Review Audio-Technica M40x vs Audio-Technica M50x Comparison

If you’ve ever shopped for a great set of headphones between $100 and $200, you were probably at your wit’s end at some point.  Between these two price points, there exists a wealth of headphones.  Some are nearly identical while others are in a class all their own.  But two of the most popular – the M40x ($99) and the M50x ($169) (both from Audio Technica) – offer some deceptive similarities as well as polarizing differences.  Which one is better?  Behold! the comparison review!

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Either headphone will impress in terms of build quality and design.  Featuring some heavy-duty plastic with an aluminum headband and aluminum extenders, the overall robust feel can’t be denied.  They also come with some impressive cables – the M50x with a short straight cable, a long straight cable, and a long coiled cable, and the M40x including the last two, but omitting the first.

The cups and the headband utilize a soft pleather, leading to decent comfort and great noise-isolation.  Both the earcups and the cable on either model is replaceable.  On the M40x, the cups swivel 90 degrees.  On the M50x, the cups swivel 180 degrees.

Side by side, they look almost indistinguishable, though the M50x might give off a slightly classier or slightly more robust vibe.  Just below the extenders on the left and right earcups, there are some fancy left- and right-indicators that have the appearance of burnished steel.  The sides of the cups are also different; on the M50x, there’s a silver ring around an engraved Audio Technica logo.  The M40x, by comparison, features a smaller silver ring that forms part of the Audio Technica logo itself.

Comfort-wise, too, these headphones are more alike than they are dissimilar.  Both feel pretty tight on the head straight outta the box, but both also tend to “break in” for most users, leading to comfortable experience a little later.

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Under the hood, the M40x seems less impressive, spec-wise.  With a low impedance of just 35 ohms and a frequency range of 15-24000 hertz, it would seem to play second-fiddle the beefier, meatier M50x, which sports a similar impedance of 38 oms, but with a larger frequency range of 15-28000 hertz.  The driver size is also different between the two models:  the M40x has a 40mm driver and the M50x has a 45mm driver.

What does 5mm of extra driver get you?  A fairly different sound, it would seem.  Because here we start to see a greater divergence between the two models.

The M40x is a little more relaxed in the sound department, with a more neutral sound that is not unimpressive for a headphone at this price.  Mids and highs seem to get the same amount of attention as the bass does, which is refreshing to say the least – especially when stacked up against all the Beats-like alternatives that crowd the headphone landscape.

The M50x, by comparison, is a bit more substantial in the low end, giving you the impression that it might be just the little bit bassy.  Whether or not this is too bassy for most critical listening situations is up for debate, but our money is on “No.”  But more demanding ears may prefer the cheaper M40x.

It’s important to note here that the bass in the M50x isn’t necessarily over-emphasized, but has just a little more “oomph” in it, courtesy of that slightly larger driver, no doubt.

In the end, which is the better headphone?  For everyday musical applications, I like to recommend the M50x because for $169 the sound can’t be beaten. It’s at once accurate and moving, and it won’t break your bank like some other headphones.

However, for those who prefer a cleaner, more exacting sound, the M40x may be of more interest, but we still recommend you do a side-by-side comparison to let your ears decide.

Review Audio Technica Headphones ATH-M30x | Mobile Accessories

I've spent nearly 6 months with the ATH-M30x and for those of you torn about whether or not to buy them, I'm here to help you make up your mind.

The M30x from Japanese manufacturer Audio Technica has a lot to offer for an otherwise slim price tag of a hundred dollars.

Why don't we begin at the build and design? 

The M30xs are made like most closed-back headphones in this price range. They're foldable, and can fit into pretty tight spaces when folded, so portability is a yes. They're fairly light at 220 grams (7.8 oz) so they don't weigh down on your head, and the plastic definitely feels sturdy, so I'm not really worried about dropping them.

What does worry me is the pair of  exposed wires running up the side of the headphones from near the cups to the band that covers the head. They appear vulnerable and flimsy and constantly have me wondering what would happen if they were to get snipped off. They are really thin after all. However, I haven't had any problems with those yet, and they definitely make the M30x look more sophisticated and professional for some reason.

