[squeakez]

I have done both. I already had the BasX A-100 before I bought the 880/600. But for $230 it is a screaming deal, especially paired with the 880/600s. I also decided to have them recabled for dual 2.5mm entry because I already had a Moon Audio Blue Dragon cable. These headphones went from freaking amazing to a whole other level of amazing. I have tried balanced and was not impressed. For these headphones, single-ended is the way to go. I also recently added a Schiit Bifrost to the chain and it was a definite upgrade in sound. I agree with Zeos, these are never ever going anywhere. I still haven't found anything that beats them but, of course, I will keep looking because that's part of the game.

 

[David M H]

I just spent a lovely day listening to DT880 600Ω & HD800 powered by various amps, including Trilogy 931, Topping A90, Little Dot Mk3 & Emotiva A-100. I find the DT880 stunningly good headphones at the price but I still wouldn't part with my HD800. It's all about the pairing. And to my ears, Zeos is right, The A-100 drives the DT880 just beautifully & effortlessly. But A90+DT880 is still an exceptionally good value package. All assuming you feed them with a decent DAC.

 

[wazzupi]

I just spent a lovely day listening to DT880 600Ω & HD800 powered by various amps, including Trilogy 931, Topping A90, Little Dot Mk3 & Emotiva A-100. I find the DT880 stunningly good headphones at the price but I still wouldn't part with my HD800. It's all about the pairing. And to my ears, Zeos is right, The A-100 drives the DT880 just beautifully & effortlessly. But A90+DT880 is still an exceptionally good value package. All assuming you feed them with a decent DAC.

i mean isn't the Emotiva A-100 and dt880 the real value package here ? but single ended I don't feel like the A90 is driving them to their full potential. So i must need a emotiva A-100 :O

 

[maheeinfy]

In general, OTL tube headphone amps drive high impedance cans like dt880 600Ohms better
Amps like Woo WA3, Valhalla 2, DarkVoice, project horizon etc

 

[wazzupi]

In general, OTL tube headphone amps drive high impedance cans like dt880 600Ohms better
Amps like Woo WA3, Valhalla 2, DarkVoice, project horizon etc

im done with tube amps, unless its a preamp

 

[squeakez]

im done with tube amps, unless its a preamp

That's exactly how I felt!! I had tried an xDuoo T-10 and a Dark Voice and decided that tubes were not for me. But when I purchased the HD800S - it was recommended to try the Bifrost/Valhalla combo with them so that's what I did. That wasn't good for me BUT - for Schiits and Giggles I decided to try the DT880/600 with the Bifrost/Valhalla and I was blown away! I just spent a lovely evening with that combo. Very highly recommended!

 

[kman1211]

The 880 has so many points where it's better than the 600, that preferring a boring headphone just because the voice sounds forward is a bit absurd. The 880 is better at everything else.

pd: using the 250 ohm for compare is unfair.

The DT 880 is without question a better headphone than the HD 600, just has better drivers in it and it's tuned very well. Don't have either headphone right now, but if I was to get another headphone it would be the DT 880 600 Ohm despite owning many other Beyers. The HD 600 family has this aura of greatness that many attribute to them but when it comes to fidelity I never found them as great as claimed even on the systems that are supposed to make them scale, I found the DT 880 600 to scale up notably more when I heard them on really good gear. The HD 6XX I have is my worst headphone, it's simply lacking in fidelity compared to everything else, just keep it around for it's tuning.

 

[David M H]

i mean isn't the Emotiva A-100 and dt880 the real value package here ? but single ended I don't feel like the A90 is driving them to their full potential. So i must need a emotiva A-100 :O

True. If you want an amp just for the DT880 600ohm then the A-100 is almost certainly the best value. This is the combo I will use in my office. But I feel the A90 offers more for those who already have a range of cans, including those with balanced cables.

 

[mvule]

"I spent a lovely evening with..."! Haha!

 

[Sefelt103]

The DT 880 is without question a better headphone than the HD 600, just has better drivers in it and it's tuned very well. Don't have either headphone right now, but if I was to get another headphone it would be the DT 880 600 Ohm despite owning many other Beyers. The HD 600 family has this aura of greatness that many attribute to them but when it comes to fidelity I never found them as great as claimed even on the systems that are supposed to make them scale, I found the DT 880 600 to scale up notably more when I heard them on really good gear. The HD 6XX I have is my worst headphone, it's simply lacking in fidelity compared to everything else, just keep it around for it's tuning.

