very pleasantly surprised by them as soon as I started listening to them. They had a "rightness" to them right off the bat that the 701's never achieved to me personally.
Come to think about it, also tried a pair of Beyer Dynamic DT880/250 about 3 years ago that I did not particularly care for. They sounded thin, sort of harsh or annoying, even sort of "metallic" in the treble at times, and lacked bass extension. I wound up selling them. I agree with you that they did not have the extension on either end that the 880/'03 has. I was sort of worried that I would feel the same way about the 880/'03, but was very pleasantly surprised!
I read about your adventures with the T1. It was very interesting. I am glad you posted your feelings about them without hesitation. That was great. One thing for sure is the fact that we all hear differently. I have found that out alot lately by having my friends over and doing headphone comparisons! Some prefer the AKG's, some the Beyers, some the Sennheisers, and one buddy of mine likes the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 better than any of them!
I would also love to come across a good deal on a pair of used 880/600's in the future. I can't really swing $300.00 for a pair of new ones at this time.
Good luck with your recable of your 880/600. Keep us posted.

 

[cfcubed]

Ugh.  You guys are making me regret selling those 2003 DT880s to Lanny  I'd acquired too many good cans, they fell out of my rotation for a while & they deserve to be listened to not sitting on a headphone stand.  So its great he's enjoying them so. 
 
AFAIR, Patrick's reviews lead me to 2003 DT880s, enjoyed 'em so much at one time I owned 2 sets. The itch to try "newer" cans lead to the new (silver driver plate?) HD600s which I'm very happy with.  And the more I hang around here and read this stuff the more likely a pair of DT880/600s will find their way to me (my HF-2s would go).
 
A note about others liking K701s - I too tried to like them & did during initial/short listening sessions.  Really, one needs to have extended listening sessions across the genres of music one enjoys to fully evaluate cans.
 
Well another thanks to Patrick for his honest, detailed reviews...  Even to the point of criticizing cans he is trying to sell  Probably won't find me doing that just prior to listing my HF-2s

 

[pataburd]

Quote:

. . . 
I would also love to come across a good deal on a pair of used 880/600's in the future. I can't really swing $300.00 for a pair of new ones at this time.
. . . 

There's a pair from Amazon Warehouse deals right now for $257.  : )