I am really surprised to see so many positive reviews on the DT 770. To my ears, the sound this headphone renders is muffled. To my ears they sound as though someone has placed a heavy cloth over the microphones before recording. That muffled sound distracts from the details heard from the music. The frequency range is not well balanced on these headphones, in my opinion. The mid frequency range is too loud compared to the rest. There isn't enough for my tastes from the high and low frequencies. This is definitely not a headphone I would use for any type of audio recording analysis. Their sound is dull and boring, in my opinion.
Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO Closed Studio Headphones - 250 Ohms
- Added by Landis
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Slovenek
Try DT990 PRO 250 Ohm I LOV THEM, but they are open.
ActiveTechREV
I've had these for a few days and I agree that mid range is a bit too loud when compared to the rest. They sound great though. What music were you listening to?
thelonious58
Forward, "too loud" midrange on a Beyer???????????????
Now that is weird - I tried the DT990 Pro 250 and everything was great apart from the RECESSED MIDS and the overwhelming bass; the concensus on Beyer DT770,990 and to a lesser extent DT880 is that the midrange is recessed
Now that is weird - I tried the DT990 Pro 250 and everything was great apart from the RECESSED MIDS and the overwhelming bass; the concensus on Beyer DT770,990 and to a lesser extent DT880 is that the midrange is recessed
I was hesitant buying these closed cans. I've read everything from floaty bass to decimated vocals. However I've learned that you can only believe what you experience yourself.
I was also bit hesitant with these cans because their frequency response curve was a bit amped over my baseline AKG K701 / Sennheiser HD598. However, I wanted to find a closed can that was close to the HD598 with a bit accentuated bottom end. What you'll find is these cans have an odd signature in the curve.
What I found is these cans produce a large clean sound. The bottom is punchy, but not muddled however you may find at louder volumes you may want to moderate how much you use these cans as they can be quite bottom end responsive. Be aware there is a PRO and a CONSUMER variant with these headphones. Black are the PROS and grey is the CONSUMER. The Pros have a bass port to allow the diaphragm breathe.
However! This bottom end doesn't come at the expense of losing the mid and highs. In fact, I found that the high end was nicely smoothed so you shouldn't find much shrill with these.
What I really enjoyed with these headphones is they were very adaptable to a wide range of genres.
The headphones are light, well constructed and very comfortable. BUT... not necessarily those with endowed ears. Beyerdynamic chooses to use a circular design versus a oval like Sennhesier so those with large ears like me may find a break is needed to ease the long periods of listening since you can get a bit of ear pinch. I found though the band clamping is not excessive.
Last thing on the headband, that as it springs open it clamps the earphones so to adjust it's best to allow the headphones to close. I think this is a design that carries through the DT series of headphones (880, 990).
Driving these phones I used cMoyBB and I was surprised that my iPhone 3GS worked fine as well. However I would recommend you amp these cans to properly drive them since you want to take advantage of the higher resistance of the 250 Ohms (there are 32 and 80 Ohm versions available).
Bottomline:
If you want a closed can, you will be hard pressed to find a better sounding set of headphones that are cheaper.
I was also bit hesitant with these cans because their frequency response curve was a bit amped over my baseline AKG K701 / Sennheiser HD598. However, I wanted to find a closed can that was close to the HD598 with a bit accentuated bottom end. What you'll find is these cans have an odd signature in the curve.
What I found is these cans produce a large clean sound. The bottom is punchy, but not muddled however you may find at louder volumes you may want to moderate how much you use these cans as they can be quite bottom end responsive. Be aware there is a PRO and a CONSUMER variant with these headphones. Black are the PROS and grey is the CONSUMER. The Pros have a bass port to allow the diaphragm breathe.
However! This bottom end doesn't come at the expense of losing the mid and highs. In fact, I found that the high end was nicely smoothed so you shouldn't find much shrill with these.
What I really enjoyed with these headphones is they were very adaptable to a wide range of genres.
The headphones are light, well constructed and very comfortable. BUT... not necessarily those with endowed ears. Beyerdynamic chooses to use a circular design versus a oval like Sennhesier so those with large ears like me may find a break is needed to ease the long periods of listening since you can get a bit of ear pinch. I found though the band clamping is not excessive.
Last thing on the headband, that as it springs open it clamps the earphones so to adjust it's best to allow the headphones to close. I think this is a design that carries through the DT series of headphones (880, 990).
Driving these phones I used cMoyBB and I was surprised that my iPhone 3GS worked fine as well. However I would recommend you amp these cans to properly drive them since you want to take advantage of the higher resistance of the 250 Ohms (there are 32 and 80 Ohm versions available).
Bottomline:
If you want a closed can, you will be hard pressed to find a better sounding set of headphones that are cheaper.
vishal-menon
The chart that you've put up shows the frequency response of the DT770 not the 770 PRO's which are the updates the original 770 - which I actually did find to be a bit too bass heavy and slightly muddy. I think beyer has nailed it with the PROs and fixed everything that went *wrong* with the 770. Great review!
My Setup
Tested with my Dell XPS 8700 desktop going optical out to a Yamaha RX-V365 amp (1/4 inch headphone out). Then going 3.5mm out from the desktop to my SMSL SAP III headphone amp. I tried it through on-board audio directly from my Dell inspiron laptop, then with the SAP III amp in the mix also. I played various files (FLAC, MP3, M4A) at different bit rates using the fubar2000 media player with all EQ off. I purchased my DT 770 used off a professional DJ. They are several years old and have had their fair share of abuse. I will be comparing this headphone with my Sennheiser HD 600 throughout this review. Although the HD 600 is an open back design at double the price, it's useful to compare it as a benchmark.
Design/Comfort (8/10)
A photo or video can’t really portray the quality of the materials used on this headphone. The plastics are thick and have a high quality “thud” when you hit them. The headband is made of solid steel wrapped with a leatherette cushion held on with button clips. A thicker piece of steel is used to suspend the drivers and forms the adjustable portion of the headband. The two steel pieces are held together with a solid piece of plastic fastened with two large screws on either end. The whole assembly attaches securely with screws to the drivers. The overall design is refreshingly simple and incredibly durable. Indeed they do say “Made in Germany” and it shows in the craftsmanship. Given all the steel material it only weighs 9.5oz, a mere 0.3 oz more than the HD 600. Overall I give a clear edge to the DT 770 in materials and craftsmanship.
