Review on 🎧 Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro: Superior Over-Ear Studio Headphones for Professionals by Kaylon Mackey

Firstly I have the 600 ohm version of this, not the 250 ohm version shown under the 'Review' heading above. I originally ordered the 250 ohm but changed my mind and bought the 600 ohm version as I will be driving it with a good HP amp and will only use it at home. Then I bought these phones for $164.99 - a great value. Headphone prices can vary wildly and if you are patient you can get them for a good price. I see them selling for $289 at regular retail so wait for the price to get to you. I also currently own them with a pair of Sennheiser HD 600s - another acclaimed great pair of headphones for the price. I also have a pair of Sony MDR 7506s that I use for "service" purposes. The headphone amp I use is the Beyerdynamic A20 which I think is also a great HP amp if you can get it for the right price. When I saw it temporarily drop to $299 I jumped at it and couldn't be happier. I also have a Schiit Asgaard, again considered a great HP amp for the money, but it didn't drive the 600 ohm DT880 well enough, nor was it the best option for the 300 ohm HD 600. Me also tried the Valhalla II but wasn't thrilled because it sounded "stuck" between solid state and tube amp - not tube enough to be considered a tube amp to me and with its "low" impedance of 14 Oh I wasn't how impressed. . with 600 Ohm DT880 than with Beyer A20. The Valhalla II gave more volume/power, but the A20 sounded more refined in the highs and mids to me. YMMV. So the obvious question is how do I compare the Beyer DT880 600 Ohm to the Senn HD 600? Well obviously they are both great headphones. But for my ears, after many hours of listening, I like the DT 880 a little better. There are a lot of "Neutral vs Natural” comments when comparing these headphones, and I see some of them popping up in these two phones. Interestingly, I find the DT880 more "natural" than the HD 600. I've heard phrases like "Sennheiser veils" and sometimes I just feel like the DT880 is more open, more natural and just a little better in the mids and highs. Well, while price alone doesn't make a phone sound better or worse, given that I bought the DT880 for $100 less than the HD600, only the fact that they're so close in specs does it make it that much nicer . Dt880. The same goes for jazz. For vocals and soft rock I like the HD 600 a bit more, for classic rock and hard rock I like the DT880, sometimes the HD600. I generally use the DT880 more and prefer its RIAA curve fidelity. But remember that every ear is different and headphones are just as individual as the sound - even more so than speakers because the headphones sit directly over your ears and will reveal a lot more if there are any flaws in the sound. When it comes to comfort, for my head shape and size there's no competition between the HD600 and DT880 - the Dt880 is like wearing a comfy pillow, while the HD 600 has too much clamping force and the headphones aren't as comfortable. After wearing the HD600 for about 20 minutes I know it's on my head and I remember it's there - compared to the DT880 which just disappears and you don't even think about it. Due to the shape of the ear cups and cushion, the DT880 can get a bit warm in high ambient temperatures, but in most cases the DT880 is simply more comfortable. Period. I know everyone's head shape and size is different, but there seems to be a common denominator: most find the DT880 more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Next, I like the detachable cable better on the HD600, so if you happen to be on the cable it detaches instead of being able to damage it. Additionally, the HD 600 has a cord for each cup, which while it can mean dangling another cord, also means it doesn't have to be routed through the headband, which some claim could be a durability benefit. However, the DT880 looks better, is thicker and feels nicer. I'm thinking of trying a pair of HD650's for comparison, just wondering how they stack up. I'm a big Senn fan as I also own the RS 185 and Momentum M2 cordless phones which are best in class. But thanks to the DT880's performance and affordability, I've just become a Beyerdynamic fan. Now that I have so much experience with the DT880 and the A20 headphone amp, I am inclined to try more of their products. Great headphones for the money, especially when the price drops to $170, which I see regularly. I have no problem with the recommendation. Thank you for reading.