beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X Open-Back Studio Headphones with Stellar.45 Driver for Mixing and Mastering

I got to say that I really like the general aesthetics and fit of Beyerdynamic headphones. What I didn't like about them in the past was their lack of detachable cables and the very bright tuning. I'm glad to say that Beyerdynamic has fixed both of those issues with the DT Pro X headphones.The cups are deep enough that my ears do not touch the surface of the drivers inside. One thing to be aware of, if you're not used to headphones with a lot of clamp pressure, this pair can feel overly clampy. It took me about a week to get used to it. Some people will argue that an oval shaped earcups are better but I really like the round ones. As long as your ears will completely fit inside, I find them very comfortable. With the round earcups, I find more flexibility in placing the headband on top of my head without affecting the fit. When worn for hours on end, I find most headphones will start creating a hotspot on the top of my head. I need to adjust where the headband lands on my head by rotating the earcups around my ears. With oval earcups, this will obviously affect the fit and seal. Round earcups do not have this issue for me.Comparing the DT900 Pro X to the DT700 Pro X, the 700 definitely has more bass but the 900 has a more open sound. I bought both not necessarily because of their differences in sound quality. I bought both because I have different needs regarding sound isolation. I typically prefer open back headphones but in a shared home office, there are plenty of times I really wish I had a closed back pair for when I really need to block out noise. Having said that, I'm finding that I'm really preferring the 700 for casual listening because of the bass. I'm not a bass head and I generally really prefer a flat sound profile but the bass on the 700 just sound so good. It is tight and not boomy. That's not to say that the 900 is lacking in bass though as the bass on the 900 is quite good as well.I've been using the Shure SRH1840 for the past 10 years. It was never really my first choice but at the time it was the only one I could find that checked all the boxes for me. In comparing the headphones, The 1840 have a much more open feel than the 900. As such, I feel that the sound stage of the 1840 is a bit wider. Personally though, I prefer the closer sound stage of the 900. Where the 1840 really lacks is the bass and mids. Compared to the 900, the vocals on the 1840 sounds very recessed. For the price those Shure headphones are going for, I don't really see them worth it especially when the DT Pro X's are available for much cheaper. I paid $700 for my SRH1840 back in 2013 and I knew it was overpriced then, but again, it was a pair that checked all most of the boxes for me (mainly comfort and build), minus the sound quality. Speaking of build, the SRH1840 is still going strong. I have replaced the earpads 2 times and the cable I think 1 time. The headband is really worn out but Shure sells them for $36 the last time I asked them. The metal grill though has started to show some paint wear and slight rusting on the edges.Overall, I'm very happy with the DT Pro X headphones. Both the 700 and 900 are very good with different use case for each. For easy listening or monitoring, I'd recommend the 700, but for a more neutral sound signature for mixing and editing, the 900 is better for sure.*Update October 14, 2024:* Just a year of constant use, the leatherette wrapping the foam in the headband has started to come undone on the 700 Pro X. The 700 Pro X is the one I use regularly. The 900 Pro X that I use in my sim racing rig is still ok. I will still give these headphones 5 stars as they've really been pretty much perfect for the one year that I've had them so far. I bought headphone headband wraps and used it to hold the foam in place. When I bought these headphones last year, I was expecting this to be an issue. Some people have said that Beyerdynamic has fixed it by using a different glue but I knew that would be almost impossible short of a redesign. I just wished the headbands on these headphones came with wrap style cover from the factory. They look better, more comfortable, and lasts much longer than the current design.*Update October 21, 2024:* I decided to contact Beyerdynamic about the replaceable foam headband that came apart in my DT700 Pro X. I also told them that I would eventually need one for my DT900 Pro X as well. The very next day after the email, I received a notification that an order has shipped. Today, I received the new headband foams. I attached a photo and you can see the improvement they made with the new one. The old one on the left and the new on the right. The issue with the old one is that the leatherette will eventually come unglued (from my experience and from what I read from other people, it's usually a year of constant use). Once it starts, it's very difficult to put back and almost impossible to glue it back and make it look tidy. Super glue do not hold on to the plastic material of the headband. The only option is replacement. I'm really glad that they fixed the issue by overlapping the leatherette so much more where it glues on to the plastic. The warranty service is also exceptional.

