[wolfetan44]

What advantages do the Lyr and Crack posses with the DT880?

 

[Rat Salad]

So I got my 880's.. I think they are great for rock!  
 
But I have a question.. the cups feel sloppy.. If you push the ear cups all the way in (up) hold the headband in you hand and open it up so the cups do not ouch.. do they drop all the way out on their own?
 
Thanks.. The box was pretty damaged.. so i am trying to determine if there is an issue

 

[derbigpr]

Quote:

So I got my 880's.. I think they are great for rock!  
 
But I have a question.. the cups feel sloppy.. If you push the ear cups all the way in (up) hold the headband in you hand and open it up so the cups do not ouch.. do they drop all the way out on their own?
 
Thanks.. The box was pretty damaged.. so i am trying to determine if there is an issue

 
Sloppy cups are normal....I dont know why Beyer does that, but its like that on all headphones, even on the T1. Its very annoying having to constantly adjust the headband size.

 

[TrollDragon]

The Pro's have indents on the yoke's so you don't have to do that.

 

[Argyris]

I must have an immortal pair or something because the sizing adjustment on mine never moves without (considerable) deliberate effort, yet I've read about this issue quite a bit before, so I know it's common. If anything, on my pair it's too stiff and tends to make me overshoot by a few clicks when it finally moves.
 
Still, that's much better than it being loose. I rarely adjust the cups, so if they stay put once I'm done, I'm satisfied.

 

[Rat Salad]

Thanks Guys.. Due to to pretty substantial box damage I am getting them RMA'd because I really do not know how loose is looser than normal (they make popping sounds with just a minor twist putting them on)
 
If the new pair are the same.. I will live with it. because I love them already and they will probably just get better.   This is my first OPEN circumaural cans and.. again, I love them already

 

[Argyris]

The popping sounds are normal. My left cup does it, but the right one doesn't, which is a bit strange.
 
It's probably safest to get it RMA'ed if the box really was badly damaged, though, since there might be some other unforeseen problem that pops up right after the return period expires.

 

[xkonfuzed]

Had the same feeling with my DT880's when i got them, there was a popping sound and i didn't know if it was normal or not. But its nothing to worry about. Even though it doesn't happen often, you'll get used to it

 

[Rat Salad]

Thanks for all the help.. I plan donate here because you guys save me money and time!!  If I can find a link for donations
 
One more for the road.. I need a USB amp to drive these.. the 250's sound good with my Dragonfly, but it is obvious there is more to be had here.
 
For reasons I wont go into (kids and a crazy dog).. I do not want to go tube yet and need stay USB (charging can be AC).
 
I am thinking XM5 or XM6..
 
Will they drive the 250?  I am not sure what I need to look at to determine power needs (I do not get the 1/8 rule at all)
 
Thanks again!

 

[Argyris]

Quote:

One more for the road.. I need a USB amp to drive these.. the 250's sound good with my Dragonfly, but it is obvious there is more to be had here.

 
Where exactly does this pairing fall short? Is it just in getting them up to volume, or is there something about the sound that seems lacking?
 
I'm just curious.

 

[FlySweep]

DT 880/600 arrived earlier this afternoon..
 
Build quality?  It's "light & flexible".. and I mean that in a in a good way.  Everything seems well fastened, no bulky pieces.. but it could stand up to some light abuse and drops.  I wish the cup adjustment that's couple to the headband (the yoke?) wasn't so "edgy": it moves up and down the notches quite easily.. so one may find themselves having to adjust that when they remove and wear the phones.  All in all, not a big deal cause it's easy to adjust even when worn.
 
Looks?  Unmistakably "Beyer."  No fancy racing stripes (LOL) or anything.  The areas that employ plastic don't look (or feel) cheap.. Clean, non-descript, functional "European" styling, through and through.  I digs it.  
 
Comfort?  Excellent.  I don't have much to say here that hasn't already been said.  The DT 880 is lauded for terrific comfort.  The combination of a lightweight build, incredibly plush ear pads, and microfiber lining along the inside of the cups make for a secure, yet non-fatiguing clamp that easily accommodates hours of wear w/o pain or stress.  Being that my "main" can is the HD800.. I feel pretty spoiled in terms of comfort.  Switching to the DT 880 doesn't disappoint or feel like I'm sacrificing anything significant when it comes to fit and comfort.
 
