beyerdynamic produce some of the most widely used headphones on the market, even more so when you’re speaking to the pro audio and music production world.
The beyerdynamic 990 & 770 models are widely used for recording, for world-class sound and as much isolation as you need in either the DT 770 for a closed-back option for supreme isolation while recording, or the DT 990 for a little more breathability and comfort where isolation isn’t as big a deal. Their flagship models in this area have just gotten better, with the addition of the DT 1770 PRO MKII & DT 1990 PRO MKII, again in closed-back and open-back options respectively.
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Let me start with a real-world example of these headphones solving a problem. As an audio engineer, recording and producing music leaves me very much at the service of the artist. You’ll get sent mix revisions, sometimes after half a listen off a phone speaker and the band’s notes will be things like “Mix is overall tinny, lacking bottom end” and while you wouldn’t expect much more from the tiny voice coil speakers in an iPhone, it’s still my job to make sure the band is happy with their mix. More recently, I’ve been working with a particularly discerning band, with some mix notes about harshness, clipping and fizzing that I couldn’t hear for the life of me. And let me tell you, nothing will help a project spin in circles faster than blindly making changes and hoping for the best.
DT 1770 PRO MKII
The DT 1770 PRO MKII, with their closed-back design that isolated me from the world around me, helped me really focus and hear what they were hearing immediately. Admittedly quiet, but the problems that the band had identified in the mix were instantly clear to me, the supreme isolation of the DT 1770 PRO MKII helping me to get the finished mixes across the line. Interestingly enough, the band was monitoring a particularly harsh set of headphones that, after a little research, had an unpleasant crossover. Regardless, the problem needed to be fixed and the DT 1770 PRO MKII helped me do that.
Inspired, I decided to dive into the DT 1990 PRO MKII and check out some of my favourite reference mixes and the detail is incredible. I can more clearly analyse the mixes of my favourite engineers, hearing delay throws, panning and effects, as well as nuance in the recording that I’d never heard before.
The DT 1990 PRO MKIIs, with their open-back design, remain comfortable and open-sounding for extended periods of mixing, while the closed-back design of the 1770 PRO MKII helped to retain a little extra isolation. The 1990s allow things to breathe, physically and sonically, though when a little extra isolation is required, the 1770s also boast a bit more bottom end than their open-back counterparts. Both headphones are great for references, an alarmingly detailed tool to have in your arsenal. I feel like I’ll never be caught off guard again!
DT 1990 PRO MKII
Here’s where things get really special, the new MKII PRO headphones both feature 30Ω impedance, meaning they’re an equally viable option whether you’re using a professional headphone amp, a smartphone or a tablet; especially with beyerdynamic’s mini-XLR to lightning or USB-C cables! With DAWs being increasingly available on tablets and smartphones, it can be a shock to the system jumping from device to device, sometimes needing to switch headphones, making it difficult to retain a controlled listening experience. With the DT 1990 or 1770 PRO MKII, you can seamlessly shift from the studio to home, and back again, the PRO MKII headphones serving as a constant in a varied workflow – especially for us freelancers!
The DT 1770 PRO MKII are a closed-back, dynamic headphone, responding from 5Hz right up to 40kHz, the DT 1990 PRO MKII featuring an open back design and the same frequency response. Both headphones are powered by TESLA.45 drivers, featuring an optimised neodymium magnet for both precision and power of sound reproduction. The diaphragm is structurally optimised, for improved total harmonic distortion, rated at 0,04% and 0,06% for the 1770 PRO and 1990 PRO respectively. Included with the headphones are a premium hardcase, coiled and straight options for cables and two sets of ear pads depending on your needs and use!
Let me wrap this up by making something clear: the PRO MKII headphones from beyerdynamic are a huge step forward. They retain the same great aesthetics, comfort and design elements that’ve made beyer’s headphones so famous, with modern additions for the needs of today’s music listeners, makers and producers. Super low resistance means that these headphones don’t need an amplifier to be driven, so they’re equally usable whether you’re in the studio or at home with a tablet or even smartphone. Consistent listening environments are really important, probably more so than a lot of us realise, and beyerdynamic have helped to bridge the gap whether you’re producing, mixing, referencing or just enjoying music.
The beyerdynamic DT 1770 PRO MKII & DT 1990 PRO MKII have helped me solve a problem, and from now on they’ll continue to help me avoid them in the first place. As a producer and engineer, I’m in the business of bringing an artist’s vision to life, and beyerdynamic are helping me do that.
For local enquiries, visit beyerdynamic Australia.
