DT 770 PRO, 250 Ohm, Closed Back, Over Ear, Wired Professional Studio Headphones, Audio Monitors, Audiophile, 3m Coiled Cable, Black with Limited Edition Black Velour Ear Pads

I do have an audiophile ears, but I do not own any audiophile equipment. Recently I bought a Yeti Plus microphone that has an audio jack for monitoring audio. So, I plugged in my Bose QC35 headphones, using the 3.5 mm audio cable, and it sounded OK. But, it didn't sound great. I decided to subscribe to Apple Music to see what the music sounds like via this setup. It was nothing to write home about. I then plugged the same QC35 headphones to my 2021 Apple M1 Pro MacBook Pro (14"), and it sounded exactly like it did out of the Yeti X microphone's headphone jack. I decided to research and see why the quality was so low. I don't normally listen to music, but I couldn't imagine that the Apple Music streamed (even at the highest selectable quality) would be so unremarkable. So, I looked up the impedance of the audio jack of the Yeti X microphone, and I realized that it's a high-impedance audio output. Then, I looked up the 2021 M1 Pro MacBook Pro specs, and what do you know? It also has a high-impedance output audio jack (unlike the 2020 M1 MacBook and MacBook Pro). So, then I googled what impedance should the headphones have for high-impedance audio outputs and learned that the impedance of the headphones should be at least 8-10 times of the impedance of the audio output in Ohms. Hence, I started the search for the high-impedance headphones. I've read hundreds of reviews, and I finally found the DT 770 PRO 250 Ohm headphones. They were well reviewed, they were relatively inexpensive, they they had a version with 250 Ohm of impedance (which is about 8 times as high as the audio output of the Yeti X audio jack). So, I decided to try these headphones. I ordered them and received them the next day via Amazon Prime shipping. As soon as I plugged them in and started the stream from Apple Music, my jaw dropped. This is what I was looking for, and here it is. Unbelievable I could get a jack pot on the first attempt for under $200 and especially becasue they are made in Germany. How is this even possible? Now, are they comfortable to wear? To me, they are a little too tight. Are they worse than the Bose QC35 when it comes to comfort? Maybe Bose QC35 are a little more comfortable. But, when it comes to the sound, OMG. There is no comparison. Unless you want to pay many times more for premium high-impedence headphones just to get a better fit, then go ahead and get the ones for $1500, $2500, etc. Otherwise, these are amazing when it comes to the audio quality. Can anyone tell that these are better than the QC35? Yes, anyone can tell unless you use these 250 Ohm ones with a low-impedance audio output like in smartphones, older MacBooks, etc. Now, my son has a 2020 M1 MacBook Air, which is an excellent laptop, but it has a low-impedance audio jack output. So, for my son, I've ordered an 80-ohm version to compare to my 250-ohm version. I will let him decide which one to go with. I'd suggest getting both the 80-Ohm and the 250-Ohm version and compare them side by side - as long as you are getting these headphones for a decent piece of audio equipment. If you are getting them for an iPhone (not sure why you would), then maybe you should go with the lowest-impedence version. Edit: I've now compared the 250 Ohm version to the 80 Ohm version. In the beginning, I couldn't tell any difference when using them with my Yeti X microphone's high-impedance audio out jack and the 2021 M1 Pro MacBook Pro high-impedance audio jack. However, the more I listened to both, the more I started hearing the difference. I then switched to testing both 250 Ohm and the 80 Ohm headsets exclusively with the 2021 M1 Pro MacBook Pro's high-impedance audio jack because it turned out that the Yet X audio jack shows its shortcomings when music with serious bass is played out of it. In my opinion, the 250 Ohm headset reproduces the sounds more accurately. When listening to Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes (on Apple Music lossless), I could actually hear some imperfection in the bass guitar (like the string was moved under the player's finger accidentally, resulting in a little distortion), while I couldn't hear this through the 80 Ohm headset. When listening to Bohemian Rhapsody Remastered in 2011 on Apple Muisci (lossless), It appears that mids and the highs are a bit dulled down through the 80 Ohm headset, whereas they are crystal clear through the 250 Ohm headset. We are talking here very subtle differences that can only be detected while listening to the same piece over and over again via both headsets (back to back). It appears that the best songs recommended for testing headsets are: 1. Bohemian Rhapsody Remastered (2011) by Queen. ... 2. Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. ... 3. Feels Like We Only Go Backwards by Tame Impala. ... 4. Heroes (2017 Remaster) by David Bowie. ... 5. No Time for Caution by Hans Zimmer. ... 6. Diamonds From Sierra Leone by Kanye West. ... 7. Now We Are Free by Hans Zimmer Additionally, I was using the 2021 M1 Pro MacBook Pro's audio jack (which auto-senses high-impedance and low-impedance headphones). I'm not sure what it does for the 80 Ohm headphones: does it consider them low-impedance or high-impedance because, in reality, they are medium-impedance headphones. Compared to other laptops, the 2021 M1 Pro MacBook Pro probably has a decent-quality pre-amp and DAC similar to inexpensive (less than $200) standalone DACs with pre-amps. So, perhaps to hear the difference between the 80 Ohm and 250 Ohm versions of this headset, one should use decent audio equipment. My son hasn't yet tested the two headsets with his 2020 M1 MacBook Air, so I'm not sure which one he decides on. I will post another update later.

