beyerdynamic DT 250 - Headphones ( ear-cup )

Positive: Very nice sound overall. Clear, accurate, revealing. Very nice sound especially for being closed headphones - in other words, the nasty closed-headphones congested and plasticky character is not there too much. Nothing distracting in their sound. Balanced. They can handle quite high volumes without distortion. The sound is quite punchy and lively.
For under 100€ these are a VERY good value. Probably very nice value in 150€ range still (but maybe there is something better, I dont know though).

Neutral/possibly negative: Not much sub-bass. But personally I dont care that much. The bass that is there is nice.
Isolation is average, maybe slightly above average (can be good or bad depending on use, I find it to be totally fine).

Negatives:
They suffer from channel imbalance. Its really audible and messes up the whole space perception quite a lot. After googling it appears that it is a widespread issue with this model. I dont know if all DT250s suffer from this or only some (also maybe it was fixed meanwhile...)
But anyway, I find it totally RIDICULOUS. How can a company like Beyerdynamic let this happen??? And especially when it is a model that has been in production for
many years??? Fortunately, the imbalance can be fixed - at least with my DT250s, I managed to fix it to satisfying degree. The problem is actually in the leakage of sound through the connector in the left cup. In other words, unlike the right cup which is closed, the right cup leakes some air and due to that, sound behaves differently in there. I dissasambled the cup and hot-glued over the connector, in a way that it doesnt leak sound. After that, the imbalance significantly improved (its not perfect still, but I notice it only if I pay attention to it).


Comparison: DT250s vs. Audio-technica ATH-T500: No contest really. DT250s are much better in every aspect. The ATH-T500 suffer from nasty congested, nasal, cuppish effect which ruins it. They are quite muddy and harsh.

DT250s vs Sennheiser HD25: DT250s are much more comfortable (obviously though..) and they sound far more natural. HD25s comfort can be improved greatly by using velour pads instead of stock ones, but still its very so-so. But yeah, HD25s are intended for different uses. Anyway, HD25s are too sibilant and their high frequencies just have very weird and annoying character (the main reason I didnt keep them). So, to conclude, if you need headphones like HD25s (for DJing, good sound isolation, portable, etc..) then they are nice, but otherwise, the DT250s sound better. Not as big difference as with ATH-T500s, but still.

CONCLUSION: REALLY GOOD SOUNDING CLOSED BACK HEADPHONES. ONLY IF IT WERENT FOR THAT STUPID CHANNEL IMBALANCE...

My audio set up & connective trail:

16 & 24-Bit WAV lossless files,

Foobar2000 with WASAPI event output,

Digital optical toslink cable,

Benchmark DAC1 with AMR gold-plated internal fuses connected to a custom high end power cable/Chord Qute Ex connected to a linear power supply,

custom Mundorf pure solid silver & gold RCA cable,

Graham Slee Solo Ultra Linear Diamond Edition with PSU1.


My 80 Ohm cans have been burned in for at least 100 hours and are fitted with custom protein leather memory foam circumaural ear pads (mainly for comfort and isolation purposes).

Just so you know I had the 250 Ohm version but it had a channel imbalance sadly so I got rid of them, maybe one day I’ll get a good pair (mainly out of curiosity, I have read many good things about them after all).


Negatives.

I do not like the coiled cable, it’s too heavy.

The plastic used in this cans construction feels pretty cheap and not of great quality to be honest. Have I had any issues with this headphones build quality? No and that’s the most important thing to remember.

The stupid proprietary connecter is annoying, trying to find alternative cables is difficult to say the least.

As you can guess, I didn’t really like the stock ear pads. They are too small to be circumaural and they do not seal as well as my custom pads.


Positives (spoiler, there are many).

I will say this straight away, THESE ARE EXCEPTIONAL CLOSED BACK HEADPHONES! AT ANY PRICE!! Even more so considering it’s RRP.

They are light and comfortable, they do not clamp too much for me. Long listening sessions have given me no wearing fatigue, be it heat or pressure related (heat is something to remember with closed back cans, open back cans naturally have superior air circulation and allow your ears to “breathe” better).

They are made in Germany. The headband has good cushioning and I like the fact that the ear pads click in the ear cups (Focal and Oppo cans adopt that style too).

