Beyerdynamic - DT 880 Edition

Beyerdynamic is great! I've been using various models of DT 880 since about 2004. What's great is that replacement parts are readily available for the pads and sliders, and anything else that might break. I still have a pair of the 250ohm version that's been running great since 2007, and I just had to replace the sliders once and headband+earpads um... dunno how many times. These days I use a DT 880 Edition 600 ohm with a modded cable for balanced drive and they're just the best for me.

Beyerdynamic is great! I've been using various models of DT 880 since about 2004. What's great is that replacement parts are readily available for the pads and sliders, and anything else that might break. I still have a pair of the 250ohm version that's been running great since 2007, and I just had to replace the sliders once and headband+earpads um... dunno how many times. These days I use a DT 880 Edition 600 ohm with a modded cable for balanced drive and they're just the best for me.

Accurate bass in headphones is a difficult ask, sealed headphones usually manage good bass extension but because a sealed headphone is a resonant chamber the bass is listener-dependent and usually not of the best quality / consistency, while open headphones tend to have too poor bass for mixing EDM by feel if you don't have a very robust idea of what a good song is supposed to sound like on them. The ATH M-series bass response however is infamously awful, with a low mid dip leading into highly elevated midbass leading into once again tapered off subbass, I can hear the effect the M40X were having on mixing decisions in mixes I did while using them. The DT770 are far from a perfect headphone and depending on your anatomy might have terrible sibilance (headphones sound different for everyone) but for a not-too-expensive closed headphone I'd consider it a major upgrade from the M50X in terms of the quality of the bass and in terms of being overall well behaved, with the treble, while elevated, feeling far more consistent and transparent as well. They won't replace a good pair of monitors for final mix referencing but there's a good reason they've remained an industry fixture, they're a non-neutral but reliable, known, workable closed back headphone for production. All this mostly just goes for the 250ohm version with grey pads, the sound is heavily dependent on the pads, the black velours pads are not the same, they tune the sound very different (more mid-scooped). if DT770s are too bright they can be made a bit darker by using anything ranging from 1 single ply from multi-ply toilet paper to a full multi-layer paper towel to cover (ideally only the center of) the driver assembly. Bass response also depends on seal and is slightly lessened (brought to pretty much neutral) when wearing thin-armed glasses. The DT880 series is a finicky bunch that measures very different at times for non-obvious reasons. The Pro version has a much higher clamping force on the headband and this forces the pads to compress more, as a consequence making them denser (retaining more bass) but also lessening the size of the chamber between your ear and the driver which increases sub-bass rolloff, as a consequence the Edition version (non-pro) has been measured as having a generally more neutral bass response. These are however, bass-light headphones, lighter than neutral monitors in a room, especially in the sub bass. If you do not have another reference they're nearly impossible to mix EDM on, though it's possible to use EQ to correct the bass to nearly neutral, but don't expect to achieve impressive levels of loudness when doing so, as it increases the load on the headphones. They also have the famed beyer treble spike, which either works for you or doesn't, but if it does, then with the bass corrected via EQ they can be very good referencing headphones, more honest than the DT770. The Black Edition is not the same, largely due to the black pads, which just like with black DT770 pads, perform different, massively elevating especially the low mid frequencies and making for a very warm, boomy headphone that still lacks sub bass extension. The Sennheiser HD 600 series is generally considered the king of neutral sound, these headphones measure exceptionally neutral pretty much from 100hz to 10khz, but they have much poorer listener to listener frequency response consistency than Beyerdynamic headphones do, leading to wildly diverging opinions that might all be correct. They also lack sub bass and are really poor for EDM as a result, but can be corrected using EQ into having the right amount of bass, and are highly regarded for very good reason. If you can make these work for you these are, dare I say, objectively good. I do not personally like them. The Sennheiser HD560S could be considered akin to a 600 series headphone with a slightly more Beyerdynamic-esque treble profile and better sub bass extension, and is also much cheaper, but has less of a studio pedigree, and official pad replacements are not available any more. All in all if I had to boil down my recommendations: If you want a no nonsense headphone that doesn't require additional software or hardware adjustments, DT770 250ohm, possibly paper towel modded. If you can handle somewhat light-feeling accurate bass without making mistakes and want the accuracy of open back headphones without diving into headphone correction and can get along with something on the brighter side of the Sennheiser sound, HD560S. If you're willing to EQ up the sub bass on your headphones to be able to mix EDM on them but want what many regard as the best of the best for good reason, HD 600 series headphones of choice. If you can get along with the Beyerdynamic treble signature, want maybe the most comfortable headphones on earth, and are okay EQing up the sub bass to be able to mix EDM on them: DT880 Edition 250ohm, can also be toilet paper / paper towel modded in case of the treble being too much but if you're using some form of frequency response correction anyways you might as well leave them unmodified. An honorary mention goes to AKG K371, which are a closed headphone with an uncharacteristically well behaved response all the way from the sub bass to the midrange, without major peaks and valleys, only a bit of a warm tilt. They are overall bass heavy headphones but their performance is remarkable at the price point. They are however infamous for being extremely easy to break, and by their design I know I'd kill them in no time, which is why they're not a solid recommendation.

