MrEleventy
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2012
- Posts
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- 159
no, dt990 pro still looks like that
I have both the HD650 and a 880 6ooohm model and prefer the 880 most of the time, but the 650s have a very special sound and material that hits their sweet spot really makes them shine. That is why I can't sell them! Still, love my 880s and as some have alluded to here, a strong amp really helps them reach their potential.
I guess I could have been more specific, but the 880s (600 ohm version) aren't very efficient and require a great deal of voltage to drive them so you need an amp that can provide plenty of voltage. That alone isn't the only factor as I learned the hard way, your source output needs to be at least 4 volts, but even higher is better. The XLR output on my 8200CD is 4.2volts I believe and even with modern, louder recordings I need to have the volume at 2 oclock, and with older quieter masters the volume is almost at full. If you use a normal amplifier that provides plenty of voltage then this isn't an issue, but some might argue that an amplifier designed for headphone use is optimal. The Auditor is a killer amp and really controls the 880s drivers. Ideally my source would have even more voltage output as under 6 seems to be less than sufficient to overcome the inefficiency of the 880s. At least this is my understanding of the situation.
Another question: How fast would you rate the headphones(not sure how to phrase this question)? Tons of headphones sound good at moderate to low volumes with slow music, but once you crank it up, not so much. I usually don't just sit down and listen to music for 5 hours, I usually like to keep em on for like 2 hours or less. Plus I'm sort of a treble head.
After trying DT880 with a few different amps, I would say, they work better with higher quality DACs and amps. If you want fast and detailed and a bit analytical with DT880s, get a DAC and amp that are up to the job. I've heard the DT880 with an Audiolab M-DAC........outstanding!
I agree with the good DAC/amp combo, rather hard not to after all. I have the Audiolab 8200CD which would likley be quite similar to the M-DAC, but perhaps not as resolving? Regardless, the combination of the 8200 and the Auditor can be sublime, very, very yummy stuff indeed. Would love to try the M-DAC. I'll have to see the specs again Chris, but I know you know your stuff so if you say the 880s are efficient I'll believe you. I guess I just got me facts a little twisted around, but the end result was correct, give me more amps Scotty!