beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X

For a long time I avoided Beyerdynamic (their Pro series) specifically because both reviews and frequency response measurements
revealed they tend to be too bright to my taste.
The fact that most preivous models didn't have a detachable cable wasn't to my liking either.
However the new 700 Pro X and 900 Pro X solved both of the above mentioned, so I decided to give them a try.

Right out of the box, the headphones feel really sturdy, being clear it's made to last a very long time.
Another big plus in this regard is it's designed to be repaired and parts are available for sale.
I have read complaints about the headband leather detaching from its support, but from what I've seen it's easy to remove the assembly
and glue it back so from my point of view it's not really that big of a concern.
This needs more time to be able to draw some conclusions, so I will update the review later on in regard to the headband.
Wished it had used the same velour material on the headband as leather isn't my favourite, but I may as well replace it myself with such material in the future.
Leather used on the headband is of good quality, long-term conclusions will need more time though.

EDIT: After about 7 months of use, the headband leather has started to detach from the plastic, starting in the middle where it flexes the most.
Glueing it back is pretty straight-forward: you need to remove the headband and glue small lengths of 2cm or so let dry and continue.
I do recommend glueing the entire perimter even though only part of it will be detached as the rest will surely detach at some point in the future.
Given other headphones (like Senheiser HD5xx series) have a similar problem with headband needing to be glued to the frame, I won't consider this a big problem.
The leather itself however is still intact and has no signs of wear at all after this period.

COMFORT:

One thing that stands out when you unbox it is it looks kind of small in height.
Once I fitted it on my head I realised I need to extend the adjustments the maximum, otherwise it just doesn't fit comfortably.
I would have preffered to have a couple of extra clicks left, as I do on most other headphones that I own.
If possible, I recommend checking the fit of those before buying as to me this pair seems to not be designed for all heads, see the cup swivel problem below.
This, in my opinion is the biggest downside of this headphone, adjustments being enough for the vast majority, but only by a small margin in some cases.

Another aspect I immediately noticed is the cups just don't sit at the correct angle on my head, feeling a lot more pressure on the front of the pads than in the back,
as the swivel mechanism simply doesn't allow enough rotation.
If the pads were to sit flat on my head, the high clamping force wouldn't even be a problem anymore.
Because in practice the issue with clamping is that it clamps more on the front of the pads, the back having less pressure in my case.
If the pressure would be evenly distributed, it would be more comfortable.
This likely won't be an issue for the vast majority of people, but it's one of these aspects that I wanted to mention as I've never seen it mentioned in any review.

Clamping force is high, but compensated by the comfortable velour pads.
I can wear it for hours without a problem and the comfort does get better with use.
I rate it good, but the Senheiser HD5xx/6xx with oval cups is better in my opinion. Few other headphones have cups as large as the Senheisers.
On the DT 900 Pro X, the cups are just large enough to not touch the lobe of the ear, but just barely.
Would have preffered the cups to be a bit larger or oval-shaped.
At the end of day the soft velour pads do compensate for the problems mentioned above.

The mini-XLR connector does not bother me at all, but this will vary with different people, so again it's prefferable to test fit these before buying if possible.

SOUND:

The sound quality is excellent, being very clean and crisp. Frequency response is neutral with a tad of brightness, which may be annoying on songs that are not mastered well.
Compared to other open-back headphones these don't lack the deep bass having a response that goes to the lowest frequencies. It's not as flat as the 700 Pro X in the <100Hz region, but it's more than good enough, in my opinion the 700 Pro X being worth it only if you really need closed back (like for monitoring or for privacy/not disturbing others).
If you're a basshead, even the 700 Pro X won't be enough for you, so do keep that in mind.
While they can be used without EQ, the treble peak around 6.1kHz will be gone with EQ making them perfect for any music regardless of how it was mastered.
After all, these Beyerdynamic are designed for mixing and mastering, so the fact they reveal imperfections in the mastering is something to be expected, especially from Beyerdynamic which has a tradition of bright headphones.
Note that the dip around 4kHz you see on frequency response measurements is NOT audible with music.