The cups are large enough to fit over most ears and are very comfortable with soft padding. The only problem you would face with the cup design is the heating problem they come with because they're closed-back. The M30x doesn't heat up too much though, and you'll get used to it after a few days of use. Using it for more than 30 minutes at a stretch will certainly get your ears sweating, but it's not really that uncomfortable.

Moving on to Audio Quality, the reason you're actually reading this review. You may have heard that the ATH-M30x's are good, but just how good are they, really? Are they worth a hundred dollars? Well, it would be a safe bet to say that they are. I am a serious pianist and a budding composer and I use these Professional Studio Monitor headphones all the time with my keyboard and computers.

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 They have an excellent bass response, with the Bass frequency going all the way down to 15 Hz (15 Hertz), which happens to be way below the human hearing capability, so it shouldn't make a difference, but honestly, the vibrations they produce at frequencies that low are very pleasing to the ear.

They perform extremely satisfactorily in the mid-range segment as well, even for studio monitors. They seem to be just a bit lacking in the higher ranges though, possibly because of their maximum frequency being capped at 22 kHz (22,000 Hertz). The average human adult's hearing capability extends only near to 17 kHz though, so the M30x doesn't really disappoint.

Given all that, if you want to buy these cans for piano use, don't worry, I use them myself. The M30x's are especially great if you play rock or heavy metal on your piano, thanks to their Bass capabilities.

Besides all that, the M30x's come with a 6.3 mm gold-plated adapter for their standard 3.5 mm jack (also gold-plated) which screws on to the jack and doesn't come off unless you want it to. Also, the adapter can be used with other 3.5 mm audio jacks.

The 3 meter audio cable is, regrettably, not detachable, but that doesn't pose much of a problem and the cable attaches only to one side for ease of use, so that's a plus point that should balance it out.

They also come with this durable pouch for you to keep your headphones and wires in, which is pretty cool.

In conclusion, the Audio Technica M30x (ATH-M30x) is an excellent product put forth by the company for budget buyers, so if you're on a limited credit flow, then these headphones will no disappoint. 

However, it is recommended to look into higher end headphones if your wallet lets you as they just may prove to be a better choice.

That's all that's there for now, and if I helped you make up your mind, I'm glad I was of service.

Allow me to help you a bit further and provide you with a link to Amazon's website where you could pick these headphones up for the least price on the internet.

Feel free to shoot any questions you may have regarding the product at me in the comments section below, and if you're wondering- no, the sound doesn't leak out. At least, not that I know of. Also, if you don't mind an unauthorized seller, let me know in the comments and I'll get you a link to a seller with an even lesser price tag for these.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to share!

Review Audio Technica - ATH-M20x Headphone | Mobile Accessories

My search for an ideal professional grade Studio quality headphones finally came to an end,post my purchase of the Audio Technica ATH M20X. When my existing Philips and SkullCandy headphone began to wear out, splurging on this 3000rs headphone seemed to be the most ideal thing to do

The below review is posted after using it extensively for more than a month, every day and passed the burn-in period
Costing Rs.3000 , this is one of the best choices for a over the ear headphone in the 50$ segment and definitely great value for money. Audio Technica may have other cheaper models in the sub 1500Rs segment offering much lower quality and prone to criticism of their brand. But with the M20X , they have hit it right on target and delivers superior quality of music, that's probably heard only in very expensive premium headphones costing 10K+, such as Beats, Sennheiser and JVC.

