I bought these a few years ago and made them balanced. I also swapped the pads for a pair of braiwavz perforated leather. To me they compete with my Lcd-X and hd800 for critical listening and just pure enjoyment. I use them with both my liquid platinum tube amp and monoprice thx dac/amp. Both power them more than enough and they work. I have put some work into them and after everything I have put into them bring the cost above 400. It is a wonderful headphone
Good review. The 3m cable is for home HiFi use. I understand the pro version has the coiled cable. Us oldies like to lounge in our armchairs, at some distance from our Hi Fi😉.
Just wanted to leave a few notes about my past experience with the DT880. 1. From memory, I didn't find the bass to be that "rolled off" it just didn't have the bass shelf that the Harman curve has. I do remember hearing roll off when wearing my glasses as it broke the seal pretty bad. But this could also just be because it has been awhile. I also remember the 600ohm models really benefiting from extra voltage. 2. Beware of the DT880 250ohm "Black Special Edition". It's tuned closer to a DT990 or an Amiron Home. It's honestly not even a DT880 IMO. 3. I like the 600ohm much more even with its bigger Beyer Peak (i find it sounds smoother though) than the 250ohm(from memory), but as I find with most beyers the 600ohm just has better speed and bass has just a tad more energy and overall just sounds fuller. 4. Love the content.
I actually quite liked the bass, but when back to backing them with the 650 and the 712 it became much more obvious how lean it was. It rolls off in the low bass like any other open backed dynamic and it rolls off quite a bit before the 650 in the upper bass / low mids so to me that's quite rolled off, although I suppose some would consider the bass to be linear. I think with it being so quick and punchy it kinda makes up for it. Interesting what you said about the black special edition 250 ohm, I'm not entirely put off by that, I might need to pick one up and try it.
@@WheezyTech I'd call the bass classic linear (vs Harman linear), it could use a bit more sub-bass extension but the less warm presentation vs the hd650 I think work in sounding natural. I love both headphones but when it comes to what sounds neutral the way the dt880 rolls down a bit sounds less warm and more natural to me. I disliked the DT880 black special edition 250 ohm because by name it promises a DT880 and doesn't deliver that. So it's very misleading overall. I would take it over the DT990, it fixes some of the issues I have with the DT990 (they should have called it a DT990 BSE) and if your someone who wants a Amiron Home tuning with a lower end driver that cost less, then that's exactly what it is. But The TYGR does exist and I find it better overall than both. With all that said, the Tygr does sacrifice a little detail and overall technical performance as its one of the 32ohm drivers. Id highly recommend you check out the TYGR and if you have heard a DT990 and an Amiron Home then the DT880 BSE would be fun to get in.
Amp/DAC used for most of the testing was the JDS Atom stack. I have also used these with the Topping L30/E30, iFi Zen DAC, iFi Zen CAN and Objective 2/SDAC. I heard no noticeable difference in the character of the DT 880 using any of these amps. All of these amps are able to drive the DT 880 to painful levels of volume. All of these amplifiers are appropriately priced for such a low cost headphone as the DT 880. I paid £140 for the 880 for the purposes of this review. Any comments saying why this is a flawed test please consider: This channel focuses on entry level and mid-fi gear. It is entirely fair and appropriate to test a £140 headphone on a sub ~£250 Amp/DAC stack. DT 880 600 Ohm at 96dB/V requires 105mW/7.9Vrms to hit 114dBSPL. The JDS Atom has a max continuous output of 125mW/8.6Vrms into 600 Ohms. It should also be able to peak much higher than this. Is the JDS Atom enough? Yep. At 105dBSPL the DT 880 600 Ohm only requires 16.6mW and 3.1Vrms. Even the iFi Zen DAC will reach this. With that said, from comments its entirely possible that these can exhibit considerable colouration using amps with a more old school design or when run on tubes. Its possible that the bass performance can improve considerably. But the short story is that if listening at safe listening levels, an amp like the JDS Atom has plenty of power and headroom available for the DT 880 600 Ohm.
Hey! i know this is an older video and all but I would like to ask a question. Im relatively new to this stuff, so sorry if i dont get it right. You say that the iFi Zen CAN can power the DT 880 600ohm fine while their site says it can only output 600ohms trough balanced output and 300 ohms trough single ended. Will I have to mod them to balnced to get their full potential?
@@lukas_2701 On their site it does rate the Zen DAC for 16 - 600 Ohm. The Zen DAC can run these in single ended but its reaching the rated limits of the device. You can hit 105dB SPL with the Zen DAC and that's way above safe listening levels. That said, if the 880 600 Ohm were my main headphones, I probably wouldn't actually use them with the Zen DAC cos it is reaching its limits at that point. Also whilst 105dB is going to damage your hearing long term (you shouldn't listen above 85dB), listening at an average of ~85dB there can still be peaks in music that can hit 100+dB and those momentary peaks are generally safe. The Zen DAC isn't rated to hit those peaks, although most amps will actually peak much higher than their rated amount. Probably moot if you're listening to highly compressed modern music without much dynamic range. If you're going to listen loud or EQ the bass up you'll definitely want more power. An Atom at the least or probably the safest bet is the Schiit Magni which is one of the most powerful SE amps around. Those things can run almost anything. This is all objective by the numbers but no doubt at some point someone will come along and tell me how wrong I am because subjectively they sound much better on their $1000 speaker amp. That might be true, that might not be. Your mileage may vary of course. But its a £140 headphone, I don't think you need to break the bank on an amp to use them. TBH you might even be better off just getting the 250 Ohm version.
