Although most full-size headphones with audiophile pretensions have open designs that allow the listener to hear outside sounds, a few models are closed to hush ambient noise. The Beyerdynamic DT 880s have a semi-open design that combines the attributes of open and closed headphones. The DT 880s let you hear the outside world, but their external, radiated sound isn't as loud as it would be with open headphones, so it won't bother people around you. The headphones carry a £233 list price, but you can find them going for around £160 online.
Svelte perforated-aluminium ear cups, velvety ear pads and a thickly padded headband contribute to the stellar looks of the Beyerdynamic DT 880s. The headphones come packed in a foam-padded aluminium storage case that's almost as smart as the headphones themselves -- you definitely won't want to hide them in a closet. The DT 880s weigh 269g and come with a single-sided 3m cable terminated with a gold-plated miniplug. Beyerdynamic provides a screw-on, gold-plated 1/4-inch plug for home use and throws in a 5m headphone-extension cable with 1/4-inch connectors. These headphones are intended as stay-at-home models -- they're too big and bulky to travel with. The headphones are also power hungry, so puny iPods and MP3 players won't supply enough juice to produce much volume. High-end headphones are typically best suited to plug into an AV receiver.
Comfort levels were among the best we've experienced. The pillow-soft ear pads barely seemed to press against our ears. Even after long hours of use, we were hardly aware we were wearing headphones.
The Beyerdynamic DT 880s weren't shy about putting us in the middle of the climatic disturbances of the DVD The Day After Tomorrow. The extremes of wind, hail, torrential rains and a pounding tsunami were chillingly visceral. The AKG K 601s provided a more spacious soundstage, but the DT 880s were no slouch in that department, and we imagine some buyers might prefer their more 'close-up' sonic perspective.
The Beyerdynamic DT 880s sounded rich and natural on Randy Newman's Louisiana 1927 track from the Our New Orleans benefit CD. The DT 880s did justice to the ravishing strings, and Newman's vocals and piano sounded wonderfully realistic. Moreover, we preferred the DT 880s over the K 601s on Phish's Billy Breathes CD.
While the sound of the Beyerdynamic DT 880s may have been a bit narrow at times, the K 601s put a little too much space between the music and our ears. Though their perspectives are different, the quality and the price of both headphones are remarkably similar.
Edited by David Rudden
Additional editing by Kate Macefield
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boatdeck 14 January 2012
Good: No colouration, perfect window on the original sound
Bad: Honestly nothing
Comment: I've read a few reviews of the DT880 and many of them mention a thin, narrow, or pinched quality to the bass. I was hugesly disappointed when I got mine to find this true. My in-ear Klipsch 'phones made a much better impact though less detail and rougher through the rest of the spectrum. BUT these Beyer's need running in. 3 months later its like a different pair of phones altogether. Where the recording instructs they deliver ! The inceased depth and power in the low end widens up the whole event, its hard to describe the sound of a component with NO sound of its own. I'm picky when it comes to sound but after running these are just perfect, but give no clue as to their abilities out of the box.
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