I would prefer to pair DT880’s with a OTL tube amp for music listening, then the mids will open out much better and highs much more sweeter and in control. I have seen the DT880S, I think it is tuned to the IRT Munich diffuse field equalization invented in 1985, like the AKG240DF and Stax ED-1. If you want natural, open and uncolored sound from a tough set of professional headphones, get a pair for yourself. The original version has a more central basic sound that radiates more transparency and can actually cope with any style of music.

DT 880's: Open, more treble, wide, less bass (but still enough for my taste),balanced and realistic. Also the DT880 is not modular, it does not detacheable cables, and hence definitely not as durable as HD600. So this headphone is 250 ohms, which means that these cans cannot be driven by a regular mp3 device.The sliding mechanism for size adjustment is also top-notch and the headphones can be easily worn securely, even on small heads. They are extremely well balanced, and lend well to all the genres I listen to - especially female vocals, modern jazz, and both progressive and classic rock.

There is plenty of bass for me, it's controlled and tight and well defined, but it doesn't go to th extremely low powerful frequencies other can's manage. They are supremely comfortable, and for me present a level of comfort that all manufacturers should strive for. To my ears, they are pretty neutral - I don’t detect any exaggerations across the spectrum (at least none I find annoying). Anything touching my ears is a HUGE pet peeve of mine, as it makes my ears itchy and red from irritation.Known as “the studio legends”, the DT 880 Pro, along with the DT 770 Pro and DT 990 Pro, is widely known across the globe as the industry standard studio headphone. I have also tested this with my Nakamichi CDP-2A + TA-2A receiver, and it makes the Beyers even more fun to listen to, while adding more mids to make the experience even better. I still have to give the HD 600 a slight edge in the mid-range, but I feel this is overshadowed by the 880's superior treble extension and soundstage. Difference between Pro and Premium versions: The sliding yoke mechanism on DT880 Pro version is really mediocre, due to compromised design compared to premium version.

I had wanted to move to something more recommended here but I wanted to stick to my comfort zone to minimize variables.As the DT 880 Pro's are the only (Semi-)open headphones in my test, it might not have been a very fair comparison. The DT 880's neutral spectral balance is from the professional monitoring market, and less like boosted home hi-fi headphones. The bass from the DT770 is a bit stronger, and less boomy, but the DT770's treble is unpleasantly peaky. When evaluating the frequency response score with the Average calibration profile, the pair to pair consistency of the given model is taken into account – if we have measured a considerable frequency response inconsistency among multiple pairs of the given model, the score drops, as the profile loses accuracy. Amplification: These DT880’s are rated at 250 ohms, and are not designed to be power efficient or run by weak sources and hence need a dedicated headphone amplifier.