@@WheezyTech Thank you so much for the quick answer! I think i will go for the 250 ohm version but I feel like I will miss out on the ´´better´´ 600 ohm one - identical pricetag for both left me hanging.
I completely forgot to mention the softshell padded carrying / storage case that comes with these. Its really nice. Also forgot to mention how easy (Or hard) they are to drive. You need an amp! But as long as you have something like an O2 or an Atom or similar, you'll have no problem driving these at all. I personally used a JDS Atom so this is how I judged them. But from comments its clear these can exhibit considerable colouration using amps with higher output impedance. This is an old fashioned headphone designed at a time when high output impedance was quite normal. Its possible that the bass performance improves considerably on a higher output impedance amp.
@@fredpasta6488 For reference: Zeos DT880 600 video: th-cam.com/video/YtyCRXizSeM/w-d-xo.html No Theme Reviews reply: th-cam.com/video/JpqnGbP9aTo/w-d-xo.html Apparently having a high impedance (not high power) amp is the important factor for this headphone (otherwise you get muzzled bass). I don't know if that was a factor in your review.
@@CraciunAlexandruGh Easy to drive, no matter the impedance. 96dB/mW is rather efficient compared to headphones that are actually power hungry like th HEDDphone.
Thanks for the review! I still need to get my hands on a 600 ohm one. The lower impedance one was one of the first headphones that got me into the hobby.
@@WheezyTech I really don't know what's up with unit variation for Beyer. Last 600 ohm I had was quite a bit sharper sounding in the sibilance region than the last 250 ohm I had, but general consensus of the community is that the 600 ohm is smoother. I think it just depends on which unit you have in terms of FR, but the resolution difference is likely similar comparing any two units of different impedance if I had to guess. I like to call the 600 ohm DT880 a sort of baby HD 800
I've heard these have a lot better bass response if you have something with an output impedance of 60-120ohm, while most solid state amps today go for 1ohm or less. If you grab them be sure to play around with amps. To somewhat solidify this idea Berydynamic's own A2 amplifier can switch between 1ohm and 100ohm, if you ask Beryer themselves for what to pair with this headphone their answer is the A2 on 100ohm output.
6xx is good for clean sounding headphones, and the tygr is great at imagining. This vid goes over the 880s so imo start off with the 6xx and then move onto either the TYGR or 880.
Same. I also walk around my room very very often to grab something from a cabinet, clean the place up a bit or just lay in my bed and control my PC's Tidal through my phone. The long cable is amazing. But a shorter cable would be a bit more useful and to then add an extension.
Great review Noel. I ordered a pair, which I’m waiting to hear if available on back order. The recent hype over the 600 ohm version has made them scarce, at least here in Canada.
Great i have 770 80 ohm 880 and 990 250 ohm... These headphones are good and bad at the same time ... Its like the build quality good and bad at the same time for example i like the leather on headband and metal also but yorkes are unsteady also the cable is microphonic ... the pads are hard om pro versions and the headband adjustment doesnt have positive click. Also my 770 had the classic problem of the distorded bass ... Great warranty they change it fast.
I had the Q701 and I loved it. I feel like I got spoiled with the huge soundstage and I may grt the K712 pro. I am interested in more reviews of the tygr 300r. Looking forward to the review.
Nice review. As a owner I can tell you: The Upper Bass is there. You gotta amp them right. Try the Emotiva BasX A100 or the xduoo ta-30. The 880 need a lot of voltage!
I'm not sure its a case of needing more voltage as the Atom has plenty on tap. I think this is just how they sound but that they can exhibit considerable colouration on amps with higher output impedance Its an old design so perhaps they were designed with high output impedance in mind. Which actually does make sense, these high impedance headphones were used because old skool audio equipment in homes and studios usually had much higher output impedance than today. Perhaps they would be better run off of old hifi amps which basically had high output impedance as the headphone out came off the speaker amp. Perhaps they would be better off of tubes. But from a < 1 Ohm out put impedance desktop headphone amp with plenty of power like the Atom, they sound rather lean.
I've heard these have a lot better bass response if you have something with an output impedance of 60-120ohm, while most solid state amps today go for 1ohm or less. Not sure if you have any tube amps or something with higher output impedance to try them on. To somewhat solidify this idea Berydynamic's own A2 amplifier can switch between 1ohm and 100ohm, if you ask Beryer themselves for what to pair with this headphone their answer is the A2 on 100ohm output.
@@WheezyTech I really appreciate the fast response so I already ordered the Sundara for listening at home but for on the go I ordered the drop panda on yesterday know I'm wondering if I should've gotten the Sennheiser momentum 3 or the Sony 1000 xm 4 because now I've heard you can use there eq with ldac!
Thanks for this. I'm looking for voiceover editing headphones as "flat" as possible. I DON'T want a Harman curve. I need something that is "diagnostic", so I can identify crackles and hums and clicks and esses and reverb, etc. etc. Would you say that this model is "neutral" or "transparent"? I also looked at your video on the AKG K712 Pro. But when I looked at the frequency response chart, it looks like it lifts the bass slightly and then does something to the high frequencies. For voiceover editing, maybe the high frequencies don't matter so much. But I've just returned the DT 990 Pro headphones because it missed a huge amount of audio flaws and crackles and artefacts. When I listened to the finished audio on regular, consumer sports earpods, I was shocked at how much noise and distortion and artefacts I could hear that the DT990 had somehow (cleverly?) suppressed. But I don't want headphones that make the audio sound better. I want to hear the sound exactly as it is - so that I can correct and improve the sound myself. What say you? Could the DT880 be what I'm looking for, or does it also "fix" the sound? Are the more appropriate headphones for diagnostic editing (specifically voiceover)?
