beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO Studio Headphones – 250 Ohm
beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO Studio Headphones – 250 Ohm
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| Weight: | 290 g |
| Size: | 17.8 x 10.2 x 21.6 cm |
| Dimensions: | 17.78 x 10.16 x 21.59 cm; 290.3 Grams |
| Model: | 459046 |
| Colour: | Black |
| Manufacture: | Beyerdynamic |
| Dimensions: | 17.78 x 10.16 x 21.59 cm; 290.3 Grams |
| Origin: | Germany |
| Size: | 17.8 x 10.2 x 21.6 cm |
I’ve now been using this pair of headphones for a year and a half and have never regretted buying them.
They are permanently plugged into my desktop and I have hardly ever taken them outside, so the only comment I can make on portability is that the cable is TOO long, and the noise cancellation is non-existent, so good luck hearing anything on a loud train / plane. If you’re going for a slow walk in a park it might work well.
Sound-wise, I love them. They handle classical, metal, J-rock very well. I don’t think I can remember any downsides at all. Maybe that sometimes you can hear how crappy the source is. Also I have no problem using my motherboard (ASUS B350-i) as the source.
I find them reasonably comfortable and a good fit for working/gaming in a relatively quiet environment longish hours. The fit is tight, but I don’t feel like my head is being squeezed.
Overall, if you need headphones with decent sound and you expect to use them indoors while sitting at your desk, I can recommend these to you.
I’m a big fan of Beyerdynamic headphones…never was disappointed
I’ve listened to a wide variety of different types of audio with these and they’ve never let me down; from music to gaming, the audio is always fantastic. I’ve noticed that these headphones let you hear things which aren’t always clear or audible on other headphones such as background noise in recordings or slight mistakes in songs.
I’m very happy with the comfort and size of these headphones. I’ve had long sessions with these on almost continuously and after a while I just stop noticing them. The build quality seems good, but it is made mostly from plastic so they probably won’t survive being bashed around. The cable quality is great and has a thick layer of outer insulation.
I use these regularly with a MacBook Pro (Late-2013) and the built-in audio jack is perfectly capable of driving these headphones. Max volume is very loud, enough to damage hearing over time. I also tried these headphones with a cheap Lightning to aux cable on an iPhone X and the volume was quieter than the MacBook but still loud enough for almost any situation. I have also tested these with a battery powered Anker Soundsync Bluetooth receiver and once again there were no problems driving the 80 Ohm model.
For casual home-use, these headphones are amazing. If you’re the sort of person that loves extra bass you’ll need an equaliser or a different pair of headphones but if you like realistic audio, these are close to perfection.
Bought these as I wanted some higher impedance headphones to go with my new amp (marantz pm6006)
Seriously impressed with the sound quality! They have an incredibly precise sound I get the impression you are hearing the music exactly as it was intended with nothing added. So much so that I’m rediscovering my music collection again, it’s almost addictive!
The transducers are set quite deeply into the ear cups resulting in a very ‘spacial’ sound and improved sound stage.
The velour ear pads are a big improvement over most others that have faux leather pads that can get quite sweaty.
Overall very impressed for the cost. Possible only downside is fixed cable which is too long and could mean an expensive replacement if damaged.
Great headphones if you have the amp to move them
Best headphones I’ve ever used, great for CSGO and music.
Where they excel is in listening to music in a fairly quiet environment. They offer a truly excellent listening experience – detailed, balanced frequency response and great soundstage. If you have high quality lossless music you’ll love these. I’ve used them with PC, iPad and iPhone with flac files and discovered nuances in the music I’d not heard before.
The only suggestion for improvement I would make is for the cable to be detachable and to have a choice of different lengths, like the ATH50x. The cable works great for when I’m playing guitar but is a bit long for plugging into an iPad on your lap on the sofa.
Nonetheless I would highly recommend these.
This was a great present for my son who loves them
No comments gives you best audio experience for the price!
These headphones are very comfortable to wear and provide accurate sound reproduction.
These are the first real headphones that I bought a while ago, and I’m still using them! Now, since I haven’t tried any other headphones (more expensive or similar), I can’t say that these are the best, but these are MUCH better than any gaming headset, that’s for sure. After using these headphones for all this time, when I put on ANY other cheapo (or even a headset that’s priced similarly) I can immediately tell that they’re “off” – I can hear less sounds than I could with my DT 770’s, the sound is more “muffled” or simply sounds worse and less enjoyable.
Comfort – excellent, ear pieces are really soft and you can have them on for the whole day and it won’t hurt at all.
Noise cancellation – pretty good, a lot of times I miss my phone ringing on my desk if I’m listening to music, watching a movie or playing a game.
These are micless headphones (that’s why it’s not a headset), but it was easly solved with a Modmic.
(previously had SH-HD215’s which broke after about 10 years), bought these to replace them.
On day 1: Loud treble, & mid-tones seemed quiet, bass good though, (so for the first week I turned on the EQ/equalizer settings on the PC audio card & manually increased the middle tones while lowering treble).
Played some white noise & a range of music to wear them in.
After a week: I turned off the EQ settings, because the mid-tones are louder now, & overall so much more balanced sound in my opinion).
After burn-in, these are great headphones : )
These bring new life into music that I thought I was familiar with.
Can hear much more bass with these than my previous headphones (HD-215). Treble is clear. Frequency range is amazing.
I have the 80ohm version, need to turn the volume up a bit more than my previous headphones to be the same volume, but even with my old i-pod video, they are loud enough when turned up.
Very pleased with these & glad I bought them now (thanks to the reviews for helping me choose).
(previously had SH-HD215’s which broke after about 10 years), bought these to replace them.
On day 1: Loud treble, & mid-tones seemed quiet, bass good though, (so for the first week I turned on the EQ/equalizer settings on the PC audio card & manually increased the middle tones while lowering treble).
Played some white noise & a range of music to wear them in.
After a week: I turned off the EQ settings, because the mid-tones are louder now, & overall so much more balanced sound in my opinion).
After burn-in, these are great headphones : )
These bring new life into music that I thought I was familiar with.
Can hear much more bass with these than my previous headphones (HD-215). Treble is clear. Frequency range is amazing.
I have the 80ohm version, need to turn the volume up a bit more than my previous headphones to be the same volume, but even with my old i-pod video, they are loud enough when turned up.
Very pleased with these & glad I bought them now (thanks to the reviews for helping me choose).
(previously had SH-HD215’s which broke after about 10 years), bought these to replace them.
On day 1: Loud treble, & mid-tones seemed quiet, bass good though, (so for the first week I turned on the EQ/equalizer settings on the PC audio card & manually increased the middle tones while lowering treble).
Played some white noise & a range of music to wear them in.
After a week: I turned off the EQ settings, because the mid-tones are louder now, & overall so much more balanced sound in my opinion).
After burn-in, these are great headphones : )
These bring new life into music that I thought I was familiar with.
Can hear much more bass with these than my previous headphones (HD-215). Treble is clear. Frequency range is amazing.
I have the 80ohm version, need to turn the volume up a bit more than my previous headphones to be the same volume, but even with my old i-pod video, they are loud enough when turned up.
Very pleased with these & glad I bought them now (thanks to the reviews for helping me choose).
(previously had SH-HD215’s which broke after about 10 years), bought these to replace them.
On day 1: Loud treble, & mid-tones seemed quiet, bass good though, (so for the first week I turned on the EQ/equalizer settings on the PC audio card & manually increased the middle tones while lowering treble).
Played some white noise & a range of music to wear them in.
After a week: I turned off the EQ settings, because the mid-tones are louder now, & overall so much more balanced sound in my opinion).
After burn-in, these are great headphones : )
These bring new life into music that I thought I was familiar with.
Can hear much more bass with these than my previous headphones (HD-215). Treble is clear. Frequency range is amazing.
I have the 80ohm version, need to turn the volume up a bit more than my previous headphones to be the same volume, but even with my old i-pod video, they are loud enough when turned up.
Very pleased with these & glad I bought them now (thanks to the reviews for helping me choose).
(previously had SH-HD215’s which broke after about 10 years), bought these to replace them.
On day 1: Loud treble, & mid-tones seemed quiet, bass good though, (so for the first week I turned on the EQ/equalizer settings on the PC audio card & manually increased the middle tones while lowering treble).
Played some white noise & a range of music to wear them in.
After a week: I turned off the EQ settings, because the mid-tones are louder now, & overall so much more balanced sound in my opinion).
After burn-in, these are great headphones : )
These bring new life into music that I thought I was familiar with.
Can hear much more bass with these than my previous headphones (HD-215). Treble is clear. Frequency range is amazing.
I have the 80ohm version, need to turn the volume up a bit more than my previous headphones to be the same volume, but even with my old i-pod video, they are loud enough when turned up.
Very pleased with these & glad I bought them now (thanks to the reviews for helping me choose).
if you have decent amps to power these headphones you will not regret it.
Been using them for two months now and they’re real good. I’m trying to say great in other words
After my Audio Technica ATH-M40Xs broke (my fault), I was planning on just buying another pair of the same. On browsing, however, I decided to pick these up, and I’m glad I did.
Whilst the ATH-M40Xs are still a great pair of headphones, I just find myself preferring these. I am by no means an audiophile so cannot speak to the technical specifications, but as a heavy consumer: I approve.
Well packaged and professionally presented, the DT770 pros came with a carrying bag which, while it won’t do much to protect the headphones from falls or crushing, does keep the dirt and scratches away in your bag.
The headphones themselves are as pictured, attractive and classic, I like the look- though this is subjective. Materials used are of a good quality, thick metals and nice leather on the headband; even the (minimal) plastic used on the ear cups is sturdy and textured, very good quality. The grey velvet/felt material on the cushions themselves is very comfortable, and stay surprisingly cool in long sessions. Not once did my ears ache with these on, as the cups surround my ear well.
In a nice touch, the padded headband (which is comfortable) can be removed and washed- which is probably advisable after a while.
As I said, I can’t comment on the sound from a technical perspective- but to my ears it is very realistic and enjoyable. From music, to movies, to games, it’s most certainly a step up from whatever the average person is used to.
I do, however, have some minor qualms with the DT770 pros. Firstly: the cable. Unlike my Audio Technicas, it is not removable- so if it breaks, then it’s very tricky to replace. Furthermore, the cable itself is very long, especially as it is uncoiled. As a result, I have run over it a few times with my chair (somewhat my fault), but the headphones seem undamaged despite this. I would have liked a coiled, shorter, or braided cable.
Secondly, it’s important to pay attention to which resistance you buy. I purposely opted for the 80 ohm on purpose. With a phone, the volume and sound seems somewhat underwhelming as it just doesn’t have the power to drive the headphones properly. On a computer, this is improved. Of course, you can buy an amp to power the headphones and the sound will be further improved.
Thirdly, and this is subjective, they do look a little bulky on the head. This is no surprise, of course, but I do prefer to use these when I’m alone for this reason. It looks a little silly, especially if you plan to walk around in public with them on.
All in all though, great headphones; comfortable with good sound- just a few improvements to be made.
I am particularly interested in reproduction of the human voice, and as far as music is concerned, I have a wonderful recording of Bach’s Mass in B Minor which I use as my reference. All sound is processed by a Chord Mojo.
The two headphones are different and I can see why these headphones are preferred as studio headphones. The AKG somehow manages to create a sense of space and clarity which is great for listening to music but for analytical listening these headphones are better. Precisely the lack of spatial information allows me to concentrate on the sound produced, which is completely neutral with sound detail similar to the AKG. I will use both headphones. Excellent purchase. A bargain.
17/6. A word of warning. After listening to these for many hours, it seems they are a bit bright. I need to rest my ears after a long listening session. Perhaps it is the price one pays for the detail. The AKGs have a similar problem, but not quite as strong, at least in my experience.
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18/6 I liked it so much I bought another one.
But not quite the same. The 80 ohm version is, as I expected, slightly less detailed than the 250 ohm version, but also a bit less bright: the highs are not as ‘forward’ or aggresive. It is better suited to extended listening. For once the manufacturer’s product description is correct. What I did not expect, is that they take the same power to drive. My Chord Mojo has sockets for two headphones, so that I can switch from one headphone from one to the other without unplugging and reconnecting headphones. I can do this without even changing the volume level.
I do like what Beyerdyanmic is trying to do with these headphones: accurately recreate the the original signal in an isolated environment. Simple, no-nonsense headphones.
19/6 There is another difference. The 80 ohm has a stronger bass response. While the 250 ohm has a high frequency bias while the 80 ohm has a low fequency bias. Pop music (or anything with a lot of bass) sounds more convincing on the 80 ohm headphones (depending on taste). Vocals are about the same on both (less detail on the 80 ohm version) and, in my opinion, quite neutral. At least similar to the AKG K812s.
Firstly, headphones are personal so this is just my opinion. You might have other needs that these headphones won’t meet. I’m a professional musician and always do my research….way too much research! We’ve all been there – it only takes one forum comment, a bad review or friend’s opinion to send you back to the drawing board, even when you think you’ve found ‘the ones’. I hope this review gives you a good overview.
