Beyerdynamic Headphones

How do you install these foam disks? Do you just shove them inside? I’m using the DT990 and also looking to tame the hights.

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Yep :+1: :100:

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To be clear, what do you do with the Amiron discs.

Do you replace the old ones with them, or add them on top?

Many thanks.

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Hi,

I will replace these, if I would leave both in, the headphones would otherwise be deprived of one of their strengths; the airiness.

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Anyone tried the new T5?

Apparently the T1 sucks, but the T5 is pretty good

Confirm / deny?

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Yeah, I would like to try the t5. Supposed to be very warm and velvety.

Beyerdynamic DT 880 Edition – 600 Ohm

Background: I recently completed a Bottlehead Crack DIY kit and tried it with my Sennheiser HD-58X, 6XX, and 600. I purchased but have not installed the Speedball kit. I’m using it with the Bottlehead-supplied clear-top RCA 12AU7 but swapped their GE 6080 for a Svetlana 6N13S (6AS7G).

The HD-58X with 150 ohm impedance is unusable on the Crack, per ridiculous channel imbalance at normal listening volumes and very scratchy sound. The HD-600 has 300 ohm impedance and is “okay,” but hissy and not interesting. The 600 is always temperamental and prefers balanced amps in my experience, and the Speedball may help. That’s TBD.

The HD-6XX also has 300 ohm impedance, but transforms into a reverb and harmonics king on the Crack. To my ears it loses its excessive bass (as on solid state amps), to be replaced by fun and tubey bass. Its output is not remotely accurate or true to the source, but very low-fatigue and a very engaging repackaging of music. This setup likely sells the Crack for a lot of people. Sometimes it becomes too rough and distracting, but that’s the topic for another post.

As the Crack is an OTL amp and compatible only with high impedance headphones, something with 600 ohms must be tried. Enter the Beyerdynamic DT-880.

@Resolve initiated this thread with a review and non-recommendation of the DT-880 250 ohm edition (above). I’m here to both agree and disagree for the 600 ohm edition.

Cost, Physical Design, Fit, and Comfort: The DT-880 Edition 600 ohm retails for $200 or less (I paid $175 new). It’s made of metal and plastic, with initial quality competitive to Sennheiser’s 500 and 600 series. For my head, its comfort is equal or superior to the Sennheiser 600 series and Focal Clear. There’s enough adjustment range, the velour pads are soft, and there’s not too much clamp. The 3 meter rubbery cable is permanently affixed the left ear (only), and it requires major surgery to swap. So, no balanced testing was possible.

Overview of Findings: The DT-880 600 ohm can be downright impressive with the midrange and vocals, but it indeed has treble issues. The bass is not detailed or deep either. I recommend this product as a vocals specialist, at least with treble EQ or de facto tube EQ (per the Crack).

Test Equipment and Setups:

  • Schiit Bifrost 2 → Bottlehead Crack → Headphones
  • Schiit Bifrost 2 → RebelAmp → Headphones
  • Schiit Bifrost 2 → RebelAmp as preamp → Bottlehead Crack with volume cranked to 9/10 to get around channel imbalance with the cheap factory pot → Headphones
  • iFi ZenDAC (v1) → Headphones

Headphones Compared Back-to-Back: Focal Clear (not on the Crack), HD-600, HD-6XX, and DT-880.

Test tracks: My set of fatigue-evaluation songs and more.

Findings:

The DT-880 delivers pleasingly smooth, detailed, and enjoyable vocals, and that aspect can be superior to the Clear. The Clear is technically better in most ways, but relatively bright and thinner in the mids. Unfortunately, the DT-880 routinely results in rapid fatigue (tinnitus, piercing whines) with the solid state amps. My Crack minimized this, and I used the Schiit Loki (4 knob version) to mitigate it on the RebelAmp. My settings were Pots 1 & 2 at 12:00, Pot 3 at 3:00, and Pot 4 at 9:00. This further smushed the DT-880 into the mid range and drove attention to vocals.

The DT-880 600 ohm edition can be fully satisfactory for a session of mild music on the Crack. The Crack does its gooey-tubey job and makes the world a smoother and creamier place. With rock or troubling treble, no, there are better choices. [Again, and to be addressed separately in a Crack post: the HD-6XX delivers something very different than the DT-880 on the Crack.]

