Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro Limited Edition 32 Ohm

My Little Phony

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: - sturdy build
- comfy to wear
Cons: - muddy bass
- bad tonality & overall listening experience
- fixed headphone cable
Introduction:

Many years ago the DT-770 Pro 80 Ohm was my first over-ear headphone that showed me that cans have bass after a bad experience with a „reference of radiostations“ AKG Monitor headphone that sounded unspectacular thin and boring.

The 32 ohm version of the DT770 Pro can not scratch a bit on the positive characteristics of my new daily cans the Denon AH-D5200. Yes its 5 times the price but its totally worth. So why did i test the Beyerdynamic anyways? Due to my first positive contact with a DT770 PRO 80 Ohm as a young boy and my present readings of reviews saying that with the 32 ohm model the harsh highs have been tamed and the bass improved to not bleed into/overshadow the other frequencies my interest were lit and i just wanted to experience the beyer-sound with my own ears. Again.


Optics & Build Quality:

I like the basic and dark optics of the DT770 Pros.

No crackling or other disturbing noise when moving the headphones on my head.

The headphone-cable is still not detachable. Should be a basic property of every wired headphone.

Very robust overall build.


Accessories:

- Nice nylon bag with a card-window to put in your adress.
- 3.5 mm to 6.4 mm adapter


Wearing & Comfort:

Headband is comfy and the cautions fit my ears well. Nothing to complain here. Still a good Beyer-Fit. As an upgrade comfort-wise i recommend the velours cautions.

The length adjustment of the hangers is very tight, theres no sastisfying click when you reach the next adjustment step. Kinda raw feeling. But it does its job and is very sturdy.


Isolation:

You hear your own voice muffled and it felt a bit claustrophobic first time i put them on. Like putting an glass over your ear until you get used to it.


Sound:


Testequipment:

- Lake People G100 FE (technically close to Violectric HPA V100)
- JDS Labs Dac
- Astell & Kern AK70 MK II
- Flac & MP3 files

Highs:

Very stressfull high soundsignature, sometimes shrill. Highs are thin sounding.

Mids:

The Mids are not tight and got no slam.

Bass:

Test song example „Aerochord - Surface“. Of course theres plenty of bass coming into your ears. But it feels stressfull and not very layered.

Bass is really too much getting into boominess. (no eq used). Its mostly muffled and muddy sounding. Bass quantity would have been ok for bassheads when the quality wouldn't be so bad.

The boomy bass works well for explosions. But thats all you get.

Soundstage:

Average, not too wide, you can make out the position of the instruments.

3D-Effect / Spaciness:

Music tends to sound more 2D than 3D. Average spaciness presentation. I havent heared a closed headphone yet that takes you into mindblowing wide spacious landscapes. The DT770 performs good here.

Voices:

Voice presentation lacks body.

Overall presentation:

For the most music-genres the overall presentation is an unenjoyable mash of frequencies not doing anything good. Not liquid and smooth sounding like other headphones. Boring mids without much body.

I listened to a few hiphop tracks too. If you know how a well-done headphone can sound like you wont find much music you can really enjoy with this cans. Bass capability is not everything. If the details get lost and its bleeding into the other frequncies and leaves you with a muddy presentation than its just not good.


Conclusion:

No cans for me.

Other ears got different impressions and like the sound presentation of the 32ohm 770. For me its a no-go.

I did not expect the DT770 PRO 32 Ohm to be so bad and dont understand that it received so many positive reviews.


Visuals:

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Luigi Milazzo
Luigi Milazzo
A review made of nothing. You have to consider the “diffuse field” tuning here. You didn’t.
cecelo01
cecelo01
Your ears are clogged 🤣. Weak, superficial analysis. You lack experience.

Koolin

New Head-Fier
Pros: Separation, balanced sound with slight v-shape after burn in, works with phones and laptop soundcards, great isolation and good comfort, feels robust
Cons: Cable keeps it's shape easily because it's pretty thick, leather pads
Hi!
 
This is my first mid range headphone, i dont have much experience with audio products, but i have always been interested in audio and it's terminology so i will do my best.
 
Now, what was i looking for in a headphone?
I was looking for a headphone that had a great balanced sound, acceptable comfort, was robust enough that it would survive not to carefull use for several years, i did not care about looks, removable cables (although that would be a nice thing) and size, so i went looking.
 