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The other 2 variants in the ATH MX series apart from the M20X include the M30X(Rs.4000 ~ 60USD) and the M50X(Rs.10,000 ~ 150USD). These two variants offer far higher resistance and nearly double the power input of M20X. Sensitivity and frequency response however remains almost identical to all three variants and so do the appearance

The M20X offers the most ideal mix of bass and treble naturally and doesn't require any advanced equalizers to fine tune the audio. The sound output is crystal clear and you can get to hear those special instruments chirping away in the background very clearly. The songs are not distorted by extra punchy bass but at the same time it reproduces the sound effects quite vividly, including the intended bass available in many tracks
Not just songs, but this can be a great choice for watching movies in laptops as well. The flatness in the audio with support for almost all frequency ranges. I played a wide genre of songs in different languages and till now yet to find a track that wasn't justified by the Audio Technica M20X. Even if the track was just 256-320KBS and not necessarily a FLAC/Lossless WAV format, it played it with perfection

The noise isolation was 100% as it complete encompasses your ear and makes you forget the world completely. However person next to you can slightly overhear you if the volume is kept at a slightly higher level


Other Alternatives :
The only 2 other choices that is often considered,in this price range includes the Sony MDR-XB450  and BeyerDynamic.

•  Sony MDR XB450 costs around 2000 and is strictly marketed for "Bass heads" and offers the extra punchy bass along with an excellent depth of quality. But its definitely not for the average music listener or the "purists", who expects to listen the raw version of the song without being distorted by extra high sounding bass. 
• BeyerDynamic costing almost similar to the ATH M20X at around 3K INR, it offers a decent alternative to Audio Technica. With similar open back design, swivelling ear cups, Beyerdynamic is modelled along the lines of the former,with similar frequency response and slightly higher bass. 

However, when faced with a choice I'd stricly go for the Audio Technica, primarily because of its military grade quality in both the ear piece as well as its thick insulation cable that stretches to nearly 2-3m. The popularity of the Audio Technica brand among musicians, primarily for studio monitoring purposes thanks to its pure crystal clear sound output, can be a great factor while choosing this headphone
Summary
Pros:

• Outstanding clarity and purity of sound
• Military grade encasing of the 3M Chord with neodymium magnet
• Pricing is quite optimal at the 3K (and definitely offers quality that of a 10K Rs. headphone)
• Best Studio Monitor Headphone in the market
• 100% Sound Isolation
• Also contains an additional 6.5MM jack to connect to Amps

• Cons:
• Not foldable and can be quite bulky while travelling.
• Not ideal for jogging/walking (but of course these are meant to be for home use/studio use)
• Can become slightly difficult while listening to it for a stretch ( better to take a few minutes break now and then )

Verdict : Definite buy !!

Review Beyerdynamic Xelento Wireless In-Ear Headphones | Mobile Accessories

I'm not going to lie. I’m a huge Beyerdynamic fan. I initially bought the DT 1770 Pro for studio use. But it sounded so damn good, that I now use it just as much for listening enjoyment as I do for recording. And when the Aventho Wireless came out, I thought it blew every other Bluetooth headphone in that price range out of the water. So, I was very curious to see how far they could go with the Xelento. And I’m in love once again. Let’s explore what makes these buds so outstanding in this Beyerdynamic Xelento Wireless In-Ear Headphones Review.

Beyerdynamic Xelento Wireless In-Ear Headphones Review

IN the BOX

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FIT

Perfect in this department. These light buds seal well to the contours of the ears without protruding out at all. They wires are designed to be worn around the ear. But Beyerdynamic avoids using memory wire. Rather, they angle the connectors to lean the wire in a curved direction. So, I find them much easier to put on than a Shure IEM, for example. That being said, sound isolation may not be as effective as a Shure earphones. But once you hear this buds, you won’t care.

 

DESIGN

The Xelento uses a single dynamic Tesla driver, which the same driver as in the Xelento wired model. The sturdy (and very pretty) silver-plated cable is the same as well. The cable has detachable MMCX connectors, so you can swap it out if you want to go wired, using the cable included in the box.

The Xelento Wireless employs aptX HD, which will gives you 24 bit Bluetooth transmission that approaches CD-like quality. (i.e. Not quite CD, but close). Of course, if you want to fully optimize your high resolution files, you’ll need to use the wired connection.