I needed something mid range price for tracking vocals and as another reference point for mixing. At first I went for a pair of ATH-M50Xs. They went straight back as weren’t very comfortable (for me) and I think mine were faulty. The headphones didn’t seem balanced and I wanted something flatter. Just a little too much bass.
DT770s (80 Ohm)
Comfort: Immediately much more comfortable and feel fine wearing for a long time which I do when editing. They’re nice and light.
Build Quality: The build quality is excellent and you can replace parts which is handy. When I see a bit of metal in the mix (and not just plastic) I’m always reassured.
Sound: The sound quality is perfect for me – very flat but still has clarity and character. For once I didn’t sign at over the top bass or intrusive treble. This is a very clean, honest sound that will give you a true reference point. Of course, always use monitors for mixing and the car stereo is the true test 🙂
Sound isolation: there’s no noise leakage, as you’d expect.
If you need studio headphones look no further. For leisure use they’re great too but the lead is a bit long.
Build: These headphones look and feel very sturdy. The headband is a thick metal sheet that seems unlikely to snap, and the earcups are a solid and rugged plastic. The top of the headband is wrapped in a soft, leather-like material that looks and feels posh. Certainly the best build quality I’ve personally experienced in headphones!
Comfort: These are very comfortable cans. They surround my ears completely without touching them, and the velour pads are very soft and nice on the skin. The noise isolation is good. The clamping pressure was a bit annoying at first, and I initially could hear a high-pitched ringing in my ears due to it, as well as hear my blood pumping in my ear sometimes, but both these annoyances went away after a couple days. Perhaps the headband became less stiff with use, or I got used to the pressure.
Sound: Now, let me state that I do not believe in assessing headphone sound in isolation. I don’t trust people’s sonic memory, or my own for that matter. I think one must always compare something against a standard. Fortunately, I got Sennheiser HD 650s (which are reference-class headphones and some of the most well-regarded cans in the world) a couple months after getting the DT 770s, creating a suitable parameter for comparison.
How I tested: My testing methodology was to:
1- repeat the same section of a song over and over again, switching between both headphones as fast as I could (short-term sonic memory lasts only a few seconds). I did this for dozens of different songs.
2- running each headphone on a separate Apple device (both have the same internal DAC and sound the same to my ears) so that headphone switching can happen as fast as possible (takes about 1 second on average), and
3- matching the volume as closely as possible for the fairest comparison, since louder songs tend to sound better all else being equal.
The DT 770s have surprisingly wide soundstage, considering they are closed-back, to the point that I don’t notice much difference between both headphones’ soundstage (pretty impressive considering we’re comparing closed vs. open here).
The DT 770s have considerably more satisfying bass. It’s less accurate, sure, but it has more “thump” or “oomph” or however you wanna call it, being more fun to listen to.
The DT 770s seem to have a noticeable boost in the high frequencies relative to the HD 650s. Everything sounds a little higher in pitch, like it was tuned slightly up, but not to the point of seeming inaccurate or annoying. The effect is minor and doesn’t feel like it’s doing something wrong, just different.
Overall I am impressed with the DT 770s to the point I don’t have any issue using it over the HD 650 (i.e. so as to not bother someone else in the room). With other headphones I would be bothered with the fact I’d not be getting the best sound quality, but with the DT 770s its so close that it doesn’t matter.
Build: These headphones look and feel very sturdy. The headband is a thick metal sheet that seems unlikely to snap, and the earcups are a solid and rugged plastic. The top of the headband is wrapped in a soft, leather-like material that looks and feels posh. Certainly the best build quality I’ve personally experienced in headphones!
Comfort: These are very comfortable cans. They surround my ears completely without touching them, and the velour pads are very soft and nice on the skin. The noise isolation is good. The clamping pressure was a bit annoying at first, and I initially could hear a high-pitched ringing in my ears due to it, as well as hear my blood pumping in my ear sometimes, but both these annoyances went away after a couple days. Perhaps the headband became less stiff with use, or I got used to the pressure.
Sound: Now, let me state that I do not believe in assessing headphone sound in isolation. I don’t trust people’s sonic memory, or my own for that matter. I think one must always compare something against a standard. Fortunately, I got Sennheiser HD 650s (which are reference-class headphones and some of the most well-regarded cans in the world) a couple months after getting the DT 770s, creating a suitable parameter for comparison.
How I tested: My testing methodology was to:
1- repeat the same section of a song over and over again, switching between both headphones as fast as I could (short-term sonic memory lasts only a few seconds). I did this for dozens of different songs.
2- running each headphone on a separate Apple device (both have the same internal DAC and sound the same to my ears) so that headphone switching can happen as fast as possible (takes about 1 second on average), and
3- matching the volume as closely as possible for the fairest comparison, since louder songs tend to sound better all else being equal.
The DT 770s have surprisingly wide soundstage, considering they are closed-back, to the point that I don’t notice much difference between both headphones’ soundstage (pretty impressive considering we’re comparing closed vs. open here).
The DT 770s have considerably more satisfying bass. It’s less accurate, sure, but it has more “thump” or “oomph” or however you wanna call it, being more fun to listen to.
The DT 770s seem to have a noticeable boost in the high frequencies relative to the HD 650s. Everything sounds a little higher in pitch, like it was tuned slightly up, but not to the point of seeming inaccurate or annoying. The effect is minor and doesn’t feel like it’s doing something wrong, just different.
Overall I am impressed with the DT 770s to the point I don’t have any issue using it over the HD 650 (i.e. so as to not bother someone else in the room). With other headphones I would be bothered with the fact I’d not be getting the best sound quality, but with the DT 770s its so close that it doesn’t matter.
Build: These headphones look and feel very sturdy. The headband is a thick metal sheet that seems unlikely to snap, and the earcups are a solid and rugged plastic. The top of the headband is wrapped in a soft, leather-like material that looks and feels posh. Certainly the best build quality I’ve personally experienced in headphones!
Comfort: These are very comfortable cans. They surround my ears completely without touching them, and the velour pads are very soft and nice on the skin. The noise isolation is good. The clamping pressure was a bit annoying at first, and I initially could hear a high-pitched ringing in my ears due to it, as well as hear my blood pumping in my ear sometimes, but both these annoyances went away after a couple days. Perhaps the headband became less stiff with use, or I got used to the pressure.
Sound: Now, let me state that I do not believe in assessing headphone sound in isolation. I don’t trust people’s sonic memory, or my own for that matter. I think one must always compare something against a standard. Fortunately, I got Sennheiser HD 650s (which are reference-class headphones and some of the most well-regarded cans in the world) a couple months after getting the DT 770s, creating a suitable parameter for comparison.
How I tested: My testing methodology was to:
1- repeat the same section of a song over and over again, switching between both headphones as fast as I could (short-term sonic memory lasts only a few seconds). I did this for dozens of different songs.
2- running each headphone on a separate Apple device (both have the same internal DAC and sound the same to my ears) so that headphone switching can happen as fast as possible (takes about 1 second on average), and
3- matching the volume as closely as possible for the fairest comparison, since louder songs tend to sound better all else being equal.
The DT 770s have surprisingly wide soundstage, considering they are closed-back, to the point that I don’t notice much difference between both headphones’ soundstage (pretty impressive considering we’re comparing closed vs. open here).
The DT 770s have considerably more satisfying bass. It’s less accurate, sure, but it has more “thump” or “oomph” or however you wanna call it, being more fun to listen to.
The DT 770s seem to have a noticeable boost in the high frequencies relative to the HD 650s. Everything sounds a little higher in pitch, like it was tuned slightly up, but not to the point of seeming inaccurate or annoying. The effect is minor and doesn’t feel like it’s doing something wrong, just different.
Overall I am impressed with the DT 770s to the point I don’t have any issue using it over the HD 650 (i.e. so as to not bother someone else in the room). With other headphones I would be bothered with the fact I’d not be getting the best sound quality, but with the DT 770s its so close that it doesn’t matter.
It works for everything from gaming to watching movies, very nice sound cancellin, good bass and the overall quality is grea
The cable is very long, I would not recommend this product to people taking them on the go.
80 Ohm model requires an amp or adequate power source if you want the volume high, in other words, don’t get it for your phone.
THE GOOD:
+ Sound quality is excellent, everything sounds clear and crisp.
+ Build quality is great, consistent use for 3 years and no issues.
+ Comes with an adapter to plug into ports larger than 3.5mm.
+ Comfortable to wear for many hours, wide range of adjustment.
THE BAD:
– Sound quality does deteriorate a little once the volume is increased to max on my headphone amp.
– Lacking in the bass slightly, wish it had *just* a little more kick.
Fantastic product – if you want comfort, great audio response, then go for these!
Why many? Because they are designed to break down after the warranty period.
Not with the DT 770s. I bought these in January 2013 and they are still excellent 6 years on.
I mainly use these for gaming but also music when I want a richer sound experience.
Rainbow Six Siege, Apex Legends, PUBG and Titanfall 2 are just some of the games that benefit from having headphones like these.
Note, a headphone amp is needed to use these.
I’m currently using the FiiO E10K Olympus USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (also on Amazon).
These headphones have recessed mids. Keep this in mind if you’re looking for balanced frequencies.
Headphone characteristics:
Bass: Emphasized
Midrange: Recessed
Treble: Emphasized
Intended use: Desktop only
Source: /r/headphones guide
Why many? Because they are designed to break down after the warranty period.
Not with the DT 770s. I bought these in January 2013 and they are still excellent 6 years on.
I mainly use these for gaming but also music when I want a richer sound experience.
Rainbow Six Siege, Apex Legends, PUBG and Titanfall 2 are just some of the games that benefit from having headphones like these.
Note, a headphone amp is needed to use these.
I’m currently using the FiiO E10K Olympus USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (also on Amazon).
These headphones have recessed mids. Keep this in mind if you’re looking for balanced frequencies.
Headphone characteristics:
Bass: Emphasized
Midrange: Recessed
Treble: Emphasized
Intended use: Desktop only
Source: /r/headphones guide
Why many? Because they are designed to break down after the warranty period.
Not with the DT 770s. I bought these in January 2013 and they are still excellent 6 years on.
I mainly use these for gaming but also music when I want a richer sound experience.
Rainbow Six Siege, Apex Legends, PUBG and Titanfall 2 are just some of the games that benefit from having headphones like these.
Note, a headphone amp is needed to use these.
I’m currently using the FiiO E10K Olympus USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (also on Amazon).
These headphones have recessed mids. Keep this in mind if you’re looking for balanced frequencies.
Headphone characteristics:
Bass: Emphasized
Midrange: Recessed
Treble: Emphasized
Intended use: Desktop only
Source: /r/headphones guide
Before purchasing these I had been using the Audio-Technicha M50X as my daily drivers for about 6/7 months and thought (still do) that they have a great, fun sound while still retaining a fairly “flat” signature, reproducing music accurately. When I first tried these, I felt the difference between the clearer mids of the m50X and the DT770’s more V shaped signature jarring at first, but within a few hours of listening began to get used to it.
Now I think I much prefer the less-fatiguing and warmer sound of the DT770.
While the M50X are definitely comfortable – the Beyerdynamics are just about the most comfortable headphone I have worn to date. This allows for hours of easy gaming/video editing/movie watching without having to worry about getting a headache!
And as a bonus – I personally think these headphones, although a little larger than some others, look fantastic with their classic, cool design.
This is the very first pair of studio headphones I have ever bought and having spent number of days on reading various reviews of this product and other products (Audio Technica m50x and Sony MDR-7506) I decided to buy DT 770 32 Ohm model, mainly due to the fact that they were meant to be (according to those reviews) one of the most comfortable studio headphones out there. I do not work in the music field and I just wanted to have a quality, professional type of headphones for my listening on the go and at work.
I went for the 32 Ohm model since it comes with shorter cable and it is meant to be used with portable devices such as mobile phones. Since I am not an expert in the music field I cannot comment on the various technical aspects of sound that they produce however I can say that I am very happy with the quality of the sound that comes out of them.
As for the comfort, the headphones are a bit on the heavy side and on the tight side. Having said that my partner says that I have a big head so perhaps this is just my perception. She said that the headphones are way too heavy for her. On the first day of 8 hours listening with those headphones I found them a little bit uncomfortable, after maybe first couple of hours. However, that perception changed on the second day, my head got used to the feeling of them and I am happy to wear them all day long now. So if you struggle through the first day of listening, give it a chance and try again the second or third day, you will get used to the feeling. I noticed that the my skin under the ear pads is a little moist after wearing them for a little while, it is not the big issue and there is no sweat dripping down my neck. Overall, I am giving them 4 out of 5 stars for comfort and 5 stars for quality of the sound they produce. I have never worn any other pair of studio headphones so I can’t comment on how they compare with product from other brands.
