beyerdynamic DT-880 Edition 250 Ohms

Great sounding, very comfortable premium headphones

Hi I now have three pairs of quality headphones, the Sennheiser HD650, the AKG K701 and these Beyers. All three look quite attractive despite being very different. The Beyer earcups are bare metal, probably aluminium and look very solid. They are round and slightly smaller than the round AKGs and oval Sennheisers but still fit my quite large ears. These Beyers are the most comfortable of the three as they are light both in terms of their deadw... Show Moreeight and clamping pressure. The cable is a flat 10ft OFC design terminating in a 3.5mm mini jack which is fixed permanently to the left earcup. The cable caused no audible noise when tapped and there is a gold plated adapter included which screws securely over the mini jack to convert to the larger ¼ inch jack size. I listen to music using a Windows 7 PC and the Foobar 2000 music player. These headphones deserve a decent headphone amp. Initially I was not impressed with the sound of the Beyers as they seemed a little flat and dull and lacking in punch and excitement but this quickly changed. I don't know why this happened - it could be something as simple as increasing the volume as these seem slightly harder to drive than my other headphones. I now really enjoy the sound of these headphones. In terms of sound signature they are more similar to the AKG than the Sennheiser being punchy, clear and exciting but perhaps lacking a bit of bass weight. The Sennheisers have a much warmer, darker, meaty sound. The Beyers probably have more detail than the AKGs and are more airy in presentation. If you look at graphs of the frequency response of the three models the AKGs have a pretty flat response whereas the Sennheisers have a tilted profile with more emphasis on bass and lower mids. The Beyers have an unusual scooped profile where there is a deliberate dip in the midrange. Apparently hearing is naturally most sensitive in this range and the dip allows more audible detail in the treble region. I can attest that this is indeed happening as I hear details on some recordings that are missing with the other two headphones. Some reviews say the Beyers have too strong a treble and little bass. I think this comes down to personal taste as I like the tonal balance. I'm also using a very neutral amp, the open source solid state O2 from Epiphany Acoustics, which has plenty of power and a low output impedance which doesn't colour the sound. The headphone I am reviewing is the 250ohm version but they are also manufactured in 32ohm and 600ohm variants. The 32ohm version is designed for portable players and the 600ohm version might be more suited to high output impedance tube amps. There is also a 250ohm Pro version with a curly cord rather than a flat cable which some might prefer. The only problem I have had was with the slider mechanism. The cups adjust on a slider and are supposed to click firmly into place. However the left cup was too loose and would not hold its position well. It became annoying to constantly have to check and reposition the cup prior to listening. Beyerdynamic themselves are sending me a replacement part to fix this. I bought these as B stock so I have only reduced the score by one star in regard to this quality issue. Overall I think the Beyer DT880 is a great sounding headphone and I would heartily recommend it. I now have three pairs of headphones and I like all three and appreciate the sound differences each offers. If pushed to recommend one of the three I would say the Beyer. This is not because it is obviously superior to the others but the Sennheiser is more of an acquired taste which some may not like and while the sound signature of both the Beyer and AKG seem very neutral and natural to me the Beyer is more detailed and more comfortable when worn for long periods. The Beyers are great all rounders with no obvious flaws. As long as the source material is fairly well recorded these headphones sound good. Hope this helps ChristopherShow Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Precise, Sturdy, Repairable Cans that Improve With Age

