The DT 880 Black SE has a frequency response similar to the DT 990. I've never heard a DT 990 so I don't know the effect (if any) of utilising a DT 880 Black SE earpad.
The Beyerdynamic DT880 Discussion thread
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Not sure i follow, the 880 is considered warmer than the 990 regularly, you said the black pads make it even warmer, so wouldn’t that make it even further away from the 990?
Also, I was specifically referring to the 990 black se, not the regular 990 with black pads though they should sound one in the same with the same pads.
Beyerdynamic's DT 880 is a cold neutral/bright headphone with lean bass and quite a treble emphasis. I've always read the DT 990 was a V shaped bass and treble boosted headphone so I imagine this would be much warmer than the DT 880. Beyerdynamic appears to have changed the tuning of the DT 880 Black SE to make it less of a monitoring headphone and more 'fun' and warm.
880 is neutral/bright. 990 is much brighter, not warmer. I’ve only seen the 990 described as on the bright end of the spectrum never described as warm.
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The DT880 600ohm is still superior to the DT1990 in my opinion. While detail retrieval and bass resolve is clearly slightly better on the DT1990's, that 7-8khz spike is very obtrusive and although you can EQ them, I never find they sound as natural and balanced as the DT880. Equing them seems to cause the fidelity and soundstage to collapse.
DT880 is a great headphone and has the best 'air' on any headphone I have encountered. It's so airy, spacious and crisp. And while there is a slight treble peak, it's very rarely sharp and nowhere near as apparent as the 1990's. Despite what people say, I don't find the imaging superior on the 1990's. 880's have amazing imaging, especially at their cost. Soundstage may 'technically' be wider on the 1990's, but it never feels that way due to more low end bloat etc. I find that 'spacious and airy' quality that the 880's possess, to really give the feeling that the soundstage is very wide.
I own both the 880 and 1990, and while having the 1990 on your head gives more of a 'premium feel', they don't really feel as premium musically. For most music, I would pick the 880 600ohm every time.
DT880 is a great headphone and has the best 'air' on any headphone I have encountered. It's so airy, spacious and crisp. And while there is a slight treble peak, it's very rarely sharp and nowhere near as apparent as the 1990's. Despite what people say, I don't find the imaging superior on the 1990's. 880's have amazing imaging, especially at their cost. Soundstage may 'technically' be wider on the 1990's, but it never feels that way due to more low end bloat etc. I find that 'spacious and airy' quality that the 880's possess, to really give the feeling that the soundstage is very wide.
I own both the 880 and 1990, and while having the 1990 on your head gives more of a 'premium feel', they don't really feel as premium musically. For most music, I would pick the 880 600ohm every time.
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I'll jump into the conversation, I just got the 880 600ohm and am in love! Perhaps the guy you are quoting didn't drive his 600 ohm properly because when I try to run them on a regular dac/amp they sound boring. I had them running on a 50wpc stereo amp and my god does it sound amazing. I killed that amp because of SE sharing grounds then bought an Emotiva BasX a-100 and couldn't be happier. They are fatiguing for daily use but when I want a listening session I pull them out.
Yes, this.
While my JDS Atom does power the 880 600ohm to very loud levels on high gain, experience will tell you that volume does not always equate to them being powered 'properly'.
I have an old NAD 7125 stereo amp which has a wonderful headphone amp built in. Sadly, the impedence of that headphone jack is around 400 ohms, which doesn't suit most headphones due to damping. But it does suit the 880's 600ohm perfectly.
With that sort of power , they really open up and the bass becomes far more resolving and clear. Highs are sweetened nicely. In fact, I'd dare to say that the 880's powered through my NAD yields one of the best headphone experiences I've ever encountered. It is audio nirvana.
Often I don't agree that an amp can totally transform a headphone. But in this case, I would have to. These really shine when powered properly. 880 600ohm through a normal amp will still be highly competitive.But with the right amp? They're giants.
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Couldn't agree more. I love my 880's - they are headphones that grow on you more and more with time, and each time you put them on you are reminded of just how truly exceptional they are. I've always thought that sonically it was one of the cleanest presentations you can get for under $1k. The more I plug it into better sources and amplification the more I appreciate it.
One amp I noticed paired particularly well with the 880/600 was AudioGD R2R 11. The darker presentation of the amp brings out the best of the DT880's strengths and takes the edge off the treble slightly.
A while back I had the opportunity to listen to it on a Vioelectric V200. All I can say was that is the smoothest I've heard these headphones sound. Ample amounts of power. Excellent bass control, full-bodied, thick midrange. As much as these love tubes I think some good solid states also do a very good job with them.
I have yet to hear it out of an OTL amp, but as I write this I'm waiting for a BH Crack kit to arrive to build for them. I think they will also work well with my 240 Sextetts and HD650s.
One amp I noticed paired particularly well with the 880/600 was AudioGD R2R 11. The darker presentation of the amp brings out the best of the DT880's strengths and takes the edge off the treble slightly.