The AKG k550's stood out to me, nice build and looked good on the head (which is a plus) but it was not very available in the Netherlands so i went in further.
I heard about the DT 770 80 and 250 Ohm, that they had incredible build quality and great sound, but that even the 80 Ohm version was not really a great solution for mobile because the bass could become flabby without proper amplification, so i was kind of dissapointed.
 
But then i saw the 32 ohm version, which looked exactly what i was looking for.
 
So i bought them.
 
And i love them.
 
These do everything i wanted out of a headphone:
 
They feel robust and everything can be replaced according to Beyerdynamics, so if something breaks you can replace it, this goes not for the 2 cables the headphone, there is 1 cable that runs through the headband into the second cup and that one is not replacable, so like the thick studio cable, if it breaks you either have to solder it or buy a new one, which is a shame..
 
The comfort is good, above acceptable, your ears touch the inside of the cup, but the inside is stuffed with a layer of foam so after a minute the feeling of your ears touching the inside dissapears and after about 4 hours you start to feel the inside of the cup again, after 4 minutes of not wearing them most of the fatigue goes away and they can be worn for a couple hours again.
These have leather pads, which have said to have better isolation and sound leak that velvet and velour while also staining less, but they are less soft and less breathing so you get warm ears, this can become annoying but i don't mind personally.
 
The cable is a bit stiff and keeps it's shape a bit after untangling but it feels just as robust as the rest of the headphone and I don't mind it not being replacable because of it.
 
The sound comes in 2 parts:
 
When i got them, the midrange was kind of sucked out, the bass was less tight and the treble was a bit more spikey, but after using them for more than 80+ hours the sound has improved.
 
The bass is now nice and tight and detailed, although the impact could be better, the treble is extended and detailed, on my pc soundcard it is perfect while on my phone it is fatigueing, and the midrange is appaerand and separates everything nicely even on higher volumes, everything can be heard through these, from the drums to the guitars and the vocals and even the bass is hearable if mixed properly, so these are great for monitoring.
The sound from my pc soundcard is incredible comfortable, the sound never gets fatigueing even on loud volumes and is very clear.
It even has a little soundstage, things don't sound from inside your head but rather a little bit to the left and right, i think this is because of the shape of the earcups.
 
So this is why i love them, there are things that could be improved but i am more than happy for the price i paid for them.
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Brockavich

New Head-Fier
Pros: Audio fidelity is detailed. Bass is good, but can be weak. Isolation is great. Price good for what you get. Durable and comfortable for long wear.
Cons: Cord is long/stiff and is annoying for day to day commutes. Highs are sparkly. Can make your head pretty hot. Exterior details come off easily (meh).
So, I've had these cans for about a year now, which I sought out through recommendations on this site. I'm not an expert, but I do understand the basics behind audio and stuff, so I figured I'd give back to the community by offering my thoughts. Hopefully it helps someone with a purchase decision.

I'll break this down into sections that were relevant for my selection of these cans, as well any additional thoughts that came up.

1. My usage and Music Preference
I'm a university student, and typically commute a good deal on a day to day basis. As such, I wanted a pair of cans that I could take with me everywhere, that I could just toss into a bag and head out without worrying too much about them breaking. I typically listen to bass-driven music, such as DnB, Dubstep (traditional, none of that skrillex brostep crap), Raggae, Downtempo, or just Electronic in general. I foray into metal on occasion. My source is an unamplified FiiO X1.

2. Durability
Pros: Given that I'm using them like I am, durability is important, and these things do not disappoint. While I'm not careless with my things, there are times when I need to get going in a hurry, so I've gotta unplug the cans and toss em in my bag. There have been times where a textbook was sitting on/slightly crushing parts of the headphones and I thought for sure they'd break. Never did. These things are built very solidly, and have been able to keep up with me handily. They have a strange flimsy feeling about them that betrays this, in that the headphones are really light and they're not very rigidly attached to the headband. Despite that, I can't say enough good about their tankiness.
Cons: If I had to nitpick, the exterior details (the text on the side that says DT770 Pro 32 Ohm) are meh. They were originally white when new, but they've since rubbed off to reveal the same black as the rest of the headphones. I personally don't give a rat's, but someone might.

3. Isolation/Noise Cancellation
Pros: This is an important one for me, as I need to be able to focus on what I'm doing in sometimes noisy environments, or I don't want to listen to all the noise on a public transit bus. These cans are supposed to have about ~20db of non-active noise cancellation if I recall. They work really, really well in this respect. If you have these bad boys on, even with people in the same room, you'll barely be able to hear them if you turn your source audio up to about 50-60%. They also leak very little noise from what I've observed. This has to do with the very large and cushy pads on them, as well as the reasonable clamping strength, which brings me to the next topic.
Cons: None. Works as well as I could ask for.