Going to do a Head-Fi style review as I normally do for headphones. Introduction A bit of background is always necessary before getting into the review. To start out, I've been in the headphone hobby for about three years now. I currently own Sennheiser HD800, HD700, Beyerdynamic T90, Audeze LCD-2, and these with Massdrop exclusive Fostex TH-X00 on the way. I have heard those as well as Beyerdynamic DT990 and T1, M-Audio Q40, and HIFIMAN HE-400i. My preferred SQ tends to favor bass, vocals, and soundstage. My setup is: laptop --- Schiit Bifröst multibit DAC via S/PDIF to TOSlink --- Schiit Valhalla 2 OTL vacuum tube amplifier equipped with two Sovtek 6H30N tubes and two Amperex PQ 6922 tubes --- headphones I originally was interested in these but decided to give the DT990s a chance and passed these up. After buying the TH-X00s back in February (they arrive in May) I decided to buy the DT990s again after returning them to further my search for bass + soundstage which they were just under what I was looking for, but I remembered that I passed the DT770s up and decided to go for them instead. So here we are today... Overall This will function as a TL;DR. Putting this simply, these are awesome, they're what the HD700s should be. While they're not quite as good as the HD700s, they're up there...and they cost $300 less. Honestly, I get why these are so highly regarded and really like them and am very glad I gave them a chance. These will be staying in my collection, and while I like open a lot more than closed...these are just one of those pairs of cans you simply must own or have at least heard. These don't do anything wrong, simply great. Soundstage As wide as HD700s, but deeper by a fair bit. Being closed, this is a huge surprise. You could place these on my head when I am blindfolded and would say they're open, but they are most certainly not. Definitely a major plus. Separation It's quite good from what I can hear. You can tell where the instruments are, but it doesn't seem spectacular. Definitely noticeable, and not bad by any means. Imaging Very good. This does not skimp when powered correctly. Everything seems to be as loud and proud as it was when recording. Detail Definitely an authority on this. While I have heard better, it doesn't skimp on this either. I can hear every drum hit, every guitar strum, etc. and every detail for the singer's voice. It's not as pronounced as on HD800s, but I don't expect it to compete with something nearly 10x its price, so it's definitely wonderful. Bass They are known for this. Being closed AND dynamic means the bass is big. Out of the box, they are balanced between treble and bass, and that is true...but the bass it highly prevalent. Throw a bass boost at it and it takes it like a champ. I am using my bass boosting EQ that I use on my HD800s which are dynamic kings and it's taking it very well and producing heavier bass than my modded HD800s can. While they're not pushing air like the M-Audio Q40s can, they've got the quality to match the quantity. The quality of bass coming from these is almost as good as that form HD800s which is extremely impressive. They also hit quite low, and it's much more present than on the HD800s which is great. Absolutely love the bass on these. Mids The only thing I really have to say here is the mids are more liquid than on the Audeze LCD-2s. If you've ever heard them, you'll know this is a huge statement. Coming from my setup, the mids on these are much more desirable than on the LCD2s. Treble Unlike on the T90s, the treble is done very well. It's not as airy as I like, but they're very smooth. Barely any sibilance and do not disappear when hit with a heavy bass leaning EQ. The treble is exactly where it should be, although a bit arier could never hurt anyone. Honestly, have to say the treble is just as good on these as on the HD800s. Conclusion I would recommend these to everyone. They're simply a great value, and am ashamed I passed these up. I am confident that if I bought a FiiO E12 amp and paired it with these then I wouldn't need a $2500 setup because I like them that much. I even sometimes prefer to listen to these over my HD800s and find myself putting them on more than my HD800s recently. Don't think about it, just buy them.

