Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro, A Comprehensive Review of the Legendary Studio Headphones

The Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro is to the world of audio engineering what Deep Purple’s Steve Morse is to guitarists: an elite figure, with a certain hair-metal thing going on, defined by something that’s been around forever, beloved by enthusiasts, employed in countless settings – and wildly overhyped. The DT 770 Pro is undoubtedly the most famous closed-back studio ‘phone ever. It’s been ubiquitous in recording studios and mastering suites for decades now, jerry-rigged to DIY headphone amps all around the world, owned by geeks who splurged on the highest-end model to crack the enigma of digital audio encoding, built by Beyerdynamic in Germany for more than 25 years, and belittled by ‘purists’ forever and a day.

But has it ever truly been the ambrosia of the studio all along as many have professed? Here’s a concise and balanced rundown on the DT 770 Pro – an interesting set of headphones on the whole and no doubt an excellent workhorse in a particular context, but far from a be-all, end-all solution. This kinda deep-dive review is my attempt to plumb the belly of the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro, to examine its major organs, to sample its tones, to take its pulse, and, finally, to define its legacy. I’ll explore why this headphone has become a go-to for so many audio professionals and audiophiles, what makes it stand out, and how good a headphone it is or isn’t. Then you can decide whether it might work well for you.

A Closer Look at the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro

Before we spend some time listening, we should think a bit about the non-sonic features that have made the DT 770 Pro so popular in recent years. The DT 770 Pro is a heavy-duty headphone with a good balance between durability and comfort, which makes it an ideal partner in the studio or, indeed, in many listening situations.

Robust Construction: Built to Last

The DT 770 Pro is incredibly durable. It’s built on a strong metal headband that can withstand the kind of rough usage you’ll see in the rigors of professional studio use. The headband is adjustable, allowing you to get the perfect fit for your head even if you happen to have a larger or a smaller noggin. The cups are durable, too — composed of a solid piece of hard plastic that holds up to the abuse you can throw at it. In other words — the DT 770 Pro will be your portable soundtrack for years. It will bounce around in your bag, it will get tossed in a backpack with other studio gear, it will even take a beating in an airplane.

Comfort is King: A Design for Extended Listening

No matter how good a pair of headphones sounds, if they are uncomfortable, long-term listening sessions turn to frustration and pain. The DT 770 Pro has a great fit. The circumaural cup design helps to provide enough room for your ears to stay in contact with the comfy, big, and soft pads. This cup design also offers a snug seal around your ear, and if you wear glasses the padding on the headband moulds well to avoid ear cup pressure.

The velour-type earpads really feel nice, and they don’t heat up too much around your ears. This means that if you want to record music, play games or any other activity that might require you to wear these headphones for hours at a time, you won’t have to worry about your ears overheating – they will stay cool. I’ve been able to wear these things for the entire day without having to take them off; especially when recording and mixing a lot of music.

The Sound of Legend: A Deep Dive into Sonic Performance

Beyerdynamic’s DT 770 Pro is a great headphone for listening precisely because it sounds so good. Its sound is clean, clear and detailed, and it draws you in and makes you want to listen carefully. I can plug it in and lose myself in whatever I’m listening to, hearing things that I might miss on another headphone. These headphones compress musical information in just a couple of ways. Here’s why they’re so much fun to listen to.

A Detailed Sound Signature: Clarity and Accuracy

Music seems to emanate from a flow of air, rather than from individual notes, and the sound staging is also highly detailed, allowing you to discern the location of every player on stage. This DT 770 Pro’s sound signature is ‘detailed’ and that really sums it up. You hear every nuance, every detail of the music. Its frequency response is wide, from deep bass (the well-balanced rubbery double bass notes in System: Of a Thousand Fires (2007) by prog rock band Porcupine Tree for example) to sparkling highs (from the sonic shimmering music of Rick van der Linden’s Keyboard Fantasies (1977) album).

The reason I like the DT 770 Pro so much is that it allows you to hear every nuance of every note of every song, without any sonic colouration. This means that when I play music I produced back in the day, I can happily listen to it again, because I can clearly hear any edits or things that went wrong. People routinely ask me for advice on professional music headphones, and if I’m in a good mood, I like to quote sWoods_1 of HiFiMan’s forum, who said: ‘When you listen to something and it’s not just good – and when you look to the left and the right and realise you have uni-directional ears – when you listen and the reality you’re sensing is… well… you know when it’s something through digital technology, you know when it’s real.’

Powerful Bass: Tight and Controlled

On the subject of bass, the DT 770 Pro really hits hard without ever being overbearing or boomy – it’s powerful, but controlled and well-defined. Bass often obscures mid frequencies, but the DT 770 Pro pulls them into clearer relief, ensuring that you hear every detail of your music without any stay-at-home shyness. The plush leather headband of the Sennheiser HD 650 has always offered a feeling of deep luxury By way of further comparison, the DT 770 Pro has in my experience never disappointed with its punchy kick and deep, resonant basslines.