An interesting headphone that does differ to previous models I have tried from the same manufacturer. The DT-880's are rugged and very clean although they can be slightly harsh in the 2-5Khz range to begin with - this is actually somewhat useful as getting these resonant frequencies accurate in any mix is crucial. To make use of them you will NEED a high quality headphone amp. Too many times equipment of this nature suffers from under-powere... Show Mored elements or cheap sections within a persons studio chain. The sound is not tiring but does take getting used to - especially if I compare them to the very low end heavy DT-990's I have used before. You soon realise that in most cases the extra low end in certain headphones only masks the important elements of music due to a physical limitation you have in headphones. Super low frequencies wont generate wavelengths properly within a 4-5" circumference slammed right next to your ear. With that in mind it means you don't need to listen to these cans at full whack to appreciate their accuracy. Thus why this model tend to be priced at a good £50-60 higher than other models in the manufacturers range. Once worn in these headphones will give you an immediate sense of what needs addressing in a mix at all listening levels. I cannot iterate though the importance of a good amp that can drive them cleanly. A sound card with a required power outlet will help as sound cards that run from the USB or Firewire port will not likely be able to use the 5V supply to much use. Firewire cards might be okay in this respect as that use a 12.8V DC. As an additional bonus, ALL parts are replaceable.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

A 170¤ no-brainer for people who like a a well balanced headphone

I own this headphone for 3 years now. The sound is well-balanced and crystal clear (although it has the typical Beyerdynamic High-Peak around 8-10 KHz which ). For some (very few) bad mixed tracks it could be a problem, but that happens very rarely. I want to admit, that this headphone is nothing for "bass-lovers". But with an appropriate EQ setting that should't be a problem if one want's to hear some more bassy tracks from time to time. ... Show MoreThe offered comfort is the best I know and I already tested several AKGs and Sennheisers over the time. You won't even notice the headphone after a short time and can wear it easily for some hours in a row. The quality overall is very good, although I don't like the plastic slider and the snapping sounds it makes when you twist the speakers a bit. The Beyerdynamic support insured that this is normal and intended. Also I find the edges of the metal "system bows" as too sharp, but that's just a little complain. Beyerdynamic ensures you will get spare parts even decades after the product was released and they offer any part for replacement, which is very good. Now that the price dropped from >220¤ to 170¤, I think this is one of the best headphones on the market for people who like a balanced sound and a very, very comfortable headphone.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Incredible for mixing

I have been using them for a year now. I also have a pair of Ath M40x. This pair is WAY more balanced. The m40x is closed and i use it for recording mostly, or listening to more popular music (while on train or bus) because it has more bass and hf. The DT-880 pro has incredibly neutral sound and boring (in a good way), perfect for mixing. Due to the fairly larger soundstage the sound doesnt become annoying at any point and it's fairly easier to c... Show Morelose your eyes and imagine where the instruments are located in the mix (do that) It also feels really sturdy and it is supposed to have all replaceable parts but nothing has broken so far. I have only taken them out of my room a couple times to listen to music at work though and i am pretty careful. The only reason i put 4 stars in comfort is because even though the sound doesn't tire me at all, one of my ears touches the inside of the earcup and after an hour or two it kinda hurts and i have to take a break. BUT I HAVE GIGANTIC EARS. So unless you share my curse, you won't have any problems. Also if you don't want a set Just for mixing, check out the dt990 which is supposed to be a kinda more "fun", v-shaped version of this one and it is way cheaper (and also prettier if you ask me)Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Great headphones with some minor downsides

As comfortable as reviews have claimed this headphone to be, I've always found myself needing to adjust it. They're actually still quite good, however I feel as though the earcups could have been slightly larger, and my ears aren't all that big. This is possibly due to their circular shaping rather than a more elliptical one that would accommodate ears better. The headband itself is nicely padded. The indentations on the headband that are used to... Show More adjust the size of the headphone are too shallow and often require resetting to your preferred size. As for the sound quality, it sounds brilliant. It has served me well for the past two years, though the first pair that I received did not perform well when I conducted an audio sweep test upon it so I returned it for another pair. I am now noticing however that under conditions, medium-loud volumes of deep bass cause distortion in one of the drivers. I don't know if this is typical for headphones, however I don't find it acceptable as it can be distracting when critically listening to kicks or bass parts. I have been offered a repair service by Thomann. An alternative: AKG K-712 Pro.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Sound quality and comfort can co-exist!