Before getting these Beyerdynamics, I'd never spent more than $50 on a pair of headphones. Over the last thirty years, I've had headphones in that price category by Sennheiser, Koss, Audio-Technica, and Philips. For the last ten years, I've been unnecessarily content with a pair of Philips SBC HP250 32 ohm headphones. I've missed decades of opportunities to listen to quality sound because of this misplaced frugality. These DT770 Pro headphones resolve and clarify detail that in my previous headphones was a sonic blur. Specifications: Beyerdynamic headphones are made in Germany. The DT770 Pro is available in 80 ohm and 250 ohm. These are the 250 ohm model. Frequency response on either model is 5 Hz to 35 kHz. They are closed back headphones, and the ambient noise attenuation is approximately 18 dbA. THD (total harmonic distortion) is less than 0.2% and nominal SPL (sound pressure level) is 96 dB. Their power handling capacity is 100 mW. The cable is 3 meters long, which is coiled on the 250 ohm model and straight on the 80 ohm model. The coiled cable isn't long enough to wear the headphones and move far from the jack, so I've linked it to a Mogami Gold EXT 10 foot Headphone Extension Cable I bought after getting the phones. This allows me to sit or move around the room some distance from the jack, but I think now that a 15 foot extension would have been a better choice, since I don't like to overstretch the coils on the headphone cable. (This Mogami cable is heavy duty and I absolutely recommend it.) These 250 ohm phones work fine without a headphone amp, plugged straight into my i3 Toshiba Satellite P745 laptop (year 2012 model). I do amplify them, though (because I already had the amp and they sound even better amped), with a (discontinued) Rane HC 4S headphone console. Specs on the Rane amp: This is a four phone amp (actually four amps in one rolled steel, rack-mountable box) designed to take the output of a studio mixer (so it's not an audiophile amp). It takes two ¼ inch phone plugs (tip/ring) for input and then outputs to both a stereo 3.5mm mini jack or stereo ¼ inch stereo phone jack for each headphone (choose one per amp), and is switchable overall from stereo to mono. Each phone has its own volume control and LED overload indicator. The amp has output impedance of 1 ohm max and will drive phones from 32 to 600 ohms, taking them typically up to 120 dB SPL, with 200 mW minimum power for 32 to 150 ohm phones (with 75 ohm phones being optimum at 239 mW, and yielding 146 mW for 300 ohm phones). Frequency response is 10 Hz to 45 kHz (+0/-3 dB). From the computer to the amp: I do not have a DAC between the computer and amp. To connect the laptop to the amp, I use a six foot long Sescom SES-IPOD-QTRM06 cable with 3.5mm stereo plug to dual ¼ inch phone plugs, and plug it into the headphone jack of the laptop. This cable was designed for the iPod and is of higher quality (and more costly) than the three foot long Hosa cable I was using before this. (Sescom also makes cables with a 3.5 mm stereo plug going to two RCA plugs.) I use a right-angle 3.5mm female to 3.5mm male adapter at the headphone jack to protect the cable and jack from developing a short from the weight of the cable. As of this writing, I'm using an adapter from Radio Shack, but I might try a Hosa brand of the same type. The first thing I did on getting the Beyerdynamics was to compare them, using the Rane amp, with the Philips SBC HP250 I've been using for years. The DT 770 at 250 ohms is softer in loudness than the 32 ohm Philips at the same volume setting, but not by much. The difference in clarity and sound quality, especially at high volume, is striking. I'll leave it to others to write about soundstage and presentation of low, mid, and high frequency ranges. I also use these phones with my ten-year-old Sony receiver, straight from the headphone jack, and they are an improvement over my previous headphones. Software: On the laptop, I'm using JRiver Media Center (purchased) and VLC Media Player (free). I started out with foobar2000 (free) for audio, but JRiver is superior and worth the small expense. Media Monkey is another program I tested. It is also free unless you want the more advanced version. I highly recommend JRiver Media Center. I've set it as the default player for videos also, usurping VLC. However, VLC and foobar2000 (along with Irfan View for a picture viewer and simple image editor) are good programs that can replace the Windows media player with advanced features and without cost. They remain on my computer with shortcuts on my desktop. I use iTunes for iTunes U and nothing else. These headphones sound good with this setup, although I suspect there is more quality to be had from them with better mediation between the audio's digital data and the headphones (i.e. audiophile grade DAC and amp, such as those available from Musical Fidelity, Burson, or Lehmann Audio, among many others. I had to return the first pair of these headphones for a replacement before a month was past because the right side cut out. I got them from the Recording Store here at amazon and out in the physical world in New York. They sent me a phone number to call. I asked for a new pair (I really like these headphones), and they happily sent me a return label via email. I had the replacements via USPS Priority within a week (literally) of sending out the defective pair via UPS. Excellent service. Choices (for me) flanking the DT 770 Pro 250 Ohm were the Audio-Technica ATHM50S Professional Monitor Headphones (38 Ohms) (costing less) and the BEYER DYNAMIC DT880-Pro Headphones (250 Ohms) (costing more). Sennheiser was the other brand I considered. I did not listen to any of these before buying. I have no regrets about my choice. You can spend a lot of money on headphones. You can also spend hardly any money at all. You'll hear the tune and pulse of the music in even the cheapest phones. It's up to you to decide how much you're willing to pay to hear more. I think the DT Pro 250 Ohm is a good pair of entry-level audiophile headphones.

