Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm vs DT880 Premium 32 Ohm Headphones

maschoff

Experienced
I recently got my hands on the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm and DT880 Premium 32 Ohm Headphones in the same room as my AXE-FX II and I wanted to give anyone interested in either of these headphones my impressions of them. Both are great headphones, the 770s @ ~$200 US and the 880s @ ~$350 US made my bose headphones sound like a Playskool toy, so I suggest either depending on your price range. However, the 880s are like listening to an amp in the room with the axe while the 770s are like listening to the axe through my QSC K12s. The 880s are remarkable, I heard tones I had never heard before and the axe sounded so real, like a real tube amp. The 770s sounded crispy and distant at all volumes in comparison. The 880s are almost twice the price, but more than twice as nice. For the extra $150, I would save my money for the 880s.
 
I'm looking at Sweetwater website and it list the DT880 pro nominal impedance at 250 ohm. Are these the same headphones you guys are talking about? I def need a good pair of headphones for my AxeFX. Thanks!
 
Is there a difference in tone between 32, 250 and 600 ohms versions ?
Which one prefer for axefx/daw ?

I'm not sure about a difference in tone, but a 600 ohm version would most definately need a headphone amp (and most headphone amps do color the tone slightly). With the 250 ohm version, I'd guess the output knob on the Axe would have to be fairly high.

I used to have the 80 ohm version of the DT770s. They did fine without a headphone amp but are far from a flat eq. They have a big dip in the 2-5khz region which makes the high-highs and lows really stand out (makes them scooped-sounding). Great for games and movies. Not great for guitar and guitar-based music.

The ear design has to be taken into consideration as well. The 880s are open while the 770s are closed. If you absolutely need isolation (very little sound coming in or going out), the 880s won't work for you. Personally, I prefer an open design. Seems to make things sound more natural and I like being able to actually hear the sound of my pick physically hitting the strings.
 
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