The sound quality from these unassuming and inconspicuous cans are very high.

Excellent detail and clarity, very good definition and resolution.

Very good imaging and a pretty wide sound stage. Good height too, they do not sound closed in which I really like.

Very nice mids, good weight and heft.

Very good bass, with depth and impact. Full and smooth sounding.

Very nice vocals, clear and defined. Not too forward in presentation.

Very engaging and involving, I don't know how else to say it.

No matter what genre of music I play, it does something that other great cans do. It let’s you get sucked in and just enjoy the music.

Very, very impressive. A great achievement really. Very difficult to fault sonically, anywhere.

They also scale up very well too, give that a go if possible. You’ll hear what I mean : )

During my time with them, I’ve had quite a few other closed back cans which were many times it’s price. But I kept coming back to these, time and time again. And for good reason.

These are easily one of my favourite closed back cans.

A hidden gem that does not seem to get enough praise, recognition or attention.

I know my closed back headphone experience is not as vast as my open back experience but I do know great headphones when I hear them. And I will say this now, these are great closed back cans.

I believe they are a true bargain in the headphone world and Beyerdynamic deserve serious respect for their work on these special cans.

These cans are so good that quite a few audiophiles have ended their search and settled with these cans, I can fully understand why. Check out some of the forums.

If Beyer released a “consumer” version of these exact same cans that had the following improvements, I would happily pay double for them:

larger and real circumaural protein/synthetic leather ear pads,

2x 3.5mm female ports on the ear cups,

a 1.5/2metre long straight cable.

In case it wasn’t obvious, very highly recommended from me. Seriously good and superb value closed cans.

Happy listening all : )

I looked high and low for good set of closed back headphones, as my current job almost dictates the use of exclusively closed cans. Also I needed something for my bedroom recording to keep pace with all sources I have at hand without ever needing amplification.
DT-250 came right in - first I was contemplating DT-770, but having read mixed feelings about the treble intensity and since Premium range was discontinued, they were the next logical choice. Being vintage AKG fan, I could have aimed towards K550 or K271 but those had drawbacks I was reluctant to accept. Surprisingly, DT-250 were hard to find as everyone seem to be pushing forth the trio 770/880/990.

As my gear is of varying output impedance, some sources even above 20 Ohms, I wanted at least 250Ohms, but possibly not at expense of sensitivity, which would have to be high enough to accomodate low-voltage sources. Again in this regard, DT-250 in their 250Ohm variant have not disappointed. With 100dB/mW rated sensitivity at 1kHz, they can be easily driven from sub-1Vrms sources, such as Sansa Clip+ up to ear damaging levels.

In regards to comfort and sound, they sound very balanced, not one part of the spectrum sticks out. Some might have noticed the ever so slightly pronounced trebles, but coming from K240DFs, I don't find them overpowered, unlike DT880 (both 250 and 600Ohm versions). My only complaint would be aimed towards the bass, it's somewhat less defined compared to K601, but that could be due to the construction and something to be expected of closed headphones. I don't enjoy forward bass as others might, in fact having it slightly recessed is what I found useful for long sessions. DT-250 do not have forward bass, and it's level with the rest of the spectrum as with K601. Spatialization leaves something to be desired, the 'soundstage' lacks both width and depth of semi-open or open headphones, but they make up for it by reproducting textures with incredible accuracy.
IMO, while narrower, the soundstage is still better than DT880, which were very confusing with familiar tracks.

The clamping force takes a while to get used to, and for people with glasses I would strongly encourage to try wearing them before purchase. Some people might have problems with fitting their ears inside the cups, there's virtually no space reserve. My ears fit the just, but not without wiggling the cups a bit.

Overall I would highly recommend the DT-250 to anyone who is on market for good closed back, durable and not overly expensive set of headphones.

Edit: After 5 months and over 200 hours of listening time my opinion changed slightly - and they deserve full 5/5 score hands down. More later

Modded 250Ohm version sounds really nice, I just put them on after keeping in storage because of ATH-R70x.

