Today we’re taking a look at the Beyerdynamic DT 880 Premium 32 OHM headphones. Beyerdynamic are one of the oldest names in audio and make some of the best products on the market. We’ve previously taken a look at the impressive iDX 120 iE In-Ear Headphones and this time we’re going to take a look at a pretty impressive set of semi-open ear headphones that you should seriously consider if you’re looking for an audiophile grade headset

The build of the DT 880’s is pretty good. We see a lot of mesh on the outside of the cups which is a nice hard build so you shouldn’t be facing any denting, especially if you keep them in the included carrying case. The top of the headband is a hard plastic that make be susceptible to damage over time if you’re not careful with them but have been fine in my test.

The inside of the headband is a nice soft leather that has nice squish to it while not adding a bunch of weight to your head. The cups on the inside are velour, so very comfortable and thick enough to reach completely around your ears and not let your ears touch the drives. Overall I’d say these will stand up over time but they’re light enough to provide you with hours of listening with no issue.

A 3 meter long cable extends from the left ear cup. Both cups have braille above them to indicate left or right but since almost every headphone out there has the cord coming from the left, this is a bit redundant. I’m not the biggest fan of the long straight cable included with these. I prefer a removable cable (which this is not) or wound to keep things a little more tidy depending on where I am. If I were walking down the street with these the cord would either be hanging down pretty significantly or stuffed in my pocket. Neither are ideal. Beyerdynamic has commented to me that in the future they’ll be using removable cables so if that’s a deal breaker for you, you may want to wait for a refresh.

These don’t clamp down much on your head which adds into the extended use claim. While you won’t be headbanging with these on, you’re not going to get squeezed out too. They’ve definitely taken the middle road of pressure on your head and ability to stay on. Sometimes I’ll honestly forget they’re there because of how comfortable they are.

The DT 880’s are semi open headphones. This means you get some of the advantages of both worlds. These definitely don’t leak compared to some of my other completely open headphones. Standing 5-6 feet away at moderate volumes you can pick up faint sounds but not enough to bother anyone. One of the big advantages of the semi-open headphones is the big soundstage. You’re not going to get studio level quality in that regard but compared to something like the AudioTechnica ATH-M50x’s it’s a much bigger sound.

The sound profile is remarkably even on these, actually. There appears to be just the slightest favor towards bass but nothing like the ones you’ll see on big box store shelves mass marketed to consumers that share a price point with these DT 880’s. The mids are very clear with spoken words being extremely pleasing. You can pick up on little details in music like musicians pressing and playing instruments that you can’t on other headphones. It’s very impressive what Beyerdynamic has been able to do with these headphones.

There are three levels of these headphones: The 32 OHM, 250 OHM and 600 OHM. The 32 OHM, which I have is good for things like phones and digital media players. You’ll get very good sound until the upper limits of your volume and you shouldn’t need an AMP to get pleasing results. If you’re going to pick up the 250 OHM or 600 OHM be prepared to shell out some more for a decent AMP to power your headphones. the 250 OHM version are made more for your high quality home entertainment system while the 600s are made for the highest quality systems like in studios.

Overall I think these are really great headphones. They come with a really nice carrying case and a screw on 1/4 adapter. I don’t love the cord that they have attached to them. Detachable or wound cords I really think are best for management but that’s definitely a personal opinion. The DT 880s sound really great and if you’re looking for something in the $200-$300 price range, these are near the top of the mountain.

Product Page: Beyerdynamic DT 880 Premium