[andy2667]

Hello,

I am a HD600 user and is currently driving the HD600 by a SET 2A3 amp (the Cyber 30) and the MG-head (old version). My search for a closed phone is over. I decided to buy a Etymotic ER4P and may additional buy a HFI-650.

I have read a lot about the DT880 which aroused my interest. I am considering to buy a DT880 as an addition to my HD600. Some reviews advised that the DT880 is much better than the HD600 saying that the DT880 is much smoother. On the other hand some prefer the HD600 to the DT880 in terms of refinement and micro details.

I like smooth and liquid sound with great details (i.e. Good sound from a good SET amp). I also love non-fatique headphone with good comfort (that is why I don' like Grado). I will buy the DT880 if:
1. It is better (interm of smoothness and resolution) than the HD600. Or;
2. It is an excellent phone with different sounding compared with the HD600 with more attack.

I will not buy the DT880 if it is just another HD600 with only slight different sound.

I understand that the performance of the HD600 very much depends on the amp & source quality. This explains why there are mixed opinions on it Vs the DT880.

Please would HD600 users with DT880 (preferrable tube amp users inparticular SET tube amps) advise your views for assisting my decision. I understand that it is better to audition before buying. However, in Hong Kong, the Beyers are simply not available and an audition for comparision is not feasible.

Thanks for your advises in advance.

 

[lini]

Andy: Maybe you should use the search function and look for JaZZ' comments. He seemed to like the HD 600 a lot, but now seems to like the DT880 even better... I guess, if you asked him, he would claim the DT880 to have both more resolution and more attack.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[JaZZ]

Andy...
Quote:

I am considering to buy a DT880 as an addition to my HD600. Some reviews advised that the DT880 is much better than the HD600 saying that the DT880 is much smoother. On the other hand some prefer the HD600 to the DT880 in terms of refinement and micro details. I like smooth and liquid sound with great details (i.e. Good sound from a good SET amp). I also love non-fatique headphone with good comfort (that is why I don' like Grado). I will buy the DT880 if: 1. It is better (interm of smoothness and resolution) than the HD600. Or; 2. It is an excellent phone with different sounding compared with the HD600 with more attack. I will not buy the DT880 if it is just another HD600 with only slight different sound.

...as lini posted... I'm a former HD 600 lover and now have found my peace with the DT 880. It's not that it's a perfect headphone, but for my liking it's even better than the HD 600.

. .

Their sonic differences are quite well reflected by the two graphs. The HD 600 has more bass and lower mids, whereas the DT 880 has more treble energy between 5 and 10 kHz where the HD 600 has a dip. The treble makes the most obvious difference: the DT 880 is clearly superior with clarity and detail presentation. It's also clearly more transparent - to a considerable degree due to the Senn's excessive low-frequency behavior. The DT 880 has the finer grain and the higher resolution throughout the whole frequency range - and that's what also makes it sound smoother. On the other hand, the HD 600 has a fantastic coherency which is hard to beat; even the DT 880 can't compete in this regard, though it has some similar qualities. I guess its slightly exaggerated treble makes a greater disruption than the HD 600's sharp 8-kHz dip.

The above descriptions refer to the stock HD 600 with a home-made replacement cable, preferably the Earmax Pro with the HD 600 and both equally the EMP and the Corda HA-2 with the DT 880. I'm one of those who otherwise use the HD 600 without the foam pads covering the drivers, but some nylon fabric with greater sound-permeability instead. As others have stated, the sound thus loses some of the Sennheiser magic, on the other hand gains clarity and transparency, not least due to the leaner bass - which is my greatest concern with the HD 600: it's just too prominent. I'd love to leave the foam pads in to preserve the impressive soundstage and the full coherency, but I can't stand the bloated bass anymore. The DT 880 bass is leaner - without being lean in absolute terms - and more accurate, with better resolution and a similar extension. It even seems to be more musical to my ears. But when it comes to the «oomph», the Senn bass is superior. That's the reason I can't rate the DT 880 as clearly better in terms of «attack»; it has the faster attack when it comes to high-frequency events such as cymbals, the high-frequency contents of drum beats as well as the snares of a snare-drum though. But even in the midrange the Senn seems to have a bit more attack. Nevertheless the DT 880 provides a very lively and dynamic sound.

As to the soundstage: the DT 880's is even slightly wider and deeper than the HD 600's. The sound is not in-your-face like with Grados, but presented in a more relaxed manner. And although I also don't like the Grados' treble signature, the DT 880's slightly accentuated treble doesn't make it a fatiguing headphone to me. Instead it's fun to effortlessly hear all the fine details without being forced to focus on them. As a whole, the two headphones share some common characteristics, but aren't really similar to my ears. So the DT 880 offers a really different sound than the one you already have.

In the beginning I found the DT 880 to be less comfortable than the HD 600 which fit my head/ears very well. But meanwhile the DT 880's earpads have adapted to my head shape (if not the other way around).

But all the satisfaction about the DT 880 doesn't prevent me from considering the HD 650 in the very next future.

The HD 600 was a sensationally good headphone when it came out, but it's not the most modern construction anymore now. Well, I trust Sennheiser to launch a successor which is sonically up-to-date. From all I've read the «facelifting» will also concern the sound to an important degree.

 

[Zaphod1]

well, when are the 650s going to be released ?

 

[JaZZ]

It's announced for this late summer. (See this thread!)

 

[andy2667]

Hello Jazz,

Thank you for your comment. I think the DT880 an interesting and reasonably good phone which suit my taste. I am seriously considering it.

By the way, the EarMax Pro is a OTL heaphone. How do it compare with a good SET amp and the ASL MG-Head OTL. My existing 2A3 SET amp is generating noise recently and I think I may not be able to fix it.

Thanks.

 

[JaZZ]

Andy...

...the EMP is the only tube amp in my household, and unfortunately I don't know the MG Head or any SET amps - I'd like to. The only noise I get from my EMP is a low-level hum, perceivable only with low-impedance headphones which I currently don't use with it.

I like the DT 880 with both the EMP and the HA-2. It's kind of a see-saw... currently I'm leaning a bit towards the HA-2, but that may change tomorrow...