Beyerdynamic DT 880

Measured

Every rig shows the same broad shape. Against the Harman over-ear target, oratory1990's GRAS run sits about 8 dB low at 20 Hz, 2.5 dB high at 200 Hz, about 2 dB low at 1.5–2 kHz and about 4 dB high at 6 kHz; RTINGS' curve agrees through the mids and runs hotter above 8 kHz. Against an HD 600 on the same rig, four rigs put the DT 880 at or above it in the deep bass, 1.5–4 dB below it somewhere between 1 and 3 kHz, and 4–11 dB above it between 6 and 10 kHz. SoundGuys measures it close to its studio curve outside a 7–10 kHz emphasis, and Sonarworks calls the 100 Hz–4 kHz span even and free of resonances.

vs. listeners — How neutral a given pair sounds may depend on the pair. Resolve, who measured several units of each impedance, concluded that the differences people attribute to the 32, 250 and 600 Ω versions are mostly unit variation, and two r/headphones owners report the same. oratory1990's Edition 600 file runs 3–8 dB brighter above 8 kHz than his standard DT 880 file, while DIY-Audio-Heaven found its Edition more even than its PRO — opposite directions, which is what sample-to-sample spread looks like. Beyerdynamic and several reviewers say the PRO and Edition sound identical; the data neither confirms nor rules it out.

Measured

Relative to the Harman target the bass is clearly shy: oratory1990 measures about −8 dB at 20 Hz and −4 dB at 50 Hz, RTINGS about −8 and −6 dB. Relative to the HD 600 on the same rig it is not: oratory1990, InnerFidelity, therollo9 and Super* Review all put the DT 880 2.5–4 dB above the HD 600 at 20 Hz, and the B&K 5128 rig roughly level. DIY-Audio-Heaven hears the bass as present and tight but finds it dropping below 100 Hz on its bass-compensated target. oratory1990's worn-pad measurement loses another ~4 dB at 50 Hz, so old pads alone can turn lean into thin.

vs. listeners — Ken Rockwell's claim of solid bass to well below 20 Hz is half-supported — the DT 880 does extend further than the HD 600 he compares it with — while ASR's "poor" is measured against Harman's bass shelf, which no rig says it reaches. The rigs also split on distortion: ASR found it off the charts at 104 dBSPL under bass EQ on a 600 Ω unit, while DIY-Audio-Heaven and Sonarworks found it unremarkable at normal levels. Both are right at their levels; the practical limit is how much bass boost it will take.

Measured

ASR finds the response hugging its preference curve from 500 Hz to 3 kHz, and Sonarworks measures 100 Hz–4 kHz as even and resonance-free. The rigs agree on a modest dip somewhere in 1–3 kHz — about 2 dB below Harman at 1.5–2 kHz on oratory1990's rig, up to 4 dB below an HD 600 on the 5128 and Super* rigs — which, with the treble lift above it, is the measured basis for the 'distant' reading.

Measured

Every rig sees the lift; they disagree on its height. Against an HD 600 on the same rig the DT 880 sits 4–6 dB higher around 6 kHz on oratory1990's and InnerFidelity's rigs and up to 11 dB higher at 6–7 kHz on therollo9's; RTINGS puts 8–9 kHz 10–13 dB over Harman, while Super* Review shows only 1–2 dB at 6–8 kHz and a dip at 9 kHz. DIY-Audio-Heaven finds resonances near 4.5 and 7 kHz, too brief to ring audibly — the elevation itself is what is heard. SoundGuys places the emphasis at 7–10 kHz and rates the DT 880's treble the most tempered of the DT 880 / DT 770 / DT 900 PRO X trio.

vs. listeners — The amp camp runs into DIY-Audio-Heaven's output-resistance sweep (0.2 to 120 Ω), which found 'the tonal balance of the DT 880 PRO does not change' — so an amp's output impedance doesn't move the treble. What a stronger amp does change is level: played louder, the lean bass fills in and the treble stops dominating, and tube amps add their own softening. Above 8 kHz the rigs spread by more than 15 dB, so how piercing a given pair sounds also depends on the pair and the ear.

Measured

ASR grades the spatial quality B+/A- and attributes it to the treble peaks; RTINGS scores the passive soundstage as spacious. DIY-Audio-Heaven is more reserved, calling the image normal to somewhat wide.

Measured

Channel matching is the physical basis. DIY-Audio-Heaven calls its PRO's matching excellent and measures the coiled cable's shared return wire at about −47 dB of crosstalk, too little to disturb the image; Sonarworks reports channel deviations as rare across the many units it has calibrated; three squig rigs show left and right within about 1 dB below 6 kHz.

Measured

DIY-Audio-Heaven's step response shows a fast attack and its CSD a clean decay, so the driver itself is quick. It ties the perceived detail to the treble elevation — the same lift that brings the sharpness. Resolve makes the same argument on the listening side: brighter tuning adds a sense of detail, while the HD 6XX and HD 560S separate instruments better at a similar price.

Measured

DIY-Audio-Heaven's step response shows a fast attack with about 3 dB of overshoot and a steep drop after 1 ms. Distortion depends on level: DIY-Audio-Heaven finds it low enough for a dynamic driver and Sonarworks calls it no issue at sensible levels, while ASR's 600 Ω unit reached speaker-like distortion at 20 Hz by 104 dBSPL under bass EQ.

Measured

Beyerdynamic rates the PRO's headband pressure at 3.5 N on its spec sheet (approx. 3.5–5.5 N on its US page) and the Edition's at about 2.8 N. DIY-Audio-Heaven measures the pad opening at 58 mm across and 20 mm deep, recommends the softer Edition for music listening, and found that glasses cost no bass. Amazon owners of the PRO mention comfort 42 times positively and 14 times negatively.

Measured

Sonarworks, which receives many used pairs for calibration, reports that on worn units the headband slider can stick, and names the fixed cable as its only build complaint. A long-term r/headphones owner lists the sliders, headband and pads as the only parts replaced in thirteen years of daily use. Amazon PRO owners split on the cable 5 positive to 12 negative while rating build 19 to 5.

Measured

RTINGS rates it poor for commuting and office use because of the noise it lets in and the sound it leaks. Sonarworks lists its best use as anything that doesn't require sound isolation.

Measured

Beyerdynamic's US store lists the PRO at $249.99 and the Edition at $199.99; in Germany the PRO sells for about 190–200 € and the last 600 Ω Editions for 139 €. Sonarworks rates value 9/10 and judges the calibrated DT 880 virtually equal to the HD 650, with spare parts half the price. Amazon PRO owners mention value 59 times positively and 6 times negatively. Resolve, on the other side, concludes the 250 Ω version is not worth it at around $200 against the HD 6XX and HD 560S.