Hey Everyone=]
I wrote a review of the Beyerdynamic DT 150 on headphonereviews.org. I'll just copy-paste it here! Everything said was based on my tastes, to my ears, and in my humblleee system. It's kind of a long review, so if you have the time...
Hope you enjoy!
O.K., so it's been past a month and I still hold this headphone in high regard. Following are my thoughts and assessments of the DT 150's!
Certainly, these headphones are built with extreme ruggedness in mind, and the looks certainly reflect that. But make no mistake about it...these headphones are high-end, with great(and strong) bass, excellent mids that gets the job done, very smooth highs, and a *very* nice soundstage. Also, even though these headphones are like the tough loose bulldog that patrols the block, it does its duty of resisting any physical threat posed by being dropped on the floor, sat on, slung around, etc etc.
As a closed can, the DT 150s block background noise excellently, successfully attenuating average sounds, like computer fans, while music is playing. The leakage performance of this can works somewhat to a lesser degree, as the level of volume I play music makes songs easily heard by others in the same room that I'm in. Speaking of volume: In my experience, the DT 150's are somewhat easy to drive from a laptop or PCDP. While the soundstage isn't as big as when being driven from my stereo receiver, this can's sound quality is surprisingly decent from any sources with weaker headphone outputs. But wearing these babies outside would probably earn stares from passerby's.
As mentioned before, this can is a very tough one - truthfully, the toughest one I've owned yet. Beyerdynamic keeps it simple with the DT 150's design, using strong metal bars to connect the headband to the earcups, and making the earcups out of very hard plastic. The cord is screwed onto the earcup and plugs into the headphone with (I believe) a proprietary connector. As if the DT 150's weren't unique enough, the cable plugs into the right earcup instead of the left one. This may present a little "oddness" to users while wearing this can, but it's certainly nothing bad, per se.
The construction of the DT 150's is tough, but we cannot forget about the comfort, can we? Contrary to its tough build, the DT 150's fit is rather soft, soft enough to make it suited for hours of wear on one's head and ears. I've been blessed with a LOT of hair, so the headband does not sit on the top of my head the way it would on an average person, but imo it is still very comfy. And the earcups? Well broken in, they are even comfier, disappearing from one's awareness as the music plays away. However, heat sometimes builds up inside the earcups after some time has passed. Nothing a break cannot fix. Even though the DT 150's build quality and function work well, it's the SOUND that makes these cans a real winner.
I'll start with the bass. Why? Because I'm a bass lover at heart. As a bass lover, do these cans reward me with bass that can rattle my head? Shake the floor? Make me go "Yea boyyyyyyyyy"? Let me clear my throat for this one: Yes, Ladies and Gents, yes it does! The bass is not only powerful physically(slam or impact), but contains great detail to it that accurately reproduces the thunderous nature of low-frequency sounds, lowww sounds that the DT 150's are able to dig up.
HOWEVER, the bass is not the best I've ever heard, as it contains a tad amount of bloat. Nothing that rains in on the show, though. Also, in music with highlighted bass lines, particularly drum and bass, the mids/vocals can sometimes be overshadowed by the bass' presence. In music that withholds bass to a less clamorous level(like jazz), the bass remains a supporter of music, providing a stepping stone and rhythm that the rest of the instruments and vocals can perform to.
Despite the mids being slightly covered by a powerful bass, they remain detailed and well placed within the soundstage, which kind of leads to a paradoxical existence. When the mids do have a chance to fully show itself with the bass playing a supportive, not primary role, the vocals are also transparent(clear) and responsive. However, the DT 150's mids are not the best around. I'll elaborate...
Even though the DT 150's mids are technically hi-end, with detail retrieval that would make a hi-end new comer go "Wow, I've never heard that in this song before," the mids/lead singer's voice seem relatively dry. For example, the crazy detail retrieval of the DT 150's mids often brings up or even accentuates a "dryness" in a singer's voice, as if the singer needed to wet their throat with a smooth beverage. And in more conventional music, the lead singer's voice takes a spot at the center of the soundstage, while the rest of the instruments are wonderfully suspended in the soundscape.
But vocals on the DT 150's aren't as bad as it seems, as when each singer sings, every voice is clearly heard in layers. Also, vocals are mildly dynamic, bursting with energy when the singer decides to put in power into their performance.
The mids of the DT 150's are quite solid, although not exceptional. But after trying several cans, I can say that the highs come close to the bass in great performance. Well, that doesn't mean it can also shake the floor or rattle your head, lol nooo. It's quite the opposite. Even with my x-fi's "crystalizer" setting - which "emphasizes sharp percussive sounds," a.k.a making highs sound unbearably harsh on cans I have had- on the highest level, the DT 150's HF response remains calm and composed. This differs markedly from what I've experienced with "bright" cans, like the DT 880'250'05s. The DT 150's highs are also pleasingly detailed, sparkly, and "full," making the sound of cymbals and ride cymbals sound rich, like pieces of gold being sprinkled around my ears. And to my ears, the highs also extend well.