A while back I had the opportunity to listen to it on a Vioelectric V200. All I can say was that is the smoothest I've heard these headphones sound. Ample amounts of power. Excellent bass control, full-bodied, thick midrange. As much as these love tubes I think some good solid states also do a very good job with them.
I have yet to hear it out of an OTL amp, but as I write this I'm waiting for a BH Crack kit to arrive to build for them. I think they will also work well with my 240 Sextetts and HD650s.
jonathan c
Headphoneus Supremus
I have owned the DT-880 600 ohm headphones for a little over three months. They are truly realistic in their reproduction of music - especially when powered by the Violectric V280: the epitome of synergy. Firm taut bass, sculpted midrange, airy treble without edge, and great ambience. The 880s do well, by my ears, with the GSX-mini and with the Liquid Platinum (in SE mode, no less). I too await the arrival of an assembled/customised BHC...and a second set of 880s with detachable cable customization...Curiousity will not kill this cat...just my wallet...
Yep. The only headphones I have that compete with them tonality wise are the HD600. I love both equally.
It always amazes me how well they take to EQ also. DT1990's Tesla 2 drivers should obviously be more accommodating to EQ, but I find the opposite. The drivers of the DT880's will accept it easily. If I use the bass EQ dial on my Nad reciever, they get even more punchy and resolving, without succumbing to harmonic distortion. Obviosuly I could dial them in even more with Peace and Equalizer APO, but I honestly run them happily at stock on PC. If I try to EQ the treble peak and bass bloat on the 1990's, they just become lifeless and lacking fidelity.
My next purchase will be an Emotiva A-100. I have heard this is a match made in heaven with the 880's, and no doubt my other phones like HD600 and K712 will thank me also.
Never tried the 880's through a tube, but I suspect it would warm them up nicely.
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880's with removable cable is WELL worth it. I don't hate long cables as much as many people, but it's still a great upgrade that provides better customization, and much much better aesthetics.
I put a mini XLR jack in mine. Very cheap and I did it myself, easily. Took all of 30 minutes.
I would love the black 880 600ohm, they look great. But the reports of altered FR worries me.
Beyers own spec sheet on their website says the DT 880/990 600 ohm models take a maximum of 100 mW, and their own amps put out a maximum of 100mW into 600 ohms I believe.
The Atom puts up to 125mW into 600 ohms so it has more than enough power. I'm not claiming to be an expert here, just saying the published numbers say something else.
The Atom puts up to 125mW into 600 ohms so it has more than enough power. I'm not claiming to be an expert here, just saying the published numbers say something else.
Yes. I can get the 880 600ohm at a good listening volume (for me) on the Atom at about 12-1 oclock on high gain, however, volume is not always everything. Some headphones, albeit few, benefit from a higher wattage/method of amplification, past pure volume. The reasons as to why aren't always clear, but I can certainly tell you that the DT880's gain a good amount of low end detail, treble smoothness and soundstage when powered by a beefy amp.
You will not be disappointed with the Emotiva. Install the jumpers and you will see why Z Reviews said that this headphone requires an "absurd" amount of power. Because it does to bring out everything it has to offer. If you are only interested in getting it loud enough with a number of amps that can do that, you will be underwhelmed for sure.
TheGiantHogweed
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My 3rd pair of DT 880s are giving up after just under two and a half years.
Honestly, my impression of the reliability of modern electronics even when treated carefully is not good any more.
I bought my first pair of DT880s after all my trouble with my AKG K702s which I still think felt like they were built like a toy. My first pair of DT880s (250ohm pros) lasted barely 3 months between March and June 2018 before the coiled cable caused one of the channels to cut out. I hate coiled cables on headphones for home use, only would like them on portable headphones. I then returned them for amazon and they allowed me to have my refund. Bought the 600ohm premiums and thought there was a fault with the adjusting mechanism. Kept slipping back to the minimum, and when on that position or close to it, the top of the metal bar above the driver rubbed really badly again the metal headband. I got a replacement but they were the same. They were the ones I kept. That along with it being too slack (partly because it isn't powder coated like the pros) is the reason the adjustment is so slack. I did a modification which my post on this page explains: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...scussion-thread.429371/page-769#post-15478616
The problem that has started to occur over the past few weeks is the left driver rattling when there is a lot of bass. Initially, this was only with certain bass frequencies and tilting my head at certain angles. Now it isn't just particular frequencies, but many of them. Basically any time it is played at moderate to loud ish volume and the driver is vibrating, tilting my head to the left especially makes the driver rattle incredibly badly. Certainly isn't related to what I am driving it with as is fine with other headphones.
I don't think I can be bothered to fix them as it will involve buying parts even though I've managed to rewire drivers on headphones like the AKG K550s. The other reason is now I've had high impedance headphones and not really been able to hear a benefit over the 250ohm, or even much over my 32 ohm ATH-AD700s, being hard to drive isn't worth it to me. I don't think it is worth having to spend a load extra on a powerful amplifier to get a slight improvement to the sound. I'm certain;y not saying it isn't beneficial, but it just involves spending too much for me.
