[Robgo]

I made a similar thread in the headphone forum but it's somewhat overly long and complicated.

I bought some DT-880s recently and can't really get used to their sound. I've broken them in and have listened to a wide variety of music and their character just doesn't appeal very much to me. I like how the sound is clear and unveiled but they're just too tame for me and more sibilant than I would like.

Thinking about getting some DT-990 2005 versions in exchange.

I wanted to know if the DT-990 would be a good match to the DV 332 or if it would be very bass heavy and murky. I thought maybe the DV 332 could kind of change the character of the 880's and make them more bass rich and less sibilant but as it is now I just don't like the way they sound for most of my music.


I listen to a wide variety of stuff, from metal (think death metal/black metal) to classical music, usually modern renditions which are more dynamic and bit colder and more detailed than older ones, also folk, rock & some ambient music. I would also use these for gaming as well as DVD. I saw that both the DT-990 and the DV 332 are touted somewhat to more 'fun' or more towards rock listening but I wondered if their characteristics would overlap in an undesirable way.

I'm having a very difficult time trying to figure out what to get.

 

[Henmyr]

DT990 is less tame and more exciting than dt880, but it comes with a price. DT990 is more sibilant and sometimes have too much hights.

 

[Robgo]

Thanks. Going to test my 880s with a tube amp soon. I might try something entirely different now like Denon AH-D2000's since I do find the 880s to be too high.

 

[MaZa]

DT990 is even more prone to sibilance than DT880. Tube amp definetly warms up the sound, but I dont know if it fixes the tameness. (more likely it makes it even more tame) If you want something in-your-face sound, look for Grados. Not good for blackmetal, (i'd leave DT880 for that due to superior soundstage) but for general headbangable metal they really rock. But IIRC DV332 doesnt drive current hungry but efficient headphones like Grados well.

 

[Robgo]

I think I would avoid grados anyways because of their price to performance ratio. They seem like they would be very uncomfortable as well.

I don't listen to pretty much any head banging metal. I actually don't listen to very much metal at all but dislike the way the DT-880s sound with even just ambient sort of metal like Summoning for example. Sounds recessed almost. For faster metal they just sound a bit tame. If I increase the volume it becomes almost unbearably shrill. Production isn't the greatest with these releases though so I think I'll hold onto the DT-880s until I get my amp. Maybe the DV 332 will lower the bass a bit and tone down some of the shrill sound I perceive.

 

[MaZa]

For more ambient side of things, I guess Sennheisers would be good option too with their smooth and warm sound, but yes wait till you get proper amplifier and listen how things turn out.

 

[duration]

My DT-990s (2005) sound very nice with a DV-336i (stock tubes). I would say that the shrillness is tamed a bit by the tube amp.

I drove them initially with the E-MU 0404's built-in amp and found the shrillness a bit overwhelming at first but I quickly became accustomed to it.

With regards to my DV 336i, I would say that it does not make my DT-990s sound murky at all. I don't know how similar the DV 332 is, but I would think it would sound even better.

 

[majkel]

IMHO DT990 Pro's are great for metal, no sibilance just a tad emphasized bass and trebles, no tameness. DT990 2005's - like MaZa said, even more sibilance and peaky trebles, boomy, empty bass, recessed mids.

 

[kooncm]

I tried DT990 with Heed Canamp, EMP and DV 332. I prefer DV 332 as compare to the rest. They are good match IMHO.