For you crazy folks who have problems getting sufficient volume from other wireless buds you’ve tries, rest assured that you’ll get the loudness you need from these babies. But be very careful kids. Audio46 wants your hearing to last long enough to buy the next pair.

Speaking of hearing loss, Beyerdynamic offer an app, MIY, that tests out your hearing and customizes the sound profile to compensate for any deficiencies you may have in certain frequencies.
Battery life is around 8 hours, which isn’t incredibly long by today’s standards. But as Lao Tzu said, the flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long.

SOUND

Overall Impressions: Fast, great separation and perfectly balanced. 

Lows

Unsurprisingly, you’ll hear the same bass presence in Xelento Wireless as you will from the wired model. That is, it has a satiating oomph, but maintains the skillful balance that Beyerdynamic is so famous for. Listening to pop, there was enough punch to do justice to the genre. And it’s one of the fastest wireless headphones I’ve ever heard. Kick drums, for example, were super tight and had tons of impact. Transparency is impressive as well, with cellos and acoustic bass instruments conveying plenty of texture and resolve. And playing a few rock tracks, the low end was well separated from the higher frequencies.

Mids

Again, in true Beyerdynamic fashion, you have a beautifully balanced and present midrange. Rock and pop-rock reveals the entire spectrum of sound in this range, giving the tracks a full-bodied feel. Listening to acoustic guitars, the separation was primo in the lower mids, where it can often get muddy, even in high performance wired headphones. In fact, like every Beyerdynamic model, separation might be one of its biggest strengths. And that speedy transient response is ever apparent in this range as well. Listening to John Lennon’s Watching The Wheels, the snare drum is extremely solid and disciplined. Moving on to classical, strings had ample detail for a wireless headphone. But of course, comparing it to the wired Xelento, it couldn't match it in terms of transparency. Rather, it presented a slightly smoother profile, which was still very pleasing to the ear.

Highs

You’ll hear impressive detail listening to strings in this range. But being such a neutral sound signature, you won’t get a tremendous amount of sparkle when listening to percussion instruments in this range. But I like that it doesn’t get too bright. That being said, it’s not rounded, and you’ll still hear that invigorating crispness you get from a tight sounding headphone.

Soundstage

A spacious soundstage with a sense of height and width that almost matches the wired Xelento model. The feeling of spaciousness is also just as good. Perhaps it has slightly less precision than the wired model. But the sense of dimension is still incredibly impressive, and it’s the best soundstage I’ve ever heard on a wireless headphone.

SUMMARY

These wireless IEMs are certainly the best I’ve ever tested with respect speed, detail, separation, balance and soundstage. The neutral sound signature also makes it thoroughly versatile in terms of genre. And it’s certainly the closest you can get to a critical listening experience for a Bluetooth headphone. If you have to go wire free, but you’re an uncompromising audiophile, I don’t think you can do better than the Xelento Wireless.

Review Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250 Ohm Headphones | Mobile Accessories

I tried to buy a pair of DT990’s once before, last summer. But they showed up with one of the pads damaged significantly.

I still listened to them for a few minutes…and it was a pretty great experience even with the stupidly-broken pad. I vowed to one day return to these headphones.

And now here we are.

 

No coffee shop shots this time. I’d feel terrible using these there. The DT990’s are so open that they’re really only suitable for home or studio use.

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OVERVIEW

Beyerdynamic’s open-backed DT990 headphones are rather polarizing due to their unique sound signature. They come in two versions, “Edition” and “Pro.”

The Edition model is designed primarily for home listening, and comes in 32 ohm, 250 ohm, and 600 ohm variants.

The Pro model currently only comes in a 250 ohm version. There’s a limited edition version with black ear pads and a straight cable…but the default version comes with classic Beyerdynamic grey ear pads and a coiled cable. The Pro model is targeted at mixing/mastering and critical listening use, and has a different build and slightly higher clamping force.

I chose the Pro version this time hoping that its packaging would protect my pads, and it did. The Pro version comes tightly wrapped up in a cardboard box, the same way the DT770 Pro is packaged. The Edition model comes in a soft carrying case, and the way the headphones sit in that case was the doom of my previous pair.