For my next pair of headphones I think I will have to invest in something easier to drive with a similar sound to these. The K702s also sounded to my liking, but their frame creaked, popped and groaned so badly that I had to return them, then the next pair gave up on one side and I found some incredibly dodgy soldering inside. Returned these too. Quality control is a joke these days. I'm only young but it is sad to see that even in the past 10 years or so, even basic computer hardware accessories like mice, keyboards and monitors are built cheaper and are much more likely to have defects.
I do wonder if my AD700s that were made in Japan were one of the headphones that were built with long life in mind. From my impression, their x models since are now made in china and are not built the same. I've still got my Sennheiser HD201 that I've had for 15+ years since I was a kid. They haven't been used in years, but they got plenty of abuse and were thrown about - and they laster and were £15. Where has the durability, quality control, and longevity in headphones gone these days? Or I should probably answer that with the fact that brands want them to break outside the warranty so you have to keep buying their stuff...
Just a real shame that I've had such a poor experience with the DT880s that are made in germany. They feel well made, but I've just had too many problems with them that I don't want to buy from this brand again, unless i go for a different design by them.
In terms of sound, I could possibly even call myself a treble head. All the more expensive headphones I've had have a noticeable spike in the treble, or are certainly bright. AD700, K702, K550, K550 MKIII, DT880 Pro, DT880 Premium. I like the sound of them all. I basically could just do with knowing some more open backed headphones that sound pretty similar to the DT880s that are easier to drive.
Honestly, my impression of the reliability of modern electronics even when treated carefully is not good any more.
I bought my first pair of DT880s after all my trouble with my AKG K702s which I still think felt like they were built like a toy. My first pair of DT880s (250ohm pros) lasted barely 3 months between March and June 2018 before the coiled cable caused one of the channels to cut out. I hate coiled cables on headphones for home use, only would like them on portable headphones. I then returned them for amazon and they allowed me to have my refund. Bought the 600ohm premiums and thought there was a fault with the adjusting mechanism. Kept slipping back to the minimum, and when on that position or close to it, the top of the metal bar above the driver rubbed really badly again the metal headband. I got a replacement but they were the same. They were the ones I kept. That along with it being too slack (partly because it isn't powder coated like the pros) is the reason the adjustment is so slack. I did a modification which my post on this page explains: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...scussion-thread.429371/page-769#post-15478616
The problem that has started to occur over the past few weeks is the left driver rattling when there is a lot of bass. Initially, this was only with certain bass frequencies and tilting my head at certain angles. Now it isn't just particular frequencies, but many of them. Basically any time it is played at moderate to loud ish volume and the driver is vibrating, tilting my head to the left especially makes the driver rattle incredibly badly. Certainly isn't related to what I am driving it with as is fine with other headphones.
I don't think I can be bothered to fix them as it will involve buying parts even though I've managed to rewire drivers on headphones like the AKG K550s. The other reason is now I've had high impedance headphones and not really been able to hear a benefit over the 250ohm, or even much over my 32 ohm ATH-AD700s, being hard to drive isn't worth it to me. I don't think it is worth having to spend a load extra on a powerful amplifier to get a slight improvement to the sound. I'm certain;y not saying it isn't beneficial, but it just involves spending too much for me.
For my next pair of headphones I think I will have to invest in something easier to drive with a similar sound to these. The K702s also sounded to my liking, but their frame creaked, popped and groaned so badly that I had to return them, then the next pair gave up on one side and I found some incredibly dodgy soldering inside. Returned these too. Quality control is a joke these days. I'm only young but it is sad to see that even in the past 10 years or so, even basic computer hardware accessories like mice, keyboards and monitors are built cheaper and are much more likely to have defects.
I do wonder if my AD700s that were made in Japan were one of the headphones that were built with long life in mind. From my impression, their x models since are now made in china and are not built the same. I've still got my Sennheiser HD201 that I've had for 15+ years since I was a kid. They haven't been used in years, but they got plenty of abuse and were thrown about - and they laster and were £15. Where has the durability, quality control, and longevity in headphones gone these days? Or I should probably answer that with the fact that brands want them to break outside the warranty so you have to keep buying their stuff...
Just a real shame that I've had such a poor experience with the DT880s that are made in germany. They feel well made, but I've just had too many problems with them that I don't want to buy from this brand again, unless i go for a different design by them.
In terms of sound, I could possibly even call myself a treble head. All the more expensive headphones I've had have a noticeable spike in the treble, or are certainly bright. AD700, K702, K550, K550 MKIII, DT880 Pro, DT880 Premium. I like the sound of them all. I basically could just do with knowing some more open backed headphones that sound pretty similar to the DT880s that are easier to drive.
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