Beyerdynamic DT 880 600 Ohm Review (Headphone)

[markanini]

I remember stumbling on a paper comparing FR consistency between multiple people, where this this headphone was included in the tests. Anyone happen to know it?

 

[ivanobe]

Checking this review the distortion level seems to be quite low. Maybe because of different measurement methods, but now, who should we trust?

Your ears.

 

[usern]

Your ears.

Yeah, you can clearly hear distortion when playing louder, especially with boosted bass EQ.

 

[ivanobe]

That is the distortion of the amplifiers.

 

[solderdude]

That is the distortion of the amplifiers.

Quite possible. It needs quite a lot of voltage swing with boosted bass.

 

[usern]

In my experience, DT 880 starts amplitude modulating higher frequencies (which is more of a headphone distortion characteristic) at a lower volume than my other headphones with boosted bass.

 

[AustreV]

Speaker terminals have large noises. The noise although may not be apparently audible it's possibly over threshold and can color the sound.

Experts nowdays are very strage ones. Ive also heard about this "story". I had yamaha pc2002 (240 watts per channel into 8Ohm), preamp as Alps RK27114MC Potentiometer 50K with xlr cabels welded and channel selector (luxman as-5 III, but you can make or buy one for 10$ with 90% same quality) connected to the acoustic ports and r70x. Ive bought "greatest" china product SMSL HO200 and make a comparsion with topping d70s. Guess what you dont even need to measure it. It was so obivious that at almost any aspect sound from yamaha was better, more clear sound, not muddy/readable. Ive did it several times and the result was the same. All other scheme was similar. Yes the yamaha used costs more, but it gives you another quality level.
So I consider information about distortion is not viable, if ts not "on ears". All modern amps Ive heard was weak on its performance especially preamps.
Topping A10 was awful, it was even worse than mobile G7, Ho200, sennheiser hdvd800 (that costs like 3k$?).

For example Amirm dont hear any difference between HD650 and 600.. thats strange cause they are not the same headphones, obviously they have some difference in bass.
Some people hear and say 580 - 600 then 650 are differs by the low region and 3-4khz peak region that makes sound to be "off ear"(with some distance). Btw I didnt like this effect on HDs, thats why I think r70x more pleasnt. On HD800* this effect is far more expanded and feels much better, not like "odd VFX effect".

Now Iam searching (curious) for high impedance headphones like DT880 or HE-6 because I have no troubles with aplifing at all, just interesting how the will perform.
But bass region on 880 makes me avare and HE6 used costs 4x more then 880. Both need Eq. (btw r70x is fine without EQ on my setup, eys bass a bit recessed in qantity but it gives you an ability for making long hearing sessions also note very light weight thats is very important, after 1990, 1770 they weight nothing))

 

[ivanobe]

Now Iam searching (curious) for high impedance headphones like DT880 or HE-6 because I have no troubles with aplifing at all, just interesting how the will perform.
But bass region on 880 makes me avare and HE6 used costs 4x more then 880. Both need Eq. (btw r70x is fine without EQ on my setup, eys bass a bit recessed in qantity but it gives you an ability for making long hearing sessions also note very light weight thats is very important, after 1990, 1770 they weight nothing))

The DT990 600 ohm has same sound signature with a little boost in bass, and a bit high too, I prefer the 990 to listen jazz. I got it for peanuts from a guy told me 'there is no bass' , then I realized he was using it with a mobile device. The impedance is a very critical point, even for powerful amplifiers.

 

[solderdude]

You mean senstivity (dB/V) is a very critical point.
High imp headphones require the same (little) power as the same model in a lower impedance but due to its high impedance it requires more voltage.

 

[ivanobe]

You mean senstivity (dBV) is a very critical point.
High imp headphones require the same (little) power as the same model in a lower impedance but due to its high impedance it requires more voltage.

No, I mean impedance, I have amplifiers I use with Hifimans (with lower sensitivity than 96db), with not problem but with the dt880 and dt990 600 ohm they go clipping/distortion. It doesn't happen with the T1 1gen.
I assume is no a matter of power, but of circuit design that can't cope with the very high impedance

 

[solderdude]

That has to do with sensitivity. The T1 is 10dB more sensitive (higher sensitivity due to higher magenetic field strength)
T1 and 600ohm 880/990 have the same impedance which explains why it does not happen with the T1.
A sensitivity thing rather than impedance. The impedance is the same, the sensitivity is not.

