[Sonic Defender]

That is high praise, but not unexpected where the DT 880 is concerned. Sometimes there is a design and approach to sound reproduction that just ticks off so many of the right boxes. It appears that for many experienced users the 880 does so much at a fraction of the cost that it just can't be ignored.

 

[HeretixAevum]

*Comment deleted, wrong thread*

 

[H20Fidelity]

Quite a cold Winters Sunday (long weekend) here in Australia. I've pulled out my DT880 for some Andrea Bocelli. 





Having not sold them is a good sign I'm enjoying these Beyers quite a lot. Usually by now I would've decided whether to keep or sell a headphone but they Beyer lives on with quite a unique signature and tone.

 

[pp312]

 The HD800 is begging for your audition! 

 
 
Really? I don't hear anything.

 
 

  Quite a cold Winters Sunday (long weekend) here in Australia.
 

 
 
 
You're not kidding! I just put the fire on for the first time since last Winter.
 
Take more than Andrea to warm me up.

 

[yumyum0902]

Just pulled the trigger on a DT880 600 ohm. Finally got rid of my ATH M50. Now i have these beyers and been using the fidelio X1 for a few months now

 

[evulfuson]

I just purchased a new pair of DT880-600. Running them out of a Yulong A100 solid state amp.
 
I've been using a pair of Alessandro MS1 headphones for the past 3 years. First impressions with the Beyers: they sound very thin and the mid-highs/highs are quite sibliant. Bass is there, but the presence seems muted and distant. Lacks the punch, especially when compared to the MS1's. 
 
Does anyone think these will change with burn-in, or maybe if I switch the A100 with a tube amp? Otherwise I am strongly considering selling them and going back to the MS1 or trying to trade them for a pair of SR-325.

 

[Keithpgdrb]

  I just purchased a new pair of DT880-600. Running them out of a Yulong A100 solid state amp.
 
I've been using a pair of Alessandro MS1 headphones for the past 3 years. First impressions with the Beyers: they sound very thin and the mid-highs/highs are quite sibliant. Bass is there, but the presence seems muted and distant. Lacks the punch, especially when compared to the MS1's. 
 
Does anyone think these will change with burn-in, or maybe if I switch the A100 with a tube amp? Otherwise I am strongly considering selling them and going back to the MS1 or trying to trade them for a pair of SR-325.

nope, they won't change that much with burn in.  Others disagree, but the stock pads hold back the performance of these cans.  different or altered pads change things for the better.  I agree with all your observations, and all of them can be helped with pad experimentation.
 
I've typed it a couple times here, so I won't again.  PM me if your interested.

 

[i luvmusic 2]

  I don't have a SS HP amp except the Yamaha Home theater receiver,IMO the DT880 600 ohms with Yamaha amp it's bright but with my butchered Littledot MK III and RCA 6SN7 power tubes and RCA/SYLVANIA 6SN7, RCA 6AS7G,SYLVANIA 6080 and  G.T.C. 6AS7G(i don't know who makes this tube)driver tube just to name a few driver tubes(those are my favourite tubes)The bass is good and the highs are smooth.For example by using the native tubes for MK III a lot of those tubes they make my ear bleed when listening to Adele and Celine Dion the highs are fatiguing but with those tubes i mentioned above the DT880's high's is tamed.This is just my opinion what it sound good to my ear it might not be good to others i'am no expert either just happened i love music.  

 

[Makiah S]

  I just purchased a new pair of DT880-600. Running them out of a Yulong A100 solid state amp.
 
I've been using a pair of Alessandro MS1 headphones for the past 3 years. First impressions with the Beyers: they sound very thin and the mid-highs/highs are quite sibliant. Bass is there, but the presence seems muted and distant. Lacks the punch, especially when compared to the MS1's. 
 
Does anyone think these will change with burn-in, or maybe if I switch the A100 with a tube amp? Otherwise I am strongly considering selling them and going back to the MS1 or trying to trade them for a pair of SR-325.

Actually, "burn in" does help, not so much the headphone but the pads, as they soften they'll sit a few milimeters closer to your face which will flesh out the sound a little more, in addition the Schiit Vali pairs very nice with the DT 880, 

 

[TrollDragon]

Celine Dion makes my ears bleed on any headphone... :eek:

 

[i luvmusic 2]

Celine Dion makes my ears bleed on any headphone...

She used to bleed my ear until i changed my tubes not anymore.

 

[MrEleventy]

I use my dt880s at home on a SS dac/amp, an nfb 12.1, dual wolfson chipset smooths out the treble and warms up the signature a bit. Adds some nice oomph to the bass. It's a really nice pairing.

 

[Brooko]

  I just purchased a new pair of DT880-600. Running them out of a Yulong A100 solid state amp.
 