In back-to-back testing versus the Clear on the RebelAmp, the DT-880 loses both high and low range details and dynamic punch. It sounded dead when set at a similar volume, but its creamy smoothness appeared when the volume was raised. It’s very enjoyable as long as the treble is controlled.

In testing on the relatively weak ZenDAC, the DT-880 is a usable option. It again generated pleasing mids but fatiguing treble. The ZenDAC has no power to spare and doesn’t generate much bass, ever. As such, it has a bass boost feature to provide a mid-bass hump. This is vague and rubbery bass, but at least something is there. The 600 ohm DT-880 pushes the ZenDAC to its absolute limit, with my preferred volume at 2:00 to 4:00 and no discomfort even at the max volume at 5:00.

Recommended Users:

  • Fans of vocals and middle frequency music
  • Those who are not sensitive to treble
  • Those who enjoy EQ or tube rolling

The DT-880 reminds me of the Koss Porta Pro for delivering a mix between good mid-range performance and piercing treble. The DT-880 also reminds me of the Focal Utopia for delivering random treble stabs. I’m quite enjoying it for mids and vocals on the Crack.

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Really excellent writeup @generic. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

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Yes, most excellent post! I love my Beyerdynamic DT880 (2003) which have different cups and 250-ohm drivers. I would sell all of my headphones before I ever let it go just due to sentimental value alone. I too relegate the DT880 solely to tube listening. However, my amp is the Darkvoice 336SE. I have hovered over the buy button many times for the 600-ohm version. One day I shall likely add them to the collection.

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Anybody experience the new DT700 and/or DT900 Pro X versions meant to replace the DT770 and DT990?

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Agree to you brother.

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Didn’t know there were replacements to the 770 and 990 out there, thanks! When starting out one of my first headphones was a 770 80ohm, I loved it! I have a 250ohm 770 sitting around, and occasionally listen to it with tubes, and still love it. Now…where’s the DT800… I still love my 600ohm 880.

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Has anyone tried the new DT 700/900 pro x yet?

@Dudley_Doody uploaded these for the DT 700 and 900 Pro X:

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Impressions: Dekoni Elite Sheepskin pads for DT880 (600 ohm)

Background: I built a Bottlehead Crack and bought a set of DT880s to explore the potential of the OTL amp architecture (see post above). As advertised, the DT880 600 ohm edition on the Crack produces a smooth and refined midrange. For that narrow consideration it surpasses the Focal Clear (non-Crack amp) and is equal or better than the Sennheiser HD600 and HD800S. However, the DT880 indeed has a nasty treble spike that demands either a rolled-off amp or EQ for comfortable use.

Dekoni offered Elite Sheepskin pads for the Beyer family at half off on Black Friday 2021, so I grabbed a set. These are about twice as thick as the factory pads, are made of leather rather than fuzzy fabric, and have a secondary mesh filter across the center opening. As such, they boost the bass plus severely cut mid and high range frequencies.


The nasty 9k peak (per the DT1990 graph) is indeed tamed, but unfortunately they transform the DT880 into being thick and extremely veiled. To come anywhere near neutral one must boost the upper mid range. I’m turning up knob #3 on my Loki, whereas I previously used knob #4 to cut the treble spike.

There seems to be no magic bullet to cure the DT880’s treble issue. On the positive side these Dekoni pads allow use with brighter amps and cause me no fatigue by default. Over time the foam may flatten and the tone may brighten. One might also try removing the secondary mesh filters to reach the middle ground, but that seems to be a permanent process.

Recommendation: Flip a coin. Pick your poison. These are well made pads and could be a good place to start for modifications.

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@Resolve Can you post frequency graph of the dt770 pro 250ohm?