In fact, it might even be better suited to more bass-heavy genres of music such as electronic, hip-hop and rock, where the bass-line is integral to the experience. The DT 770 Pro perfectly accommodates the richer textures and dynamic range of modern music without ever becoming muddy, as many cheaper headphones tend to. Beyerdynamic has long known how to make headphones with both panache and precision.

Clear and Accurate Imaging: Precise Soundstage

It makes for a convincing, easy to read and very well defined soundstage. It also gives accurate imaging so you can locate exactly where in the mix the timbre and direction of an instrument or voice has a resonance. Obviously for folks working in the studio, this is good, or imperative. And it’s also important when you are mixing or mastering or just sitting there listening to make every instrument in your piece identifiable. Gaming too will benefit from the imaging, because this frequency response enables players to hear the game’s subtle positional cues.

Closed-Back Design: Isolation and Immersion

One of the main reasons this headphone sounds so good is its closed-back design: because it isolates you from external noise it can create a quiet, solid, immersive environment for listening. External noise in the studio was always a problem back in the day for me, given the amount of live instruments required for our sound. At the Higher Rhythm studio in North London, every session ended up with me lying on the studio floor of the live room, mixing on a pair of Yamaha NS10s, surrounded by drums and amps as I shaped my mixes.

There was always plenty going on. But, with the DT 770 Pro, you can create your own sound bubble and hear what’s coming out of your laptop / desktop peripherals without hearing the hum and hiss of other machines and the distant chat of people and furniture moving. Having a pair of closed-back headphones is almost a must-have for running a functional, efficient studio. When something sounds great coming out of the monitors, you want to be sure it sounds the same through the headphones and vice versa.

Another reason closed-back designs work well as studio cans is that they’re not prone to spillage (the amount of sound that escapes the headphones). Imagine you’re trying to mix using your DT 770 Pros in your bedroom and a heavy metal band cranks up the volume from the house next door. This spill plagued all good studio musicians in the old days and can make nuanced mixing of sonically intricate material difficult. The DT 770 Pro is ideal for use in busy studios and noisy neighbourhoods.

Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro: Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions about the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro:

What are the Best Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Ear Pads?

The ear pads on the DT 770 Pro are made of velour, a renowned material for comfort and breathability, thus allowing adequate airflow through your ears and making them perfect for long listening sessions. On the other hand, users who opt to replace the stock pads with leather or memory foam padding often do so for either sound isolation or the different sensation it provides. Leather pads, by blocking out more background noise, are typically better suited for listening sessions that demand a more immersive experience, while memory foam moulds to the shape of your ear better than any other type of material, making it more comfortable and worthy of prolonged music listening sessions.

What is the Difference Between Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro and DT 770 Pro X?

DT 770 Pro X is the latest version, with an updated headband for improved comfort. The band is made of a lighter material, and the earcups have been slightly adjusted to make contact with your head for a more consistent fit. While the DT 770 Pro X has similar comfort to the others, all three models have the same basic sound quality and construction. The DT 770 Pro X has a detachable cable, so you can replace the cable with a better one if you want.

How to Clean Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro?

For your DT 770 Pro, it is important that you keep the unit clean after every use so that it maintains its quality. Use a soft and damp cloth dipped in warm water to wipe the surface of the earcups and headband. Harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners should not be used on your Beats Pro, or else they will spoil the material. The earpads should be cleaned regularly as well, especially if you are using these headphones for long periods of time. Clean the earpads by detaching them from the main unit and washing them under warm water with mild soap. After cleaning, allow it to air dry entirely before reconnecting it to your Beats Pro.

Are Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Good for Traveling?

Built to last, the DT 770 Pro adds weight and bulk to portability, and you might find your claustrophobia flaring up in transit behind its closed-back rocking walls of sound. If you’re looking for a headphone to use when actually in transit, you’d be advised to look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you’re willing to lower your sights and accept that quality and durability in a headphone comes at some cost, and pack accordingly, the 770 Pro is a workhorse worth scrutiny for travel.

Where Can I Buy Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro?

The Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro is available from several online stores, such as Amazon, Thomann and Sweetwater, and there are authorised resellers in your region. Always buy headphones from a respected retailer to ensure they are genuine.

Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro: Final Thoughts

The Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro is a classic, a timeless headphone that simply nails the fundamental principles of what a great-sounding studio-grade audio performer should be. Like most legends, it’s hard to know where to start with describing it. Aside from its immaculate sound, the DT 770 Pro is exceptionally well built and designed for a wide range of uses. For the professional audio engineer who also wants to listen to Avicii on the weekends, their LED dance floor. Or for OS X music devotees who prefer Logic and GarageBand … it’s a great gateway into the world of high-end audio, without burning their wallets on T1-grade earsex.

For the pure gaming experience, there are few headphones better-equipped to get you to Fallout 2: Nuka Break 739 than the DT 770 Pro. Blue LED illumination strips peripherals, complete with a 5.1 speaker setup and a subwoofer, would be an absolute killer setup. And if you want to keep the system simple and weigh down the gear with only one headphone, the DT 770 Pro is a perfect candidate. It’s a beefy boys’ toy with unparalleled performance to match. It’s an all-rounder, a Legend of Audio.