Sound?  I've only been listening with them for a couple of hours.. rig is the ODAC & a (speedballed) BH Crack (a terrific pairing with these phones, btw)... and it's pretty much what I expected:  Neutral.. leaning slightly to the bright-side, giving it a slightly bright, airy quality.. and impressively smooth.  The smoothness strikes a nice balance between feeling 'dry' vs 'liquid.'  It's got a wide stage, good (not great) depth and height.  The background is dead silent with the Crack (I love & appreciate an inky black 'canvas').  Resolving ability is impressive.. certainly among the best at the price point and I'd classify it as 'top tier'.. but it (understandably) has a ways to go to before it can come within earshot of the HD800 or other (current) TOTL phones.  As mentioned earlier, it's got an 'airy' presentation.. sometimes, a bit too thin, in fact.  Tonal reproduction is good, but it I find the "note weight" leaves something to be desired (even if I roll a thicker, more 'lush'-sounding tube).  Despite that 'thinness,' it's smooth enough to where it doesn't sound sterile, cold, or clinical.
 
Bass is excellent.. smooth, quite linear with excellent sub bass presence.  Mids are clear, uncolored, and organic.  In terms of positioning, I was worried the mids might be recessed.  Thankfully, that isn't the case.. but they're not forward, either.  Treble is clean, extended and again, neutral for the most part.  It can get a bit "spot lit," but that seems to e a consequence of the recording quality of some tracks I've played than the phones themselves.  One thing I do notice about the presentation is that it can feel a bit distant a times.. as if I'm sitting/standing closer to the back of the auditorium or venue than near the stage.  I'm not sure I've heard a phone that positions me this far back.  It isn't a particular weakness.. just something I have to adjust to.
 
So far.. I'm pleased with the DT 880/600.  Taking into account, comfort, build, SQ, and scalability.. I can see why this received an A+ for value in David Mahler's epic, "Headphone Review."  I feel that's well deserved.  The positioning relative to the stage takes some getting used to.. and the lack of "note weight" is something I hope improves (some) as the break in continues.  It's perfectly listenable and enjoyable now.. but if that aspect improves, they're probably keepers for me.
 
I'll give it a whiz with the Vio stack soon.. I'm anticipating that "all-sauerkraut" combo it to pair well, too

 

[Argyris]

^ Interesting that you would get a DT880 when you already have a higher tier headphone in the HD800, particularly when the latter would seem to cover the same ground as the DT880, though with greater technical capability. That all said, would you say the DT880 does anything the HD800 doesn't?
 
I also find your observations about distance interesting. I've never really perceived the DT880 presentation as distancing, though we might be describing the same thing in different words. The way I hear it, it's more spherical than the typical (especially closed) headphone soundstage, which usually ends up being a line from ear to ear. With this sort of linear soundstaging, I always feel like I'm squinting at the music, similar to how it might feel to constantly try to focus on one's own nose. It can be borderline fatiguing depending on how bad it is. One of the reasons I sent the M50 back was that it was unusually bad in this regard for me. The DT880, on the other hand, doesn't do this at all. The music, instead of emanating mostly from the center of my head, seems to project on the inside of my skull and slightly above the horizon, so to speak.
 
For me, for any headphone's presentation to be an improvement on this it would have to retain the same basic staging and make gains in places like imaging (already quite good) and forming a good center image, one area where I think the DT880 is a bit weak. I assume this is where something like an HD800 is going to have a noticeable advantage over the old flagships.

 

[FlySweep]

^ Interesting that you would get a DT880 when you already have a higher tier headphone in the HD800, particularly when the latter would seem to cover the same ground as the DT880, though with greater technical capability. That all said, would you say the DT880 does anything the HD800 doesn't?
 
I also find your observations about distance interesting. I've never really perceived the DT880 presentation as distancing, though we might be describing the same thing in different words. The way I hear it, it's more spherical than the typical (especially closed) headphone soundstage, which usually ends up being a line from ear to ear. With this sort of linear soundstaging, I always feel like I'm squinting at the music, similar to how it might feel to constantly try to focus on one's own nose. It can be borderline fatiguing depending on how bad it is. One of the reasons I sent the M50 back was that it was unusually bad in this regard for me. The DT880, on the other hand, doesn't do this at all. The music, instead of emanating mostly from the center of my head, seems to project on the inside of my skull and slightly above the horizon, so to speak.
 