4. Comfort
Pros: These are the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn. They clamp just hard enough that they don't shift around, and cancel most sound from outside getting in, as well as your audio getting out. I've never had any problems with fatigue, even after wearing them for 4-5 hours on end. I wear glasses all the time, and they never hurt my temples or anything. They're also light as I mentioned, so they don't strain your neck when looking down or moving your head.
Cons: One downside is the pleather? pads. The standard ones do make your head quite warm, even in mild weather. I've heard some people prefer swapping them for velour ones, and that helps. I haven't done this because I'm lazy/busy, and also because I didn't find it that big of a problem; more of a mild annoyance.

5. Cord
Pros: These cans are meant to be both studio and travel friendly, and as a result, they have a thick cord, commonly found in studio cans. This makes it pretty durable, and won't get damaged if pinched. The cord is also really long for travel use, which I suppose is a plus, as it'd be far worse if it was too short. It's about twice as long as most non-audiophile headphone cords.
Cons: This cord is the one big downside of these cans, in general. This is because it's incredibly stiff at times and has a long memory. If it's not super warm out (ie: winter or fall), the cord very quickly becomes stiff. This is normal for all cords, but given this thing's thickness, it truly becomes a pain the ass. Even at room temperature, it has a tendency to stay in the shape it's most used to, and it is very hard to wipe its memory so to speak. This all becomes an issue when you travel with them like me, because you end up with an extra 2-3 feet of cable hanging out of your pocket, unless you wind/loop the cord so it fits. As a result, mine fights me a little bit every time I try to move the cord, taking on strange oblong shapes, instead of dangling toward the floor. On a case by case basis, it's not a big deal, but after a while, it will begin to annoy you. That said, it's not enough to negate the positives of these cans.

6. Audio Quality
Pros: This is the most important factor for me, and these cans do it well. While I'm not a hardcore audiophile willing to spend $600 on a single pair of headphones, I have learned to appreciate fidelity and quality audio. I was coming from just using a pair of Steelseries gaming headphones on a mediocre Sony mp3 player, and stepped up to these and a FiiO X1. The change was pretty phenomenal. If that's what you're coming from, you will notice entire layers of audio in your music that you didn't even know was there before. Even if your audio collection isn't of the highest quality (ie: 128kpbs), you'll still notice a big difference.
The bass is the most important factor for me, as almost all my music is comprised primarily of <100Hz sound. These cans are pretty good in this respect. On my unamped FiiO, with the EQ set, most tracks will be quite the temple massage. On an amped source of some sort, or something with more power (like my PC), these things are bass cannons for sure. That said, the quality of the bass is what these things have going for them. On my other headphones, the bass can come out as muddy sounding, and eat up a lot of the mids, especially when EQ'd too high. On the DT770s though, the bass is punchy, crystal clear, and separated from the mids quite nicely. It's tough to explain, but it just feels like the bass has more impact. It has a really nice sense of space, where the bass is surrounding you, as if you were listening to a large stereo system. The subbass is quite low and rumbly, but can be a bit on the weaker side on certain tracks. All in all, I'm satisfied with it.
The rest of the audio spectrum is here, and well represented as far as my noob ears go. Like I said, there are entire layers of instruments and sounds I never even knew were there before on certain songs. It's quite the experience.
These are also pretty easy to drive, being the 32Ohm version. On my FiiO X1 (which has a small internal amp), they can get loud enough to drown out all but the loudest background noise. I suspect the 80Ohm version has better fidelity, but they do basically require an amped source as I understand it.
Cons: These are pretty sparkly headphones. The highs, even when EQ'd down as low as they can be, can be literally painful to the ears. It's not a problem in most tracks, and in fact I think it's probably more poor mastering on the tracks than the headphones. For me this is a con, as I really don't like highs when they hurt. However, if you're listening to tracks with lots of percussion, or you like highs, then this is probably a pro for you.

7. Overall
These are damn good headphones for what you pay for them, at least for my purposes. I wholeheartedly recommend them to someone who enjoys both their quality bass, and a bit of fidelity. I'm glad I grabbed them.