In terms of styling, it’s clearly function over style with this one. It looks fine, you’re just not going to make any fashion statements with it. The HD 600 does look better on and off the head, hands down. Velour ear pads are simply divine, and these are no exception. Looking more closely I realized the ear pads are actually a vented leatherette material on the backside. You normally wouldn’t see this unless you peel them back. This portion is stitched to the front portion of velour. This design provides improved isolation and bass extension while maintaining optimal comfort. The coiled cable design is not my favorite though, and unfortunately it’s not replaceable. The cable is quite heavy and I just can’t stand having cable tension weighing down on my headphones. My remedy was to tie it to something to give me more slack where I wanted it. I much prefer the light and hugely long cable of the HD 600 which you can simply fold up and tie to your liking. Some like that it’s terminated to one side. This really doesn’t matter to me. I much prefer the HD 600 cable and the fact it’s replaceable is just a bonus.
Minus the cable, all the parts are replaceable on this headphone, just like the HD 600. However, when it comes to durability, the DT 770 takes the cake. Like many others my HD 600 got the cracked headband within months. The best warranty is no warranty issues at all. This DT 770 has had years of abuse and outside of the worn out lettering, you could barely tell. The metal and higher quality plastics contribute to this, but it’s also just a more durable headband design.
I have been an avid open back headphone user because with my glasses and fat head I always had issues with the clasping force on closed headphones. This was not a problem with the DT 770. Clasping force for me is perfect, and the headband support on the top of the head is adequate. The other issue I’ve always had with closed headphones is heat. Within a couple hours I usually start sweating. After several hours of use the DT 770 got warm but never to the point of sweating. Being a heavy, durable full sized headphone of a closed design, this level of comfort is unparalleled. Overall I still consider the HD 600 more comfortable. This is due to the lighter weight, roomier oval ear cups, and even more breathable open design. That being said, the DT 770 is definitely not uncomfortable by any means, and remains the most comfortable closed headphone I have ever used. Overall I give it 8/10 for the annoying cable design and lackluster styling.
Sound (9/10)
Any desktop grade amplifier or amplified sound card will have plenty of power. Onboard audio (unamplified) on laptops or desktops will get loud enough in the 75-100% range. However, bass extension improves significantly when amplified. Even with my $70 SMSL amp I noticed a significant improvement, without the need to ever pass 50% volume. You can get this headphone with lower impedances if needed, but any powered amp will have plenty of power. In terms of power it requires about the same as the HD 600 in my setup.
My first impression of the DT 770 was the improved bass extension. I was expecting this coming from an open design, but the HD 600 is no slouch in the bass department either. Bass manages to stay tight and completely honest. The moment the track calls for deep lows you feel them, but then and only then. I found myself asking “At what cost does this improved bass come?” So I threw some strong female vocals at it. The highs were very crisp, more in your face than the highs of the HD 600, but never harsh, even at unsafe volumes. Because of this, the mids took a bit of a back seat when compared to the mouth-watering mids of the HD 600. Moving on to more complex compositions, separation was outstanding across the spectrum. Sound stage is really great for a closed headphone. Better than my Sennheiser HD 25-1 II. It won’t have your head turning to locate that “noise” in the room like the HD 600 does. However, every instrument and vocal is always separate and it never sounds boxy. This could be in part to the ported design of the drivers. So “At what cost does this improved bass come?” Slightly laid back mids and a smaller sound stage. Overall I give it a fantastic 9/10.
Verdict (9/10)
To be fair the DT 770 is half the price of the HD 600. All things considered you get a better value with the DT 770. Beyerdynamic manages that with superior materials and durability. You do get slightly laid back mids and a smaller sound stage with lackluster styling. However, you're still getting a completely honest representation with superior bass, durability, and isolation, without sacrificing much comfort. If needed the laid back mids can be easily remedied by EQing the highs down a tad. If you need isolation and are not looking for portability this is probably the best headphone money can buy, even at double it's price point. For my purposes I still prefer the open back design, but I still use the DT 770 in cases where I need to work in a noisy environment. I give it a 9/10 due to the cable design and lackluster styling.
As a result of my positive impression of the DT 770 I am itching to get my hands on the open back DT 990. This would be a more interesting comparison to the HD 600. A friend has a pair of 990's I plan to borrow in the next few months. I will post a comment with a link to my DT 990 review when I get to it.
Edit: I have posted my DT 990 review now.
Tested with my Dell XPS 8700 desktop going optical out to a Yamaha RX-V365 amp (1/4 inch headphone out). Then going 3.5mm out from the desktop to my SMSL SAP III headphone amp. I tried it through on-board audio directly from my Dell inspiron laptop, then with the SAP III amp in the mix also. I played various files (FLAC, MP3, M4A) at different bit rates using the fubar2000 media player with all EQ off. I purchased my DT 770 used off a professional DJ. They are several years old and have had their fair share of abuse. I will be comparing this headphone with my Sennheiser HD 600 throughout this review. Although the HD 600 is an open back design at double the price, it's useful to compare it as a benchmark.
Design/Comfort (8/10)
A photo or video can’t really portray the quality of the materials used on this headphone. The plastics are thick and have a high quality “thud” when you hit them. The headband is made of solid steel wrapped with a leatherette cushion held on with button clips. A thicker piece of steel is used to suspend the drivers and forms the adjustable portion of the headband. The two steel pieces are held together with a solid piece of plastic fastened with two large screws on either end. The whole assembly attaches securely with screws to the drivers. The overall design is refreshingly simple and incredibly durable. Indeed they do say “Made in Germany” and it shows in the craftsmanship. Given all the steel material it only weighs 9.5oz, a mere 0.3 oz more than the HD 600. Overall I give a clear edge to the DT 770 in materials and craftsmanship.
In terms of styling, it’s clearly function over style with this one. It looks fine, you’re just not going to make any fashion statements with it. The HD 600 does look better on and off the head, hands down. Velour ear pads are simply divine, and these are no exception. Looking more closely I realized the ear pads are actually a vented leatherette material on the backside. You normally wouldn’t see this unless you peel them back. This portion is stitched to the front portion of velour. This design provides improved isolation and bass extension while maintaining optimal comfort. The coiled cable design is not my favorite though, and unfortunately it’s not replaceable. The cable is quite heavy and I just can’t stand having cable tension weighing down on my headphones. My remedy was to tie it to something to give me more slack where I wanted it. I much prefer the light and hugely long cable of the HD 600 which you can simply fold up and tie to your liking. Some like that it’s terminated to one side. This really doesn’t matter to me. I much prefer the HD 600 cable and the fact it’s replaceable is just a bonus.
Minus the cable, all the parts are replaceable on this headphone, just like the HD 600. However, when it comes to durability, the DT 770 takes the cake. Like many others my HD 600 got the cracked headband within months. The best warranty is no warranty issues at all. This DT 770 has had years of abuse and outside of the worn out lettering, you could barely tell. The metal and higher quality plastics contribute to this, but it’s also just a more durable headband design.
