[Sonic Defender]

From what I hear the D5000 is a good choice for filling in those gaps. I also really did like the 650s for a different, more silky feel than the 880s provided.

 

[Lespectraal]

Reading through posts here and in the rest of the internet I have been informed that it seems that the 600Ohm version of the DT 880's are the better choice. This leads me to believe that my actual purchase of the 250Ohm kind rather, wasteful...

Am I really losing out on a lot with this version? Should I create a time machine and bring me back to the time I was about to buy the DT 880's and replace that headphone with the 600Ohm version?

Thank you for your time.
 

 

[3X0]

Quote:

Am I really losing out on a lot with this version? Should I create a time machine and bring me back to the time I was about to buy the DT 880's and replace that headphone with the 600Ohm version?
Thank you for your time.

No. It's not as big of a deal as everyone makes it out to be.
 
I suspect much of it is expectation bias and that many people are just blindly following what they read about damping factor.

 

[Sonic Defender]

I don't know if it is fair to characterize people as blindly following what they hear, the whole thing is very subjective, but yes objectively speaking the differences should be quite minor, perhaps imperceptible? Like anything, your experience might be different, and I also think it is reasonable that for some people with very trained listening habits, they may be able to hear/appreciate the differences that theoretically should exist.

 

[Lespectraal]

Well then again I am upgrading from the Goldring DR-150s. That has to be a major difference, and it is no doubt. I guess it's true that sometimes people rather would follow what is written on the tin as opposed to how things really are. Like a placebo of some sort. It's reassuring to hear that I won't be loosing out on much with my purchase, I'm just a bit concerned is all. Thank you.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Quote:

I don't know if it is fair to characterize people as blindly following what they hear, the whole thing is very subjective, but yes objectively speaking the differences should be quite minor, perhaps imperceptible? Like anything, your experience might be different, and I also think it is reasonable that for some people with very trained listening habits, they may be able to hear/appreciate the differences that theoretically should exist.

 
beyerdynamic DT 880 (32, 250, 600Ω)
 

 
The difference may be subtle to some but it's there, treble is smoother and less peaky.

 

[Sonic Defender]

Quote:

 
beyerdynamic DT 880 (32, 250, 600Ω)
 

 
The difference may be subtle to some but it's there, treble is smoother and less peaky.

 
I tend to agree (hence why I had purchased the 600ohm 880s), but I think that it is still reasonable/responsible to indicate that while something is measureable, that doesn't always mean it is perceptible, at least not significantly so. My guess is that in multiple blind testings the vast majority of us would likely have a difficult time distinguishing (consistently) between the 250 and 600 ohm versions. I like what you said, the difference is subtle, but there, I certainly can't argue with that.

 

[AristoNYC]

I'm considering picking up the 880/600's. Right now I have an E17. What is an ideal "budget" (<$300) amp setup to drive these? 
 
Think the E17 + the E9 would be adequate. I am reading some mixed opinions. 
 
Thanks.

 

[MrEleventy]

I had e17 + objective 2 for a little bit before moving to a tube dac and tube amp setup. I liked it before I got upgrade-itis.

 

[R Scott Ireland]

Well then again I am upgrading from the Goldring DR-150s. That has to be a major difference, and it is no doubt. I guess it's true that sometimes people rather would follow what is written on the tin as opposed to how things really are. Like a placebo of some sort. It's reassuring to hear that I won't be loosing out on much with my purchase, I'm just a bit concerned is all. Thank you.

Don't be concerned. As others have said, the differences are VERY subtle. I have both the 250 and 600 versions, and I doubt I could tell them apart in a blind test.

 

[daleb]

Okay, for the past few months, I've been considering getting the Q701s... But then my attention was turned to these, and I saw that these might be better for music production. I also don't know which is better at listening to music for... I don't know what to get anymore. Is there anyone who has had both to give the pros and cons of the two? thanks.
Edit: I'd be getting the 250 ohm Pro edition, if that means anything. I have a focus on orchestral music and electronic music, and some vocal based music as well.

 

[AristoNYC]

Quote:

I had e17 + objective 2 for a little bit before moving to a tube dac and tube amp setup. I liked it before I got upgrade-itis.

Thanks for your response. I will give the E17 + E9 a try. 

 

[jrhill]

I just looked up the dt-880 specs on 'Golden Ears' site and the 'Spectral Decay' is incredibly good, particularly when compared to my k701s (particularly that 'peak' at 9kHz) 
  It's no wonder we find these so easy to listen to over long periods and that the various upgrades work so well.  The slight peak in the treble is easily reduced with a simple R-C network if it's irritating with some amps.  

