This is the translated version of my previous Thai entry, which you can find here.
Beyerdynamic DT880 is semi-open headphones, first launched in 1980, from Beyerdynamic. The company is credited as the inventor of dynamic headphones back in 1937 when they launched the legendary DT 48. DT880 has been in production for over 30 years since 1980 and loved for its accurate, faithful reproduction of sound. The pair reviewed here is the 2016 US limited edition ‘Black Special Edition’, which features black accents and foam pads, and is rated 250Ohm.
The headphones weigh 290g with 3-meter, single-entry cable which adds difficulty for portable use. The end of the cable is terminated in 3.5mm plug, and the package includes a screw-in 3.5-to-6.3mm adapter. Build quality is solid, with matte black coloration and black foam pads. The headband is single-piece metal covered by suede-like material. Overall comfort is top notch, as with most Beyer pairs.
Specifications:
Impedance = 250Ohm
Sensitivity = 96dB/1V
Power Handling = 300mW (unspecified conditions)
FR = 5Hz-35kHz
FR Response Graphs: for all impedance versions, for 250Ohm version, for 600Ohm version
Subjective Impression
DT880 sounds nice out of the box, and the pair is probably the best sounding cans in my entire headphone collection, which includes Alessandro MS1i, Alessandro MS Pro, Beyerdynamic DT990Pro 250Ohm. It is very easy to describe how these monsters sound; they are accurate. You hear what’s in the tracks and you don’t what’s not. Due to their semi-open design, they leak sound in and out and thus should perform best in very quiet environments. Following sections are detailed review. Warning: You’re gonna hear I describe them as clean and accurate for several times, because they are, literally.
Presentation: Compared to fellow brother fully-opened DT990, the semi-open 880 provides less width and depth in soundstage as well as separation and imaging. Although the imaging is still very nice with good layering especially at lower frequencies where DT990 fails to do such wonder because of its boomy bass.
Bass: Deep, clean, and very transparent bass is what everybody says about these cans. There’re no hikes in the low frequencies like the 80-100Hz boom in DT990 that kinda hinder the underlying lower frequencies. I’d say the bass is very accurate.
Midrange, vocals: DT880s provide the most uncolored, accurate reproduction of midrange I have ever heard, with great details and without the harshness of the DT990. The vocals are positioned right in the middle, or depending on the recordings. Vocals aren’t stupidly forwarded and in-your-face like Grado-style sound signature or ridiculously recessed like those from DT990.
Trebles: Highs are crisp, well extended, and aren’t rolled off too early like some cans. TBH, I dont experience any fatigue at all, despite my intact hearing. The trebles here help with detail retrieval. Although both DT880 and 990 have the same amount of details, DT880 doesn’t exaggerate these higher frequencies like the 990, so some may think the latter has more details. And the details in both cans are superb, you’re gonna hear almost everything in your track, although this statement does depend on your hearing condition.
Conclusion: These are highly recommended! If you want a faithful and accurate pair of cans to enjoy yourself the music the way the music makers intended you to hear, these are your answer. They deserved their place as once one of the top three headphones, along with AKG K701 and Sennheiser HD650.
Equipments used: MBP with touch bar, Fiio E17k as USB DAC, Fiio A5 as Amplifier.
artnoi 