I have been an avid open back headphone user because with my glasses and fat head I always had issues with the clasping force on closed headphones. This was not a problem with the DT 770. Clasping force for me is perfect, and the headband support on the top of the head is adequate. The other issue I’ve always had with closed headphones is heat. Within a couple hours I usually start sweating. After several hours of use the DT 770 got warm but never to the point of sweating. Being a heavy, durable full sized headphone of a closed design, this level of comfort is unparalleled. Overall I still consider the HD 600 more comfortable. This is due to the lighter weight, roomier oval ear cups, and even more breathable open design. That being said, the DT 770 is definitely not uncomfortable by any means, and remains the most comfortable closed headphone I have ever used. Overall I give it 8/10 for the annoying cable design and lackluster styling.
Sound (9/10)
Any desktop grade amplifier or amplified sound card will have plenty of power. Onboard audio (unamplified) on laptops or desktops will get loud enough in the 75-100% range. However, bass extension improves significantly when amplified. Even with my $70 SMSL amp I noticed a significant improvement, without the need to ever pass 50% volume. You can get this headphone with lower impedances if needed, but any powered amp will have plenty of power. In terms of power it requires about the same as the HD 600 in my setup.
My first impression of the DT 770 was the improved bass extension. I was expecting this coming from an open design, but the HD 600 is no slouch in the bass department either. Bass manages to stay tight and completely honest. The moment the track calls for deep lows you feel them, but then and only then. I found myself asking “At what cost does this improved bass come?” So I threw some strong female vocals at it. The highs were very crisp, more in your face than the highs of the HD 600, but never harsh, even at unsafe volumes. Because of this, the mids took a bit of a back seat when compared to the mouth-watering mids of the HD 600. Moving on to more complex compositions, separation was outstanding across the spectrum. Sound stage is really great for a closed headphone. Better than my Sennheiser HD 25-1 II. It won’t have your head turning to locate that “noise” in the room like the HD 600 does. However, every instrument and vocal is always separate and it never sounds boxy. This could be in part to the ported design of the drivers. So “At what cost does this improved bass come?” Slightly laid back mids and a smaller sound stage. Overall I give it a fantastic 9/10.
Verdict (9/10)
To be fair the DT 770 is half the price of the HD 600. All things considered you get a better value with the DT 770. Beyerdynamic manages that with superior materials and durability. You do get slightly laid back mids and a smaller sound stage with lackluster styling. However, you're still getting a completely honest representation with superior bass, durability, and isolation, without sacrificing much comfort. If needed the laid back mids can be easily remedied by EQing the highs down a tad. If you need isolation and are not looking for portability this is probably the best headphone money can buy, even at double it's price point. For my purposes I still prefer the open back design, but I still use the DT 770 in cases where I need to work in a noisy environment. I give it a 9/10 due to the cable design and lackluster styling.
As a result of my positive impression of the DT 770 I am itching to get my hands on the open back DT 990. This would be a more interesting comparison to the HD 600. A friend has a pair of 990's I plan to borrow in the next few months. I will post a comment with a link to my DT 990 review when I get to it.
Edit: I have posted my DT 990 review now.
Gilly87
Solid review. I agree on all points. I have HD650s instead of 600s, but my two Beyers (770 and T90) make perfect compliments to them. HD650 probably gets the most head-time, but when I want fun I reach for the 770s, and I use the T90s for real critical listening.
PBmaster14
Thanks for reviewing these excellent pair of headphones. I have to say I agree with all your conclusions except for the soundstage. I feel the DT-770's have a larger soundstage than the HD-600's and I have owned both headphones.
But again thanks for for getting the word out on these excellent Headphones.
But again thanks for for getting the word out on these excellent Headphones.
jarnauga
I couldn't agree more. Just two things: yes, the mids are a bit less noticeable than the rest, a bit 'recessed', with a bit less volume so you won't understand so much about the music that lives there if that music has also a lot of things going up and down in the frequency range... The 'details' are there but you will have to do some extra effort to hear that part of the music, and, sometimes, that task could 'interfere' a bit. Why? because the upper bass and low mids are good. The sort of male chorus voices and certain instruments that lives there. They are portrayed in a very nice way. The enviroment for that sounds to exist is very well controlled. Everything is very very quiet, the music can swing in power and volume effortlessly and nothing could disturb you from the music meaning, presented as a whole thing, even with the not so evenly portrayed high mids and low treble, i.e., female voices and children chorus. Violins and othe instruments with higher pitch... is a different matter. You see, the problem nowadays is the tricks in the mastering process and the 'taste' of the modern public. A lot of music is 'toasted' and, sadly, you will hear clearly all this stuff with the Beyer. It could display complex passages, it could show you the music in a high expressive way but it will also recover some of the nastiness.
the trick: mid-low volume or under-powered amplifier for similar effect. You will lose some details of the music but also all of the nastiness of the recording. Attached directly to a laptop it could render music so beautyfully it could harm. Attached to neutral-high powered amplifiers... and a neutral fine source... you will have to expect some problems and deal with them.
DVD-Audio or SACD with their boombastick spectacular sound, or heavily processed signal... are also very problematic. Expect to be more picky.
the trick: mid-low volume or under-powered amplifier for similar effect. You will lose some details of the music but also all of the nastiness of the recording. Attached directly to a laptop it could render music so beautyfully it could harm. Attached to neutral-high powered amplifiers... and a neutral fine source... you will have to expect some problems and deal with them.
DVD-Audio or SACD with their boombastick spectacular sound, or heavily processed signal... are also very problematic. Expect to be more picky.
jarnauga
For lovers of very expressive music that plays a lot with pianos and fortissimos, for layers of details in distance and volume, this is a good tool. The quiet environment and the easyness for the sounds that live in the range where the structure of the music is are the culprit of the good music the Beyer delivers. Again, certain softiness in the treble from your selection of material to be played are highly recommended. Even if they portrait the treble in a very clear and powerful way it doesn't means they offer the bleached sound, the easy-effortlessly-but-compressed, clear as a swiss lake sound of current trends in audio. They are old style, old brand, old in the market headphones. They don't do tricks or slice the music or render the notes individually in the space for you to feel things that are not music. They respect the music but also deal with the low level signal and every turn in the master recording process. So, choose carefully your program or choose carefully what you want to obtain from them. They will not change for you.
(Review is based off the addition/swap of/too Dekoni sheepskin leather pads)
Before I slapped on the leather pads these things were treble happy.. treble was front and center no matter what you played. I'm not a fan of electronic EQ so I did it the ole fashion way,,, LEATHER PADS. This helped tame the treble to exceptable levels and the treble is nice by the way.
I'm not gonna write a thesis here, quick review...