One thing that is also nice about the DT 150's highs is how they can remain "afloat" when thrown into the mix of other instruments' sounds. I find this important for the music I listen to, e.g. drum and bass. When bass lines are produced by bass-heavy phones, they can sometimes steal the show, at the expense of masking the other frequencies. This isn't the case with the DT 150s, at least when it comes to the HF response. Often times in D&B, the main focus of the music are the drums and the bass, with the HF instruments "seasoning" the sound. As with traditional seasoning, its role is to flavor the main entree, not to be the main entree. But with the DT 150's, when songs require the bass response to tip up, the highs response also tips up correspondingly. In other words, everything remains relatively well-balanced.
The DT 150's awesomeness doesn't stop there. With great performance throughout the frequency range, the DT 150's go right ahead and surprise and even awe with a very well-done soundstage. "What's so surprising about this headphone's soundstage, eh? It's just a closed headphone!" Well that's the surprise, it sounds nothing like a closed headphone! Well at least to my ears, as I haven't heard a hi-end open can like the DT880s in a while...
However, I'd like to believe that my ears are experienced, and what I hear from the DT 150's is very nice indeed. With the right conditions - the lights off...a well-recorded song, captured in a high bitrate - some music through the DT 150's can sound downright live, or at least approaches it. With lucid clarity, precise imaging, and great instrument separation, music on these headphones can attest to the "hi-end" status of the DT 150's. That is, music through the DT 150's can sound like it's being produced by stereo speakers. "Speaker-like" is what I like to call it=]
With a large soundstage and accurate imaging, hearing enemies in your favorite game is basically haxing with the DT 150's. But to be honest, it has always been haxing with cans of this caliber.
So, just how does this can fit in the line-up of hi-end cans(or at least those I have heard)? For me, they don't "fit in," they ride the top! With highs that are mildly sparkly, mids that are revealing, but not necessarily the star of the show, and bass that IS the star of the show, DT 150's fit in perfectly with MY tastes. The large and airy soundstage is just the icing on the cake. Overall, I must say that these cans rock, and are well worth the purchase=D
I wrote a review of the Beyerdynamic DT 150 on headphonereviews.org. I'll just copy-paste it here! Everything said was based on my tastes, to my ears, and in my humblleee system. It's kind of a long review, so if you have the time...
Hope you enjoy!
O.K., so it's been past a month and I still hold this headphone in high regard. Following are my thoughts and assessments of the DT 150's!
Certainly, these headphones are built with extreme ruggedness in mind, and the looks certainly reflect that. But make no mistake about it...these headphones are high-end, with great(and strong) bass, excellent mids that gets the job done, very smooth highs, and a *very* nice soundstage. Also, even though these headphones are like the tough loose bulldog that patrols the block, it does its duty of resisting any physical threat posed by being dropped on the floor, sat on, slung around, etc etc.
As a closed can, the DT 150s block background noise excellently, successfully attenuating average sounds, like computer fans, while music is playing. The leakage performance of this can works somewhat to a lesser degree, as the level of volume I play music makes songs easily heard by others in the same room that I'm in. Speaking of volume: In my experience, the DT 150's are somewhat easy to drive from a laptop or PCDP. While the soundstage isn't as big as when being driven from my stereo receiver, this can's sound quality is surprisingly decent from any sources with weaker headphone outputs. But wearing these babies outside would probably earn stares from passerby's.
As mentioned before, this can is a very tough one - truthfully, the toughest one I've owned yet. Beyerdynamic keeps it simple with the DT 150's design, using strong metal bars to connect the headband to the earcups, and making the earcups out of very hard plastic. The cord is screwed onto the earcup and plugs into the headphone with (I believe) a proprietary connector. As if the DT 150's weren't unique enough, the cable plugs into the right earcup instead of the left one. This may present a little "oddness" to users while wearing this can, but it's certainly nothing bad, per se.
The construction of the DT 150's is tough, but we cannot forget about the comfort, can we? Contrary to its tough build, the DT 150's fit is rather soft, soft enough to make it suited for hours of wear on one's head and ears. I've been blessed with a LOT of hair, so the headband does not sit on the top of my head the way it would on an average person, but imo it is still very comfy. And the earcups? Well broken in, they are even comfier, disappearing from one's awareness as the music plays away. However, heat sometimes builds up inside the earcups after some time has passed. Nothing a break cannot fix. Even though the DT 150's build quality and function work well, it's the SOUND that makes these cans a real winner.