This is just my personal opinion, Beyerdynamic headphones tend to reveal a lot of detail in the upper regions which is something you mention you want but they do not present the music exactly the way it is though. If you want a neutral sounding pair of headphones then the HD600 is great because on those the music will sound the way it’s supposed to sound however they generally shine the most in the mids and vocals tend to sound really natural. The best thing about the 600 is that they sound very natural nothing sounds off it’s just the treble that however is not the most detailed which is something you need when mixing and mastering etc so maybe not really the best choice for you but it is very accurate. I sadly have heard that the new HD600 doesn’t sound the same as the old release so you would have to get an old used pair. The HD560S is said to be great for analytical work and is much easier to drive and comfort is also good, treble is more lively than on the HD600 and more detailed as well so my pick would probably be the 560S. If you have a Windows PC i can highly recommend the EqualizerAPO program with Peace extension, this way you can EQ your headphones to make them sound more to your taste or flat as well if that’s what you want. If you have a pair of headphones at home try EQ with them and that may be enough for what you want to do
Undoubtedly the most listenable beyerdynamic out of trio 770, 880, 990 ..... But their lean bass , and bright tilt of treble (nothing like 990 or 770) ....makes them very analytical and boring. I'll take a Sennheiser 599 , 58x , 6xx and my beloved k712 pro any day over boring beyers . Even the koss ksc75 sound more exciting and wider than 880s
Excellent video..Bought dt 880 250 ohm recently. While it sounds pretty good from my fiio q1 mk 2, it needs way more power to drive them. Any amp suggestion for these with good synergy?
Actually I was considering Fiio K5 pro. But unfortunately they are unavailable here in india since march. These are the amps dacs that are available. Ifi zen dac Ifi zen can Schiit magni 3+ Schiit magni heresy Schiit vali 2 Aune x1s pro Aune x7s Earmen TR amp. What about zen can? It has plenty of power I see. (1.6W/32 ohm per channel)
@@harryrupam01 For headphones, K5 Pro is better and more capable than Zen DAC (slightly better DAC, much more powerful AMP, K5 Pro is wall powered, iFi USB). But, iFi Zen has better line-out implementation, so Zen sounds slightly better as line-out DAC for speakers. Also, Zen has bass boost switch for headphones, which can be useful for some bass light and thin sounding cans. K5 Pro has 3 gain settings, neutral to slightly warm sound (very little coloration while still very musical), with great, hard-hitting slam and attack, excellent mids and highs, very good soundstage and very precise imaging for this price. Overall, superb device. I was waiting K5 Pro for 6 months (due to COVID-19 crisis) and I'm super satisfied what I got for the price. The only ''problem'' is that I'm in hype train for several new headphones, that's the ''negative'' side of K5 Pro, for our wallets. Earmen TR-Amp is surprisingly great portable (internal battery powered) USB device, with very clean and dynamic sound and great attack with ''bite'' in sound. iiwireviews.com/earmen-tr-amp-review-a-feisty-one For best synergy for DT 880 Pro, check this thread: www.head-fi.org/threads/the-beyerdynamic-dt880-discussion-thread.429371/ Warm and engaging DAC/AMPs are probably best choice for DT 880, also some powerful tube DAC/AMPs.
Sir i m currently running a shitty earphones m thinking of getting a new headphones but m not sure which i m a huge pink floyd fan and m comfused around Sennheiser hd 560s akg k702 and beyerdynamic 880 pro/edition (250) all these 3 are basically of same cost here in india I think i can spare some cash and get some ifi zen air dac amp combo as it is 100$ I will be greatfull as you are one of that actually know the sound signature and what could be the best Love to hear your input Regards
I have the Dt880 250 ohms, I was thinking about buying my first planar magnetics. Do you think the 4xx or 400i (v2020) would be an upgrade? Or would I have to go to the Sundara ?
4xx / 400i 2020 are good choices but more of a sidegrade from the 880. Thats not a bad thing if you want something with a different flavour to the 880. But the Sundara is a clear upgrade on anything else in its price range.
I have a mobo with the "Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec", I've read that it should work with my mobo by default, but I'm not sure to be honest. Do you know anything about it?
would a schiit magni 3 be able to power these i have found alot of defferent answers i found that at 600 ohms the schiit magni 3 can push 215 mW into 600ohms but eould that be enough i am noob at all this so i am not sure
I have yo say i am getting more and more on your reviews . 770 880 990 build quality is something that i dont like more than HD650 series for many reasons that i can explain ...about velur pads the greay foam inside the pads the steady headband the cable that is amazing quality on HD6 series ... The new one.
I am using them right now trough an Atom amp :) Love their sound! Is there any closed back and portable headphones similar to the dt880 600ohms that you recommend? Beyer Custom Studio, maybe? Or Akg k371? When I say portable, I mean that look normal on the head, don't care about folding mechanism. For example, the dt880 look massive XD
i was curious if you prefer the tuning/tonality of these against the dt770-80 ohm. I am not zeroing in on any specific technical ability here, just your gut feeling of which tonality is more believable for you overall when listening to music in general.