Hope this helps someone. If you have any questions, Email me and I'll try to answer.
 

goropeza

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Isolation, soundstage (for a closed headphone), detailed, comfort
Cons: harsh treble, poor bass extension
I bought this headphone as part of a search for an birthday present for my little brother (going for that brother of the year award, he deserved it). I tested and listened to the DT 770 pro 32 ohm for about 2 weeks before sending it back and ultimately going with the Sennheiser Momentums. Keep in mind that these are just opinions based on my headphone experiences and I do not claim for any of this to be accepted fact. Blah blah blah, your mileage may vary :wink:

For this review, I would like to start with things I liked about the DT 770. The first thing that really jumped out at me was how well they isolated! None of the headphones in my collection isolate well so finally having one that does really surprised me. This thing would be PERFECT for commutes, airports, and busy areas. Its honestly amazing how well this headphone creates your own little personal listening room in a world gone mad!
 
One of the other things I liked was it's ability to be driven by just about anything. At only 32ohms, they can be driven perfectly fine from a smartphone, although I'm sure you could get better performance from an amp. As part of my needs for a Christmas gift, this was very important to me. It just seems wrong to give a gift to someone just to tell them they need to spend some of their own money to enjoy it properly. In this department, the DT 770 passed with flying colors. I was able to get more than enough volume out of the headphone while also not sounding veiled or suffering from lack of detail. 
 
The sound stage was also impressive for a closed headphone. I honestly was not expecting much in this area, so to be presented with a moderately wide (although it seems somewhat short) sound stage was a surprise for me as well. It was certainly much wider than my old AH-D5000 and AH-D7000's and they were much more expensive. For $150, they presented a very good audio image.
How detailed the headphone was going to be was another major conclusion I had to make. My goal was to ultimately keep my brother from walking the path of the Beats and introduce him to true detailed sound. Once again, the Beyers did not disappoint. I tried to listen for all the minor instruments and secret notes I could hear on my HE-500s and HD 700's and for the most part it was there, if somewhat more subdued. You have to listen deeper for it, but for the most part the little details in each recording were there. Much, MUCH better than anything you would find in Skullcandy, Beats, and Bose.
 
On the flip side, a few things made me return them. I am particularly sensitive to harsh treble and sometimes the DT 770 got painful. Not only that, but the bass didnt extend as deep as I would have liked. The bass was well controlled for the most part (for its price range) but the sub bass just wasn't present. All in all, for a little extra cash, I found the Sennheiser Momentums to be far superior in most respects so sent the Beyers back. 
 
FINAL VERDICT
6/10 Not a bad headphone for sure, and these may be the headphone for some people. But in my opinion, there are better options in this price range from Grado and Sennheiser.
Luigi Milazzo
Luigi Milazzo
Momentum? Nope.

Nocturnaloner

New Head-Fier
Pros: Excellent for movies and music, and can be driven by portable players.
Cons: They're closed, so they have the typical limitations of closed designs.
I purchased the 770s primarily to be able to watch movies late at night without waking up my wife. The 32ohms happened to be significantly cheaper than the 80ohms when I was buying, so I got the 32s. It's no substitute for my speaker system, but it is definitely an acceptable compromise, with good bass and a "big" cinematic sound.  Also, since I watch just as many older movies as new, with lo-fi mono and stereo soundtracks, these headphones are forgiving enough for that material.  All around, a perfect choice for me.  The next time I get on a plane, these will go with me as well.  My Zune has just enough push to drive these to adequate levels, though a small amp would be ideal.  They're closed, they have a closed sound. and They isolate well, and they also get hot on the ears, and don't breathe much, as you would expect.

giantrobot503

New Head-Fier
Pros: Near perfect spectrum and stage, durable, comfortable, great for discrete night use.
Cons: Velour pads are a must, some may find the cord too short
If you're like me you buy headphones with the intent of putting them through the wringer. I wanted headphones that would enable me to listen to music, watch TV/movies and play video games as much as I pleased. I scoured forums, marketplaces and even blogs to find a pair of headphones that were truly balanced, comfortable, durable and discrete. The Beyerdrynamic DT770 Pro L.E. 32 Ohms were the headphones that came out victorious, and they definitely fulfilled their promise.
 
To start let's talk about audio quality. Lows are punchy and clean but never go overboard, mids are crisp and detailed while the highs really shine. The sound stage is quite impressive so your material really does come to life while wearing these. Another important note is that these cans DO NOT LEAK. You can really crank these up without letting anyone around you listen in.
 
Comfort and durability wise this set is solid in both regards. Designed to be used in a rigorous studio and field environment, there's nothing you can do at home to hurt these. But that aside I must say that the add-on velour pads are a must. The headphones themselves are over ear, meaning they don't touch your ear in any way, but pleather is just an awful choice on Beyerdynamic's part. With the velour pads you can wear these for hours on end. Which I end up doing from time to time.
 
The Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro Limited Edition 32 Ohm is a smart choice for anyone looking for "workhorse" headphones. Albeit a bit pricey, you do get what your pay for. They sound great, have solid construction and handle all forms of media well. Highly recommended. 
Gilly87
Gilly87
Love mine too! I've had about 5 other pairs of similarly and higher-priced full-sized cans, closed and open, come and go since getting these, and the LEs are here to stay for sure. Gaming or music, psytrance or classical, acoustic or electric...they do it all pretty well for my tastes and I am now looking for IEMs that can match them :) Got my eyes on the W30 currently...
The Third
The Third
I agree with your assessment of these cans having a near perfect(bright) spectrum. I prefer the pleather pads however, as the velour pads make these incredibly artificial and harsh sounding.

Matrixerx

New Head-Fier
Pros: Indescribable Durability, Amazing Sound Quality, Very well balance
Cons: None
So I have these phones for a little bit now and I can say that I absolutely LOVE them. They do require a little bit of burn in to get the full sound but out of the box the quality will blow you away. I've tried the other ohm versions and there is very little difference between them, except the 80 ohm tends to be a bit more bassy. But considering the balance and excellent bass on these its doubtful you'd really need much more. These phones can handle EVERY range of music and I know I was personally looking for phones to handle metal and rock (which hard to find now with all the headphones having bloated bass and nothing else) and i can confidently say these are the ones.
 
To describe a little:
  1. The build quality of these phones is apparent straight out of the box. I was stunned by how sturdy these headphones were.
  2. EXTREME comfort like no other. I've had these on my head for 5 hours now and I can say that I fell absolutely no discomfort. The ear cushions support very well and are extremely soft, yet firm.
  3. Unbeatable isolation. I take off the headphones, clamp them together, and cant hear a thing. Checked by listening to music next to people and they heard nothing.
  4. VERY balance. So balanced that when I put on my EQ and did flat and balanced there was literally no difference to the sound than when the EQ was off.
  5. SUPER portable. You won't need to carry around an amp like the other ohm versions!
  6. Can play a very large variety of music and do so extremely well. German engineering for the win.
 
If you are having any doubt about these phones or the ohm version, go with these. They are superior to sooo many other headphones and are extremely portable!

wynton5364

New Head-Fier
Pros: Bass, mids, highs, clarity, laid-back, nuanced
Cons: hot to wear, cheap plastic finish
 
DT770 Pro Limited Edition 32ohm
 
Look:
770/LE mostly resembles standard version, except for the words and printing on the ear cups. It's plastically ugly kind of black color, sadly.
 
Comfort and Isolation:
Due to its light weight, it does not add too much pressure on the top of the head. Ear pads are pleather but not of high quality material. Isolation is good and helps quiet listening quite a bit.
 
Sound Quality:
For the price it's a nice offer. Soundstage is big. I don't feel much congestion. It's not flat, like the standard version, actually gives a nice sense of space. Bass is punchy but not as tight as other headphones. Vocals are pretty inviting. Plugging in an amp even brings out vocals further. For me it's the highs that are most extraordinary. The highs extend well and naturally without being harsh. Highs simply sound smooth, yet satisfying. It's just very smooth and good sounding. It also has very nice detail retrival and nuance. Maybe it's the close-back nature that allows me to hear the details so effortlessly. I think it has a new kind of balance. Unlike its thinner and harsh cousin, standard 770 pro,I do find the bass, mids and highs all very satisfying. That's what makes 770/LE special. 
 
For its price, there's really not much to complain. If I want to listen to music and need some isolation, 770/LE becomes handy. Too bad it's limited. If you find one, do not hesitate to buy it.
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Sweden
Sweden
Fair and balanced and to the point. I like it.
How do you think the bass compares to the 770 Pro 80?
How do you think it does directly out of a portable player?
wynton5364
wynton5364
Thanks for reply.
I did compare standard 770 Pro but don't remember much of the details. Sorry about that. But I am sure that 770/LE has very satisfying bass. It has both good quantity and punch.
It does very good straight out from my Sony mobile phone.