I'll start with the bass. Why? Because I'm a bass lover at heart. As a bass lover, do these cans reward me with bass that can rattle my head? Shake the floor? Make me go "Yea boyyyyyyyyy"? Let me clear my throat for this one: Yes, Ladies and Gents, yes it does! The bass is not only powerful physically(slam or impact), but contains great detail to it that accurately reproduces the thunderous nature of low-frequency sounds, lowww sounds that the DT 150's are able to dig up.
HOWEVER, the bass is not the best I've ever heard, as it contains a tad amount of bloat. Nothing that rains in on the show, though. Also, in music with highlighted bass lines, particularly drum and bass, the mids/vocals can sometimes be overshadowed by the bass' presence. In music that withholds bass to a less clamorous level(like jazz), the bass remains a supporter of music, providing a stepping stone and rhythm that the rest of the instruments and vocals can perform to.
Despite the mids being slightly covered by a powerful bass, they remain detailed and well placed within the soundstage, which kind of leads to a paradoxical existence. When the mids do have a chance to fully show itself with the bass playing a supportive, not primary role, the vocals are also transparent(clear) and responsive. However, the DT 150's mids are not the best around. I'll elaborate...
Even though the DT 150's mids are technically hi-end, with detail retrieval that would make a hi-end new comer go "Wow, I've never heard that in this song before," the mids/lead singer's voice seem relatively dry. For example, the crazy detail retrieval of the DT 150's mids often brings up or even accentuates a "dryness" in a singer's voice, as if the singer needed to wet their throat with a smooth beverage. And in more conventional music, the lead singer's voice takes a spot at the center of the soundstage, while the rest of the instruments are wonderfully suspended in the soundscape.
But vocals on the DT 150's aren't as bad as it seems, as when each singer sings, every voice is clearly heard in layers. Also, vocals are mildly dynamic, bursting with energy when the singer decides to put in power into their performance.
The mids of the DT 150's are quite solid, although not exceptional. But after trying several cans, I can say that the highs come close to the bass in great performance. Well, that doesn't mean it can also shake the floor or rattle your head, lol nooo. It's quite the opposite. Even with my x-fi's "crystalizer" setting - which "emphasizes sharp percussive sounds," a.k.a making highs sound unbearably harsh on cans I have had- on the highest level, the DT 150's HF response remains calm and composed. This differs markedly from what I've experienced with "bright" cans, like the DT 880'250'05s. The DT 150's highs are also pleasingly detailed, sparkly, and "full," making the sound of cymbals and ride cymbals sound rich, like pieces of gold being sprinkled around my ears. And to my ears, the highs also extend well.
One thing that is also nice about the DT 150's highs is how they can remain "afloat" when thrown into the mix of other instruments' sounds. I find this important for the music I listen to, e.g. drum and bass. When bass lines are produced by bass-heavy phones, they can sometimes steal the show, at the expense of masking the other frequencies. This isn't the case with the DT 150s, at least when it comes to the HF response. Often times in D&B, the main focus of the music are the drums and the bass, with the HF instruments "seasoning" the sound. As with traditional seasoning, its role is to flavor the main entree, not to be the main entree. But with the DT 150's, when songs require the bass response to tip up, the highs response also tips up correspondingly. In other words, everything remains relatively well-balanced.
The DT 150's awesomeness doesn't stop there. With great performance throughout the frequency range, the DT 150's go right ahead and surprise and even awe with a very well-done soundstage. "What's so surprising about this headphone's soundstage, eh? It's just a closed headphone!" Well that's the surprise, it sounds nothing like a closed headphone! Well at least to my ears, as I haven't heard a hi-end open can like the DT880s in a while...
However, I'd like to believe that my ears are experienced, and what I hear from the DT 150's is very nice indeed. With the right conditions - the lights off...a well-recorded song, captured in a high bitrate - some music through the DT 150's can sound downright live, or at least approaches it. With lucid clarity, precise imaging, and great instrument separation, music on these headphones can attest to the "hi-end" status of the DT 150's. That is, music through the DT 150's can sound like it's being produced by stereo speakers. "Speaker-like" is what I like to call it=]
With a large soundstage and accurate imaging, hearing enemies in your favorite game is basically haxing with the DT 150's. But to be honest, it has always been haxing with cans of this caliber.
So, just how does this can fit in the line-up of hi-end cans(or at least those I have heard)? For me, they don't "fit in," they ride the top! With highs that are mildly sparkly, mids that are revealing, but not necessarily the star of the show, and bass that IS the star of the show, DT 150's fit in perfectly with MY tastes. The large and airy soundstage is just the icing on the cake. Overall, I must say that these cans rock, and are well worth the purchase=D
Imo the DT 150's add all the characteristics I've been after(minus the comfort of Beyer velour pads) in one. Big, detailed bass(I'm an electronic fan) that "knows its place" in more acoustic/conventional music genres; detailed mids again with the right genres; pleasant highs, and a great soundstage. Of course, it'll probably be best to hear it yourself, as YMMV always has a ring of truth to it!