I find all beyerdynamic headphones to be quite comfortable, but especially the DT880 edition (600ohm version with the different headband than what they normally use). Best headphones I have for long listening sessions by a long shot, but they definitely need some power. They have a slightly lighter clamping force than most other beyerdynamics, and more padding at the bottom of the headband to alleviate the hot spot on top of your head and spread out the pressure. They're also quite light for how large the ear pads are. I have the same issue with some of my other headphones, and it's instant relief when switching to the DT880 editions. You may also want to check out some of the open back Audio Technica headphones that rest more on the side or your head instead of directly on top, or some lightweight Grados if you're willing to try on-ears with a less conventional sound signature.

Helle there, I'm willing to get a DT880 @ 600ohms It will be mostly to listyen all kind of music and some Videogames like hunt showdown or other fps. I've already test the 32 ohms versions and i like how it sounds, now i need to change cause my actual headset is dead and i've seen the 600 ohms is a bit better than then 250 so why not buiying this little guy :) I've seen multiple posts about combo dac/amp like K5PRO ess that can drive them or some people told me Topping L30 II amp + Topping E 30 II dac. I'm thinking to take Topping L30 II only and use my Motherboard DAC which is an ESS 9218 dac chipset. I personnaly think that FIIO K5pro ess will be less good than the Topping L30/E30 II Do you think my MOBO dac + Topping L30 II will be good enough for this DT880 ? or should i get the E30 dac and plug it in usb on my PC ??? All advise will be consider :D Have a good days :)

I live in a country where none of the audiophile brand exist. None. Therefore I didn't have the luxury of testing headphones before buying them. I had to ask a family member to buy them and then send them over to my country. Therefore for someone like me who didn't have the option to try them, I think it was good to focus on not only the sound but the other characteristics as well. I initially went with the Beyerdynamics 880 and it was the worst purchase of my life. Gave me tinnitus with it's abysmal treble. Then I learned to actually research in depth and make my purchasing decisions around weight, comfort, durability, user serviceability and seeing what the pros already use. Bought the good old HD600. It's my endgame for mixing until I'm ready to spend over £2500 for a headphone. Which is not anytime soon.

