[matty007]

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.

That sounds like a hair in the driver. I would remove the earpads and inspect the foam underneath, and also check the white driver itself to see if there's any lodged in there. Use tweezers to remove any hairs, which I almost guarantee you will find. Hairs can easily make their way into the driver and will cause bass distortion, rattling etc.

Honestly, it is extremely rare for a driver to just become defective. Only extreme shock, or insane volume/wattage would typically do that.

Can't comment much in relation to general reliability, as I've always fared well with Beyer. They are the best company for build quality in my opinion, although driver matching can sometimes be an issue.

My 3rd pair of DT 880s are giving up after just under two and a half years.



For my next pair of headphones I think I will have to invest in something easier to drive with a similar sound to these.

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.

Might be an obvious choice, but I would go with the HD600, if you don't have them already. They could hardly be classed as trebly, but they do have a very articulate high end and probably the best midrange on ANY headphone, in my humble opinion. Bass is comparable to a 880, maybe slightly more. You could easily EQ the 8khz range up to give them more treble if you wish. However, I particularly like a little peak at 14khz on my 600's. They have a fantastic treble extension and that little 14khz bump only enhances it, giving great air.

In my opinion, the HD600 at £280/$300 ish dollars is preety much unbeatable. And yes, I include the Sundara in that assestment.

Failing that, if you fancy a planar, a HE400i might be a good move.

 

[gooeyrich]

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.

Send it in for servicing, info on Beyerdynamic website.

 

[xkonfuzed]

Sorry to hear that. It sucks getting problems like these which are out of your hand. I really don't know if Beyer's QC has changed much over the years. See if you can contact Beyer and tell them about this and get a solution.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

That sounds like a hair in the driver. I would remove the earpads and inspect the foam underneath, and also check the white driver itself to see if there's any lodged in there. Use tweezers to remove any hairs, which I almost guarantee you will find. Hairs can easily make their way into the driver and will cause bass distortion, rattling etc.

Honestly, it is extremely rare for a driver to just become defective. Only extreme shock, or insane volume/wattage would typically do that.

Can't comment much in relation to general reliability, as I've always fared well with Beyer. They are the best company for build quality in my opinion, although driver matching can sometimes be an issue.



Might be an obvious choice, but I would go with the HD600, if you don't have them already. They could hardly be classed as trebly, but they do have a very articulate high end and probably the best midrange on ANY headphone, in my humble opinion. Bass is comparable to a 880, maybe slightly more. You could easily EQ the 8khz range up to give them more treble if you wish. However, I particularly like a little peak at 14khz on my 600's. They have a fantastic treble extension and that little 14khz bump only enhances it, giving great air.

In my opinion, the HD600 at £280/$300 ish dollars is preety much unbeatable. And yes, I include the Sundara in that assestment.

Failing that, if you fancy a planar, a HE400i might be a good move.

The price of the HD600s is certainly on the steep side for me. Well over £300 in the UK. My DT 880s were half that. Anyway, here are two recorded samples:

http://www.wetherby.me/wiki/pub/Sandbox/TestTopic0/left.mp3
http://www.wetherby.me/wiki/pub/Sandbox/TestTopic0/right.mp3

The left is obviously the side with the issue. This is playing 40hz at an incredibly low volume. (for some odd reason, 40hz is worse at lower volumes) I even set my microphone (SAMSON GO MIC) to the most sensitive omnidirectional setting. The left side obviously sounds far louder (and wrong) compared to the right. This sound does however change dramatically depending on the angle the headphones are at. This does suggest that what you mention would be the case; something stuck in the foam touching the driver. But if you take a look at that link i shared in my post, I've been using those ear pads as well as the foam discs for at least 2 years. Before I got these ear pads, I'd been using some hifiman replacement pads that actually had a cover over the driver anyway. So in almost all the time I've used them, there will have been something between my ears / hair and the foam covering the driver.

Looks pretty clean to me, so really don't know what it is.

 

[matty007]

The price of the HD600s is certainly on the steep side for me. Well over £300 in the UK. My DT 880s were half that. Anyway, here are two recorded samples:

http://www.wetherby.me/wiki/pub/Sandbox/TestTopic0/left.mp3
http://www.wetherby.me/wiki/pub/Sandbox/TestTopic0/right.mp3

The left is obviously the side with the issue. This is playing 40hz at an incredibly low volume. (for some odd reason, 40hz is worse at lower volumes) I even set my microphone (SAMSON GO MIC) to the most sensitive omnidirectional setting. The left side obviously sounds far louder (and wrong) compared to the right. This sound does however change dramatically depending on the angle the headphones are at. This does suggest that what you mention would be the case; something stuck in the foam touching the driver. But if you take a look at that link i shared in my post, I've been using those ear pads as well as the foam discs for at least 2 years. Before I got these ear pads, I'd been using some hifiman replacement pads that actually had a cover over the driver anyway. So in almost all the time I've used them, there will have been something between my ears / hair and the foam covering the driver.



