šŸ”¶ Beyerdynamic DT880 600Ī©

Mine had the 600 ohm label on the headband right under the ā€œRā€ by the serial.

Just rolled in some NOS Brimar 12AE6 so much grunt and control with the 880s. The increased gain means the volume never hits 12 oā€™clock even with the 600ohm Beyers. Definately prefer the minimax over the a90 with these.

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I found a good deal on them and jumped on it.To be clear, you canā€™t run them balanced right?

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If you modify them you can

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Does anyone have experience with these and the Mayflower Arc Mk2? Itā€™s max output is 92mW @ 600 ohms:


ā€¢ Max Output (600 Ohms): 92 mW (THD+N < 0.003%)

The ark can get them loud enough, but imo sounds a bit dry and lifeless with the 880, also can be a bit too bright, but it will power them

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92mw @ 600ohms, it has the drive capability on paper but when you factor in the 880 600ohm has impedance spikes at lower frequencies in excess of 720ohmsā€¦ You might want to opt for something which swings a bit more voltage.

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Thatā€™s too bad. I have an Arc Mk2 on the way. Any suggestions on something similar with a mic input that would drive them? Or can/should I pair the Arc Mk2 with a good amp to drive them?

I mean for kinda close to the price of the arc mk2, you could honestly get something like an asgard 3 with an audio interface like a focusrite scarlett solo (and an adapter like an antlion xlr adapter), and while this would be more around the 300 range, it would give you a higher quality amp that is more suited for driving the 880 and also a higher quality mic input with room to expand in the future.

You could keep the arc and grab an amp like the liquid spark which would be a better match for the 880 but at that point you wouldnā€™t really be getting good value for money imo since you would only be using the arc as a dac and mic input (and at that point if you wanted to stay around the 200 range you might as well just plug the mic into your motherboard and grab a dac like the earmen donald or topping e30 instead of an arc as a dac only)

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Not worried about the price, I just want something that will drive them to their potential, but I also would prefer a minimalist setup (I donā€™t like a ton of cables). But if the best option is a ton of cables I could live with it.

So you can get a more minimalist setup like an all in one, the issue is that imo none of the all in ones with mics really drive the 880 600 ohm as well as I would want tbh. You can get something like a jds element ii for something very clean and neutral, or the asgard 3 with multibit module for something smoother and warmer. The thing is you would just have to plug the mic into the motherboard audio in that case

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I had long abandoned my DT880/600s for HD600/650s, but prompted in part by Zeosā€™s recent adulatory review and my recent purchase of an Asgard 3/4490, I thought maybe it was time to reassess.

I have to say that, first of all, improving the amp has definitely improved the sound. The signature of the 880s is what I remember it being, only now itā€™s all better and more interesting. And holy crap is the treble just fantastic. So clear and revealing. I used to think it overly bright, but now not so much. The difference with the Senns is sufficiently striking that Iā€™m now motivated to listen through all my stuff. Is it ā€˜betterā€™ than the Senns? I donā€™t know about that, but I think with time Iā€™ll figure out which tracks are better suited. So far, classical and acoustic in general. Sopranos. Really exceptional sound.

Now, Iā€™ve heard that the A3 is far from at full power if Iā€™m using the 4490 card. Maybe Iā€™ll connect with my ES100 or BTR5 as an external dac just to see what happens thenā€¦

Iā€™ve just been listening to Alison Balsomā€™s Bach works for trumpet album, and I can really appreciate the DT880ā€™s gifts. Gorgeous tone and detail. One weird thing: whereas Iā€™m sure I could have heard her breathing on the Sennheisers had I been paying attention, Iā€™d never been so aware of her breathing as I am with the Beyers.

Iā€™m also beginning to think the Senns are better for casual listening, and the Beyers for more critical listening. I find myself paying attention more to the music with the DT880s while Iā€™m working with music on. It demands that. The Sennheisers reward critical listening but donā€™t encourage it as much.

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A3 and 880 are a great match, I feel that the 880 is the true under $200 king, not the 6xx. The stage and seperation is much better than the 6xx. They both do scale well, and I have only heard the 880 on the higher tier amps, so take it with a grain of salt, but id choose 880 over 6xx anyday. 880 signature is just great.

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I agree. Pretty sure Iā€™m in the minority, but the 880 bests the 6XX on midrange timbre, IMO. I understand the 6XX scales up really well with higher tier amps - particularly tube amps - but my ears and the 6XX mids just never got along. The 880 also scales up well. It sounds good on a Liquid Spark, really good on the A3, and better than a $200 headphone has any right to on a Liquid Plat.

Edit: for this part to be true, you really need to balance mod the 880 and run it off the LP balanced. Thatā€™s a big caveat that needs mentioning.

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Yea even sounds good on my phone lol

Wow. That phone have a V8 in it? :rofl:

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Damn, just a v6, will more horsepower be better??? :fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire::fire:
But itā€™s really a LG v20 lol, so does have a decent amp lol

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Put a couple of turbos on that bad boy and you should be fine.

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I never liked the HD6XXā€™s at all so I give the win to the DT880ā€™s. :grin:

I put the 880ā€™s back on today:
DAC to Schiit Loki to tube amp to DT880ā€™s. Man, these things sound great. Decent amount of bass, nice mids and no sharp highs. I know I am repeating myself but, best cheap headphones I have bought in years!

And also sound great on my Violectric with some dip switch sorcery.

These and the Sundaraā€™s belong in some kind of ā€œGreat Valueā€ category. Both were a huge surprise to me with their overall goodness, for the price.

Two of @MONā€™s more (only?) economical recommendations! :smile:

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Thanks, folks. Been wondering about 880 vs 6xx and this is helpful. Donā€™t recall earlier commentsā€¦do you think an e30/ Atom combo will handle the 88O or is Asgard 3 level a must?
Andā€¦since I am considering a dynamic to go with my Sundaras, which I like, is the 880 a possible contender?