Beyerdynamic DTX 501 p

Warm but dark and a bit veiled sound. On the quiet side (a bit quieter than AKG 430). 2K and 4K frequencies are a bit sacrificed so voices are a bit muted and shady. Mine suggestion is to boost the 1K band with +1 dB, 2K with +2 dB, 4K with +2 dB and the 8K band with +1 dB. Can be driven loud (given a proper amplification) since it has a very low distortion.
 
I needed to amplify mine collection to 100 dB with MP3Gain to have a decent sound pressure with the current smartphone. I think they lose roughly 3 dB to the AKG 430.
 
At start I was very disappointed but comparing them with an old pair of AKG 430 I didn't find them worse, just different. The AKG are brighter and more detailed, The Beyerdynamic are warmer and more musical, but a bit veiled, especially on voices. Same league just the latter cost a lot more; and it is expected since, apart from the sound, they are built clearly better.
 
This type of headphones are just crappy, or maybe are just badly driven by these tiny smartphones. These 501 P are vastly inferior to Goldring DR100 (both attached to an integrated amplifier) but I suppose it's logical since the Goldring are open-back circumaural. Spec wise they are similar (40 mm drivers, 32 ohms, 105 dB SPL) but Goldring are nearly undriveable by the smartphone.
 
UPDATE: I just plugged them on the integrated amplifier and they sound a tad better, they mantain the warm signature but sound a bit clearer and fuller. The soundstage grow too. Consider a supplemental amplification on the go.

This is my first review on head-fi and this is only my second week on having this pair, but I'll try to cover as much as I can. I am a newbie on this stuff (not planning to be audiophile) and also I hail from being a fan of Audio-Technica (I have ATH-SJ55 and love it), so you know my position. I would also like to compare it with the DT 1350 I've recently tried. Still, I am far from being an expert and this review may contain many mistakes I would like to correct when I got my hands on more high-end pieces. CMIIW.
 
I will start with an overview and the moment I got my hands on these. Opening the box, the set only comes with the pair in a semi-hard case as I expected. Since the first time I bought the WHITE DTX 501 p, I've been sharing the use with my girlfriend. We use it on a daily basis, though. She is a typical person who loves emphasis on bass, and could use more upper-mid to highs found in a violin. She said that she loves these the most, but admitted my SJ55 is better in terms of detail. I use them for everyday use in home and for commuting as well, and as far as I care about, these sounds nice directly out from my phone. I will come up with details. And also, deciding whether this or SJ55 is more worth the price on the whole run would be comparing apple to orange.
 
These phones look cheap, not to mention its rather fragile build. The design is also funny. It is neither round nor square and I can see myself accidentally stepping on it and break it. The cable looks fine enough. The looks just can't hold it if it were not for the nice looking silver metal-plated housing. Another plus is that it looks clean, at least for me. It is comfortable, but not for a long time. If you can adjust the length of the headband right, you won't feel it hanging on your head. My main concern is actually the at the housing. The earpads are comfortable, but at a long session of hearing (mine is after 1 to 1.5 hour more or less) you can feel the housing, the headband, and the earpads teaming up to clamp on your ears' bones. I feel it especially on my left ear with a fewer hurt on right ear. Not crushing your head and I wouldn't call it painful either, but it can be annoying and sometimes put a hurt you can feel on your ears. I can't comment on this more though, as I am more comfortable with beyer's earpads rather than Audio-Technica's (M50's terrible for my head without any mods)
 
I would describe the sound as a rather dark, fun for music sounding. That being said, I can also say this is an all-rounder, unlike its far more expensive step-brother DT 1350. It surely has more bass body, but with less control and less impact. It doesn't leak to lower mid as I heard with my SJ55 by a very tiny measure. With Noisia's Red Heat, the chorus (I prefer calling it the 'bass drop' moment) sounds fun and forgiving enough for me to enjoy. Because I mainly listen to Dubstep, Rock, Metal, Classical, and Cabaret, I find that I'm really content with this intensity. Guitar bass sounds a little bit hollowed/stacked out by the mass of the rumbling bass, and that is my only concern with the lower regions. For me, it sounds a bit laid back. But at this price I couldn't comment much and the fun musicality factor of this headphones let me take that aside.
 
