[dongringo]

I've been searching and reading for weeks looking for the most neutral, balanced headphone for under $400, but am still undecided due to not being able to hear the DT880s. Not even my beloved headphone store, 32 Ohm, carries them. I've heard the Senn HD650 and HD600 a few times in various hi-fi stores and thought they sounded as close to neutral as I've heard, but am interested in the major differences between the Senns and the Beyers. Also, are there any major differences in sound quality between the DT880 and DT880 Pro? And why is the MSRP of the Beyers so much less than the Senns if they are on the same level? Are they really on the same level sq wise? What I have read so far has helped somewhat, but I just wanted some current comments, not old comments from 2005 - 2007.

I almost bought the HD650 because Amazon had them for $350, but couldn't pull the trigger. I just couldn't bring myself to buy a headphone that has the common problem of paint chipping off the headband...to me this is a major problem. I also thought they sounded a bit dark, thus not really that neutral.

So will it be the DT880, DT880 Pro, or will it be something else? That is the question that will hopefully be answered with your help.

Just one more thing. Do any of you prefer the DT990 over the DT880? Are the 990s really that bright?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you can give me.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, I will be listening to them on my PC, foobar2000, and ibasso D4. I don't have a more powerful amp, but if any of you think the D4 will power the DT880/600ohm let me know. My wallet is feeling sorry for itself at this point so really can't be looking to amp up at this point.

 

[Menisk]

Haven't heard the Beyers but I do want to at some point. I wouldn't worry about the 650s if you're looking for neutrality. 600s are much more neutral, so I'd say it's between 600s and 880s.

 

[wavoman]

Don't know about the D4, but the 880/600 is actually not that hard to drive. As another poster put it in another thread, the 880/600 just gets better and better as your amp improves.

I would buy the MANUFAKTUR version of the 880/600 off the beyer site.

The Senn HD600 is a better phone than the 880/250 for sure. I have all three, and I am sure of this ranking, at least for what I listen to using them (pop featuring female vocals):

880/600 > HD600 > 880/250.

I used to think the HD600's were better for classical, but not with my newer amps ... my mind is changing, the amps are different, the phones are breaking in, or it is all placebo effect ... who knows? Again assuming the amp can drive them -- some other member will have to chime in on that -- you cannot go wrong buying the 880/600.

No experience with the 990, sorry.

 

[the search never ends]

880/600 for sure, I think your amp should do pretty fair, the 600 ohm is the way to go with the 880 (as always thats my opininon only)

 

[Zombie_X]

I prefer my beyers and yeah the 600Ohm is not difficult to drive if you amp has a high voltage swing. CMoy's power higher Z phones easier since they use 9 volt batteries.

 

[priest]

Can't speak to the D4 question, but at this point I prefer the DT 880/250 over the HD 650, for what it's worth. They are definitely less dark than the HD 650. Whether they are overall more neutral is an open question, given that the DT 880/250 could be accused of accentuating the high-end somewhat, although I don't find it bright. Frankly, I go by feeling more than anything with headphones, and the DT 880 enables me to enjoy myself more (I listen mainly to rock). The DT 990 is probably my next purchase, but I have not heard it at this point, so I can't speak to that. Best of luck to you -- I'm sure you'll make the right choice.

 

[Uncle Erik]

When I had the HD-600, HD-650 and DT880, I found the HD-600 to be the most neutral of the bunch. The HD-650 tends to be a little darker overall, though is the smoothest. The DT880 is brighter and more forward than the Sennheisers with some treble emphasis. The HD-600 had the most balanced, neutral sound.

That being said, I loved all three of them. I only sold them off to pay for the HD-800 (which I find much better), but I had many happy hours with those and recommend all of them.

Maybe this won't help much, but I don't think you could go wrong with any of those three. They all sound great and you'll probably love all of them. So I'd go with the best deal you can find, preferably used. That way you won't lose any money if you end up selling one.

Don't worry about the MSRP difference. MSRP is a fiction, something manufacturers make up to enhance perceived value. Getting $200 off seems like a better deal than $100 off, but that has nothing to do with actual performance. Either Sennheiser or Beyerdynamic will sound good and give you a lot of value for your dollar.

 

[islewind]

You can't go wrong with any of them.

When I had the 650 and the 880 together for a couple of months, I would switch back and forth a lot, usually preferring the 650 sound slightly, but just slightly. That said, the superior comfort and versatility of wearing positions (round vs oval earpads allow slight variation in the headband position) of the 880's ended up making them my favorite of the two.

 

[dongringo]

Thanks everyone for your comments. They are helping considerably. I'm going to read them over again tomorrow when I'm not so incredibly tired.

 

[dongringo]

Thanks everyone for your help. I pulled the trigger on the DT880/600Ohm Manufaktur. Should have them in about a week. Can't wait to hear them!

Edit: Pete at Manufaktur said the D4 will power the 600Ohm version with no problem, just in case anyone is interested.

He also recommended Moon Audio as a source for the Black Dragon cable for DT880. Would that cable really be that much of a difference? I have a hard time shelling out for a cable when I can't hear the difference first. Curious about it though.

 

[ast]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dongringo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks everyone for your help. I pulled the trigger on the DT880/600Ohm Manufaktur. .....

Well, with that kinda money you may want to save up a little more and go for T1 directly.

 

[Redo]

I wouldn't worry about the cable upgrade for a bit. You'll get much more for your dollar if you upgrade the amp and dac first. The cable can come once you start to have better pieces in place.

 

[dongringo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ast /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, with that kinda money you may want to save up a little more and go for T1 directly.

I weighed that option, but then I would definitely need a more powerful amp on top of the added expense of the T1. I'm in the process of paying some debts so my self-imposed rule was to not spend more than I got back from taxes. The DT880 Manufaktur was all I could afford.

 

[dongringo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I wouldn't worry about the cable upgrade for a bit. You'll get much more for your dollar if you upgrade the amp and dac first. The cable can come once you start to have better pieces in place.

Good point. I've heard good things about Beyers and tube amps pairing well so will be interested in this upgrade later, but any other purchases will have to wait several months while I do the responsible thing.

 

[David.M]

depends on your personal preference/music tastes.

I own the dt880 (250 ohm) and i really love them, i kinda wish they had slightly better bass presentation. Maybe the 600 ohm fixes it all the problems? who knows

dt900/600 for that enjoyable poppin' bass /crisp highs if you listen to a-lot of electronica/club/rock

dt800/600 if you want neutrality, balance, phenomenal detail and deep(but not overwhelming ) bass

dt800/600 excel with acoustic and classical, I prolly would call dt900/600 slightly better all-rounder than the dt800's.

dunno about that d4 running them, but beyer's freq range isn't too high, so it should be sufficient.

SennHd600's are also worth looking at.