Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO is often recommended as the entry level audiophile “closed” headphones by many enthusiasts. This a review of the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 ohm headphones with a retail price of $145. You can learn about the competitors of the DT 770 PRO, as well as the 32 and 250 ohm versions as well.
If you are where I was two months ago, you’ve looked at countless articles and videos on what headphones you can buy on a budget.
You want better headphones. You want better music. You want a better gaming experience.
You want a better life.
I spent a full month researching various headphones to make the best possible decision I could make with the budget I had: $200.
The Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO came well under my budget at $145.
Whether you have $10 earbuds or $20 headphones, you’re missing out on the “audiophile” experience.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an audiophile… but the Beyerdynamic DT 770 certainly shed a new light in my life.
So let’s get down to the reasons that convinced me to spend $145 on a pair of headphones.
About a week after settling in and developing my sense of hearing through the DT 770, I asked myself, “why did I take this long to buy quality headphones?”
Table of Reasons – Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO
- Price
- Sound
- Comfort
- Noise cancellation
- Upgrades to the DT 770
- Alternatives in similar price range
- Alternatives in higher price range
- Technical specification
- Final thoughts
Price of DT 770 PRO: It’s really affordable.
A kid with a part-time job could buy one.
The Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO retails for $145 – it’s a really convincing price.
Think about how many things in life you can actually improve with just $145.
With quality headphones, your whole audio experience changes.
Some things in your life that can be improved are music, gaming, entertainment (movies, shows, YouTube), and voice communication. The DT 770 also has great noise cancellation features although it’s not true a noise-cancelling headphone like the Bose QuietComfort 35.
The more I think about it, the more logical it becomes to choose these before anything else.
In any case, the entry barrier for “audiophile” headphones start at around $150, then move up to ~$200 for the next tier…
…but the downside of the $200+ price point is, they are open-back or semi-open-back.
Nowadays, even kids can afford to buy quality audiophile headphones like the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO. Anyone with a part-time job can buy one if they really wanted it.
The affordability of the DT 770 isn’t convincing enough?
It wasn’t for me either.
But as I kept researching and reading, I understood why the price is amazing.
It’s unbeatable for what you get.
Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO sounds amazing.
It really is that simple.
Listen to your favorite band play at their best, at all times. Watch movies and shows, and feel as if you’re at a movie theater.
The only thing I should say about the sound is this:
When I listen to music, I feel like I’m actually listening to the music coming out of the headphones. Music isn’t being forced down my ears. It feels like my sense of hearing is at another level – I can truly feel the noise. I can make the choice to listen, I have room to breathe, I can perceive music in a whole different way.
Does this make sense to you right now? No. You won’t understand.
The thing about good headphones is that you won’t know – you won’t ever know – until you’ve had them for a few days.
When you’ve never had good headphones, your ears can’t differentiate “amazing” with “acceptable.” It takes a few days for your ears to get adjusted.
And when you do, you can’t help but smile.
Buy the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 ohm at Amazon.
You start noticing slight differences in what you’re hearing. You start feeling sensations you’ve never felt before.
When I said, “you can feel the noise,” I really meant it. You start to grasp the concept of how sound doesn’t always have to be shoved down your ear canals as giant ball of unorganized, jumbled noise.
“Ok, I want that but I still need something I can understand to go with!”
Here’s a comparison you can understand.
Maybe you were around when YouTube first started supporting HD video formats (720p+).
Remember when you first watched a 720p video? 1080p? 4k?
The effects are immediate – you can definitely put your finger on it.
Things are more crisp, brighter, and you can start seeing more in detail.
Getting audiophile headphones, like the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO, is something like that.
You start to pick out every instrument on a different layer, each being so clean and distinct. It’s HD for your ears, but your ears need some time to adjust.
Of course, you shouldn’t rule out the source of the sound.
The best experience you’ll get is if you have some .FLAC files (Free Lossless Audio Codec – meaning you are listening to how the producers meant for you to hear it, as it doesn’t lose quality from being compressed).
DT 770 Comfort: I wear them all day.
They’re comfortable and don’t choke my head…
…anymore.
One feature I looked for is comfort. After all, I am on my computer (at home or at work) for most of the day with headphones on.
Are Beyerdynamic‘s DT 770 PRO headphones comfortable?
I’ll be honest: at first, they weren’t. I expected them to be a bit tight because they’re coming straight from the factory package.
If you have a big head and you’re worrying about comfort, I can say that I have a bigger-than-average-head and they were a bit tight straight out of the box.
On the other hand, my wife found them to be extremely comfortable right away. She has a small head.
Anyways, back to the initial discomfort. The DT 770 PRO actually squeezed my head and I needed a quick break every hour or so. This made me worry since I’d have to return the headphones and do another month of research.