For me, for any headphone's presentation to be an improvement on this it would have to retain the same basic staging and make gains in places like imaging (already quite good) and forming a good center image, one area where I think the DT880 is a bit weak. I assume this is where something like an HD800 is going to have a noticeable advantage over the old flagships.

 
I got the DT880/600 out of curiosity (and the need for a semi-closed, high impedance phone I can use with the Crack).. I've always wanted to hear it.  Regarding the HD800 vs DT880/600.. the HD800 excels in every conceivable area.  That being said, the DT 880 functions well as a "poor man's HD800," IMO.  The FQ graph shows more than a passing resemblance between the two.  A lot of the things I like about the HD800's sound, I tend to hear in the DT 880, as well.
 

I just gave the DT880 a spin on the Vio stack.. wow, it sounds wonderful.  The diffused nature of the soundstage seems "reigned in."  While the stage remains wide, it's not quite as "sprawling."  I sense better depth to the stage as well.. all of which leads to more natural center image projection & more precise imaging.  The Vio stack is neutral, but has a slightly warm, smooth character .. this seems to mesh incredibly well with the also neutral, but slightly brighter, airy, DT 880... the resulting sound is one with more body and better tonal balance.
 
While the Vio stack sounds great with practically any headphone I've thrown at it (from ultra sensitive, custom IEMs to power hungry orthos), I'm convinced it performs optimally with phones that demand a lot of current or voltage to sound best.  I'm also certain Beyer must've had some Vio products on hand when they were tuning the 880 cause they sound like a match made in HeadFi heaven.
 

 

[Rat Salad]

Originally Posted by Argyris
Where exactly does this pairing fall short? Is it just in getting them up to volume, or is there something about the sound that seems lacking?

 
It is mostly a volume thing.  Many recording from the late 1920's I have are (Purposefully) not remastered and tend to be a tad low volume on playback.
 
Also.. When at medium volume levels and plugged into my Denon receiver,  the phones seem more full then when used through the Dragonfly on some songs (Ziggy Stardust as an example).  That difference is not as pronounced on my hd212 or k450's or the open V-jays (yea I know all in another class).   Maybe even that is a volume thing that I am perceiving  in my head as fullness.
 
I have been interested in the xm6 for a while and the beyers may just be an excuse :0).  
 
I cannot for the life of me figure out the 1/8th rule and there is no standard way amp makers show amp their output so I find it hard to compare.. I assume (based on size and the fact the XM6 has a battery and is not powered from usb) that it puts out more power than the Dragonfly.  And I hope (reason for post) it is powerful enough to drive the DT880 250 and maybe even higher ohm phones i select in the future.
 
Thanks for your interest!

 

[MrEleventy]

I got the DT880/600 out of curiosity (and the need for a semi-closed, high impedance phone I can use with the Crack).. I've always wanted to hear it.  Regarding the HD800 vs DT880/600.. the HD800 excels in every conceivable area.  That being said, the DT 880 functions well as a "poor man's HD800," IMO.  The FQ graph shows more than a passing resemblance between the two.  A lot of the things I like about the HD800's sound, I tend to hear in the DT 880, as well.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

I just gave the DT880 a spin on the Vio stack.. wow, it sounds wonderful.  The diffused nature of the soundstage seems "reigned in."  While the stage remains wide, it's not quite as "sprawling."  I sense better depth to the stage as well.. all of which leads to more natural center image projection & more precise imaging.  The Vio stack is neutral, but has a slightly warm, smooth character .. this seems to mesh incredibly well with the also neutral, but slightly brighter, airy, DT 880... the resulting sound is one with more body and better tonal balance.

While the Vio stack sounds great with practically any headphone I've thrown at it (from ultra sensitive, custom IEMs to power hungry orthos), I'm convinced it performs optimally with phones that demand a lot of current or voltage to sound best.  I'm also certain Beyer must've had some Vio products on hand when they were tuning the 880 cause they sound like a match made in HeadFi heaven.

:wink_face:

Just informing you that my wallet absolutely hates you. lol Now I need to save up. I remember that you had a Lake People G109, how does that compare to the Vio V800? I've been eyeballing the G103S...