Are they new? Mine are 10 yrs old so I don’t quite remember what they sounded like new lol. If you find them overly bright, you might consider a different DAC to synergize with them better.
However, even though I think DT990’s are a great bang for the buck with tube amps, you can only go so far so I probably wouldn’t build my system around them.
I think its just that they are brand new and I’m used to the VCs. The DAC sounds great otherwise and also has 7 different roll off filters that can tame the highs a bit. I’ll just blast some reggae through them for a few weeks and se what happens. Happy listening.
I was watching a review by Joshua Valor about cloned sound for cheaper.
Not sure how much legitimacy it holds, but for the hd800s the cheaper comparison was the beyerdynamic T1 v2.
I see one for sale for 400, think it’s 900 original msrp. Regardless of that, wondering if that’s any reasonable comparison. It’s not a 1 to 1 comparison but like he mentioned it’s much cheaper and had a ~80% performance sonic character.
Just considering it because of the price, 400 seems like a decent deal.
I would note that I Demi’s the 880s I believe it was, the first time I got a chance to listen to quality headphones and I liked the 880 least of the three I tested. LCD 2 and clear being the other two.
Makes me think how much the 800s compares to the 880 sonically and that beyer may give a sound/performance which is different from 880s. Which has peaked my interest in beyerdynamic and this purchase
If I’m not mistaken, the DT880 uses the same driver as the DT770, right? Assuming my reading is correct, I can share you this. As a DT770, HD800S and a HD600 owner, I have been (kind of) exclusively listening to the last two for the past 3 months…
Some random night I decided to take the DT770 from the drawer. And I’m a heavy EQ’er. 
I had a listen with the DT770 for a while (Sonarworks engaged with a custom profile). With the entry level gear I currently own, there’s a good gap between the HD600 and the DT770 themselves. To the HD800S is a whole another discussion (and a bigger gap).
And by gap, I don’t mean tonality. I mean the capacity of the driver of delivering music. I consider myself a mid-range “whore” so I tend to listen 70-90s songs with guitars and vocal emphasized stuff. So in short, I hear more with the HD600 and even more with the HD800S, when compared to my DT770.
I like the punch of the DT770 though. If I was an EDM listener, I’d stay away from the HD800S. 
T1 is using the Tesla driver, right? Never heard it myself. I remember I was looking at it at some point last year, before I bought the HD800S. Can’t comment on that one.
My final recommendation is very simple. If you’re aiming at the HD800S. Then that is your answer. Be patient, save some cash and get a HD800S. You won’t regret. 
Good luck.
PS.: Still having an eye for the 880/990 600ohm myself. Just waiting for a price drop, assuming there will be one. 
Yea, the thing is with the 880s as mentioned I didn’t like it. It’s not bad, but the clear was my #1.
So honestly I’m not interested in the 800s or hd8xx.
I am new to quality headphones and trying to see what’s out there to gain more experience.
If I can compromise and get an idea or different sonic flavor for 400 bucks that’s worth it for me.
I only own two pairs of headphones and I’ve heard a total of 5, so I’m really new to this hobby.
For any of the high impedance beyers (or really any of them except the 32ohm variants), it’s highly recommended to pair them with OTL tube amps to get the best out of them. I’d say the T1’s and DT880/990 and to some extent the 770’s are great values at their price points. For $400, I don’t think you will find anything that will really best their technical abilities when powered correctly. DT770/600 is surprisingly neutral and is a great value if you want something closed and comfortable. Not to mention that it’s very easy to find spare parts for the DT770/880/990 line even though it’s been out since the mid 2000s. The only one I haven’t heard is the 880 but at a $200 or lower price point, it’s hard to go wrong with them (with the obvious caveat - tubes). I think those who prefer the Senn 6x0’s vs Beyers is just a preference. The treble can be hot for some but imo, the HD800 had a even hotter treble presence so YMMV.
Thanks for the info, I mean I would assume so as well at that price.
Not sure if anyone has published measurements on it[T1 v2]. But I have the HE6se and they say treble can be a factor and honestly it doesn’t bother me at all. I listen 5-6 hours every other day. Maybe I’m not sensitive
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.
=
=
Yep 
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.
Hi,
I will replace these, if I would leave both in, the headphones would otherwise be deprived of one of their strengths; the airiness.
Anyone tried the new T5?
Apparently the T1 sucks, but the T5 is pretty good
Confirm / deny?
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:
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:
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.
Really excellent writeup @generic. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
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.
Anybody experience the new DT700 and/or DT900 Pro X versions meant to replace the DT770 and DT990?
Agree to you brother.
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.
Has anyone tried the new DT 700/900 pro x yet?
