[Keithpgdrb]

watch the inner fidelity video from Tyle where he compares all three versions of the 880.  He states a clear preference for the 600 ohm version and says why.  I get very irritated when people say there is no difference between versions without having compared them.  THAT is head-fi for sure.

 

[rovopio]

why are you irritated if people say they can't tell the difference between the 250 and the 600?
misread your post.
 
What about people who've heard both and came to the conclusion that they can't tell the difference between the 250 and the 600? are you still irritated then?
 
during my own research before buying it, i came across varied opinions on whether the 250 and the 600 sounds the same or not, and whether said difference can proven or not, i've never heard the 600, but i've heard the 250 premium and 250 pro. There are varied opinions on that two pairs too, some said 250 pro has better bass and less dry, and more coherent, some said it should sounds the same.
 
When initially listening to the 250 pro, my expectation bias sets in and i thought the 250 pro sounds better too. A few months down the road somebody lent me a 250 pro and i blind a/b them with my 250 premium, and if i don't pay attention to the feel of the leather pad, i can't reliably tell the difference between the two, they sound the same to me.
 
maybe some people can't hear the difference between the 250 and the 600, just because experiences are different doesn't mean that one has to be right and the other is wrong.

 

[Allucid]

...Anyway part of the reason i got the 250 ohm is to get the middle ground between home and *semi* portable use...
you'll get more 600 ohm users because this is head-fi, if you already have a pre-existing powerful desktop amp and only going to use it at your home, it makes more sense to get the 600 ohm instead...

Good point on this being Head-Fi. Of course there'll be a larger group of people that already have powerful equipment here. I didn't think about that.

You also brought up something that I forgot to mention. I will only ever use these at home, sitting at a desk. If I ever take them anywhere, it would only be a place where I felt comfortable taking the entire desktop rig and I can't think of a situation in which this would actually happen.

EDIT: I definitely wouldn't describe my preferred listening level as "quiet". Not ear-splitting, either. But, not quiet.

I run my DT880 through like this -
Source -> preamp -> AV receiver or DAC / amp from my MacBook. Either way gives the DT880 more than enough power, the 600OHM version aren't that hard to drive, it's the same with the whole Beyer line / dynamic drivers but as soon as you go to orthos / planars @ approx 300ohm you need a really good setup to get the right.

My favourite setup that I've listened to thanks to my audio store (they let me listen to a lot of gear for hours on a time) is their X5 - > silver interconnect -> Portatube -> Beyer T1. It beats the LCD2 by far, but the LCDX is king for detail.

 

[Sillyness]

I realize that this is an old debate and I didn't intend to stir it up in here. I apologize. I only mentioned the impedance because it makes such a big difference when considering the amp question that I had. I fully intend to compare the 880's I get to any others I may get a chance to hear.
 
Any thoughts on tube amps in the $300-$500 range for the DT880 600? Mainly, I just want to know whether I'm missing anything that I should be considering. I'm looking for versatility (low output impedance, switchable gain), having pre-outs for the powered monitors is nice too.
 
Here's what I'm currently looking at:
 

• Schiit Valhalla 2
• Bottlehead Crack w/ Speedball (Even though it lacks pre-outs, everyone holds it in such high regard that I really want to hear it. Also, assembly looks fun.)
• Little Dot Mk IV
• Schiit Lyr 2
• Little Dot Mk III

 
Thanks!

 

[Liu Junyuan]

All of the amps you have listed other than the Lyr are designed for high impedance headphones. They will drive your DT880 better than the Lyr. I almost bought the LD MK IV myself but opted for a different otl amp that costs more. You will probably be happy with any of them.

 

[pp312]

  watch the inner fidelity video from Tyle where he compares all three versions of the 880.  He states a clear preference for the 600 ohm version and says why.  I get very irritated when people say there is no difference between versions without having compared them.  THAT is head-fi for sure.

 
I've heard both and couldn't tell any difference. That's with a good quality stereo amp. Probably with the right amp the 600 ohm does pull ahead, but the right amp is likely to be out of most people's reach. Remember that the DT880 is a typically under $300 phone. I'm not, and most people are not, willing to spend another $500 and up to get it to sound its best. Therefore we buy the 250 ohm version, which would seem to be the ideal compromise: good sound without having your kids go hungry. I know this is Head-Fi, but I don't see the word 'affluent' in the title.  
 