Gilly87

Member of the Trade: ApeSonic
Pros: Bass depth and body, treble detail, soundstage, clarity
Cons: Recessed midrange, a little hollow, a little boomy
Really liking these so far. The LEs are not quite fully powered by my Nexus 4, but my Samsung Infuse with Voodoo Sound does them justice well below full volume. The soundstage is really impressive for a closed can, it seems almost as big as my friend's DT880s, albeit not quite as deep and natural; however the vocals are not as noticeably recessed as the 880/990 which seem to place vocals further from the listener as an artifact of having more depth.
 
Big, dynamic, but clear sound, no portion of the spectrum noticeably colors the rest. The midrange is mostly neutral but does have a little bit of that "Hifi sheen" that makes vocals sound just a tad bright, but not so much that it compromises its accuracy or hinders detail. The bass has a boomy quality to it, seems like around 100 hz, which looks consistent with DT770 graphs. It doesn't particularly bother me, and with a little EQ in the upper lows and lower mids (250-500hz range) it seems less out of place, but it can be a bit distracting just depending on the type of music: these phones sound great with classical, but the bass just seems a little out of place sometimes. The treble can be a touch splashy/muddy, and covers some of the midrange in espcially busy tracks (think more complex psytrance like Infected Mushroom, Shpongle, some orchestral music), but it definitely isn't piercing or sibilant, which surprises me considering its overall emphasized quantity. The soundstage is larger than any closed headphone I've heard, and actually in some cases will throw cues that seem more distant than my HD558, albeit not in as natural a fashion.
 
For $250 I am satisfied, especially considering they can be driven well without an amp. They sound nice and detailed, albeit a bit more treble-tilted and not quite fully powered judging by the slightly hollow quality to the bass, out of my ELE EL-D01 USB DAC with no amp, but sound very full and dynamic from the HiFiMeDIY Sabre DAC + E11 combo. The warmth from the E11 makes it sound a tad bloated in the bass at times, but nothing to complain about. My Samsung Infuse with Voodoo Sound drives them well for a portable, better than the ELE in terms of power, but not quite as well as the Sabre + E11 combo, as the Infuse retains just a little bit of the same bass hollowness as with the ELE, albeit to a lesser extent. The sound from the infuse has slightly more upper midrange presence than either the Sabre or ELE, making it better for vocals.
 
Overall I am very satisfied with the LEs: they are my go-to option when I want to be on the go and still have top-notch sound; I prefer the SM3 for relaxing or writing at my local coffee shop, just because of IEM isolation and the more relaxed signature (the DT770s beg you to listen actively; the SM3 is immersive but not overly analytical), but they are fragile and so I forgo them in favor of the LEs or my SE215 for actual on-the-go listening. They also do great for gaming: I use them for Star Wars: The Old Republic and they do everything I want. Positioning is good for hearing where enemies are firing on me from, and the sense of large but closed space that they create is really fitting for a lot of the caves, buildings, and other large indoor settings encountered in SWTOR.
 
I have recommended the LEs to a few friends who were not even interested in hifi before, just because I think they are a better all-rounder than the other DT770 80 ohm, and I see them as being a big enough leap in SQ over "normal" headphones that even a total newb would be impressed, despite the tonality and presentation being so different from what most people are used to. I don't think they are for everyone, but if you like an accurate, neutral tonality with a V-shaped response, these make a great closed can with no serious faults that I have found. The bass is not quite as tight and controlled as I would like IDEALLY (the DT880 does a better job in this regard), but it's hard for me to consider that a serious fault as most people prefer a bit of extra bass, and aren't used to super-tight, detailed hifi bass anyways. All in all, it's an easy phone to recommend: between the overall solid SQ, enhanced bass, crisp and detailed treble, shorter-but-not-too-short (5') cable, good isolation, easy-to-drive 32 ohm impedance without sacrificing the ability to scale with an amp, sturdy design, and user-friendliness coupled with a hifi sound that remains accessible, it beats out everything else I've seen for a do-it-all headphone, and should be a popular recommendation for budding audiophiles and everyday listeners alike.
 
 
 
Updated 3/7/2013
Sweden
Sweden
How is the treble in regards to harshness compared to 770 Pro and 880?
Would you say it has a warmer tonality than any of those two?
Gilly87
Gilly87
I haven't heard the Pro properly driven, only out of a cell phone, which was unimpressive and distant-sounding. I can say for sure that the 32 ohm LE runs all over them for portable use.
I would say overall the treble, especially lower treble, is less exaggerated than the 880, and although the whole sound is not as crisp, resolving, and detailed overall, the midrange is less recessed and the vocals and mid-centric instruments are less drastically distanced from you as the listener. The soundstage is a little smaller, obviously, but does not disappoint in any way, especially for a closed can, and doesn't feel artificially separated/too spaced-out as the 880 sometimes could, IME. Personally I prefer the LEs to the 880s, I would love it if they had the same level of overall crispness and detail, but the difference is not night and day, and I prefer them regardless.
Gilly87
Gilly87
And yes, it is definitely warmer than the 880. It is not warm overall, definitely still a v-shaped curve, and not as warm as, say, the ATH M50 or UE TF10 but its enough to avoid sounding cold like the DT880 can.

