Last year Beyerdynamic released a new line of monitoring headphones: PRO X. A total of four products were announced with this series, two monitor headphones: DT 700 PRO X and DT 900 PRO X. And two microphone products: M70 PRO X and M90 PRO X. This series is equipped with a newly developed unit by Beyerdynamic: STELLAR.45.
Not long ago I got two headphones from this series. After about a week of burn-in and experience, I have my own favorites and some regrets about both headphones. But in general, the Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X and Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X, which cost $300, can also be said to be the best choices in the $300 price range in recent years.
These two products positioned as monitoring headphones, combined with the newly developed unit of Beyerdynamic, can be said to be very competitive in this price range. And one open-back and one closed-back also have obvious sound characteristics in their respective structures. Users can also decide to buy according to their own needs. There is no difference between the two products in terms of hardware and positioning.
Simple and environmentally friendly new age packaging style (Design & Accessories)
For the packaging, the new PRO X series products do not have the huge, luxurious packaging style of the HiFi products. In addition to the headphone, there is only one storage bag and two cables in the eco-friendly carton. One cable is 3M for professional use, and one is 1.8M for portable and desktop use. The interfaces of headphones and cables use MINI XLR three-core interfaces, so from the perspective of plugs, this product cannot change the balanced interface, and the output plug is a single-ended interface by default. The cable defaults to a 3.5mm interface with a 6.35mm adapter.
The head beam and earmuff structure of the headphone still adopts the traditional style of Beyerdynamic, but it has undergone a new design. The first is that the comfort of the earmuffs has been greatly improved. The earcups have changed from a ring structure to a new structure with support and flat surfaces, keeping them soft but also more supportive. The head beam is still made of leather material, and there is a simple Y-shaped Beyerdynamic brand new logo on the left side, which allows users to easily replace the head beam.
In terms of head beam length adjustment, a new design has also been adopted. The thickness of the head beam has been greatly reduced, and the length adjustment part has also become more stable. Compared with the previous Beyerdynamic headphone, the problem that the head beam cannot be adjusted and fixed firmly after long-term use has been greatly improved. As for whether the firmness can be maintained all the time, it may have to pass the test of time.
Reference equipment for listening
For these two full-size monitor headphones, I mainly used two products as reference devices. The first is the FiiO K9 PRO all-in-one computer, and the other is the SSL2 sound card used to connect to the computer. These two are also more representative of most of the usage scenarios of users who buy this headphones. The former corresponds to the needs of enthusiasts, while the latter, as an entry-level professional sound card, has some representativeness for whether professional equipment can be well driven.
In the sound source part, I use the qobuz music platform as a reference. The main listening repertoire is dominated by classical music, with a small amount of popular music.
Calm and transparent of Beyerdynamic DT700 PRO X
If the simplest description is used to describe the sound performance of the Beyerdynamic DT700PRO X, it is calm and transparent. It has the unmistakable sound of closed-back monitor headphones. But thanks to the unit size and excellent sound tuning capabilities. The DT700 PRO X has excellent performance in terms of sound transparency and tri-band details. As a closed headphone, its low frequency quantity is not too much, on the one hand because of its closed design, and on the other hand because of its use as a closed headphone.
For listening to music, the sound performance of the DT700 PRO X is also excellent enough. Especially for the excellent transparency and full-frequency details of the mid-high frequency, the new STELLAR.45 unit obviously has a big enough improvement compared to the classic old-generation flagships at the traditional price of 249-300 US dollars. Compared with the old generation of classic flagships, the progress is mainly reflected in the overall transparency and looseness of the sound, as well as the excellent imaging ability while having a loud sound field.
Overall, the Beyerdynamic DT700 PRO X is a sound style closer to the traditional Beyerdynamic sound. The overall is a little thinner, and the low frequency is not much. And as a closed-back headphone, the low-frequency quantity is less than the normal range. For users who need full-size closed-back headphones, or prefer a relatively bright and slim sound, the DT700 PRO X will be the best choice in this price range.
Warm and enthusiastic of Beyerdynamic DT900 PRO X
Compared with the DT700 PRO X, the main difference between the DT900 PRO X and it is the open-back acoustic structure, but the difference between open-back and closed-back is enough to bring a huge change to the sound. Compared with the DT700 PRO X, the sound style of the DT900 PRO X has changed a lot, which also benefits from the open-back acoustic structure. Users can feel that the overall quality and sound bottom are emitted by the same unit, but the sound of the DT900 PRO X is warmer and looser. Especially in terms of low frequencies, the low frequency extension and quantity that do not feel well played in closed mode are back.
The sound of the Beyerdynamic DT900 PRO X is warmer and more enthusiastic. Although there is no closed calm and analytical power, it is more attractive to the infectious power of music. And thanks to the excellent quality of the unit, it still maintains a high level of sound details, and the overall sound style is more like the Beyerdynamic style of the new era. High density, moderate soundstage, still rich details. The low frequency has the loose and warm style of the open-back headphone standard, and has a good sense of enveloping, and the mid-high frequency still maintains high density and relatively good detail performance.
Overall, the Beyerdynamic DT900 PRO X is more of a “standard” answer to a full-size open-back dynamic headphone. Especially in this price segment, it has a sound quality that is clearly ahead of the older generation flagships. Thanks to the application of the new unit, it has the detailed performance of the new generation of modern high-end full-size dynamic at the detail level.
Conclusion:
The Beyerdynamic DT700 PRO X and DT900 PRO X headphones are not perfect if measured by a unified standard. You’ll want the DT700 PRO X to have the looser bass performance of the DT900 PRO X, and you’ll want the DT900 PRO X to have the high-transparency mid-to-high frequency detail of the DT700 PRO X. But in the $300 price range, they’re all good enough. And the obvious style is different, but it also allows users to make choices more clearly. The first is the scene. If you can’t use open-back headphones or pursue the details and transparency of the sound, then choose the Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X. If you like loose and warm and don’t care whether it will disturb others, then choose Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X.
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Check the Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X price:
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