I would agree that the DT 880 has better drivers which are more flexible than Sennheiser's 580/600/650 drivers. I still prefer my early version 580 because they're not bright, have exquisite mid-range and a little bit more (less extended than the DT 880) bass. They are warmer than the DT 880's and I would normally prefer colder neutral headphones but not with 2 big treble spikes at 6/9 khz. As for the HD600s they are a thicker, more glossy version of the early HD580. They have better frequency extension and elevated bass, more soundstage. The early 580s have a subtle delicacy rare in headphones. They're not quite neutral but neither are the DT 880s. The HD6XX or HD650 are opposites to the DT 880: elevated bass versus muted bass, muted treble versus boosted treble.

 

[kman1211]

I would agree that the DT 880 has better drivers which are more flexible than Sennheiser's 580/600/650 drivers. I still prefer my early version 580 because they're not bright, have exquisite mid-range and a little bit more (less extended than the DT 880) bass. They are warmer than the DT 880's and I would normally prefer colder neutral headphones but not with 2 big treble spikes at 6/9 khz. As for the HD600s they are a thicker, more glossy version of the early HD580. They have better frequency extension and elevated bass, more soundstage. The early 580s have a subtle delicacy rare in headphones. They're not quite neutral but neither are the DT 880s. The HD6XX or HD650 are opposites to the DT 880: elevated bass versus muted bass, muted treble versus boosted treble.

I do like the tuning of the Senns and of the HD 600 family the HD 580 is probably my favorite. But I do struggle with the Senns fidelity after spending a lot of time with Beyers. The HD 650 are the opposites of the DT 880 and honestly a big problem with the HD 6XX in my line up is my Beyerdynamic T1.2 Black Edition has a similar warmth and bass presence but without the muted treble and notably better fidelity so the Senns have no real purpose in my lineup anymore. The DT 880 wouldn't conflict with my T1.2 as it's tuning is a very different animal, but the Senns just have no use anymore. But honestly the T1.2 Black Edition is pretty much my endgame headphone, manages to do everything well and has this subtle addicting quality to it and sounds right in a way I haven't experienced in most other headphones.

 

[TrollDragon]

DT880 and tubes are a match made in heaven.

 

[Sefelt103]

The DT 880 is more of a microscope into music than the Sennheiser's. I'm still trying to evaluate a modification (1 ply of toilet paper) to my DT 880 to see if distortion has increased. I'm glad you've found your endgame headphone- some never do. One thing I love about the early HD580 is its lack of soundstage so any headphone with angled drivers I probably won't like. T1s are a bit expensive also, good gaming headphones though.

 

[kman1211]

The DT 880 is more of a microscope into music than the Sennheiser's. I'm still trying to evaluate a modification (1 ply of toilet paper) to my DT 880 to see if distortion has increased. I'm glad you've found your endgame headphone- some never do. One thing I love about the early HD580 is its lack of soundstage so any headphone with angled drivers I probably won't like. T1s are a bit expensive also, good gaming headphones though.

Oh it is, I do have some headphones that I consider microscopes in the music such as my RR 1 and DT 480, so hopefully a DT 880 will still fit in my stable with those headphones. Beyers respond nicely to modding, though I would probably leave the DT 880 alone. Problem is I've heard two distinctly different sounding T1.2's. An older one that was on the bright and lean side and my current one which is notably warmer, bassier, and darker and is never too bright. But yes excellent gaming headphone and also a jack of all trades, haven't found a genre or use it's not good to great at.They are expensive but honestly when it comes to flagships very cheap in the US being $650 when most other flagships are $1000+. That's the thing about Beyers is the value you get for sound quality, they are some of the best values there are in this hobby.

 

[wazzupi]

True. If you want an amp just for the DT880 600ohm then the A-100 is almost certainly the best value. This is the combo I will use in my office. But I feel the A90 offers more for those who already have a range of cans, including those with balanced cables.

What I find with my rme adi2 dac fs/a90 there is a spike somewhere that ruins vocals causing sibilance and treble spikes. But it isnt harsh it just sounds bad, I messed with my dac Lowered the volume, tried nos and it cleaned it up a bit I maxed out the a90 it sounds better. But this can't be what zeos is talking about if the a100 sucks I'll return it and probably the dt880 I don't know how people are powering this headphone to higher listening volumes I'm usually around high 70 to low 90(rarely touch 90)dB. I haven't burned them in either I might even buy the silver pads I have the black version