I guess here is my take on a comparison for headphones, I'm nothing special just someone who is picky with audio likes my home theatre systems and draw most of my desire for good audio from using soundbars or more robust proper 5.1 systems i've had. Never traditionally used much for headphones aside from gaming stuff, and in ear beats and air pods. Moved to a desk setup more lately so sold some HT stuff and I'm putting it into headphones, so far i cant seem to get close to what I like. Generally WIDE, detailed deep, boomy sound but I don't need crazy rumbling bass and appreciate vocals and mids as ofc. knowing nothing about IEMs i couldn't decide from reading so I ordered a handful of sets. So i compared all of these across a range of music using the same 30 songs or so. Watched some Anime/movies, played R6 siege and did 1-3 matches with each for footsteps(most I've played in years), immersive solo games( I Used the dead space remake and Subnautica some helldivers and some forza), and then judged their comfort levels for fit after extended periods of time and then how much pain I had from Highs which is normal for me as I like to crank things a lot, and 97% of the time the sharp highs are what stop me from going further.) I listed the prices I got them for in CAD, pre much all from amazon so i could return if it wasn't a keep. And a brief summary without getting too detailed into sound description as idk what means what sometimes. Some i payed less attention to than others once i realized quickly I didn't like them compared to others I had already tried. Everything was also tested on the single ended output of my Fiio K11, except AFUL Performer 5+2 and 1 other i think. 580$ Linsoul THIEAUDIO Hype 4 (return) * music 7/10, anime/movie 8/10, FPS 7.7, immersive (DS- 8.3), uncomfortable 7/10, pain from sound 7/10 * These were solid for sure, and had some nice bass top 3 for bass for me on this list, but also the easiest no for me.... as for the price I quickly tried others that got too close to these for way less... Fanciest packaging and presentation though it wins that (but that's just a bonus) also loved their look. So naturally wanted to like these badly. These were actually pretty big though one of the bigger ones and did stretch my little ear holes a bit much maybe the most... Hurt my ears an average amount for sharp sounds. 300$ ZiiGaat x Fresh Reviews Arete (return) * music 5.5/10, anime/movie 6.3/10, FPS(possibly the best here), immersive(DS-8.0), uncomfortable 5/10, pain from sound 6/10 * Comfier fs, If all i played was competitive gaming and wanted to go all out there, id probably keep these, they handled music and shows well, but I didn't LOVE how they sounded for that... idk not the signature I wanted for those uses, but FPS def super nice however for me I don't play a ton of FPS and others were close to as good as these in that area for WAY less. Also Love the look of these. Somewhat pricey didn't make sense to keep these for my uses. **Xenns Mangird Tea Pro** 510$ seen them for 475 on AliExpress (return) * Music 7.9, anime/movie 8.0, FPS 8.0, immersive 8.4, uncomfortable 6.4, pain from sound 5,  * So I wanted to like these more than any other on this list after seeing the raves about it. Loved the packaging my 2nd fav here or fav idk. My favorite look also probably god so pretty. Definitely top 2 for overall quality IMO here was neck and neck with AFUL performer 5+2, in most areas, these MIGHT have been better by an edge.... But once I found the AFULs for 275 on Alieexpress vs 600 on amazon.... I realized these don't sound 300$ better... sadly... they sound slightly different fs than the AFULs but nothing crazy as the difference with others here, and better idk my noob ears weren't skilled enough to see the difference. Also I thought these were quiet balanced compared to others that may have excelled in some areas and poorer in others. * after extended periods prob top 5 comfiest for my baby holes :( * Also Slightly thicker at the tip than id like and one of the harder ones to get tips on, which idk less convenient to me, and di tire my ears out fit wise sooner than others, not that bad but also when i took them out after an hour or so my ears thanked me a little.... * Maybe best but hard to tell between performer 7 and these AFUL Performer 5+2 / Performer 7 4.4mm on balanced OP 600$ amazon… current number 1 overall  (KEEP) 275 alieexpress * Music 7.9, anime/movie 8.1, FPS(R6 7.3 maybe?) immersive 8.45 haha, uncomfortable 4, pain from sound 4.9,  * pretty balanced, not crazy poor or crazy standoutish in any one area imo... not uncomfy at all, maybe not the smallest or uncomfiest, but extended listening periods were no issue, seems people don't like these smooth nozzles but i loved it so far... easy to change tips and never had them budge once they are on. idk how i feel ab the open holes tho... I kinda love these fell in love quicker than the tea pros, feels a little gentler on me, I know i didn't track soundstage * don't love the look of these as much as many but they are too good for the price on alieexpress * said it above, Linsoul 7Hz Timeless II 230$ (return) * music 6.0, anime/movie solid 7.6 maybe, fps solid average didn't use for this much, immersive(DS-7.7), uncomfortable 