(I know you didn't bring up the subject of money, but it's implicit in most people's recommendation of the 600 ohm model. Just get an OTL amp and you'll be sweet, they say, without considering total cost. I'm astonished at the number of people who consider a $500 amp a stopgap measure until one can get the $1200 model--the 'real' one).   

 

[CADCAM]

  I realize that this is an old debate and I didn't intend to stir it up in here. I apologize. I only mentioned the impedance because it makes such a big difference when considering the amp question that I had. I fully intend to compare the 880's I get to any others I may get a chance to hear.
 
Any thoughts on tube amps in the $300-$500 range for the DT880 600? Mainly, I just want to know whether I'm missing anything that I should be considering. I'm looking for versatility (low output impedance, switchable gain), having pre-outs for the powered monitors is nice too.
 
Here's what I'm currently looking at:
 

• Schiit Valhalla 2
• Bottlehead Crack w/ Speedball (Even though it lacks pre-outs, everyone holds it in such high regard that I really want to hear it. Also, assembly looks fun.)
• Little Dot Mk IV
• Schiit Lyr 2
• Little Dot Mk III

 
Thanks!

I have the 600 ohm Beyers and the LD MKIII amp, they sound great together but with the Novosibirsk power tubes things get even better. Then roll in the EI 6HM5 ( EC900 6HA5 6HQ5 ) Yugoslavian drivers and BAM! things get even better. The yugo's are buttery smooth and take the slight edge off that can be present with the DT880 on some program material. I haven't heard those other amps and I'm sure they sound good too but man the MKIII with those tubes are magical IMHO. Never heard my DT880's sound as good.

 

[Sillyness]

I really appreciate the input, everyone! Thank you.
 
I think I'll stick with Schiit for now and go with the Valhalla 2. This amp seems to easily fulfill my requirements and (though it matters none at all) I like the aesthetics as well. I also know that I like what I've heard from the Magni and Vali so far.
 
The DT880 600 dropped below $300 on Amazon, so I pulled that trigger already.

 

[Keithpgdrb]

  why are you irritated if people say they can't tell the difference between the 250 and the 600?
misread your post.
 
What about people who've heard both and came to the conclusion that they can't tell the difference between the 250 and the 600? are you still irritated then?
 
during my own research before buying it, i came across varied opinions on whether the 250 and the 600 sounds the same or not, and whether said difference can proven or not, i've never heard the 600, but i've heard the 250 premium and 250 pro. There are varied opinions on that two pairs too, some said 250 pro has better bass and less dry, and more coherent, some said it should sounds the same.
 
When initially listening to the 250 pro, my expectation bias sets in and i thought the 250 pro sounds better too. A few months down the road somebody lent me a 250 pro and i blind a/b them with my 250 premium, and if i don't pay attention to the feel of the leather pad, i can't reliably tell the difference between the two, they sound the same to me.
 
maybe some people can't hear the difference between the 250 and the 600, just because experiences are different doesn't mean that one has to be right and the other is wrong.

Hey, I have no problem if someone comes to a conclusion based on comparison.  that is valid for them.  thats why I reference the inner fidelity video.  He compares the 3 ohm versions of the 880 directly, and comes to a conclusion.  and I agree, there are people who simply can not hear the difference.  But This is so subjective.  so much depends on time spent, music used, equipment used, environment they were listening, etc..  I have a lot of respect for my own hearing, but I believe that if someone really spent some good analytical time with something, they would hear differences.  It takes time, learning what to listen for.  gosh, it takes time to just learn to listen.  and it doesn't even have to be a better or worse thing.  just listening for differences is the issue here.  I never said the 600 ohm is better.  it is for me, and my gear personally, but there may be those that just like the sound of the 250 or the other one with their gear.  Kudos to them.  BUT.. if someone is asking me which one they should buy, I would tell them to get the 600 ohm if they could.

 

[Keithpgdrb]

  I realize that this is an old debate and I didn't intend to stir it up in here. I apologize. I only mentioned the impedance because it makes such a big difference when considering the amp question that I had. I fully intend to compare the 880's I get to any others I may get a chance to hear.
 
