Which Beyerdynamic headphones?

[LoveEnigma18]

I am currently using ATH-M50 headphones, but they are bit worn out, so, I am looking for a new pair of headphones to go along with and looking at the Beyerdynamic line up.

I am using NI Komplete Audio 6 MK1 as my audio interface, which drive my ATH-M50 very comfortably (only need to go about 9 o'clock on the volume knob) them being just 38 ohm impedance.

For open back and closed back, I would have loved to go for open back, but I am planning to use the headphones for recording/monitoring as well as production and mixing. Considering open back might not provide the best isolation for my environment/room, I am OK with closed back. Any suggestions on this are welcome.

The Beyerdynamic models I am looking at are DT 770 PRO 80 ohm or 250 ohm version and DT 700 PRO X.

The DT 770 PRO 80 ohm and DT 700 PRO X (48 ohm) have the advantages of lower impedance, so I don't see any concern from KA6 driving point of view.

DT 770 PRO 250 ohm seems to be recommended more than 80 ohm. I reckon KA6 should drive it fine, but I am a little concerned if I would need to spend additional for a headphone amp and cable. However, I like that this comes with a coiled cable, as well.

I am keep budget aside as I could stretch it for DT 700 PRO X if they are the best bet overall (although I would have liked more if they had a coiled cable).

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[Rockets666]

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[Constructed Identity]

I went with open back because closed back gets really hot on my ears in the summer. Some people say that open back is better for mixing.

[cryophonik]

I have a lot of headphones, including two pairs of BeyerDynamics - DT880 Pros (600 ohm) and DT770 Pro X. My go-to’s for mixing are the 880s (semi-open back) and my AKG 701s (open back). The 770 Pro X’s have excellent isolation for recording, but I would never trust them for mixing. They are very colored, boxy sounding, and are not comfortable to wear for extended periods (for me at least).

I guess you have to decide which is more important to you: good mixes or some headphone bleed. For me, that would be a no-brainer. I’d go for better mixes without hesitation. A little headphone bleed is usually not even audible in a mix (some people actually like it), and you can always find easy ways to minimize it (e.g., record at a lower volume, bring down the levels of instruments that bleed the most, like snare drums, etc.). Bottom line for me is that I’d go with the open cans, but I’d actually recommend taking a look at the 880s before deciding on the 770s.

[Spring Goose]

I had expensive Beyerdynamic headphones but disappointingly the bezel split after the warranty.

[LoveEnigma18]

Thanks for the comments, guys.

I went with open back because closed back gets really hot on my ears in the summer. Some people say that open back is better for mixing.

That's a good point too.

I have a lot of headphones, including two pairs of BeyerDynamics - DT880 Pros (600 ohm) and DT770 Pro X. My go-to’s for mixing are the 880s (semi-open back) and my AKG 701s (open back). The 770 Pro X’s have excellent isolation for recording, but I would never trust them for mixing. They are very colored, boxy sounding, and are not comfortable to wear for extended periods (for me at least).

I guess you have to decide which is more important to you: good mixes or some headphone bleed. For me, that would be a no-brainer. I’d go for better mixes without hesitation. A little headphone bleed is usually not even audible in a mix (some people actually like it), and you can always find easy ways to minimize it (e.g., record at a lower volume, bring down the levels of instruments that bleed the most, like snare drums, etc.). Bottom line for me is that I’d go with the open cans, but I’d actually recommend taking a look at the 880s before deciding on the 770s.

Guess I could use my ATH-M50 during vocal recording, which is the only thing I record, and buy an open back one from Beyerdynamic for variety and mixing benefits?

I don't mix on headphones for a long time or even rely on them as such, but I would appreciate a pair that helps provide a great sound stage, is comfortable to wear and helps better with mixes compared to ATH-M50s should I decide to spend long hours mixing songs with it now that I will be buying a new one. I would only go with 250 ohm version as the maximum impedance though.

By the way, why 880s (semi open) and not 990s (open)? Should I consider 990s instead or 880s provide a good sweet spot?

Also, is the sound isolation difference between closed back and open back significant? I mean it may be, but in case any of you have tried both and have any comments on the same. I never have.

[cryophonik]

I would only go with 250 ohm version as the maximum impedance though.

Yeah, I'd suggest the same thing. My 600-ohm DT880s require headphone amps with a lot of juice to push them! I'm not familiar with your specific interface, but I can't imagine it would have much of a problem with 250-ohms headphones.

By the way, why 880s (semi open) and not 990s (open)? Should I consider 990s instead or 880s provide a good sweet spot?

Yeah, I was suggesting the DT880s as a potential compromise between open and closed.

Also, is the sound isolation difference between closed back and open back significant? I mean it may be, but in case any of you have tried both and have any comments on the same. I never have.

I've never owned the 990s so I can't directly compare them with the 880s, but I can say that there is a pretty big difference between my 880s and my AKG 701s (fully open). The 701s have a much more open and have a wider sounding soundscape than the 880s, which are more compact sounding and a narrower stereo image. How much of that is due to differences in being different models from different brands is hard to say, but I think it's probably a combination of both brand differences and open vs. semi-open. I also have a pair of the cheaper AKG 240s and they also have a very open/wide sound to them compared to the 880s.

