[jvbb2005]

A friend of mine let me have his DT880 for a week or 2. During a whole week of listening mainly to his DT880, I can't help noticing how similar the DT880 sound to my HP-2. They were both very clean, neutral with lot of details. Both cans are powered by Melos SHA-1 with Sony DV-s7000 as source.

Do any HP-2 owners notice this similarities?

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jvbb2005 A friend of mine let me have his DT880 for a week or 2. During a whole week of listening mainly to his DT880, I can't help noticing how similar the DT880 sound to my HP-2. They were both very clean, neutral with lot of details.

I heard the HP-2 fairly extensively at a meet a couple years ago, but just can't get past the soundstage/headstage issue with Grados... i.e. no matter how good it sounds, that "pinpoint" type of staging just jumps out at me and makes me forget their other qualities. IMHO it sticks out like a sore thumb. That said, I do remember it being seriously neutral, probably more so treble-wise than the DT880.

 

[ScubaSteve87]

Thats quite a comparison. Makes me want to get the Dt880 even more now

 

[boodi]

true but grado hp-2 sound quite more monitor/speaker like to my ears .
and somewhat less coloured , yet more live and true tone
hint less dry too , bit more smooth too .. overall a quite much more open and solid/weighty sound feeling ..
not quite the same in the end ..

 

[fjf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jvbb2005 very clean, neutral with lot of details.

Yep, that's the DT880. That's why Fewtch calls then the classicalyzer. Good name for a ticket at a concert hall every night at home.

 

[EdipisReks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fewtch I heard the HP-2 fairly extensively at a meet a couple years ago, but just can't get past the soundstage/headstage issue with Grados... i.e. no matter how good it sounds, that "pinpoint" type of staging just jumps out at me and makes me forget their other qualities. IMHO it sticks out like a sore thumb.

are you sure you were listening to a pair of HP-2s and not to, say, a turkey drumstick? the HP-2 does not have the same constrained soundstage that the John Grado models have.

 

[tkam]

I can sort of see the similarities in terms of "netruality" but I think the 880s are a little bright and thin in comparison to the HP-2.

 

[EdipisReks]

i think the Senn 6x0 series is much closer to the HP-2 in terms of tonal balance, though neither the DT880 or the Senns are "neutral" in the same way the HP-2 is.

 

[recstar24]

the dt880 has enough brightness for myself and the 3 listeners next to me, sounded great with live recordings but other than that the brightness issue was a little unnerving. I wrote up a review on 6 moons while back, you can find it under my bio and read it if you wish, I compare it to the HP2 as well in that review which at the time was my reference.

There are some similarities between the HP2 and the hd6x0 series though. HP2 is smoother and more extended up top than the 600 and does not have as much exaggerated top end, and the bass is tighter than the 650 but the 650 has a smoothness with extension up top like the HP2. In fact, if I took the best qualities I enjoyed the most from the 600 and 650, and added a couple of tweaks here and there, it would probably be a HP2.

Can't wait for this wedding to be over with, so I can get myself another set

 

[rsaavedra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkam I think the 880s are a little bright and thin in comparison to the HP-2.

Ditto.

 

[Oski]

I happen to own both the HP2 and the DT880s, but besides both being wonderful headphones and great sounding I don't think they sound all that similar...but in fact quite complementary.

Head/soundstaging are probably the biggest differences. The HP2s, while more forward and with a smaller headstage, has a great sense of permeability that make it seem very open otherwise. Conversely the DT880s have a great soundstage with instrumentation that is wide and deep, but at the same time there seems to be a certain boundary that encloses the whole performance for a sense of intimacy.

The HP2 has a tremendous amount of neutrality and stoicism, with a sound spectrum that seems to be flat from top to bottom without any particular emphasis. The DT880s meanwhile has a very pleasant but somewhat rounded bass and slight treble emphasis which adds a nice sparkle and a perceived sense of detail. However, if you listen more closely it is the HP2 which has much better detail, resolution, and delineation of the notes. As monitors, the HP2 can be perceived as analytical but it doesn't suffer the brightness, dryness, or sterility that are usually associated with such equipment...it's just very natural and presents music without its own coloration.

As others have also mentioned, the DT880s are warm sounding but in a way a bit thinner sounding than the HP2, which has a substantial amount of weight and mass behind the sound.

I find both headphones very enjoyable for different reasons. I turn to the DT880s when I want musicality, a wonderful sense of space, and when I want to be moved by the music. I use the HP2 when I want neutrality, accuracy, and when I want revelation into the music.

 

[jvbb2005]

Quote:

Originally Posted by recstar24 In fact, if I took the best qualities I enjoyed the most from the 600 and 650, and added a couple of tweaks here and there, it would probably be a HP2.

How is this possible. My HD600 never come close to my HP-2 in terms of being analytical

 

[recstar24]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jvbb2005 How is this possible. My HD600 never come close to my HP-2 in terms of being analytical

I think that's where we differ, in our perception of analytical. I never saw the HP2 as an analytical can, to me both my sets of HP2's were very fun and easy to listen to, but were very resolving and you could hear everything so even and smooth, there was a tint of dryness sure but I always enjoyed music first and foremost on those cans. IF anything I find the HD600's more analytical than the hp2's, more dry and laid back with a bit more treble energy, oski is right on how the HP2's are different from most monitors in that they actually are fun and musically pleasing to listen to, at least my opinion.

Take the smoothness and resolving power of the 650's, the somewhat analytic nature and laid back refinement of the 600's (to a lesser degree), add in the tightest and fastest bass i have ever heard of, narrow the soundstage a bit but with a huge headstage, and for me you got the HP2's.

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdipisReks are you sure you were listening to a pair of HP-2s and not to, say, a turkey drumstick? the HP-2 does not have the same constrained soundstage that the John Grado models have.

Turkey drumstick... very amusing, yes... very funny. Anyway, I do remember some "soundstage constraints." To my ears, of course, and taking into account the general inaccuracy of memory.

P.S. if the general consensus is that the HP-2 has a much bigger sound/headstage than later Grados, I'll quit commenting on them in light of the possibility I'm not remembering correctly. Grados in general have not made a very good impression on me, and I can't help the fact.

 

[Oski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fewtch if the general consensus is that the HP-2 has a much bigger sound/headstage than later Grados, I'll quit commenting on them in light of the possibility I'm not remembering correctly. Grados in general have not made a very good impression on me, and I can't help the fact.

Honestly, the HP2 (with their intended flat pads)...while slightly better than the recent Grados (even with bowls) are still not exactly going to impress in the headstage department. They are still very forward sounding. But fortunately they are not congested, instead there is actually very nice separation, layering, and openess. If you are going from other cans like the DT880s, it takes a bit of time to adjust to the reduction of headstage, but then you start to realize that they image accurately, instruments have a natural (though closer) placement, and there is in fact an abundance of spatial cues.