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Beyerdynamic DT 770 pro. 250 or 80 ohms?

AgressivePassiv

AgressivePassiv

Feb 3, 2011
615
287
#1
Thinking about getting a pair of DT 770s. Not sure if I should go for the 80 or 250 ohm version.

I found this in the FAQs section of Beyerdynamic's site. "The transducers of the 80 ohms versions are stronger and more powerful, a bit more low-mid accentuated and therefore this version is ideal for powerful reproducing of low-frequency material f.e. coming from a bass guitar. The 250 ohms version sounds more smooth and voluminous and can be used for mixing situations within the studio to analyse the whole mix."

For me it they would be used for at home practice and at rehearsals through a headphone splitter(electric drums, one guitar, bass and vocals in the mix) when my band switces to "stealth mode" in order to rehearse after bedtime.

Any opinions?
 
#2
I have a feeling there will be many responses that don't agree with me, but, I'll offer my opinion. I would go with the 250 ohm version. I prefer to have a headphone that doesn't color the mix. If you get used to a bass heavy headphone, you may tend to want a bass heavy mix all the time. As I said, just an opinion coming from an audiophile kind of guy.
Either way...they are good headphones.
 
#3
Only problem with the 250ohm version is your going to have to buy a dedicated headphone amp to take full advantage of them.

I recently bought the 3 Leaf Audio Enabler, which is a DI, headphone amp, and eq. Spencer warned he wasn't sure it would drive my Sennheisers Hd650s. They run at 300ohms. I suspected they would sound ok together and they do. They get pretty loud too, but since the Enabler is not as strong as my headphone tube amp, a lot of the quality is lost in what the headphones can do. Biggest noticeable difference is that the soundstage is lot narrower.
 
#4
Agree with Audioglenn, the 250's are very flat. If you need to you can bump up the bass via a mixer or your signal but probably good to have flat. The 80's do have the advantage of being able to play with ipod (I believe) if you want a dual-role set of cans. But in a band mix setting, the bass will be pumped up via your headphones but everyone else would get a lower bass signal and they may feel the need to pump it up for their listening pleasure.
 
#5
I find the 80 ohm versions to have a very round low end, but not too hyped. I mean, honestly, don't virtually all cans have a low-mid bump at this point? The 250ohm versions are certainly a "truer" response, if you will, but you absolutely will need a dedicated headphone amp for them. For your application, I'd go with the 80's.
 
#6
KrisHayes said:
I find the 80 ohm versions to have a very round low end, but not too hyped. I mean, honestly, don't virtually all cans have a low-mid bump at this point? The 250ohm versions are certainly a "truer" response, if you will, but you absolutely will need a dedicated headphone amp for them. For your application, I'd go with the 80's.
Click to expand...

I have used the 250 ohm version with cell phones, tablets, bass amps for over six years and have never needed a dedicated headphone amp....it always sounds fine.
 
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#7
If it's for casualy listening, especially on an iphone, I would probably get the 80 ohm.

If it's for recording/mixing, I would get the 250 ohm (but not sure if the DT770 would be my first choice for mixing to be honest, they're not as flat as they like to claim).

If it's for band rehearsals where it may be left on a chair where someone sits on it or left on the floor and stomped to bits I would get something a LOT cheaper! Some of the Superlux headphones are almost unbelievably good for the price. You can equip your whole band at a fraction of the cost of a single DT770. Some of them are even supposed to be voiced like Beyers (others like AKG, Sennheiser, etc). I can't remember which one is which though, you probably need to dive into the hi-fi forums for that bit of information.They are not as good as the real deal but MORE than good enough for band rehearsals. I use Superlux as tracking headphones in my studio all the time and everyone likes them. They are so cheap it doesn't matter if a musician breaks it (and sooner or later they will...). Just make sure you find the right ones, some of the Superlux models are a lot better than others. And not necessarily the most expensive ones.

For what's it worth:

I've used the 250 ohm with lots of different amps: the headphone output on my home stereo, ultra cheap Behringer headphone amps and very expensive hi-end headphone amps. They've always sounded great. I've never used them with iphone or similar.

I've never tried the 80 ohm. I'm sure they sound great but they aren't supposed to be as flat as the 250 ohm so probably targeted more at casual listening than recording/mixing.
 
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#9
The 80 version is just a bit more bass-friendly, Beyerdynamic isn't Beats:) Many drummers use them. And you want to use them at rehearsals and practising at home, not for professional mixing. If you would, an open design would be better anyway. Not to mention that you would build a perfect room with decent speakers and only use headphones for certain details in the mix.

I have very neutral headphones from AKG, the 701, and I really love them, but for bass playing or even if I play piano most of the times I grab the K267 which is a bit similar to the 80 ohm Beyerdynamic.
Flat is overrated and often used in the wrong context. It is better to listen at moderate levels with headphones that are bass friendly than to listen at too high levels with "flat" headphones in order to get the right feeling with a bass in your hand. The 80 ohm version has "harder" membrans, 'cause if you use headphones with really strong material at high volumes like a bass drum or a bass, the membranes will sooner or later suffer.
What people forget most of the time: we don't experience low frequencies just with our ears, we experience low frequencies with our entire body, low frequencies shake our a*s. No headphone can deliver this, so it is kind of justified that headphones accentuate the low-mid frequencies a bit. I even kind of understand the reason, people like the Beats-headphones.
My Tiezo K267 which is marketed as a DJ headphone has three different - mechanical - settings: Studio, Club and Stage. I like this a lot.
 
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#10
I had an old pair of Beyer DT 901s (250 ohms) and never needed a headphone amp, booster, EQ, etc.

I recently picked up a pair of Beyer DT 770s (250 ohms). They're extremely similar to my 901s but even better sound and more tidy wiring. I use these with laptops, tablets and smartphones without an issue or the need for external devices. With studio gear, they're ridiculously fantastic. And holy cow, they're comfortable.

Beyerdynamic knows what they're doing when it comes to headphones.

Calvin Marks said:
I have used the 250 ohm version with cell phones, tablets, bass amps for over six years and have never needed a dedicated headphone amp....it always sounds fine.
Click to expand...
 
#13
As I mentioned earlier, the 80 and the 250 Ohm models aren't identical. The 80 Ohm model has thicker membrans for drummers, but interesting for bass players, too. Esp. if you listen at higher volumes. But apart from this, if you don't listen at crazy volumes, 250 ohm should work on nearly all devices.
Some of the old 600 ohm headphones from AKG and Beyerdynamic are harder to drive.
 

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