I have a home studio where I compose music using very high end sample libraries so I wanted some phones that would translate these recordings with good quality. I have the DT100s but whilst these have lasted for years and have good quality they are a bit “industrial” so I wanted some more finesse and these do the job. I think they are a good price for the quality. They are very comfortable too for long nightime sessions. Recommended
These headphones were 100 when I bought them, and damn do they perform much higher than this pricing bracket.
The frequency response is great, and also the balance meaning things aren’t muddy, but nice and clear. To test these, listen to some modern music that you can compare these headphones to others, a suggestion being Lush Life by Zara Larsson. Try out your current headphones before these and you will see just how much clearer each instrument sounds and how much more dynamic they are (unless your headphones are already great).
The build quality is great, and having the option to replace parts is also a bonus. The best thing about these though is the COMFORT. I MEAN IT WHEN I SAY THESE ARE COMFY. The pads/cushions are mega soft and they feel light on your head.
Overall, these are a great, accurate sounding pair of headphones, especially through some sort of amp (I have a basic Presonus Audiobox USB96) I am a music tech student who has owned many pairs of headphones, and these by far are my favourite.
Great sounding phones, well built, feel like they will last a lifetime.
Instruments can be pin pointed as though you are in front of them, they go deep but a quality deep, there no harshness in the top end. Simply beautiful sound, open, spacious and crisp, you can hear the trumpet player take a breath. And the double kick drumming of Krisiun metal is so clear yet deep bass, you can hear each separate kick of the pedal. But, the only let down is the cable. It’s cheap and too long. Gets in the way, it’s ok to sit on the sofa with them, but stand up and walk to the kitchen and you risk tripping over it and damage the phones, or your player. A plug system with optional varying leangths would be a good upgrade to these otherwise perfect headphones.
Arrived incredibly fast and an amazing product. Some of the best sounding headphones around in that price bracket. Highly recommended.
UPDATE: Whilst it wasn’t easy to find the information I needed, I was able to get in touch with Beyerdynamic and they arranged to repair them without any fuss. All I had to do was pack them up and mail them across. The repair was fast and hassle-free and I had them back within 3 days.
Amazing. Jimi Hendrix feels like a completely different artist compared to the apple EarPods
I use them for abit of everything from mix/mastering and gaming where headspace and direction of sound is useful. I can’t fault the frequencies but I produce music that isn’t bass intensive so as for trap, house or productions with many layers of sub bass…well I simply don’t know but I’d imagine these would have limits there if anywhere, but I love the bass and it’s more than adequate for me.
Price and product. 10/10 for me.
I use them for abit of everything from mix/mastering and gaming where headspace and direction of sound is useful. I can’t fault the frequencies but I produce music that isn’t bass intensive so as for trap, house or productions with many layers of sub bass…well I simply don’t know but I’d imagine these would have limits there if anywhere, but I love the bass and it’s more than adequate for me.
Price and product. 10/10 for me.
I use them for abit of everything from mix/mastering and gaming where headspace and direction of sound is useful. I can’t fault the frequencies but I produce music that isn’t bass intensive so as for trap, house or productions with many layers of sub bass…well I simply don’t know but I’d imagine these would have limits there if anywhere, but I love the bass and it’s more than adequate for me.
Price and product. 10/10 for me.
The build quality is great – they’re nice and sturdy, an almost infinite improvement of the very cheap feeling TH-02 and they even make my desk look nicer. I bought the 80 ohm version as I wasn’t too fussed about using on my phone, but actually my phone powers them fine (OnePlus 5), on the PC I’ve been using them with a Fiio E10K and a Scarlet Focurite interface and everything works perfectly.
Sound-wise, they are excellent. The bass is solid enough without being dirty, they give a really good sound-stage considering they’re closed back and the isolation is really, really good which delightfully muffles the awful noise of whatever rubbish my wife is watching on TV in the same room.
I can’t believe I didn’t buy some of these years ago – if I had to pick out some negatives then I wish they had a detachable cable and I can see the pads needing replacing after while where they’ll stop returning to their original, uncompressed shape, but thankfully you can do just that.
I found myself hovering over all the gaming headsets and thought 7.1 surround sound is just a load of hype. meh. So after carefully searching for the properties that mattered the most, I found many happy with the results so I smashed that button as 122 of hard earned cash suddenly vanished from my account. Then the headphones arrived I found they took a few days for me to understand what differentiates them from other cheap ones I bought previously. The immersion was very sudden all my music changed, game sessions seemed unique + great positioning with virtual surround sound and movies where by far the greatest plus for me personally as I felt more connected to moments I hadn’t before with basic TV sound. (I can now hear Tom Kirkman from Designated Survivor sniff FREAKING SNIFF.). Its gonna be awesome when I begin editing YouTube videos, Shorts and maybe commercials who knows. What I do know these are the real deal.
UPDATE! Amazon replacement received. The new headset has far less static/etc, and can play at eighty or higher percent with less-annoying crackling. Seems as though the issue has a lower frequency range than the other. Either way, splendid ^.^
UPDATE! Amazon replacement received. The new headset has far less static/etc, and can play at eighty or higher percent with less-annoying crackling. Seems as though the issue has a lower frequency range than the other. Either way, splendid ^.^
UPDATE! Amazon replacement received. The new headset has far less static/etc, and can play at eighty or higher percent with less-annoying crackling. Seems as though the issue has a lower frequency range than the other. Either way, splendid ^.^
Amazing sounding headphones and great build quality. The only slight downside for me would be the coiled cable which has a bit of weight to it and can at times be a bit of a nuisance but otherwise great headphones.
Amazing pair of headphones, unfourtounetly some weird sound glitch when using these made all sound disappear, so had to refund i
Mixed feelings about these cans. I really like the comfort and overall feel, but there is something ‘hollow’ about them, i.e. the chassis and shell feels like it needs damping in some way.
That said, once they’re on I can wear these for a long period and don’t tire from using them. They don’t clamp and hurt my ears like others I’ve tried, and they have a good amount of tonality and range. I’m a fan of top end, and the 770’s provide that by the ton. Bass is good too, and with a good source, there’s no reason why these wouldn’t be a great reference as well as a good way to enjoy music.
Powered by a Musical Fidelity headphone amp, they produce a good amount of volume at this impedance, and I’m sure they will last me a long time.
Cons: not having replaceable cable, and the length of the cable provided. Connector not the best either.
Yamaha HPH-MT5
Yamaha HPH-MT8
Beyerdynamic DT770 80ohm
Audio Technica ATH-A990Z
& two sets that I wont refer to much, due not to any manufacturing fault but to inadequate sonic quality for my purposes
Philips Fidelio X2HR (the only open-back here)
AKG K550 MkIII
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SUMMERY
To quickly list my preferred headphones in terms of purpose :
MONITORING : (here forward treble is useful to check hiss and sibilance, and forward bass for stage thumps, etc)
1. MT8 (extra brilliance reveals hiss, mics rubbing on clothing, high-freq accurate syncing of instruments etc)
2. DT770 (emphasises sibilance – which so can be avoided before recording, recessive mids an issue -vocals sound distant – though when recording asking your vocals to be closer to the mic is not usually a bad thing).
MASTERING : (here a flat freq response or slightly hi-fi speaker colouration of EQ is useful)
1. MT5 (most monitor-speaker like though a dip in the mid-highs, great for mastering and listening, lacks some microscope clarity, may result in a brighter mix)
2. MT8 (critical and open, lacks some bass though overall v.useful flat freq response, highs a tad too forward for enjoyable listening, may result in a darker mix with over generous bass)
3. DT770 (critical, high freq bump at sibilance freq may result in flatter mastering of voice details)
LISTENING : (depends on the sound signature that gives you pleasure, generally non-fatiguing and full)
1. MT5 (slightly darker than A990Z – yet more powerful and detailed, mids can shout, portable)
2. A990Z (open soundstage perfect for classical music, mids can shout, somewhat confusing, not portable)
3. X2HR (open soundstage, enjoyable, forgiving, not portable)
4. DT770 (may need a headphone amp, sibilance issue will be fatiguing, can bridge the gap between the studio and listening pleasure, not portable)
5. MT8 (detailed and bright, portable)
Depending on which way you look at this :
The MT8’s are a flatter freq response more analytical version of the DT770’s, the DT770’s are a more open soundscape version of the MT8’s but with a loss of mid presence and a sibilance freq bump. MT8 : “I dissect”, DT770 “I reveal”.
The A990Z’a are a more distant, softer, open soundscape version of the MT5’s. The MT5’s are a more powerfully defined, faster, ‘aggressive’ and closer sounding version of the A990Z’s. A990Z : “I sit back”, MT5 : “I’m there”.
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DETAILED REVIEW
In a subjective realm I’ve tried to be objective as possible – which does require lengthy descriptions, this may be more information than you require but in terms of describing these headphones I hope it helps. It does though depend on what you require and if you believe – unrealistically – there is an ideal headphone out there!
Mainly in order of preference
1:
MT5 : good for : Mastering, Monitoring and Listening. Overall frequency signature similar to the A990Z’s. The closest to the overall presentation of my Neumann K120 studio-monitor speakers, though with a couple of minor dips.
HIGHS : detailed, calm, not elevated or gratingly ‘hi-fi’ / ‘club-fi’. Have a slightly woody quality, won’t cause you any pain – so you can turn them up, not fatiguing at all. Actually the closest to my studio-monitor speakers. In terms of final mastering as the highs are a touch dark – almost like you’ve connected them to a tube amp – but not soft in any way, just less clinically up-front (and less clashy) than others here. They may not reach far enough up to analyse recorded hiss, over 10kHz they start to fall away (while the MT8’s are reaching their peak) – but otherwise very even and clear. Mastered result are good though may contain hiss. If you value slightly over-present sizzling highs in a headphone, these may not be the ticket for you. Actually the A990Z highs are best placed of this whole group – though don’t have the detail of the MT8’s.
HIGH-MIDS : as well as not quite reaching far enough up to analyse recorded hiss there is a dip in the ‘low-highs’ or ‘high-mids’ around 4kHz. That said the highs don’t seem odd in any way, they are just slightly dark as a result – but still v.fast and detailed.
MIDS : forward and detailed. There is a downside to forward mids in a closed-back headphone,
they can shout / project resonation at high volumes, if fact I almost enjoy it – it energises the cartilage in my nose – really does! Thus there is a slight W shape to the freq response, raised at the ends and the centre – and with corresponding dips between (but don’t let this worry you, it’s fairly healthy, far better than a V shape).
LOWS : v.powerful, defined and tight, might even say these have the most satisfactory bass of this group. Aggressive thwacks hit v.powerfully and cleanly, impressive.
V.LOW : present though under 50Hz they dip just below the strength of the mids, while the MT8’s keep sub-bass just above.
SOUNDSTAGE : the least open of this group (not by much), though have immense detail and stereo width. NB large soundstage does not help in the studio, it weakens the presence and inspection of instruments (hence the large soundstage A990Z is not useful in the studio but makes enjoyable listening).
They have the most ‘hit’ and power in all freqs of all the ‘phones here, they vibrate your bones more than any of the others – in all frequencies – I’m not a bass head but the ability to affect the vibrational mental space with these ‘phones is notable.
They have a really enjoyable ‘pushy’ personality – which in a headphone is what I want and a real achievement – to be fast and super direct in all frequencies, visceral, nose vibrating. Very well judged Yamaha!
A closer, faster and more mid-centric version of the A990Z’s. A real favourite of mine, and a bargain for an ‘in the bag’ monitor headphone, I can’t see how anyone could be disappointed unless you want a very open, or brash sound.
DESIGN : 3m detachable cable, twist-lock. Neat, relatively compact, solid construction. Portable (the cans are connected to the headband with a free hanging wire – so need some care, like the DT770’s), light weight (MT8’s are on the heavy side).
2:
MT8 : good for : Monitoring, Mastering. Overall frequency signature similar to the DT770’s – but the MT8’s are flatter. The MT8 are close to my Neumann studio-monitor speakers, though with less lows and greater high-mids / highs.
HIGHS : if you need super-clarity in the highs, there’s no sibilance here but they are analytical and gradually elevate towards 10.5kHz. I’m critical of harsh highs – these are not abrasive unless your mix is poor (many commercial recordings are BTW!). They have the fastest highs of this group – revealing, breathy, airy and open, not metallic or grainy. Compared to the MT5 it’s like a sonic door has opened (sometimes too far), highs can be overbearing and swamp a mix for some recordings, certainly more forward than the DT770 though actually rise more smoothly and predictably – no noticeable sudden peaks or troughs (unlike the big problem 8kHz spike of the DT770’s).
HIGH-MIDS : the dip noticed in the MT5’s is reversed here, I’d say there’s even a slight peak here, which provides fantastic detail in this information rich region of the freq range. If the MT5’s are an autumn afternoon, these are a spring morning. They will test the quality of a mix like no other, if a mix is good and tight, these have the best highs of this group – otherwise they can seem high centric – which can be too forward and fatiguing for long periods of listening pleasure.
MIDS : Presence and detail is amazing, superlative, similar to the MT5’s though with a flatter response (the MT5 mid resonance is not often felt here).