Over the course of my audiophile time, I’ve sought something that surpasses the HD600 in terms of “general usability” from my perspective and my own tailored needs. I’ve cycled through a decent number of headphones, from “lower end” to the “TOTL”. Yet none have quite done it, until recently with the DT 900 Pro X. I actually thought it would not be up to par and just not as good vs the HD600 based on impressions/reviews of others, nonetheless I gave them a shot, and I am so glad I did, with that in mind, let’s get to the review.
A preface: I believe all SS amps sound the same and dacs have little if anything to do to the characteristics of sound. You can tell me all you want about how your $500+ dac and amp influenced the sound but I’d be skeptical from my own personal experience. The testing was done on my trusty Fiio K5 Pro and using Peace GUI EQ. Most of the review consists of the sound EQ’d but I will have a seperate section w/o EQ. I will leave my EQ at the bottom of this for the curious. so, let’s jump in.
Music genres I listen to: Metal and it’s various sub-genres. Bands specifically: Gojira, Korn, Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, Mastodon, Tool, Etc.
Comfort: Superb. I love the way this fits my dome. My head is a bit on the smaller side and this has that lovely high clamp and super soft velour pads that I love. Weight is something close to 350g (~70g more than the HD600 I believe) and it is more noticeable vs the HD600 but it’s a non-issue for me and my weightlifting antics. If you can handle the HD600, you can handle the DT 900 Pro X. (The ear cups are smaller vertically than the HD6X0 series so that could cause some problems, but to me is a non-issue like I said). This headphone also passes my headbang test, so basically me listening to “VACUITY” - Gojira and going hog-wild.
Sound: (W/O EQ): For non-bass heavy genres or people who don’t like bass, it’s good. The extension is certainly better than the HD600. It has a better impact and tactile feel and is generally good. Not many complaints to be fair. Mids are awesome! Lower to mid-mids are very nice and very fluent and there’s no issue here either imo, again if you like the HD600’s mids, you’ll like these too. Just note the vocals are slightly more pushed back, but that doesn’t bother me too much. Upper mids is slighty dipped vs the HD600 and I do need to EQ the 4.5k region to get it to my liking, but I do like a more forward presentation so, YMMV. Treble is great too. I like more air (>10k khz) than what is given here but it’s definitely not bad. I don’t notice any sibilance nor anything that makes me want to rip them off my dome. (1990 Pro, I loved you at your darkest, but I couldn’t stand that brightness).
Sound: (W/ EQ) TDLR: Metal has never sounded so “alive”.
Bass: I love this. I add a generous 4db shelf below 100 hz and also a 1.5-2db peak ~400 hz and damn does it just sound fun to me. I love how it adds that visceral sound that metal that just eats at your soul. It’s got that energy, but is also not boomy or bloated sounded vs the EQ’d HD600. It’s got more impact, control, and gut behind it than the HD600 and it’s sinfully addictive.
Mids: Once that upper mid “issue” is fixed, it’s great. Like an HD600 but with less “in your face” vocals. Still great. Not one thing to complain about IMO.
Treble: Not sibilant. Not under-done. It’s basically fine for my ears, and I don’t notice anything “off” about it. Again, I add +2 db shelf >10500 khz just because I can, but you realistically don’t have to. If you wanted an ever-so slightly brighter treble than the HD600, it’ll do that just fine.
Soundstage/Imaging: A little wider than the HD600, more precise imaging in gaming. Again, if you wanted an HD600 with more width and imaging, these’ll serve you greatly. Gaming on the HD600 is no issue however, I never find anything lacking in gaming with the Senns.
Instrument Separation/Detail: It separates as well as the HD600 but has a more “room filling” quality. So, it may sound initially like it’s worse, but I find it about the same, just the spaces are more filled in (Probably because of my “Excessive” 4db bass but ymmv). Metal never seems to get overly-convoluted or lost, it sounds like it should sound. Detail again is on par with the HD600, less than the X65, but it’s not by a huge margin. Again, I think that “room filling” quality can seem to mask detail, but it’s all there if you seek it. (Resolve said the 900 Pro X has less detail and I could not disagree more, I have not heard the 300R but I can’t imagine it being worse or better here either, I don’t think their opinions are wrong, rather is just my subjective take [Hence why it is called “subjective”]).
Conclusion/Rant: I love these cans. The 900 Pro X have shown and enlightened me that there’s more to audiophilia than “neutrality” and “following the narrative”. Trust your own ears and forget about anything and what anyone else says. Reviewers and others say these are less detailed and closed off (They feel closed off but it’s similar to a 1990 imo) and I don’t see it. These cans do it for me, and I don’t think they’re worse than the HD600, just different.
More-over, I think we as a community should disagree with others but not take what they say as “false”. Like I said, I think Resolve and DMS are wrong about detail and what have you, but who am I? I’m merely a metalhead who weightlifts. They’re the professionals and their opinions are more than warranted, but what about the average joe? Just because they’re not a professional does not mean their impressions or interpretations are any less credible imo. It’s their interpretation and should be respected. We should also de-stigmatize the “follow the leader” narrative (Great album by Korn btw), if a reviewer says something about a headphone (like smaller soundstage or less detail, etc) take it with a grain of salt and unless you’ve used the HP yourself and can agree, don’t go on saying that narrative without that disclaimer. I think Resolve had posted something similar on Headphones.com but I’m unsure as of now.
Rant Over: Thanks for sticking with the review. I’ll stick with these cans for a while.
Previous headphones owned: HD660s, DCA Ether 2, DT 770 & 1990, Austrian Audio X65, HE-500,
EQ: -5 db preamp
4db shelf @ 100 hz
2 db peak filter @ 400 hz Q = 1.41
4.5 db peak filter @ 4100 hz Q = 2.5
2.5 db high shelf @ 10000 hz