The higher the impedance is the lower the current. Amplifiers perform best at the lowest currents but need to be able to reach the needed voltage in high impedance headphones to reach the same power levels (efficiency which is dB/mW).

 

[ivanobe]

That has to do with sensitivity. The T1 is 10dB more sensitive (higher sensitivity due to higher magenetic field strength)
T1 and 600ohm 880/990 have the same impedance.

The higher the impedance is the lower the current. Amplifiers perform best at the lowest currents.

Based on that, Susvara should had destroyed my amplifiers, but didn't happen, same amplifier actually worked quite good.
maybe is the ratio impedance/sensitivity combination

 

[solderdude]

That is caused by a vastly different efficiency rating. (dB/mW) and depending on the impedance this leads to a certain sensitivity.
Since amplifiers do not supply power (mW) but voltage (V) the sensitivity numbers (dB/V) determine how loud a headphone plays and efficiency (dB/mW) numbers should always be looked at in combination with the impedance which makes comparisons between different impedance headphones very difficult based on dB/mW (efficiency) numbers.
dB/V numbers are directly comparable.

 

[ivanobe]

I just found a Beyerdynamic A1 to try with 600 ohm Beyers, first impression very good, no way to go back now, A1 stays.

 

[Hunts887]

That is caused by a vastly different efficiency rating. (dB/mW) and depending on the impedance this leads to a certain sensitivity.
Since amplifiers do not supply power (mW) but voltage (V) the sensitivity numbers (dB/V) determine how loud a headphone plays and efficiency (dB/mW) numbers should always be looked at in combination with the impedance which makes comparisons between different impedance headphones very difficult based on dB/mW (efficiency) numbers.
dB/V numbers are directly comparable.

Are you able to say or recommend a pair of earpads for these 600 ohm dt 880 that don't ruin the sound? Ideally, a pair that you have tested that improve the comfort, or perhaps even improve the sound? I read your website article about how, for example, the Brainwavz XL Hybrid pads made the sound (bass and treble) worse, so I cancelled my order. I'm based in the UK so if you know any that a worthwhile. I find the stock pads don't offer enough comfort or space from the drivers.

 

[solderdude]

The main problem is that the DT880/990 pads are quite 'leaky' in a certain way and aftermarket pads don't do that and if they do, they don't do that in a similar way.
Also the driver-ear distance also determines the tonality and when you slap on some other pads that create more space than that too will change the tonality.

 

[Andreas007]

I don't get this review.
My DT880 Pro, 250 Ohm has clean and deep bass - ok, maybe not Harman curve but far from being anemic.
I have to nearly max out the ADI-2 Pro to harmful listening levels together with amir's EQ to get any "complaints" from this headphone.

So, either I can't hear bass distortion or am I missing something?

 

[usern]

Amir doesn't tell the tracks he's testing so can't be sure, but you probably are playing music that has very little below 50 Hz content that his EQ boosts

 

[markanini]

I don't get this review.
My DT880 Pro, 250 Ohm has clean and deep bass - ok, maybe not Harman curve but far from being anemic.
I have to nearly max out the ADI-2 Pro to harmful listening levels together with amir's EQ to get any "complaints" from this headphone.

So, either I can't hear bass distortion or am I missing something?

Intentional bass distortion is so common in music production of the last decades that you might not detect it without a clean reference. I like DT880 personally, I think the FR graphs exagerates some features that are not as bad as when coupled to my ears. I can't refute that distortion levels are average at best though. It depends on your music and your EQ if it's at an unacceptable level.

 

[Andreas007]

Intentional bass distortion is so common in music production of the last decades that you might not detect it without a clean reference. I like DT880 personally, I think the FR graphs exagerates some features that are not as bad as when coupled to my ears. I can't refute that distortion levels are average at best though. It depends on your music and your EQ if it's at an unacceptable level.

Thanks for this input. I suspected something like that.
You‘re right, most music I listen to is not that bass heavy (despite my inclination towards BASS 305 ).
I guess it‘s time to get a cleaner reference. Nevertheless, I really like the overall tonality of the DT 880.