askl2000 0 Report post Posted January 25, 2006 hmm anyone owning old model care for comparison? anyway, those features that beyer decided to keep are those good ones they kicked away the coil cable hmm why dun they make the cable detachable... easier for me to try changing the cable. see if I can open it up easily and see wat's inside askl2000: anything to substantiate that? i mean from where u read, whoever stated just a "facelift" has any proves? measurement? not just those "audiophilic" words not that I'm defending beyer or anything. my 1st beyer anyway I just wanna know more. if it's just a facelift then I think beyer ought to convey that somehow.... I just dont like corporates that hide things As mentioned, I can't remember where exactly I read about it, could be from a e-retailer's website, or in some forum. If I come across it again, I will post the source, but based on what jmilo posted, I think I read 'facelift only' in-between the lines. Correct me if I'm wrong. I think I will go down and try the new dt880 only after they have broken in (maybe one month later?). That way, it would be much more fair vs my current 880s in terms of comparison. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mackie 0 Report post Posted January 25, 2006 on the whole, seems like the old DT880 ... ear pads, structure and headband appear same. grill certainly looks "sportier" One thing for sure, the headband is entirely different. Grills on the 2006 edition are made of injection moulded plastics (read solid plastic and not cheap ones) instead of aluminium in the older version. The leather case supplied with latest version is similar to those with DT860 (32ohms Premium series). I just wanna know more. if it's just a facelift then I think beyer ought to convey that somehow.... I just dont like corporates that hide things U are living in an idealistic world my friend. There's nothing to hide and the product appears as how the manufacturer intended. It's the same with all consumeable goods from fridge to cars. Aesthetic changes and maybe a few tweaks and walla, new series/edition/Mk 2,3........ Ultimately, it's up to consumers to decide if there's indeed a major difference between the old and new DT880. As yet, I've noticed those aesthetic changes as mentioned above. I've been promised a pair for an indepth review, courtesy of AA. If I have my wish, I hope the new DT880 harbours the same treble and bass extension as in the old and exude fuller mid range and lower-upper bass ala DT860. This would then be the one Beyer can to rule them all in the Beyer series. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mackie 0 Report post Posted January 25, 2006 see if I can open it up easily and see wat's inside Oops missed this bit......be careful dude, U might void your warranty by doing this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stereo_Electronics 0 Report post Posted January 25, 2006 here's a quote from head-fi that a representative from beyerdynamic sent an email (about manufaktur options, pricing, changes to the new line-up etc.) to one of the headfiers: ======== Thank you for your E-mail and your request. Kindly excuse our late reply due to the quantity of messages which we have received during the last weeks as feedback on the beyerdynamic MANUFAKTUR and the headphone configurator. Please find our answers to your questions below. For the grill of the DT 880 we decided to offer this only without painting because the real material - stainless steel - shall be stressed. The grill of the DT 990 is an electro-plated part (this explains a part of the model's higher price). We can also imagine to offer this in different colors but first we want to wait and see what customers prefer. The stainless steel (name) plate is a design element of the headphone. Of course it can be removed (to assure that spare parts can be exchanged easily), but the idea is also to have this individualized with a name or other text. As the capsules as well as the dimensions inside has been hardly modified compared with the predecessors the sound remains the same or is even better. The prices now reflect the real differences (unlike the pricing of the old models) and refer to the quality and quantity of the headphones. On one hand the new DT 990 is our top model in terms of sound excellence, on the other hand we produce this model in lower quantities. The predecessor of the new DT 880 has been equipped with an aluminium box. This has been replaced by an exclusive synthetic leather case for all three models, including a foam case inside. The standard ear cushions remain the same, the headband has changed. However, be assured that spare parts like headband and earpads for your model will still be available within the next years as part of our customer service. In case you need to replace parts please feel free to contact our US distributor. The headphone configurator (www.beyerdynamic.de/manufaktur) will be available in English language end of September 2005, the configurable headphones will be available end of October 2005. International customers will also be able to order it directly. We hope we have answered all your questions sufficiently. If you need further information please do not hesitate to contact us. Kind regards beyerdynamic GmbH & Co. KG Michael Ehl Business Unit Manager Consumer Products ========== Based on this email, the DT-990 is the top end model in terms of sound excellence but capsules as well as the dimensions inside has hardly been modified compared to the predecessors except the electro-plated grill. So even if there were to be improvements sonically, it could only be the grill and the cable. But if it's the top of the line because its more expensive due to the grill and more importantly lower production ( which brings up the cost ), then the DT-880 might still be the preferred choice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jmilo 0 Report post Posted January 25, 2006 that's a good way to put that... i've been wondering what they meant too.