[AdamCalifornia]

What are the negative sides of owning DT880's?
Any negative experiences with sound quality?
Do they require an expensive headphone amp
because they're power hungry? Would a $300 - $400 amp do?
And, if yes, which one? X-Cans? Gilmore Lite? Headroom's Micro?

Why the DT880's are not on the Beyerdynamic site? Are they discontinued?

Of course I've read tons of reviews praising the DT880's.

See you on the Positive

Side of the Moon

Adam

 

[radrd]

They are on Beyer's site.

http://www.beyerdynamic.com/cms/Prem...05.0.html?&L=1

 

[la_marquise]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamCalifornia What are the negative sides of owning DT880's? Any negative experiences with sound quality? Do they require an expensive headphone amp because they're power hungry? Would a $300 - $400 amp do? And, if yes, which one? X-Cans? Gilmore Lite? Headroom's Micro?

Negatives:
1.You start comparing every can you own to the comfort level of the Beyers and find them lacking. Then you start considering writing a petition to Larry at Headphile to make CPads for everything.

2.You become convinced that amps are the magic fix to SQ...

3.You truly start to appreciate source quality. Once I hooked up the DT880s, and amp to my computer, I realised that Miles Davis et al sound HUGELY different on a CD player vs 320k AAC with VBR.

Amp Required:
ABSOLUTELY. The Beyer DT880 unamped sounds brittle, overly airy and weightless. Kind of like a K501 gone really really wrong, but with more thumping apparent bass. Once you add an amp (I am using the Portaphile V2^2 and a Little Dot III tube amp), it's like a whole new headphone that you never knew you had.

As to whether it's an "expensive" amp that you need to drive it, or just one you like is up to your own ears. It's best to try out different options before settling on an amp just based on price point. The Portaphile V2^2 Max is about 235$ I believe, and powers my DT880 and HD580 quite happily. A Rega Ear can be had used for $150 and works wonders as well. I think sionghchan is using an Corda Aria and PA2V with his, just as an example of a varied range of price.

Is there a particular sound signature that you are looking for? Portability? SS or tubes?

Warpdriver had a review on the DT880 and MicroAmp/Stack combo here last year that you should check out for how much he loves the Micro Amp combo. I am still waiting for mine to come with the K701s...so can't comment.

All comments above IMHO!

Cheers!

 

[billinkansas]

I found the detail incredible, but as such, really larger than life and I think over the top. And this is listening through very warm Fisher tube amps. The soundstage is the best I've ever heard in a headphone - the Fisher tubes contribute to this I'm sure.

If you are a classical listener, you will be distracted by things like the orchestra people turning pages, sniffling, whispering, etc. With piano music, they point out all of the flaws in the playing and the instrument itself. Jazz fans listening to a live club recording will go nuts with the sound of clinking glasses, background conversation. They were really fun to listen to, but I found them absolutely surgical, more than musical.

 

[BushGuy]

Earmax Pro / dt880

 

[iSleipnir]

Quote:

Originally Posted by la_marquise Negatives: 1.You start comparing every can you own to the comfort level of the Beyers and find them lacking. Then you start considering writing a petition to Larry at Headphile to make CPads for everything.

This to me is teh biggest problem :880smile:

What?? No 880 smiley?

 

[Steve999]

LOL!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by iSleipnir This to me is the biggest problem :880smile: What?? No 880 smiley?

 

[Kirosia]

They kept falling off my head when I tried to rock out. (old model) Treble seemed out of place sometimes, though for female vocals it adds a somewhat seductive air. (which you may or may not like)

Oh yeah, they like tubes.

 

[spinali]

First of all, let me state for the record that I'm delighted by these headphones. They make everything in my collection sound good.

Now to your real question. As they require some juice to drive, they profit handsomely by, but by no means demand, a headphone amp. I've used a Xenos 3HA to good effect, a cheap, adjustable amp that goes for $139. Not all that expensive.

They can get a little hot during long listening sessions, thanks to the pillow-like velour pads.

The 880s leak sound, if that's an issue for you.

Your friends will borrow them and refuse to give them back, which can be a problem, I guess.

 

[billinkansas]

Hey, he asked for negatives, (even put that in capital letters) and I gave him the negatives that I experienced. This thread is part lovefest. Nothing wrong with that, but that's not what he asked for.

There are positives with the DT-880's - huge soundstage, comfort, clarity, deep controled bass, rugged construction.

I was totally convinced by these cans for about 6-8 months - enough to have paticipated in earlier DT-880 lovefests. I got eventually over them, took a while. The 650's with the Headphile V2 cable are better to my ears these days.

Adam, they are great cans and worth having for sure. They eventually wore me out, and I moved on.

 

[kramer5150]

Clean source is a pre-requisite.... forget about sub-par MP3s.
Mid-fi amplification needed, forget about a cmoy.

I really like the 880, but I can't afford a source worthy of their greatness.

Garrett

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Negative of the DT880? Hmmm, it doesn't sound quite as good as an SA5000

.

Really for what it costs, the DT880 is perhaps the best bargain out there. It's just a bit tough to drive.

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by la_marquise Amp Required: ABSOLUTELY. The Beyer DT880 unamped sounds brittle, overly airy and weightless.

Heh, I should try mine unamped... IMO there's no such thing as too much airiness. Give me airy/weightless any day over thick/heavy or goopy sound.

P.S. The only negative to me is a tendency toward analyticalness that weeds out one's CD collection. I agree about the "larger than life" presentation, which is a double-edged sword. Excellent recordings sound VERY excellent, but average CDs sound VERY average, and poor recordings sound VERY poor. It's like an enhancement of whatever qualities are there in the recording. I don't agree that it's 'over the top' though.

Quote:

If you are a classical listener, you will be distracted by things like the orchestra people turning pages, sniffling, whispering, etc. With piano music, they point out all of the flaws in the playing and the instrument itself. Jazz fans listening to a live club recording will go nuts with the sound of clinking glasses, background conversation. They were really fun to listen to, but I found them absolutely surgical, more than musical.

Not me... I find them both surgical and incredibly musical!

It's hard to believe that people find the DT880's incredible transparency to be a flaw... I've seen this before, and always do a double-take. It's like "Gee, they're TOO good and TOO high end and I can't enjoy the music"...

All I can think of to say is, go get some Bose Triports then and enjoy.

 

[spike33]

There's zero clamp force, full weight of the headphone lies on your head, some might find it uncomfortable... of course that's the minority

 

[billinkansas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fewtch It's hard to believe that people find the DT880's incredible transparency to be a flaw... I've seen this before, and always do a double-take. It's like "Gee, they're TOO good and TOO high end and I can't enjoy the music"... All I can think of to say is, go get some Bose Triports then and enjoy.

I had my DT-880's for 18 months and I really got tired of them. The detail is incredible, but it isn't real. What I mean by that is the difference between what I hear in live music and throught these cans. At first I thought them to be transparent, but now I think they exagerate the detail. Some peope like that. It could be like what a dog hears maybe? Or a bat?

(I'm glad Fewtch loves his. He must carry a picture of his DT-880's in his wallet.)