Beyerdynamic Choices

judsonw

Super Member
I am thinking of maybe picking up a set of Beyerdynamic headphones. I have Sennheiser HD600s that I like, but am also intrigued by the DT 770, DT 880, and DT 990. Does anyone have experience with any of these to compare?

I will be looking for a place where I can try to listen to them myself, but in the meantime, I am interested in what people think of them.
 
The 770s are closed, the 880s are semi open and the 990s are open.

The 770s have fun bass. the 880s are a bit bass light, sort of like the HD650s.

The 770s and 990s can be VERY sharp in the treble. If you mostly listen to well-recorded and mastered music the 770s and 990s are OK (in my opinion) but the 880s are the only ones I could use as my main phones.

There are also differences between Pros and Premiums and there are different impedance versions of each,

I really like the comfort of them in general. The 880 Pros in 250 OHMs are what I went for.

You could always buy a few pairs and return the ones you don't prefer.
 
I will be getting the 600 ohm version of whichever one I get (leaning towards the 880). I may order 880 and 990 to test what I like, but I admit I still have a small internal hesitation of ordering with the intent to possibly return something. Something I should get over at some point.
 
Several years ago I switched from HD 600s to 600 ohm DT 990 Premium and, on my set up at least, I loved the change. I have since gone to DT 1990s and have never looked back. On a separate, office system, I use 250 ohm DT 770 Pros and really enjoy them. In both cases I'm using the cans with tubes.
 
Beyerdynamic headphones are really well made and super comfy but I'd definitely give them a try first, the sound is not for everyone. I went from the 990 to the T90 a while ago and I had to get rid of them soon after. The highs of those things were just incredibly exhausting, I coudln't use them for more than half an hour at a time.
 
IMO any of the beyerdynamics listed would've a downgrade from hd600s. DT880s are the most balanced but I found them lacking the resolution hd600s provide.

If you desire a different sonic signature to play with, go ahead and grab a pair, I've seen beyerdynamics sell for less than $150 in closeout sales etc
 
For me, Beyerdynamics sound is better than HD 6xx. The Senns have nice midrange (I had the HD 650 for two years) but not the extension, detail and sparkle of the 770/880/990. They sounded a bit veiled to me. Plus I like bass to sound natural and most Sennheisers are admittedly a bit bass heavy. Some worse than others. But I gave up trying to declare a winner for others. Beyers just work for me. Some AKGs are similar to Beyerdynamics in sound. The AKG K701 and K712 are both really good as well. I would say that if you really like treble give Beyers a try. They are amazing with tubes.
 
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The TOTL T1--2nd gen. is currently on sale for $699 shipped.

BuyDig has the BeyerDynamic T1 Tesla 2nd Generation Audiophile Stereo Headphones (Special Edition) for a low $699.00 Free Shipping with Coupon Code: "TESLA" (Exp Soon). Tax in NY, NJ. This normally sells for $1099 (list $1299.

I appreciate the link and info about the TOTL headphones, but that is a bit outside my price range right now. Yes, I know I could save up, but right now I am doing a lot of overtime at work and am thinking of smaller expenses. I definitely want to climb the ladder of quality, but this year I am thinking mostly playing with headphones with different sonic signatures (maybe) and new preamp tubes for my integrated amp.

IMO any of the beyerdynamics listed would've a downgrade from hd600s. DT880s are the most balanced but I found them lacking the resolution hd600s provide.

If you desire a different sonic signature to play with, go ahead and grab a pair, I've seen beyerdynamics sell for less than $150 in closeout sales etc

I like the hd600s a lot. Part of me wants to play with different sonic signatures and higher impedance headphones. The price is low enough that I could see myself getting a pair to alternate use with the hd600s if I like them enough.

For me, Beyerdynamics sound is better than HD 6xx. The Senns have nice midrange (I had the HD 650 for two years) but not the extension, detail and sparkle of the 770/880/990. They sounded a bit veiled to me. Plus I like bass to sound natural and most Sennheisers are admittedly a bit bass heavy. Some worse than others. But I gave up trying to declare a winner for others. Beyers just work for me. Some AKGs are similar to Beyerdynamics in sound. The AKG K701 and K712 are both really good as well. I would say that if you really like treble give Beyers a try. They are amazing with tubes.

I am leaning more towards the 880/990 though having a closed back set might be worthwhile. They would be used with a Valhalla 2, so they would be with tubes. I have not rolled tubes in the Valhalla 2 yet but I may look into that later this year depending on how long overtime lasts this year. I would like to say I like neutral sounds, but I also admit I need to get more exposed to different headphones/speakers/etc. Clarity is important though.
 
The HD600s are quite a bit more open and airy on the top end than the 650/6xx. I think I may prefer the the treble balance of the 880 over that of the 650/6xx but to my ears, the 600 is definitely the most natural sounding of the 600/650/770/880/990. The Beyers sound like a transducer to me while the 600s - occasionally... with the right material - makes voices sound like they are in your head. In a healthy, of course.

I don't use the 6xxs much anymore as the top end sounds too rounded off or maybe 'shelved down' which will be fine for many listeners, but it's not my preference. I used to use the 880s for rock, metal, etc... which are very often less than well recorded. These days I tend to use the T50RPs in place of the 880s for fun music and either the 600s or the Q701s for less 'produced' like classical and jazz.
 
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The HD600s are quite a bit more open and airy on the top end than the 650/6xx. I think I may prefer the the treble balance of the 880 over that of the 650/6xx but to my ears, the 600 is definitely the most natural sounding of the 600/650/770/880/990. The Beyers sound like a transducer to me while the 600s - occasionally... with the right material - makes voices sound like they are in your head. In a healthy, of course.

I don't use the 6xxs much anymore as the top end sounds too rounded off or maybe 'shelved down' which will be fine for many listeners, but it's not my preference. I used to use the 880s for rock, metal, etc... which are very often less than well recorded. These days I tend to use the T50RPs in place of the 880s for fun music and either the 600s or the Q701s for less 'produced' like classical and jazz.

I can relate to the comment about the voices sounding like they are in your head. The first time I listened to "Baby Boy" by Rhiannon Giddens with headphones, I nearly jumped from the second verse.


Anyways, I appreciate everyone's input. I am not going to jump into anything immediately, but will let everyone know when I do pick up a set.
 
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