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squalle 0 Report post Posted January 25, 2006 hmm how long a proper burn-in for DT880 should be? then after that let's have a side by side comparison? AA has no more old version abt hiding things... hmm well, I dont like companies that keep claiming things are propietry etc etc and threaten to sue if you wanna LEARN abt it. such companies really a turn off (like m$ and s0ny) but then again, if there's large enuff users, the users themselves will hmm figure out the gadget and you'll know a lot more (e.g. ipod with its huge fans support, one can fancy to tweak almost anything out of it.) I think I'd prefer anything that's open source, just that I'm so unlucky to be unfairly stuck with m$ system why would u want the manufacturer of the item that you have FULLY PAID to regulate you and control you? that's my basic idea Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mackie 0 Report post Posted January 26, 2006 (edited) how long a proper burn-in for DT880 should be? It took about 500 hours for the older version of DT880 to reach optimal performance. I reckon it will be the same with the new version. abt hiding things... hmm well, I dont like companies that keep claiming things are propietry etc etc and threaten to sue if you wanna LEARN abt it. such companies really a turn off (like m$ and s0ny) There's a terminology for this in the business world ie, Trade Secrets. It's a felony offence to infringe this penal code. Moving back on track...... I'm currently running in a new set of DT880-2006. Just as I suspect, it tends to have the fuller mid range and upper base (ala DT860) than the older version out of the box. As it is, the treble is rather hot and sibilant but those who are concerned by the older DT880's recessed mid and lighter bass (pre run-in condition) will be surprised. Now if Beyer personnel admitted to not having made any changes to the transducers, I would suspect either a change in cup size (like the cabinet of speakers) and/or damping and/or amount of isolation (it's a semi-open design after all) might be factors contributing to the notable changes in sound. I didn't even need to carry out an A-B comparison to realize it and certainly, it's not imaginary. Those who currently own the older DT880 should try the new version and see if your findings concur with mine. I now wonder how would DT990-2006 will sound.......being open, it could only sound better if all things being equal. I will be doing a detailed review of DT880-2006 later and hopefully by then, the new DT990 is available. Edited January 26, 2006 by Mackie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N3w_Typ3 0 Report post Posted January 26, 2006 yeah mackie keep us posted !! I need to make a trip down to see albert !! hope he have one for me to compare !! lolx Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jmilo 0 Report post Posted January 27, 2006 how long a proper burn-in for DT880 should be? It took about 500 hours for the older version of DT880 to reach optimal performance. I reckon it will be the same with the new version. abt hiding things... hmm well, I dont like companies that keep claiming things are propietry etc etc and threaten to sue if you wanna LEARN abt it. such companies really a turn off (like m$ and s0ny) There's a terminology for this in the business world ie, Trade Secrets. It's a felony offence to infringe this penal code. Moving back on track...... I'm currently running in a new set of DT880-2006. Just as I suspect, it tends to have the fuller mid range and upper base (ala DT860) than the older version out of the box. As it is, the treble is rather hot and sibilant but those who are concerned by the older DT880's recessed mid and lighter bass (pre run-in condition) will be surprised. Now if Beyer personnel admitted to not having made any changes to the transducers, I would suspect either a change in cup size (like the cabinet of speakers) and/or damping and/or amount of isolation (it's a semi-open design after all) might be factors contributing to the notable changes in sound. I didn't even need to carry out an A-B comparison to realize it and certainly, it's not imaginary. Those who currently own the older DT880 should try the new version and see if your findings concur with mine. I now wonder how would DT990-2006 will sound.......being open, it could only sound better if all things being equal. I will be doing a detailed review of DT880-2006 later and hopefully by then, the new DT990 is available. can't wait four your review mackie... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
heady 0 Report post Posted January 27, 2006 Haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else. Anything Audio have moved one floor down, to 3rd level, facing the escalator. Their new signboard may not be up yet but it is recognisably selling headphones. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mackie 0 Report post Posted January 27, 2006 (edited) Yes I forgot to mentioned that! I was there to help them position their speakers and sweet spot (seat) to ensure optimal sound performance during audition. The speakers corner actually sounds better now and less lively than in the previous showroom. Another update on DT880 after 24 hours of run in, forget about trying to chalk up hundreds of hours and neglect the set during this period, just listen to it while it improves by leaps and bounds as mileage increases. This is a potential DT860/DT880 rolled into one and perhaps the best (in terms of musiciality) Beyer model I've heard. But then again, I've yet to see nor audition the new DT990 Edited January 27, 2006 by Mackie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
heady 0 Report post Posted January 27, 2006 Another update on DT880 after 24 hours of run in, forget about trying to chalk up hundreds of hours and neglect the set during this period, just listen to it while it improves by leaps and bounds as mileage increases. This is a potential DT860/DT880 rolled into one and perhaps the best (in terms of musiciality) Beyer model I've heard. But then again, I've yet to see nor audition the new DT990 Aiyoh, don't tempt me... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jmilo 0 Report post Posted January 27, 2006 Yes I forgot to mentioned that! I was there to help them position their speakers and sweet spot (seat) to ensure optimal sound performance during audition. The speakers corner actually sounds better now and less lively than in the previous showroom. Another update on DT880 after 24 hours of run in, forget about trying to chalk up hundreds of hours and neglect the set during this period, just listen to it while it improves by leaps and bounds as mileage increases. This is a potential DT860/DT880 rolled into one and perhaps the best (in terms of musiciality) Beyer model I've heard. But then again, I've yet to see nor audition the new DT990 that's indeed great news... mackie, hope you could audition the new dt990's pretty soon too... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