LOWS : tight, accurate, has drive but not over-emphasised. On the whole the lows can sound recessive if you expect pounding bass (these ‘phones are not about that). The A990Z have more bass warmth but not more hit (‘thwack’). The MT5’s have more more power and more hit in the 70-200Hz range, possibly the DT770’s have slightly more power through not as much hit. The recessive nature of the bass, is in part relative to the forward highs, the ‘phones can’t be turned up too far to reveal the full bass glory – as the highs then become too loud.
V.LOW : sub-bass if present in a recording is surprisingly powerful, more so than the DT770 and even the A990Z – reaching lower and with more detail (and also as previously mentioned, the powerful bass-ready MT5’s are not as present under 50Hz). This is a strong point of these headphones, the natural bass spread, which introduces powerful sub-bass without confusing it with middle bass frequencies – this is actually rare in a headphone, sub-bass seems to come from nowhere as an instrument in itself. If your like all bass to sound like sub-bass these headphones are not for you, sub-bass is powerful only when present in the recording, which including all genres, below 40Hz is actually quite rare.
SOUNDSTAGE : slightly more open than the MT5’s, probably due to the general extra speed and clarity especially in the highs, though not as open as the DT770 and A990Z.
Below 4kHz they are the fastest most flat headphone I’ve used, above 4kHz highs are elevated – revealing – which used as a tool in the studio is valuable, less so for listening. If you’re here just for listening pleasure, these headphones may come across as too harsh and not ideal for old recordings (esp analogue transferred to digital / CD), which generally are mid and high biased and may have issues in those areas.
The MT8 emphasis on clarity in the highs is useful prior to and during recording; due to compensation, mastered results from the MT8’s can lack high/treble presence, whereas from the MT5 possibly mastered highs can be overdone slightly. The ideal headphone would be a mix of the best parts of the MT5 and the MT8. That said, the MT8’s are the best judged and most useful studio headphones I’ve ever used.
DESIGN : v.soft pads, may result in pressure from the driver-grill on your ears – esp if you have satellite-dish ears (the MT5’s have firmer, deeper pads), both the MT8 and MT5 have a neat ear-cup size and shape though some may wish the aperture was slightly larger. 3m detachable cable + detachable coiled cable, twist-lock. Foldable, neat, relatively compact and solid. Portable though on the heavy side.
3:
DT770 80ohm : good for : Monitoring and maybe Mastering. Listening – very good, if your music has no hint of sibilant type sounds. Overall frequency signature most similar to the MT8’s, in many ways I’d place them both joint 2nd place.
The DT770 80ohm version, has deeper bass and less sibilant treble than the 32ohm or 250ohm versions (which personally I’d avoid). The 80ohm has thicker winding wires and a long-throw driver – capable of higher volumes though a tad slower), the 250ohm has a short throw-driver (faster though more bright). BTW there is also the semi-open DT880 (bass light) and the open DT990 (bass ok, sub-bass light, v.sibilant & highs emphasised).
HIGHS : in presence and control between the MT5’s and MT8, so very forward. Well balanced though there’s a big big but – unfortunately there’s an isolated problem spike at the sibilance freq, around 8kHz, it’s harsh, you can accept it and use it when monitoring & recording to avoid it in your tracks – but it probably does rule these ‘phones out for listening – unless you like a lot of sssss and zzzzz in your highs, female vocals sound clashy and fatiguing. As it’s a large spike, the ear and the mind cannot adapt it’s disparity to the surrounding high frequencies, and so it sounds unnatural, sizzling and annoying – it never ‘goes away’. For mastering, this can lead to too dull a result, especially in vocal clarity. Though the MT5’s are ‘darker’ they have more edge and they have no sudden freq peaks.
HIGH-MIDS : similar to the MT8’s, fantastic detail and presence, I say it’s the strongest point of these headphones and of this whole group – the immersive realism in this freq. realm. It’s basically the sweet spot between the elevated peak in the highs and the recessed mids
MIDS : detailed yet noticeably recessed. A positive of this V shape [recessed mids] is that it does prevent mid-freq ‘closed-back resonance’ (the MT5’s have a W shape, more so than the MT8’s). Vocals and acoustic instruments can sound rather thin and distant.
LOWS : wide, powerful and enjoyable, not as detailed as it could be – more fruity and less thwack than the MT5.
V.LOW : sub-bass present but slightly soggy. (Sub-bass frequencies can reveal a rattle, the diaphragms are slightly sticky and hair can get trapped, it’s a common problem, search for ‘DT770 buzz rattle’. Only noticeable with loud very particular frequencies around 148Hz. The cans can be dismantled but it’s a delicate procedure. One of my drivers have this issue now).
SOUNDSTAGE : very open, helped by the small bass-port (which does leak sound).
DESIGN : on the limit of needing an amp to drive them, on a MacBook Pro I’m often at 100% – while on my music interface there is power to spare. There is the DT770 32ohm version, though while more efficient it doesn’t doesn’t mean better (too efficient and the power isn’t delivered to tightly control the speaker coil, also the diaphragm is designed to be more flexible / floppy). Cable hard-wired. The cans are connected to the headband with a free hanging wire – so need some care. If you are generally not using an external amp, I’d probably pass on these, for less than loud mixes they simply may not be loud enough. Construction, very good. Hard-wired 3m cable. Not portable (unless your bag has generous room to spare).
4:
A990Z : good for : 2nd check Mastering and Listening. Overall frequency signature most similar to the MT5’s.
Overall v.similar to the MT5 but with a more open soundscape, a tad more highs, less present mids. Soundscape while on a par with the DT770 in its openness, but can sound distant. You could not rely on this headphone for critical mastering – though I do use them as a ‘speaker check’ when I’m away from my studio.
HIGHS : similar to the MT5 though with a tad more highs and better defined. Forgiving of poor recordings. While good for all genres the A990Z would be my pick for listening to classical music – due to the soundstage and the highs not as emphasised at the DT770 or MT8’s, though with the MT5’s darker highs I can listen to them for longer with more varied material.
HIGH-MIDS : have a slightly aggressive brittle grate, nothing to be too concerned about, it’s not sibilance, more of a metallic electronic squeal, which seems to confuse the highs and slightly divorce them from reality. The large 53mm driver of the A990Z seems at times to struggle to achieve fast definition.
MIDS : mids very slightly recessive which widens the soundscape though you may notice a slight lack of body and presence to the mids – especially compared to the MT5, MT8’s and monitor speakers; that said the DT770’s have the most V shape freq response. There is some shouting resonance to the mids, not dissimilar to the MT5’s.
LOWS : v.large, open, bouncy, fruity, warm. A tad too emphasised, slow & loose – lacking some detail & drive, overall some muddiness, can get a bit heavy going and bloated, I prefer the more defined MT5 and spacious DT770 bass.
V.LOW : present, enjoyable, soft. Sub-bass though is confused with the emphasised general bass, the result is the MT8 has greater sub power, detail and more overall bass separation (though less general bass) whereas the A990Z can sound bloated and lack separation.
SOUNDSTAGE : undeniably good, but wrapped up in other issues. The moment you put them on they sound great, very open, then that impression wears off – they begin to seem too friendly and lack involvement, confused highs and boomy lows. For classical, the fruity openness of the A990Z’s is welcome, though slightly flat in their lack of high separation – similar to the MT5’s in darkness, though the A990Z have a squeal to the highs which can become annoying like a saw – I’m being super critical, the highs are actually well tamed and never painful yet do lack some separation and realism. Soundstage is like large, but like a large ball of wool – you may not notice this – I’m being critical. Stereo width not that impressive.
In all frequencies dynamic hit and power is not great, so less aggressive, less interesting, just a bit too distant and knotted – can get confused with complex layer music – often an issue with large diaphragms. Good for checking what a track will sound like on a ‘normal’ hi-fi system, but they fall short of keeping me engaged.
The A990Z’s have slightly massaged all the frequencies to the extent there’s not enough clarity or speed to be used as a studio headphone (even though they are labeled ‘Art Monitors’). They are forgiving of harsh or poorly mastered recordings, basically they are good at being polite, warm loudspeakers in a room – yet on your head.
DESIGN : comfort – lightweight, no on-ear compression though pressure on upper jaw-bone caused by v.large pads. I’m not an advocate of the overall design. The metal backs of the cans is very thin (and leaks a lot of sound), I dented them the day they arrived by accidentally dropping the heavy metal-body (sharp) headphone-jack on them from maybe 12inch above. Hard-wired 3m cable. Too large and delicate to be portable.
REJECTED HEADPHONES :
5:
X2HR : I respect all of the above headphones for their position in the studio (maybe not the A990Z), the X2HR have zero place in the studio. Having said that I include them here as a listening pleasure headphone – in your comfy chair. The soundstage is wide and open, instrument separation is good. Bass is large and saggy / flabby, loose and lacking detail, highs come and go in an odd way. Wavy frequency EQ – some parts boosted others missing – lots of peaks and troughs throughout. They are not relevant in the studio due to this wavy EQ and sounding like a wet sock – there’s no analysis to be done with these. I didn’t like the ridiculously huge ‘winter earmuff’ pads either. I’d say if you have any inclination to get the Philips X2HR’s and you appreciate a ‘truer’ headphone (yet with generous bass) get the A990Z’s (though personally I’d go another step and get the more immediate MT5’s), on the other hand, if you like a full, open, fruity, forgiving sound, the X2HR’s are a good choice. Their positives are partly due to their open-back design – which is fine but be aware they leak sound like a sieve.
6:
K550 MkIII : I could not like these, I tried, but my hated grew and grew. As many people seem to like these headphones, I’ll detail my observations in full
HIGHS : prominent, harsh, lack detail, sibilant across a wide range – none of this helped by the large [i.e slow] 50mm drivers – which may have been EQ pushed over the whole high pitch area. There is sizzle and a lot of clashy high freq prominence. Mid-highs are dragged into this region sapping music and voices of depth. I prefer the DT770 highs – even with their elevated 8kHz EQ peak.
HIGH-MIDS : lack detail and separation, they scream and seem to resonant in the small enclosure of the closed-back cans, instruments in this mid to high range grate together and can sound a bit of a mess. Like the highs, crashing and confused.
MIDS : all of the mid range is strangely pushed into upper mids such that overall pitch is raised and generally thin, voices become drained of full-bodied depth and leave only a high-pitch veneer.
LOWS : on the weak side, recessed and very slow – least definition and depth of this group, surprisingly one-dimensional for a 50mm driver – distance between instruments lost. The weak headband clamping force doesn’t help, but the problem is deeper than that.
SOUNDSTAGE : lack of instrument separation, confused, muddles musicality; possibly the small driver chamber doesn’t help. So much of recordings is lost, including much enjoyment. If your musical taste is for simple short-lived tiss-bang-tiss-bang bold instruments these headphones can sound ok, but if your music has complexity and layered instruments it’s like listening to your recordings at 1/2 quality.
Overall Sound : clashy, confused, compressed ‘grey’ sounding, bass weak, vocal mids thin, raised the pitch of all tracks. I wish I didn’t have to mention these here, the most ill thought-out and ill-sounding headphone I’ve tried in a long time, the billing that they offer a flat frequency response is mostly a lie and covers a multitude of sins in these cans, flat with clarity ok, but flat and clashy and terribly confused no that’s not fine. Some may hear clashy and think that’s the sound of detail, it isn’t. If they work for you fine, but to me they were a travesty, dressed up to look nice.
If you do think these sound good – and so therefore like a ‘lighter-weight’ sound, you should try the fast, clear, detailed, MT8’s – they are leagues better in every respect (they have more bass as well) yet share some analytical flat sonic signatures of the K550’s.
DESIGN : not only no sonic substance but the very flimsy headband is a joke – a weak thin piece of metal with no spring and little padding (the crown of your head will hurt even with a good head of hair). The clamping force is near zero. The adjusting swivels of the ‘cans’ are very stiff, so the cans need to be manually pressed into your head every-time you wear them to achieve a decent seal and correct angle of the ear-cups; this is kind of ok, but clamping force also maintains the ‘cans’ in a solid stationary position while the drive unit oscillates back and forth. The clamping force is so weak that a noticeable amount of bass is lost due to the cans not being held absolutely stationary – in fact vibrating inversely to the driver movements (applying light pressure to fix the cans in place helps enormously); the designer of the headband should be sacked – and this is after many years of complaints and now a MkIII version with no headband upgrade! Without doubt the weakest and most uncomfortable headband in the history of headphones, if AKG can do this – design it, test it, put it into production, MkI, MkII, MkIII, just wonder how bad the rest of the design is – it really is – and I’m including the sound, the tiny enclosures, arh I could go on for eternity, these headphones make me furious, never AKG for me again, never. The ear-cups are very large – totally over-ear though a downside is sound-focus is variable as they don’t centre in the same place on the ear every time. The pleather coating is very thin and delicate and I doubt would last long in a studio. The cans can swivel 90 degrees on their normal axis so they lay flat – which reduces some bulk when inserting in a bag, but the headband doesn’t fold inwards at an elbow like the Yamaha’s.
