Beyerdynamic DT-880 Pro Headphones (250 Ohm)

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I do not have much experience with comparing of headphones, but I simply adore these. I use these beyerdynamic DT 880's mainly for listening to music (but they are also great for movies as well). I use them mainly in combination with my (humble?) NAD C-352 Stereo Integrated Amplifier for listening to CD's and DVD's. I have not yet tried them in combination with a headphone amplifier plugged into a mobile player or computer, but directly connected to the NAD C-352 they sound just wonderful, certainly the best I have personally heard so far but I do have a limited budget ;-).

These DT 880's from beyerdynamic are actually only my second pair of high-end (?) headphones I have ever owned. Actually, my preferred way of listening to music is via headphones. I live on my own, I do have a pair of wonderful speakers (the exquisite, clean and clear-sounding Monitor Audio Silver RS6 in a sense they sound quite like the headphones under review here), but one does have to take the presence of neighbours into account ;-) For those reasons I expect and are constantly on the lookout for the best (for as far as my relatively limited wishes are concerned). I think I now may have found it.

My 'infatuation' with the luxury of 'best possible sound' reproduced by headphones began only a few years ago, when, after careful consideration, I decided to buy myself a pair of Grado SR-80's. I think they are simply some of the best not even taking into account the 'low' price of this set (certainly for such great sound). But as goes in these things, somehow I wanted even more, like maybe a little less harsh or direct sound (more 'rounded') and a better sense of soundstage (both very desirable for things like opera and symphonic/orchestral music), while at the same time retaining the same clarity and refinement of the Grado SR-80's, and so I began to look out for something even 'better'. Better is of course a relative term, certainly when comparing these two wonderful sets of (differently priced) headphones, both with their own distinctive 'character'.

ABOUT THE QUALITY THEY OFFER. These DT 880's are more expensive than the Grado SR-80's, but they are indeed better: they do offer more for the extra money (they are about twice the price, but certainly worth it, IMHO, certainly if one can spare the money). Well, they certainly sound different. To me, the DT 880's sound finely analytical, but at the same time 'relaxed' and 'civilized' or 'refined', offering a fine balance between the highs, middles and lows, without favoring any of those in any obvious way, thereby 'drowning out' any other element within the sound picture, like singing voices (which are, actually, like everything else, reproduced wonderfully crisp and clear, revealing more of their finer nuances and details than other headphones). I certainly like this very much; it is just what I want. Nothing is ever too much 'in your face' and at the same time you get the chance to hear a wealth of detail without getting fatigued. This last thing may have something to do with the fact that the reproduced sound is set unlike any other set of headphones I have ever tried (up to now) within a naturally wide and open soundstage: the feeling of 'as if you were there yourself', especially pleasant with opera-recordings and movies. This quality of the DT 880's is especially obvious in (live) recorded performances set within a wider acoustic space. The natural and honest sound-reproduction really pays great dividents here: one does really get a sense of the acoustics of the space the recording was made, adding greatly to the enjoyment, at least to this particular listener.

Maybe one slight 'disadvantage' of this honesty of reproduction may to some people be that any possible shortcomings of a recording (like hiss in analogue recordings) also become somewhat more apparent than with other headphones. But I personally have not found this to be annoyingly so, comparing the difference with my other headphones.

IMHO, one cannot go wrong with these headphones. They are really, really great. They offer an extremely clear, honest, wide-ranging and detailed sound picture that is extremely pleasing and refined (don't read 'bland'!) to the ear, but which truly brings out the best in any recording of any kind of music, I think.

I have grown to love them. If you can or would only want to spare the money for just one great set of high-end headphones that will serve all your needs, then these are the ones, I believe. Please try these for yourself and be amazed. Highly recommended.

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Although I prefer the AKG K701 for most of my listening, this competing entry from Beyer is so close that it's almost a coin toss. (One recent comparison in a headphone artcle came up with a dead heat.)

This is surprising, considering that the DT880 is one of the most reasonably priced of the major mid-priced headphones. The bass is full but nicely textured not a touch of bass bloat to be found here. The highs are detaied and never seemed sharp to me, and the overall sound offers a huge soundstage. Instead of the music being on top of your, these Beyers lend a perceived distance of a few feet; ths makes classical music sound doubly elegant, and surprisingly makes rock music grandiose in an appealing kind of way.

These headphones don't require a headphone amp, but certainly profit from one. The 30 ohm version makes for more volume, though the 250 ohm version is standard, and best for most daily listening.