I watched one of your reviews a while ago, the Scarlett 2i2 studio 3rd gen. since then I’ve been wanting to know which mic is better, the AT2020 vs the Scarlett cm25 3rd gen
Great and honest review. Do you recommend to ''pair'' DT 880 Edition (250Ω or 600Ω) with some sidegrade cans, like Sennheiser HD 58x? Beyerdynamic for clarity, micro details and bright, lean sound with great bass response and details, and Sennheiser for almost all of this, with slightly less details but with thicker, darker and more musical sound? If I understand differences between these headphones correctly, that will be the case. I'm using FiiO K5 Pro, so power is not going to be a problem (for example, even in low gain K5 Pro has more than enough power for Fostex TR-90 80Ω/90dB)
Do you recommend these for listening to progressive rock? Might also get into classical - have read these are good for that and for jazz. Still unsure whether to get this one or the DT 990...
how would you compare them to the 990 600 ohms? assuming you have tested them ofcourse. I've been stuck between deciding on one or the other. I listen to classic rock/blues so I want the mids to be present, which I know the 990 scoops more so than the 880. However, according to Oratory measurements, the 990s appear to get much better with burn in where the 6khz peak completely smooths out, and the mids tighten up. I really have no idea though.
That Emotiva is probably overkill. I used an Atom, which will drive these no problem and get the lean sound I described. However from the comments and doing some research online it seems clear the bass performs somewhat better on amps with a higher output impedance.
@@WheezyTech Thanks for the quick reply, the atom is still not an available option for me but it does give me hope that I don't need the monstrous Emotiva to drive these cans. What do you think of the SMSL SP200 amp? Is that a viable option?
Generally, I think the Atom pairs great with a brighter headphone like the Beyer, while the Schiit stuff sounds great with warmer headphones like Sennheiser. That's my experience anyway. DMS really likes this headphone as well, and the JDS Element is his main amp.
@@dannybos7024 I got an official e-mail from Aune Europe and they told me it is possible. People just love to overexaggerate things to confuse beginners. It definitely needs an amp but not to an extent some people claim.
@@tichy_ocean But it definitely scales very well. I use my DT880 600 ohm to test insanely high end and powerful amps, since it's just a good benchmark.
@@dannybos7024 I'm sure. But I wouldn't like to buy a total new amp just for one pair of headphones since I got my Aune X7s recently. I'm sure there are much better amps to drive the 880 better but as long as my X7s works I won't be upgrading anything soon. I just thought that my Aune X7s would be an absolute incompatible amp for 880 but thankfully I got assured that it should be okay. Maybe a tube amp someday.
@@tichy_ocean I mean I mostly use my DT880 600 ohm on my Atom since it's just such a small and clean unit and I can still enjoy the sound that's coming out of it, so your X7 will be more than enough. Good luck! :)
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I bought these a few years ago and made them balanced. I also swapped the pads for a pair of braiwavz perforated leather. To me they compete with my Lcd-X and hd800 for critical listening and just pure enjoyment. I use them with both my liquid platinum tube amp and monoprice thx dac/amp. Both power them more than enough and they work. I have put some work into them and after everything I have put into them bring the cost above 400. It is a wonderful headphone
how did you manage to make them balance with only one side having cable?
Good review. The 3m cable is for home HiFi use. I understand the pro version has the coiled cable. Us oldies like to lounge in our armchairs, at some distance from our Hi Fi😉.
Just wanted to leave a few notes about my past experience with the DT880.
1. From memory, I didn't find the bass to be that "rolled off" it just didn't have the bass shelf that the Harman curve has. I do remember hearing roll off when wearing my glasses as it broke the seal pretty bad. But this could also just be because it has been awhile. I also remember the 600ohm models really benefiting from extra voltage.
2. Beware of the DT880 250ohm "Black Special Edition". It's tuned closer to a DT990 or an Amiron Home. It's honestly not even a DT880 IMO.
3. I like the 600ohm much more even with its bigger Beyer Peak (i find it sounds smoother though) than the 250ohm(from memory), but as I find with most beyers the 600ohm just has better speed and bass has just a tad more energy and overall just sounds fuller.
4. Love the content.
I actually quite liked the bass, but when back to backing them with the 650 and the 712 it became much more obvious how lean it was. It rolls off in the low bass like any other open backed dynamic and it rolls off quite a bit before the 650 in the upper bass / low mids so to me that's quite rolled off, although I suppose some would consider the bass to be linear. I think with it being so quick and punchy it kinda makes up for it. Interesting what you said about the black special edition 250 ohm, I'm not entirely put off by that, I might need to pick one up and try it.
@@WheezyTech I'd call the bass classic linear (vs Harman linear), it could use a bit more sub-bass extension but the less warm presentation vs the hd650 I think work in sounding natural. I love both headphones but when it comes to what sounds neutral the way the dt880 rolls down a bit sounds less warm and more natural to me.
I disliked the DT880 black special edition 250 ohm because by name it promises a DT880 and doesn't deliver that. So it's very misleading overall. I would take it over the DT990, it fixes some of the issues I have with the DT990 (they should have called it a DT990 BSE) and if your someone who wants a Amiron Home tuning with a lower end driver that cost less, then that's exactly what it is. But The TYGR does exist and I find it better overall than both. With all that said, the Tygr does sacrifice a little detail and overall technical performance as its one of the 32ohm drivers.