That’s a killer deal… if you’re the sort of person who will like their sound signature.

SOUND QUALITY

I don’t usually like open-backed headphones. They often lack the bass response I’m after.

I love the sound of the DT990’s. They’re an open-backed headphone, but with bass. And some other things people might hate. Where by other things I mean “aggressive treble.”

Critics of these headphones think that they’re too v-shaped. And that their treble will destroy your mind.

I can sort of see where they’re coming from. There’s a bit of aggression in both the bass and treble on the DT990’s. Most of the bass is in the lower midbass region, and subbass extension is weaker than the DT770’s. But these can still really thump.

The highs are also quite aggressive. To me, they’re just south of the fatigue point. However, I don’t listen that loud, and I’m not as bothered by shimmery treble as some people. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that the treble is “just fine.” It’s pretty darn aggressive, prominent, and even a bit sibilant on certain recordings…but as someone who already adapted to and enjoys the DT770’s, I still love it.

On first listen, I could immediately hear why these are so polarizing. They have a speed and character that’s a lot like the DT770, but with a bit more push in the bass and treble.

Fortunately, the mids are wonderful, musical, and accurate. It’s the amount of bass and treble here that will either make these winners or losers in your book.

Also, these do benefit from an amp. I was able to push them out of my MacBook cranked up a bit, but they’re revealing enough that I preferred how they sounded out of any of my small desktop amps. The difference isn’t huge. But if you need really high volumes or you’re a detail hound, you should consider an amp.

Some folks like to use tube amps to tone down the treble a bit, and again, I honestly can’t blame them even though I love the sound here.

 Obligatory Photo of comfy Beyerdynamic velour material

SOUNDSTAGE

The open-backed design and shouty treble work together to produce an excellent sense of depth, imaging, and soundstage. The DT990’s are a wonderful gaming headphone, and I’ve used them for many gaming sessions and quite enjoyed the experience.

Although I prefer the isolation of closed-back headphones, there’s no denying the extreme fun of the soundstage in these headphones. They’re some of the widest I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing.

COMFORT/ISOLATION

I’m going to mention isolation first even though it’s second in the above heading.

There’s none! Zip! Zero!

These are very very open, and very very leaky also. Don’t use them in an outside-the-house capacity, and maybe don’t use them at high volumes if other people are in the room!

Comfort is wonderful in spite of the higher clamping force of the Pro model. The pads are made from a plush foam, and covered in Beyerdynamic’s trademark grey velour. They are softer than my DT770’s and more comfy. The softer foam is by design, since these don’t need to isolate and the 770’s do.

The cups have plenty of room for my ears, although I’ve seen some other folks report that they have a little contact between the back of their ear and the inside of the cup. The foam at the back of the cup is very soft, so this shouldn’t get to you too much.

The headband leatherette is softer than the leatherette on my 770’s, and feels more like the material used on the Custom One Pro headband. Neat!

I can wear these for hours without issue, and I have on several occasions.

 Being a Pro model, my DT990’s have the Beyerdynamic Pro-style headband pad, which is easily removable with these snaps.

BUILD/DESIGN

These look and feel almost exactly like a DT770 Pro, but with open-backed cups. That means the build is a good mix of textured plastic and metal, and is quite solid. Every part here is user-replaceable, and everything feels pretty darn robust.

The design is straight out of the 80’s.

I think the two-tone filter at the back of the ear cup, and the grill pattern on top of it, both give these a slightly classier look than the DT770’s. But if you’re not into something slightly big and studio-like, the Edition model might be more your thing design-wise.

EXTRAS/FEATURES

The DT990 Pros come with the same goofy nylon bag that the DT770’s come with, and also one 6.3mm adapter. And that’s it.

The cable material is nice and supple.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Are you looking for the slightly aggressive sound of the DT770’s but in an open-backed form? Does a sound signature with a fair bit of oomph in the bass and treble appeal to you?

