[xkonfuzed]

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

What exactly was wrong with the 880's you bought from that headfier ? Is it something like cable damage?

I liked your review Xkonfuzed ^-^

Thanks dude

 

[Schonen]

Quote:

 
 
 
I think that's a wise choice. Having both DT880 and DT990 is useless, because they're so similar.  You can get the DT880 sound (but with better imaging and soundstage) from DT990's if you EQ the bass down for about 4-5 db at 100 hz and gradually reduce the eq to 200 hz and down to 40 hz,  and reduce the 7-9k spike by about 2-3 db.  That's basically it when it comes to sound signature.  I also always felt the DT990's were superior to DT880 overall. I mean, of course if you really need pure neutrality DT880 is better, but for listening, hands down DT990 is more enjoyable, especially the Pro model which seems to be more neutral than Premium ones, and is not any brighter than DT880, if not less bright. But its superior in terms of soundstage, imaging, detail, transient response....it sounds like a quicker headphone, but at the same time,  it sounds fuller with more body to the sound, especially male vocals, which sound more realistic on DT990. 

I do EQ my DT990pro and bring down the top end a bit and boost the mids a bit but leave the bottom end alone, I like me some bass.

 

[kookoo]

Quote:

 
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.

the closest thing i can think of is a badly soldered driver which...now that the other poster said could have been cable damage. the sound was clear but sounded very distant. yes this was not product variation as the headphone had seen some use so i gathered he would have returned them if he could have.
ah well live and learn

 

[HeretixAevum]

I'm considering the DT880 Pro 250, since it's so much cheaper than the other variants, and I'm considering amping them with the Audio NFB12.1 which puts out 300mw @ 300Ohm (880 250's peak impedance). Would this be a worthy combination?

 

[shane55]

Quote:

I'm considering the DT880 Pro 250, since it's so much cheaper than the other variants, and I'm considering amping them with the Audio NFB12.1 which puts out 300mw @ 300Ohm (880 250's peak impedance). Would this be a worthy combination?

 
 
I think so.
More than enough headroom and power for the 250 Ohm, and a nice rich sound to compliment the DT880 bright neutrality.

 

[GaryPham]

Quote:

I'm considering the DT880 Pro 250, since it's so much cheaper than the other variants, and I'm considering amping them with the Audio NFB12.1 which puts out 300mw @ 300Ohm (880 250's peak impedance). Would this be a worthy combination?

 
It should be fine, I'm using an Audio GD NFB 11.32 which I believe uses the same amp portion as the 12.1, and it was able to run my 600 ohm DT880s fine, even in low gain mode.

 

[TheChosen0ne]

How is the Uber Bifrost+Asgard 2 for the 880 250 ohm?  Will there be a big difference in quality if I'm coming from the E17+E9?

 

[Sound Devourer]

Quote:

I'm considering the DT880 Pro 250, since it's so much cheaper than the other variants, and I'm considering amping them with the Audio NFB12.1 which puts out 300mw @ 300Ohm (880 250's peak impedance). Would this be a worthy combination?

I have a DT-880pro 250ohm and compared with my AKG K271MKII I can say that the sound is quite different. I personally prefer the Beyer DT, for me it sounds more natural. I never tryed the 600ohm version, but since the 250ohm version is easier to drive and generally cheaper than the 600ohm  I think that it still is a good choice to start with "Beyer headphones". Recently I bought a Cambridge DAC Magic+, and the amplifier isn't what I was expecting...I knew that it wasn't good but i was hopping for something better. Maybe with NFB12.1 things will be different...

 

[HeretixAevum]

Quote:

 
 
I think so.
More than enough headroom and power for the 250 Ohm, and a nice rich sound to compliment the DT880 bright neutrality.

 
Quote:

 
It should be fine, I'm using an Audio GD NFB 11.32 which I believe uses the same amp portion as the 12.1, and it was able to run my 600 ohm DT880s fine, even in low gain mode.