Id highly recommend you check out the TYGR and if you have heard a DT990 and an Amiron Home then the DT880 BSE would be fun to get in.
I'm pretty excited to try the TYGR, especially from a gaming perspective
I got the chrome 250ohm edition, are they the same as the black edition?
@@krianav4051 I think the chrome is the same as the BSE, so not dt880 like. But I can't say for sure. But it's very likely.
Amp/DAC used for most of the testing was the JDS Atom stack. I have also used these with the Topping L30/E30, iFi Zen DAC, iFi Zen CAN and Objective 2/SDAC. I heard no noticeable difference in the character of the DT 880 using any of these amps. All of these amps are able to drive the DT 880 to painful levels of volume. All of these amplifiers are appropriately priced for such a low cost headphone as the DT 880. I paid £140 for the 880 for the purposes of this review.
Any comments saying why this is a flawed test please consider: This channel focuses on entry level and mid-fi gear. It is entirely fair and appropriate to test a £140 headphone on a sub ~£250 Amp/DAC stack.
DT 880 600 Ohm at 96dB/V requires 105mW/7.9Vrms to hit 114dBSPL. The JDS Atom has a max continuous output of 125mW/8.6Vrms into 600 Ohms. It should also be able to peak much higher than this. Is the JDS Atom enough? Yep. At 105dBSPL the DT 880 600 Ohm only requires 16.6mW and 3.1Vrms. Even the iFi Zen DAC will reach this.
With that said, from comments its entirely possible that these can exhibit considerable colouration using amps with a more old school design or when run on tubes. Its possible that the bass performance can improve considerably.
But the short story is that if listening at safe listening levels, an amp like the JDS Atom has plenty of power and headroom available for the DT 880 600 Ohm.
Hey! i know this is an older video and all but I would like to ask a question. Im relatively new to this stuff, so sorry if i dont get it right. You say that the iFi Zen CAN can power the DT 880 600ohm fine while their site says it can only output 600ohms trough balanced output and 300 ohms trough single ended. Will I have to mod them to balnced to get their full potential?
@@lukas_2701 On their site it does rate the Zen DAC for 16 - 600 Ohm. The Zen DAC can run these in single ended but its reaching the rated limits of the device. You can hit 105dB SPL with the Zen DAC and that's way above safe listening levels. That said, if the 880 600 Ohm were my main headphones, I probably wouldn't actually use them with the Zen DAC cos it is reaching its limits at that point.
Also whilst 105dB is going to damage your hearing long term (you shouldn't listen above 85dB), listening at an average of ~85dB there can still be peaks in music that can hit 100+dB and those momentary peaks are generally safe. The Zen DAC isn't rated to hit those peaks, although most amps will actually peak much higher than their rated amount. Probably moot if you're listening to highly compressed modern music without much dynamic range.
If you're going to listen loud or EQ the bass up you'll definitely want more power. An Atom at the least or probably the safest bet is the Schiit Magni which is one of the most powerful SE amps around. Those things can run almost anything.
This is all objective by the numbers but no doubt at some point someone will come along and tell me how wrong I am because subjectively they sound much better on their $1000 speaker amp. That might be true, that might not be. Your mileage may vary of course. But its a £140 headphone, I don't think you need to break the bank on an amp to use them. TBH you might even be better off just getting the 250 Ohm version.
@@WheezyTech Thank you so much for the quick answer! I think i will go for the 250 ohm version but I feel like I will miss out on the ´´better´´ 600 ohm one - identical pricetag for both left me hanging.
I completely forgot to mention the softshell padded carrying / storage case that comes with these. Its really nice. Also forgot to mention how easy (Or hard) they are to drive. You need an amp! But as long as you have something like an O2 or an Atom or similar, you'll have no problem driving these at all. I personally used a JDS Atom so this is how I judged them. But from comments its clear these can exhibit considerable colouration using amps with higher output impedance. This is an old fashioned headphone designed at a time when high output impedance was quite normal. Its possible that the bass performance improves considerably on a higher output impedance amp.
Easy to drive for 600ohm you mean. I doubt they are easier to drive then the 712 and Sundara, are they ?
Oh no, K712 and Sundara are much easier to drive
@@WheezyTech Interesting what Z said, and then 'No Theme' (I think it was him) said about driving them. Worth noting, I think ...
@@fredpasta6488 For reference:
Zeos DT880 600 video: th-cam.com/video/YtyCRXizSeM/w-d-xo.html
No Theme Reviews reply: th-cam.com/video/JpqnGbP9aTo/w-d-xo.html
Apparently having a high impedance (not high power) amp is the important factor for this headphone (otherwise you get muzzled bass). I don't know if that was a factor in your review.
@@CraciunAlexandruGh Easy to drive, no matter the impedance. 96dB/mW is rather efficient compared to headphones that are actually power hungry like th HEDDphone.
Thanks for the review! I still need to get my hands on a 600 ohm one. The lower impedance one was one of the first headphones that got me into the hobby.
Lol the 250 ohm was my first ever review too, funny
@@metal571 the non-sennheiser and hipster choice at the time.
I wonder how much difference there is between the 250 and the 600. Might be an excuse to pick up the limited black 880 pro.