The mids sound nice enough, and it virtually is what led me to think it has a decent, larger soundstage. It isn't as forward and aggressive as my SJ55 and it is sort of on par with DT 1350. The mids are more pronounced and fuller on DT 1350, which I think is coming from the tighter bass. Kalafina's vocalists sound really good with their various range of vocals.
 
The highs is where it loses. It is a bit rolled off and violins didn't sound as full as I would hear on the Audio-Technicas I've tried. It still has a good detail and also smooth though I'm not sure if I like how the cymbals and hi-hats are presented. And it is after all a dark one. For me, it is a mediocre one compared to the DT 1350 which has the best presentation even with the Audio-Technicas, which are a line of brighter ones.
 
Soundstage feels decent for a closed portable in this price range. Yes it is small, but I can hear the separation quite well although not as sharp as I would hoped for. Its more background-ish presentation also gives it a feel of larger stage compared to my SJ55 though still losing against the DT 1350 by a small margin. I've also tried using these for gaming, mainly FPS. I can say this gets a 5.5 out of 10 points on a stereo setting. The sound is clear and have a nice detail, though. But I have to say this can go neither for competitive nor fun gaming. I prefer my past Razer Electra in gaming as it gave me a far larger stage, more precision and better immersion, although SQ (in other terms than those) is definitely worse.
 
After all, I was kinda surprised as these can be a good pair for comparison, and also worth nice for its price. This cans give a moderate amount of isolation, and I could have more. But that won't be a bad thing because this pair is nice enough for everything I do. By far, this is the best all-around headphones I've tried. It isn't as good as beyer DT 1350, but at almost one fourth the price, I think it is a good one.
 
Used: beyerdynamic (DTX 501 p & DT 1350) and Audio-Technica (ATH-SJ55, ATH-M50, & ATH-WS55x)
Past: Razer Electra
Player: Oppo Find Way & foobar2000
No external amp and/or DAC involved
 
Music used
Lindsey Stirling - Phantom of the Opera Medley (MP3 CBR-320kbps)
Kalafina - Lacrimosa (FLAC)
Noisia - Red Heat (MP3 CBR-320kbps)
DELUHI - Remember the Rain (FLAC)
all in 16/44.1000Hz

Buy This , No Regert !

Let's face it, you don't always want to take your best headphone equipment with you when you're out on the street.  Sometimes you need a cheapish pair where it won't be a disaster if they're lost, stolen or damaged.  I'm thinking particularly if you're going out to bars and clubs.  I've lost many a pair of headphones this way (yes I'm learning my lesson...slowly).
 
If you're in the market for cheap supra-aural headphones you'd be hard pressed to look past Beyer's 501 p.  The build quality is great and they're comfortable for extended listening (and I have sensitive ears when it comes to clamping force).
 
And to top it off Beyer offers a two year warranty on all their products (in accordance with EU law).  I'm consistently shocked and amazed when headphones costing many times the price of these offer only a 1 year warranty (such as all of Grado's products).
 
I'm looking forward to the new Beyerdynamic Custom Street headphones that I think will even edge out these for price performance and value.

Having suffered using various IEMs, I finally decided to try these light, portable headphones as an alternative and I'm so happy I did!
 
These phones are incredibly light with little clamping pressure, which makes them very comfortable for extended listening sessions. 
 
The sound quality is surprisingly good given how cheap and flimsy they look. Well done, Beyerdynamic, the bass extension is solid and there's a decent mid range with somewhat rolled off treble. For $80 you really couldn't complain about these phones. Perfect for travel and listening on the go, which is exactly what I use them for every day! 
 
They come with a convenient case to protect them from damage during transport. Easily fits in a back back or brief case. 

Headphone inventory:
Current: Sennheiser HD580, Alessandro MS1
Past: Sennheiser px200, Koss KSC75
 
I've recently moved cities/job, and have started walking 30minutes to commute through a busy city centre.
I used to have the Sennheiser px200 for a similar purpose when I rode the subway, and I remember it doing a nice job.
I wasn't too keen to stick IEMs into my ears, so I looked for a portable, closed headphone.
 
