Menu
Today we review the Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X closed-back studio headphones for recording and monitoring. In 2021 Beyerdynamic releases the long-awaited updated generation of professional headphones. The full-size DT 700 PRO X closed-back model is designed for recording and monitoring, offering good sound isolation and comfort for long periods of use. The all-new STELLAR.45 drivers feature a low impedance of 48 ohms and high sensitivity. This reduces the power requirements of the amplifier, so you can plug the headphones into anything from a smartphone to a video camera and still have enough volume. And this completely changes our idea of Beyerdynamic professional headphones and makes them "omnivorous". Unlike the classic professional model DT 770 PRO with 250 Ohm impedance, which requires a powerful stationary amplifier. Of course, a quality amplifier is never a bad thing if you want to exploit the full sonic potential of any equipment.
Before we get into the main part of our Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X review and look at all the features of these headphones, let's take a look at the technical specifications of this device.
|
Best Price on Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X
The Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X headphones are a stellar choice for professionals and serious enthusiasts seeking a reliable and versatile pair for recording & monitoring. |
Classic Package
|
The maximum power is remarkable. As you can see, the requirements for an amplifier are indeed significantly reduced. You can easily connect headphones to the standard headphone output of your notebook or to the headphone output of an electric piano or synthesizer. There's plenty of volume, and plenty left over. Why are we stressing this so much? All previous PRO Series headphones, due to their development in the 80's, were characterized by record low sensitivity and required huge amounts of power and voltage spread at the output. Despite their good musical qualities, this put off a large number of potential buyers. This problem is completely solved with the new Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X headphones.
Old-timers will notice that the packaging of the headphones has also changed with the rebranding. Instead of a utilitarian white box, the headphones now come in a beautifully designed box in the company colors of black and orange, with an unforgettable bird logo. The packaging material is recycled cardboard painted black. On the right side of the box is an orange strip that identifies the headphones and the model name. This strip not only runs across the front, but also along the sides, like a seal. So now you can visually tell if the box has been opened. In the middle, everything is made of cardboard, with no foam protection. The headphones are on the tray, and another cardboard partition separates their cups.
In addition to the headphones, the box contains: a tight neoprene bag with a puff, two detachable cables of 1.8m and 3.0m in length, two adapters from 3.5 to 6.3mm (one for each cable), a tape with a plastic clamp (most likely to tighten the cable), many different booklets with excellent quality printing and several stickers with the company's logos and the Pro X series. Also inside is the manufacturer's address to the buyer, which begins with the words "Dear Creator!", meaning that the model is positioned for people who create content. Of course, the PRO series headphones are not only suitable for working with sound, but also for audiophile music listening.
As you can see, the package has expanded considerably and one of the main advantages of the headphones is now a detachable cable. It is also attached only to the left shell, miniXLR connector, and is made of rubberized material. According to the information on the box, the 700 Pro X and 900 Pro X are assembled in Germany.
The design of the Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X headphones differs radically from the DT 770 Pro. The appearance is restrained, without unnecessary decorative details. The design of the DT 700 Pro X has become much more modern and upscale instead of utilitarian. The color of the main parts of the headphones, excluding the ear cushions, is black. The shape of the ear cups has been changed and is now more reminiscent of the older DT 1770 Pro and DT 1990 Pro models. The headband padding does not completely cover the headband and is no longer buttoned. It is probably made of eco-leather and is only under the lower part. The ear cushions are still velour, gray in color, but have changed in profile and shade, becoming thicker and darker.
However, the headphones retain the recognizable features of the classic models, such as a very sturdy frame and strong steel brackets. The brackets have a nice metallic texture under the paint that wasn't there before, and the curves and contours are much nicer now.
The plastic is of high quality and its texture makes fingerprints virtually invisible. The channel markings are printed on the inside of the headband in black, so they are not very visible. At the same time, you can navigate very quickly by the cable on the left shell and the special orange thin strip on the inside of the headband, also printed on the left side - it's convenient.