Thanks guys, though now I'm wondering if I should spring for the 600 Ohm version... It's more expensive, but if it really does sound superior, and the 12.1 can handle it, maybe it would be better. I'm just a little worried that at 600 Ohms the 12.1 only puts out 150mw. I see that the amps (often OTL) usually recommended for the 600 Ohm Beyers put out at least a couple hundred, but often 350+. That's what makes me feel more comfortable about the idea of pairing the 250 Ohm version with the 2.1, since I'll be in the 300mw plus zone at all times with them. 
 
Still, I would not be surprised in the LEAST if my layman logic there was incredibly flawed and that the 600 Ohm version really would be better, even with the lower power reserve. I just genuinely don't know. 

 

[HeretixAevum]

Quote:

I have a DT-880pro 250ohm and compared with my AKG K271MKII I can say that the sound is quite different. I personally prefer the Beyer DT, for me it sounds more natural. I never tryed the 600ohm version, but since the 250ohm version is easier to drive and generally cheaper than the 600ohm  I think that it still is a good choice to start with "Beyer headphones". Recently I bought a Cambridge DAC Magic+, and the amplifier isn't what I was expecting...I knew that it wasn't good but i was hopping for something better. Maybe with NFB12.1 things will be different...

I can't really find any information about that DACs amp section, but the 12.1 has a reputation for a powerful amp given the money.

 

[shane55]

Quote:

 
Thanks guys, though now I'm wondering if I should spring for the 600 Ohm version... It's more expensive, but if it really does sound superior, and the 12.1 can handle it, maybe it would be better. I'm just a little worried that at 600 Ohms the 12.1 only puts out 150mw. I see that the amps (often OTL) usually recommended for the 600 Ohm Beyers put out at least a couple hundred, but often 350+. That's what makes me feel more comfortable about the idea of pairing the 250 Ohm version with the 2.1, since I'll be in the 300mw plus zone at all times with them. 
 
Still, I would not be surprised in the LEAST if my layman logic there was incredibly flawed and that the 600 Ohm version really would be better, even with the lower power reserve. I just genuinely don't know. 

 
I've owned both the 250 and 600 Ohm, and compared them side by side. There is very little difference between the two. The only reason I kept the 600 Ohm is that the peak in the highs is very slightly less severe.
I doubt anyone can tell the difference between the two unless they were doing a direct A/B test. They are very similar.
It depends how sensitive you are to that peak in the highs. To me it was worth it.

 

[HeretixAevum]

Quote:

 
I've owned both the 250 and 600 Ohm, and compared them side by side. There is very little difference between the two. The only reason I kept the 600 Ohm is that the peak in the highs is very slightly less severe.
I doubt anyone can tell the difference between the two unless they were doing a direct A/B test. They are very similar.
It depends how sensitive you are to that peak in the highs. To me it was worth it.

Well the peak sounding less severe would be good, I think it would pay off in the long run. Looking at measurements the square wave tests look tighter, and Tyl Hertsens said that the bass sounded tighter to him (which is supported by the 30Hz square waves not dipping down below 0 the way they do on the 250). The 600 Ohm Premiums are going for $300 on Amazon as well, so the premium over the Pro isn't that large. I also asked MalVeauX about it, and he explained to me that the NFB12.1 does great with both the 250 and 600 since it's voltage the 600 really craves (and the 12.1 puts out 10v). So for the sake of getting the most refined sounding and better looking DT880, avoiding buyers remorse for a "lower" DT880 later and since the 12.1 apparently handles it very well I'll go with the 600 version.
 
Thanks everybody! I'll have to leave my impressions when I get this set up.

 

[CADCAM]

I have the 600ohm variant of the 880's powered by my Little Dot MKIII and the sound is spectacular! I am switching back and forth using the 4X or 5X gain setting. Great sound with impeccable detail...IMHO

 

[xkonfuzed]

Need some advice here guys,
 
I'm debating whether to do the DT880 detachable cable mod, but i never really modded anything before and its looks kinda risky. Any advice would be appreciated. 

 

[bracko]

Quote:

I have the 600ohm variant of the 880's powered by my Little Dot MKIII and the sound is spectacular! I am switching back and forth using the 4X or 5X gain setting. Great sound with impeccable detail...IMHO

Great. It would be nice to tell us what other headphones you are comparing with.