“These Speak to Me on an Emotional Level” — Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 250 Ohm Review
I already reviewed the 80 Ohm version of the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros. Those go for around $150, and they come with either the standard gray Beyerdynamic pads, or in a limited edition from Amazon with black pads.
It was a very good pair of headphones, and in my opinion, worth the slight price premium over other studio-style headphones for those that want extra performance.
Because I liked those so much, I decided it was time to try out the higher-end model. I’ve never owned a pair of headphones with an impedance load over 100 Ohms, even though I have a couple of amps that say they can power loads all the way up to 600.
The 250 Ohm DT 770 Pro headphones go for around $180, and they’re a little bit better than the 80 Ohm version. Depending on your gear, you may not see the big difference, so unless you want to use a specialized amp you might be better off with the cheaper version.
I can’t just keep liking everything! People want strife and chaos here on the internet. They want me to bash things and call them stupid.
But uh…I really like these.
Sound Quality
The DT 770 Pros have a unique sound in the world of studio-style headphones. They’re speedy in their response, and great at rendering fine details. But the frequency response signature is more sculpted and punched up than the average studio pair.
They’re bassier than most studio models, but that bass is luxurious, really deeply extended, and…let’s go with velvety.
The mids are relaxed and a little withdrawn…more so than you might think you’d want on a “pro” pair of headphones. But they’re perfectly rendered. Which saves them. They’re clean, free of muddy bleed-in from the bass, and free of any hollowness or thinness. Instruments and voices sound pleasant and natural, but just the tiniest bit distant.
The highs shoot out of these like angel trumpets.
They aren’t distorted or grainy or harsh. And they aren’t fatiguing, to my ears. But boy! You have to like some treble detail to like these headphones. If treble is not your thing you might want to look for something else. In fact, you may want to avoid studio headphones altogether and get something more consumer-oriented and warmer.
And if you like soundstage but don’t want to wear open headphones? These are your new best friends.
Like the 80 Ohm version before them, the soundstage here is massive for a closed-back pair. Just…holy crap. They have all the soundstage. They took all the soundstage from the other headphones.
Imaging is also startlingly precise. At times it feels like I’m running surround sound virtualization software even when playing them in basic stereo. Phenomenal. I’d feel comfy mixing a highly-directional movie soundtrack on these. And this makes them a really fun listen for anything from music to games to movies.
How do they compare to the 80 Ohm version? They’re a little bit more flat, but more or less in the same signature ballpark. The 80 Ohm version is a touch more boomy in the bass, if that’s your thing, but I think I like the precision of the 250 Ohm version more.
So overall, you get an exciting, engaging listen, with plenty of speed and detail, and width. They’re not a headphone to relax with, but one to be thrilled by. This is going to get a little weird…but these are like magical headphones that would exist in a studio in a fictional world. They make everything sound a little “bigger” and “better” while also allowing pros to still pick out issues in the mix.
If you want the most-fun, least-“boring” pair of studio headphones, and a hundred times more soundstage than the vaunted M50X, here you go!
Design
The DT 770 Pros are based on a design from the mid-80s. They have large circular over-ear ear cups, a metal headband with a replaceable pad, and a permanently attached cable. This 250 Ohm version has a coiled cable, and it’s really supple and good, just like the straight cable on the 80 Ohm. It’ll easily flex and bend into any shape you need.
On the backs of the earcups there’s a simple placard with the name of the headphones on it, and that’s about it for frills in the design. Although the cups are rather massive, they still sit close enough to the head to not look too silly in public. A hearty congrats to Beyerdynamic for this. Razer could learn a thing or two from the design here. ;)
Are these as stylish as headphones from companies whose names start with B? Hah no, of course not. But they look nice and subtle and they’ve stood the test of time. They feel a little more timeless than other designs like the Sony MDR-V6, and their headband fork design has been copied by a number of imitators.
Build Quality
If I gave out points to headphones, this one would get all the points in the build category.
The DT 770 Pros earn the Pro part of their name with their build. All of the parts are made in Germany, and then the final product is hand-assembled in Germany as well.
Materials here feel better than nearly every other headphone I’ve touched, at any price. The ear cup backs are made out of a textured plastic, like a bowling alley seat or an instrument case. It’s tough and durable.
The ear cup forks and headband are made out of a solid spring steel.