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While I agree that average joe impressions and interpretations should be considered as well, I believe that each person has to show their worth in order for others to take their word seriously or with a grain of salt.

I believe there is such a thing as training your ear when it comes to audio. Whether it be audiophile audio, proaudio audio, or being a musician. Nobody wakes up knowing exactly what they’re hearing, what to listen for, and how to correct the output. So while no reviewer is without faults (nor human being), I do think there are some reviewers whose words you can trust more. Generally I don’t disagree with what people say until I’ve heard that particular headphone or know someone well enough to where I trust their opinion as my own. The second part only happens after trying many of the same headphones and agreeing to a certain degree with how they review gear.

Anyways, thanks for writing up your impressions on the DT900 pro x. It’s definitely one I’d like to try someday so I can contribute to impressions. I do hope DMS and Resolve are wrong about them and that this is a good headphone to have.

Yeah this is the key, and there are so many factors like this that play a role in impressions differing - like listening specifically for different things. And also, even if you focus hard on training your ear on a wide range of equipment, who is to say that we’re all listening for the same qualities, or define them in the same way. Moreover, who is to say what’s better or worse for one acoustic property or another. I might find certain qualities like blunting from overdamping to be undesirable, others may find that quality to be desirable. There’s absolutely a sense of ‘tightness’ that gets imparted by this quality and I can see someone finding it engaging.

I think for me it’s been a process of learning to fully understand what I hear from the equipment, whether that be tonal balance or these various other subjective qualia. But, whether the positive or negative valence I’ve associated with these qualities is part of someone else’s experience in the same way… I’ve no idea haha. I think in some ways it’s because of the experience with wide range of equipment that I’ve come to these conclusions about things. Like when you hear the Drop Panda for example, any time I hear that blunted quality afterwards it’s like a horrible reminder of how terrible that headphone sounded haha. So there’s kind of like a context for the negative valence for that acoustic quality if you know what I mean.

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I’m happy that you found something that works for you. As above in this thread, I’m a believer in Beyer’s potential. I haven’t tried the 900 Pro X. Beyer has been sleeping technologywise for a while, but don’t count them out.

Here is where I’ll disagree with every fiber of my body. DACs make a huge difference. I own a variety ranging from the $9 Apple dongle to the $699 Bifrost 2. The BF2 was worth every penny and its differences are readily audible beyond ESS and AKM chips.

I also disagree about SS amp equivalence, and have disposed of several for being too bright or harsh. My lean sounding THX AAA 789 has been boxed up for several months too.

This may be where the difference lies, as you are listening to heavily processed music. Metal’s bite comes from the treble, so the differences in DACs and amps may be lost with this genre. I hear the greatest differences in vocals and acoustic instruments – often in the air, breath, echoes, or sound of the recording room rather than the primary notes. Such material may simply not be present in your source music. Also, the subtle edges can become rough and harsh with MP3s or compressed files.

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