Quick Disclaimer - I don't make reviews of stuff so fast , since I accidentally got the 102s instead of DT100s Stereo , I have 3 days to play around with this until I get a replacement , so why not make a review ?
What is this thing ?
Well ....its a classic , I'm a fan of classic DT Models and it doesn't get more classic than the DT1XX , the 100 was the second headphone ever made my Beyerdynamic after the DT48 , if I remember the 48 was launched in 1937 , the 100 was launched in 1960 and its still in production , the 102 is the single ear monitoring version of the DT100 , this happens to be the 400Ohms , SE versions are used in orchestras for monitoring by musicians likewise many podcaster's use SE versions too , so they have a use ....
The 102 is the same as the 100 sonically , its not wired Mono which sucks because while mixing down my recorded audio it becomes hard to know if my track is Stereo if my Mic is recording one channel ....that's my situation though
The 102 like all 1XX headphone are built to last , they use ABS cups ....people use fancy names like "High Impact Plastic" c'mon , the cups are quite resilient though , they are well made , that's for sure
The pads are soft , much softer than my dt150s , even the headband is padded very nicely , just a generously padded and comfortable headphone , quite excellent
To the types , we can narrow it down easily -
1) DT 100 - 16 Ohms
2) DT100 - 400 Ohms
3) DT102 - 16 Ohms
4) DT102 - 400 Ohms
Now Beyer's impedance system is very easy , Higher Impedance = Lighter Voice Coil , Higher Impedance less winding = lighter coil , now hypothetically that means the waves will be more planar and controlled and I find that to be the case , so Beyer knows that they are doing
Since they are so high impedance I would highly suggest a powerful OTL or OTC for optimum voltage transmission , for SSs get a speaker amp and put resistors in line , I find Beyer HI models to be power hungry monsters
Now sonically I have no idea how to explain , since this was a single ear , it was quite difficult to give a proper review ...I'll save that for my DT100 review but I'll point some things out -
Bass - They don't have the hard hitting punch like the 770s or the DT150s but they have a fairly tight and dynamic upper bass , they are not severely rolled off like a HiFiMAN HE-300 but they still are down my 5-6db , so yeah...don't buy bass lovers
Mids - The only thing which isn't rolled off , the mids are great , they are coherent and clear , I have never heard the DT48s whose mid-range has been compared to K1000s and E-Stats , I can say that the mids although good , aren't accurate enough to be compared to E-Stats , even the younger brother DT150 mids are significantly more realistic
Treble - Beyer treble is magic , grain-free ....puts Hd800s and my 6XXs to shame in terms of grain , DT102 isn't that great here as other classic Beyers , it doesn't have the 150 pace or body , the 150s just destroy the 102s , there also are some severe dips , quite uneven and coloured , not high fidelity
SS and Imaging - Man , I remember a track in which the guitar was close to me but with the 102 it was very distant.....hahaha just kidding , its single ear
Conclusion - Who would buy this ?
No one , only a crazy Beyer fan will go out to buy this and of course professionals , 102 is a classic and its legacy will always be remembered , take it easy and have a good one !
Unboxing -