If the answer to those questions is no, you will hate these.

But if, like me, you really love the DT770’s, then you’ll probably like these too.

I spent much longer doing listening tests on these than I normally do. I usually turn a review around a few days after buying a pair, but I’ve been living with these for a week and a half. I don’t have as many chances to use open headphones as closed-back ones, and I wanted to make sure I loved the sound here before I committed to the review.

It’s true that I have a tendency to like the Beyerdynamic house sound, and if you disagree with me and think these are too v-shaped or too treble-strong I can’t really blame you at all.

But man. These are fast, punchy, sparkly, wide open headphones. And I think they’re perfect for the critical listening applications that Beyerdyanmic pitches them for…and pretty fun for gaming, too. 

The emphasis areas are perfect for hearing the flaws in music/recordings, or for hearing footsteps and explosions in a video game.

I’d probably still recommend the 770’s over these, because their closed back design is more versatile for the traveling listener and their sound signature isn’t as aggressive. The Custom One Pro is also a better choice for folks that don’t want shouty treble.

I still love these and I’m still keeping them forever.

I have no idea how Beyerdynamic achieved this level of bass response on headphones that are so open. You can even hear the bass when you hold your ear up to the outside of the cup with music playing, so they’re doing some amazing work with the driver and enclosure here! It’s just not going to be to everyone’s taste.

But it really makes me happy.

Review: Beyerdynamic Byron Headphone sound more expensive than they really are | Mobile Accessories

The Byron does all things well, and doesn’t limit itself to any specific music genre.

Affordable earphones don't always have to be a compromise, and the Byron just proves that with resounding clarity

 

Topics

mint-india-wire | Beyerdynamic Byron | Beyerdynamic | Earphones | Sennheiser | Tech Review | Technology

German premium audio brand Beyerdynamic is well known for high-end earphones and headphones. However, the more affordable price bands are something that the company isn’t ignoring anyway. The newest addition to the line-up are the Byron earphones, which are available in wired (Rs3,650) as well as wireless (called Byron BTA, priced at Rs15,350) options. It is the rather affordable price tag of the wired variant that would appeal to a much wider demographic of music enthusiasts.

 

The Byron’s total weight is 13 grams, making this one of the lightest earphones that you can buy.

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Design: Understated brilliance

Beyerdynamic earphones are never about the flashiest designs or bright colours. What you get is a very conventional and equally sophisticated combination of black and grey colours. Each earbud has a very standard round design language. These are lightweight too—the Byron’s total weight is 13 grams, making this one of the lightest earphones that you can buy. And it is not as if Beyerdynamic has compromised on the build quality either, because the Byron earphones have aluminum housing. 

There are three sizes of the silicone ear-tips with the Byron. You can easily clip on the ones that suit your ears best. If we are to nitpick, we can perhaps say that some earphones come with even more silicone eartip size options such as the A-Jays Two (priced at Rs3,499), but the ones that Beyerdynamic packages with the Byron will surely get the job done for most ear sizes and comfort levels. 

A lot of earphones are sacrificed at the altar of broken cables, which either get damaged near the 3.5mm jack or near either of the earbuds. We feel that the cable Beyerdynamic has bestowed upon the Byron is quite sturdy. One of the reasons for our belief is that it doesn’t twist or tangle itself like lesser quality earphone cables. This should be able to withstand some accidental tugs and rough use, and won’t break a sweat. The cable also has an in-line microphone (for managing your calls) and remote (useful to change volume).  

 

There are three sizes of the silicone ear-tips with the Byron. You can easily clip on the ones that suit your ears best.

Sound: All about the balance

The Byron has a closed back design, and the frequency response ranges from 10- 23,000 Hz. These will work with your Android phone, your iPhone and iPad, Windows laptop, MacBook and iMac and any MP3 player that you may own. The connectivity is through the 3.5mm headphone jack, which will plug into the music playback device. 