@@WheezyTech I really don't know what's up with unit variation for Beyer. Last 600 ohm I had was quite a bit sharper sounding in the sibilance region than the last 250 ohm I had, but general consensus of the community is that the 600 ohm is smoother. I think it just depends on which unit you have in terms of FR, but the resolution difference is likely similar comparing any two units of different impedance if I had to guess. I like to call the 600 ohm DT880 a sort of baby HD 800
I've heard these have a lot better bass response if you have something with an output impedance of 60-120ohm, while most solid state amps today go for 1ohm or less. If you grab them be sure to play around with amps. To somewhat solidify this idea Berydynamic's own A2 amplifier can switch between 1ohm and 100ohm, if you ask Beryer themselves for what to pair with this headphone their answer is the A2 on 100ohm output.
Amazing timing, trying to decide between Beyer 880, TYGR and 6xx.
6xx is good for clean sounding headphones, and the tygr is great at imagining. This vid goes over the 880s so imo start off with the 6xx and then move onto either the TYGR or 880.
@@nikks1371 thanks
@@proProcrastinatooor Het the 6X first as it’s a slightly more warm tuning compared to the DT880 and has slightly more midbass presence.
I regularly listen with my amp 6-8 feet away from me so the cable length is perfect for me.
Same. I also walk around my room very very often to grab something from a cabinet, clean the place up a bit or just lay in my bed and control my PC's Tidal through my phone. The long cable is amazing. But a shorter cable would be a bit more useful and to then add an extension.
Very good detailed review, really enjoyed it. Calm, concise, straight to the point and very correct. New subscriber coming 😉👍
Great review Noel. I ordered a pair, which I’m waiting to hear if available on back order. The recent hype over the 600 ohm version has made them scarce, at least here in Canada.
They keep going out of stock over here too, the 250 ohm seems to stay in stock more tho
Please make a full comparison between the trio. Have been requesting you since forever
True. Comparison between 770, 880, and 990 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿
I am planning to do this for sure
@@WheezyTech thanks man 😌
Great i have 770 80 ohm 880 and 990 250 ohm... These headphones are good and bad at the same time ... Its like the build quality good and bad at the same time for example i like the leather on headband and metal also but yorkes are unsteady also the cable is microphonic ... the pads are hard om pro versions and the headband adjustment doesnt have positive click. Also my 770 had the classic problem of the distorded bass ... Great warranty they change it fast.
I had the Q701 and I loved it. I feel like I got spoiled with the huge soundstage and I may grt the K712 pro.
I am interested in more reviews of the tygr 300r.
Looking forward to the review.
Nice review. As a owner I can tell you: The Upper Bass is there. You gotta amp them right. Try the Emotiva BasX A100 or the xduoo ta-30. The 880 need a lot of voltage!
I'm not sure its a case of needing more voltage as the Atom has plenty on tap. I think this is just how they sound but that they can exhibit considerable colouration on amps with higher output impedance Its an old design so perhaps they were designed with high output impedance in mind. Which actually does make sense, these high impedance headphones were used because old skool audio equipment in homes and studios usually had much higher output impedance than today. Perhaps they would be better run off of old hifi amps which basically had high output impedance as the headphone out came off the speaker amp. Perhaps they would be better off of tubes. But from a < 1 Ohm out put impedance desktop headphone amp with plenty of power like the Atom, they sound rather lean.
I've heard these have a lot better bass response if you have something with an output impedance of 60-120ohm, while most solid state amps today go for 1ohm or less. Not sure if you have any tube amps or something with higher output impedance to try them on. To somewhat solidify this idea Berydynamic's own A2 amplifier can switch between 1ohm and 100ohm, if you ask Beryer themselves for what to pair with this headphone their answer is the A2 on 100ohm output.
Thats interesting, I can imagine a bit of tube colour could make these quite pleasant. I've yet to get into tubes. Running them off an Atom so thats
Yes on tubes they perform completely differently
those cans are crazy good with right source
Yes, needs removable balanced cable
Great video! whats the preamp you used for these tests? and can you suggest any pre amp for the dt880 250ohm in specific? Got no answers anywhere
I currently use the JDS Atom, that will run most things you can throw at it.
One question Wheezy these or the Hifiman Sundara?
Sundara would be my pick but its a bit of a price jump
@@WheezyTech I really appreciate the fast response so I already ordered the Sundara for listening at home but for on the go I ordered the drop panda on yesterday know I'm wondering if I should've gotten the Sennheiser momentum 3 or the Sony 1000 xm 4 because now I've heard you can use there eq with ldac!
Glad to hear Sony have sorted that EQ with LDAC issue
A review of the Beyerdynamic TYGR 300R would be great
I'll be picking one of those up as soon as I can
@@WheezyTech I'm trying to get one myself asap, I'm really keen to try it out
Thanks for this. I'm looking for voiceover editing headphones as "flat" as possible. I DON'T want a Harman curve. I need something that is "diagnostic", so I can identify crackles and hums and clicks and esses and reverb, etc. etc.
Would you say that this model is "neutral" or "transparent"? I also looked at your video on the AKG K712 Pro.
But when I looked at the frequency response chart, it looks like it lifts the bass slightly and then does something to the high frequencies. For voiceover editing, maybe the high frequencies don't matter so much.
But I've just returned the DT 990 Pro headphones because it missed a huge amount of audio flaws and crackles and artefacts. When I listened to the finished audio on regular, consumer sports earpods, I was shocked at how much noise and distortion and artefacts I could hear that the DT990 had somehow (cleverly?) suppressed.
