The beyerdynamic DT 1350 has been quite the surprising headphone for me. As a reference point, most of my listening is with the VModa M100 (XL pads), followed by Grado SR60i, and Sennheiser HD558 mainly for movies. As a college student, I highly value portability and comfort, so I will be offering some direct comparisons to the V Moda M100. I enjoy a relatively neutral sound signature with a slightly elevated bass, but most importantly, a natural sound is important to me.
Build Quality and Accessories
The DT1350 appear to be very well built with a nearly all metal construction. No apparent shakes, rattles or creaks are present. The hinged headband is smooth and adjusting after a while is necessary to increase long-term wearability. The ear cup rotating mechanisms seem solid. Beyerdynamic offers a very nice carrying case with extra carrying space for adapters, splitters, and even my Fiio x3 (Gen1).
When comparing the V Moda M100--a headphone renowned for its build quality and transportability, I give high marks to the DT1350. The DT 1350's ear cups rotate flat for storage in its case. While it doesn't store in as small of a case as the M100, the DT1350's thin, flat case is more suitable for stowing in a backpack along with books and tablets.
Comfort
My present standard for comfort is the Sennheiser HD558 which disappear on your head. The DT 1350 do not present this level of comfort. Their strong clamping force keeps them snug on your head, but they never truly disappear. I have no issues with the pads; however, the narrow gap between the adjustment mechanism and your ears makes it hard to adjust eyeglasses while wearing the DT 1350. Also, as noted in other reviews, this adjustment mechanism can be quite the hair-puller. The split headband provides moderate comfort, but the rear band develops a hot spot on my head long before the front one. Generally, I can get a comfortable 1.5-2.5 hours of wear out of the DT1350.
Sound
My first impression of the DT1350's sound was "wow, the BASS." As a headphone geared toward the professional community, I was not expecting the DT1350's bass. The DT1350's bass digs extremely deep, and is precisely controlled. I consider the V Moda M100 a reference for its bass quality and control. To my ears, the DT1350 trumps it. The DT1350 will rumble on certain tracks, even with my flat EQ. Kick drums kick and bass guitar notes thrum just as they should. To really put the DT1350's bass through the ringer, I played Nigel Stanford's Cymantics. The bass synth drop part way through blew me away, it's bottomless.
My next reaction to the DT1350 was its incredible detail. I could hear Lady Gaga's mouth open as she began to sing with Tony Bennett. As their duet continued, the strength of the DT1350's mids became clear. Vocalists come alive with detail and richness. Female vocalists such as Florence Welch and Adele sound powerful and full-bodied. Guitar work by the likes of Pink Floyd, Boston, and August Burns Red are crunchy and gritty when called for, but also soar into the treble also. Attack and decay on cymbals is quite good, but can be slightly abrasive and harsh at times.
The soundstage and imaging of the DT1350 is impressive for its compact size. Bands sound like they are playing in a moderate sized space, but larger orchestral numbers do tend to sound cramped or unnatural.
The monitoring quality of these headphones is excellent, and at times can be even too revealing for some consumer uses. Particular songs in my collection are revealed to be poorly recorded or mastered under the DT1350's lens. I judge this aspect to be a big positive, even if it means I cannot enjoy some songs. The DT1350 scales well with recording and mastering quality, as well as file bitrate. All listening for this review was done using my Fiio x3 Gen 1 and Motorola Droid Turbo. I suspect that the DT1350 will scale quite well with higher end equipment.
Other
-The DT 1350's cable does have quite a bit of cable noise present when moving around a lot.
-Ear cup adjustment mechanisms must be fully retracted to fit in the case
-The full-sized 3.5mm plug with 6.3mm screw-on adapter are rather large for mobile use.
Tracks used
Florence + the Machine- "Ship to Wreck"
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett- "They All Laughed"
Pink Floyd- "High Hopes"
Boston- "Hitch a Ride"
London Grammar- "Metal & Dust"
August Burns Red- "Everlasting Ending"
Nigel Stanford- "Cymantics"
Build Quality and Accessories
The DT1350 appear to be very well built with a nearly all metal construction. No apparent shakes, rattles or creaks are present. The hinged headband is smooth and adjusting after a while is necessary to increase long-term wearability. The ear cup rotating mechanisms seem solid. Beyerdynamic offers a very nice carrying case with extra carrying space for adapters, splitters, and even my Fiio x3 (Gen1).
When comparing the V Moda M100--a headphone renowned for its build quality and transportability, I give high marks to the DT1350. The DT 1350's ear cups rotate flat for storage in its case. While it doesn't store in as small of a case as the M100, the DT1350's thin, flat case is more suitable for stowing in a backpack along with books and tablets.
Comfort
My present standard for comfort is the Sennheiser HD558 which disappear on your head. The DT 1350 do not present this level of comfort. Their strong clamping force keeps them snug on your head, but they never truly disappear. I have no issues with the pads; however, the narrow gap between the adjustment mechanism and your ears makes it hard to adjust eyeglasses while wearing the DT 1350. Also, as noted in other reviews, this adjustment mechanism can be quite the hair-puller. The split headband provides moderate comfort, but the rear band develops a hot spot on my head long before the front one. Generally, I can get a comfortable 1.5-2.5 hours of wear out of the DT1350.
Sound
My first impression of the DT1350's sound was "wow, the BASS." As a headphone geared toward the professional community, I was not expecting the DT1350's bass. The DT1350's bass digs extremely deep, and is precisely controlled. I consider the V Moda M100 a reference for its bass quality and control. To my ears, the DT1350 trumps it. The DT1350 will rumble on certain tracks, even with my flat EQ. Kick drums kick and bass guitar notes thrum just as they should. To really put the DT1350's bass through the ringer, I played Nigel Stanford's Cymantics. The bass synth drop part way through blew me away, it's bottomless.
My next reaction to the DT1350 was its incredible detail. I could hear Lady Gaga's mouth open as she began to sing with Tony Bennett. As their duet continued, the strength of the DT1350's mids became clear. Vocalists come alive with detail and richness. Female vocalists such as Florence Welch and Adele sound powerful and full-bodied. Guitar work by the likes of Pink Floyd, Boston, and August Burns Red are crunchy and gritty when called for, but also soar into the treble also. Attack and decay on cymbals is quite good, but can be slightly abrasive and harsh at times.
The soundstage and imaging of the DT1350 is impressive for its compact size. Bands sound like they are playing in a moderate sized space, but larger orchestral numbers do tend to sound cramped or unnatural.
The monitoring quality of these headphones is excellent, and at times can be even too revealing for some consumer uses. Particular songs in my collection are revealed to be poorly recorded or mastered under the DT1350's lens. I judge this aspect to be a big positive, even if it means I cannot enjoy some songs. The DT1350 scales well with recording and mastering quality, as well as file bitrate. All listening for this review was done using my Fiio x3 Gen 1 and Motorola Droid Turbo. I suspect that the DT1350 will scale quite well with higher end equipment.
Other
-The DT 1350's cable does have quite a bit of cable noise present when moving around a lot.
-Ear cup adjustment mechanisms must be fully retracted to fit in the case
-The full-sized 3.5mm plug with 6.3mm screw-on adapter are rather large for mobile use.
Tracks used
Florence + the Machine- "Ship to Wreck"
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett- "They All Laughed"
Pink Floyd- "High Hopes"
Boston- "Hitch a Ride"
London Grammar- "Metal & Dust"
August Burns Red- "Everlasting Ending"
Nigel Stanford- "Cymantics"