I really like the replaceable headband pad. It just snaps on over the metal underneath, and it’s nicely padded. The ear pads are also easily replaceable.
The only complaints I could reasonably lob at the build are the permanently-attached cable and the exposed wires coming out of each ear cup. But I don’t mind them. The coiled cable will stretch to 3 meters.
I can’t say enough about how good the cable material is. It’s so much better than the springy wire most headphone cables are made out of, and so I can live with it being attached.
Comfort
The slightly high clamp and overall large size of these keeps them out of the very top comfort tier for most heads…but I‘m still a big fan of how they feel. I think they’re suitable for long sessions, and they seal well over my glasses.
Padding is great and plentiful on both the ear cups and the headband. The velour covering on the ear pads is much softer to the touch than most other pads, even Sennheiser’s velour offerings.
I have to wear them nearly fully extended, with only one extra click of adjustment. However, the circular ear cups mean that you can wear these at just about any position on your head, since the cups don’t have to sit at one specific orientation. So you should have an easy time getting a good fit.
If you’re someone who hates it when headphones touch your ears, then these are for you! The ear cup holes are really large, and should fit most ears in spite of not being ear-shaped. The cup depth is also really deep and should accomodate large ears well. On the off-chance your ear does touch the back of the cup, the foam inside is incredibly soft.
I’m not usually bothered by headphones touching my ears…but these feel good enough to make me understand why people want this. Your ears will float gently inside the massive cups. This massive area is probably part of why the soundstage is so good.
Isolation
I don’t normally do an isolation section, but special mention must be made here. Beyerdynamic claims you’ll get around 18dB of isolation on the DT770 Pros…and they’re right!
That’s really impressive for velour ear cups. Usually those aren’t very isolating, but these are the exception to the rule. In spite of the velour, these are completely great for loud environments.
Features/Extras
Beyerdynamic includes the same hilarious bag with the 250 Ohm DT 770s that the 80 Ohm version had. Here is a picture of it.
It has a luggage tag on it. It’s made out of a very thin vinyl material. My girlfriend astutely remarked that it seemed like a sleeping bag cover. It’s comically flimsy compared to the headphones, and is basically just a dust cover.
I kind of love how stupid it is. That makes it more fun somehow.
You also get a 6.3mm adapter in the box that screws on to the end of the cable. And that’s it.
Amp?
You might want to have a dedicated amp for these. Even a cheap one will do.
I was able to power them just fine with my phone and my MacBook, but I had to bump the volume up a couple notches further than I’m used to. If you have a desktop or portable amp, these will totally take that power and run with it, but you’re not completely out of luck if you don’t.
Heck, I even had an okay listening experience out of a PS4 controller…on max volume. It was at the lower end of what I’d consider acceptable, but it still totally worked. That shocked me, because the PS4 controller output is not that powerful.
So don’t be scared by the fact that these are higher impedance! I guessed wrong in my 80 Ohm review in saying you’d absolutely need an amp.
If you’re looking at audio upgrades, and trying to choose whether to get these first or get an amp first…I’d get these headphones first. I’d wager that most computers will power them adequately, and then later when you save some more and get an amp you can really kick them up a notch, if you want.
They respond very well to EQ, if that’s your thing.
Final Thoughts
The 250 Ohm DT 770 Pros are hard to outright recommend when much cheaper, high-quality studio pairs like the Pioneer DJ HRM-5s exist. Those are basically half the price, and are comfy and exceptional-sounding. And they come with a better bag. And a detachable cable.
But boy, do I like these! The DT 770 Pros earn their price premium over other products, and they speak to me on an emotional level in everything from their sound to their build.
I’m just not sure that they’re something most people will need.
But, if you’re looking to take a step up beyond the M50X/MDR-V6/HD280/HRM-5 tier, and get a closed pair that will show you the value that extra money can bring in all the right ways, the DT770 is the best choice.
I wouldn’t spend any more on a studio-style pair, and honestly I don’t think anyone could make a better closed-back studio pair than the DT 770s.
Here’s Beyerdynamic’s page about them! Thanks for reading. Please click the heart button if you made it this far and had a good time. I don’t make any money from these reviews, but the ego hit I get from people clicking that button helps me justify continuing to spend lots of money on headphones.
This time I brought a cord that works with my portable amp.
It’s all still kind of ridiculous. I should probably just live with using the headphone jack. They still sounded pretty good there, honestly.