The purpose of this headphone was to get a "peek" of the Beyerdynamic "sound". And I love it. I chose closed back because my headphone system (office) shares with my two aquariums.. (hey..what can I say.. ) and.... the 250ohm picked to match up with my OTL Tubed amplifier,Darkvoice 336se.
This headphone is opposite of the Drop Sennheiser HD6XX. Where the Senns are warm and laidback...the Beyers are fast and vibrant.. I can EQ the sound of the amp by switching out a combination of tube types, (which I do almost on a daily basis). The bass rolls low with the Beyerdynamic (in a controlled manner) and never over done, everything stays even. If your a Radiohead fan, these will melt your face. Because of my infatuation with tubed amplifiers the Beyerdynamic has been my most used headphone. Beating out the Sennhieser, Hifiman 400i, Fedelio X2, and Fostex T20RP.
Before I slapped on the leather pads these things were treble happy.. treble was front and center no matter what you played. I'm not a fan of electronic EQ so I did it the ole fashion way,,, LEATHER PADS. This helped tame the treble to exceptable levels and the treble is nice by the way.
I'm not gonna write a thesis here, quick review...
The purpose of this headphone was to get a "peek" of the Beyerdynamic "sound". And I love it. I chose closed back because my headphone system (office) shares with my two aquariums.. (hey..what can I say.. ) and.... the 250ohm picked to match up with my OTL Tubed amplifier,Darkvoice 336se.
This headphone is opposite of the Drop Sennheiser HD6XX. Where the Senns are warm and laidback...the Beyers are fast and vibrant.. I can EQ the sound of the amp by switching out a combination of tube types, (which I do almost on a daily basis). The bass rolls low with the Beyerdynamic (in a controlled manner) and never over done, everything stays even. If your a Radiohead fan, these will melt your face. Because of my infatuation with tubed amplifiers the Beyerdynamic has been my most used headphone. Beating out the Sennhieser, Hifiman 400i, Fedelio X2, and Fostex T20RP.
Gilly87
DT770 love <3
What are your new open cans?
What are your new open cans?
As I've just started my audiophile journey, I wanted my first setup to be the best "affordable" startup kit I could put together, and so the research began. After reading different reviews on this site (thank everyone!), I kept getting pulled back to the beyerdynamic headphones as a great candidate for my first kit. Almost all reviewers had the same opinion that the sound signature was U or V shaped (scooped mids), and that is generally the way I tend to EQ my music on whatever source I'm listening to, so it just made sense that they would be mine. (oh yes, they would be mine)
Then the shopping begins... Looking at what I considered to be the affordable options, there's the DT 770, DT 880, DT 990, and the different impedance options. And that lead to some additional research, reading reviews on the closed, partly open, and fully open options, and whether or not I wanted to get an external DAC / amp for the kit. (hint: I did) With that in mind, the DT 770 Pros were the cans that kept calling out to me for the sub-bass and clear treble, and I liked the idea of the fully contained closed environment which I believe helps hear the detail even better. The higher impedance 250 ohm version made sense to me as well given my experience with loud speakers, where higher impedance drivers pushed by decent power often sounds more dynamic and alive to me.
So, I ordered my DT 770 Pro headphones paired with the iFi Zen DAC v2 from a very well known online retailer (not going to promote them here, they don't need it), and impatiently awaited arrival of my very own entry level audiophile headphone kit. When they arrived, the unboxing and setup probably took about 2 minutes, and I immediately started listening to my old progressive standards like Pink Floyd, Tool, Genesis (the good stuff with Peter Gabriel), A Perfect Circle, Kate Bush, and so on. The sound was crisp and detailed in the upper mids and trebel with a good amount of detail I hadn't heard before, and the low end was actually very surprising. In a couple of songs, I could almost imagine the sub-bass vibrating my floor and I had to take the headphones off to see if I left my speakers on. (hint: I didn't)
Ok, so they rock, but do they jazz? The next test for me was to play some of my favorite jazz artists (piano and guitar) to see if I can get more detail from what is already mostly very detailed and "airy" jazz compositions. Pat Metheny, Kevin Eubanks, Acoustic Alchemy, Joe Sample, etc. Again, everything sounded better than I had heard before with more detail, more dynamics and clarity, and I began to really notice the soundstage at this point too. It seemed in no uncertain terms that these cans were just meant for my ears, and that assumption was not met with disappointment as I carried on.
Of course, now that I began really picking up on the soundstage, I had to go back to my progressive / alternative standards to give them another listen, and yep, there it was. Those certain "extras" in Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, and Porcupine Tree songs seemed to come from different places in my office, but not only that, the instruments (especially drums) and vocals began to expand outside my immediate headspace as well the more I listened with intent. Maybe it's partially or mostly psychological, but it surprised me when I heard it because I really didn't expect headphones to give me that particular experience.
As for build quality, other than the fixed cable (coiled, which I like), I can't fault them at all. They aren't flashy or pretty colors, or anything fancy like that, and I didn't really want that anyway. They have a more practical design and are built to last, and apparently you can buy just about every replacement part online if / when you need them. Let's see that big company named after a fruit do that! (hint: they won't)
As many have already reported in reviews and threads on this site, comfort is key with these cans. When I first put them on, I didn't adjust the headband correctly for me, and they sat a bit low on my head. I was worried for all of about 5 minutes about the comfort level, given that they were new (not yet stretched) and they were sitting on a bad place on my upper jaw, not comfy at all. Then I had that (oh, duh!) moment when I pushed them up just a bit and adjusted the head band, and I let out a sigh of relief just knowing that me and these headphones were going to get along. They are relatively light weight and the velour ear pads feel amazing, so once they stretched a bit after a day or two I could almost forget I have them on.
And there you have my newbie / noob / newly initiated (re)view and perspective of the DT 770 Pro (250 ohm) headphones. Yes, I will be adding a more powerful amp to my setup (of course), and yes, I will be trying other headphones, but I really think I nailed my starter kit with these given my preferred music / sound signature. If you're thinking about checking them out, I can't recommend them enough, especially at the price.
Then the shopping begins... Looking at what I considered to be the affordable options, there's the DT 770, DT 880, DT 990, and the different impedance options. And that lead to some additional research, reading reviews on the closed, partly open, and fully open options, and whether or not I wanted to get an external DAC / amp for the kit. (hint: I did) With that in mind, the DT 770 Pros were the cans that kept calling out to me for the sub-bass and clear treble, and I liked the idea of the fully contained closed environment which I believe helps hear the detail even better. The higher impedance 250 ohm version made sense to me as well given my experience with loud speakers, where higher impedance drivers pushed by decent power often sounds more dynamic and alive to me.