But I don't want headphones that make the audio sound better. I want to hear the sound exactly as it is - so that I can correct and improve the sound myself.
What say you? Could the DT880 be what I'm looking for, or does it also "fix" the sound? Are the more appropriate headphones for diagnostic editing (specifically voiceover)?
This is just my personal opinion, Beyerdynamic headphones tend to reveal a lot of detail in the upper regions which is something you mention you want but they do not present the music exactly the way it is though. If you want a neutral sounding pair of headphones then the HD600 is great because on those the music will sound the way it’s supposed to sound however they generally shine the most in the mids and vocals tend to sound really natural. The best thing about the 600 is that they sound very natural nothing sounds off it’s just the treble that however is not the most detailed which is something you need when mixing and mastering etc so maybe not really the best choice for you but it is very accurate. I sadly have heard that the new HD600 doesn’t sound the same as the old release so you would have to get an old used pair. The HD560S is said to be great for analytical work and is much easier to drive and comfort is also good, treble is more lively than on the HD600 and more detailed as well so my pick would probably be the 560S. If you have a Windows PC i can highly recommend the EqualizerAPO program with Peace extension, this way you can EQ your headphones to make them sound more to your taste or flat as well if that’s what you want. If you have a pair of headphones at home try EQ with them and that may be enough for what you want to do
This? or the DEVA?
I second this, or bs Sundara?
Undoubtedly the most listenable beyerdynamic out of trio 770, 880, 990 ..... But their lean bass , and bright tilt of treble (nothing like 990 or 770) ....makes them very analytical and boring. I'll take a Sennheiser 599 , 58x , 6xx and my beloved k712 pro any day over boring beyers . Even the koss ksc75 sound more exciting and wider than 880s
Yeah from an out of the box, no EQ, just listen to some music perspective, I'd take the 6xx or 712 out of these three for sure.
Excellent video..Bought dt 880 250 ohm recently. While it sounds pretty good from my fiio q1 mk 2, it needs way more power to drive them. Any amp suggestion for these with good synergy?
I'm not sure about mobile devices but for desktop, an O2 or JDS Atom, Schitt Magni all will drive these no problem
Probably FiiO K5 Pro
soundnews.net/amplifiers/headphone-amps/fiio-k5-pro-review-student-fi/
iiwireviews.com/fiio-k5-pro-review
Actually I was considering Fiio K5 pro. But unfortunately they are unavailable here in india since march. These are the amps dacs that are available.
Ifi zen dac
Ifi zen can
Schiit magni 3+
Schiit magni heresy
Schiit vali 2
Aune x1s pro
Aune x7s
Earmen TR amp.
What about zen can? It has plenty of power I see. (1.6W/32 ohm per channel)
@@harryrupam01 For headphones, K5 Pro is better and more capable than Zen DAC (slightly better DAC, much more powerful AMP, K5 Pro is wall powered, iFi USB).
But, iFi Zen has better line-out implementation, so Zen sounds slightly better as line-out DAC for speakers. Also, Zen has bass boost switch for headphones, which can be useful for some bass light and thin sounding cans. K5 Pro has 3 gain settings, neutral to slightly warm sound (very little coloration while still very musical), with great, hard-hitting slam and attack, excellent mids and highs, very good soundstage and very precise imaging for this price. Overall, superb device. I was waiting K5 Pro for 6 months (due to COVID-19 crisis) and I'm super satisfied what I got for the price. The only ''problem'' is that I'm in hype train for several new headphones, that's the ''negative'' side of K5 Pro, for our wallets.
Earmen TR-Amp is surprisingly great portable (internal battery powered) USB device, with very clean and dynamic sound and great attack with ''bite'' in sound.
iiwireviews.com/earmen-tr-amp-review-a-feisty-one
For best synergy for DT 880 Pro, check this thread: www.head-fi.org/threads/the-beyerdynamic-dt880-discussion-thread.429371/
Warm and engaging DAC/AMPs are probably best choice for DT 880, also some powerful tube DAC/AMPs.
Sundara or dt 880 600 ohm?
Sir i m currently running a shitty earphones m thinking of getting a new headphones but m not sure which i m a huge pink floyd fan and m comfused around Sennheiser hd 560s akg k702 and beyerdynamic 880 pro/edition (250) all these 3 are basically of same cost here in india
I think i can spare some cash and get some ifi zen air dac amp combo as it is 100$
I will be greatfull as you are one of that actually know the sound signature and what could be the best
Love to hear your input
Regards
Are the 712 abd 7xx the same as well? Also, is there a big difference between the DT 880 edition between 600 and 250 ohms versions?
I have the Dt880 250 ohms, I was thinking about buying my first planar magnetics. Do you think the 4xx or 400i (v2020) would be an upgrade? Or would I have to go to the Sundara ?
4xx / 400i 2020 are good choices but more of a sidegrade from the 880. Thats not a bad thing if you want something with a different flavour to the 880. But the Sundara is a clear upgrade on anything else in its price range.
@@WheezyTech Thanks for the opinion
I have a mobo with the "Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec", I've read that it should work with my mobo by default, but I'm not sure to be honest. Do you know anything about it?
Nice review Noel!
Try HD600 and K701/702, I really prefer them over the HD650 and K712 for music
would a schiit magni 3 be able to power these i have found alot of defferent answers i found that at 600 ohms the schiit magni 3 can push 215 mW into 600ohms but eould that be enough i am noob at all this so i am not sure
it sounds so much better to me on old school SS amps and tubes vs more expensive modern headphone amps to my ear.
