[vrln]

The HD 650 and DT 880 compliment each other perfectly. They are polar opposites in the treble. HD 650 is easy listening, DT 880 is treble-heavy. 

 

[pp312]

com·ple·ment
1.
something that completes or makes perfect: A good wine is a complement to a good meal.





 
Quote:

The HD 650 and DT 880 compliment each other perfectly.

 

[randybandicoot]

It's been a while now since I purchased a pair of HD650's to go along with my DT880's. My conclusion? It's definitely worth owning both pairs, especially if you listen to a wide range of music under varied conditions.
 
The DT880 is an incredibly detailed and critical pair of headphones. In combination with some music, it demands attention. It is properly difficult for me to, say, read a book while listening to the DT880's. It has an uncanny ability to cut through a complicated or muddy mix and put things in sharp focus and gives well-recorded music an incredible sense of texture. Perhaps as an inevitable consequence, however, the DT880's have a tendency to bring out any flaws in the recording, and they make a huge deal out of even the most minor compression artifacts.
 
Especially when compared to the DT880's, the HD650's really do live up to their reputation as being laid-back. They're not as overt about rubbing the detail in your face, and they're not quite as quick. They do, however, have a much more forgiving sound. Some modern music, specifically some modern rock, is borderline unlistenable on the DT880's, but it sounds fine on the HD650's. It's not that they don't reproduce the flaws in the recording, they're just a lot less shouty about it. Perhaps the greatest thing about the HD650's is how they make everything sound good. A note about amping, the iBasso PB1 they were originally paired up with did an adequate job of driving them, but an upgrade to the more powerful PB2 gave them a truly impressive level of authority. The HD650's are definitely a headphone that likes to have a lot of power behind them.
 
The DT880's make me feel like I'm immersed in my music, and for that reason they remain my favorite headphones, but for a more casual listening experience, the HD650's are most definitely worth a look. They really are wonderful complements.

 

[Sonic Defender]

I have owned my 880 600ohm model for about a month now and they have quickly earned my respect. I have a pair of HF2s which are fantastic, but despite what I have read from others here I actually do not find the 880s loaded up on highs, at least not compared against the HF2. Just to be clear, the HF2s clean up most of that excess energy I found in the SR models I owned (and enjoyed), and I do not at all find the 880s ever overly exagerated in the highs.
 
I actually find that for me my 880s make difficult to listen to rock recordings playable again for me! I have never owned any Senns, but in time that will change, I will either get a 650 or save for a 800. I just have to hear the Sen sound that I read so much about. Shame nobody I know owns any that I could listen to. Really like the DT880 and feel they do nothing poorly and many things well-excellent. Take a listen to Mark Knoplfers el Macho off of the Sailing to Philadelphia album with the 880s. Quite a nice experience with either my Valhalla or SS Evolution.

 

[bassophile]

I recently had the chance to compare the DT880 and HD650.
 
When going from the HD650 to the DT880, the DT880 sometimes felt a little 'scooped' in the mids, and the HD650 sounded more natural. But, on rare occasion, when going from the DT880 to the HD650, the HD650 felt a bit 'nasal' or 'honky' sounding, and the DT880 sounded more natural. I can definetly say that the HD650 has more of a mid presence than the DT880.
 
Sometimes I felt like the DT880 had more bass, sometimes I felt like the HD650 had more bass. I attribute this to the better bass extension of the DT880 and the more abundant lower-mids of the HD650. In actual bass quantity, both headphones were so equal there was not much to choose between them - though the upwards tilt to the DT880 (because of the prominent treble) may at times give it the illusion of having less bass. When you focus on the bass itself, though, you can't really hear a difference.
 
These are my (scattershot) impressions - wondering if anyone agrees?

 

[pp312]

I owned the 650 for about 3 years and currently own the 880 Pro. It's hard to make comparisons from memory, but I prefer the 880 by a considerable margin. For one thing, it sounds to me more open and natural. I hear more detail--the timbre of instruments on familiar recordings I was never aware of with the 650. Also I find less listener fatigue with the 880. There were recordings that seemed quite harsh that are no longer so. Listening is more pleasurable.
 