Looks pretty clean to me, so really don't know what it is.

That does indeed sound very strange. Still, I would remove the plastic outside cup and remove the foam. Look at the white driver itself, can you see any hairs? I would still bank money on a hair on the driver itself. And sometimes, hairs get stuck on the underside of the foam.

Aside from that, it could be a connection issue. BUT, that would be very rare. Changed the 3.5mm to 1/4inch adapter? Simple I know, but it can cause issues.

https://studiocare.com/products/sen...e&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google+shopping

£259 for the HD600. Worth every penny.

 

[TrollDragon]

There is always the HD6xx to consider.

 

[matty007]

Best cans in this range are certainly -

HD600
DT880
K712
R70x

I love both the 600's and 880's equally. Some days I prefer the lush mids of the HD600 though. For Hip-Hop, I reach for K712's.

Despite popular opinion, I find Pop and R&b amazing on the DT880's. They don't have much bass, but the bass itself is VERY clean and resolving. And they have a great midrange tambre for the vocals.

I find the R70x to have wonderful tone and give a lot of emotion to the music. Great for folk and anything mellow.

 

[Shane D]

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.

I hear you. I owned my for about two months. I have many headphones and rotate heavily. I doubt if my pair had much more than ten hours on them. They broke and Thomann in Europe was kind enough to pay most of the shipping back to Germany. Pretty good as I live in Canada. Well it took most of two weeks to get them to Germany. Monday will mark six weeks since they have received them. They said a week ago that they were ready to ship back, but no shipping info yet.

I have never had a pair of headphones break anywhere near that fast. I thought they were a Great headphone for the price, but now I can see why. I think when I eventually get mine back, I will just sell them. And Never buy from Thomann again. Lesson learned and I am so happy that I have other pairs. Could you imagine waiting ten to twelve weeks if you didn't have other 'phones? Yikes.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

That does indeed sound very strange. Still, I would remove the plastic outside cup and remove the foam. Look at the white driver itself, can you see any hairs? I would still bank money on a hair on the driver itself. And sometimes, hairs get stuck on the underside of the foam.

Aside from that, it could be a connection issue. BUT, that would be very rare. Changed the 3.5mm to 1/4inch adapter? Simple I know, but it can cause issues.

https://studiocare.com/products/sen...e&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google+shopping

£259 for the HD600. Worth every penny.

Thanks for all your info. I bought my DT880s for £149. If I were to get a new pair (not really looking for an upgrade), £150 to £180 would be around the maximum I would be willing to pay.


Here is the underside of the driver cover. Nothing visible on this.

These are not my hairs!

This stringy stuff was collected from here:

Sorry, this is a poor choice of material from beyerdynamic. It is a forest of fibers that are basically like hairs. Some that I have pulled out are far longer than my hair which indeed will have been the ones touching the driver - the problem is gone for now.

I also took note of the way this had been put together and now have put the other foam disks I like to have in under the ring that pops off. This helps dampen that beyer peak that I'm not sure if I'm keen on. I think I prefer a treble peak higher up in the frequency range


Anyway, I will keep using these for now, but based on that material used, I expect it could well happen again. As you can see in one of the pictures and the link i originally posted, I had to do a modification with PVC tape to get them to stay this size and stop slipping back and rubbing. Not that happy with them overall so still will want to be looking out for a replacement, but really don't want to go much over £150. My Audio Technica ATH-AD700s were £87 and they are still working fine 10 years later. Other than having less bass than the DT880s, virtually everything else about the sound is as good. So I certainly wouldn't want to spend a great deal more than I did on my DT 880s given I know there must be others around that likely will be what I am after without having to spend far more.

May end up creating a new thread as there are a few features things I would want the headphones to include if I was buying a new pair.

 

[Kammerat Rebekka]

Giant Hogweed: You may want to look into the new HD560S from Sennheiser.
To me it sounds very similar to the DT880 but with far better bass extension.
It’s still a new release so longterm build quality is Nostradamus’ best guess...but the 5 series which the headphone is built upon has always been pretty sturdy and rugged for a plastic design.

 

[matty007]

Thanks for all your info. I bought my DT880s for £149. If I were to get a new pair (not really looking for an upgrade), £150 to £180 would be around the maximum I would be willing to pay.


Here is the underside of the driver cover. Nothing visible on this.