Although the px200 had a beautiful, mellow mid range that was amazing with saxophones, it was hampered by a recessed bass which was frustrating to listen to at times, hence I chose not to go for the new edition px200ii.
 
I considered 2 options in the similar form available at my local headphone shop - the Ath W55 and the Dtx 501p.
I decided to go for the Dtx 501p as it had the advantage of folding up smaller than the audio technica. It also came with a case (and airplane adapter!)
I have had the headphones for almost 3 weeks now, and use it 5x/week at least.
 
Build quality - It has held up well so far- it's definitely not as sturdy as the px200 was, but is built pretty well nonetheless.
 
Portablity - excellent - folds up a little larger than a CD case.
 
Comfort - compared to the px200, which I could only wear for an hour or so before my earlobes started aching, the DTX 501p is very, very comfortable. The soft, larger supraaural pads are very cushy and nice, though can get a little warm when you walk as briskly as I do!
 
Isolation - very good for a supraaural headphone which is comfortable as these. Deep rumbling noises you can hear, but I would say that ambient noise on average is attenuated by approximately 50%. Very happy with this aspect.
 
Sound - These headphones have quiet a dark signature. The highlight has to be the bass - deep, well defined and crisp. This is no Dr. Dre Beats- you won't get earth shaking bass, rather, you get a crisp, solid bass note that is neither anaemic nor overbearing. The mids are a little grainy compared to the electric MSI and you don't quiet get the roundness that the HD580 or MS1 provide. There is definitely a roll off at the very highest highs - this all contributes a rather dark, non fatiguing sound. The soundstage, as typical for a closed headphone, is very narrow, but there is good instrumental separation.
 
I listen to an eclectic range of genres. I find these phones shine the best with RnB, and probably struggle the most with classical.
 
Overall, I'm very happy with these headphones- yes there are slight sacrifices in sound qualities compared to open, larger siblings, but for such portable, isolating and practical phones, I would be very surprised if you weren't happy with these especially for the price they go for.
 
Cheers for reading- I will add updates as time allows.

Hello Head-Fiers,

Before I get into my review of the Beyerdyamic DTX 501 p I’ll tell you a bit about myself and where I’m coming from.  I’m a newbie to this site and I’m far from calling myself an expert in these matters but I have listened to a lot of headphones and speakers recently and I know what I like.  I’ve  a been a music-lover all my life and in recent years, a budget computer audiophile.

Why The DTX 501 P?

I’ve mostly owned IEM for my everyday commute around the cyit (shure, denon, klipsch).  Over years IEM’s got beat up and full ear wax over time and I was tired of replacing them.  I thought I’d give headphones a try but I did not want to sport bulky and gaudy DJ or studio sized headphones.  I initially looked at sennheiser, klipsch brands but narrowed it down to 3 other ones.  Audio Technica ESW9, AKG K451 and the Beyerdynamic DTX 501 P.  The reviews were overwhelmingly good for the ESW9’s but I was a little crunched for cash so I had to eliminate these even though these were VERY comfortable they fit over my ears and they were stylish.  The AKG K451 got great reviews, albeit limited, but I heard speculation that it was just the same as the Quincy Q460 repackaged, they were around $150 and there were some reviews saying that they would be tight on those with cartoon sized heads (me).  The Beyerdynamic DTX 501 P I found randomly off their website after seeing the name mentioned here and there on this site and seeing a very positive review from dalethorn2 on youtube and his sole review on amazon. He has a lot of headphone reviews on youtube so I thought I’d take a chance.

Now to the review:

Build:

When I first opened it I thought I got the wrong one at first since the headband seemed smaller than I expected.  The headband feels thin and I don’t think I’ll be just throwing this in my gym bag unless it’s in it’s case that was included.  Very nice semi hard case.  Will prevent dings but probably won’t prevent it breaking  if someone stepped directly on it.  This I will not test.

After initial slightly negative impression on it’s build, I think I came around. For folding up so compact the headband is fairly sturdy when it’s sitting on your head.  The ear cushions are very soft and the cable is thicker than most headphones.

