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Headphone Heights: REVIEW: Beyer Dynamic DT-770-Pro Studio Headphones - Limited Edition, 32 OHMS Headphones by Ivan303

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REVIEW: Beyer Dynamic DT-770-Pro Studio Headphones - Limited Edition, 32 OHMS Headphones

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Model: DT-770-Pro Studio Headphones - Limited Edition, 32 OHMS
Category: Headphones
Suggested Retail Price: $250
Description: 32 Ohm Limited Edition of the DT 770-Pro designed for low power portable music players
Manufacturer URL: Beyer Dynamic
Model Picture: View

Review by Ivan303 on February 02, 2013 at 12:23:59
IP Address: 69.228.84.26
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for the DT-770-Pro Studio Headphones - Limited Edition, 32 OHMS


The question is frequently asked: What headphone should I buy for my iPod or other low output portable music player? Most who frequent these pages, and are into headphones, already have something they like in ‘mucho bucko’ audiophile category. But like it or not, portable digital music is here, be it lossless storage or low bit rate streaming. So what to do?

The dilemma would seem to be: How high up the pricing food chain can one go and not run out of gas from either the low bit rate of streaming or the low power output of most portable digital players?

This review will be focused on my own personal use case; streaming MOG MP3 files at a claimed 320kbps into a USB powered 24 DAC (AudioEngine D1).

Prior to my purchase of the DT-770-Pro Limited Edition, 32 OHMS Studio Headphones I was listening to streaming audio through the AudioEngine D1 with my personal ‘reference’ headphones, the venerable Sennheiser HD-600. Very pleased with the sound but was looking for something in the ‘sealed’ category as I wanted both privacy from outside noise as well as not to disturb others around me. Plus it was obvious that the AudioEngine D1 was running out of power trying to drive the HD-600.

Enter the DT-770-Pro in 32 Ohm with the promise of being designed for low power digital music players so off to Amazon for a look. Then the Beyer Dynamic web site for a look there to find that the 32 Ohm limited edition is indeed limited to year 2012 and is now a discontinued model! So Amazon 1 click to purchase it was.

We will very soon learn if paying $250 for a set of headphones is a waste of money when matched to mp3 streaming over the internet.

Opening the package a few days later is pretty uneventful for a ‘limited edition’ piece. So be it. Not much for presentation cases anyway. Fake leather covering for the earpads a bit of a disappointment but may be for sonic consideration vs. the velour of the standard issue DT-770 Pro. And the velour is available in two colors and can be easily changed out. Overall seal is good. No outside noise leaks in and those around you will not be disturbed. Comfort is OK even though my head shape is not ideal for most any phones it would appear. Did a bit of bending on the metal part that attaches the earpiece to the headband and that helped. YMMV.

First plug in was my iPhone on which I have NO music files stored. Sorry, I’m a vinyl guy! So I hit the KUSC Classical Radio app and to my surprise MUSIC occurred!

REAL music! Good start.

Took me no time at all to plug them into AudioEngine D1 USB DAC, into my MacBook Air, boot up the MOG application and search through their catalog to find something I was familiar with on CD. Turns out they list about a dozen Reference Recordings Prof. Johnson CD’s including the Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances, one of my favorite recordings of all time.

How did it sound? Didn’t sound like any mp3 streaming crap I’m used to listening to! Bass well controlled, much better than with the limited power of the iPhone.

In a word, this is a very nice sound. One I could listen to for hours without fatigue. Compare to CD? Or said another way, how do they sound plugged directly into a cheap battery powered CD player on the SAME music? That’s easy, Reference Recording Hybrid CD into wife’s portable CD player. Even better. It would appear that these cans are clearly optimized for the limited power of portable music players and are capable of producing great sound when paired with good quality source material. That would include lossless files directly from either a computer or iPod/MP3 player.

How do they sound on the ‘big system’? I use a tube 6AS7 OTL headphone amp, which I feel matches well with the HD-600 in my view. The Beyer Dynamic cans are no slouch and while not quite as smooth in the midrange as the HD-600, quite OK. Clearly it’s a matter of ‘horses for courses’ and the HD-600 will now remain in the main listening room while the DT-770 Pro 32 Ohm cans will spend their lives attached to the computer via a USB powered DAC.

To summarize: It’s possible to spend $250 for a pair of headphones just for portable MP3 streaming and not feel you overdid it.






Product Weakness: Not the most comfortable for my head shape but can be adjusted (bent) to accommodate even my head shape. YMMV<br>
Product Strengths: REALLY good sound from low power digital sources. Even iPhone. Better with better source material but surprisingly good even with 320 kbps streaming through a USB DAC.<br>


Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: DIY HiFi Supply Chazz2 Headphone Amplifier
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): N/A
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Apple MacBook Air - AudioEngine D1 24 bit USB DAC Cheap battery powered CD player
Speakers: N/A
Cables/Interconnects: N/A
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Classical
Time Period/Length of Audition: 1 week
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: Beyer Dynamic DT-770-Pro Studio Headphones - Limited Edition, 32 OHMS Headphones - Ivan303 12:23:58 02/2/13 ( 0)