These are not my hairs!


This stringy stuff was collected from here:




Sorry, this is a poor choice of material from beyerdynamic. It is a forest of fibers that are basically like hairs. Some that I have pulled out are far longer than my hair which indeed will have been the ones touching the driver - the problem is gone for now.

I also took note of the way this had been put together and now have put the other foam disks I like to have in under the ring that pops off. This helps dampen that beyer peak that I'm not sure if I'm keen on. I think I prefer a treble peak higher up in the frequency range


Anyway, I will keep using these for now, but based on that material used, I expect it could well happen again. As you can see in one of the pictures and the link i originally posted, I had to do a modification with PVC tape to get them to stay this size and stop slipping back and rubbing. Not that happy with them overall so still will want to be looking out for a replacement, but really don't want to go much over £150. My Audio Technica ATH-AD700s were £87 and they are still working fine 10 years later. Other than having less bass than the DT880s, virtually everything else about the sound is as good. So I certainly wouldn't want to spend a great deal more than I did on my DT 880s given I know there must be others around that likely will be what I am after without having to spend far more.

May end up creating a new thread as there are a few features things I would want the headphones to include if I was buying a new pair.

Glad you got it sorted for now. I knew it was hair/fibre related. Had the same issue myself on the HD600 at one point - my own hair though.

I know you said the maximum you'd want to spend was £180, but the K712's can be had for about £190. Might be a good choice. The soundstage is fantastic and I am always impressed at their mids. They're boosted a little in the treble, around 8khz and 14khz. Without having your ears, I can't be certain of your frequancy preference, but I very seldom hear of people dislking the K712. They also have fantastic imaging. I would say they share quite a lot of traits of the DT880.

You could also try the Philips Fidelio X2's for around £150. I personally find the mids a little recessed for my liking, but they do have a treble peak around 11khz. People tend to love or hate them. Still, you could return them if not to your liking. Soundstage is huge and they're some of the most comfortable cans I've ever tried.

 

[matty007]

Giant Hogweed: You may want to look into the new HD560S from Sennheiser.
To me it sounds very similar to the DT880 but with far better bass extension.
It’s still a new release so longterm build quality is Nostradamus’ best guess...but the 5 series which the headphone is built upon has always been pretty sturdy and rugged for a plastic design.

True, forgot about those. Good shout.

 

[apaar123]

Has anyone tried the 600 ohm version with monoprice liquid platinum? How is the experience?

 

[matty007]

Has anyone tried the 600 ohm version with monoprice liquid platinum? How is the experience?

Very good pairing. I've heard it.

Warms the low end up slightly, and gives a little more punch. Biggest difference I noticed was in the soundstage though. It widened it quite nicely. If you're sensitive to treble, it will sweeten the highs a little too.

Best combo with the DT880 is still a power amp in my opinion - think a vintage reciever or Emotiva A-100. However, you would not be disappointed with the pairing with the Liquid at all.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

Giant Hogweed: You may want to look into the new HD560S from Sennheiser.
To me it sounds very similar to the DT880 but with far better bass extension.
It’s still a new release so longterm build quality is Nostradamus’ best guess...but the 5 series which the headphone is built upon has always been pretty sturdy and rugged for a plastic design.

I've always thought sennheiser has a no nonsense design. They often look cheap, but as I said with my HD201s, they just seem to last. IMO, the DT880s are ell built in most areas, and that results in them being pretty heavy. But that is only a problem because of how poorly built the plastic where the adjustment area is. It just feels so slack and doesn't feel like it belongs on this set of premium headphones. If they are all made of the same material and are solid, it doesn't bother me as much.

One thing that has put me off getting sennheiser open backed headphones in the past is they often have an odd cable. 3.5mm/2.5mm connector into the ear cup and 6.3mm at the other end.

Why can't they use a 3.5 - 6.3mm adapter like this??

Barely any bigger than a 6.3mm plug on its own.

The thought of needing to use a giant 6.3 - 3.5mm adapter would give me fear of snapping it due to the length when used with my DAP. And if it is the sort of adapter that uses a short cable adapter, that still ads clunky weight to it.

I would probably be able to put up with it for desk use, I just hope there would be an alternative cable that you could purchase that makes it more user friendly.

What concerns me most about these is that I've read they are tighter than a lot of other headphones (clamp force).
I happen to have a very big head, one reason why I have no seal issues with the K550s which loads complain about. And I usually struggle to wear headphones for long if they are not slack. I've also have a scar on the left side of my head due to operations which is another reason I can't easily cope with much pressure.

It is probably worth me creating a question thread with all my requirements sometime. I would be interested in getting something to replace the DT880s at some point