So, I ordered my DT 770 Pro headphones paired with the iFi Zen DAC v2 from a very well known online retailer (not going to promote them here, they don't need it), and impatiently awaited arrival of my very own entry level audiophile headphone kit. When they arrived, the unboxing and setup probably took about 2 minutes, and I immediately started listening to my old progressive standards like Pink Floyd, Tool, Genesis (the good stuff with Peter Gabriel), A Perfect Circle, Kate Bush, and so on. The sound was crisp and detailed in the upper mids and trebel with a good amount of detail I hadn't heard before, and the low end was actually very surprising. In a couple of songs, I could almost imagine the sub-bass vibrating my floor and I had to take the headphones off to see if I left my speakers on. (hint: I didn't)
Ok, so they rock, but do they jazz? The next test for me was to play some of my favorite jazz artists (piano and guitar) to see if I can get more detail from what is already mostly very detailed and "airy" jazz compositions. Pat Metheny, Kevin Eubanks, Acoustic Alchemy, Joe Sample, etc. Again, everything sounded better than I had heard before with more detail, more dynamics and clarity, and I began to really notice the soundstage at this point too. It seemed in no uncertain terms that these cans were just meant for my ears, and that assumption was not met with disappointment as I carried on.
Of course, now that I began really picking up on the soundstage, I had to go back to my progressive / alternative standards to give them another listen, and yep, there it was. Those certain "extras" in Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, and Porcupine Tree songs seemed to come from different places in my office, but not only that, the instruments (especially drums) and vocals began to expand outside my immediate headspace as well the more I listened with intent. Maybe it's partially or mostly psychological, but it surprised me when I heard it because I really didn't expect headphones to give me that particular experience.
As for build quality, other than the fixed cable (coiled, which I like), I can't fault them at all. They aren't flashy or pretty colors, or anything fancy like that, and I didn't really want that anyway. They have a more practical design and are built to last, and apparently you can buy just about every replacement part online if / when you need them. Let's see that big company named after a fruit do that! (hint: they won't)
As many have already reported in reviews and threads on this site, comfort is key with these cans. When I first put them on, I didn't adjust the headband correctly for me, and they sat a bit low on my head. I was worried for all of about 5 minutes about the comfort level, given that they were new (not yet stretched) and they were sitting on a bad place on my upper jaw, not comfy at all. Then I had that (oh, duh!) moment when I pushed them up just a bit and adjusted the head band, and I let out a sigh of relief just knowing that me and these headphones were going to get along. They are relatively light weight and the velour ear pads feel amazing, so once they stretched a bit after a day or two I could almost forget I have them on.
And there you have my newbie / noob / newly initiated (re)view and perspective of the DT 770 Pro (250 ohm) headphones. Yes, I will be adding a more powerful amp to my setup (of course), and yes, I will be trying other headphones, but I really think I nailed my starter kit with these given my preferred music / sound signature. If you're thinking about checking them out, I can't recommend them enough, especially at the price.
Attachments
OceanPoet
Seems like a pretty reasonable first step into audiophiland. It just gets better (and more expensive!) from here. Thanks for sharing your experience.
The evolution of headphones has been fascinating to watch over the years. Pretty much everyone aged 50 and younger has grown up using headphones, and have owned many, many pairs. Some may remember the crappy headphones that came with the original Walkman and its progeny that would usually break long before the foam covers would wear off. They were an afterthought, although Sony’s 1979 introduction of the 3.5mm “minijack” stereo connector was useful. In some ways things haven’t changed much since then, as headphones associated with portable audio is still considered disposable. Good full size “over the ear” headphones existed of course, but were mostly used by audio professionals and audiophile hobbyists with almost art-deco/mad scientist looking tube amplifiers.
In 1985 Sony once again was a step ahead when they introduced the MDR-V6 studio monitor headphones. They were not obviously revolutionary compared to the standard of headphone technology at the time, but their immense popularity with studio and audio professionals expanded to general consumers who realized their flat sound (meaning accuracy), sturdiness and portability was a great value for the price ($70). But not everyone wants completely neutral sounding headphones. In order to enjoy relatively bass heavy funk, dub & dancehall reggae, hip-hop and dance music (especially drum ‘n’ bass and later, dubstep), DJs in particular craved headphones that could simulate the immersive low-end sounds. Again, Sony responded in 1993 with the MDR-V600, which emphasized bass and featured swiveling earcups so DJs could easily switch to one-ear listening. And while previously most quality full size headphones traditionally had high impedance (100-600 ohms), the MDR-V600 was only 45 ohms, which meant they could be used without an amp on portable tape and CD players with decent loudness and sound quality.
In the years since the explosion of iPods and MP3 players, there’s been a reaction to diminishing returns in sound from poor quality sources and transducers (cheap inner ear headphones and computer speakers) that’s manifested in a growing number of people going back to buying records (they really just need lossless files and decent speakers, but I cover that elsewhere), and using better quality full size headphones. The audiophile market seems to have responded to the demand in the past decade, and often exploited it. Around 2003-07, the flagship models of headphones by industry leaders like AKG, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Denon, Audio-Technica, Ultrasone and Grado were priced around $400 to $650. There were a few exceptions of more expensive models, including Sony’s MDR-R10 which sold for several thousand, but that became more common in subsequent years, with most manufacturers, including newcomers Hifiman and Audez’e, offering headphones for well over $1,000. Perhaps fortunately, almost none of them were really made for rock music, working best with classical, jazz and folk. And when it comes to metal, when very few bands of that genre are big selling superstars, it just seems wrong to listen to their music on cans that might be more expensive than the instruments they played with.
][/color])
There’s a number of sub-genres of metal and heavy rock, which I often clump together as “stoner/psych/doom,” that emphasizes fuzzy low tones and bladder-shaking bass that would benefit from some headphones that do the music justice. Cans of doom! There’s no shortage of bass-heavy headphones, but most of them are models of poor quality and bad value. It’s hard to get heavy bass without being too boomy or just flatulent and all over the place, and sacrificing quality of the mid-range too much. Bose has long been the whipping boy by audiophiles, and more recently, Dr. Dre’s Beats By Dre have become the most common example of bad quality and value. They’re also hugely popular, and while they may serve as a gateway to better things for many people, they’re also a huge rip-off, especially with Beats Studio at $300. So what’s a rocker on a budget to do? Skullcandy’s Aviator offers better sound at half the list price ($150), though again, the quality might not be quite there. Next week they’re issuing a special Dinosaur Jr. edition along with the release of a single. Lemmy Kilmister has his own series of vanity cans with Swedish company Krusell International AB, with the top model, the Motorizer, selling for a more affordable $129. With endorsements from rockers across the globe (who wouldn’t want to support Lemmy?), they should sell well. I haven’t gotten to hear it but Lemmy’s m.o. to “make them louder than everybody else’s” is not exactly promising.