The DT 700 Pro X (700 going forward) is an excellent headphone in the under $500 category. You're getting excellent build quality, comfort, and sound quality that's easy to drive and attractive.The 700 has a fairly neutral tonality overall, which is to be expected for a set geared towards music production. But that doesn't mean they're lean or boring sounding. You get excellent bass extension and slam, and an overall punchy and nimble bass presentation. Highs have good air and extension but don't get sibilant. Mids have good presence, though I'd prefer them to be a touch more forward.Soundstage is very good, with good side to side and dimensional placement of the instruments. Separation is good as well, allowing good identification of different conflicting or overlapping frequencies. Overall resolution is good, but not great. I didn't feel I was missing anything, but at the same time other headphones better resolve and isolate sounds for inspection. But the differences aren't major, IMO.Being low impedance, the 700 is very easy to power. They scale a bit with good amplification, but it's not absolutely necessary, unless you're chasing maximum sound quality. And they're as easy to wear as they are to power. These are some comfy headphones! The velour material is even softer and more supple than the older DT 770/880/990 pads, which were mighty comfy on their own. Clamping force is a bit high out of the box but dissipates after a week or so of use. If you're really bothered by it, when you get them, leave them clamped onto a shoebox or something slightly wider than your head at night for a week or two. That will help break in the metal headband tension, and ease the clamp force.Overall the 700 is a very well balanced sounding headphone in an easy to drive and wear package. Nothing stands out as offensive, which is excellent. Headphones usually have something sonically that stands out negatively, but these don't. They're not perfect, and might not match your preferences well, but I don't perceive any major frequency response flaws. In comparison the older DT 770 is brighter, more sibilant, with much more recessed mids, and boomy bass. All notable flaws, IMO.There's strong competition in this market segment though. The two headphones that stand out to me are the Austrian Audio Hi-X15 and the AKG K371. Both are significantly cheaper and rival the 700 in sound quality. Let's compare, shall we?Austrian Audio Hi-X15 - Tuning is a bit brighter, with a leaner presentation overall. The X15 is slightly more resolving, with a more dynamic response. Bass has more potential extension, and seems more responsive under duress. Treble and upper mids can be a bit intense at times though, especially right out of the box. The X15 needs a good 20-50 hours of run time to settle down. The driver is a high excursion type with a stiff suspension that IMO needs some hours to hit it's optimum operational range. I thought they were pretty bad the first 5 hours or so, but now they're a staple in my lineup. In comparison, the DT 700 Pro X is a bit darker, or less lean, if you will. Upper range extension and presence is more tame. Bass is slower and less nimble and responsive. Overall resolution is a bit less. The 700 sounds SLIGHTLY hazy in comparison. Also the X15 has more dynamic range, it can reproduce more nuance between high and low volume elements within the playback. But these differences are not huge, mind you. Do I feel I'm missing anything with the 700? Nope. I do prefer the slightly more punchy, though leaner X15 bass response, but the 700 doesn't disappoint.AKG K371 - Tuning is very similar, with a nice even frequency response top to bottom. Like the 700, nothing about the 371's response stands out as problematic. So why spend more for the 700 over the 371? The 700 is built much better, is more comfy, and is clearer and more resolving than the 371. Bass on the 371 can get a touch boomy and indistinct compared to the 700. Also the overall sound from the 371 is slightly hazier than the 700. I think of the 371 as the poor man's 700. Very very similar overall, with the 700 just being a bit better.If you twisted my arm and made me pick only one of the three, I'd take the 700 as it's the most even sounding of the bunch. I like the X15's higher dynamic range, it's quite impressive in such an affordable headphone, but the lean tuning is a bit annoying to me.Beyerdynamic hit it out of the park with the DT 700 Pro X. As a longtime fan it's good to see such a great legacy company as Beyer revamp their sound to more modern standards, and do it so well. For fans like myself who soured on the older lineup with their fatiguing brightness, the 700 is a breath of fresh air.

Over the years, I have experimented with various wired headsets, but these particular ones have proven to be the most exceptional for my personal preferences. The bass is exceptionally well-defined and not excessively overpowering. The mids are remarkably clear and not excessively loud, while the highs are exceptionally crisp and detailed. This combination of audio characteristics has enabled me to perceive nuances in my music that I had previously overlooked. If you are considering purchasing these headphones, I strongly recommend that you take them for a test drive. I personally did so and ultimately discovered the ideal pair of headphones that meet my requirements without compromising on financial constraints.

I've used these to record myself playing guitar. There is very little bleed into any outside mics and it does a really good job at preventing any outside noise from penetrating the headphones.The sound quality is awesome, the bass and clarity are great, and I love that it's easy to replace various parts in case anything breaks. I wish I bought two!