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...
Comfort
Out 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 - 5/5
Build Quality
The 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 - 4/5
Sound Quality
I 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.
Bass
Using 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 Range
Even 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 Range
I 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 - 5/5
Overall
Overall, 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.
| Included components | 3/4" adapter |
|---|---|
| Age range (description) | Adult |
| Material | Faux Leather, Plastic |
| Specific uses for product | Studio, Referencing, Monitoring, Mixing |
| Recommended uses for product | Recording |
| Compatible devices | All Headphones |
| Cable feature | Retractable |
| Item weight | 0.64 Pounds |
| Water resistance level | Not Water Resistant |
| Frequency range | 20Hz - 20,000Hz |
| Package type | Standard Packaging |
| Unit count | 1 count |
| Style | 250 OHM (Studio) |
| Product Dimensions | 17.78 x 10.16 x 21.59 cm; 290.3 g |
| Item model number | 459046 |
| Connector | 3.5mm Jack |
| Material Type | Faux Leather, Plastic |
| Country Produced In | Deutschland |
| Size | 17.8 x 10.2 x 21.6 cm |
| Colour Screen | No |
| Item Weight | 290 g |
