Overview
In this review I will, as the title suggests, be talking about the T70p. I purchased them because I wanted a good, full-sized portable headphone. Because of the mixed views of these headphones they have reached some pretty low market prices, so I thought why not give them a shot! In this review I will compare them primarily to two other headphones in my possession; the Shure 1540, and the Beyerdynamic DT990 pro. I will also discuss the effect of pad swapping with these headphones. My source equipment was the Fiio e09k+ Fiio e17 for desktop usage, and for mobile use I used the brand new LG v10 smart phone, which in my mind is a superb mobile music player, but that is for another time! I am also hoping to get the new Fiio K1 sometime soon and will comment how they sound with these as well. Songs were at least 256kpbs and 44.100kHz.
The Beyerdynamic T70p is one of those headphones that seem to either be loved, or despised. There seems to be little middle ground. I recently acquired a pair, and I must say I was not sure what to expect from these cans. Many people comment about the anemic bass, and sibilant treble. Others rave about wonderful comfort and build quality. You can imagine that even before listening to these headphones I had notions of what I might hear. I expected a bright, aggressive sound with a large soundstage. What I was greeted with from these headphones was not what I thought, for better or worse.
Before I get into the sound, I wanted to talk a little bit about the build and overall ascetics of these headphones. Upon opening the rather minimalistic packaging you are welcomed buy a leatherette carrying case. Inside this case is the headphones themselves, along with manuals and an airline adapter (assuming this is only found in the portable model). You also receive a ¼ inch adapter. This adapter is not a screw on adapter instead it simply acts like a normal audio plug. The build is solid, as most Beyerdynamic headphones are. As an added bonus Beyerdynamic has plenty of spare parts for sale and will repair your headphones should tragedy strike. They use high quality plastics, and sturdy metal yokes. The only qualm I really have is the non-removable cable. It is annoying that Beyerdynamic continues to not have this, although it appears they are getting on board with their newer headphone models. I will mention however though that the cable is sturdy and well attached and my other Beyerdynamic (DT 990 pro) I have had for well over a year and have had no cable issues.
Comfort on these headphones is fairly average. I can usually wear them for about 1-2 hours before my ear begin to hurt. In fact these almost act like on ear headphones. I say this because your ear will most likely touch the inner felt of the headphone. The pressure is light and honestly I forget this is occurring, until my ears begin aching. It is a shame Beyer could not have thickened the pads about 1cm more and the problem would be fixed. Finally, they also can get pretty warm, which is fine during these cold Minnesota winters, but I do wonder how they will fair during the summer in sweltering heat.
As I have said the sound on these headphones is unique and usually offers little middle ground when it comes to enjoyment. You might be wondering where I fall? Well the answer is just north of the middle ground. I enjoy the different sound signature it presents, even if it is not ideal for all genres. If you are looking for a solid all-rounder than this may not be the headphone for you. I would instead look at the Shure 1540, although in the current market that will cost you at least 100 dollars more, it is one of the best all-rounder headphones on the market I personally believe. If you are looking for a very detailed, bass light headphone, than these could be suited for you.
Bass
The bass on these headphones was a mystery for me at first. It seemed light and aloof initially, and then tight and impactful a moment later on another song. I am attributing this to two things. One how the song was mastered and the actual tuning of the headphone. What I have come to notice is that this headphone actually has impressive sub-bass. What it is missing, and what I imagine the response to anemic bass, is the mid-bass. It lacks bunch and energy. If a song relies on this mid-pass punch (like lots of pop music) the song may come across a little flat and dry. In contrast, the bass is very life-like. What this means is when listening to live recordings, acoustic, classical, etc… the bass is well placed and it sounds like you, the listener, are in the concert hall. This gives me mixed feelings over the bass. I think it can be found either superb, or lacking depending on the type of music you listen to the most and enjoy.
Mids
Now on to the mids. Many people seem to agree the mids are the strong area on these headphones. I must say I love the mids as well. Vocals are crisp and detailed. Choral music such as Baba Yatu from Eric Whitecre sound sublime. The separation and clarity is superb. The vocals really shine. They are very natural and again life-like just as the bass was. I must admit after using these headphones I have found details in choral music I missed before on my other headphones. For example, while the DT990 are detailed, their mids are heavily muddied do too the overzealous bass punch, which the T70p lacks. They also feel recessed due too the extreme “U” shape in sound. The T70p sound a lot like the DT990, without the over-bearing bass. This means if you found the DT990 too bright, than these will be too.
Treble
The treble is again a mixed bag for the T70p. Some find excellent, and others find it harsh and sibilant. This area had me concerned as I tend to enjoy a warmer signature like the 1540’s, but these are certainly no warm. Over my listening experiences I have come to enjoy the treble for these. The detail retrieval is wonderful and I have not found them to be very sibilant, except on some poorly mixed songs or treble happy songs. If you are sensitive to treble you may want to pass. I personally appreciate the detail and transparency the T70p provides. I really enjoyed listening to The Butterfly by Máiréad Nesbitt of the Celtic Women. The fiddle is beautifully reproduced and dynamic. Simply put orchestral and string music sounds great with these headphones.
Pad Swapping
If you already have the T70p and want to bring the bass forward (at a slight cost to the mid-range) and dampen the treble than try and swap the pads to the Shure 1540 pads. I will warn you this really changes the sound and I personally think it too dramatically reduces the treble. I find myself missing the detail provided with the stock pads. In addition to trying out the pads from the 1540’s on the T70p I tried out the DT990 pads. These increase comfort, but greatly reduced isolation (in and out) and I felt exacerbated the treble further, which is the opposite most people would be trying to achieve. I am curious how some of Beyer’s pleather pads function on these. They may be the right compromise between increased bass, but without sacrificing detail. If that could be pulled off than these would easily rise to top of class in my opinion.
Final Thoughts
This headphone is slowly becoming one of my favorites. The sound is sort of addicting. I listened to these for some time and then decided to switch to my 1540’s. I found the bass on the 1540 too much upfront and punchy. I have come to appreciate the natural sound this headphone provides. Part of the reason it sounded poor on some tracks I think is that those tracks do not use “natural” sounds, and this headphone shows it. If you listen to mostly classical, jazz, acoustic music, score music, rock music, and even some pop music, these will sound great. Where they struggle is music that emphasizes the mid-bass punch. If music you listen to relies on this than your music will be very underwhelming and you can find better elsewhere. I would also only purchase these if you can get them for 350 or less. They are certainly not worth their 499 price tag.
This headphone also comes in two different models. The portable version, and the studio version. Assuming there are no sonic differences between the two I would suggest the portable version. I say this for a few reasons. Firstly, these isolate very well, especially with sound leakage. This makes them a strong coffee shop companion that will disturb your neighbors. Secondly, the shorter cable can always be extended, so even if you want to use it at home, you can always extend the cable for more length. In my opinion the T70p offers more versatility than the T70.
If I had to choose I would say the 1540>T70p>DT990 overall. While the detail is impressive on the T70p there are times I crave a stronger lower end, which the 1540 provides. I also enjoy the supreme comfort the 1540 offers. I am, however, happy with the T70p because it is true to its mission, a portable, audiophile grade headphone.
) the t70s are really in your face and upfront about the details they are giving you while the HD600s are more ambient and airy, both cool in their own way.