In regard to soundstage, it performs very well especially given many of the holes on the back are blind and in practice this is more of a semi-open headphone.
It's an example of a very good compromise between having a very good bass response and large soundstage, something not many open-back headphones offer.

I wasn't able to make the headphone go into nasty distorsion at very high volumes, being able to reach very loud levels without hearing any obvious distorsion.
The maximum rated power is 100mW RMS (which is quite low), so when connecting to a high power amplifier, make sure you turn the volume down,
as there is a very real chance of blowing up the drivers.

CONNECTIVITY/EASE TO DRIVE:

In terms of connectivity, the headphones come with 2 cables: a 1.8m and a 3m one. Both are mini-XLR to 3.5mm jack with a screw-on 6.3mm adapter.
Cables are of very good quality, but I would have liked a shorter and lighter one for my usage scenario.
Seems there is a 1.2m genuine one available as well, so if you need shorter length than the included 1.8m this is the one to go for as the original ones are
of very good quality and jack is gold plated.
Apart from the normal 3.5/6.3mm jack cables, there is also a cable with USB-C/lightning and inline DAC/amp available at 100euros.
So if you need to connect these headphones to a device that doesn't have a headphone jack (many phones, tablets and even some ultrabooks don't
have it nowadays) this cable is exactly what you need.
Custom ones are available, so if you don't like the stock cables there are options out there.

Do note that since the grounds of the 2 drivers are internally connected together, you won't be able to use this headphone with a balanced cable
unless you change the mini-XLR connector to a 4-pin one (the factory one is 3-pin).
However, these DT 900 Pro X are easy enough to drive not to really need a balanced connection anyway.
With 48Ω and 100dB/mW, it can be driven at medium to relatively loud volumes by almost any device.
Despite this an amplifier is beneficial so if you have a dedicated DAC/amp use it in order to bring the best out of it.

A hard case is available separately, so if you want one there is one specifically designed for the Pro X series, which is available on Amazon.

CONCLUSION:

The only two complaints I have on the DT 900 Pro X for me is comfort could be a bit better (if the cups would swivel just a tiny bit more it would be perfect)
and the boost at 6.1kHz which can be annoying at times when listening at high volumes without EQ.
After about 2 weeks of use, I can say the comfort is very good and the headphones definetely feels a lot more comfortable than in the beginning.

Overall, if you want neutral sound, large soundstage, easy to drive and comfortable, this is one is worth considering.
This is especially true if you want an open-back design, since most will have a dip in the sub-bass region.
Apart from this, the 900 Pro X is a headphone that's made to last and be repairable, something you don't see on the vast majority of headphones out there.
I'm the kind who like to keep headphones for a long time, so the fact that I can get parts to repair it when it breaks is a big plus as on many other pairs even
basic maintenance items like new pads can only be found aftermarket (if at all).
Unlike many of its predecessors, the DT 900 Pro X can be used for listening to and enjoying music, even without EQ.
At this price point, there are not many open back options to choose from and this is one of the best in my opinion.
There are of course planar magnetic ones like the Hifiman Sundara, but these are not as neutral (lacking deep bass) and are also harder to drive.
Not to mention the build quality and included cables are nowhere near as good on the Hifiman.
In fact this Beyerdynamic is one of the few headphones on which the original cable is so good that I prefer it to aftermarket ones.

Beyerdynamic DT900 ProX

I have tried to get over the new toy syndrome before I am writing this, but that feeling has not been easy to get out of the system after unboxing the DT900 Pro X. I think though, that I have reached some sort of conclusion on the DT900. I bought them in the beginning of December and they arrived in the first days of January after some weeks stock-shortage from the european dealers.

My first WOW-moment was the velour-pads on the DT900. They are probably the most comfortable pads in any headphone I have had so far. Everything about the DT900 is just top quality. A real workhorse meant to be transported and used for years. Every part can be replaced easily, cable, cushions and headband. I really like that.





The design totally won me over right the first look after opening the box. The black theme and the grills with unobtrusive DT 900 Pro X embossed in black is cool. It is sleek and robust. No quirky sounds when moving the cups AT ALL! Just pure softness when wearing them on the head.