The ergonomics of the 700 Pro X is another major difference from the DT 770. The materials of the new headphones are very pleasant to the touch, and no squeaks or other noises were detected when using the headphones. Both pairs are noticeably heavier: 350 grams (700 Pro X) versus 270 grams (DT 770). In fact, the headphones feel heavier in the hand and on the head. With thicker ear cushions and more downforce, the new models fit more snugly. This left us with a two-fold opinion: positive - the headphones fit snugly and are unlikely to fall off your head, even with sudden movements; negative - after a while you may feel fatigued. The 700 Pro X headphones are a case where comfort is best judged on a personal basis, but our editorial team found them very comfortable!
The headphones have plenty of room to adjust the depth of fit. There's also a slight variation in the angle of the cups. This all adds up to the unrivaled ergonomics we have come to expect from every Beyerdynamic headphone model. When you hold the DT 700 PRO X in your hands, you get the same feeling of solidity and reliability.
Let's throw in a few sentences about the new unique STELLAR.45 driver.
A neodymium ring magnet drives a coil of high-tech copper-coated wire that reduces impedance to an impressive 48 ohms without sacrificing sound quality. And that means no high voltage swing or prohibitive amplifier power is required. But even more interesting is the cone. Designed and manufactured in Heilbronn, Germany, it is made of a special material and is damped in a triple-layer construction for natural tonal reproduction. Despite all the innovations, the sound is still characterized by the popular Beyerdynamic signature, with a powerful, driving sound and accents.
The official Beyerdynamic website has an interesting article about the STELLAR.45 driver, which you can read by the link.
Now we come to the most important part/section of our Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X review. Of course, everyone wants to know what the headphones sound like. We can reassure you. There is nothing wrong with the sound. It fully meets the expectations of mass models of this level. The sound is dense, has a lot of drive, slightly emphasized in the bass and treble. The mids are well balanced, the timbres are natural, without distortions. The most successful midrange, it is not hidden and fully audible. You can criticize the high frequencies, they do not stand out like in the DT 770 PRO, but sound a bit rough compared to more expensive Beyerdynamic models, for example the DT 1770 PRO.
Have you noticed any progress compared to the previous generation 770/990? Yes, it's noticeable. We can talk about some details for a long time, but we can say the main thing. There is an evolution of the range through the use of new materials and the introduction of new developments. This is what the DT 700 PRO X has become.
Is the Beyerdynamic signature still there? Absolutely. The manufacturer knows that there is a huge army of users expecting the best features of the 770 sound, but with some new features. The manufacturer has not completely removed the character of the 770 sound. Rather, it is a subdued and refined sound in the mass model. If you are looking for an even smoother sound, you should take a look at the Beyerdynamic DT 1770 PRO. This is a heavily redesigned version with a Tesla 2.0 magnet system and an even balance. Compared to the 1770, the new 700s are much closer to the original 770s.
Have all past Beyerdynamic models turned into pumpkins? We don't think so. Should 770 users change their headphones for the 700? That depends on many factors. First of all, the 770 required a powerful headphone amplifier with a large voltage swing. The 700 has higher sensitivity and a more favorable impedance, allowing the headphones to connect seamlessly to any audio source, from smartphones to inexpensive sound interfaces. The 770, in turn, has its own charm for lovers of powerful bass and already understandable fleet of audio equipment with a high voltage spread under 250 ohms impedance. In the mid frequencies the spectrum is hollow and the sound is light, but electronic music genres benefit from such equalization. Is it worth giving it up? You can buy an additional 700 and decide which model is more pleasant to listen to.
Comment from the CEO of SoundGale.comIn terms of professional use, I think the DT 700 Pro X is midrange oriented. Vocals, midrange instruments and vocal parts are the first things you notice.
In the midrange the headphones sound full and solid. Instruments and vocals are very prominent. Vocals are often brought forward and can even sound a bit overpowering.
Bass is intelligible, fleshy and tight.
High frequencies are well audible, though not the most detailed, but without excessive brightness or harshness. The DT 700s are inferior to the DT 770s in the analytical HF range.