Any thoughts on tube amps in the $300-$500 range for the DT880 600? Mainly, I just want to know whether I'm missing anything that I should be considering. I'm looking for versatility (low output impedance, switchable gain), having pre-outs for the powered monitors is nice too.
 
Here's what I'm currently looking at:
 

• Schiit Valhalla 2
• Bottlehead Crack w/ Speedball (Even though it lacks pre-outs, everyone holds it in such high regard that I really want to hear it. Also, assembly looks fun.)
• Little Dot Mk IV
• Schiit Lyr 2
• Little Dot Mk III

 
Thanks!

I highly recommend the bottlehead crack/speedball combo.  get a couple nice tubes, and you'll have a primo setup that you have to spend a LOT of money to best.  Great combo with the HD600 as well if you ever want to give that a taste.  and yes, assembly is fun.

 

[Sillyness]

I highly recommend the bottlehead crack/speedball combo.  get a couple nice tubes, and you'll have a primo setup that you have to spend a LOT of money to best.  Great combo with the HD600 as well if you ever want to give that a taste.  and yes, assembly is fun.

 
Geez. This place is dangerous.

 

[i luvmusic 2]

 I have the CRACK and LD MK III and if you will asked me which amp i prefer for my DT880 600 ohms i will say THE CRACK due to it's better bass,Mids and DEAD QUIET Background than the MK III.
IMHO the MK III have a better treble but it can be bright sounding sometimes with some tubes overall the CRACK is smoother and quieter at least to my ears.

 

[CADCAM]

   I have the CRACK and LD MK III and if you will asked me which amp i prefer for my DT880 600 ohms i will say THE CRACK due to it's better bass,Mids and DEAD QUIET Background than the MK III.
IMHO the MK III have a better treble but it can be bright sounding sometimes with some tubes overall the CRACK is smoother and quieter at least to my ears.

What tubes are you using in your LD MKIII? I was toying around with getting another tube amp either a Crack or Darkvoice but right now with the EI driver tubes I'm blown away with my LD. Never realized tubes could change the sound signature to such an extent.

 

[pp312]

But This is so subjective.  so much depends on time spent, music used, equipment used, environment they were listening, etc..  I have a lot of respect for my own hearing, but I believe that if someone really spent some good analytical time with something, they would hear differences.  It takes time, learning what to listen for.  gosh, it takes time to just learn to listen.  and it doesn't even have to be a better or worse thing.  just listening for differences is the issue here.  I never said the 600 ohm is better.  it is for me, and my gear personally, but there may be those that just like the sound of the 250 or the other one with their gear.  Kudos to them.  BUT.. if someone is asking me which one they should buy, I would tell them to get the 600 ohm if they could.

 
 
The first part of your post references what I was saying about the difference between being able to detect a difference whilst straining to do so, and just listening for pleasure at home. Indeed if the difference is so minute that one has to learn to listen and even then can't detect it, as many (most?) can't, then I suggest it's insignificant.
 
As for your last sentence I would ask, is that regardless of current amp or budget?

 

[Liu Junyuan]

I've heard both and couldn't tell any difference. That's with a good quality stereo amp. Probably with the right amp the 600 ohm does pull ahead, but the right amp is likely to be out of most people's reach. Remember that the DT880 is a typically under $300 phone. I'm not, and most people are not, willing to spend another $500 and up to get it to sound its best. Therefore we buy the 250 ohm version, which would seem to be the ideal compromise: good sound without having your kids go hungry. I know this is Head-Fi, but I don't see the word 'affluent' in the title.  

(I know you didn't bring up the subject of money, but it's implicit in most people's recommendation of the 600 ohm model. Just get an OTL amp and you'll be sweet, they say, without considering total cost. I'm astonished at the number of people who consider a $500 amp a stopgap measure until one can get the $1200 model--the 'real' one).   

I agree with you completely on this. With that said, decent otl amps can be found under $500. Valhalla 2 is 350; LD MK 3 is 189 and MK 4 is 289. These amps would make the DT 880 600 sing and together would constitute an excellent classical setup.

But I am still wary, like you, of overemphasizing the differences between the 250 and 600 ohm versions. Others whom I trust could not find a difference between the two.