Thankfully, I found a solution within two days. Now, I can wear them for hours on end, everyday.
Here’s what I did.
The working solution I found has two steps:
- Wear them. The headband (the part that rests on your head) is made out of metal and will loosen up to fit your head. They will naturally loosen up.
- This step can be a little scary. Hyper-extend the headband to loosen them up. Try to bend the headband in an arc wider than how it would naturally sit on your head. It shouldn’t feel forced.
I realized the whole headband is made out of metal which made me comfortable enough to try this method.
Velour ear pads? What are those? Are they comfortable?
You’ve probably heard or read about velour ear pads on the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO.
What does it mean in terms of comfort?
Velour allows your ears to breathe and provides padded comfort. It means no more heat buildup inside your ear cups, unlike faux leather, which absorbs and retains all the heat inside.
I was using a
Faux leather gets so hot, I simply can’t wear headphones during summer. I’m sure many of you have the same problem.
Velour also has a soft texture. They don’t stick to my face due to sweat or oil. This also means you need to keep them clean.
Thankfully, the DT 770 PRO has removable ear pads so you can either order some spare ones in silver or black, or simply wash your velour ear pads yourself.
Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO closed studio headphones.
It’s great for noise-cancellation.
I had planned on starting this section by talking about how how I’m sitting under a wall-mounted TV that my wife uses.
Turns out that my wife started vacuuming around the house as I was typing this review up, and I couldn’t hear it at all. Just this alone is a prime example of how the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO headphones are great noise-cancelling headphones.
Anyways, because of the TV right above me, I started looking for noise canceling headphones.
After hours of research and finding out that “noise-cancelling” headphones are well over $300, I figured I should settle for something less. I settled for less but got so much more.
During my research I found out there’s more than one type of headphones… a lot more. The DT 770 PRO headphones are over-the-ear (since they go over the ear), closed (there are no openings where there is noise leak) headphones.
What’s noise leak?
Noise leak is really simple:
- There’s noise leaking out, so people can hear what you’re listening to.
- There’s noise leaking in, so you can hear everything happening around you.
So when you look at a Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO, you can clearly see there are no visible openings on the ear cups where a noise leak might happen.
If you don’t need a noise canceling headphone, you can try looking at the DT 770’s brothers listed below.
Beyerdynamic DT 770 alternatives: what else can you buy in the same price range?
There are some alternatives in the same price range but the main competitor to the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO is the Japanese-made Audio-Technica ATH-M50x (Professional Studio Monitor Headphones).
Reasons why Audio-Technica‘s ATH-M50x is a great match-up against Beyerdynamic’s DT 770 PRO
- Price. They both retail for around $150. The two are truly affordable for anyone.
- Sound quality. The ATH-M50 series came to popularity due to their affordability and sound quality. I’m sure you’ve come across the M50s before – you’ve just never noticed. I see them everywhere! The M50x series is a step up from the M50 series – is it worth the upgrade? I personally would pay a little extra and move up in the $200 range.
- Style. The ATH-M50x is a classic. There’s a reason why so many people buy them without knowing anything about quality music. They look good!
- Portability. Looks aside, the ATH-M50x has one clear edge over the DT 770 PRO. The detachable chord and ear pads with twisting capabilities makes the ATH-M50x a winner in terms of portability alone.
The other alternative I can recommend is the Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus (COP+).
Beyerdynamic COP+ is a modern version of the DT 770 PRO.
“If the Beyerdynamic COP+ is a modern version DT 770 PRO, why would I ever buy the older DT 770 PRO?”
Well, just because there is a newer version of something, it doesn’t mean that it’s better. In this case, Beyerdynamic realized that there is a market that wants more modern-looking headphones. The COP+ allows you to be on-the-move by providing a more contemporary design as well as providing a detachable chord.
The COP+ also has one additional feature. You can attach a mic to the detachable chord. You can also replace the cards on the exterior part of the ear pads, but it’s more of a gimmick.
“Really cool upgrades, but what am I giving up?”
You are giving up affordability, because you’ll end up paying about $50 more (without the mic attachment). You’re also giving up some audio quality (bass), but it’s something you won’t notice unless you are an audiophile.
Why didn’t I get them?
I just simply wanted a more “pure” audiophile experience. I spoke to various audiophiles and headphone enthusiasts and the majority ruled that the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (80 ohm) is the winner in the community. They didn’t buy into the gimmicks. They only cared about sound quality. I shared this sentiment, and I’m extremely satisfied with my DT 770 PRO (80 ohm).
Sennheiser – the hero we need?
This was actually my first choice.
But I later learned about open-back and closed-back functions… so that was a total let-down.
The Sennheiser HD 598 retails for around $150 as well but provides amazing specs for its value. Some say that this $150 headphones operate on par with $300+ headphones.