4.3,  pain from sound 5.5 * Balanced all around… solid for the price I think nothing crazy in anything so far but solid… came with some extra pieces others didn't, look slick and unique, very good all around and quite comfy, feel pretty worth it for the price and a good option id recommend them fs, no real complaints, returned bc i liked the afuls better for 50$ more basically and i think they sounded 50$ better or more so yeah Truthear x Crinacle Zero: BLUE2 65$ (return) * music 5.7, anime/movie 7, fps 7.0, immersive(DS-7.5), movie, uncomfortable sooo big 6.6, pain from sound 6.3 * So solid for the price most competitive w timeless perhaps less balanced, but performs great where it does and isnt terrible anywhere, these were my first I'm going to keep these pic, but after spending lotsss of time with these i determined it was not worth the discomfort, as they did unholy things to my ear holes, if i met someone with big ear holes id recommend 100%, also felt decently bassy imo, worth it as a jump from he 7hz crinnacle zero imo as well if your ear holes could fit this, pained me not to keep these AFUL Explorer 255$ (return) * Music 6.0 MAYBE? idk ab this, anime/movie 6.9, FPS 6.7, immersive 6.8, uncomfortable 1.5, pain from sound 3.5,  * Very well rounded and most comfortable maybe over alll others, almost feels NICE to wear these haha, loved them, they sounded super well rounded but also not the signature I was looking for, but sounded kinda unique compared to others imo, pleasant though... as much as i liked them they didn't draw me in like many others, they seem worth the price i guess... but idk, idk what id use them for, if they were 100$ less id consider way more i think? * Could probably wear these indefinitely Linsoul Kiwi Ears KE4 270$ (return) * Music 7.6, anime/movie 7.8, FPS 7.4, immersive solid 7.5, uncomfortable 2.4, pain from sound 3.9  * bassy.. I do like this.. best for bass so far, id say out of all these if I was a bass head these would be my pic, which i do think I am somewhat but prioritize other things as much or more so maybe not, also comfy esp for the size for sureee, * I hated this brands packaging * These kinda felt like just better supermixes... Linsoul SIMGOT SuperMix 4 213$ (return) * Music 6.3, anime/movie 7.5, FPS 8.4), immersive (DS 7.8),  uncomfortable 2.0, pain from sound 4.0,  * these feel pretty well rounded not that uncomfy… kinda like timeless but more quality sound a step up sorta, loved these for FPS arete barely edged them out i think, really liked this pair was shocked but i think id pick it over the timeless? very comfy and balanced i think, for the price it makes it easier choice id choose these over timeless... i liked this tempted to keep as they were great for FPS and performed well in most other areas, if you wanted to spend more on a pair that was good for FPS, but also wanted one pair that could handle other content maybe better than the arete(except FPS) than this would be my pick and i almost kept them, * Supermix might be bested by kiwi ears seems so in anime/movie, music is 50/50…  * i do think that - Explorer vs supermix 4 - supermix wins in all explorer wins in comfort but supermix above average still for comfort  7hz crinnacle zero:2 30$ (KEEP) * Music 5.5, anime 6.5, FPS 8.1, immersive 6.8, movie, uncomfortable 5.0, pain from sound 4.0,  * for 30$ these are one of the most worth it purchases i've ever made, sure they feel cheap and look cheap, but for 30$ i will recommend this to most people i know, also i swear they were great for fps... Linsoul Tripowin x 0DiBi: Vivace 40$ (KEEP) \- Music 5.0, anime/movie 5.7, FPS 8.3, immersive 6.5, uncomfortable 5.9, pain from sound 5.5,  \- got these purely off the top 5 gaming iem rec, and yeah prob top 5 here for it or close, for the price that's why i kept them felt fair to spend that much for how good they were for fps for the amount i play, cheaper than buying arctis novas or something just for footsteps, a few others were better sure, but i don't play enough. I disliked these for pre much everything else they were meh, will keep tho Truthear hexa 101$ (return) * Music 6.0, anime, FPS 7.7, immersive, movie, uncomfortable 5.0, pain from sound 4.7,  * Feel like some of the most purposeless here... idk what to say about them.. not bad mid in every way... wouldn't pay 100$ maybe 70 TOPS, feels like while maybe they are better than the zero blues (way comfier) they lack anything impressive... but def more balanced than the blues and don't hurt my ear holes ig I have to give it that.... Linsoul Kiwi Ears Cadenza 43$ (return) * Music 5.7, anime/movie 6.5, FPS 6.0, immersive 5.5, uncomfortable 4.5, pain from sound 5.3,  * For some reason these troubled me so much, i tried to really give these a lot of chances, bc ppl praise them so much for the price. but from the moment i put them in my ears i hated how they sounded lol, towards the end i started to appreciate them ONLY for music but in a different way than most others here... idk If i was to collect multiple IEMs maybe id keep this one next bc i felt like it was useful for a specific genre maybe? idk overall tho not the sound signature i appreciate a lot... even if maybe i did start to see it a little bit... A lot of