I can definitely see how this could be an end-game headphone for some people, a retirement headset, as someone has mentioned around here. They're durable (passed the sit-on test) while being capable of very satisfying and pleasant rendition of music that is probably quite close to how it should sound. The music is presented as a beautiful whole, a full performance where every instrument is just there in it's place both tonally and in the sound-stage. This could be a retirement headphone literally, because of the slightly sparkly treble, just a little top-end sparkle. Vocals sound great, there's a slight emphasis on them compared to ATH-R70x which is really good. A weird thing to say, but DT250-250 sound earthy, organic and natural to me. When you put these on, you hear music, a performance, not details; separate parts don't call for attention. They're like here's your music bro, chill out. Not suitable for commuting as they isolate poorly in the lower frequency region.

My personal recommendation in the price range for their sound.

Edit :: 2016-04-28:
Same impressions when returning to them. They bring every note and nuance in music that it sounds like it provides the 'whole picture' without focusing on unimportant details.

Edit :: 2019-01-14:
My review still stands. I've modified this headphone since purchase, put some acoustic foam and sealed the input socket. Kick drums sound big, quick, impactful, punchy - this headphone has a "big butt" to its sound. But it's hard to tell apart the lowest notes when playing my synth - A1 and B1 notes sound unacceptably similar. So the sub-bass resolution is lower than my 600ohm DT990, Mayflower T50RP mk3 v1 and modded mdr-ma900. This might be fixable, just need to refine the mod, maybe add a bass port or completely close off the headphone, not sure...

I own the 80Ohm model, do note that the 250Ohm model should sound very different.

Looks: You'll look like you're working for the sound crew of a broadcast company.

Construction: Solid materials used through out. Some weak points where the headphone and cups meet. Here's the kicker, though: All parts including the head band, driver and cable can be ordered as spare parts. Potentially this will be the only phone in your collection that you'll own for the rest of your life. 

Comfort: Not THE most comfortable I ever wore but I can have them on for 4+ hours daily without discomfort. My head is about medium size and I wear glasses.

Sound: The 80Ohm model sounds rather thick, intelligibility is not great. On the plus side the sound is never harsh or grating and instrumental textures are reproduced in a realistic way. Might be favorable for electronica and industrial genres.

For kicks I applied the difference between the DT250-80 and DT250-250 frequency response, based on measurements by doctorhead.ru, to a 1/3 octave resolution. Basically this simulates the response of the DT250-250 on the DT250-80. Assuming the measurements were made under more or less indentical conditions the DT250-250 should be very impressive. The bass is deep enough and non-booming, low-to-mid-mids are neutral and finally upper mids and and up are unusually present yet smoothly extended, which is quite rare. If you wanna try this curve on your DT250-80 here's the EQ preset:http://www.box.com/s/76n1uzaaxh5nsmhs89of
Requires foobar2000 and foo_dsp_xgeq

Conclusion: My personal sentiment is that I should have gotten the DT250-250 instead of the DT250-80. The promise of "easily driven" phones is hit and miss anyway, for example if you happen to plug into a headphone-out with a high impedance frequency response will suffer more on an easily driven phone. Anyway, I think the DT250's have many favorable traits such as modular construction, good comfort and potentially very accurate, neutral sound. Not being very expensive it adds up to a great value.

These DT-250 (80 ohm) are just flat-out the best sub-$500 headphones I've yet heard. I found the Shure SRH840s way too bright, and returned my DT770s for being too dark. 
 
The soundstage is as wide as you could hope for with closed-back cans. Separation is really great, and I find them to be analytical enough to reveal all the detail I care to hear, without turning suboptimal recordings (or encodings) into garbage.
 
I thought they sounded pretty nice before connecting them to my Nuforce Icon UDAC-2. Really, they're not that much better than a $100 pair of Sonys until they're amped.
 
They don't throw down bass in the quantity of the head-subwoofers known as the DT-770, but they dig plenty deep and produce accurate bass, if not the most bone-rattling.
 
The major reason I took my DT-770s back was that the mids were just absent; pushed back into a corner. These are much more forward, so vocal-heavy recordings sound vastly better than on the 770s. They're also a lot smaller and make you look less like an astronaut.
 
Another thing about the 770s is that there was a bit of "echo chamber" inside the headphones that I found distracting, which is completely absent from the 250s.
 
The 250s are super comfy. Other than the fact that I have to let my ears breathe peariodically, I could and often do wear these all day.
 
I don't know why other headphones get so much more attention, honestly.