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SCORING
I’ve spent a lot of time & thought weighing-up these scores days of back and forth fast A/B comparisons, etc, so compare the values carefully – they are not just plucked from the air (though are subjective – to my peculiar critical nature).
1- 10, higher the number the better; though NB I’ve gone higher, 11 indicates where there’s too much, an overdose, so 11 is actually a negative!
1st score : BODY (Power & Presence) / 2nd score : DETAIL (Speed & Accuracy)
Efficiency is how easy they are to drive. ‘5’ is on the limit of laptops and may require an extra headphone amp. Higher efficiency isn’t always a good thing, ‘lower’ efficiency or/and higher ohm resistance will result in a tighter faster response – but require more output sound-card/amp power.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MT5. . . . . . MT8 . . . . . . DT770 . . . . A990Z
High. . . . . . . . . . . . 7 / 9. . . . . .11 / 10 . . . .11 / 8 . . . . . 8 / 7 . . . . . (11 = can be too strong & fatiguing)
High-Mid. . . . . . . . 7 / 8. . . . . . 9 / 9. . . . . . 9 / 10. . . . . 8 / 6
Mid. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 / 8 . . . . . 11 / 9. . . . . 6 / 7 . . . . . . 5 / 7
Low . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 / 8 . . . . 7 / 9. . . . . . 9 / 7. . . . . . 11 / 5 . . . . . (indicative of the bass you will hear)
V.Low. . . . . . . . . . . 8 / 7 . . . . . 9 / 7 . . . . . . 9 / 6. . . . . . 9 / 5 . . . . . . (you wont often hear this frequency <45Hz)
Soundscape . . . . . 6 . . . . . . . . . 6. . . . . . . . . 9 . . . . . . . . . 8
Stereo width. . . . . 9 . . . . . . . . . 8. . . . . . . . . 9 . . . . . . . . . 5
Efficiency. . . . . . . . 8 . . . . . . . . . 9. . . . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . 8
Isolation. . . . . . . . . 9 . . . . . . . . . 9. . . . . . . . . 7 . . . . . . . . . 5
Portability. . . . . . . .8 . . . . . . . . . 7. . . . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . . . . 3
Comfort. . . . . . . . . .8 . . . . . . . . . 7 . . . . . . . . .9 . . . . . . . . . 7
/
CONCLUSION
I'm torn between the Yamaha MT5 and the MT8, they have similarities though are significantly different. For no fatigue 'listening-mastering' the MT5 (and being lighter are more portable ideal if you need to mix/master on the road), for 'critical inspectional mastering' the MT8. I can work with either, but if you are studio pro I suggest you get the MT8's for their greater clarity (studio pro's need, accept and adapt to emphasised clarity, whereas 'semi-pro-enthusiasts' might not - in which case MT5). The MT5 could be the same price as the MT8's, there's nothing cheap about them - including the detail, power and speed of the sound, they just offer a different (and less fatiguing) view.
If you are searching for the best overall headphones, ...they don't exist. There are excellent 'phones that vary in their sound and are optimised / useful for different purposes. You can pay around /$1000 for a set of headphones, but they will still have a slant to their sound, and you might even find they don't do the job you hoped. In the end, for professional studio use, you'll need two or three difference headphones to balance your sound between, though if you use monitor speakers you will appreciate the Yamaha HPH-MT5 and the brighter MT8 - they are from my experience as close as I can reasonably get to a full and exact rendition in a simple, no frills, portable and strong headphone.
EXTRA NUGGETS
Never choose headphones based on manufacturers' quoted frequency ranges, as this doesn't tell you the amplitude at those frequency extremes (i.e. they may reproduce 20Hz - but at a low volume and bass dependant on how close to your ear the driver is). There's much more to rating headphones than frequency graphs - which do show amplitude at various frequencies but don't reveal response speed, detail, timbre, depth, soundstage, instrument separation, etc. Most good headphones can reproduce a wide range of frequencies, sometimes those frequencies will be +6db above the 0db centre-line or even +10db, sometimes -6db below but even then you will still hear them and if presented with clarity may sound more present than 0db in another headphone. Just be careful of stated responses. If I say 'over 10kHz starts to fall away', don't be too alarmed, 15-20kHz will still be present and maybe super detailed; the spectrum doesn't just end. I know you'll still read manufacturer frequency response ranges, they may give a rough indication or they may be measurement manipulation for tactical sales.
For when your new headphones arrive
Audio processor sampling frequency : v.important - set to the Hz of your computer's output to the same as the source (or double for less high-freq filtration - more treble), so if the source is CD/YouTube use 44.1kHz (or 88.2kHZ for greater clarity), if film use 48kHz (or 96kHz for greater clarity). Bit depth, I recommend 24bit or if you have it, 32 bit float.
RUNNING-IN : I just purchased a second set of MT5's, so I had the luxury to directly compare brand-new for 'burnt-in'. The burnt-in MT5's are noticeably more open, fast and reveal more high freq detail, brand new MT5's may sound recessive in the highs, when burnt in for sure the highs while still slightly dark, brighten up and are near perfect.
I know this is debatable but these physically moving components need to work in, and I know this is even more debatable but even electrons need to temper the copper cables (even if it's oxygen-free and directional). Sound is physical even at the microscopic level. Yep I listen at 32bit 96+kHz - that's music I generate at those rates not just elevated DAC rates of inferior source rates.
AudioQuest recommends 150 hours burn-in for their headphones (they probably know what they are talking about!), in any case for most headphones I'd give them around 50hrs (yes that really is 12hrs per day for 4 days - or 6hrs per day for a week, at highish volume).
Place the cans either side of a pillow or turn outward so pressure waves are not fighting against each other, play at high-ish volume, long YouTube 'psybient mixes' will do the trick!
I would not critically evaluate any headphone until 50hrs of burn in, changes are not dramatic, but are noticeable and in the direction of improvement. If you hate a brand-new headphone - perhaps you will still hate it after burn in, though detail, space and freq response will improve, anyone who says this is untrue I personally would not trust their evaluations. Sonically they will change even though you might not want to believe it - actually even after 20hrs.
(NB this isn't a 'verified purchase' review as I ordered the black ear-cup limited edition of the DT770 80ohm; they are otherwise identical to the classic grey velour DT770's. Thought I'd post this review here also, cheers!)
Great sound quality. Comfortable fit. Good length for the lead.
Got sets of these for the office. Everyone is happy with them.
Was hoping for more bass but is alright and 44644 times more confortabler than audiotechnika
So, first off connected them to the PC and was a bit disappointed with some FLAC sources I had. Then realised that the Xonar had Flexibase enabled for small room. This crushes 80% of the bass. Disabling this, setting it to Hi-Fi and wow, like a different pair of headphones. I set the Xonar software to use >60 Ohm which makes these go very loud. too loud for me. Listening at 50% volume and it is about my limit. Take the headphones off and the sound is quiet, put them on and its back to being in the club. So that’s my late night movie watching solved.
Just testing them on Amazon Music (Prime) and it’s actually nicely detailed audio.
So, next test. My iPhone 5. Unscrew the large 1/4 inch jack to reveal the smaller 3.5mm jack and plugged them in, hmmm a bit on the quiet side. Checked in settings->music and “volume limit” was on. Turned that off and was able to up the volume to full which gave perfectly acceptable volume for me.
Next, the amp. I use my Amp for mostly streaming video, freeview and other video content. Set the Amp to Direct. All OK. Internet radio very clear. Obviously I prefer 5.1 but this fills a gap at night.
Overall very happy these work well for crappier source material and work great with hi quality. Had them on for two hours now and they are tight but comfy too. They feel very sealed when on, my PC which is a loud machine with SLI and 6 fans softens to slight hum with the headphones on.
Really happy.
I am not an audiophile so take my review as is.
These are German engineering at its best – well made, with interchangeable parts (so if you wear something out, you simply replace the part, rather than the entire unit). I’ve had mine a number of years now and they’ve lasted exceptionally well, still on my original headband, and while the padding is finally wearing on the ear cups, I have a backup set of cups ready to swap once they finally bite the dust.
Comfort wise, these are excellent, have good isolation of sound (they are closed back after all); the headband has plenty of padding, the ear cups easily cover the ears with a nice velour padding to avoid chaffing, etc after long periods of use. They are a tad heavy (the trade off for well made kit), and do take a little getting used to if you’ve only ever used lightweight/cheaper headphones, but take it from me they are well worth getting used to.
Anyway, these are headphones after all right; so what is the sound quality like? Essentially, these are a fantastic set of headphones that, when used on their own sound pretty good, but truly come into their own when combined with a good quality DAC and headphone amplifier – I’ve noticed new nuances and details in music that I’ve been listening for years, they have excellent separation and a deceptively large soundscape for a closed back pair of headphones. Bass is very clearly defined with no muddiness; it can range from boomy or soft nicely and (when paired with a good DAC) has no perceivable clipping in the lower end and plenty of detail in the lows overall. Treble is nice with very little sibilance, there is plenty of detail here as well.
My verdict:
– Stand-alone use is very good, with plenty of detail showing across the range, a good place to start with audio kit if your budget won’t stretch to additional kit as this will hold up well without an amp.
– With good quality DAC and amp, well it truly comes into its own when paired with good additional equipment – lots of detail which I’ve never heard before becomes noticeable, the sound is ‘smoother’ and the soundscape becomes that much larger.
Basically, these headphones are punching well above their weight here, but to get the absolute best it’s essential you get a good DAC and amplifier. If you’re budget won’t stretch to those, they still hold their own well and gives you a good starting place to add additional equipment to at a later date.
I upgraded to these from a variety of gaming headsets, and my word can I tell the difference. I’m hearing sounds that just weren’t there before because I’m not sacrificing anything. Paired with the excellent Antlion Modmic 4.0, these just blow all gaming headsets out of the water in my opinion.
I’m driving the DT770 Pro 80 Ohm version with onboard sound from my Asus Z170-A (Realtek 892 chipset I think?) with absolutely no issues whatsoever. My Soundblaster Z died on me but I imagine they would sound even better. I intend to invest in an external DAC and amp to really push these cans and get even more bang for buck.
The “velvour” ear pads are comfortable and they fit around my ears no problem. You have the option of swapping these with different types if you really hate them as they can get slightly warm over prolonged use but I’m happy.
Build quality is excellent, these things are built to last but there are a multitude of replacement parts available should you ever need them.
I honestly can’t recommend this headset enough if you have only ever used gaming headsets in the past or lower tier headphones.
These are a really nice pair of headphones. They cups do feel a bit plasticky (aren’t they all these days) but rock solid, hinges and headband are really nice. Plush Velour earcups as really comfy as well.
My only gripes are:
1. The inner cup isn’t that large compared to Sennheiser HD5xx/HD6xx so if you have larger ears you might feel them touch the edges sometimes. Its not cramped just more circular than elliptical than Sennheisers or others that design like that. One ear touches the baffles slightly but moving it around it works out.
2. Headband is really tight. A bit of flexing the headband can help the feel of it being like to limpets stuck to your ears and this alleviated point 1 a bit too. Everyones head is a different size I know but just be aware you can do this to make it a bit more comfortable.
3. Cable is ginormous (real word honest). Some other can’s come with a smaller optional cable you can use for phones etc but none came with this. Minor gripe but Sennheisers do this and they are around the same price.
Sound is good, I do notice they need driven a bit more than my 73ohm Sennheiser HD25-II’s even when they are very similar impediances.
They are closed back so don’t expect expansive soundscapes like a HD598 but for work and blasting out music from your laptop they are perfect.
These were my first non-sennheiser can’s but I have to say I really like them. Sound is good, bass is definitely there but you will need some kind of AMP/DAC combo if you want to play it loud. Most people won’t because they like to be able to hear but each to their own.
They sound nice with a varied range of music styles (chopin, podcasts, techno and acoustic guitar) so a nice all rounder. I’m not going to start saying how dark or bright the soundstage is or give you some irrelevant concepts on the frequency range and how it affects me as a reviewer/user of these cans.
If you like closed over ear headphones and you want sound over looking like a ponce with your silly big B headphones then consider them.
I’m a musician/producer who uses these Beyerdynamic DT770 24/7 with composition software like Logic and Pro Tools, and heavy listening use.
SOUND QUALITY 9/10: BD are well established with the control over sound quality, they’ve been in the game for decades! These headphones deliver well with a clear distinction between the frequencies. These do not over exaggerate the bass parts, so these are not suggested for bass junkies, only an unbiased clean sound. there isn’t a huge amount of noise cancellation from the build, but with the volume turned up this isn’t a problem.
BUILD: 8/10 – Well built, BD have allowed most parts to be replaced, visible by the screw works, buttoned headband and gold plated jack. there could be a little less plastic bulk, but the overall design is industrialist and practical.