 

[SBranson]

Quote:

Okay, for the past few months, I've been considering getting the Q701s... But then my attention was turned to these, and I saw that these might be better for music production. I also don't know which is better at listening to music for... I don't know what to get anymore. Is there anyone who has had both to give the pros and cons of the two? thanks.
Edit: I'd be getting the 250 ohm Pro edition, if that means anything. I have a focus on orchestral music and electronic music, and some vocal based music as well.

 
I've had the 800/600ohm for a few weeks now and recently came from the HD600, the Q701, the K702.65 on my way to the 880s.
(in my profile you can see what I've heard in the last 6 months).
 
First off, the 880s are my favourite of this bunch mentioned.  I would say, however, that both the HD600 and the Q701 both do something better than the 880s but their weaknesses prove the 880s to be a better performer all 'round.  (I hated the K702.65s though).
The Q701s are very clear and have a great soundstage but their brilliance is limited to somewhere in the mids to upper mids.  The bass is an approximation at best.  You can hear the notes but they are weak and lacking body and definition.  The HD600s also have a wonderful clarity but have a fatal flaw in the lower mids(?), a smearing and lack of detail that killed them for me.  I even noticed this "flaw" in the HD800 so I don't know what that's all about.
 
The 880s to me are the best all around in comparison.  Nicely detailed with very good bass that even has some nice rumbling visceral response that neither those other two had.  For your music choices mentioned, I would definitely pick the 880s over the Q701s, particularly for the bass in the electronic music.
The Q701s are very nice for smaller chamber pieces and baroque music.
 
My only complaint about the 880s is that they suffer a little congestion.  It's something I heard in the T1s as compared to the HD800s as well.  It's difficult to explain unless you go from a T1 to an HD800 or Stax.  The scale of the HD800 is a real "wow" moment.  And if you've ever heard stax, there is an endless air to them that nothing seems to match.
The 880s don't have this. (nor should you expect that from something at this price)  They can seem a little closed in, while at the same time seemingly to have a good soundstage.  BUT... it's only one of those things that you notice if you've come from something that is more open.  Compared to the Q701, this is not an issue.
 
The 880s have good detail, and are a very evenly tuned headphone.  They do everything well but nothing in particular is spectacular.  What I mean is that nothing stands out as everything seems equally good.  That, to me, is a good thing for a headphone in this price bracket and for an all'rounder. 
For me though, I was looking for something that would do well in Baroque and Choral pieces up to modern composers like P.Glass and Max Richter as well as do jazz, rock and electronic.   The 880s are the best I've gotten to so far since selling off the more expensive pieces.
 
If you get the 880s, I'm sure you'll be pleased.

 

[Sonic Defender]

I had my 880s for two years, and believe me when I say I wish I still had them. As mentioned above, they do nothing poorly, or even wrong, and to my ears they get some things very right. I like how SBranson put it, they are indeed an overall very balanced approach to presenting music. If your source material isn't horrid bright crap, the 880s will give you a nice musical presentation, but as with any headphone, garbage in garbage out so if you throw low bitrate mp3s from hot-mastered pop music, nothing will save your ears at that point. I listen to plenty of electronica now and most of it is actually quite decent to listen to, at least what I have (Deadmau5, Pitch Black, Phutureprimitive, Bluetech, Thievery Corporation etc). I'm not sure what source you have, but if it is a smartphone you may want to consider paying the $4.99 to get Neutron as your music player. It is a really good sounding music player and importantly it has a four band parametric EQ which allows you to "clean" things up where needed without applying really broad sonic changes to the frequencies surrounding the ones you are trying to work with.
 
Just thinking I'm still in the V-80 thread, of course your not using a smartphone with the 880s! I never did like orchestral music with the 880s, however, that is very likely to have been at least in a big way the source music as I have learned the hard way that a great deal of this material is actually not very well recorded. A friend of mine is quite into this genre and he actually owns a music store that sells hard to find music like orchestral, folk and jazz and he was the one who told me recording quality in classical/orchestral varies wildly with plenty of poor calibre recordings, and based on my listening he is correct. I like the vocal material through the 880s, while not spetacular, they have a really nice, detailed, but not analytical way of portraying the music. One of my favourite songs to test headphones with is a Holly Cole song, One Trick Pony from the album Hopelessly Romantic. This song starts off with a long thundering bass strike that continues and reverbarates as it goes deep and decays slowly, then her smokey voice comes in with plenty of throaty texture. A great test track IMO. Hey, this is my 400 post, nice!