Comfort:

Very comfortable.  Even though it is so lightweight it stays on my head even when I was wearing it outside when a gust of wind blew on my face.  I have to note that I have a freakishly large head so that might’ve helped keep it on!  I wear these headphones at the largest notch and it’s a perfect fit.  Although after long listening, my ears began to feel a bit uncomfortable.  Although if you have a near normal sized head it may not affect you.

Sound Isolation
 
Made my buddy see if he could hear anything sitting next to me and he said no so noise leakage is very good.  Noise from the outside coming in, however, is moderate to small.  I can hear people talking when there is nothing playing, but it is muffled.  When I'm playing music at a normal levels I don't even notice the outside noise unless it is very loud like a train going by.  Overall, it is not a factor to me.
 
Style:

Not much to say here since I don’t put too much weight on style as long as it’s not flashy.  These headphones look very plain compared to all the other headphones out there these days.  In fact, a buddy made a funny comment to me today; “nice cheapo headphones!”.  He didn’t recognize the brand and since they aren’t flashy, assumed I picked them up in the bargain bin at k-mart.  This actually is a plus for me since I have a small fear that I will get mugged if I were sportin’ Dr. Dre’s Beats headphones.  Who’s going to want to mug me for a bargain bin pair of cans?

SOUND:

I don’t have a whole lot of experience with headphones other than DJ headphones.  My wife owns a pair of Philips Citiscape Downtown so I’ll use these as reference and the review from innerfidelity.com’s Tyll Hertsens review as my base  (http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/philips-citiscape-downtown-page-2).  They are both priced at $100 dollars.

Equipment:
Media Monkey Software
Asus Laptop
Belkin USB Cable
Music Fidelity V-DAC II
Cheap RCA to 3.5mm jack
3.5mm female-female coupler

Song Choices:
James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream (FLAC 16/44)
The Avett Brothers - January Wedding (FLAC 16/44)
Adele - Crazy For You (FLAC 16/44)
Alan Jackson - Livin’ on Love (FLAC 16/44)
Crystal Method - Bad Stone  (FLAC 16/44)
Eric Prydz - Everyday (mp3 320kbs)
Esperanza Spaulding - Knowledge of Good and Evil  (FLAC 16/44)
Kanye West - All Of The Lights  (FLAC 16/44)
Minus the Bear - Secret Country  (FLAC 16/44)
Notorious B.I.G. - Big Poppa (FLAC 16/44)
Radiohead - Paranoid Android  (FLAC 16/44)
David Brubeck - Take Five  (FLAC 16/44)

These 2 are fairly similar in the highs .Vocals are very clear and crisp although i’d give the dtx 501 p’s a slight edge.  I can understand the  “polite” highs that Tyll was referring to in his review.  Tyll’s right about the mids on the citiscape.  Something is lacking there compared with the dtx.  The mids on the citiscape are muffled compared to the DTX.  The low end was the most clear difference between the 2.  Tyll gives the citiscape the best remarks for it’s lows, describing it as “very good impact and extension without bloom, murk or mud.”.  Perhaps I haven’t heard enough headphones at this price range but the dtx 501 p destroys the citiscape in this department.  Given how small the cans are (smaller than the citiscape) you can feel the bass punch!  One reservation I had before purchasing this was it’s bass since I read the specs on it to be 20-20,000 khz as compared to the citiscape at 18-22,000khz.  Now I know that these specs don’t mean much.  Although the bass on the dtx were punchy clean and tight, it got distorted once the volume got cranked up on faster beat heavy tracks (Kanye West - All Of The Lights, Eric Prydz - Everyday) The citiscape suffered from the same affliction. Although if you were listening to it that loud you probably will damage your hearing after extended listens.  When I was listening to the dtx 501 p’s on my cowon J3 player, I just adjusted the equalizer settings and the bass sounded fine.  A couple things that the citiscape beats the dtx 501 p’s on is comfort and style.  They both feel great but the citiscapes feel like pillows on your ears.  The style is very sleek and eye catching, if you’re into that sorta thing.  