COMFORT 6.5/10 – a hot topic with these headphones, it is true, they are tight around the temple areas, particularly when eating, or using them for several hours in one sitting. However with toilet breaks and fresh air, its a small price to pay with these headphones. They are well padded around the ears, and eventually the tension in the headband slacks becoming more pleasant. The large over-ear pads are not made for resting round your neck, so perhaps portability is and issue. Overall they are sturdy and sit on my head well.
What is there to say? Brilliant piece of kit. Superb sound and quality build. You can understand why you see musicians and audio guys in studios at the BBC and ITV wearing these while working. And the price is impressively low for such excellent headphones. Well done, Beyer!
I am, in short, *delighted* with the fantastic headphones. Forget Dr Dre, V-Moda, Audio Technica etc. These are, I think demonstrably, way better.
— UPDATE —
I ought to have added that the 250 Ohm version, which arguably sound the best, need to be amped. Chord Mojo, Cayin C5, one of the FiiOs etc. would all work well.
My wife also knitted something for the band, and wove around the support to make mine look a little more “unique” 🙂
Regular supermarket headphones are like a cheap 5 bottles of wine – they do the job, some flavour, some alcohol. These headphones are like spoiling yourself on a 50 bottle, all the flavour and richness you would want and expect.
My pair were returns supplied by Amazon but cosmetically perfect. They are the most expensive headphones I own and I was pleased to see the build quality and robustness of the design was very high – you get quality engineering with these headphones. You are paying for a quality brand not just a brand name.
They are very comfortable, I use them for music and gaming and they isolate from TV noise very well but not completely. The sound quality improvement compared to my 20 headphones is very obvious. I find them easy to listen with for long periods when wearing glasses.
I wont try try to describe the sound quality like an audiophile except to say I hear a many more notes than before, its a much richer sound, each instrument is heard separately. The bass notes are clear, strong but not over amped and not boomy which is great for gaming and atmospheric music (drums, guns and explosions).
I tested these with the output from my computer and the levels were perfectly fine for most sound sources. However I did choose to use an audio amp (SMSL SD793-II) as that gives me extra flexibility and comfortable listening with quieter sound sources. The combination works well.
DELIVERY
Received a number of messages prior to the delivery and the time slots where booked in, unfortunately I was not available for the delivery itself however I requested these be left in the shed towards the rear of the house. Which, cudos to the delivery man – Was the case.
PACKAGING
The item came in your typical nondescript brown box, inside it contained another box (The DT770’s) which was snugly wrapped with your “airbags”. Really nice to see the added protection since I have had other headphones from previous resellers which didn’t have said packaging precautions.
THE PRODUCT
The headphones are amazing, for starters the audio quality is on-par, if not better than some more expensive headphones I have had the opportunity of using. The clarity is impressive with a neutral, yet warm sound. I’ve so far managed to listen to a variety of genres and thus far I’ve yet to find something these soundboxes are lacking!
The design is superb, I love that everything, absolutely everything can be dismantled with ease and replaced. I have to admit I get alot of use from my headphones so knowing this I get some peace of mind that they will outlast most of my audio equipment.
Finally I would like to add – These are the most comfy headphones that I have ever had on my (over) my ears. They literally encase your entire ear, cupping them in a beautiful cushion of comfiness!
Honestly, if you’re thinking of buying them, do yourself a favor and just buy them now!
Right, where to start:
I’m not an audiophile by any means and i bought these headphones primarily for gaming, so i’ve come to use these from Headsets such as the Creative fatality, Siberia steelseries 300, Razor Carcharias and my most recent pair the Corsiar Vengeance 1200’s the latter being my favourite from the bunch and what i consider to at the time sound amazing,
The DT770’s have really changed my opinion, the sound is so much more detailed than any of the other headsets i have used, the Bass is thumping, but not in a muddy way that other headphones sounded like, i suppose it sounds “controlled”?
i am also hearing things in games and music that i have never heard before, making gaming much better for me anyway.
Obviously these don’t come with a mic, but you can pick a decent lapel mic up for 8 which makes up for that.
Wearing wise, they are extremely comfortable and i cant wear them for hours without issue.
Now the one bad thing and it is quite annoying, if you wear plastic glasses like i do, the velour will “creak” on the frame of the glasses, if you stay still or make small movements it isn’t an issue, but any more movement ie yawning you will hearing them creaking away, but this is the only issue and i don’t feel like it should knock a star off for that.
I chose to buy these instead of the ATH-M50x because imo these sound better. I spent a couple weeks using my brother’s M50x’s and in my opinion the bass on these is a lot stronger and the sound is overall more crisp.
Could be outstanding .Just a tad weak on bass and that is with Marantz seperate amp.
I’m not a audiophile by any means but i do appericate good sound.
These sound really good. From my researches before buying i saw a lot of people praise these headphones for its sound stage and yes it has really impressive sound stage. Try it with songs that has many instrument. I would like to write more things about sound but i don’t want to misguide you since i don’t know much about sound but genereally i would describe its sound as very detailed.
t is really comfortable.
t is very well built. Plastic cups don’t feel like cheap.
t’s huge, bigger than it seems so not ideal for mobile using. For me i can’t put it between my head and my shoulders. I mean it doesn’t fit there.
I’m using them with ipod touch 5th, samsung s7 and my pc. With s7 it sounds well but not loud enough for me. really like how it sounds with ipod. t is quiet loud and rich. For the pc it is loud enough but not good as ipod. It is probably the case for most pc since they all got built in sound cards. From my exprerience apple still got better DAC’s and you can really distinguish them from androids at least from the android phones i tested.
For sound isolation, you can’t hear sounds from outside but when volume is at full others can hear your music.
These headphones sound “fun”.
The bass is incredible, the treble is a little bright and boosted which leads to the mids sounding recessed. If you reduce the treble a little to bring it in line with the mids and increase the volume to compensate they sound great. I plan on buying some replacement foam circles (the ones that go under the ear pads) and putting in an extra one to tame the treble without needing to use EQ.
I also have a pair of Audio Technica M40fs headphones and I would say that they provide more detail but lack the lower bass notes, once you tame the treble I’d much rather use the DT770’s to listen to music.
UPDATE: I have received the foam circles and installed them under the earpads (you’ll have to remove them first) and on top of the foam that is already there. My prediction was correct, this puts the treble in line with the mids (which means you can hear the mids far more clearly) and makes the overall sound much better. The Treble quality still remains (there’s no muffling) it’s just more balanced now. I’d say this is a modification everyone with these headphones should make, it even makes them more comfortable (I no longer have to make little adjustments to make them fit “perfectly”. Plus it’ll only cost you a couple of pounds to do it.
The M40fs’s still have more detail and an “airy” sound that the DT770’s don’t have but I will always reach for the DT770’s if I’m listening to music.
Forget those fashionable headphones that you see in the gym.If you want real quality, you need these
I don’t often write reviews for products but wanted to do so for this pair of headphones because they solved a big problem for me. They are ideal for people who wear glasses. I wear glasses all the time (I can’t do without them) but struggled to find a pair of headphones to wear which were comfortable to wear for long periods of time. I did buy a pair of AKG Y50’s which were fine for an hour or so but became quite uncomfortable after that. In the end, I did a google search for “headphones for glasses wearers” and these Beyerdynamics came up. I wouldn’t normally have spent so much on a pair of headphones but I was desperate to find something comfortable. I can wear these for 4+ hours with no discomfort at all and I am so pleased with them.
Sound wise, I am not a technical whizz but found these very good. As a lot of other people have commented, the headphones have picked up on sounds which I hadn’t realised were there before (e.g. some quite birdsong at the end of a song). I live in London and have used these on the Tube. As they are over-ear, they do ‘noise-cancel’ naturally but not completely.
Fantastic Headphones. I chose these over the Audio Technica ATH-M50x (they were equally priced at the time), as I was only going to listen at home, I didn’t want the folding mechanism, and these looked comfier (I wear glasses and this was a priority). I also wasn’t fussed about the completely flat response of the M50x’s; I wanted maximum enjoyment from my music, not a pair of reference headphones (mind you these would do an excellent job as the v-curved response is very slight).
Initially I questioned my descision, just on comfort. The beyers have quite a high clamping force and it pushed onto my glasses quite hard or the top of my head when I tried to lift the wieght off the ear pads. Without glasses, these were a dream to wear. I likened it to wearing a cloud to my friends. I stuck it out with these and within 1-2 months the ear pads had softened where my glasses are, and my goodness now they are lovely to wear (velor feels amazing and not a trace of hot/sweaty ears in six months).
So they are very very comfy, but what about the sound? Flipping excellent are my words. Instantly I was noticing things that I hadn’t before, they are crisp and refined with some excellent mids and thundering, and yet not overpowering, low end. I listen to pretty much every type of music depending on my mood (Drum and bass, acoustic, rock, classical you name it I love it) and these headphones have not let me down once, always sounding lovely. (They can sound a little hard at first as all headphones have a burn in period). These also sound great at all all volumes (especially with an amplifier), you can wack them up a long way and the sound is still crystal clear (+ very loud, be careful of your hearing!).
Build quality is bomb proof as with all of the Beyer kit I have encountered over the years. They may not look as flashy as the M50x’s, but they just scream quality when you hold them. They also have withstood a couple of ‘more than bumps’ and occasionally been stuffed in rucksack over the time I have owned them, and they are still pristine. Cable feels very solid too.
Perhaps my one minor complaint would be the cable length, 3m is a lot of cable. Having interchangable cables would be top, but thats one more connection to worry about and it would take away from the bombproofness of them perhaps. After some getting used to, 3m is managable, and as I keep them in the same place most of the time the cable is easy to stow. Saying that the long cable has also come in extremely handy when needing to move around. When the cable irriates me I have a extra large bobino which I coil about half the cable around (this isn’t often as I just got used to the length over time, but maybe when sat on the sofa with a laptop).
You don’t need be an audio engineer or audiophile to appreciate these exceptional cans.
Comfort: Immediately after putting them on, I was sure. These are most comfortable headphones I have ever worn. Clamp is perfect and the velour on the pads are like ear mittens made out of clouds. However if you have big ears, they may touch the back of the drivers which can be distracting. With that said I can comfortably wear these for at least 4hrs without any problems.
Audio Quality: Great sub bass and soundstage (surprisingly wide) in a close pair of headphones. Very close to neutral. Good isolation but the velour will allow some leakage (fair trade off for them excellent pads).
Portability: a lot of contradictions here. Easy to drive (dac/amp not necessary) but a 10ft non-detachable cable. A really ugly, cheap and thick fixed cable.
Build Quality : Big and bulky, dated, simple, understated. These aren’t head turners but they aren’t design to be. They are for professionals and serious listeners. Good Materials such as the metal head band and velour pad makes this a good build. However unnecessary plastic, simple mechanical movement not completely fluid (very un-german) and that disgrace of a cable prevent this from being a great build.
Summary:
Flawed like any other pair of headphones. But they more than make up for it in the comfort and audio quality department. There a reason why beyerdynamic have been manufacturing these for nearly 30 years. The best pair of closed back headphone you can get and their made in Germany.
I would also recommend the HM5 and t50rp
Second, they are incredibly well built. BeyerDynamic have gone for utilitarian design rather than fashion statement, and this is a good thing. From the sturdy headband to the supremely comfortable ear cups to the thick, high quality cable, these cans will stand up to real world abuse.
Finally, and most importantly, the quality of sound is phenomenal. Some listeners have criticised the DT770’s as having weak mid range response, but honestly, even though I agree with the criticism, I can honestly say it has not spoiled my listening enjoyment in any way. I listen to an eclectic range of music, from the harshest Norwegian Black Metal, to Dark Wave & Gothic Rock to the bleepiest synthesizer music & chiptunes to the cheesiest 80’s pop – these headphones exceed my expectations.
There is a price to pay, however, and that is: For headphones in this category, you really do need to provide as hi-fidelity source signal as possible. Don’t imagine for one minute that your 128k MP3 files will sound great through these headphones – they will not. The DT770’s will show up a poor quality source for what it is. My personal setup consists of a laptop connected to a USB DAC & AMP combo which drives the DT770’s. I’m also quite specific about buying digital music in as higher quality as I can. The FLAC vs 320k MP3 can be debated all day, but my own preference is 24-bit or 16-bit FLAC files.
Regarding the weak mids, some people prefer to introduce a software or hardware EQ to sort this out. Whilst this may be ok, I’d rather not introduce noise into the chain and enjoy the sounds as rendered by the DT770’s unaided. Your mileage may vary, of course…
So to summarise, you really can’t do much wrong by investing in a pair of DT770’s if you want to move up to the next level, but don’t want to sink 500 or more on a set of headphones. Also, don’t be scared off by the 250 Ohm rating. In my experience, I have yet to find a source which struggles to drive them. My ageing Nexus 4 phone will drive them, albeit with a maxed out volume (so I avoid this generally), my cheap USB audio interface (Lexicon Alpha) drives them superbly and even my laptop (HP Elitebook 8560w) will drive them on full volume, but again – I’d rather just use my USB DAC & Amp (Fiio E7).
