[Skylah]

I tried listening at excessive volumes with my O2/ODAC and DT 880 Premium Edition 600Ω. I didn't really notice much difference between the low gain and high gain (my O2 was modified to reduce the high gain multiplier to less than 6.5x). I could only hear bass distortion at max. volume on high gain on the Disorder track on Unknown Pleasures and even then it wasn't very much. The Undertones Beautiful Friend however I did notice a lot more bass distortion. I forgot to mention I have also modified my DT 880 with 1 ply of toilet paper to reduce the treble. I can only imagine the pain that those tracks would have delivered through increased treble as well. So really bass distortion on these headphones as far as I can tell will only be an issue to people listening at hearing damaging levels or people who are boosting the bass through EQ. The latter is likely to be more of an issue but the DT 880 is in with a whole variety of dynamic driver headphones and it is not something really to be considered as a defect. After listening only to the DT 880 for several hours I still find it too bright and prefer listening at lower levels. Whether the ply of toilet paper affects the bass distortion I don't know and that's not an experiment I'm in any hurry to try. I also wonder whether this modification has taken the edge off finer detail. This is why I dislike modifying headphones. So I can't really figure out why it still seems detailed but also a little 'blunt' compared to my Sennheisers.

Do you really find the DT880s and their treble that fatiguing?

 

[Sefelt103]

I don't consider myself as treble sensitive. The DT 880s are the first bright headphones I have come across. Because I'm not listening at high volumes I don't find the treble particularly fatiguing as such, it's just the bright nature due to the suppressed bass irritates me. This is compounded with a song like the Flying Lizards Money or albums that have bright mastering. There are many other well recorded albums where I find the DT 880 to be impressive but then I'm listening to something else that sounds great initially but then we come to a variation where some instrument becomes metallic and sticks out. My HD580s show bright albums but because their FR is more even it's less irritating. I suppose I have a love-hate relationship with the DT 880. It's an absolute bargain today for anyone who dislikes coloured or euphonic headphones. As long as you accept or minimise some limitations or only listen to music that is largely unaffected by these traits. My amplifiers that largely get out of the way doesn't help and there are others I'm sure that by being a little dark or adding distortion/bass may tame the DT 880s. A lot of the problem appears to be that the PRO = Edition version mostly.

 

[jonathan c]

Yes the Little Dot MK IV is an OTL just like your WA3. OTL and beyers have a perfect synergy.

The DT-880 (600 ohm) just got a new ‘chauffeur’ and it (besides me) is thrilled: Woo WA2:

 

[TrollDragon]

The DT-880 (600 ohm) just got a new ‘chauffeur’ and it (besides me) is thrilled: Woo WA2:

Congrats! I got a chance to hear a buddies WA2 and HD800 combo, sweet amplifier.

 

[Nirvana Woman]

I don't consider myself as treble sensitive. The DT 880s are the first bright headphones I have come across. Because I'm not listening at high volumes I don't find the treble particularly fatiguing as such, it's just the bright nature due to the suppressed bass irritates me. This is compounded with a song like the Flying Lizards Money or albums that have bright mastering. There are many other well recorded albums where I find the DT 880 to be impressive but then I'm listening to something else that sounds great initially but then we come to a variation where some instrument becomes metallic and sticks out. My HD580s show bright albums but because their FR is more even it's less irritating. I suppose I have a love-hate relationship with the DT 880. It's an absolute bargain today for anyone who dislikes coloured or euphonic headphones. As long as you accept or minimise some limitations or only listen to music that is largely unaffected by these traits. My amplifiers that largely get out of the way doesn't help and there are others I'm sure that by being a little dark or adding distortion/bass may tame the DT 880s. A lot of the problem appears to be that the PRO = Edition version mostly.

This is how I feel about the 880 too. The biggest regret I have about them is when the music hits just right and I wanna turn it up. And I can't quite get that rock out experience with them because it gets too unpleasant for me. But I think this is obviously a really personal thing and can't be blamed so easily on the headphones. Other than this I think 880s are excellent - the best midrange I have heard and super nice treble and bass. The air they have is just mmm.