The Sennheiser HD 598 is open, over-the-ear headphones, meaning there’s a lot of noise leak. This isn’t something I could settle with so I had to (unfortunately) cross them out of my list.
If you can afford them and have your own space to listen to whatever you want without being disturbed/disturbing others, then this would be my choice.
Beyerdynamic DT 770 vs. DT 880 vs. DT 990
The showdown between three brothers
In the end, my choice came down to the brand rather than the product.
Beyerdynamic is known to provide a bass and treble heavy, warm sounds while providing great comfort.
Plus Beyerdynamic is German-made, like the world-renowned Sennheiser… on a budget.
I really liked the style of the Beyerdynamic products as well. Retro yet somehow modern-looking. Plus they simply look so comfortable!
My decision came down to three choices – DT 770 vs. DT 880 vs. DT 990 – all three were within the $200 budget.
In the end, it was a bit anticlimactic because the DT 880 is semi-open, and the DT 990 is open… and I can’t have noise leak.
Choices, choices, choices…
So to sum up my research, these are great alternatives:
- Audio-Technica ATH-M50x – Quality sound and build, great style, and portable.
- Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus – A more modern version of the DT 770, lacking a bit of bass while having cool new features like a detachable chord.
- Sennheiser HD 598 – Call me a fanboy, but Sennheiser’s got it. Better recognize. I just ruled it out because I needed a closed, over-the-ear headphones.
- Beyerdynamic DT 880 – Beyerdynamic brand. Semi-open. Great sound quality. The newer Premium All Black version looks so cool.
- Beyerdynamic DT 990 – Beyerdynamic brand. Fully-open. Comfort and quality.
Things you can buy for the DT 770 to make them sound better. Is that even possible?
This is one of those things you won’t need but everyone fancies.
You might want to read this section if your headphones are 250 ohm or higher, or you hear hissing noise in the background.
If these issues are not a concern for you, you can skip this section and save yourself the trouble!
The upgrades you can get for enhancing your listening experience require you to set up some additional technology.
Nowadays, this is fairly simple since the additional technology is USB plug-and-play ready.
Let’s say you’re happy with your purchase but looking to expand and learn about the full potential of the DT 770 PRO.
Introducing the DAC and amp!
“A what?”
I had the same reaction when I read about it. Why does everything have to be so complicated?
Well, it doesn’t have to be.
A DAC converts the noise from digital to analog, and an amplifier (amp) sends the noise to your headphones. Simple, right?
Another cool thing that an external DAC/amp does is separating the electrical noise inside your computer to your headphones.
A DAC/Amp will also help you power your high-end headphones too.
You can control the volume, bass boost and most importantly…
…if you do not have a strong enough power source to power your headphones, you are not reaching the full potential of your headphones.
In retail, the DT 770 PRO comes in 32 ohm, 80 ohm and 250 ohm variants.
The higher the “ohm,” the more power you need to give.
If you use a computer with your headphones, you can probably get away with not having a DAC/Amp up to the 80 ohm versions. (This means 32 ohm and 80 ohm versions don’t need the DAC/Amp).
However, if you decide to go with a higher ohm route or have high-end headphones, you will definitely need one.
A DAC and amp can come in a hybrid model like the FiiO E10K DAC/Amp. This way, you don’t need to buy two separate devices.
Buy the FiiO E10K DAC/Amp at Amazon.
DT 770 alternatives: which headphones can you get to move up from the DT 770?
If your budget is over $200, then you have some more toys you can get. There’s also the matter of getting closed or open headphones.
This can easily turn into a “best headphones review” at this rate…
Sennheiser HD 600/650 open-back headphones.
All you’ll ever need?
The Sennheiser HD 600 is a prominent star in the $300 territory but well worth the price.
Comfort, audio quality and build quality is something you can always expect from Sennheiser.
The HD 600 features great frequency response, less sound distortion, comfort (at .57 lbs) and a two year warranty from Sennheiser!
Once you have these, you have turned into a true audiophile. Congratulations.
Quick tip: if you can dish out a a bit more money, you can grab the newer HD 650 model.
If you do some research in audiophile forums, you’ll see that many people have the HD 600 or HD 650 for the reasons above. They’re just phenomenal pieces of technology.
One thing you have to know is that the Sennheiser HD 600 and HD 650 have an impedance of 300 ohm – meaning you’ll definitely need some high-end DAC and amp mentioned above.
Right now, I’m very happy with the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 ohm. They’re closed-back and the “Beyerdynamic sound” is something I’m thoroughly enjoying everyday. If I wanted to buy a new pair of headphones, I’d want open-back headphone in a higher price range.
Why?
Well, I already have closed-back headphones. So no point in getting another one, right? Maybe I’d want something more portable for my daily commutes to work, but it’s not a huge deal for me. Next, I’d want higher impedance and by then I’d have some decent DAC and amp. Third and finally, the high-end “Sennheiser sound” is something to be sought after.