If you’re in the market for a fantastic pair of closed back headphones, I’d have a serious look at the BeyerDynamic DT770’s. Recommended without hesitation.
After a week without an amp I did purchase a magni2 amp….the results? Not much of a difference. The headphones can go louder now, but I didn’t need them to go louder. I could argue the sound is that much cleaner, the bass is brought out slightly more. A fuller more complete soundstage. But it was an unnecessary purchase. It’s hard to determine if it actually sounds better or if I’m imagining a very minimal increase in sound quality because I made an additional purchase.
ANYWAYS
These headphones are incredibly comfortable. I have large ears, most headphones hurt my ears. These ones are my dream come true.
The sound quality is amazing. Very clean and detailed.
By far the best headphones I have ever owned.
Beats,razer headsets, momentum, and many other headphones pale in comparison.
The dt770 pro 250 ohm headphones are a fantastic purchase. I highly recommend them.
Also, I’m from the US. Buying from UK is significantly cheaper…still got my purchase in like 3 days though. Talk about fast shipping!
And boy do they produce. They’re super meaty in the low end, they do have a tiny bit of compromise on the mids, but the treble is awesome and the sound stage is as accurate as on my Eclipses and let me tell you, that is 110% praise because those latter’s are the standard. It’s almost like re-discovering your music collection.
As a bonus, they are also the best non-active sound isolation cans I have ever tried. Without all the DSP bull. Just well built fundamentals.
You cannot spend 100 pounds better. And on top of it all, you’ll know you’ll be wearing the same headphones that almost all artists wear in the studio. Unbeatable.
Wonderful, balanced headphones that sound beautiful straight from the box with no need for burn in. Deliberated over these for a while, but I absolutely recommend them. Perform better than much more expensive headphones I’ve tried.
I bought these as a (huge) replacement for my trusty Bayer Dynamic Galaxy headphones that I have been using pretty much non-stop for 10 years. I wore them to and from the station so they spent a lot of time on the move or in my rucksack. They still perform admirably, only the elastic has finally lost its tautnessential. So it seemed like a great idea to replace them with a huge pair of studio headphones. These are now being used in the same way.
Build: Excellent! Studio strength.
Comfort: Very comfortable and they keep your ears warm on a cold day.
Sound: Very, very good. A surprising amount of bass. Good bass though, not some overblown “Beats” kind of bass. It doesn’t detract from the solid mid and sparkling highs. Probably not as airy as my AKG 550s but then they don’t dig down nearly as deep. Very good noise isolation properties too.
I could listen to them all day. A steal for around 100. Built to last too!
The only thing I would add is a detachable cable. Oh, and they’re ever so slightly too quiet coming out of my ipod classic. I’m buying a headphone amp to sort that out. Good, another excuse for buying some electronica!
Just buy them, you won’t regret it.
My first pair of serious headphones which require an amp, and I must say I was initially not taken back by the sound qaulity, but then once I started listening some more using these headphones and listening to a variety of music it really started to warm up to me. The bass is really deep, so much so that I would go as far as to say no other headphones 3x this price point would match it, making these a very ideal choice for MANY people since bass is such a popular spectrum of the human hearing these days! However its not too much bass, its seems perfectly balanced. Again this is my first pair of serious headphones so take my review with a grain of salt. Everything good you hear about these headphones is true!
Don’t shy away from these headphones even if you don’t have high bitrate music, there IS a difference between this and your run of the mill USB/3.5mm headphones that you just plug and play without an amp, and this is coming from a person who considers themselves to not be some audio geek! In my opinion, it’s not a placebo, make the plunge and get these headphones!
*EDIT* 22/10/15
Having used the headphones for a while now the little annoyying things have become clearer. The only thing I don’t like is the choice of cable. This would usually be fine but the cable isn’t detatchable either so I can’t just go and swap it out sadly for a flat style cable/shorter/longer cable etc. Also the plastic design coating on the outside of the cuffs has some scuffs that I have no idea how they got there but I’ll assume that was my doing and not poor design or anything! Still give these a 5/5.
To start with, the fit and comfort of these headphones are absolutely great. I’ve worn these headphones for up to 16 hours a day in some cases and my ears/head feel no discomfort or soreness at all. The cushioned ear pads have a lovely feel to them and have not lost their padding at all since the day I purchased these.
In terms of sound, they’re top class. For closed back headphones, the bass response is fantastic and it feels quite balanced across the spectrum. If you’re a producer or sound engineer etc just starting out, it’ll probably take some ear training to get used to translating your mixes from monitors to headphones and vice versa, but once you master this, you’re pretty much unstoppable.
The screw-on 3.5mm to 1/4 inch adapter is a nice little addition, as I’ve used some headphones that just have a click on adapter that come off easily, so it’s nice to have it securely attached. The soft headphone bag included with this is nice to start with too, but I ended up buying a hardcase for these headphones after a few months as the side of the bag started to rip from constant use.
Lastly, the only downside with the product itself is probably the fact that you might hear a little buzz every so often in either the left or the right cone. 99.9% of the time this is probably just going to be a loose hair that’s got stuck in the foam and is touching the actual speaker cone. At first I thought my headphones were broken and was almost crying, but a simple repeated frequency sweep from 100Hz-300Hz has rattled the hair out every time.
Overall this is a fantastic headphone purchase if you’re working in the audio industry, or whether you simply just want to listen to music. The price might seem high, but it’s a genuinely fantastic product and you can’t go wrong with these headphones.
Sound Quality:
Excellent. The best sounding headphones which I personally have tried. Bass, mids and treble are all crisp and clear.
Listening to Robert plant/Alison Krauss their vocals separate beautifully. The brushes on the symbols in Herbie Hancock:Color and Spark tingle crisply and the guitar/drum/bass combo in Nirvana’s Nevermind roar as intended. The DT770’s have the widest sound stage of any closed back headphone which I’ve tried. They are not noise cancelling however the isolation is very good and will block out 90% of sound.
Comfort:
The 32 ohm version come with pleather (fake leather) pads as opposed to the velour of the 80/250 ohm versions. After hearing raving reviews of the amazing comfort of the velour pads I was worried that the pleather would not live up. However these headphones are the most comfortable headphones which I have worn. The pleater pads are soft and cushion over the ears. They can be twisted around to fit any head size and the clamping force is just right. I have worn these for several hours straight exhibiting no discomfort. I am eager to try out the velour pads as I just can’t imagine how the comfort of mine could be improved! On a hot day however I do notice heat build up, which can lead to sweating of the ears, I am not sure if the velours do/don’t have the same problem?
Build Quality:
Build quality of the headphones is good, but not excellent. Besides the metal connecting the cups to the headband, the headphones are made completely of plastic which is weaker than metal but is expected with the low cost of the headphones. I don’t mind this however, as I listen at home where they are in no real danger of getting damaged and the lightness of plastic adds to the overall comfort of the headphone. All wires feel sturdy and the end jack is strong which I don’t see myself having to replace at all in the near future.
Extras:
It comes with a light carry sleeve, which personally I don’t see the need for other than protecting from dust. These are not the most portable headphones. It also includes an adapter to listen through an amp which I find very useful. Listening through an amp really brings out the most of the headphones however the low impedance means they perform perfectly though phones and laptops where I would mostly listen from. The cable is a straight 1.3 meters which I find perfect as it’s never in the way. This version is built for a more home/portable use rather than the studio, but still producing that awesome sound quality.
If you are used to very bass heavy headphones be warned, these are not as bass-y as you may be used to, at first I thought the bass was lacking but have now come around to find it spot on. Bass is crisp and is present when it needs to be, if you still find it lacks a simple EQ will fix that for you, these headphones have such a large frequency range that they are capable of almost anything!
When I first got them I thought the bass was insane, coming from AKG, which seems to me to have a very high level of attack, much like the Naim Hi-FI I used to own (a sound I adore), I thought I’d made a mistake buying the 770’s. However after burning them in for about 100+ hours, they seemed to have calmed down a LOT. Maybe I’m just accustomed to them, but I am fairly sure the sound has matured and as a result sound fantastic.
I still think the mids are a tad recessed compared to AKG, but it’s all a matter of taste. I listen to a lot of rock, metal, jazz, soul & blues, quite a broad spectrum and they are well suited to all genres. I can tire of my AKG K550’s, as they really have a forward sound to them, the Bayers I can literally listen to all day and not tire of the sound.
I’ve currently got them paired with a Schiit Lyr 2 amp, Schiit Wyrd and I am using an iFi Nano iDSD for a DAC. I play only FLAC files 16/44 and higher. The 250 will play on a mobile phone or tablet, but not at a high level. I like my music loud and my little iFi Nano only has an output of 130mW which isn’t enough to really push the 770’s and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s got another 30-50mW or so more on a mobile phones power output.
I think my next pair of headphones will be the AKG 702’s, but I will definitely trial the Bayer T90’s if I ever decide to step it up a notch and get serious about a pair of ‘phones; if I don’t look into the 880’s or 990’s before then!
This product is better than good. All parts replacable. German company. Absolutely brilliant. I must admit I use these mainly on the street listening to my iPad touch, which might be overkill when I look at all the idiots wearing cheap in ear stuff?
NOOOOOO. Definitely not. And these guys are bulky so really everybody knows your a walking audiophile.
And,imagine this, they are still way cheaper than one of those grossly overpriced B(eat)’s…
Pros:
– Superb, superb, superb sound quality
– Decent size. You look like a real audiophile. (Some might call it bulky, but I love it this way)
– Parts can be replaced. This is (sadly) not the normal case anymore. I really appreciate this!
– Very comfortable to wear
– Very good price/quality ratio
Cons:
– Only little con I can find is that the cable is too long for wearing it with an iPod on the street which I often (not only but often) do. For this purpose the cable could be shorter. But then really I can understand that for the supplier intended purpose like studio, dj, home use it makes much sense to have a long cable. Maybe then the only feature I could wish for would be a cable that can be replaced by a shorter one with a connection near the headphone. Again, it’s just a small issue.
It’s a great sounding pair off headphones.
The possitive:
+ Very comfortable
+ Light!
+ Great sound feels very open even though they are a closed pair off headphones
The negative
– There is a slight click when you turn your head that can be quiet annoying
– They are light but they also feels abit plastic
– The sound is very natural but that means that the base signature is abit low. You have to EQ tweak it quiet alot if you want the base to really shine.
Recommend!
I would reccomend these if you want a clean sound signature that has the whole range off sounds very equal.
End note:
I tried these with 3 different amps/dacs.
Denon AVR-x1000 (reciver): This one truly does the headphone justice and helps them get a good sound.
FiiO E18: This made my phone listening so much more enjoyable! If you are getting these headphones for your android phone I do recomend this amp/dac.
FiiO E6: The box says this can power upto 200ohm headphones. NO do not get this one for these headphones.
Regular phone: Just don’t get these and a AMP/DAC or you will be very dissapointed.
After ordering both versions 80 Ohm + 250 Ohm I have to say that both sound brilliant. The amplifier used to test them was the Denon Pma-255uk. I have to say that I indeed had some sort of a biased opinion that the 250 has to be better and during the comparison of different music I always came to the conclusion that the 250 would be the better, clearer sounding one.
However as I already thought my mind is kind of biased I’ve asked my wife to assist me in my doing and set the arrangements for me without me seeing which headphone she selected to put on my head.
The result was astonishing as in all five tests (100%) – three on myself two of my wife – both of us straight pointed to the 80 Ohm version and because of this the 250 Ohm has been sent back and the 80 Ohm kept.
Actually the 80 Ohm had to be sent back due to a mechanical fault but now I’m a very happy 80 Ohm user enjoying what I have missed when using my usual beats earphones.
I simply can not stress out enough how clear the sound of this headphone is.
I mainly settled on these because there were nothing but positive reviews. I usually ignore most “bad build” reviews because almost every headphone product has a review saying that, headphones break and that’s that, take care of them well. I became interested because I read “sounds very accurate/authentic” in the reviews, and all I want when I listen to electronic music is a pure, clear sound. I’m not really familiar with expensive headphones though, and over ear ones are new to me, but I’m used to in-ear ones.
When I first tried these I enjoyed the sound, but it wasn’t what I would call outstanding. I look for very crisp sound and although the sound is very good quality, it’s not fully crisp.
When I first listened to them on my computer, I had the common problem where maximum volume is only just good enough. I don’t like this because I feel restricted with my headphone use, so I bought ‘Audioengine D1 Premium 24-bit DAC’ to replace my on-board soundcard. It allowed me to go louder which is good, even though the sound quality was hardly any different, at least it’s a good way to know that I never have to hear crackling or weird sound effects coming from my computer.
With the comfort these have though, there is no way I would return them, I can just wear them all night and forget they are even there. For the price I am satisfied, although I definitely want to try out more headphones.
Most comfortable headphones ever? Haha.