uncomfortableness felt with IEMs is noticed after I take them out, they immediately feel achy and I notice my ears feel better with them out, in is still an issue though for some. In the end I found a few that didn't bother my ears at length, My scales here aren't perfect from IEM to IEM, some are pretty accurate on MY scale others not 100 from IEM to IEM if yknow what i mean. Did all the IEMs first and didn't realize how much more i liked them over the coming Open backs which were new to me entirely. For fun Beats fit pro 200$ (KEEP) * Music 5.0, anime/movie 4.0, FPS, immersive, uncomfortable, pain from sound,  * Just for fun I connected these VIA Bluetooth to my pc, they are my main out of the house headphones love them super comfy and been through the wash and dryer 5x lol, and sweat on them a ton in the gym over 4 years i think, still work as good as day one battery never dies on me, and never fall out of my ears god I love them. * Ofc right away I confirmed the IEM chase was worth it as these sucked lol but I don't notice that in the gym and cant stand wires on the move. 590$ 490 pros (debating) * don’t sound as boomy, but listening pain is severely reduced from intenseness, only pain is slight sharp highs, biggest downsides perhaps needing to turn it up higher bc sounds less boomy in ears meaning more risk for sharp highs, less boomy up front but beats lots of the IEMs for the pro/cons in some areas, gain on high at 40, I love these but the more I used the more i realized they cost double he performers and I was picking the performers for like everything over this, these definitely allowed me to listen to music in a way i haven't before, but also.... left me wanting moreeeee, detailed and analytic to me... but too simpleeee didn't draw me in enough i feel too far from the music idk considering the price I am pre sure I will keep, but prob top 3 comfiest over ears I've worn in my life, and maybe best sounding I guess hard to say? I feel like Over ears should be able to sound this good for less... * music 7.9/10, anime/movie 8.5/10, fps 7.5, immersive(DS-8.0), uncomfortable (slight pressure on top of head and ears 3.5, pain from sound 6.5/10(only bc I have to crank them to feel what i want in music... ) DT880 290$ (return) * tight fit not my favorite, 600 ohm barely enough on k11, but enough to listen and judge, honestly sounds way worse than 490 pro, also firm pads and tight fit on my big picky ears, not the comfiest, worst open backs I’ve tried (out of 5), expected to love these for the price came in excited and loved the look, almost failed in every way.... looks nice tho... nice lil bag it came with? * anime 6.7, music 5.0, fps 4.0, rest doesn't matter maybe I’m picky but I hate these to me they suck ATH-R70x 340$ (return) * sounds way better than DT880, still needs GAIN on high at around 75 to be loud enough, sound is almost competitive with 490 pros , not as good but for price comparison I’d take these except… these get very hot very quick, and hurt my ears, 490 pros are top 3 comfy I’ve ever worn these made me appreciate the 490 pros comfort, if comfort didn’t suck I’d keep especially if I could get them like 50$ cheaper 300$ CAD flat  * Lightest headphones I’ve ever felt * Not the comfiest though no adjustment… * More competitive with hd490 pro * Anime/movie 8.3, music 7.8, fps 6.7, for most of it these are a touch under the 490 pros in most if not all areas, * but for the price I was going to keep these, then as i wore them more I realized absolutely not 490s are way comfier, I HAVE always been super picky with over ear headphones my whole life though for comfort and these were no different sweaty hot and hurt my ears So I did not expect this but so far I think im not keeping any over ears, opposite of what i expected before i started, wondering If i just dont like open backs... so im trying the DT 770s and the FIIO FT1s this week, aside from that I have AKG K702 coming as well, but my hopes aren't high anymore. Can i not afford the taste I have in headphones or something? I said id spend up to 900CAD on a pair of over ears if they nailed it all right now, but I'm thinking that wont even do it, and I feel like Im happy enough with my AFULS, however I would like the option of over ears at least one pair for solo gaming/movies/music that I don't have to put in my ears when I wanna give my holes a break. How hard can it be to find some that don't disgust me for under 1000? haha I have also tried on Audeze MM100s, HD600s, and Arctis pro Nova 1 or whatever the top ones all quite a bit but didn't test on my own stuff or time. I liked the MM100s a lot out of these, the HD 600 sounded great but too simple 3 separate soundstages kinda and boring to me. MM100s were nice but like idk i dont rmemeber being blown away that much. I also briefly tried on LCD-2s and yeah they were pre sweet worth the price idk ab that, also didnt test enough to really say. So based off all this and maybe my weird tastes idk where should I go from here? or do I need to chill and just stop entirely :( I just want headphones that make it sound like im in front of my 1300$ 5.1 HT system kinda yknow lemme feel that width and immersion w out losing detail and the important stuff Def biggest post ever for me lol