If that sounds hard on the 650 I don't mean it to be. It's a fine headphone or I wouldn't have kept it so long, and certainly addictive--I think they sprinkle cocain in the earcups before sending them out. My main complaint, and the reason I moved on, was that harshness, which manifested mostly on orchestral music with massed string. Some people say the 650 is never harsh, but that isn't my experience.
 
As for the 880, to my ears there's only one real fault and that's of course the 5-8khz peak, which is probably going to be more or less of a problem depending on your age (I'm 66 and probably have little hearing above 8khz) and whether you're able to EQ or tone control the peak out. Some people of course won't be bothered by it at all, others will be bothered enough to reject the phone. But it's very easily controlled and once controlled the sound is astonishingly neutral, natural and detailed--at times you could mistake it for a +$1000 phone. I can well understand why it's used in recording studios. As for claims that it's boring and sterile, as I've said before the job of a headphone is to get out of the way of the music, not to add to it even to make it more exciting. People here are always looking for "flavours". I'm looking for a transducer that will get me as close as possible to what was recorded. To my ears, and at typical selling prices, the 880 is probably the bargain of the century--so long as you iron out that peak.

 

[cactus_farmer]

Does anyone have both HD650 and DT880 on hand to directly compare bass quantity?

 

[randybandicoot]

I still do.
 
I would argue that they have a similar bass "quantity," but the presentation of that bass is completely different. The HD650's tend to have a laid-back approach to it, giving you plenty of weight and authority, but with a somewhat slower response. All other things being equal, the DT880 has a more precise presentation; things just start and stop more quickly. The extra punch gives the impression of more bass, even if the actual levels are essentially the same.

 

[cactus_farmer]

Quote:

I still do.
 
I would argue that they have a similar bass "quantity," but the presentation of that bass is completely different. The HD650's tend to have a laid-back approach to it, giving you plenty of weight and authority, but with a somewhat slower response. All other things being equal, the DT880 has a more precise presentation; things just start and stop more quickly. The extra punch gives the impression of more bass, even if the actual levels are essentially the same.

 
Thanks - wait, you're actually saying you perceive the DT880 to be more bassy than the HD650, because of the quickness and punchiness of the bass?

 

[applebook]

IMO, yes because they sound very different, almost polar opposites, but both are difficult to drive and require synergy to sound their best.

 

[pp312]

Everything requires synergy to sound it's best, but I don't see that these headphones are hard to drive. Certainly not the 32 & 250 ohm DT880, nor the 650.

 

[randybandicoot]

Quote:

 
Thanks - wait, you're actually saying you perceive the DT880 to be more bassy than the HD650, because of the quickness and punchiness of the bass?

 
Essentially, yes. That said, if what you're looking for is a bassy headphone, neither of these fits the bill. You might do well to consider the DT990's instead.
 
Quote:

Everything requires synergy to sound it's best, but I don't see that these headphones are hard to drive. Certainly not the 32 & 250 ohm DT880, nor the 650.

 
I don't think I agree with that assessment of the HD650. It may not be the kind of power-sucking beast that the K70X series or the 600-ohm Beyers are, but is not an easy headphone to drive well. I've generally found that it responds well to being driven by a big amp. It picks up some speed and everything sort of tightens up. It scales incredibly well, and it's kind of a waste of that characteristic to drive it with a subpar amplifier.

 

[pp312]

Are we talking quality or quantity here?

 

[applebook]

IMO, an improperly amped 650 sounds like mud and doesn't do it justice. There is a reason why some people here use $2000+ amps for the 650.
 
I prefer the 300 ohm 880 as the reference. 

 

[Nion]

i listing to all kinds of music and alot of rap when i had the dt880 i was amazed how well quality bass it produced especially for gangster rap, southern gangster rap from the 90 era. trust me , dt880 has a tight ass bass, u hear different kinds of bass, even low bass it even sounds alot like a good quality speaker bass when plugged into a receiver with eq-ing the bass,
 
how is the hd650 in comfort on the head and ears?