These DT770 are a closed back headphone which means they keep the sound in and external noice out.They are circumaural which means they sit on the sides of your head and completely cover each ear, they do not press on the ears and they are comfortable for much listening. These DT 770 pro are just one of maybe 5 headphones in total that are used as routine by musicians, recording engineers and sound engineers becuse they give out a pretty consistent and acurate representation of what is actually being recorded. Don’t expect overbown or boomy bass or tinny and bright top end, do expect consistency and quality. For closed cans they also offer a surprisingly wide sounstage with very defined instrument placing. I have auditioned everything for Led Zep to Dyan and Floyd to Beathoven with a bit of Carol Kind thrown in for good measure and they do that job…and they do the job very well. Now I just need to save up for a pair for me. You won’t be seeing footballers wearing these when getting off the bus for a game and with good reason..they are for people who apprciate music and fidelity.
I have also recently heard the entire Bose and ‘Dr Dre Beats’ over-ear range so I know good sound when I hear it.
So with that in mind, I can honestly say this pair of headphones have been a revolution for me.
By the way they take a LOT of burning in so don’t even start to judge them until they’ve had 30-40 hours. I would say nearer 100 before they really start to blossom.
Whenever I put them on I can’t help but start playing my entire back collection of music, and the results are outstanding. I hear new subtleties in music I have been listening to for years. Every instrument is distinct and every emotion is captured in the vocals.
Movies too are a new experience – I could watch a large amount of my library all over again. Every nuance of the actors’ voices are captured- I can hear a pin drop; I feel I can tell what the floor and walls are made of just by hearing the echo of the voices in the room. The soundstage is excellent which makes for an immersive experience.
A word of warning – they are not bass heavy at all…
Now I realise what music aficionado’s mean when they talk of ‘synthetic’ bass. Admittedly, to get the most of of dance music you really need some bass amplification; after which it does sounds decent.
But leave these bass settings on with an acoustic / vocal or classical track and it sounds horribly crass; hence the concept of ‘synthetic’ bass. At least with these ‘phones you have the choice to make it natural.
Essentially then they really sit in the realm of the ‘analytical’. Before buying these I would not have properly understood what this term meant, and that is telling in itself.
It is testament to their main virtue. Clean, precise and exciting.
Comfort – the cushioning is fabric as opposed to leather which is much more comfortable over long periods of use. I suspect this may be at the expense of longevity (i.e. they could fray over time) but this would be my personal preference.
Otherwise I must point out that Build Quality is Bullet-Proof.
They are not too ‘bright’ either; another term I now understand better. They do not accentuate the high’s to make certain sounds like vocals appear punchier. This also adds to the ability to listen to these over long periods without the experience becoming arduous.
Noise isolation – I would say these are not truly characteristic of closed- backed ‘phones.
They do leak a reasonable amount of noise. The upside to this for me is the noise it produces is a little more real and open.
However, this is a matter of taste and perhaps not what you might expect from these, based on their product description..
A final word of warning – I would not recommend these purely for use with an iphone or other small MP3 player; as even with a headphone amplifier these are a little on the quiet side.
In summary, these are very analytical, they are not bass heavy, they have a good soundstage, they are comfortable but they leak noise, they are not entirely suitable for iphones and small electronic devices (get the 32Ohm version).
However, they are ultimately rewarding if you want to hear a truly realistic and immersive yet tireless sound.
I have an old pair of the 250 Ohm version of these and recently purchased the 80 Ohm. I took a long time in deciding which to get, knowing how very good the 250 Ohm version is, but having read reviews I went for the 80 Ohm version in the hopes that they would be better matched to my iPod. I will admit the 80 Ohm version does go slightly louder on an iPod than the 250 Ohm, but that is where the improvement ends. The 250 Ohm wins in every other respect.
The 80Ohm has a long, straight cable which is a pain when out walking, or something. The 250 Ohm has a short, coiled cable. When it comes to sound, the 250 Ohm big, open sound, that is less nasally than the 80 Ohm. I thought at first it was because the 80 Ohm headphones were new, but after a couple of months they still don’t match the 250 Ohm.
Now, to put this in perspective, the DT770PRO 250 Ohm is my favourite headphone. I have many sets including Sennheiser HD600s, AKG 701, Beyer DT990PRO, and DT660mkII, and many, many others. But the DT770PRO 250 OHhm is the best all-rounder. The 80 Ohm is not far behind though.
Recommended. A good buy, but the 250 Ohm is better.
So now on to the headphones themselves…
Comfort
Out of the box, the first thing that struck me was how comfy the soft, velour earpads looked. Coming from the Sennheiser PC330 “on-ear” headphones, the comfiness experienced by the Beyerdynamics was on a different level. The Beyerdynamics are considered “over-the-ear” headphones. This means that they completely envelope your ear and, at least in my case, your ear never actually touches the headphones (I would say I have bigger than average ears). The velour pads therefore clamp themselves against the side of your head although such is the softness of the pads, you would hardly notice them there. I have seen some reviews where people have complained of the headphones being too tight or uncomfortable. I don’t know how these could possibly be considered anything but extremely comfy.
Comfort Rating – 5/5
Build Quality
The earphones are built using a combination of metal, plastic and velour. The cans are made of plastic, although seem to be pretty sturdy. There are companies online that will replace the plastic cans with wooden ones, although I don’t quite understand why this is desirable. I would imagine wooden cans would add to the weight and therefore reduce how comfy they are but each to their own I suppose. The hinges which attach the cans to the headband are made of metal.
One of the great features of these headphones is that almost every part of the headphones can easily be replaced. You can buy spare parts from Beyerdynamics directly or even look around on Amazon/eBay. I think the headphones look extremely durable and I seem to be backed up by other reviews online (There seems to be quite a large number of reviewers who claim you could “through these down a hill” and they would still work. I’m not sure if throwing a set of DT 770’s down a hill has any benefits, but it is good to know that the option is always there!)
Build Quality – 4/5
Sound Quality
I must admit, when I first received these headphones, I did not have access to my PC therefore I plugged them into my Galaxy S3 and was slightly disappointed. Although the sound was “good”, it was pretty hard to justify spending 130 on. I hoped the improved sound from my Fiio E10 would make a difference. And it did….a whole lot.
Bass
Using Windows Media, I activated the TruBass enhancement and the bass response of the headphones almost blew me away. After a few hours of tinkering, I now have my media player set to WinAmp, I have customised the EQ a little (a little more emphasis on the bass) and have installed the Real Bass Exciter plug-in. I can honestly say that the only other times that I have heard (and felt) bass like this is when I have been at the front row of a rock concert. The really low frequecy basslines generate enough vibration within the earphones that it actually tickles your ears. COnsidering my ears never actually touch the earphones, that should give you an idea of just how explosive the bass can be. These are advertised as being able to re-produce sound as low as 5 Hz (much lower than the human ear can hear) and I honestly believe that. I had a 1000 watt amp and 12 inch subwoofer in my old car and even the bass there wasn’t comparable to these.
Mid Range
Even with my emphasis on the bass, I can still hear everything that is going on with the mid-range sounds. Vocals would normally fall in to this category and I can tell you that even though I am being blasted with extreme amounts of bass, the vocals manage to rise above this and are crisp and clear. I can honestly say that I have absolutely no negatives to describe on the mid-range sound quality.
High-End Range
I had read previous reviews where the high-end has been described as a little harsh. I have been trying to find this harsh sound ever since I started listening to the earphones and I have yet to find this. It could be that because I have came from my Sennheiser PC330 headphones, where the high end can be a little “screechy”, I am a little less sensitive to any “screeching” that the Beyers make. I could also be because I haven’t been able to listen to these headphones on full volume, mainly due to the fact that I enjoy not being deaf. Honestly, I have the volume on these sitting at around 70% and there are absolutely no faults with the high-end sound reproduction.
Sound Quality – 5/5
Overall
Overall, I’m going to give these headphones 5/5. Sure, nothing is perfect and if someone let me listen to their set of Ultrasone Edition 10 headphones, then my definition of perfection would likely change, but in the meantime, I am absolutely thrilled by the sound quality provided by these earphones. If I have any negatives, it would be the sound leakage. It isn’t a problem for me as I only use them for personal listening whilst in the house but if you wanted to use these in public, be prepared to let everyone else listen as well. On that note, these are also not very portable. They come with a 3 metre non-detachable lead so it would be very difficult to prevent yourself from tripping up on it. They aren’t marketed for being very portable though so if you buy them for that reason, then you really haven’t researched enough. It would be like buying a sub-woofer and a set of PA speakers and then complaing that they are quite difficult to carry around with you.
If, like me, you haven’t spent as much as 130 on a pair of earphones and are reluctant to do so, all I can say is that I was in the same position and I can categorically state that the sound reproduction on these has absolutely rekindled by love affair with music. Do you enjoy music? Do you enjoy listening to music? Do you need earphones and have a spare 130? Press the Buy Now button.
Headphones arrived in a couple of days and everything was as described on the box. Not being someone who was familiar with over-ear headphones I didn’t realise how large they would be. Sound is very good even if a little heavy on the bass. I mostly listen to classical music, although my tastes cover all areas and pop music benefits from the bass.
I’d been looking for ear-phones that cut out outside sound and didn’t want to pay hundreds of pounds. Reviews on other makes seemed to be concerned about sound leaking and this was something I wanted to avoid as I intend to use them on trains, tubes, open-spaces and these don’t do that. I was recently watching a local cricket match on a moderately windy day and found that the size of the headphones caused wind noise, something I hadn’t thought about! Listening to classical music, external noise, when I try to assess it is not completely removed, but is minimised. The improved sound quality coming through the ear-phones helps my mind to filter this out. Extraneous noise is not as noticeable when listening to other forms of music.
It’s a question of mind focus, after all we can filter out people’s conversation without ear-phones. I am always being told that ‘I am not listening’ by people who think they have something important to say!!
aftersales from Amazon? NO STARS! E-mailed them re a problem and have never received a reply! It seems Amazon are happy to take the money from this customer……… which is considerable over the number of purchases I have made, however they failed miserably on aftersales. They are shameful when considered against some of the small companies/retailers from whom I have purchased!
So Amazon?…….. big on promoting themselves…….. woeful on aftersales on this occasion………. in other words AMAZON NOW TOO BIG FOR THEIR BOOTS!
On the headphones……… well worth purchasing, just investigate the option of swapping for coiled cable.
First off lets talk about build quality. well they commute to and from work with me in a rucksack with a laptop and other equipment daily for a year. I’ve sat on them and even dropped them down the stairs. Upon falling down the stairs, I was devastated – one of the ears came off. Fully expecting a piece of snapped plastic to render fixing impossible, I was delighted to discover the metal pins had simply popped out of their hole. snap back in and working as intended.
Sound quality. Wow, these are the best headphones I’ve ever used. An expectation of being closed back headphones, the bass is very strong, and actually it’s quite superb. With proper EQ settings, all my music sounds absolutely fantastic. I think I’m in love…
Noise isolation? outside sound is almost completely drowned out. My co-workers who will IM me to get my attention since owning these. & even with the volume quite loud, what’s going on in my little bubble is inaudible to the outside world. All in all, I think these are one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. Very Impressed.
I spent a long time looking at headphones and couldn’t really make much progress in deciding; I was also not sure what to do about the open-/closed-backed choice.***
Eventually we chose these ones based on the recommendation of a friend-of-a-friend who is taking a degree in music editing (so we were pretty happy to trust his judgement). He also cleared up the open-/closed-back question for us by saying that the difference in sound-quality is very small, and that you would have to be a fantastically fanatic musicophile to spot any issues in quality of sound caused by closed-back headphones when you are talking about anything in this kind of price-range, and the benefit of being able to use them on the train/out-and-about far outweighs the barely noticeable difference in quality.
On his recommendation we got these and I have since listened on them; they are utterly PHENOMENAL. It sounds like a vastly expensive, surround-sound audio system, not a pair of headphones. The detail is stunning. Apparently this type of headphone takes about 24hrs of playing to fully break themselves in too, so perhaps they are set to sound even better.
I am no professional when it comes to music equipment, but I can guarantee you that these headphones are.
If you are looking at spending this kind of money on headphones, then, based on my limited experience and the advice of the kind of person who might be worth trusting (the guy who, as I already mentioned, advised me), these are the headphones to get.
***[If you do not know what I am talking about regarding open-/closed-back, then just google “Open vs closed back headphones” and you will find plenty of info]
affordable studio headphones, this is what i toil for. sincerly it is like i never really heard music before until i put these cans on. outstanding, every song i listen to from classical – rock. they make you want to buy the remasters of the albums you already own, as the subtelties you’ll hear are phenomenal x
They are comfortable, adjustable, appear well made and come with a 1/4 inch jack/3.5mm adapter and overall they are not too heavy but the closed muff style can make your ears warm (not always a bad thing!) but they do remove background noise if listening in less than favourable conditions. The 80 Ohms lead is long and not coiled, the 250 Ohms version that I borrowed had a coiled lead. So if you are upgrading from some old cans you’ve had for some 25 years, you could do a lot worse than these.