Plug these in, and you’ll realise soon enough that the sound signature that you get from Beyerdynamic’s neodymium audio drivers in each ear is quite smooth and balanced. This doesn’t lean towards vocals or bass specifically. However, the best part would perhaps be the fact that the mid-range frequencies are quite strong, which enhances the overall detailing of whatever track it is that you are listening to. While the sound signature remains neutral, the tweaks that Beyerdynamic has done make the Byron stand apart from rivals such as Sennheiser. First up, the sound isn’t exactly warm, but listening to this for hours on end is quite relaxing as there isn’t any sharp edge to the vocals or too heavy bass that might give you a headache.

No matter how high the volume, there always seems to be enough buffer left in the tank—at no stage do the Byron feel they have topped out in terms of volume, and there is always the feeling that it can be pushed even more. Clarity remains pristine even at high volume levels, which isn’t something that similarly priced earphones can truly be able to claim. 

Verdict: The perfect sound

The Beyerdynamic Byron, with a sticker price of Rs3,650, lands in a segment that is already quite overcrowded with competition. You have the A-Jays Two, which also offers a very rich and vibrant sound stage across genres of music, including good bass. Then there is the Sennheiser CX 3.00, which does well with vocals and an overall soft sound signature, but struggles comparatively with lower frequencies. The Byron does all things well, and doesn’t limit itself to any specific music genre. The powerful sound cannot be ignored, and in the case of most rivals, cannot be replicated too.

Review Beyerdynamic Beat Byrd Headphone | Mobile Accessories

  

Beyerdynamic Beat Byrd earphone review: these earphones offer a simple design with audio quality that sets them apart.

The Beyerdynamic Beat Byrd in-ear headphones look like any regular earphone. But looks can be deceiving. The German audio company seems to have lined this up for the Indian market given our love for heavy bass, a domain in which Sony has near monopoly now.

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The Beyerdynamic Beat Byrd is a different earphone, given that it does not offer a mic or a remote to control volume. The focus is only on playing music the way it wants.

The design is simple, but the earpieces have a slightly angular shape which I have not encountered much. The two pieces fit perfectly into your ears and there are different silicone tips if you need some help adjusting.

 The design is simple, but the earpieces have a slightly angular shape which I have not encountere

Despite all this, it would be the audio quality that set these closed earphones apart. I started by listening to the Goli Sodave song from Maari 2 and knew within a few moments that this will certainly impress fans of Indian music.

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Then the new Ladki Aankh Maare version from Simmba reinforced this observation. The bass is punchy, but mellowed enough to wrap around your ears and not be irritating. Even for someone like me who does not enjoy too much bass, this headphone offers a sound profile that is more than palatable.

But then what about music that does not really need a bass boost? I tuned in to some Jagjit Singh and again the rich audio profile made it the silky smooth experience you expect a rendition by the master to be. The Bayerdynamic Beat Byrd works for all types of music, except with maybe the exception of hard rock. But then I don’t think anyone should listen to that genre.

Priced at Rs 2,199, the Beyerdynamic Beat Byrd is a good headphone for those who just want to enjoy their music. If you love bass, then picking this up from the large list of earphones on offer is easier.
 

Review Beyerdynamic DT770 250 Ohm Studio Headphone | Mobile Accessories

Beyerdynamic DT770 250 Ohm – A Studio Staple

The DT 770 has been around for a while and generally has found itself in many control rooms. It has many of the features one would look for in a monitor headphone – closed back, over-ear design with Beyerdynamic reputation behind it. Neither AKG nor Sennheiser have come up with worthy challengers, former’s K240 and K270 come close, but fall flat in terms of isolation and comfort. So, let’s see if the 250 Ohm DT 770 still has what it takes to be the go-to closed back for studios.

