beyerdynamicbeyerdynamic DT 770 PRO Studio Headphones - 250 Ohm

Music and, more importantly, sound quality is subjective to the listener therefore it is worthwhile explaining a little about my headphone/music history so that you may decide whether my experience will compare to yours. If you are a seasoned audiophile and you regularly use a set of Grado PS1000's as part of your sound make-up, then you might not agree with everything in this review entirelly. However, if like me, you are not a seasoned audiophile or someone who has spent thousands on headphone equipment over the years and paying £130 for a set of headphones is seen as "pushing the boat out", then this review may help is justifying your decision to do so. All of my previous earphone purchases have been floating around the £50 - £70 mark. I paid £60 for my current gaming headset (Sennheiser PC330) and my current portable in-ear earphones (Denon AH-C551). I mainly listen to music on my PC and I currently use a Fiio E10 DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter), which cost roughly £60 from Amazon. I mostly listen to rock music although I have quite a range of music genre's across my 400GB music library, including electronic, dance, metal, rap, blues and hardstyle. Artists include Rammstein, AC/DC, Velvet Revolver, Metallica, Stereophonics, Snoop Dogg, Deadmau5 and Headhunterz.So now on to the headphones themselves...ComfortOut of the box, the first thing that struck me was how comfy the soft, velour earpads looked. Coming from the Sennheiser PC330 "on-ear" headphones, the comfiness experienced by the Beyerdynamics was on a different level. The Beyerdynamics are considered "over-the-ear" headphones. This means that they completely envelope your ear and, at least in my case, your ear never actually touches the headphones (I would say I have bigger than average ears). The velour pads therefore clamp themselves against the side of your head although such is the softness of the pads, you would hardly notice them there. I have seen some reviews where people have complained of the headphones being too tight or uncomfortable. I don't know how these could possibly be considered anything but extremely comfy.Comfort Rating - 5/5Build QualityThe earphones are built using a combination of metal, plastic and velour. The cans are made of plastic, although seem to be pretty sturdy. There are companies online that will replace the plastic cans with wooden ones, although I don't quite understand why this is desirable. I would imagine wooden cans would add to the weight and therefore reduce how comfy they are but each to their own I suppose. The hinges which attach the cans to the headband are made of metal.One of the great features of these headphones is that almost every part of the headphones can easily be replaced. You can buy spare parts from Beyerdynamics directly or even look around on Amazon/eBay. I think the headphones look extremely durable and I seem to be backed up by other reviews online (There seems to be quite a large number of reviewers who claim you could "through these down a hill" and they would still work. I'm not sure if throwing a set of DT 770's down a hill has any benefits, but it is good to know that the option is always there!)Build Quality - 4/5Sound QualityI must admit, when I first received these headphones, I did not have access to my PC therefore I plugged them into my Galaxy S3 and was slightly disappointed. Although the sound was "good", it was pretty hard to justify spending £130 on. I hoped the improved sound from my Fiio E10 would make a difference. And it did....a whole lot.BassUsing Windows Media, I activated the TruBass enhancement and the bass response of the headphones almost blew me away. After a few hours of tinkering, I now have my media player set to WinAmp, I have customised the EQ a little (a little more emphasis on the bass) and have installed the Real Bass Exciter plug-in. I can honestly say that the only other times that I have heard (and felt) bass like this is when I have been at the front row of a rock concert. The really low frequecy basslines generate enough vibration within the earphones that it actually tickles your ears. COnsidering my ears never actually touch the earphones, that should give you an idea of just how explosive the bass can be. These are advertised as being able to re-produce sound as low as 5 Hz (much lower than the human ear can hear) and I honestly believe that. I had a 1000 watt amp and 12 inch subwoofer in my old car and even the bass there wasn't comparable to these.Mid RangeEven with my emphasis on the bass, I can still hear everything that is going on with the mid-range sounds. Vocals would normally fall in to this category and I can tell you that even though I am being blasted with extreme amounts of bass, the vocals manage to rise above this and are crisp and clear. I can honestly say that I have absolutely no negatives to describe on the mid-range sound quality.High-End RangeI had read previous reviews where the high-end has been described as a little harsh. I have been trying to find this harsh sound ever since I started listening to the earphones and I have yet to find this. It could be that because I have came from my Sennheiser PC330 headphones, where the high end can be a little "screechy", I am a little less sensitive to any "screeching" that the Beyers make. I could also be because I haven't been able to listen to these headphones on full volume, mainly due to the fact that I enjoy not being deaf. Honestly, I have the volume on these sitting at around 70% and there are absolutely no faults with the high-end sound reproduction.Sound Quality - 5/5OverallOverall, I'm going to give these headphones 5/5. Sure, nothing is perfect and if someone let me listen to their set of Ultrasone Edition 10 headphones, then my definition of perfection would likely change, but in the meantime, I am absolutely thrilled by the sound quality provided by these earphones. If I have any negatives, it would be the sound leakage. It isn't a problem for me as I only use them for personal listening whilst in the house but if you wanted to use these in public, be prepared to let everyone else listen as well. On that note, these are also not very portable. They come with a 3 metre non-detachable lead so it would be very difficult to prevent yourself from tripping up on it. They aren't marketed for being very portable though so if you buy them for that reason, then you really haven't researched enough. It would be like buying a sub-woofer and a set of PA speakers and then complaing that they are quite difficult to carry around with you.If, like me, you haven't spent as much as £130 on a pair of earphones and are reluctant to do so, all I can say is that I was in the same position and I can categorically state that the sound reproduction on these has absolutely rekindled by love affair with music. Do you enjoy music? Do you enjoy listening to music? Do you need earphones and have a spare £130? Press the Buy Now button.