Honestly final opinion, FT1 pros are prob second best of the open backs I’ve tried and maybe all headphones I’ve tried, and possibly best value for ALL headphones I’ve tried at 300$ CAD. I’d recommend to most people I know assuming it fit their needs as a first buy. However I’ve decided I like what the the HD490 pros offer in improvements and the fact that I’m more willing to put them on and wear them at length is a major pro, I knew comfort was this important but this I’m sure of now, if it’s not maximally comfortable it directly takes away from how much you want to use them so… Also side note… I could be wrong here… but while the FT1 pros do not have sharp pericing highs which I am normally sensitive to, and I do find them quite balanced. There is this phenomena I can’t explain I don’t normally encounter where the actual sound is fatiguing to listen to without ever any sharp sounds that hurt, rather just normal sound after an hour I take them off and my head/ears were ALMOST slightly ringing… this does not happen with the HD 490s… weird… turning them down I found made this happen less but it’s weird for me bc it was at a volume level I’d normally be totally comfortable with, I’m not sure why this is or if this is a thing people find with some headphones sometime but it was a first for me… I still think they’re great j turn them down a little but that’s my only true SMALL complaint about them the rest is just that the 490 pros are better

As someone who has owned the HE400SE before, the timbre is pretty strange and they're quite uncomfortable, not to mention the build quality. 560S, DT880 if EQ, AD900X, X2HR are all better options (I have owned all of these at some point).

Dt 770, 880 or 990 from beyerdynamic. They have a treble peak, which som people dont like but there a lot of eq settings for them on the Internet. For a decent dac get a jcally jm6 pro or a fiio ka11. They are powefull, cheap and lightweight. Both items will cost you around 150-170€ depending on where you buy from

Beyer DT 880 is peak comfy headphone

Beyerdynamics DT series (770/880/990 are particularly great) long lifespan and parts readily available