Buy the ultra sleek Sennheiser HD 650 headphones at Amazon.
Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO technical specs and mumbo jumbo.
Here’s the technical specifications for the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 ohm version, directly from Beyerdynamic GmbH & Co. KG:
- Transmission type: Wired
- Headphone design: Closed-back
- Headphone impedance: 80 ohms
- Headphone frequency response: 5 – 35,000 Hz
- Nominal sound pressure level: 96 dB
- Construction: Circumaural (around/over the ear)
- Cable & plug: Straight cable with mini-jack plug (3.5 mm) & ¼” adapter (6.35 mm)
- Net weight without packaging: .59 lbs
32 ohm vs. 80 ohm vs. 250 ohm+
What’s the deal with the “ohm” thing?
The ohm is a measurement of electric resistance.
For headphones, the ohm represents “impedance.” It’s something technical but all you need to know is the lower the impedance (ohm), the less power it requires to operate.
The reason why they require less power is because they perform “worse” than the higher impedance counterparts.
To the average consumer, this won’t make a difference. In fact, the average consumer won’t want headphones with higher impedance because they will need a portable DAC/amp to operate the headphones.
If you need a DAC/amp for your high impedance headphones, then there goes portability. You’d have to carry extra cables and devices.
TL;DR – Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO is a must-buy.
If the low entry-point of ~$150 price point isn’t enough, then consider the following…
Beyerdynamic created an absolute beast. The build quality of the DT 770 isn’t something to overlook – it’s sturdy, comfortable and performs magnificently.
The noise-cancelling capabilities of the closed-back, over-the-ear headphones work better than what you could imagine.
The quality of the sound coming from drivers behind each ear pad is simply phenomenal. Your ears have not experienced this before, and you will surely have to take a few hours to get to learn about this beast.
Once you start learning what the headphones are capable of, once you’ve trained your ears to truly hear…
…you’ll feel the same happiness that I feel everyday.
The Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO is comfortable. The clamping pressure could be a bit uncomfortable to those with big heads like me, but it can easily be fixed by simply spreading the headphones and holding it for a few seconds. For those with normal or small heads, it’ll be comfortable straight out of the box.
If you want good, all-around headphones with a low barrier to entry and excellent bass…
…then the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (80 ohm) is one of the best bang for the buck, if not the best.
Great review from an audiophile point of view. That being said, the DT 770 Pro is intended for use in the recording studio environment, hence the “Pro” designation. It’s one of my three choices for recording. (My other two being Beyerdynamic DT 100s and Dt 150s, both professional studio headphones.) They are superb for laying down tracks, and can even serve to check your mix if a set of DT 880s isn’t available. All of the Beyerdynamic headphones are great choices for listening to music in the consumer realm, even if that is not their originally intended use. I use Beyerdynamic headphones exclusively for all music production aspects.
Where the DT 770, 880, and 990 are intended for professional purposes, the two Sennheiser models you mentioned are/were not; their intention is for high-end playback of consumer music with the audiophile in mind. It just so happened that a (some) mixing engineer(s) somewhere decided that he (they) liked them for their mixes.
Ohm distinction is quite an important point. The 32 ohm version was produced for the average consumer seeking higher-end headphones, because, regardless of a product’s originally intended purpose, consumers desired a “superior” product for their listening pleasure. What better way than to buy a professional audio product. The 80 ohm version is perfect both in the professional studio and in the home recording environment. Most music creators don’t really have the need for a 250 ohm headphone, unless they work in a professionally comparable environment, where they might require the umph facilitated by a headphone amp.
I can tell anyone here first hand, that for professional purposes, Beyerdynamic headphones are definitely superior to any Sennheiser headphone. I can say this because I tested various model professional headphones from both manufacturers, side-by-side. That being said, Sennheiser does make excellent headphones and microphones.
I will say here, for the record, that I am a Beyerdynamic endorser. They did not approach me; I approached them, because literally everything the manufacture is superb in every way.
Keep in mind, I’m just one person out of millions, so other people, both professional and consumer will have a different views to mine.
Thank you!
Hi Stuart,
First off, thank you for the comment – it adds a lot of value and explains some things I didn’t cover.
The main point of this post was to cover Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO for any kind of end-user who is looking for a good pair of headphones to use, for various types of uses.
This article will hopefully reach various types of readers, professional or not. I just wanted to give my insight on what makes the DT 770 PRO one of the best choices – I’m glad you think it’s a “great review!”
Thank you so much for your kind words.
Lastly, I have seen and heard the same sentiment on numerous occasions – DT 770, 880 and 990 are often the choice for professionals. A friend of mine regularly does video editing & podcasts and loving the 990 as well.