[whitemonkey]

Hi,

I'm considering a new headphone purchase in the near future, and I'm wondering about the hd600 and the dt880, which headphones do you consider to be better?

any response would be greatly appreciated

*I havn't had the chance to listen to any of them, just wanted to know if they're on the same league and your personal taste

 

[majkel]

For me it's an obvious choice of current Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro. Better imaging, greater soundstage, no veil. HD600 need a well matched amp, and don't play well from any portable (Beyers do - from Teclast T39 for instance).

 

[Philco]

Four years ago I preferred the HD600 to the DT880-2003, but now I'd like to take another listen to the DT880-2005 and maybe switch from the HD600 to the DT880. I'm really disapointed by the way my HD600 sounds compared to my DT770-250, which is why I'm going to look for some more Beyers, as I seem to like their signature sound.

 

[fuzydice]

i much prefer the dt880 2005 250ohm to the hd580 w/ hd600 grills. Like someone else said: no veil.

 

[Philco]

I don't hear a "veil" with the HD600, not at all. I hear pretty much the opposite, too much midrange response (i.e. "nasally") which narrows the soundstage and not enough bass response to be accurate. The highs are very fine though, hence no "veil" for me.


Quote:

Originally Posted by fuzydice /img/forum/go_quote.gif i much prefer the dt880 2005 250ohm to the hd580 w/ hd600 grills. Like someone else said: no veil.

 

[snowy08]

i prefer the hd600 do the dt880 '03
although it lacks sparkle in the higher frequency, which the dt880 excels at, i think the hd600 sounds more natural for classical music
both need to be well amplified to sound best though

 

[dreamwhisper]

I didn't really like anything about the DT880's except for their tight bass,
they gave me the impression of headphones with anorexia.
-compared to HD650, ATH-W5000. and using a warm source and warm tubes in my tube amp (Darkvoice 332)

 

[Uncle Erik]

Sennheisers do not have veils. Amplifiers have veils. The 580/600/650 line give you a window into your amplification. If your amp isn't up to snuff, the Sennheisers sound as if they have a veil. They do not, but the veil is a popular misconception here, as a lot of people act like all amps are created equal. If you want to get the best from Sennheisers, you need to either buy a fairly powerful amp with a good damping factor or build one. Building one will run $300-$400 in parts on the low end and decent commercial offerings cost more.

There should be some disagreement on whether you should have to spend so much on an amp to drive less-costly headphones, but it is what it is. If you want top-tier performance from a Sennheiser, you have to have a good amp. The good news is that a capable amp will do magical things to any other headphones you have.

A well-amped HD-600 is detailed, smooth and more neutral than the DT880. The DT880 is brighter and more forward with a bump in the highs. I love them both, but I think the HD-600 is better overall. It's one of the best out there, even in light of some highly regarded discontinued headphones. The price is a bargain in my book.

 

[Philco]

"Anorexic" - that's exactly what I thought about DT880-2003 and hence I chose the HD600. But it seems the new DT880-2005 is better. Also, I'm quite interested in hearing the DT990-2005 which should correct the bass problem if it still exists.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreamwhisper /img/forum/go_quote.gif I didn't really like anything about the DT880's except for their tight bass, they gave me the impression of headphones with anorexia.

 

[ciphercomplete]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sennheisers do not have veils. Amplifiers have veils. The 580/600/650 line give you a window into your amplification. If your amp isn't up to snuff, the Sennheisers sound as if they have a veil. They do not, but the veil is a popular misconception here, as a lot of people act like all amps are created equal. If you want to get the best from Sennheisers, you need to either buy a fairly powerful amp with a good damping factor or build one. Building one will run $300-$400 in parts on the low end and decent commercial offerings cost more.

I don't think you even need to spend that much. I would love to have some "veil" folks come over to my place and listen to the hd580s powered by my new Little Dot MKIII ($199). The so called veil that I experienced with lesser powered amps is gone. In my experience the "veil" doesn't even begin to disappear until your are giving them at least 200mw of power.

As my sig implies, I sold my dt880s. I want to enjoy my music not evaluate it. I appreciate their ridiculous detail and analytical abilities but there was no emotion to vocals and I was overwhelmed by hearing every noise on every music track regardless of whether the listener was meant to hear them or not. I think the dt990s might be more of my cup of tea, I have not heard them yet though.

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

My 580 also sounds horribly veiled out of my iPod, but after some play time, I can't hear it from my XCAN. But I heard it clearly to begin with also from the XCAN. The same thing with the bass, first it was tiny and weak, but now there is almost too much of it. (Maybe the cans have stayed the same while my ears have changed.)

 

[iancraig10]

While I appreciate the sound of the DT880's with their spaciousness and clarity, I return to my hd600's and 650's with relief.

I find the 880's sibilant and edgy and with some types of music, the guts are completely taken away.

The Senns put the warmth and bass back into the music for me. I don't hear the so called 'veil'. However, I never use the Senns (or Beyers) without an amp driving them. Maybe that's why.

The Beyers act as a good contrast to the Senns and I like to use them for acoustic music but the Senns feel more 'balanced' in tone to me. Both are very revealing.

Ian

 

[majkel]

How can I blame the amp for giving a specific result on one headphone but not on the other? There is veil in the HD600's but when you spend lots of time with Senns, your hearing adjusts to this veiled, and unfocused in the treble presentation. I'm talking about the things I hear on the amp giving life-like impression on Grados or Beyer's while the HD600's stay a step behind in overall transparency. And I don't understand recommending HD600's for classical. They aren't analytical and resolving enough. At least not to the degree Beyers DT880/DT990 Pro offer. The bass of the Senns lacks a bit of punctuality, so this headphones are actually good for rock (unfatiguing midrange), rap and electronica. For jazz, blues, classical - there are better.

 

[greggf]

Who wants analytical for classical?

When I want a proctoscope for dissecting music, I'll buy a DT880.........

When I want music and only music, I'll buy an HD600. (By the way, billinkansas has written a great classical music/headphones review. Search.)

 

[Dobro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by majkel /img/forum/go_quote.gif How can I blame the amp for giving a specific result on one headphone but not on the other? There is veil in the HD600's but when you spend lots of time with Senns, your hearing adjusts to this veiled, and unfocused in the treble presentation. I'm talking about the things I hear on the amp giving life-like impression on Grados or Beyer's while the HD600's stay a step behind in overall transparency. And I don't understand recommending HD600's for classical. They aren't analytical and resolving enough. At least not to the degree Beyers DT880/DT990 Pro offer. The bass of the Senns lacks a bit of punctuality, so this headphones are actually good for rock (unfatiguing midrange), rap and electronica. For jazz, blues, classical - there are better.

You will get different results with different phones on the same amp because different phones have different amp requirements. The flaws you describe in the HD600s are typical of using an amp that provides insufficient voltage. Get an amp that has sufficient voltage and those problems are gone.