I've been using a pair of Alessandro MS1 headphones for the past 3 years. First impressions with the Beyers: they sound very thin and the mid-highs/highs are quite sibliant. Bass is there, but the presence seems muted and distant. Lacks the punch, especially when compared to the MS1's. 
 
Does anyone think these will change with burn-in, or maybe if I switch the A100 with a tube amp? Otherwise I am strongly considering selling them and going back to the MS1 or trying to trade them for a pair of SR-325.

 
Both reviews, and power specs for the A100 suggest that it should be able to drive the 600 ohm DT880 with no issues.
 
I think what you are hearing is the difference between the very neutral DT880 and the quite coloured MS1.  For reference, I have owned both.  The MS1 are very mid forward (like a lot of Grados), with quite forward upper mids, and more mid bass than sub-bass.  The DT880 are very flat across the entire spectrum, with a bit of a boost in the treble.  The MS1 also has a very narrow soundstage - which puts you on stage with the musicians.  The DT880 has a wider and deeper stage which will sit you back a little.
 
So the sound differences you are hearing are normal.  If you try listening to the DT880 (and only the DT880) for 3 days - then go back to your MS1, you may notice some changes in your original impressions (because your ears/brain will have adjusted to the DT880 sound).
 
As far as sibilance goes - what are you listening to (genre/band)?  I've never had an issue with sibilance with my Beyers unless it has been present in the music already.  Some headphones will gloss over this (not as resolving).  The Beyers will show you what is present.
 
Burn in isn't going to change much - unless you're talking about brain burn-in (see my comment above).  A lot of people do like the DT880 with tubes (myself included) - this comes down to individual preferences.
 
I'd give it 3 days with the Beyers (listening to no other cans), then go back and compare with your MS1.  If you are still not impressed, then you bought the wrong headphone for your preferences.

 

[evulfuson]

   
Both reviews, and power specs for the A100 suggest that it should be able to drive the 600 ohm DT880 with no issues.
 
I think what you are hearing is the difference between the very neutral DT880 and the quite coloured MS1.  For reference, I have owned both.  The MS1 are very mid forward (like a lot of Grados), with quite forward upper mids, and more mid bass than sub-bass.  The DT880 are very flat across the entire spectrum, with a bit of a boost in the treble.  The MS1 also has a very narrow soundstage - which puts you on stage with the musicians.  The DT880 has a wider and deeper stage which will sit you back a little.
 
So the sound differences you are hearing are normal.  If you try listening to the DT880 (and only the DT880) for 3 days - then go back to your MS1, you may notice some changes in your original impressions (because your ears/brain will have adjusted to the DT880 sound).
 
As far as sibilance goes - what are you listening to (genre/band)?  I've never had an issue with sibilance with my Beyers unless it has been present in the music already.  Some headphones will gloss over this (not as resolving).  The Beyers will show you what is present.
 
Burn in isn't going to change much - unless you're talking about brain burn-in (see my comment above).  A lot of people do like the DT880 with tubes (myself included) - this comes down to individual preferences.
 
I'd give it 3 days with the Beyers (listening to no other cans), then go back and compare with your MS1.  If you are still not impressed, then you bought the wrong headphone for your preferences.

 
One of the things I could tell right away, especially with classical, was the much wider soundstage of the Beyers.
 
I listen to a lot of rock and metal, and the MS1's were great for that. The slight sibliance in the highs of the 880's I could deal with, what I really don't like is how thin the sound is when listening to fast-paced rock or metal. I hope the sibliance/thinness is more a sign of poor recordings that the Beyers are exposing (I use a laptop as source with flacs). So far I've listened to Nightwish (Imaginareum; this album is known for its terrible mastering), Lacuna Coil (Unleashed Memories and Broken Crown Halo), Dark Tranquility (Fiction), Tchaikovsky (Swan Lake and 5th Symphony) and the Black Keys (Turn Blue). The problem with the simbliance, thin sound and lack of bass presence was most apparent on the metal recordings, rock sounded slightly better, and classical was almost bordering on sounding good.
 
I'll go to a few hi-fi shops in my area to find an OTL amp to demo, hopefully that will improve things. I'll also give the Beyers a few days of exclusive listening to see if it changes; I guess I was expecting them to be closer to the Grado sound than they actually are.
 
To end with an absolute positive note, I've had these on my head for 4 hours and they are one of the most comfortable headphones I've worn. Clearly blow the MS1's out of the water in terms of comfort.

 

[r010159]

I have been listening to the Beyers plugged into a Duet. This is sounding very good. My previous amp, an O2, sounded thin and a bit sibilant. This is not the case with the Duet. So maybe a change of amp is in order?

Bob