Hello Please review the fostex t60rp. It is still in the midfi category with a mahogany wood build. Thank you very much.
Nice take. Subbed.
thinking if my fiio k9 can drive this beyer.. what do you think
I have yo say i am getting more and more on your reviews . 770 880 990 build quality is something that i dont like more than HD650 series for many reasons that i can explain ...about velur pads the greay foam inside the pads the steady headband the cable that is amazing quality on HD6 series ... The new one.
I am using them right now trough an Atom amp :) Love their sound! Is there any closed back and portable headphones similar to the dt880 600ohms that you recommend?
Beyer Custom Studio, maybe? Or Akg k371? When I say portable, I mean that look normal on the head, don't care about folding mechanism. For example, the dt880 look massive XD
i was curious if you prefer the tuning/tonality of these against the dt770-80 ohm. I am not zeroing in on any specific technical ability here, just your gut feeling of which tonality is more believable for you overall when listening to music in general.
I watched one of your reviews a while ago, the Scarlett 2i2 studio 3rd gen. since then I’ve been wanting to know which mic is better, the AT2020 vs the Scarlett cm25 3rd gen
Great and honest review.
Do you recommend to ''pair'' DT 880 Edition (250Ω or 600Ω) with some sidegrade cans, like Sennheiser HD 58x? Beyerdynamic for clarity, micro details and bright, lean sound with great bass response and details, and Sennheiser for almost all of this, with slightly less details but with thicker, darker and more musical sound? If I understand differences between these headphones correctly, that will be the case. I'm using FiiO K5 Pro, so power is not going to be a problem (for example, even in low gain K5 Pro has more than enough power for Fostex TR-90 80Ω/90dB)
I think it's hard to beat the Sennheiser HD6XX for ~$200 it's one of those "must own" headphones
Can anyone tell me if my Objective2 amp will be able to drive these head phones.
Why the beyerdynamic DT 880 Premium Edition and not the DT 880 Pro? Considering the same ohm
Edition has more comfort. The Pro are a bit more clamped (intended for studio sessions).
It seems there is a higher amount of sibilance on this recording?
Do you recommend these for listening to progressive rock? Might also get into classical - have read these are good for that and for jazz.
Still unsure whether to get this one or the DT 990...
I have the DT990 are amazing for Rock music even Metal
Great review, Agent. I hope you were able to successfully take that Control Point. :D
how would you compare them to the 990 600 ohms? assuming you have tested them ofcourse. I've been stuck between deciding on one or the other. I listen to classic rock/blues so I want the mids to be present, which I know the 990 scoops more so than the 880. However, according to Oratory measurements, the 990s appear to get much better with burn in where the 6khz peak completely smooths out, and the mids tighten up. I really have no idea though.
DT990 is a treble filled joke imo. The DT880 is great for blues and classic rock.
my creative sound g6 250 ohm or 600 ohm who good ?
Is there anywhere on the DT880 that denotes that it's '600 ohm' ??
on cable
Yeah its stamped on the side of the plug on the cable.
@@WheezyTech Thanks guys
Here after your twitter post. Gotta see what all the fuse is/was about.
What amp did you use to run these 600 Ohms cans? A lot of people recommend the Emotiva BasX A-100 but that option isn't available for me.
That Emotiva is probably overkill. I used an Atom, which will drive these no problem and get the lean sound I described. However from the comments and doing some research online it seems clear the bass performs somewhat better on amps with a higher output impedance.
@@WheezyTech Thanks for the quick reply, the atom is still not an available option for me but it does give me hope that I don't need the monstrous Emotiva to drive these cans. What do you think of the SMSL SP200 amp? Is that a viable option?
Would would be a better amp for these cans? Asgard 3 or Atom?
Generally, I think the Atom pairs great with a brighter headphone like the Beyer, while the Schiit stuff sounds great with warmer headphones like Sennheiser. That's my experience anyway. DMS really likes this headphone as well, and the JDS Element is his main amp.
Give the Dalis a try...
What amp did you use?
What kind of amp are you using to power these?
I was using a JDS Atom
@@WheezyTech if you can get your hands on an pure tube amp or the beyerdynamic amp like the a20 they will come to life
Hi! Can I ask you if my Aune X7s would be enough (high gain or medium gain)? I have it paired with my Focusrite Solo as dac.
Yeah probably.
@@dannybos7024 I got an official e-mail from Aune Europe and they told me it is possible. People just love to overexaggerate things to confuse beginners. It definitely needs an amp but not to an extent some people claim.
@@tichy_ocean But it definitely scales very well. I use my DT880 600 ohm to test insanely high end and powerful amps, since it's just a good benchmark.
@@dannybos7024 I'm sure. But I wouldn't like to buy a total new amp just for one pair of headphones since I got my Aune X7s recently. I'm sure there are much better amps to drive the 880 better but as long as my X7s works I won't be upgrading anything soon. I just thought that my Aune X7s would be an absolute incompatible amp for 880 but thankfully I got assured that it should be okay. Maybe a tube amp someday.
@@tichy_ocean I mean I mostly use my DT880 600 ohm on my Atom since it's just such a small and clean unit and I can still enjoy the sound that's coming out of it, so your X7 will be more than enough. Good luck! :)