[backsideslappy]

Well there you go.  A useful tidbit.

 

[Eric_C]

Is your friend's HD 600 new? I had a new HD 600 for a few months and found the clamp pretty hard, though not unbearably so.
Also curious what tube amp you use.
Quote:

Clamping pressure on both is very light. 

 

[TheChosen0ne]

I have the HD600s and recently bought the 880 250 ohm pro.  I've been using E17+E9 for both but want to upgrade.  Which amp/dacs would you guys recommend that will improve sound by a lot or at least a significant/noticeable amount for both headphones?

 

[MrEleventy]

Aune T1 + Magni is pretty close in price range if you know where to look. pm if you don't. I just tried that combo out recently with both. hd60 & dt880. Or look for a maverick tubemagic if you want all in one plus more features. Malveaux has spoken highly of it.

 

[Argyris]

Quote:

I was referring to the DT880's (pure German). The HD600 is made in Ireland.

 
Gotcha. I keep forgetting about that. I vaguely remember some sort of problem with the Sennheiser factory or something so they started making stuff in Ireland. Either that or I'm confusing that with something else completely.
 
When I read your previous post, even though I was pretty sure you didn't mean it this way, I actually thought of the sound itself. A lot of Deutsche-Grammophon recordings from the 70s have a somewhat strident, stern tone, particularly with strings. People tend to be polarized about whether or not they like this, but either way it's quite characteristic. Because of its lower treble enhancement, the DT880 has a tendency to add a touch of that kind of tone to everything.

 

[xkonfuzed]

Is your friend's HD 600 new? I had a new HD 600 for a few months and found the clamp pretty hard, though not unbearably so.
Also curious what tube amp you use.

He had it for nearly 2 years now.
HD600 setup
Foobar2000 > Schiit Modi > Objective2 > HD600

DT880 setup (the one my friend used)
FLACs/320Kbps > Audioengine D1 > Little Dot MK2 with stock tubes > DT880

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

I have the HD600s and recently bought the 880 250 ohm pro.  I've been using E17+E9 for both but want to upgrade.  Which amp/dacs would you guys recommend that will improve sound by a lot or at least a significant/noticeable amount for both headphones?

 
I have the E17 + E09K combo myself.
 
For an amp to drive my DT880/600, I prefer the La Figaro 336C, the midrange just sounds fuller lusher and the treble just has this smoothness to it!

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

Sennheiser HD600: What an experience. 
 
Ok, its been about 5 days since I exchanged my DT880's with my friends HD600. I have listened to the HD600 closely with my own music this time, every track i tested it with is hammered into my brain. I will include a list of the songs i used after the review.
 
First off, let me start by saying that today is my birthday and im generally in an awesome mood Nothing to do with the review but just letting you know
 
The review is going to be divided into four parts: 1. Comfort 2. Sound 3. Overall winner and which one I'm going to keep. 4. list of songs i used
 
Lets dive right into it, shall we?
1. Comfort: 
The 880's and 600's are both extremely comfortable. I can wear both for hours without feeling discomfort. However, i do give this one to the DT880's since the ear pads are just SO SOFT. Its like marshmallows are kissing my cheeks lol. Clamping pressure on both is very light. Moving with the headphones on my head is MUCH easier with the HD600's, i dont know why but everytime i bob my head with the DT880's i have a feeling that they're going to fall. 
Winner: This one goes to the DT880's by a very small margin.
 
2. Sound: 
Ok, here's where things can get a bit messy. The following is just my personal opinion, you may have a different opinion and that's perfectly fine. If you're gonna bash on me for stating my opinion, well then there's something seriously wrong with you.
 
Bass: 
The low end on both headphones is great. The DT880's bass is more textured with a deeper extension than the HD600's. However, it feels as if it lacks some impact sometimes. This is not the case with the HD600's. I believe the HD600's has slightly more impact to its bass. 
Winner: DT880
 
Midrange:
One of the things i hear a lot about the DT series is the recessed midrange. Keep in mind i have used a tube amp with my DT880's. Tube amps usually warm things up and bring the midrange forward. The midrange on both headphones is brilliant. The HD600's have a forward, lively midrange that is in no way recessed. Stringed instruments and pianos sound simply awesome. Male vocals have more weight to them compared to the DT880's, which sound somewhat lacking weight in male vocals. To my ears, DT880's mids are flat/neutral. They are not recessed nor are they exaggerated. Female vocals, for some reason, sound way better on the DT880's. I don't know why this is the case, but female vocalists like Evanescence, Ayah Marar, Tasha Baxter just sound more natural and smoother with the DT880's. There's a feeling i get when i listen to a song with the DT880's, (Evanescence - Hello), that i feel i will never get in any headphone. It feels as if she's right in front of me, screaming at my face (in a good way). I did get that feeling with the HD600's, and it was almost an identical experience, except i enjoyed it on the DT880's just slightly more. The DT880's has more detail in its midrange, but thats not necessarily good. Some people like a headphone that will show you music the way it is, they don't want a spotlight to inspect the music and parts of it.
Winner: HD600.
 