Daymun

New Head-Fier
Pros: Very Easy to Drive, Bass, Bass ..... Bass
Cons: Stock Earpads are Pleather. Short Cord.
 
Hi,
 
I'll be updating this guide periodically, I just wanted to get something out there quickly as I know various people are considering this set of headphones but there isn't much information out there about them. I'll be referring to these headphones as the 'LE's' throughout this review for the sake of my fingers.
 
Minor Disclaimer, I am not very experienced with Head-Fi gear, this being only my second owned pair of decent cans. I have, however, demoed quite a lot of sets while considering whether to purchase this pair. I also bought these in the UK so I paid £136.00 for the headphones, plus £20 for extra pads.
 
Okay.
 
Build.
 
So these headphones are being (semi) marketed towards people wishing to have the Beyer DT770 Pro sound without the hassle of an amp, so to better facilitate mobile device connections they come with a shorter 1.8 metre straight cable. I found this cable to be slightly too long if being used with a device in your pocket, and also slightly too short if being used with a PC, TV, home AV setup etc. Perhaps the first thing you'll want to do is to buy an extension cable if you intend to use these with anything other than your mobile. That will obviously add extra cost, something you'll have to factor in to thier price.
 
The headband seems to be the same exact removable material used on the 80 Ohm version, which is nice as it's SUPER comfy and the band it attaches to has a nice amount of flexibility so I rarely feel anything on the top of my head. The buttons along the top also look pretty cool too.
 
The earcups are also the same as the 80 Ohm version, but the earpads are the big difference.
They are made out of Pleather that feels very similar to the material the headband is made out of, not quite as soft, but it seems to have the same "slightly moist" property of that band. This makes them very comfortable, and also gives them a nice isolation when attached to your head. I did find I noticed a slight warmness after using them for half an hour with these pads on, but the heat didn't really increase over the next 4hrs odd that I tested them for.
 
I replaced the stock pads with the Velour pads that come with the other cans within this Beyer range immediately after testing the Pleather pads and found an immediate increase in comfort and they seemed to allow my ears to breathe a touch more. This reduced the isolation properties ever so slightly and also very slightly reduced the bass boom, which I personally found to be an imporovement. Seriously, this took the comfortability factor up to 11 - SUPER DUPER COMFORTABLE!
 
 
Sound.
 
Now the DT770 range are generally regarded as "Bassy" headphones, the 80 Ohm version being the goto cans for Bassheads in this price range, the 200 and 600 Ohm versions being noticeably less so. I've only personally listened to the 80 Ohm version version for a very short period while demoing them and found the LE's to be on a par with them. One of the things I was worried about is that they may have been made to sound more like the other phones in this range, but to my ears they sounded very close to the 80 Ohm version.
 
At first I had no idea what people were talking about when they said "recessed mids" or "scratchy highs" but after listening to these headphones directly after a pair of Sennheiser HD598's I noticed a definite recession in the midrange and the treble was ever-so-slightly irritating. The Senn's were, however, warmed up and broken in over many many hours and the LE's were new out of the box. I'm happy to say that after only an hour or so they sounded much better, no irritation at the top end and nice clear mids ... for my ears. Lots of people talk about the DT range taking an extremely long time to "burn-in", while others class the whole idea of burn-in ridiculous. Without wanting to get into that debate I'll just say that after 10 or so hours of listening these cans improved no end, most of that improvement being within the first hour, as I assume they just shook their brand new cobwebs off. Since then i've not noticed any real change, other than my own hearing getting used to them and learning to really enjoy the Beyer sound signature, they sound very different to the Sennheisers I've used in the past.
 