Conclusion

I’m very impressed with these little headphones!  If Innerfidelity.com inducts the citiscapes to their “Wall of Fame” for on-ear headphones, than these DTX 501 P must be the best damn on ear headphones ever made for its price range!  Don’t get me wrong, the Citiscape are pretty good headphones, but I will never use them now that I own the DTX 501 p’s. If you're bass lover and only listen to hip-hop or electronic dance music you may want to look for DJ headphones or over ear headphones. Otherwise these headphones will work great if you listen at normal volumes or tweak your eq settings.

Pros
 
Sturdy Case Included
Excellent Tight-Punchy Bass
mids
Vocals
Highs
Balanced
No sound leakage

Cons

Distorted bass at high volumes
Slightly fragile feeling at first impression
Plain styling
Moderate Outside Noise Isolation

This is my first review after lurking around many years on headfi. I decided to write this mainly because I am somehow surprised these go a bit underappreciated on head-fi. But I also understand that because I did not appreciate them enough when i got them.
 
i got them for a few months but didn't really pay attention...with my full intention to get something as travel backup. But while i was helping a friend find the sound he like i gave it a full run for the first time, with amps, and different music, etc. I have to say i am kinda surprise for a close can of this size, it sounds bigger than i thought it would. 
 
First thing first: these sounds great.
 
These IMO are slightly on the warm side. Not really your super charged energetic sound, but not too laid back either. It's lively without running all over the place like some of the cans in this league tend to, and it is quite a all-arounder, (ok if you are a jazz fan you might find the mids are bit too flat, or slightly recessed, but i am hardly expert about jazz). I can appreciate this sound, but I can see some might find it too "dense" or "heavy" and lacks some fun and energy.
 
Imaging and soundstage is decent for its class, i would well above average but not really the best you can find. Bass is well controlled with a punch, albeit not very fast. For most music is ok, but I can see for some type of music it simply does not have enough attack power. highs are smooth, it brings just the right amount of shine for me, a bit of roll off at the top if you listen hard enough, which I actually like because it removes the fatiguing without altering the sound too much. Mids are pretty smooth on neutral, with the bass and treble it might appear a bit recessed and in the back. Overall, big, musical sound in a small can. I am not entirely sure it is a typical Beyerdynamic sound signautre. In a way the general presentation sounds has that feeling, it leans more on the musical side instead of accurate. For someone are moving from the "fun" sound to the "hi-fi" sound, this may be the right middle ground for the transition.
 
Design has some issues:
 
Other aspects i generally do not care all that much, since i only occasionally use on-ear phones. But I do have one complain, is comfort. Don't get me wrong, they are NOT uncomfortable, but for long sessions you definitely will find small small irks will distract you from the great sound, which IMO is a shame. Despite its light weight. the clamping force on the ears is there, Managable, but present, especially when you wear glasses. (again the same thing i would say about all on-ears I've tried so far, my big head to blame lol). The real problem for me it's the padding on headband. they are too simply thin and squishy comparing to competitors, e.g. Sennheisser's PX series. a slight push by the finger get you touch the plastic band already. To make things worse they somehow the padding is even all around, so unless you are the extremely lucky guy who has exactly the same curve as the headband does, all pressure goes to the top of the head, after awhile it definitely becomes noticeable. Obviously not sufficient consideration was given in the design.
 
Summing up
 
In general i like these cans a lot, the sound i really really dig, for the price i would say it's top of its class. Throw in the solid case and foldable design, and heck even the metal plate you get there, it's quite a package. I hope one day they come with a better ergonomics design to make it more comfortable, That would make a perfect carry everywhere on-ear.

I got the Beyerdynamic DTX 501p white at a really great sale and for the price it sounds way better than some other Headphones that are priced higher than it should. The DTX 501p has a good bass and decent range of tones. I can hear the guitar riffs when listening to Indie band Arcade Fire clearly and I can enjoy the solid bass when listening to eDM Groove Aramada. Only little issue I have is when listening to vocals rich music like Adele or Florence and the Machine, the vocals would tend to be a little muted and almost drowned out by the instruments. 
But i like it and it is comfortable. A solid portable mobile headphones for the price tag for sure. Good for travels, commuting to and from work and good enough to be honest to be listening on Spotify.