There are two cables provided in the box a long (3 m) and shorter (1,8m) cable with standard xlr connection in one end and mini-jack (+converter to normal size) in the other. The shorter cable is perfect for using them sitting at my desk and listening from my laptop. No balanced cable option included though.





Every headphone-maker in the world should just go ahead and copy these cables when it comes to convenience. They are tangle-free, they are not stiff, they feel just right and light. If all headphone companies in the world could make their cables like the ones that come with the DT900 ProX there would be no more talks about irritating cables. (I am looking at you Grado!) Very flexible, they do not tangle, they are thin and light.


Sound
I thought for a while, that I would be writing a longer review of the DT900 Pro X and compare it to DT1770, which I have had for some years and which I really enjoy. But I can see now, that it really does not make any sense for me to compare the two. They are both very good headphones and they both serve different purposes.

I can't really say which one I like best right now. But for longer listening sessions the DT1770 probably wins. I really did not expect this. I bought the DT900 to be an everyday headphone for longer sessions while working in my home-office. At home I have no need for closed sound isolation and my Grado’s can only sit on my ears for a shorter time before the ear-pain kicks in. So, why did I purchase a studio-headphone made for professional use? The reason for that is that I have always liked the less fun, more analytical, brighter, airy and open sounding headphones. I have always found that Beyerdynamic was the best in this area and I hopes DT900 would give me that again - and I was not disappointed.





I have never really lusted for headphones with too much bass-impact. As long as it is tight and punchy when needed, that is all I ask for. Etymotic ER4XR has been my favorite IEM’s for years and now replaced by the Etymotic EVO’s. The DT1770 has been my reference for full-size headphones. Some people say the DT1770 have lots of bass, I would place them in the middle of the road and to me they are the reference and neutral sound to aim for. I even prefer the older e-series Grado’s over the new x-series drivers because they are brighter and have less bass.

Even though I like a bright sounding headphone the most important to me is that it sounds open. That the resolution is good. That the midrange is clean and that the treble adds an edge and crispness to the sound. The DT900 totally delivers on those parameters. They are open, clear, not too dark or too bright. I find them very close to the DT1770 in terms of color and I could also place DT900 in the middle of the road soundwise. Well done Beyerdynamic! I was afraid that the darker sound from the T1.3 and T5.3 would be the new “house sound” direction from Beyerdynamic, but I am so pleased to hear that they are back where they belong with DT900.

The only negative thing I can say about the DT900, is that even after several weeks of playing and break-in, DT900 has a tendency to give me listening fatigue with some bad recordings. The treble can be magic with some recordings but can also pierce my ears with other recordings. The DT1770 is more forgiving and sounds better all over while it does not reach the airy and forward treble bliss, that I really like with DT900. So, DT900 are picky and that is what a good studio headphone should be.





Compared to DT1770, The DT900 has a little bit bigger soundstage and are more open sounding. DT1770 has a naturalness and adds some body to vocals where DT900 can’t fully compete but they are close. Definitely more treble energy in DT900 than DT1770. Can you compare a closed design with an open design in terms of sound? I a not sure it is fair but if DT700 Pro X sounds anything like DT900 Pro X then they are VERY much worth trying.

I have enjoyed the DT1770 for years but there is some extra fun (I didn't expect that from a "studio" headphone) with DT900. They are really dynamic and punchy and crispy with a nice open treble presence.

The best thing is that they are so versatile in terms of source. With their new 48 Ohm driver, they play well directly from my laptop and even with the lightning to minijack LOD from my iPhone, DT900 sounds open, transparent and punchy. If I use one of my amplifiers for instance the EarMen TR-Amp the bass tightens up and the layering and instrument placement in the soundstage becomes even more clear so, they also scale to some extend with better chain.

All in all, the DT900 Pro X has been a super positive surprise. I think they are cheap for what you get here. This could be one of the best sound/price ratio headphones currently on the market.




I have used the following playlist while listening to Beyerdynamic DT900 Pro X:


I have been using it directly from my iPhone with the apple lightning to jack, my Macbook Pro headphone out, from the EarMen TR-Amp and from my Meier Classic ff. I played streamed music from either Apple Music or CD’s.