After much trials and errors finding a headphone which sounds good and comfortable to wear, I finally discovered this headphone. I can wear it for many hours without feeling any pain on my ears. Before I found Thomann, I ordered two Sony headphones from Amazon - both were turned out to be counterfeits (MDR V900HD and MDR7506). I think one should be extremely careful to purchase things from the Amazon Market Place merchants. I managed to return ... Show Moreone of them but stuck with the other :(. I then ordered another one directly from Sony - which was genuine and comfortable but had very poor sound (MDR-1R). I then tried Sennheiser HD 598 from Amazon (not the Market Place) - sound was great but was extremely uncomfortable. It was quickly tucked in the original package and returned to Amazon. I could be one of those people with a "difficult fit" head and ears. But even for those with no such problem, I wholeheartedly recommend this headphone. It is way less oppressive than the completely closed type headphone and has more powerful base than the open type headphone. In other words - the best of both worlds :).Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

A great choice for sanity checking your bass frequencies.

These were recommended by a trusted friend and I'm really happy with them. Initially they sound underwhelming but that is because they aren't hyped at the top end. I find they have a tiny bit too much high mids 2-4khz although the overall tonal balance is excellent. They are a very relaxing headphone to use although they can like most over ear headphones press a little too hard onto the veins in front of your ears. I also have some... Show More well known closed back headphones and I would say that these are definitely nicer to use for long periods of time like when the kids are asleep. They don't fold up so they aren't the best choice for travelling and the open back design means you can only use them for tracking without a click - I've had click bleed come through quite obviously even at low levels. It's worth paying a little extra for headphones of this quality - they don't sound impressive but that's the point, they are honest enough and the bass end is much more honest and transferable than any other cans I have used.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Good but not quite the revelation I had hoped for

Previously been using the Superlux HD 681B headphones for mixing and general listening to music via an Audient ID4 interface and upgraded to these expecting a huge improvement. I gave them several overnight sessions on 'pink noise' via You Tube to burn them in before properly evaluating them. Yes, they sound pretty good and are obviously a bit quieter due to the higher impedance vs the Superlux (2x32 ohms) but I found them a little muddy if I'm h... Show Moreonest, even listening to albums known for being well mixed/mastered. They are helpful for setting levels I would say but maybe they would sound better with an interface with a more powerful headphone amp. I haven't tried with a separate headphone amp yet as it seems the ID4 should be enough but I might upgrade the interface at some point to see if it sounds any different. I'd recommend pairing them with Tonebuster's Morphit to get the most neutral sound if you are using them for mixing or just like to listen to music with a more neutral sound balance.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Amazing quality for the price.

I bought these DT-880s for critical listening at home and they go beyond what I expected for headphones on this price range. The construction quality is very good and the 880s are very comfortable for long listening sessions, so much that sometimes I forget that I'm using headphones. I use glasses and had no problem with the sealing around the ear, the pads mold easily to the shape of the head. The sound quality is very detailed for t... Show Morehis price range but don't expect a lot of bass. These headphones can be driven to average sound levels on most decent portable players but they need some power to show their true quality. As a semi-open design I don't notice too much sound leaking outside at moderate sound levels. The sound isolation of the 880s is not very good, thus my advise is not using them on noisy places. I don't have anything bad to say about these headphones for home use.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Great choice for the pro and amateur alike

I did plenty of research before buying these, and I haven't been disappointed. Their direct competitor is the Sennheiser 650's and although they are rated as some of the best mixing headphones out there, these are also on par. The bass response has been argued to be more 'genuine' as in less hyped than the Sennheiser's and I have to say that it seems to translate to other speakers very well. The sound is open, clear and well defined througho... Show Moreut the spectrum and while I haven't used the Sennheiser's, I can say that for mixing and listening on headphones, these will allow you to do a professional job and also enjoy music or audio very close to the way the artists intended it to be. Not great for isolated recording as they are semi-open so there is bleed, but it can be fine in a busy mix. Comfy for long periods, simply put, they sound fantastic! (May need headphone preamp to get high volumes)Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