][/color])
Surprisingly, at least to some people, you can get audiophile quality cans that will do heavy music justice at comparable prices to the mass-marketed Beats, Monsters, Skullcandy and Motorheadphones, while also putting sufficient boom in your doom. I’ve been lurking and participating in the Head-Fi forums for close to a decade, and the favorite headphone for general rock listening is the Grado SR-225i. I heard it while researching headphones, and while it excels at conveying the excitement of mid-range guitar sounds, it lacks low end depth, and can sound harsh and irritating, causing fatigue to occur quickly, within 15-20 minutes. On top of that, they’re uncomfortable and look like they were assembled in someone’s garage. Clearly I’m not a fan, but they do have their use for certain people. Just not us heavy psych and doomsters. For that kind of music, the favorite by a significant margin has been the Beyerdynamic DT 770. The company is considered one of the German headphone giants along with Sennheiser for good reason, having been around since 1924. In addition to featuring boosted “bass-reflex” technology, the DT 770 was considered since 1985 as one of the best overall sounding closed-back headphones on the market, and listed at only $250. It was discontinued in 2011 and replaced by the T70 which uses Tesla technology from their flagship T1. Unfortunately it’s priced much higher ($649) and does not share the bass characteristics of its predecessor.
Luckily for bassheads and rockers everywhere, the DT 770 Pro model is still available, and for just $179. I treated myself to a “like new” used one for my birthday for $133, a great bargain compared to the T70 and the $1,500 T1. For the past few years the Denon AH-D2000 has been my workhorse in my doom cave listening lair, and the smaller AH-D1001 in the bedroom. They are an excellent choice for rock music, with a healthy amount of bass that would satisfy anyone but the worst bass junkies. In his piece “The Battle Of The Flagships,” Head-Fi Guru David Mahler said, “The DT 770 really digs down deep with tremendous impact. Despite this, its bass presentation manages to be rather tight. What may be most impressive about the DT 770’s bass presentation is that it really is able to bring forward the sub-bass frequencies that many headphones skimp out on.” Unfortunately that Denon series lost their license with Fostex, who created the designs. The line has been discontinued and replaced by the AH-D600 Music Maniac ($550). Being brand new, I was unable to find out much information on it, and I’ve been wanting to try a Beyerdynamic anyway. I wasn’t disappointed. As promised, they are bass heavy without being completely overwhelming. The mids are somewhat recessed, making for a “dark’ sound signature that’s perfect for most heavy psych and stoner/doom metal. The bass on the new Goatess album sounds insanely over the top, and great fun. Previous listens to Age Of Taurus‘ Desperate Souls of Tortured Times seemed a little lacking in bass, and the DT 770 helped remedy that. Sessions with Black Sabbath (new and old), Saint Vitus, Magic Circle, Rote Mare, Jex Thoth, Elder, Electric Wizard, Wo Fat and Pagan Altar all benefited from the cans of doom! They’re definitely not neutral reference cans. They are available with three different impedance ratings (32, 80 and 250 ohms). I got the 250, which would sound very quiet plugged into a computer or MP3 player, but come alive on my home Meier Corda Catante.2 amp. I love this amp, with crossfeed features that helps prevent listening fatigue, which I discuss more here. That one is discontinued, but he has newer models that are even better. Some DT 770 owners like the portable Fiio E10, which does not have crossfeed.
A close runner-up in the cans of doom category is the Ultrasone HFI-780. While it lists at $279, it’s available new on Amazon for $155, and used as low as $120. I was unable to hear these myself, as no one’s gonna be sending me free review headphones, but lots of people with large headphone collections swear by them. For portable listening, you can’t go wrong with the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 ($199/$159) sturdy studio pro headphones that fold up nicely, similar to the venerable Sony MDR-V6 and V600, both of which are still available for $80 and $250 respectively. But for cans of doom, you can’t go wrong with the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro.
In 1985 Sony once again was a step ahead when they introduced the MDR-V6 studio monitor headphones. They were not obviously revolutionary compared to the standard of headphone technology at the time, but their immense popularity with studio and audio professionals expanded to general consumers who realized their flat sound (meaning accuracy), sturdiness and portability was a great value for the price ($70). But not everyone wants completely neutral sounding headphones. In order to enjoy relatively bass heavy funk, dub & dancehall reggae, hip-hop and dance music (especially drum ‘n’ bass and later, dubstep), DJs in particular craved headphones that could simulate the immersive low-end sounds. Again, Sony responded in 1993 with the MDR-V600, which emphasized bass and featured swiveling earcups so DJs could easily switch to one-ear listening. And while previously most quality full size headphones traditionally had high impedance (100-600 ohms), the MDR-V600 was only 45 ohms, which meant they could be used without an amp on portable tape and CD players with decent loudness and sound quality.
In the years since the explosion of iPods and MP3 players, there’s been a reaction to diminishing returns in sound from poor quality sources and transducers (cheap inner ear headphones and computer speakers) that’s manifested in a growing number of people going back to buying records (they really just need lossless files and decent speakers, but I cover that elsewhere), and using better quality full size headphones. The audiophile market seems to have responded to the demand in the past decade, and often exploited it. Around 2003-07, the flagship models of headphones by industry leaders like AKG, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Denon, Audio-Technica, Ultrasone and Grado were priced around $400 to $650. There were a few exceptions of more expensive models, including Sony’s MDR-R10 which sold for several thousand, but that became more common in subsequent years, with most manufacturers, including newcomers Hifiman and Audez’e, offering headphones for well over $1,000. Perhaps fortunately, almost none of them were really made for rock music, working best with classical, jazz and folk. And when it comes to metal, when very few bands of that genre are big selling superstars, it just seems wrong to listen to their music on cans that might be more expensive than the instruments they played with.
There’s a number of sub-genres of metal and heavy rock, which I often clump together as “stoner/psych/doom,” that emphasizes fuzzy low tones and bladder-shaking bass that would benefit from some headphones that do the music justice. Cans of doom! There’s no shortage of bass-heavy headphones, but most of them are models of poor quality and bad value. It’s hard to get heavy bass without being too boomy or just flatulent and all over the place, and sacrificing quality of the mid-range too much. Bose has long been the whipping boy by audiophiles, and more recently, Dr. Dre’s Beats By Dre have become the most common example of bad quality and value. They’re also hugely popular, and while they may serve as a gateway to better things for many people, they’re also a huge rip-off, especially with Beats Studio at $300. So what’s a rocker on a budget to do? Skullcandy’s Aviator offers better sound at half the list price ($150), though again, the quality might not be quite there. Next week they’re issuing a special Dinosaur Jr. edition along with the release of a single. Lemmy Kilmister has his own series of vanity cans with Swedish company Krusell International AB, with the top model, the Motorizer, selling for a more affordable $129. With endorsements from rockers across the globe (who wouldn’t want to support Lemmy?), they should sell well. I haven’t gotten to hear it but Lemmy’s m.o. to “make them louder than everybody else’s” is not exactly promising.