Treble: 
This one is going to be tough. The DT880's treble has a LOT of detail and extends all the way up there. The treble is clean, nice, and unfatiguing. The DT880 is one of the best treble performing headphones in my opinion. The treble on the HD600's is also very nice. It can make brightly mastered music sound fine and nice, this is something the DT880's cant do. Sometimes i feel the HD600's lack some detail in treble, but thats not a problem since you get so absorbed in the music that you forget about the details. The HD600's also do a better job at making low bitrate/poorly recorded songs sound good. On the other hand, the DT880's will make you hate them and you'll realize how much of a mess they are.
Winner: This one's a tie. 
 
Transparency: 
Both of these headphones are very transparent. I don't get the 'Sennheiser Veil' everyone seems to be talking about. To me, they sound nice and transparent. So do the Beyers.
Winner: This one's a tie also.
 
Detail: 
Both headphone are very detailed. However, the detail is more obvious on the DT880's. Don't get me wrong, the HD600's are still detailed, but when you listen to the DT880's for a long time, you kind of remember where's that detail and where's this detail and how easily is this detail shown. You don't have to listen carefully to pick up the details, they just kind of make their way in to your ears. On the HD600's, the detail is there, but its not the main focus. If you listen closely, you will notice the DT880's have a slight edge in terms of detail, but the HD600 is still no slouch. 
Winner: DT880
 
Soundstage: 
The soundstage on both headphones are really wide. There's plenty of room for everything. The soundstage on DT880's seems just a little bit bigger. Unnoticeable unless you A/B both headphones. Imaging on both is good, but the edge goes to the HD600's this time.
Winner: This one's a tie.
 
3. Overall Winner and which one im going to keep: 
Beyerdynamic DT880 3 - 1 Sennheiser HD600
For all you boxers like me, if this was a boxing match it would be between Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson lol.
No matter how good the HD600's sounded, i just keep going back to my Beyers. I don't think Im going to upgrade any time sooner. Maybe a couple of years later i will take a leap into summit-fi and get the Beyerdynamic T1 or Audeze LCD-2. But for now, i plan on keeping my DT880's, because i know that if i traded them for the 600's, there will be a feeling in my heart that wont let me sleep. Those are both great headphones, dont let anybody tell you dt880's are better than the 600's or vice versa. It all comes down to preference, and lucky enough for me, i enjoy the German sound a bit more
 
4. Songs i used: 
 
- Overdue by Spor and Tasha Baxter
 
- Joker and the Thief by Wolfmother
 
- Suni Clay - In a Hood Near You
 
- Kasabian - Club Foot
 
- Professional Griefers by Deadmau5
 
- Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
 
- Swedish House Mafia - Save the World
 
- MitiS - Pain
 
- Stromae - Alors on Danse
 
- Stromae - Papaouti
 
- Linkin Park - Castles of Sand and In the End.

Excellent review!
And happy birthday!

 

[MilesDavis2]

I like hd600 better. Better balance, better transparency and nicer tone.

Love my HD600 too but alternate with the DT880 as well. The DT880 needs an amp to be fully appreciated.

 

[xkonfuzed]

Excellent review!
And happy birthday!

Thanks man Appreciate the feedback!

 

[pp312]

Quote:

Quote:

I like hd600 better. Better balance, better transparency and nicer tone.

Love my HD600 too but alternate with the DT880 as well. The DT880 needs an amp to be fully appreciated.

 
I'm hoping to encourage people to define their terms when it comes to the 880. Which version are you talking about, and which amp do you consider best?

 

[Sound Devourer]

I liked your review Xkonfuzed ^-^

 

[TheChosen0ne]

Quote:

 
I have the E17 + E09K combo myself.
 
For an amp to drive my DT880/600, I prefer the La Figaro 336C, the midrange just sounds fuller lusher and the treble just has this smoothness to it!

 
 
Quote:

I have the HD600s and recently bought the 880 250 ohm pro.  I've been using E17+E9 for both but want to upgrade.  Which amp/dacs would you guys recommend that will improve sound by a lot or at least a significant/noticeable amount for both headphones?

 
 
Thanks.  Can you guys give me more suggestions?

 

[kookoo]

So i tried the DT880 again yesterday, and as it turns out the DT880s are nowhere near as bad as i previously encountered.
It turns out my unit which i bought off another headfier last year was faulty and he was not upfront about it.
This is the second time I've been burnt by using the for sale forums here.
 
So anybody reading my previous posts in this thread please ignore, the DT880 is a fine piece of headphone, 256 pages can't be wrong

 

[Argyris]

Quote:

So i tried the DT880 again yesterday, and as it turns out the DT880s are nowhere near as bad as i previously encountered.
It turns out my unit which i bought off another headfier last year was faulty and he was not upfront about it.
This is the second time I've been burnt by using the for sale forums here.
 
So anybody reading my previous posts in this thread please ignore, the DT880 is a fine piece of headphone, 256 pages can't be wrong

 
Incidentally, what was wrong with the the one you based your earlier assessment on? I'm just curious, since this is clearly more serious than mere production variation.