The DT880 sounds great, but lacks a tad of the K701's high-end sparkle. Conversely, Beyer's value, comfort, and workmanship can't help but impress. This is a phone that has labored under the shadow of the AKGs and the Senn 650s, but listeners are always impressed by the DT880s sound. It may be your best value in a mid-priced, all-purpose headphone.

Buy Beyerdynamic DT-880 Pro Headphones (250 Ohm) Now

These sound wonderful, especially when driven by a quality headphone amp. Top to bottom, lows, mids and highs, these headphones reproduce all types of music faithfully. The presenation and soundstage are a bit forward of what Sennheiser offers, but not so pronounced as to conflict with more sweeping classical pieces. Even on high-engergy rock music, they shine.

The comfort is top-notch, though if you haven't worn full-size over-the-ear (circumaural) headphones, anything in this class will require an adjustment. The round earpads do allow a variety of positions, whereas other 'phones with oval pads may form to your head slightly better, they do not allow variation in position.

The Sennheiser HD650 may edge out this headphone in ultimate performance, but not by a wide margin. The price and comfort are big advantages of this headphone, so many people may make this their overall top choice.

Read Best Reviews of Beyerdynamic DT-880 Pro Headphones (250 Ohm) Here

In my quest for a reasonably expensive headphone to beat my actual favorite, the AKG Q701, I often did read about the Beyerdynamic headphones and I decided to try the DT880. Considering that I am very often using my Iphone 4 with or without a headphone amp, I decided to go for the 32 Ohms model. I made sure to give it a fair burn-in time so for a week, I did let it run almost constantly with some variation of music and pink and white noises. Today, I can estimate the burn-in to have passed the bar of 100 hours.

In order to compare effectively the two models, I will use my Iphone alone in the first place and then add a FiiO E-11 and reuse the same tracks. I expect the AKG to under perform with no amp as this phone is very power hungry. The tracks I will use are those that I always use when trying to compare headphones, because I love them first but also because I know how they should sound and more importantly because they provide a good sample of music genres and tonalities. The tracks will be compressed at 320Kbps and are as follow:

Ultrasone Sound test Siley Put short (Jazz, Binaural recording perfect for localization of sounds).

Ultrasone sound test Wellen track 7 (sound of water waves perfect for the head stage definition).

Frank Sinatra: How insensitive (Jazz, good also for localization of sounds).

Robin Thicke: Lost Without you and Angel (Perfect for the voice testing and for bass impact).

Pink Floyd: Astronomy Domine from A piper at the gates of dawn (Rock and excellent also for the localization of sounds).

DJ Magic Mike: Feel the Bass (Infra-Bass, enough said...) will be played from my computer because it is missing on the Iphone.

But first, let's start with the non musical parts:

Comfort: The Beyerdynamic DT880 Premium 32 Ohms are extremely comfortable. Their pads are the softest I have ever experienced and rest comfortably around your ears. On the top of your head, I think it is some faux leather. The pressure level is absolutely fine. They are slightly heavier than the AKG but I would still give them 5 stars. The AKG are also extremely comfortable. Their cushions aren't as soft but they also fit like a dream around my ears and the pressure is lesser. I can keep them on for hours.

Conclusion: DT880 : 1. AKG: 1.

Price: I paid $255 for the AKG (MSRP $479)and $309 for the DT880 (MSRP $359).

It could be deducted from the pricing that the DT880 keep a better value than the AKG. Personally, I do not know what to make of this. One may deduct that the MSRP was overblown for the AKG or that the DT880 are overpriced now. While looking at the final price, the AKG appears as the better deal.

Conclusion: DT880 : 0. AKG: 1.

Packaging:

The AKG come with two cables but no carrying case. Both cables are green and of high quality. Both are too long for a portable use. The cables are easy to connect or disconnect and it is a plus because most times, the cable is failing before the rest. Since these headphones are not meant for a portable use, a carrying case was not really necessary.

The DT880 come with only one cable and it is not removable. It is also a bit long for a portable use. It also comes with a huge carrying case. I like it because it is sure to protect it but it is way too bulky for thinking about using it when I travel.

Conclusion: DT880 : 0. AKG: 1.

Sound Isolation:

The AKG Q701 are an open design.

The DT880 are a semi open design.

Both are leaking quite a lot and are not meant for use in public areas. Although the DT880 are slightly more portable, I would still not make them my choice for outdoor use. Both should be kept for home use, listening to music or playing video games (both are excellent at it).

