Beyerdynamic MMX 300 Pro Review

Beyerdynamic is known for its excellent studio headphones but has a few gaming headphones in its library too. In the past, they’ve released a few different gaming headphones under the MMX line, with the latest being the MMX 300. These are wired headphones that seem ordinary if it wasn’t for its boom arm. Could it be a truly premium gaming headset?

What You Get

• Beyerdynamic MMX 300 Pro
• Quick Start Guide
• 1/8″ TRRRS to 1/8″ TRRS cable (for console)
• 1/8″ TRRRS to computer audio mic Y-splitter 1/8″ TRS (PC cable)
• 1/4″ to 1/8″ adapter
• Hard case
• Warranty paper

Look & Feel

You can expect the same standard for build quality in the MMX 300 that Beyerdynamic exhibits in all of its headphones. If you’re familiar with headphones like the DT 770, the MMX 300 will feature similar materials, like its aluminum yokes and velour ear cushions. Some people dislike Beyerdynamic’s clamping style, which exists for the MMX 300. I already find this design comfortable, so this works as a positive for me. What isn’t a positive for me is the headphone’s boom arm, which you can not detach. It’s not exactly the most flexible mic arm either, which can be a bit distracting. This isn’t the only distracting aspect of the headphone’s design. Its cable is very thick and long, which feels cumbersome if it’s just going to be plugged into a controller.

Design

For the next generation of their gaming headsets, Beyerdynamic implements a new version of the 45mm STELLAR.45 driver to ensure studio-quality sound for your game audio. Compared to most gaming headphones, the MMX 300 Pro might sound a little low if you’re just plugging it into your controller via a 3.5mm connector. The volume settings on my PS5 were boosted pretty high throughout my testing. Using the MMX 300 Pro on PC yields better results in terms of having more headroom to play with.

Voice Clarity

Making sure your headphones can deliver clear chat audio can be as much of a dealbreaker as game sound for gaming headphones. Luckily, the MMX 300 Pro has the cleanest I’ve heard recently thanks to its cardioid condenser microphone. Talking with friends over Discord was a breeze, as everyone could hear me very clearly. The cardioid polar pattern makes my voice very direct without much obstruction.

Soundstage

Unlike a lot of newer gaming headphones, the MMX 300 relies on its natural stereo field to communicate immersive game audio. There are no spatial features, acting like any ordinary pair of wired closed-back headphones. Fortunately, the presentation of the soundstage here won’t make you wish for it. If you prefer natural spatial imaging and realistic positioning of sound elements, the MMX 300 will deliver that to you. With games, the MMX 300 is able to showcase movement and depth within its closed headspace, making the sound feel intimate but layered.

When the MMX 300 has trouble with communicating distance, it makes up for it with how articulately it stacks its layers. This results in a clean separation of effects, music, and dialogue which blend together to reproduce a cohesive sonic environment around your head. Even when I can’t immediately tell how far away something is, I’m still able to tell where it’s coming from in the mix. You’ll find a use for this in competitive shooters, but it was also helpful for me traversing open-world environments with enemies chasing after me like in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Nothing is taken away from the atmospheric qualities of the environment, even with its closed headspace.

Low End

Beyerdynamic headphones usually carry an accurate bass response, and that’s true for the MMX 300 as well. What’s interesting about this response is how it combines their usual balanced bass tuning with a more theatrical tone that is common with gaming headphones. In effect, the bass is a lot more thunderous than what I’m used to hearing with their headphones, but it still has the same essence. There’s a ton of heft to these bass frequencies, which gives the timbre an enhanced scale for games. You get more of a rise from the extra rumble it gives you, which feels smooth and textured without being boomy.

Mids

There are a lot of gaming headphones out there with v-shaped sound signatures that hollow out the midrange. This is not true for the MMX 300. This is one of the clearest mid-ranges I’ve listened to over gaming headphones recently. It expresses a neutral timbre while featuring very punctual tones that enhance certain sound effects while gaming. Stings and elements with harsher attacks feel sharp and specific in their own space. These elements have plenty of room to breathe, and that’s not even accounting for music which does a good job staying out of the background. The only aspect of its sound that isn’t as elegant is the voices. There’s some notable recession in dialogue that put it on a much flatter plain than the sound effects and music.

Highs

It’s common for Beyerdynamic headphones to have a bit of a peak in the highs, but the MMX 300 doesn’t have that. This might convince you to give the MMX 300 a try, as the treble can be quite a deterrent for some when it comes to Beyerdynamic headphones. Even with the more subdued high frequencies, the MMX 300 still finds areas to cut through. What it results in is this veiled shimmer that isn’t exactly pleasant to listen to. It feels artificial like it’s trying to make up for some of the lack of detail in the high frequencies.

Summary

If you’re looking for a simple pair of gaming headphones for your console or PC that you can just plug and play, I would highly recommend the MMX 300 Pro. While it may lack some of its competitors’ new cutting-edge features, like spatial audio, Bluetooth capabilities, and a downloadable hub, the MMX 300 Pro makes up for everything with its sound quality and mic clarity. The build quality makes the MMX 300 Pro feel different from most gaming headphones. Its higher-grade materials will increase durability, and overall make it seem like more of a professional product.

The Beyerdynamic MMX 300 PRO is available here.