I think it's safe to say that everyone loves it a lot. The audiophile, music and recording worlds are expensive lifestyles anyway. At the same time, informed consumers will always find products that offer much more than what they are looking for. In my opinion, the best closed headphones in terms of price-performance ratio come from Beyerdynamic. Many artists, engineers, audiophiles, and studio professionals have used the DT770 Pro (MSRP $169) for a variety of uses. This means that the new DT770 Pro Let's find out how they stack up against each other in the DT770 Pro vs DT770 Pro X LE comparison review.
What is in the box
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Look and feel: Comparative review between DT770 Pro and DT770 Pro X LE
The first thing you notice when you put on the DT770 Pro X LE is how comfortable and luxurious they feel. Beyerdynamic has done a fantastic job of improving comfort in its design. The metal headband is more flexible, the leather cover is softer, the ear pads are softer, and the edges feel more beveled. The regular DT770 Pro isn't uncomfortable, but the earpads feel thin compared to the limited edition. The Pro X LE weighs 300G and the Pro weighs 280G on my scale. The difference is imperceptible. I don't have much to say about the look because the main difference is a century-old logo painted on the headband. There are subtle differences in style, but mentioning them is trivial. Simply put, the improved comfort is well worth the increased price.
Design
The most noticeable difference we see between the Pro and Pro X LE is the controller. The Pro X LE borrows its STELLAR.45 speaker from the DT700 Pro You can use them directly from the 3.5mm port on your phone or laptop. At the same time, a little more power extends the bass very well. The regular Pro edition has 32 Ω and 96 dB/mw. The same can be said for their power, but they will be a little more difficult to drive. Anyone using a DAC dongle will not have any problems with the sound quality. The addition of a detachable mini-XLR cable now means you'll be able to replace or upgrade the DT770 cable. I won't say much beyond the fact that it's a huge improvement when comparing the two.
This isn't necessarily a criticism because the DT770 Pro X LE are excellent at what they do. I really liked the fact that the DT770 Pro comes in a variety of resistances. This means that people who use powerful DACs/amplifiers will be able to choose a resistor (32Ω, 80Ω, 250Ω) that works well with the power output of their equipment. This makes the DT770 Pro an excellent studio tool for recording. Because I'm comparing similar resistance/sensitivity, I can't know Beyerdynamic on this front. I also understand that a controller redesign would likely increase the price of these headphones significantly. Just make sure that if you use them with a DAC or external amplifier, keep the volume low at first and increase the volume until comfortable.
sound stage
Both soundstages are decent for closed-back headphones. I wouldn't say they have the incredible width of one of the Dan Clark E3 but they are holographic and a little beyond shoulder width in their soundstage. Between the Pro and Pro X LE, I mainly heard a difference in the verticality of the staging. However, the width and stereo image are similar. A quick comparison using a Youtube Headphone Test It showed me how much more upright the Pro X LE could get. There is a noticeable transition in the pitch of the sound. Likewise, I get a more tuned texture when listening to sounds behind the stereo image. Aside from this, both headphones felt very localized in their representation of stereo information.
Listening impressions: Comparative review between DT770 Pro and DT770 Pro X LE
Minima
Tonally, the Pro The bass to my ears increases between 4 and 6 dB. This means that it is not perfectly flat, but it adds a subtle warmth to the sound signature. They are not headphones with a lot of bass. There's enough to hear the kick and bass extend a little further into the mix. It's not big enough to overcome the soundscape. What's more identifiable is the added sub-bass, which gives them a bit more thud at higher volumes.
In a listening context, even fans of neutral headphones will enjoy the slightly boosted bass because they don't have as dramatic a 'V' shape in the bass. In a recording context, it can be a little more difficult to hear “middle” sounds. With the way the bass and treble are tuned, I could see drummers and bassists really enjoying the DT770 Pro X LE in a recording situation. Drummers use the entire frequency spectrum because their kick drums provide deep bass while cymbals add bright highs. This makes them the perfect tool for these professionals.
The DT770 Pro, on the other hand, is much flatter in its bass response. They will distort a lot before they start to “hit” in the same way that the Pro X LE will. This isn't necessarily a bad thing for those who enjoy neutral headphones. Still, the added sub-bass of the DT770 Pro X LE is very pleasant in many environments. It's still neutral enough to make them extremely versatile.
media
The tuning of the mids doesn't seem very different to me, but their placement in the mix is totally different. Due to the flatter tuning of the DT770 Pro, there is much more room for the mid frequencies to jump out. The DT770 Pro X LE's boosted highs and lows mean it'll be harder to get the same focus in the mids. While using the Pro They're not muddy or crunchy, they just sit right in the middle. This means that the Pro
The DT770 Pro, on the other hand, is completely flat. This gives you a good amount of mid volume without the sound of sonic supplements. The vocals, guitars and synths are heard with great focus and clarity. While overdriven sounds don't have the same value, they also don't have the same supplemented sharpness that the Pro X LE has. I sense a slight increase in the 600-800hZ range, which adds a bit more depth here. As a fan of flatter responses, I appreciate the way the mids are presented on the Pro.
Highs
My least favorite aspect of the DT770 Pro X LE is how bright the treble can be. This is usually not a problem, but bright mixes can become sibilant if you listen to them at high volumes. This became most evident to me when I heard Cold As Life's “Born to Land Hard.” The cymbals shined throughout the mix at times. Cold As Truth is a band that has mastered the use of feedback, but it was too much for me on a pair of shiny cans like this. I must admit that I am sensitive to treble and am not a big fan of overly bright headphones. Objectively, these are much sharper and airier than the regular DT770 Pros.
The DT770 Pro is much flatter in the treble range. They're not actually too bright, but they have enough character to shape the sounds. I will say that because of how flat they are, you won't get the same bright focus as the Pro X LE. Your preference in sound signature will inform you which ones you would like best.
Summary
The new addition of the DT770 Pro X LE has made some notable improvements to its comfort, design, soundstage and tunability. A big improvement that makes the limited edition much more durable in the long run is the fact that you can replace the detachable mini-XLR. This alone is worth the $30 price increase. At the same time, if you're sensitive to treble or looking for perfectly flat headphones, these won't fit. At the same time, if you just need a durable pair of headphones for quick recordings, these are a great option.
Get the DT770 Pro and DT770 Pro X Limited Edition in Audio 46