Hands down the best headphones i've purchased in a VERY long time. I use headphones daily well over 8 hours each day. These sound good just as they did a year ago when i first bought them, and they are exceedingly durable. All of my headphones would break down, especially the adjustable/expanding ear regions. These things are crazy solid, and yet comfortable too during extended use. Am a programmer and i HAVE to have my music. Sounds are deep and rich, no tones missing, and works great with synths for adjustments. Best headphones. If my current ones break, I'm buying this same one again. Fantastic.

2nd UPDATE: it's a year and a day now, no literally and again i'm quite pleased. as you read and it's long, you'll see words regarding the sharp highs and related distortion. well, that's pretty much poof now! two reasons for that change: 1) i over tweaked the treble and 2) confirmation with replay on a high-end receiver. It may still run a tad bright but it's telling in as much as, it's reflecting some overly saturated levels. to that end, these are killer! be patient, they take at least 30 hours to break-in and over time, the tightness around the head abates. so yeah, you'll notice them but i no longer ache after hours of continuous use. ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~ ~ 1st UPDATE: so it's a bit over 6 months now and i wanted to f-up with my latest experiences. on average, i use these approx 10-15 hours/week. so while the distortion on the highs has attenuated some, they're still not reproduced very well. at this point, i'm not expecting any additional improvement; it's livable. many rate this model as "technical" and i have no clue what that means. for my needs, i'll stay the course and here's why. these cans repro bass like no other! ditto with midrange. to that end, i can live with the highs being inaccurate. keep in mind, if i lower the volume on highs, it's quite tolerable. typically, when it distorts, it's likely due to an oversat in that frequency range. for cans w/o anc, i'm quite happy but the jbl's are close by in a closet. lastly and sadly, while the tightness over the ears has improved significantly, there's is noticeable wear on the pads. shameful! after years of use, the jbl's exhibited no such flaw and were comfy from day one. ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ORIGINAL: overall, these provide very good audio and i'll get into that. they replace my tried & true jbl live 650btnc cans which are very close sonically. the jbl has anc and an app for personalizing eq, but those features were unutilized. in fact, it was used with a wire, and anc was off. just before this purchase, i tried the sennheiser hd 599 se, but that was a big disappointment and got returned after hearing the 770 pro. the hd 599 is an "open" design and just didn't cut it. if you're like me, you spend time reading reviews, then take the dive. problem is that audio is so personal and subjective, it's difficult to find the right match regardless of what these "experts" write. look, i'm no 'phile but i know what works for these ears in my home environ. i primarily listen to music from a desktop and often tweak the audio with an equalizer. these cans are plugged into the audio control module of my sound blaster ae-7 dac which seems to handle 250 ohms quite well. at home, noise cancelation is unnecessary, in fact, it's likely frowned upon since nc makes it extremely difficult for HER to summon me. fwiw, this frowned feeling may not be shared, k. even natively, the jbl was pretty good with noise isolation and fit the bill quite nicely except the bass was a tad heavy. this 770 pro has seemingly more accurate bass that's less exaggerated but some mids and highs can get too bright! this brightness is tolerable but it's a negative. while the cans fit my ears nicely, after about an hour or so of use, their weight and the tightness around the head become bothersome. this was never a problem with jbl and hopefully with more use, it improves. right out-da-box, i was quite disappointed in the audio experience! i would switch from the jbl to the 770 and shake my head - not anymore! after several hours of use, there has been a noticeable improvement in the audio. my hope now is that the tightness lightens up as well. it's been a full week of use now and i've retired the old jbl cans because overall, i'm experiencing cleaner more accurate audio with the 770 pro. i have an improved audio awareness in my environ now and while i can better hear some background sounds, it's still muted enough so as to not be a distraction. these sounds are from a tv or her talking on the phone, k. still, with a little twist of the volume knob, any background audio goes poof! the coiled wire is a very nice touch and although it's not removeable, it's well reinforced at its connection to the can. unlike some "expert" reviewers, i feel it's a plus. that said, i wish beyer would have enclosed the individual wires that go from the headband to each can. leaving them exposed subjects them to some accidental pull and this is just poor design at this price point, and no, these weren't plucked off the vine; i spent $160 and watched it go to $150 less than 12 hours later. oh well.