Pros

• Priced reasonably
• Feels sturdy and like they would last

Pros list with Sonarworks Reference correction

• Noticeably improved balance and neutrality, overall THD is still within reason

Cons

• Rather top-end heavy sound signature
• The cable cannot be replaced
• Hard to drive out of a laptop headphone out
• Plastic used on the headphones feels a bit cheap

Use cases  

Recommended music genres:

Basically anything you’d like

Best use case:

Tracking and live sound engineering

Can be used for mixing with some referencing

Tech specs

Type
Closed back, Over-ear 

Impedance

250 Ohm

Distortion

< 0.2%

Frequency response

5 Hz to 35 kHz

Connector

3m coiled cable with 3.5 mm stereo jack 

Adapter

Includes 1/8″ to 1/4″ adapter

Weight

270 g (without cable)

Require headphone amp

Yes

Headphone amp

Yes, they do require an amp or audio interface to be run at louder volumes. The story with the DT 770 Pro’s just like with their cousin, the DT 880 Pro. Even though their nominal impedance is lower than that of HD 650, they are a tad less sensitive, hence will require a bit more juice.

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Build quality

 Even though the construction is sturdy and the headband feels like it could last a good few years of extensive use, the overall feel is slightly on the cheaper side due to the use of brutal looking plastic for the ear-cups and headband adjustment mechanism. And the non-detachable cable is always a thing to consider when purchasing something for the long haul. If that gives out, you’re missing a session or two until someone resolders the cable. On the other hand the ear-pads can be replaced and even swapped to pleather for more isolation, but bit less comfort. Do keep in mind that this alters both the aesthetics and sound of the DT 770 Pro.

Sound

The DT 770 Pro carries on the trend of what we call a “typical Beyer sound” – a very decent bass response followed by strangely carved-out midrange, topped off with an odd bump going all the way from 3.5kHz to 9kHz. This means that you’ll get too much focus on the details like cymbals and vocal presence, leaving out all important midrange character, specially when listening to something with guitars in the mix. Also, they can induce ear-fatigue pretty quickly. However, we do see benefit of this in live sound applications where you really want to get all of the top end under control to avoid feedback loop which can be a quick showstopper.

Channel balance

The DT 770 Pro has an OK balance between Left and Right channels. Even though this model doesn’t have weird dips or peaks in one of the channels, the stereo image is still a bit skewed – differences are throughout the whole frequency spectrum. Luckily the bigger differences are mostly isolated in a very narrow area and aren’t too noticeable.

Comfort

It’s a decent 8 in our books! They stay tightly on your head, without pressing on your skull to keep them in place. The headband adjustment could be smoother – a quick adjustment while keeping them on your head can be quite a challenge. Other than that – DT 770 Pro is very comfortable to wear even for a longer period of time and that is mostly due to the fact that the ear-pads are large enough to go around your ears and not press against them.

Value

At this price point, which at the time of writing  is 150€/180$, the market is rather saturated with options left and right. This model will give the rest of the competition a bit of a run for their money in terms of comfort, possible longevity and sound isolation due to their construction, although, sound wise there are better options out there.

Observations on how headphones perform after applying Sonarworks Reference correction  

Total Harmonic Distortion

Typical for a dynamic headphone from nineties, the driver will distort once it goes into high excursion due to low frequency content or high SPL. This distortion dips below 1% only at around 105Hz (when measured at high output levels), and throughout all of this, a nasty 3rd harmonic is very present from 60Hz to 100Hz so, when doing anything low-end critical, be careful as this is also present without calibration applied!

How accurate and consistent is the correction effect among different listeners? 
The DT 770 Pro overall is a consistent model in terms of translation. The only exception is low-end – for this model it is very tricky to calibrate. Probably due to their bass reflex system it makes it hard to pinpoint specific problem areas within the bass region that needs to be attenuated thus results from head to head may differ.

How much do they differ pair to pair in terms of frequency response? These headphones are one of the more consistent ones that we’ve measured and even though the difference especially in the bass region can span across ~6dB, the rest of the spectrum is well within reason. Glad to see a major headphone manufacturer keeping their quality check up to standard.

Conclusion

Durable, lightweight, sits comfortably on the head and most of the parts are replaceable. Top end gets rather harsh and fatigue can set in quickly.