These headphones are amazing! I've got them for a while now and they are just outstanding. I use them to create music and sound effects for games. PROS: - Crystal clear and balanced sound. - Honest representation of low, mid and high frequencies. - Marvelous frequency range. - Astonishing comfort. - Premium feel and looks. - Great build quality. CONS: - If the cable breaks, you can't replace it yourself but have to send it... Show More to the manufacturer to get it replaced. Though, that definitely didn't stop me from buying this product. - For a semi-open pair of headphones, they let more sound through than I first expected, but that doesn't bother me at all. Though, I can imagine you wouldn't want to use these at locations that are very noisy. In short: For this price, this is --without doubt-- the best pair of headphones you can get.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

great headphones

For anyone out there mixing and recording in less than ideal mixing/recording circumstances: if you need to get a reliable audio-image of your recordings for mixing your tracks, this headphone is fantastic. The sound is sublime and made me hear things I never even imagined were present in my music: the bass tends to be a bit low to my opinion because I was used to other (worse) headphones, but I think this headphone's bass is a correct rendering ... Show Moreof the bass frequencies though, I just need to get used to this better headphone. A slight comment on comfort is that it is kind of tight around the head after working for some hours, but this is only a minor problem: the sound quality of this headphone is unbelievable and I will never use another anymore: highly recommended!Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Excellent for home recording and audio listening

I'd expect nothing more for the asking price, yet the sound quality is surprisingly good. In the past I've had some Sennheiser headphones (including expensive hifi models) and DT-880 Pro are first headphones from different producer. I am using them as my main monitoring equipment (for listening music rather prefer loudspeakers) especially when working with synthesizers and bass guitar. They might be a bit too rich in high tones with high gain dis... Show Moretortion and some of users might find them a bit too quiet. Those headphones might be also not suitable for longer sessions as after a couple of hours they make my ears sore (in this category Sennheiser HD 600 wins!). However overall impression is very much positive.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Great quality and price

Best value and quality, especially for the money! I'd say best semi-open mixing earphones, there are lots of very expensive headphones, but do they deliver the better sound? I have Sony 7509HD also, which are really great closed back earphones, if i may bring in such a comparison... But compared to Sony, the Beyerdynamic DT880 (being a semi-open) gives extra sense of room (reverb) and instrument positioning. Don't know how to describe it better. ... Show MoreBut just listening to different kind of mixes / music, somehow the use of the reverb and room is more obvious. And of course you can mix low-mids and low end on them! Pleasure and interesting for just listening, plus great help while mixing. I really recommend them!Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Blown away

Hi all, I am using these headphones in a home studio producing electronic music. Coming from the dj side of things I have happily used Sennheiser hd25s for the last 10 years but since jumping into production, I needed something far more "honest". after reading the reviews here on Thomann, I made the decision to purchase the DT-880 PRO . I can honestly say I was blown away by the clarity and comfort of these. the detail and response is just i... Show Morencredible. Pros: clarity comfort sound stage build cons : not really a con but interchangeable cable would of been a nice addition would definitely recommend these to anyone that is looking for an amazing workhorseShow Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Fantastic sound and feel

The sound of these headphones is well-known - they sound great, with a fairly even response. I bought them primarily because the SonarWorks Reference 3 plug-in as a profile for them which helps even out the response even better for monitoring and mixing. Paired together it's great. The construction of the headphones are top-notch - good quality plugs and cables. Nothing feels cheap or appears built to break. I wish I could say the same about... Show More some of the other headphones I've purchased over the years. The best part of these are the soft-cloth ear pads which, in my opinion, are the most comfortable ear pads I've ever used. I can wear the headphones for hours without issues or discomfort.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Professional monitoring and mixing headphones