These have been a staple in my setup for a long time, especially for music production and general use. The biggest thing with these is isolation. Since they’re closed-back, they block out outside noise and keep everything focused in your ears. That makes them great for recording, editing, and situations where you don’t want distractions. I actually use these alongside a pair of open-back headphones (HD 600), and they complement each other really well. These feel more direct and controlled, while the open-backs feel more natural and spacious. I switch between both depending on what I’m doing. Sound quality is excellent—clean, detailed, and reliable enough to use as a reference when working on music. I’ll often go between these, my speakers, and other headphones to check how a mix translates. They’re also very comfortable for long sessions, which matters a lot if you’re wearing them for hours. I liked them enough that after a lot of use, I ended up buying a second pair. My first pair eventually developed a crack in one of the plastic parts after a long time (and probably some drops), but they still worked. Considering how much I used them, I still feel like I got my money’s worth. I use these for music production, editing, and gaming, and they’ve held up well across all of it. I also use them when working on content and audio for my channels, and they’ve been reliable throughout. Overall, these are not something I’d replace—they’re something I’d keep alongside other headphones. If you want isolation and a focused listening experience, these are a great choice. And if you pair them with something open-back, you get the best of both worlds.

I've owned these headphones for more than 9 years now. I bought them from Amazon back in 2014, and they've been through a lot of abuse. If you're looking for a good sounding pair of cans that are built like a tank, these are them. I've owned different pairs of cans from Audio Technica, Sennheiser, and others and these are my favorites. Here are my reasons: 1. They sound good. Sure, they aren't perfect for every music genre if you're having a very serious listening session, but if you're just looking for something that sounds good that can handle most of what you'll throw at it, these are great. I have moderate hearing loss in the 4K band, and even without EQ they still sound great. I've listened to them with dedicated headphone amps, on phones, tablets and a variety of laptops. They cut the mustard in every configuration. Having a little power behind them can really make them shine, but they're still very good without all the fancy gear. 2. They're comfortable after break in. I recall the headband being a little snug when I first got them, but they loosened up over the few months. I work as a programmer and I've worn these every day, most days for 8+ hrs a day, and they're still comfortable. I haven't found another set of cans that give me this duration of comfort. 3. They're durable. I am not gentle with them at all. I toss them on the floor, in a bag without a case, they've moved with me several times across the country. I am rough with these and they have the scars to prove it. At about 6 years in, I sent them into Beyerdynamic to have them take a look at them because my left channel was dead. They were long out of warranty, but they replaced the faulty cable and shipped them back to me inside of 2 weeks. They were even kind enough to cover the cost of the the repair for me during a time when I was unemployed and trying to get my life back on track. What other company do you know of that would do that these days? I've also replaced the two little plastic clips that prevent metal contact between the arms on the cans and the headband. This replacement was less than $20 from what I recall. I also put on a new pair of pads about 3 years ago that are still going strong. I have about 5000 hours of listening on them, and they are still my favorite pair of cans. I've never had any driver issues and they still sound amazing. I've listened to a lot of headphones over the years, and even if I was filthy rich, these would still be my stable.

Over the years, I've tried different brands of headphones with varying levels of quality; Beats, Audio Technica, Sol Republic, Sennheiser, Sony, etc. and never has a headphone floored me the way these beyerdinamics did upon first listen. I primarily bought them to enhance my vinyl record listening sessions and being that they are 250 ohms, I was unsure that my Sony receiver would be able to drive these properly (it does, by the way), so I ended up also purchasing a headphone amp (Douk Audio with the vacuum tubes) that was rated with enough kick to be able to drive these amazing headphones. I can honestly say, after a lot of hours of use with various genres of music, that you will not regret purchasing these if they were piquing your interest. Sound is clear, vibrant and detailed, bass is perfect (not at all overwhelming or tiny like most other headphones) and sound stage is crystal clear, unfortunately so much so that you can hear minute defects from records, but it is everything you could want in a quality pair of headphones. I was debating between many others at this price range, but I am so satisfied with these; they are incredibly comfortable, cover your whole ears and then some and look amazing. The volume on these will be super low if you connect them straight to your phone or digital music player (not sure about the PC, I haven't tried them there), but If you are looking for a quality pair to upgrade your music listening sessions and have the proper gear to drive 250 ohms, you can't go wrong with these.