Surprisingly, at least to some people, you can get audiophile quality cans that will do heavy music justice at comparable prices to the mass-marketed Beats, Monsters, Skullcandy and Motorheadphones, while also putting sufficient boom in your doom. I’ve been lurking and participating in the Head-Fi forums for close to a decade, and the favorite headphone for general rock listening is the Grado SR-225i. I heard it while researching headphones, and while it excels at conveying the excitement of mid-range guitar sounds, it lacks low end depth, and can sound harsh and irritating, causing fatigue to occur quickly, within 15-20 minutes. On top of that, they’re uncomfortable and look like they were assembled in someone’s garage. Clearly I’m not a fan, but they do have their use for certain people. Just not us heavy psych and doomsters. For that kind of music, the favorite by a significant margin has been the Beyerdynamic DT 770. The company is considered one of the German headphone giants along with Sennheiser for good reason, having been around since 1924. In addition to featuring boosted “bass-reflex” technology, the DT 770 was considered since 1985 as one of the best overall sounding closed-back headphones on the market, and listed at only $250. It was discontinued in 2011 and replaced by the T70 which uses Tesla technology from their flagship T1. Unfortunately it’s priced much higher ($649) and does not share the bass characteristics of its predecessor.
Luckily for bassheads and rockers everywhere, the DT 770 Pro model is still available, and for just $179. I treated myself to a “like new” used one for my birthday for $133, a great bargain compared to the T70 and the $1,500 T1. For the past few years the Denon AH-D2000 has been my workhorse in my doom cave listening lair, and the smaller AH-D1001 in the bedroom. They are an excellent choice for rock music, with a healthy amount of bass that would satisfy anyone but the worst bass junkies. In his piece “The Battle Of The Flagships,” Head-Fi Guru David Mahler said, “The DT 770 really digs down deep with tremendous impact. Despite this, its bass presentation manages to be rather tight. What may be most impressive about the DT 770’s bass presentation is that it really is able to bring forward the sub-bass frequencies that many headphones skimp out on.” Unfortunately that Denon series lost their license with Fostex, who created the designs. The line has been discontinued and replaced by the AH-D600 Music Maniac ($550). Being brand new, I was unable to find out much information on it, and I’ve been wanting to try a Beyerdynamic anyway. I wasn’t disappointed. As promised, they are bass heavy without being completely overwhelming. The mids are somewhat recessed, making for a “dark’ sound signature that’s perfect for most heavy psych and stoner/doom metal. The bass on the new Goatess album sounds insanely over the top, and great fun. Previous listens to Age Of Taurus‘ Desperate Souls of Tortured Times seemed a little lacking in bass, and the DT 770 helped remedy that. Sessions with Black Sabbath (new and old), Saint Vitus, Magic Circle, Rote Mare, Jex Thoth, Elder, Electric Wizard, Wo Fat and Pagan Altar all benefited from the cans of doom! They’re definitely not neutral reference cans. They are available with three different impedance ratings (32, 80 and 250 ohms). I got the 250, which would sound very quiet plugged into a computer or MP3 player, but come alive on my home Meier Corda Catante.2 amp. I love this amp, with crossfeed features that helps prevent listening fatigue, which I discuss more here. That one is discontinued, but he has newer models that are even better. Some DT 770 owners like the portable Fiio E10, which does not have crossfeed.
A close runner-up in the cans of doom category is the Ultrasone HFI-780. While it lists at $279, it’s available new on Amazon for $155, and used as low as $120. I was unable to hear these myself, as no one’s gonna be sending me free review headphones, but lots of people with large headphone collections swear by them. For portable listening, you can’t go wrong with the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 ($199/$159) sturdy studio pro headphones that fold up nicely, similar to the venerable Sony MDR-V6 and V600, both of which are still available for $80 and $250 respectively. But for cans of doom, you can’t go wrong with the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro.
Let me first say that I'm absolutely a newbie when it comes to headphones, having only had one proper pair previously. I ended up buying these and thought I would share my experience as it only had one review.
I previously had a pair of Koss Pro 4AAT that I was using at work with a PC. I had been using them for a few years, and was pretty happy with them, but they were so damn uncomfortable, so I decided I had to get some new ones.
My requirements were:
After a lot of research I decided for the DT770 Pro's. I ordered the 80 ohm, but the Ebay seller got the order mixed up and actually sent me the 250 ohm instead. I had also bought an amp (Fiio E7) anyway, so I thought what the heck, I won't bother returning them.
I wanted to use Wimp (a Norwegian alternative to Spotify) to listen to music, but it does not have an EQ, so I had to install a system-wide EQ in Windows. This was not easy, but I've ended up with a setup that works well (see below). On this EQ, I've reduced 8 kHz by 2 dB and pushed 3 and 5 kHz up a bit (this seems to bring the vocals forward a bit, which I feel improve the sound somewhat).
So I finally have a setup that I'm happy with and I have to say that the sound is absolutely fantastic! I don't know the audiophile terminology too well, but I guess you guys would call it "big sound stage"? The sound is clean and nice all over. The bass is a bit louder than neutral, but I like that even though I'm not a "basshead".
It's not overpowering at all. The bass is so deep, though, that I can feel my ears vibrating sometimes (no, I don't play very loud). I think that is so cool, that I'll often listen to the same song one more time just to feel it again.
As for the comfort, these are a lot better than the Koss Pro 4AATs. The DT770s are half the weight and the headband is softer. I would actually hurt on top of my head from the Koss, but these I only feel are there. People say the pro version of DT770 is clamping a bit hard around the ears, and I can understand what they mean, but it is not a problem for me at all. Compared to the Koss, the DT770 have maybe half the pressure. Mr Helluvapixel in the review above said his big ears was a problem, but I have big ears too and they fit nicely inside the cans. His ears must be huge!
As for the need of an amp for these, I did try to compare them on my iPhone with and without the Fiio E7. On the iPhone there's no graphic EQ to adjust, so it was a bit hard to compare for me because of the fatigue. People on the forum say you need an amp for them, but I can't say I could hear much difference. At least the volume was not a problem for me - I could play louder than I usually do. So do you need an amp? I don't know - I use it with an amp and it sounds great.
If you are using a sound card for output, the driver may have a built-in EQ and you can just use that. If it does not, or you are using a DAC like me, check if the software you are using to play your music has an EQ or someone has made an EQ plugin for it. If not, you can install a system-wide EQ like I did. It's a bit complicated to set up, but it works pretty good. The only thing is, you will get a sound delay, so watching videos or playing games may be annoying.
