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DT880, K702, HD600: A beginner audiophile's thoughts.
May 19, 2011 at 6:40 AM Post #16 of 108
Very nice read, thanks for your thoughts. 
 
May 19, 2011 at 8:01 AM Post #17 of 108
The DT880 have some annoying smiling face EQ type of sound with piercing treble... I mean is fine for a beginner, but it gets boring after awhile. First I can recommend you to get a nice SS hps amp with a quality DAC, just to try to get the maximum out of your hps. Second burn in those hps for a minimum of 150 hours.
 
May 19, 2011 at 9:31 AM Post #18 of 108
 
Thanks for the kind words everyone! It's encouraging to see that the review was enjoyed, and it makes me look forward to posting the next time I make a purchasing decision. 
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Quote:
peskypesky said:
nice review, but i think u should have included the KSC75s!  :)
 
I just got mine today, they're on my head and pumping out Muse into my happy ears and brain.
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I wondered about that. They are quite the surprise for $13, and I guess they would rank above the HD600 in one song. 


Quote:
robernd said:
It's beyond me why nobody slices off the two center bumps on the K701 with a razor...
Okay, resell-value = lost, but now you DON'T HAVE TO sell 'em anymore...
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I would feel as if I'm mutilating them. I'm the type of person who is a tad obsessive about his possessions. My car is always waxed and I do it myself, door dings are upsetting so I park far away, etc - that sort of thing. 
 
If there was a replacement option that kept the price within the range of the HD600 that was accessible, then perhaps they would be a winner. 
 


Quote:
shike said:
Guess I'm weird, the K702 bumps give me a better fit  : |
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I somehow doubt you're the only one, as there's a lot of people on this forum enjoying their K70x. I most definitely enjoyed the sound. It's just too bad about the headband.
 
 
Quote:
rawrster said:
Thanks for your thoughts on these headphones OP! I have the HD600 and getting the DT880 in a few weeks when they come back on loan so looking forward to hearing them. The HD600 is quickly turning into one of my favorite headphones.

 

Fiio E7/E9. It was mentioned somewhere in the upper half of the review.
 
 
 
 
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The DT880 and HD600 are most definitely very different pairs of headphones, and I could see how owning both would be a great idea. Enjoy!
 


Quote:
acix said:
The DT880 have some annoying smiling face EQ type of sound with piercing treble... I mean is fine for a beginner, but it gets boring after awhile. First I can recommend you to get a nice SS hps amp with a quality DAC, just to try to get the maximum out of your hps. Second burn in those hps for a minimum of 150 hours.
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I personally did not find the highs much different from the K702, but it definitely has more bass while the K702 has stronger mids.  Both K702 and DT880 sound like their highs extend further than the K271. So, I do understand what you mean by smiley face EQ, I just simply don't find it that extreme. Again, opinion and personal preference. If our ears weren't any different, there'd be no point in all these different pairs of headphones. 
smily_headphones1.gif
This weekend I will be spending much more time with the DT880 so we will see how I feel after a 2-3 hour listening session. 
 
I highly doubt my DAC/amp will be replaced anytime soon. I purchased this with the goal of having a setup under $500, having a portable USB DAC/amp for when I travel, and still having enough power to drive the three headphones in this review. The HD600 and E7+E9 would have been slightly over that, but $30 wouldn't ruin me. If I were to upgrade my desktop DAC/AMP, it would possibly be around Christmas time. 
 
 
 
May 19, 2011 at 10:07 AM Post #20 of 108


Quote:
mrmike said:
I personally did not find the highs much different from the K702.  I do understand what you mean by smiley face EQ, I just simply don't find it that.
 
I highly doubt my DAC/amp will be replaced anytime soon. I purchased this with the goal of having a setup under $500, having a portable USB DAC/amp for when I travel, and still having enough power to drive the three headphones in this review. The HD600 and E7+E9 would have been slightly over that, but $30 wouldn't ruin me. If I were to upgrade my desktop DAC/AMP, it would possibly be around Christmas time. 
 
 
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Well, if you don't find differences in the highs this will be another story... the most important is to enjoy your hps.
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May 22, 2011 at 4:35 PM Post #22 of 108
I edited the first post to add a 2 hour+ listening test I did to the end of it
 
 
You're all welcome to call me wishy-washy if you have read both sections of the review. Since some people enjoyed the first, I felt obligated to post the second. I take purchasing decisions in this price range more seriously than I probably should, but I try to avoid regretting them as best I can.
 
This can be daunting to a beginner who has read so many different reviews of sub bass this, piercing treble that and you need a 4-figure DAC & AMP or your cans will sound bad.
 
The last key thing I realized after the two hour listening test is that the most exciting headphones will make the biggest impression on you out of the box on a short listening test. 
 
P.S. I just set down the HD600s to answer the phone as I wrote this post, and the person on the other line sounded so bad compared to what I was just listening to on my cans. Thanks a lot for that, Head-Fi.
 
May 22, 2011 at 4:55 PM Post #23 of 108
Nice addition with all the pictures. Gotta say, the K702 looks the best of all. I forgot how nice those look and think I like them over the K701.
 
I'm also liking your 2 hour listening test. Great idea! I was going to do something like that to really get comfort across the board. But that is the exact reason I've done a "Initial Comfort" section and a "Long Term Comfort" section in some of my reviews. Because nearly every headphone I've had feels nice at first, but their nasty side turns up after a given amount of time. I couldn't wear the DT880 or K701 for that long, anywhere from a 1/2 - 1 hour before irritation. HD650 was probably 2 hours at max before the earpads bugged the crap out of my head. Any who, comfort is best measured in time, and not initial feel.
 
May 22, 2011 at 5:04 PM Post #24 of 108
Thanks for the review and I wish we had more like this. The K702 is hard for some to like. I love mine, but it took me awhile to appreciate it. It has some piercing treble out of the box. Strangely, I never had that problem with the DT-880 250 ohm or 32 ohm. The bass on the K702 definitely improves after 80-100 hours of burn in. The treble also smoothed out for me. I think a lot of people give up on the K702 too easily.
 
If you liked the K702 somewhat but hated the bumps, you should try the K601 sometime. It's similar to the K702, but has no bumps, is more comfortable, clearer and more detailed than the HD-600, has a better soundstage and is even quite non-fatiguing. It just doesn't have the treble of the K702 and still isn't quite as detailed, but close. To me the K601 has the more forward sounding mids, but some may disagree. Music I find a bit more fun to listen to on the K601, but some music is better on the K702. The K601 is kind of a mix between a laid back headphone and something a little more energetic. I've found it has a tad more bass than the K702 too.
 
The E9 is a nice amp for the money, but the K702 benefits even more from an even better one. My K601 really didn't, but the K702 did. Of course the K702 is still perfectly fine with the Fiio E9. BTW the K601 sounds great out of the E9...K702 is quite good from the E9, but not great.
 
May 22, 2011 at 5:29 PM Post #26 of 108
Looking at a Headroom graph, I can see why the sound of all 3 was so close:
 

 
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