When comparing the DT 700 Pro X and the DT 770, it is better to start with the ergonomics. The 700 Pro X weighs more, sits closer to the head and has less space in the middle of the ear cushions. In terms of sound, the headphones are quite different. In short, for analytics, precise bass transmission, lightness and airiness of the treble, I would prefer the old friends - DT 770 PRO. On the other hand, if your priority is voice or vocal work, a tight sound or drive in your music, the DT 700 Pro X will be the best choice. The new model may also be suitable for listening to rock music or vocal works (except opera "hold on, who listens to opera nowadays? - hahaha", as the 700 Pro X lacks airiness).
Judging by the frequency response, the whole characteristic is absolutely neutral, and small accents at the edges of the range, which will please most users - do not forget about the Harman target curve, which welcomes the rise in the bass and treble.
In this section of our Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X review, we'll compare these headphones to their predecessor, the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO, and to their sibling, the Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X.
The 770s are known for their powerful bass, smooth mids and slight treble emphasis. In comparison, the new 700 model has less bass emphasis and less treble boost, bringing the mids to the forefront. Vocals and solo instruments are a bit more delicate. The sound of the 700 is also denser and more massive. In comparison, the 770's sound spectacular, but in a lightweight way. Despite the criticism, we can't say that the 770s are bad headphones. On the contrary, they are more capricious and are better revealed with the right source and a decent stationary amplifier. For professional work, the DT 700 PRO X is definitely the better choice. For music listening, however, the question is ambiguous, and the DT 770 PRO may well have its own fans.
With the 770, it is also worth considering that slightly different generations of amplifiers were produced in different years. We compared them with new 770s from the most recent production batch and they sounded fine. There is information that the drivers are significantly better than in the same headphones from 15 years ago. This brings some uncertainty to the reviews of the 770s. They are very polarized, ranging from high praise to outright rejection. As always, the truth is somewhere in the middle, depending on the nuances of which generation we're talking about and what equipment the reviewer was listening to. The advantage of the DT 700 PRO X is that its sound is more predictable, there is no dependence on the sound source.
First of all, we would like to point out that the Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X and DT 900 PRO X belong to the same family, we can call them brothers. And they were released at the same time (correct us if we are wrong). The Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X are positioned by the manufacturer as monitoring and recording headphones. While Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X are positioned as headphones for critical listening, mixing & mastering. Another important difference is that the DT 700 PRO X are closed-back headphones, while the DT 900 PRO X are open-back headphones.
If you were expecting more bass in a closed model and a free-rounded sound in an open model, as is the case when comparing the 770 and 990, this is much less pronounced in the new family of models with two zeros. The sound of the 700 and 900 is much more balanced and closer to each other. There is a difference in the bass, which is more pronounced in the closed DT 700 PRO X. But after a minute of swapping headphones, your ears will adapt, so the overall sound experience is the same. Each model has its own attractive features, none of which are inferior to the others. This is a great advantage, because you can choose according to the principle: if you need 20 dB of isolation from external sources and a little more bass, you should definitely choose the DT 700 PRO X.
We have attached the frequency response to compare the two models.
We also have a review of the Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X where we talk about the sound character of these headphones in more detail.
Now that we've reached the end of our Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X review, it's time to summarize the results. The Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X proved to be a reimagined classic of the PRO series. On the one hand, the manufacturer has managed to retain the best of both worlds, including the robust design and comfort we've come to expect. The detachable cable also adds the convenience of wire selection. On the other hand, improvements have been made to the transmitter, resulting in greater versatility - the headphones can even be connected to a smartphone. While some may have been put off by the overemphasis on bass and treble in the classic 770s headphones, the new 700 PRO X has a much richer and more pedigreed sound. The result is a worthy modern version of a classic piece of engineering.
As far as the price of the popular 770 is concerned, it did not work in favor of this model and made the attitude towards the headphones a bit negative - what can you expect in such an affordable price category? The manufacturer took this into account and now the price is right. The Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X now have a higher and more appropriate price tag for their performance and sound level.
We hope you enjoyed our review of the Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X headphones. Please feel free to leave your comments, questions, and suggestions in the section below. We will be happy to answer them all as soon as possible. If you already own a DT 700 PRO X and have used it for a while, don't forget to share your impressions and tell us what you liked or disliked about this studio headphones.
Pros
|
Cons
|
9.2
/10
Our Score
|