I previously had a pair of Koss Pro 4AAT that I was using at work with a PC. I had been using them for a few years, and was pretty happy with them, but they were so damn uncomfortable, so I decided I had to get some new ones.
My requirements were:
- Closed (I share an office)
- Comfy
- Clean sound, but bass is also important to me
- Music: I listen to lots of different stuff, but not so much jazz, country or classical. Mostly electronica and alternative rock.
After a lot of research I decided for the DT770 Pro's. I ordered the 80 ohm, but the Ebay seller got the order mixed up and actually sent me the 250 ohm instead. I had also bought an amp (Fiio E7) anyway, so I thought what the heck, I won't bother returning them.
Setup
- DT 770 Pro 250 ohm
- Fiio E7 DAC & Amp
- Software EQ: Virtual Audio Cable + SAVIHost with Marvel GEQ (I'll explain below)
- Source: Spotify normal quality: 160 kbps Ogg Vorbis
- Source: Wimp (similar streaming service) high quality: 256 kbps AAC
My experience
When I first tried the 80 ohm version in the shop, it sounded great except for the treble being very sharp. I figured that was because of the source (iPhone with medium bit-rate mp3s) and the fact that I didn't use an amp (which people here on Head-Fi said was needed). When I got the 250 ohms and connected them to the PC via the DAC/Amp, the treble was still very sharp. My ears would get tired after a few minutes of listening. I had not had this problem with the Koss cans, but I've always had a problem with a few albums (eg. PJ Harvey - "Dry" and Kelis - "Tasty") that I can't listen to with any headphones. So I figured maybe I'm a bit sensitive to treble. I started fiddling with the EQ in VLC which I was using for the testing, and soon found that if I turned down the 6 kHz band a bit, my fatigue problem disappeared! I also found the frequency response graph you can see in the review above by helluvapixel that they actually have a spike from 6 kHz to 10 kHz (maybe this is high mids?).I wanted to use Wimp (a Norwegian alternative to Spotify) to listen to music, but it does not have an EQ, so I had to install a system-wide EQ in Windows. This was not easy, but I've ended up with a setup that works well (see below). On this EQ, I've reduced 8 kHz by 2 dB and pushed 3 and 5 kHz up a bit (this seems to bring the vocals forward a bit, which I feel improve the sound somewhat).
So I finally have a setup that I'm happy with and I have to say that the sound is absolutely fantastic! I don't know the audiophile terminology too well, but I guess you guys would call it "big sound stage"? The sound is clean and nice all over. The bass is a bit louder than neutral, but I like that even though I'm not a "basshead".
As for the comfort, these are a lot better than the Koss Pro 4AATs. The DT770s are half the weight and the headband is softer. I would actually hurt on top of my head from the Koss, but these I only feel are there. People say the pro version of DT770 is clamping a bit hard around the ears, and I can understand what they mean, but it is not a problem for me at all. Compared to the Koss, the DT770 have maybe half the pressure. Mr Helluvapixel in the review above said his big ears was a problem, but I have big ears too and they fit nicely inside the cans. His ears must be huge!
As for the need of an amp for these, I did try to compare them on my iPhone with and without the Fiio E7. On the iPhone there's no graphic EQ to adjust, so it was a bit hard to compare for me because of the fatigue. People on the forum say you need an amp for them, but I can't say I could hear much difference. At least the volume was not a problem for me - I could play louder than I usually do. So do you need an amp? I don't know - I use it with an amp and it sounds great.
Conclusion
Great sound (if you pull down the treble a little bit), comfy and not too pricey.EQ setup
I had to do a lot of research to get this working, so I thought I would share it with you guys.If you are using a sound card for output, the driver may have a built-in EQ and you can just use that. If it does not, or you are using a DAC like me, check if the software you are using to play your music has an EQ or someone has made an EQ plugin for it. If not, you can install a system-wide EQ like I did. It's a bit complicated to set up, but it works pretty good. The only thing is, you will get a sound delay, so watching videos or playing games may be annoying.
- Download and install "Virtual Audio Cable" (they have a trial version with an annoying voice-over).
- Set it as the default playback device in Windows.
- Download SAVIHost. This can hosts a VST plugin, in my case the "Voxengo Marvel GEQ". The SAVIHost website describes what you need to do to use it with your VST plugin. You can also use VSTHost from the same website if you want to route the sound through more than one VST at the same time.
- In Savihost, click Devices/Wave and select "MME: Line 1 (Virtual Audio Cable)" as the input port and your soundcard or DAC as output port (the MME variant works better than the DS variant in my experience).
- Set sample rate to 44100. I guess higher sample rate may give you higher quality, but I can't hear the difference and I have to increase the buffer size when I increase the sample rate, so I go with the lowest.
- Experiment with the buffer size - set it as small as you can without getting distorted sound. This is affected by your how much work your PC is doing at the moment, so you can for example use a youtube video for this as it CPU intensive. The lowest I could get was 630 samples. The lower you get, the smaller delay you get. 630 samples means I get a delay of 630/44100 = 0.014 secs.
Headzone
I agree with the sharp treble. When i listened to them first time, I also noticed that they sound slightly harsh. I think I actually got used to them, but some music was unlistenable. Never tried eq though. It didn't get better with burn-in aswell, had 100-200hrs on them.
I've only had a few hours to burn these in, but so far I am extremely impressed. As of now I have the FiiO E6 amp to drive them, and it pushes them better than I expected. Being that these are 250 Ohm there aren't many portable amps that can do these cans justice. They frequency range is what I'm most impressed with 5Hz-35000Hz. They provide bass if you want it, and it is pretty clean and tight. The mids are very enjoyable, and I believe the highs to be pretty good too. Overall these headphones are great, especially for their value.
listenCarefully
Has anyone EVER bought an expensive piece of hi-end gear and admitted that they made a mistake within the first few hours of listening? Of course you're impressed.
The Hairy Yak
^ I just bought a pair of HD 598s and got them Tuesday. I made a mistake.
Hellbishop
Thanks for the great review Taylorsethe. I've had mine for about three months and they completely satisfy while giving me decent isolation from my environment. I was surprised at the balanced fullness of the treble and bass with neither overpowering the other. They have a warm sound yet the treble is still detailed probably due to the excellent frequency range of 5hz-35000hz you mentioned. Noticeable soundstage when playing games bordering on a open air headphone. I use the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 250 ohm version with my Onkyo TX-8555 stereo reciever at neutral settings but have noticed they handled full bass settings with no distortion at all when i've accidently had the tone settings at full.