These headphones are a pleasure to use. Extremely comfortable and crystal clear sound make for extended use for both monitoring and mixing applications? catch every detail with these headphones! There are difference impedance versions so make sure to get the version that will best suit your headphone amplifier. 250 Ohms version is suitable for professional equipment in my experience although it may result in a bit of lower volume for use with con... Show Moresumer equipment. Used these headphones regularly also with an Apogee Duet and the performance is flawless. They also come with their own carry bag although it is a bit big to carry around so these should best stay at home or at the studio.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

The most comforable, uncoloured and honest sounding headphones

The Beyer DT 880's are the most accurate, clean, uncoloured and pure sounding headphones I've ever heard. They sound amazing right out of the box. The more I listen to them the more I love them and realise how good they are. They are meant to be semi-open headphones with little bit isolation feature of closed back headphones, but I've found them only open back headphones with no isolation, they is nothing about this headphones that suggests t... Show Morehey are closed back. All in all these are well-built, inexpensive and truly uncoloured headphones, I'd surly recommend them to anyone who wants a natural, open, pure and very high quality sound from a tough set of headphones.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Great for using with a processor and doing patches!

Got these to use with my Axe FXII as I wanted headphones I could wear for long periods - that would not give me ear fatigue and would also give a very true reproduction of the sounds I was attempting to programme. These do all of that - and are excellent quality as well. They are very comfortable and well put together. The only slight comment I would make is that if you are using them exclusively for listening to music - I would consider getti... Show Moreng the more sensitive versions -as mine are at the limit f what is useable with say an iPod - and I wish I had got the more sensitive version of the DT-880 for this reason. Overall though excellent value for money.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Beautiful open sound

Got these on the recommendation of a fellow professional, and have never looked back. They are my first choice of cans for mixing and mastering. The only way I can describe them is that when listening to a mix on the monitors and then putting them on nothing changes except the sound stage opens up a little as would be expected. The open back design gives far better transparency but obviously makes them unsuitable for tracking. They are absolu... Show Moretely lovely to wear and do not fatigue even after a few hours. I would recommend these to anyone, especially if you cannot afford good monitors or your control room isn't the best. Very Honest cans.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Awesome

These headphones are a great all-rounder. They do everything well and the price is very fair. I use them mostly for listening to music, gaming and as reference for recording (together with other things). They are semi-open, so they have a respectable sound stage while not being obnoxiously loud to people around you. The velour pads are the most comfortable I've ever experienced. The only gripe I have with the comfort is that the he... Show Moreadband doesn't have a huge surface area and you sometimes become aware of it after long sessions. I would also have liked if the cord was detachable, but I haven't had any problems with it.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Really really good monitoring headphone. I tried the Premium Edition first, which is more loose on the head so the clamping force is lesser than the Pro edition. One of the difference is coiled cable, which is really important if you are working in the studio and there are many devices-cables around. One problem I have is the right ear sometimes distort, and I can't understand is it because of the drive or because the clamp force is not enough there. But still it's a really good headphone, especially for these price range. Would recommend to anyone who are looking for a nice monitoring cans.

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Subtle differences to DT-770 Pro

As a previous owner of DT-770 I find these headphones quite similar. Both are high quality with a great sound (albeit a bit too much bass). My DT-770 broke after 7 years (!!!) so it wasn't hard to decide I wanted to buy from Beyerdynamic again. I can't be really objective in my review as I am emotionally attached to this brand already. They are great headphones. Leave your "What if the AKG headphones sound better" at the door and be assured you are buying a premium headset. I'm confident most of you will like them too.

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

With a small correction is excellent!

If you take down some 5-10K and boost bass its a perfect headphone. Deep sound 3D. Not like some other where are only treble.... I put an EQ and lower the gain so it doesn't clips when doing correction. Maybe you need a loud amplifier of headphones if your audio interface hasn't got enough power. But mine has (SPL Crimson 2) Glad I bought these. Very happy at last I found a nice headphone. had ATH M50X (very treble sound) If you like deep sound get these. I recommend Sonarworks Reference headphone edition to correct them.

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com