Welcome to the Reference Class – Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm Headphone Review

Nearly everyone in pro-audio has heard of Beyerdynamic and has come to expect great things when it comes to their audio gear and headphones. One of the most alluring products from Beyerdynamic is the DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm headphone because of it’s under $200 price tag. But some audiophiles don’t know if it’s decent headphone or just a cheaper product to catch the attention of budget headphone seekers. There’s really only one way to find out.

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm Headphone Review

IN THE BOX

The Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm closed-back headphone is certainly not a fancy package of extras. But it is all you need to get a mix going in the studio. Included in the box is the DT 770, a storage bag, 1/4″ adapter and standard paperwork from Beyerdynamic. As with many of the Beyerdynamic headphones the cable is fixed. This isn’t usually an issue because the DT 770 is a reference class studio headphone and will typically stay in the studio environment.

DESIGN / DURABILITY / COMFORT

The Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm looks and feels very similar to many of the Beyerdynamic reference headphones. The big difference is in the materials in the headphone’s padding and earcups. The headband padding is not nearly as lush as what you’ll find on the higher end Beyerdynamic headphones but by no means is it uncomfortable. It’s thick with ample padding to keep listeners happy for a long duration. The same goes for the earpads. Instead of a vinyl material they use a soft velour padding. It’s the same kind of padding you’ll find on the Beyerdynamic DT 990.

They Beyerdynamic over-ear, closed-back design of the DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm headphone is the standard circamaural (fully over-ear) that you’ll find on all the higher end Beyerdynamic headphones like the DT 1770 and DT 1990. The headband frame is made from durable metal like most of the Beyerdynamic studio class headphones. The backing of the earcups however are made from a durable plastic with a spatter design.

All around the design of the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm is a sturdy, durable and comfortable headphone designed in accord with most of the Beyerdynamic reference headphones. The significant differences are really in the materials which make it much more affordable.

SOUND SIGNATURE

The Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm headphone is designed as a high-quality reference class headphone. This means that you can examine detailed mixes and pick out elements of the mix that need additional eq and level tweaks. The frequency range is an expansive 5Hz to 35,000Hz for detecting the most minute details when mixing and mastering music. And finally at 80 Ohms you’ll definitely want to be using an amplifier but it doesn’t need to have a massive amount of power. Most DAW interfaces can power this headphone with no problem. This is one of the ideal features of the DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm. It has the same design and comfort of the 250 Ohm version yet costs less and needs less power to drive it.

TESTING WITH THE BEYERDYNAMIC A 20 AMP

Reviewing the DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm I thought it would be appropriate to use the Beyerdynamic A 20 amplifier. I also used a few highly regarded albums to reference via the in-house Fiio X5 (3rd generation). The source files were FLAC in order to get the best possible sound. I figured this would be a great way to see just how “reference worthy” the DT 770 PRO really is.

I spent about 30-40 minutes listening to some of my favorite tracks from 3 albums… The Eagles “Hotel California”, Michael Jackson “Thriller” and Tears For Fears “Songs From The Big Chair”. After reminiscing about good times I found myself quite impressed with the overall frequency response. The DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm headphone brought the best out of each mix with the reference quality of even more expensive headphones. I found the bass to be perfectly punchy and every element in each track was crystal clear. It was a truly flat sound through the vocals in the mid-range and up into the very high frequencies most people don’t even know exist in the music they listen to. The top end was brilliant and brought out the true emotion of the musicians and vocalists. I even found myself reliving the good old days of watching MTV with hits like Michael Jacksons “Beat It” and “Thriller. Listening to “Head Over Heels” by Tears For Fears reminded me of the genius filmography of the movie “Donnie Darko” which used the song in the soundtrack. “Hotel California” never sounded so clear.

The bottom line is the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm passed the reference test. The only thing I found to be an issue was the upper mids and high frequencies were bright with a few tracks. Especially on some of the Michael Jackson tracks but in all honesty my “everyday headphones” don’t have such a high frequency range so it’s just something I’m not used to.

CONCLUSION

Testing the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm closed-back headphone was the best part of my week. I got the chance to reminisce some great times via the classic tracks that accompanied them. Better yet I discovered a really cool headphone for under $200 that’s excellent for studio mixing, mastering, audiophile listening and even broadcast applications. .

This headphone may not be quite in the same class as the DT 1770 and DT 1990, however the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm is an excellent headphone for the price. The DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm headphone is truly a reference class headphone that will give you the advantage for your home studio but is still suited well for Studio A at a top-notch recording facility. You should definitely check it out.

Bring your mixing game to the next level with the DT 770 80 Ohm reference headphone. For the cheapest price you can purchase it at Beyerdynamic headphone store at Audio46 or on Amazon

SPECIFICATIONS

Transmission type – Wired
Headphone design (operating principle) – Closed
Headphone impedance – 80 ohms
Headphone frequency response – 5 -to 35,000 Hz
Nominal sound pressure level – 96 dB
Construction – Circumaural (around the ear)
Cable & plug – Coiled connecting cable with mini-jack plug (3.5 mm) & ¼“ adapter (6.35 mm)
Net weight without packaging – 270 g