Upgrade from Beyer DT880 Pro 250ohm?

Variable

Variable

Inspired
Wondering what the next level might be from the DT880 Pro. I like these cans a lot with the Axe for silent practicing, but I often wonder if there is a better choice. My main gripe with them would be what seems like a blurry and soft bass and midrange, and slightly too spiky treble. What I like about them is they are lively and seem to provide a good representation of the amp I’m playing, and they’re super comfortable.

I’ve been considering the Ollo S4X and S5X, but also wondering what other upgrades might be in the 300-500 range.
 
What are you comparing them to, in person, which makes them blurry and soft bass with spikey treble? Theres so many ways to eq in the axe that seems like something that can be sorted out?
 
I use the DT880 pro and haven’t noticed that in the tone. But when Indo buy a new pair it will be Ollo’s
 
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I noticed the same issues with every beyerdynamic I’ve tried. Sennheiser HD600 was a big upgrade from those, and Ollo S4X and subsequently S5X were big upgrades from the HD600. They have actual clarity in the low end and high end, not just a hyped smiley face EQ with a wall of mud below 150hz.
 
I wonder if my perception is skewed because I have used them so long and o less than stellar sources like YouTube or iTunes.
 
strabes said:
I noticed the same issues with every beyerdynamic I’ve tried. Sennheiser HD600 was a big upgrade from those, and Ollo S4X and subsequently S5X were big upgrades from the HD600. They have actual clarity in the low end and high end, not just a hyped smiley face EQ with a wall of mud below 150hz.
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Thanks. What would you say the biggest difference between the S4X and S5X are? I've read the S4X is warmer, but I also wonder if there is a big enough quality difference to justify the extra $100 upcharge for more top end on the S5X.
 
Before counting out your DT-880 Pros, go check out https://autoeq.app, pull up the profile for the 880s, and try EQing them to one of the EQ curves for that set (you can download the EQ file, or just input the settings into a parametric EQ.) I like oratory1990's EQ curves the best I think. The site itself allows you to test this in real time.
 
Variable said:
Thanks. What would you say the biggest difference between the S4X and S5X are? I've read the S4X is warmer, but I also wonder if there is a big enough quality difference to justify the extra $100 upcharge for more top end on the S5X.
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The S4X is slightly darker than the S5X. Can’t say if the difference is worth it for you, it was for me.

I would avoid EQ fixes like the one mentioned above on lower quality headphones, which imo would include beyerdynamic. In the same way that EQ or different IRs can’t make inferior modeling platforms sound/feel as good as Fractal, EQ cannot fix nonlinear issues on speakers/headphones e.g. lack of clarity, distortion, low headroom, smearing, poor imaging, flubby low end, etc. If it could, we would all just use $10 skull candy headphones with an EQ curve.

Had the same issues with products like Slate VSX too fyi, just sounded like cheap headphones with various EQ curves applied, they don’t actually clearly reproduce low frequencies for example.

Hard to explain with words but once you get a high quality pair like Ollo and you listen to a well-produced modern track and hear the separation between the kick, sub bass, and bass guitar instead of a flubby wall of mud, you’ll know why I praise these units so highly, especially given their price.
 
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Jumped off the Headphone Wagon and now use my FutureSonics MG5X IEMs. I like that they are tuned to my particular ear canals (a virtually nonexistent airspace) vs. headphones that are somewhat more generic in that they rely on an "average ear" size/shape inside the earcup airspace. LF response is deeper AND tighter than cans, and FutureSonics single dynamic drivers mean terrific phase accuracy for pretty awesome MR/HF imaging.

When I do use cans it's either Audix 150s or my ever-trusty AKG K240s.
 
strabes said:
... lower quality headphones, which imo would include beyerdynamic
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Yikes! Just a worldwide accepted industry standard is all. We are in complete agreement, however, on the value of electronic solutions to mechanical shortcomings.
 
touch33 said:
Yikes! Just a worldwide accepted industry standard is all.
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So are Sony MDR7506 but they are by no means a quality headphone if the criteria is accuracy. Even just a quick look at their frequency response measurements show this, let alone the nonlinear stuff I mentioned. I’m sure some people really like the sound of those units but that doesn’t mean they’re accurate.
 
strabes said:
I would avoid EQ fixes like the one mentioned above on lower quality headphones, which imo would include beyerdynamic. In the same way that EQ or different IRs can’t make inferior modeling platforms sound/feel as good as Fractal, EQ cannot fix nonlinear issues on speakers/headphones e.g. lack of clarity, distortion, low headroom, smearing, poor imaging, flubby low end, etc. If it could, we would all just use $10 skull candy headphones with an EQ curve.
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I have the OLLO S5X, along with the 880 Pros and several other varieties of cans and IEMs. I have recommended the OLLOs many times here, but I have to very much respectfully disagree with the prognosis of just straight-up avoiding EQ on what you are considering "lower quality" headphones. (I also respectfully disagree that Beyerdynamic's DT series is of "lower quality," but to each his own.) Things that become industry standards generally do-so for a reason, and it's not always because they sound the best (I'm looking at you, NS-10s.) That said, bang-for-the-buck, I think Beyers are great for all-around headphone use. If one has the ability via EQ to make them sound closer to what your ears consider "correct," I'm not sure I'm understanding why that's a problem. To me, that would be like complaining that the TV doesn't look good in the current room with its factory settings, and returning it without customizing it for the context.
 
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Not exactly the same but I went from DT 770 Pro 80 ohm to Ollo S4X and I’ve been very happy with the switch. With the Beyerdynamic I felt an EQ correction curve was absolutely necessary, and I haven’t felt that way with the Ollo. To my ears they are very very close to what comes out of my monitors. I work graveyard shift, so a lot of my jamming is done at night with headphones. Because of this it was worth the investment.
 
strabes said:
I would avoid EQ fixes like the one mentioned above on lower quality headphones, which imo would include beyerdynamic. In the same way that EQ or different IRs can’t make inferior modeling platforms sound/feel as good as Fractal, EQ cannot fix nonlinear issues on speakers/headphones e.g. lack of clarity, distortion, low headroom, smearing, poor imaging, flubby low end, etc. If it could, we would all just use $10 skull candy headphones with an EQ curve.
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IMO EQ fixes can work to correct the most glaring problems. I prefer the Sennheiser HD6XX with modelers, but use the DT990 Pros in every day listening with EQ correction because they are more comfortable.
 
Checkout this site: https://www.autoeq.app/
Just type in the DT880 250s and it will give you multiple options(30 band, 10 band, etc) you can create an eq in your chain just for headphone.
I use DT880 250's on the Focusrite 6i6 with recording and playing through amp sims and find them pretty good.
Example below. They have most popular and a lot of phones i never heard off, including BlueTooth inner ears.

eq phones.JPG
 
Senheisser HD600 series is always a classic reference quality headphone for the midrange, and the Drop HD6XX is a much cheaper version of the HD650 (slightly warmer than the 600) which is phenomenal bang for your buck below your price range. It should sort out the spiky highs problem, but on an open back headphone your bass frequencies are always going to be a little underrepresented.
 
So I picked up a pair of Ollo S5Xs, but I am wondering if my pair are defective. At about the same volume level as the DT880s, it seems like there is a sympathetic rattle around the frequency of C that makes both cans buzz horribly. S5X users, Is that normal?
 
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