 

[jonathan c]

~ I have been listening, over the past few days, to the DT-880 (600 ohm) driven by a newly acquired Woo WA2 (otl). The synergy is immense! Also, possibly because of the WA2 tube rectification (?), the bass response of the DT-880 seems to extend deeper - certainly more so than I recall with other tube or hybrid s/s headphone amplifiers. Midrange is excellent, treble is extended and airy - neither peaky nor ragged. Hall ambience / reverberation come through in realistic fashion. Plus, vocals are lifelike. In all, .

 

[Sefelt103]

This is how I feel about the 880 too. The biggest regret I have about them is when the music hits just right and I wanna turn it up. And I can't quite get that rock out experience with them because it gets too unpleasant for me. But I think this is obviously a really personal thing and can't be blamed so easily on the headphones. Other than this I think 880s are excellent - the best midrange I have heard and super nice treble and bass. The air they have is just mmm.

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I don't have any difficulty in blaming the headphones however. Peoples love of this headphone is perhaps:
a) The influence of upstream equipment
b) Their treble insensitivity
c) Its EQ capability
d) A liking of treble and suppressed bass
e) The characteristics of the music genres they listen to (jazz, classical, acoustic)
f) Its presentation, soundstage and imaging
g) It's a durable repairable bargain
Options if you want to keep the DT 880: You could modify it by adding plies of toilet paper over the driver, buy an in-line filter that reduces the treble or alter your upstream electronics. Alternatively you could leave Beyerdynamic and explore the many unique headphones available.

 

[Skylah]

It’s been a nice 3 years and a bit on my DT880s, but it’s time to retire them. Ever since I bought the Beyerdynamic T1.3s, music just sounds so much more engaging and believable on them - my DT880s in comparison just sound lifeless (this is with my Sansui AU-101s, having a warmer sound signature and more than enough power to drive them!)

 

[TheRH]

What Amp and DAC's are you currently using with your headphones?

 

[jonathan c]

What Amp and DAC's are you currently using with your headphones?

With DT-880 (600 ohms): Linear Tube Audio MZ3 and Mojo Audio EVO Mystique.

 

[TrollDragon]

What Amp and DAC's are you currently using with your headphones?

Little Dot MK IV OTL.

 

[Achlys]

After wasting a lot of time fooling myself, I came to the realization that the DT880 600 Ω is complete garbage. It just distorts way too much. The 250 Ω is just as bad. I'm pretty sure the 32 Ω is the best version.

No joke, every time I had one of those "I've never heard that before" moments in a song, it was just the result of high distortion....

I've used amps varying from MacBook headphone out to 150 W per channel speaker amp and there was zero change in distortion. The whole God amp thing is a lie. It's either loud enough for it's not.

Save yourself and don't buy this headphone.

 

[jonathan c]

After wasting a lot of time fooling myself, I came to the realization that the DT880 600 Ω is complete garbage. It just distorts way too much. The 250 Ω is just as bad. I'm pretty sure the 32 Ω is the best version.

No joke, every time I had one of those "I've never heard that before" moments in a song, it was just the result of high distortion....

I've used amps varying from MacBook headphone out to 150 W per channel speaker amp and there was zero change in distortion. The whole God amp thing is a lie. It's either loud enough for it's not.

Save yourself and don't buy this headphone.

I would not listen at a constant 104 dB let alone at a constant 114 dB. With the highest THD% at a ‘reasonable’ dB residing in the under 50 Hz neighbourhood, my listening enjoyment is not trashed. The pairing of DT-880 (600 ohms) and Woo WA2 = .

 

[Achlys]

I would not listen at a constant 104 dB let alone at a constant 114 dB. With the highest THD% at a ‘reasonable’ dB residing in the under 50 Hz neighbourhood, my listening enjoyment is not trashed. The pairing of DT-880 (600 ohms) and Woo WA2 = .

You are confusing dBA and peak SPL. You can listen at 90 dBA and get dynamic peaks at 104 dB or higher on high dynamic range songs.

The beginning of this song gets the drivers to crackle easily:

This song just sounds awfully distorted:

You can keep imagining pairing matters if you want, but it doesn't change reality.

 

[jonathan c]

You can keep imagining pairing matters if you want, but it doesn't change reality.

I don’t imagine, I listen.