[keanex]

Thanks to Larry at Beyerdynamic for the review sample

Pros: Build quality is phenomenal, comfort is great, bass quantity, instrument separation

Cons: Overly bassy sound that dominates despite good instrument separation

Sound Signature: Bassy with slight lower mid-range recession and mildly emphasized treble

Source: Matrix HPA-3u

Cost: $499

Accessories
The DT 1770 Pro include a 3m straight cable or a 5m coiled cable both terminated in a single-ended mini XLR connection. They also include an extra set of leatherette pads that have no indication from Beyerdynamic as potentially sound altering. Lastly they include a semi-hard carrying case.

Comfort
One thing that has impressed me about Beyerdynamics since my journey in this hobby has been the comfort of the pads. The first time I put on the DT 770 I was in heaven, I almost bought them solely for the comfort, and the DT 1770 Pro are reminiscent. Firm and somewhat plush velour pads surround my ears comfortably and securely. Clamp and downward force from the headband are both moderate as someone with an average sized head, those with smaller heads will likely be just right, and those with larger heads will want to research how these might loosen up. Overall I am pleased with the comfort of the DT 17700 Pro.

Build
One thing that I have never heard a complaint about with Beyerdynamic is the build quality and that trend continues here. When I removed the DT 1770 Pro from the packaging I was immediately impressed with the hefty weight, metal laden construction, and rock solid feel through and through. There’s no doubt that Beyer built these to last for many years. I haven’t heard a creak or squeak, only a peak in the treble, but I’ll talk about that later. The build is phenomenal here, that’s the point I’m trying to make, they make my HD600 feel cheap by comparison.

Sound Quality
Quick Look

The DT 1770 Pro are a refined DT 770 from what I remember during my time with the DT 770. They are unashamedly bassy at the sacrifice of midrange presence while having slightly emphasized treble. I hesitate to call them v-shaped though, I’m leaning slightly dark on the sound. Soundstage is overall solid for a closed back, good enough instrument separation to keep the sound from becoming claustrophobic.

I was unable to get the pleather pads on. I can consistently get the velours on, but the pleathers pop off and won’t seat right, as if they’re slightly too small. I did no sound testing on them.

Bass

The sub-bass extends deeply with a sense of rumble, though lacking a visceral response as I’ve heard in other headphones, notably planars. The sub-bass is big, no doubts about that, and it has a respectable quickness, but I find that big droning sub-bass notes are more preferable than quick ones that would be found in a song like James Blake’s Limit to Your Love.

The midbass is prominent and despite taking over the focus of your attention more often than not, it doesn’t actually bloat into the midrange. The midbass and midrange reside as separate entities, one is just more boisterous than the other often taking focus, but both can be heard clearly. My listening notes time and time again said, “bass line takes over the focus of the song, stealing energy from the midrange and treble.”

With that said, the strength of the bass often makes the midrange and treble sound veiled which causes my enjoyment of most music to be dulled greatly.

Midrange & Treble

I find the midrange to be rather clear with a good bit of detail retrieval and neutral to slightly cold tonality. The midrange is good, but it’s overshadowed by the prominence of the overly present bass in every song I’ve heard with it. The slight recession in addition to the tremendous bass causes the midrange to sound like an afterthought, veiled even. I can’t say much vocal performances have been enhanced by this tuning.

The treble is reminiscent of the DT 1990 Pro, but slightly less presence. It’s clean, hints of sibilance and splashy cymbals at times, but it sounds less prominent in part to perhaps slightly less prominence as well as the overwhelming bass.

Soundstage

Good instrument separation keeps the DT 1770 Pro from sounding congested, but it’s definitely an intimate soundstage. Closed in with each instrument having a small space while providing acceptable imaging.

Quick Comparisons

Talos 2

The Talos 2 are harder to drive, which means that users without a powerful amplifier will need to invest into one, especially for those who listed to higher dynamic recording albums. The DT 1770 Pro and the Talos 2 both have a fantastic amount of bass but the Talos 2 wins in texture and impact while the DT 1770 Pro wins in quantity, or at least perceived quality. As a whole the Talos 2 sound more balanced and due to that I find myself enjoying music with them more than the DT 1770 Pro. In most cases I’m going to reach for the Talos 2 over the DT 1770 Pro because the DT 1770 Pro emphasize the bass more than I would like.

DT 1990 Pro

The DT 1990 Pro are the way to go unless you need a closed back headphone. I feel that they are superior in every aspect except bass quantity. The DT 1770 Pro are a good option if you need isolation and have the capability of EQing. The DT 1770 Pro are capable of producing similar sound quality, but I couldn’t get them EQd just right to match the DT 1990 Pro. Closed vs open is certainly a factor in that.

B&O Play H6 Gen 2

Build quality and comfort go to the DT 1770 Pro without a doubt, the H6 feel cheaply made by comparison. The H6 have a better sense of air and instrument separation to them, but the DT 1770 Pro have a more visceral bass response and an overall more musical sound. The H6 have an odd midrange that sounds compressed and grainy. The H6 makes a better all-around listener, especially for someone on-the-go, but I find myself more compelled to listen to the DT 1770 Pro.

Conclusion
The DT 1770 Pro are a headphone that exists in a competitive market at a price point that has many options vying for the attention of potential customers. Unfortunately the DT 1770 Pro miss the mark for me, at least with the stock tuning. The overly prominent bass in conjunction with the recession in the midrange creates a veil over the midrange that distracted me more than anything. To be honest, I am not a fan of them out of the box.

But the DT 1770 Pro respond well to EQ. I performed a quick boost of 1dB to 3dB starting around 750hz through 18khz and the DT 1770 Pro immediately sounded much more engaging and balanced. I quite liked them a lot when I applied a quick EQ through the midrange and the treble and found myself finally engaged into a variety of music.

So where do I stand on the DT 1770 Pro? Well the build quality is superb, comfort is fantastic, isolation is solid, and the driver is pretty clean. My issues entirely stem from the midrange recession in conjunction with the overly prominent bass. If you have been eyeing the DT 1770 Pro and have the ability to EQ them then the DT 1770 Pro are a fine headphone, and quite competitive for the price. If you can not EQ for one reason or another than the DT 1770 Pro are a headphone I would advise to try before you buy.