I found the bass sounded a bit crazy at first. While looking for information on these headphones I'd read a review on the 80 Ohm version saying that the reviewer at first couldn't find bass in the place's he expected to in a track he'd used to demo them, but that the then bass hit him unexpectedly, and he realised that before he was just hearing low midrange beefed up by poor headphones and confusing that for real bass. I found something similar, the bass was pretty much where I expected it to be, just tighter and more controlled, but as a bonus it was also in lots of places I WASN'T expecting it to be, like an underlying menacing heartbeat of bass, not overpowering, but threatening, like it could overpower you at any time, if only it wanted to. I Love it! I mean really love it.
As another comparison on the bass, I took them into HMV with a friend who had never listened to decent headphones. I made him listen to some dance, dub-step, electronica, and Adele with a little Lana Del Ray thrown in, on all the heaphones they have to test there. When comparing the various Beats cans with Skullcandy phones he much preferred the Beats, I then made him listen to a pair of HD515's and HD555 which he said blew the Beats out of the water, targeted them with a laser, and blew them to smithereens with a rocket propelled grenade. I then let him listen to the LE's. He wouldn't give them back until we left the shop.
He particularly liked the fact that they still sounded spacious even though they were closed back, and while not having (not his words) a soundstage as open as the 555's they still sounded really open (his words), like certain parts of tracks were being played across the other side of the room, with the added benefit of not being able to hear other people around you.
 
Driveablilty. (is that a word?)
 
Now these are being recommended for portable use, so your mobile and/or ipod needs to be able to run them unamped. They do so comfortably, although I can easily, and mostly do, crank the volume up to full when listening to them. I like my music quite loud, but not over the top, so I could do with a little extra headroom at the volume top end, so i'll be buying an amp eventually. I haven't yet used them with an amp so I can't comment on any improved sound though various people on these forums, all of them more experienced and vastly more knowledgeable than myself, have said that the DT770 range as a whole benefits a fair amount being driven by an amp. I'll shortly be purchasing a Fiio E17 so i'll update this review with impressions of how the LE's sound with it and without it.
 
Driving them from my onboard PC sound had much less punch. Turned up to maximum volume I still wanted more, I'm not interested in using EQ fixes for that on the PC or anything that my colour the EQ, so even though they are only 32 Ohms people looking to drive them exclusively from PC's or laptops with rubbish sound cards may want to consider getting an amp too, and in that case may well consider getting the 80 Ohm version which will still require an amp but are slightly cheaper than the LE's and come with the Velour pads in the box saving you an extra £20 or so on top.
 
Verdict.
 
So far I am extremely happy with these headphones. I can truely say I love them. 
 
For what I wanted them for, being able to listen to quality music without bothering the missus or have her bother me, and being comfortable without making my ears sweat or giving me the claustrophobic feeling some closed-back headphones can do, I find them to be excellent. Like I said, I love them.
 
I can't directly compare them to more expensive headphones, but for other headphones in this price range, particularly the open-backed variety, for me they don't lose much at all and gain a hell of a lot. Buy them, then buy some more expensive open-backed ones later like I intend to :)
 
Thanks for reading, feel free to point out anything that requires attention, but please bear in mind i'm very new to this scene so no out-and-out flaming pretty please :p
 
If you have any questions at all please just reply to this thread, I'm more than happy to try to help. Happy Choosing!  ..... and thanks for reading again!
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Acquiesce
Acquiesce
Yea these are the 88th "anniversary edition"
runswithaliens
runswithaliens
Thanks Daymun for taking the time to write such a detailed review! I am considering these for work, but fear the dreaded fatiguing highs many people describe the Beyers in this price range suffering from (At home I use the Sennheiser HD650s to avoid this very thing). Although your review and the one at Headphonia seem to indicate that it isn't an issue with these Limited Editions.
ScreenX
ScreenX
I personally think (side by side comparison) that the sound is almost identical to the DT770 250 ohm, but the 250ohm has better quality bass and the LE has more quantity but not quality bass. On the plus side, to my ears the 32 ohm has slightly better mids than the 250 ohm. My 250ohm has over 100 hrs listening time. and the 32ohm version has over 40 hrs.
I didn't notice any improvement in the sound after the 1st hour of burn in like Daymun did. It took about 24 - 30 hrs to notice any improvements (smoother treble and slightly controlled but boomy bass. I wish it had the coiled cord/cable like the 250 ohm though. Has a much better quality feel with the coiled cable. Build quality is nothing to rave about in my opinion but not bad :) Dispite being designed for the portable market, I found that amplification did improve the quality of bass (but still not as good as the 250 ohm) and smoothened the treble further (Lehmann Rhinelander + WooAudio WA22. Noticed a sound stage improvement with the WA22, but not the Rhinelander, but I guess that's more the capability of the amp rather than purely the Headphones :)
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