I just bought both of these headphones so I guess I'll see what I can lend to the conversation.
First impressions-
The Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro/80s
These were referred to me by the most violent of audiophiles, and the most experienced of sound technicians. I was told repeatedly that they are "like listening to clouds" and I can vouch for that. The crushed velvet ear-pads are quite luxurious, and the weight of the phones (Approx 270g) makes for a very comfy fit indeed. They are snug on the head without being overly tight. And take this from a guy with a rather large head.
Sound-
Beyers have been touted for having the best bass response in a moderately priced set of phones. On paper they absolutely have the edge over almost all the other phones in the price range. With a nominal frequency response of 5 - 35,000 Hz and 80Ω impedance they certainly have the extra thump that they were hyped to have.
As far as clarity goes they have a superb balance of Highs and Mids that I always look for in a set of phones that I want to use mainly for listening, not for live sound, or editing. They also do isolate quite a bit of ambient noise.
A few minor cons-
They are pretty big as far as phones go. They have very large openings so they do sit completely AROUND your ears, which makes for a more comfortable fit, but this creates extra bulk on the outside. They don't have a replaceable cable, which, for those of us with rolling desk chairs, is bad news. And as far as aesthetics go, I'd give them a 4 1/2 out of 10. 10 being the sexiest headphones ever. (But as we all know it’s the inner beauty that counts
They are also not quite as loud as I thought they’d be. I'm not running them through a headphone amp quite yet, just the 1/8" jack on the back of my iMac. They are pretty loud, but not quite as loud as some others I've heard. With the volume all the way up on the computer, and on iTunes it is still a comfortable level of listening. (who knows maybe my hearing is going) I'd be interested to hear what other people have to say about the volume on these phones.
They come with a screw on 1/4" adapter for the 1/8" plug and nothing else.
Sennheiser HD380s
I just slipped into these after wearing the Beyers for the first review and found them to be equally comfortable. I find that the HD380's fit around my ear and head a bit more snuggly than the DT770s. They are closer to the ear as well which I find to be a tad more comfortable. The padded top bar is also quite comfortable. Granted this is for 15 minutes or so at a time, so I don't know what can be said for long term comfort. They are also a little lighter than the DT770s weighing in at approx 220g.
At first I thought these headphones were a different beast, but I've come to realize that they are quite similar to the DT770s in sound quality. I will say that they are more flat than the Beyers, which I find to be better for an editing and live sound application, but they are still exceptional for listening. I'm honestly having a hard time discerning between them.
They are definitely louder than the Beyers and as far as overall sound goes the HD380's have a little less "THUMP" in the bass but still have a very pleasing bass response. They have a great flat mix of Hi-mid-low giving a great overall picture of the mix, with brilliant highs and mids on acoustic finger style songs while still maintaining a lot of color and warmth in the low end. A sound tech friend mentioned that he used these when he wanted "The Truth" about the mix, and I can see where he is coming from in this instance.
The HD380's are very attractive headphones rating about a 7 out of 10 on the sexy headphone scale. They also collapse to nearly nothing. Fitting into a 2”x9”x7 1/2” semi-hard case which offers some protection during transport (well done Sennheiser!) and come with a screw on 1/4" adapter.
A few cons-
They have an all plastic construction which makes me feel like they are more fragile. They also have a very heavy spiraled cord. I personally dislike spiraled cords because they get so tangled when around other wires, but a plus on this side is that the cord is removeable.
In closing-
these are the first two pairs of HIGH-quality headphones that I have owned, and I am very pleased with both. I'll follow up with some thoughts down the road as they occur.
I plan on using the Sennheiser for live sound and film audio recording, and possibly editing. I'll probably keep the Beyers for listening only. All in all they are both sweet headphones in a moderate price range, and I highly recommend both sets.
Right now I'm leaning towards favoring the HD380's as far as style and sound is concerned. But the Beyers are still pretty damn excellent.
Hope this helps, I'd be glad to hear some input if anyone has these two phones.
Cheers
Boz