The 701s definitely bleed a lot more. I can tell that from simply taking them off to rest my ears - I can still hear the 701s clear as day, whereas the 880s are much quieter and more muffled sounding when they're just sitting on my desk a few feet away. I've actually used that to my advantage before. Sometimes I get so lost trying to get the vocals or something to fit right that I lose sight of the forest for the trees, and when I take the headphones off and just listen to them from a distance, I suddenly realize that the snare or something else is jumping out of the mix!

[LoveEnigma18]

I would only go with 250 ohm version as the maximum impedance though.

Yeah, I'd suggest the same thing. My 600-ohm DT880s require headphone amps with a lot of juice to push them! I'm not familiar with your specific interface, but I can't imagine it would have much of a problem with 250-ohms headphones.

Yeah, I am hoping KA6 will be fine for 250 ohms based on my understanding of specs and comments I have read of Reddit.

By the way, why 880s (semi open) and not 990s (open)? Should I consider 990s instead or 880s provide a good sweet spot?

Yeah, I was suggesting the DT880s as a potential compromise between open and closed.

Okay. I guess I would go with DT990s instead for the best open back experience if I were to go the open route.

Also, is the sound isolation difference between closed back and open back significant? I mean it may be, but in case any of you have tried both and have any comments on the same. I never have.

I've never owned the 990s so I can't directly compare them with the 880s, but I can say that there is a pretty big difference between my 880s and my AKG 701s (fully open). The 701s have a much more open and have a wider sounding soundscape than the 880s, which are more compact sounding and a narrower stereo image. How much of that is due to differences in being different models from different brands is hard to say, but I think it's probably a combination of both brand differences and open vs. semi-open. I also have a pair of the cheaper AKG 240s and they also have a very open/wide sound to them compared to the 880s.

The 701s definitely bleed a lot more. I can tell that from simply taking them off to rest my ears - I can still hear the 701s clear as day, whereas the 880s are much quieter and more muffled sounding when they're just sitting on my desk a few feet away. I've actually used that to my advantage before. Sometimes I get so lost trying to get the vocals or something to fit right that I lose sight of the forest for the trees, and when I take the headphones off and just listen to them from a distance, I suddenly realize that the snare or something else is jumping out of the mix!

Thanks for the details here. Are you pointing me toward AKG K701?

I will check them out, as they have excellent reviews too. I think I have enough guidance to decide on something. I can't have them all anyway, and if I did, I wouldn't have the time to shuffle between them. So, best to not overthink it now. I will remember to post once I get a new pair.

Thanks again for your time and help.

[cryophonik]

Thanks for the details here. Are you pointing me toward AKG K701?

That wasn’t my intention, but they’re certainly worth considering. Having never owned the 990s, the best input I can provide is based on my two cans that are the closest. They’re both comfortable to me, but the 701s feel much lighter on my head, whereas BD headphones have a firmer clamp, so I tend to use the 701s more and for longer periods because I often forget that I’m wearing them (I should mention that I never mix at loud levels, especially when wearing headphones). The flip side is that I think the 880s give me a more realistic representation of the stereo width and just generally glue mixes together a bit more, if that makes sense. I’m guessing the 990s are somewhere between the two.

[LoveEnigma18]

Thanks for the details here. Are you pointing me toward AKG K701?

That wasn’t my intention, but they’re certainly worth considering. Having never owned the 990s, the best input I can provide is based on my two cans that are the closest. They’re both comfortable to me, but the 701s feel much lighter on my head, whereas BD headphones have a firmer clamp, so I tend to use the 701s more and for longer periods because I often forget that I’m wearing them (I should mention that I never mix at loud levels, especially when wearing headphones). The flip side is that I think the 880s give me a more realistic representation of the stereo width and just generally glue mixes together a bit more, if that makes sense. I’m guessing the 990s are somewhere between the two.

Yeah, makes sense. I also read that the 701s are very comfortable and can be used for longer periods, which is nice. I guess it is due to the design of headband? I appreciate your suggestions. Although it should not be a big problem, I really need to make sure if open back is the right option for me considering my environment/situation.

[cryophonik]

Yeah, the 701 headband has far less tension and the earcups are pretty big with big soft-cushioned earpads.

No problem! I don't think you can go wrong with either choice tbh. Looking forward to hearing what you get!

[Ghostwave]

I'll add another vote for the DT 880 250 ohm which I've been using for the last 10 years. However, I'd highly suggest investing in frequency correction software like Dsoniq Realphones to get the most out whichever headphones you decide to get, especially for the mixing stage.

[justin3am]

I also use DT880s (600ohm) for mixing an DT770s (250ohm) for tracking. Until 2008, I was using AKG K240s and Sony MDR-7506s, when I switched to a pair of DT770s. Now, I'm so accustomed to these Beyerdynamic models, that I struggle to use anything else, and even Beyer's much more expensive headphones don't sound "right" to me.

[sinkmusic]

I like the DT880s (600ohm), too. They are a bit trebbly, so i would suggest to not rely only on it (use speakers, another pair of cans, etc), but I find that they have a nice sense of details and help you make the right decisions when mixing.

[_leras]

dt1990 are excellent and built really very well. I click with the sound better than my previous hd650.

The dt1770 are the closed back version and apparently sound similar.

You'll probably want an eq correction curve as they have a 'sparkly' 8k bump.

These may be more expensive but the build quality is great, they are very very comfortable and will last a lifetime if you look after them.