Now let me preface this review by mentioning I am not too knowledgable about the specifics of sound. This review is from the perspective of someone who spends a lot of time using headphones however may not know the industry buzzwords.Simply put, these headphones are fantastic. They have been my daily drivers for the past year, meaning 12+ hours of usage daily. The level of comfort is the first thing I feel I should touch on. I have a large head however they fit without trouble, and are exceptionally comfortable. Unlike many headphones I have had in the past, I never feel a need to take them off to "rest" my head - they almost feel like a part of my body at this point.The sound is incredible, granted some equaliser fiddling (can be easily found online) will make the experience so much better. I use these headphones for everything from music, anime, movies, and games. They just deliver everything very richly and clearly. The bass seems especially solid, so if you're a bit of a bass head like me, these headphones will serve you well.The closed-back nature of the headphones also mean they do a good job at keeping the stuff you're listening to in, and outside noises out. They are not noise cancelling of course, but they certainly work great at drowning out any noises that may be around you.All in all, a wonderful set of headphones. I don't foresee them breaking any time soon due to their exceptional build quality, but if they were to eventually die on me, I would likely pick up another pair as a replacement.

Background:Most expensive headphones I've ever bought at £130 but after 3 months of listening to them at work I've decided they are well worth it!I've had several pairs of decent £60-ish Sennheisers - the best of which was the EH-350 and then most recently had a pair of RHA CA-200's which were very good for the price at only £30. Although these sounded great the build quality is flimsy and they are a bit uncomfortable for long-time wearing sessions.Build & comfort:These headphones are incredibly comfortable and very solidly built. They don't feel cheap or plasticy but solid and classy. They aren't particularly trendy or fashionable, more just functional and built for purpose in that solid german sort of way which I quite like. I have been able to listen to them for 2-3 hours with no wear discomfort at all, mainly because they don't rest on your ears but instead entirely enclose them. They clamp your head fairly firmly (good for all you drummers out there) but its comfortable because the clamping force is on your head not your ears and the pads are large and very soft.Packaging:These headphones are pretty huge and fairly heavy. They feel reassuring and well build but wouldn't recommend them for walking about or using public transport unless you have a big bag and don't mind looking like a bit a of a prat. There is nothing about the design that has given any thought to making them portable. The cable on these headphones is thick, strong, heavy and quite long - unnecessarily long (and probably annoying) if you're planning on using them on the move with your iPod. On the other hand the type of cable that it is is excellent for use in the office or at home in a recording studio where the extra length is really useful and there is little fear of it breaking as its pretty solid.Sound:I'm not an audiophile as such but I do know what sort of sound I like and I have an audiophile work colleague who often talks to me about sound quality and different headphones which can help put things into context. Compared to the other headphones I've had these win on sound quality in every way, hands down. I absolutely love them. They are closed back (and block out quite a lot of sound) which is great for private listening but they sound really open and natural and have a wide spacious sound stage. The main improvement over previous headphones is the clarity and upper end sparkle as well as a generally more natural, even sound across all the frequencies. I find I can listen to music for longer with these and they don't sound fatiguing. I know it's a cliché but I also feel like I can hear a lot more of whats going on in a song. My audiophile friend has a pair of Shure SRH-940's which are incredibly detailed and clear sounding but for me they sound almost too clinical and stark. Also there feels like there isn't enough bass. It's there but its very measured. I was worried that as you go up the scale of headphones and start to get to audiophile level 'phones, this is the sort of sound you get. It's unexciting to my ears even if it is more true and accurate. These DT 770's though don't have that problem, they aren't as accurate and super-revealing as the Shure's but they are still clearer and more detailed then any other headphones I've heard whilst still sounding warm and powerful in the way that I prefer. The bass doesn't sound overdone or artificial like you get on Dr Dre Beats but its authoritative, deep and warm - for me its just the right amount! I'm running these 80 OHM versions through a nuforce dac and the volume is about perfect on half for me. They are sensitive enough to be powered by my iPhone but you need to have the phone on almost full volume for a good listening level but as I've said I wouldn't bother using them in that way anyway.Summary:I'm totally thrilled with these headphones and don't regret the £130 I payed for them one bit. Being classically German they are not flashy, but functional. Well built, solid and extremely comfortable with sound that, in my opinion is open, detailed, natural, powerful and extremely enjoyable to listen to. Buy them!!!