Conclusion: DT880 : 0. AKG: 0.

Now, let's come to the real important part of this test: the sound. I will start by saying that the sound for both was really good out of the box but improved quite a lot with the burn-in time. My first impression before going any further is that they are quite similar, with maybe the AKG sounding a bit more natural and with a larger head stage (open design versus the semi open design of the DT880) and the DT 880 with the mids a bit more forward and overall more powerful. I may sometimes find the DT880 a bit more tiring. Note that the 68 Ohms of the AKG are very deceptive since they sound as hard to drive as maybe a 300 Ohms headphone set.

I will finish this introduction by saying that I am partial to a large head stage and as natural a sound as possible. I like analytical headphones and so far the AKG proved perfect in that field.

Ok, let's start:

Ultrasone Sound test Siley Put short (Jazz, Binaural recording perfect for localization of sounds).

Both headphones delivered very well on this track. The DT880 were a bit more powerful than the AKG. The AKG sounded a bit more precise but this is by a hair...

Ultrasone sound test Wellen track 7 (sound of water waves perfect for the head stage definition).

Once again, it is a wash between the two. Both are delivering well on every detail and head stage. You really feel the waves coming from afar, getting past you and going the other direction. Some birds are heard in the distance to the right and one come your direction and it is well rendered by both sets.

Frank Sinatra: How insensitive (Jazz, good also for localization of sounds).

The DT880 are definitely more powerful. The voices are more recessed but still present on the AKG. Both deliver nicely and I cannot fault any. Though they sound different, nothing is missing for either. Amped or not , both sound magnificent.

Robin Thicke: Lost Without you and Angel (Perfect for the voice testing and bass punch).

These songs are nicely performed with both headphones. Their signature is different again, with the mids a bit more present for the DT880 and also more power. Once the FiiO amp is connected, the bass improvement is slightly better on the DT880.

Pink Floyd: Astronomy Domine (Rock and excellent also for the localization of sounds).

I like the AKG better on this song but it is not because the DT880 are at fault. Once again, the mids are not as forward on the AKG and it gives me an impression of neutrality more visible than with the DT880. But once again, the DT880 offer a superb delivery.

Used with the FiiO E11, the AKG start shining and takes a slight edge in my listening pleasure.

DJ Magic Mike: Feel the Bass (Infra-Bass, enough said...) will be played from my computer because it is missing on the Iphone.

The infra-bass is maybe the most difficult sound for any headphone to reproduce. I failed completely a Sennheiser 598 for it's lack in reproducing it. In this case, both do work well, with once again the DT880 more powerful without an amp. Without a proper amp, the AKG won't be the best because of the power limitation.

With the amplification provided by the FiiO E11 turned to the max, the DT880 start distorting slightly and leave me with a tingling in the ears due to the vibration of the diaphragms. This does not happen with the AKG. When I try to use a similar comfort level for my ears, the AKG appear slightly better.

Conclusion:

I have failed to find better than the AKG Q701 but I found it's equal in the DT880 Premium. I would suggest going for the DT880 if most of the use is done without an amp or if one prefers the mids a bit more forward. I would suggest to go with the AKG if the price is an important factor (you will save about $60) and if you like a more neutral sound. In either case, the Beyerdynamic DT880 Premium is a first class headphone!

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First of all, read the other reviews carefully. I've noticed that several of them are actually reviews of the DT770s and the DT990s. These comments are about the DT880s. And at least two other reviews refer to these as "sealed" headphones. They are NOT sealed...they are open-backed and will not seal out ambient noise or help you keep your music to yourself.

I'll be brief. The tonal balance and clarity of these phones are very, very good. Comfort is exceptional, as is quality of construction. They are a good value for their price range and can be highly recommended for you to audition. Are they "the best"? Not in my opinion. My AKG K-701s and Sony MDR-SA3000s have better high-end clarity, but slightly less low-end. My Grado 325is have much better presence and imaging, though they are less comfortable and not constructed as durably. The Sennheiser HD-650s sound better overall. I'd suggest comparing the DT880s to a few of these I've mentioned.

I will also reiterate what others have stated: these are relatively inefficient headphones. You WILL need a headphone amp to enjoy these. If you can't afford a nice headphone amp (be prepared to spend at least $125 on an amp), buy some Sennheisers. Also, be aware of this when you audition the DT880s. If you switch between these and a pair of more efficient headphones, you will probably be unduly impressed by the simple difference in volume.