Review: beyerdynamic DT IEM range

beyerdynamic and their history of innovation are unmatched, having built a legacy on the back of products that not only solve problems, but provide solutions to hurdles before they arise. Known for their expanding range of headphones and monitoring, it’s no wonder their new range of in-ear monitors are a revelation.

We say revelation because of the simplicity of their design; in-ear monitors (IEMs) designed for different use cases depending on your sonic needs. While IEMs are becoming increasingly accessible, getting them sounding ideal isn’t always so simple. IEMs require separate mixes, treatment and adjustment depending on ambient sound, the frequency range your instrument occupies, as well as your own preferences. Here is where the revelation lies: beyerdynamic’s new range of four IEMs are custom designed for optimal sound depending on the frequency range your instrument sits in.

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The DT 70 IE is first up and designed for mixing and critical listening, whereas the DT 71 IE is perfect for drummers and bass players. The DT 72 IE is more mid-focused and articulate for guitarists and singers, and the DT 73 IE is tuned for orchestral musicians, pianists and keys.

Before hearing a single note from the range, opening the box offers a glimpse into the design and customisation available from beyerdynamic. The protective case contains a 1.4m removable cable that connects to the headphones, and is robust, offering enough length to connect comfortably to wherever you’re connecting it to, as well as a ¼” adapter.

The monitors include a (literal) handful of silicon and Comply eartips for your preference of fit, as well as levels of isolation. I found myself reaching for the Comply eartips immediately, their isolation serving as a great way to isolate sound around me and focus in on what I was hearing. The design of the IEM itself, as well as the inclusion of eartips is thanks to beyer’s commitment to ensuring the perfect fit, the DT IEM range’s fit being the result of hundreds of MRI ear scans to ensure they’ll fit anyone and everyone.

DT 70 IE

Testing out the DT 70 IE, I was immediately struck by how well they worked simply as earplugs; it should be no shock but it was still pleasant to feel the ambient sound around me immediately feel muted. My immediate thought was how well these would serve for critical listening while recording; those of us who have worked in studios will know how difficult it is to soundproof a space entirely. The thump of the kick pumps and the cymbals wash through the walls, blending with what we’re hearing through the monitors, muddying up our decision making.

The supreme isolation of the DT 70 IE helps filter out the room and the bleed through walls, allowing you to focus purely on the signal coming off the mics, ensuring you’re confident in the sound you’re recording and will eventually be mixing! The DT 70 IE, designed for critical listening and mixing, offered a really balanced sound, the low end being impressively accurate. I found myself feeling confident in what I was hearing very quickly, my work translating outside the studio without the DT 70 IE, sounding as I expected in my car, everyday headphones and more!

Though as a model for mixing & critical listening, the DT 70 IE would serve well someone who wants a flat, balanced and most of all true representation of what they’re hearing. 

DT 71 IE

The DT 71 IE, designed for drummers and bass players feature a big smiley-faced curve, scooping out the mids where other instruments sit and exaggerating the low thump and high end articulation of kick drums and bass guitar, without the need for an external monitor engineer or mixer to give you more of you in your ears! The DT 72 IE offer a similar experience, albeit tuned for guitar and voice, filtering out the low thump and mud, instead offering a more focused and articulate sound—designed to give vocalists a clear image of their pitch and technique. Guitars, that naturally sit in a similar region to the voice, benefit greatly from this frequency response as well.

Finally, the DT 73 IE are a reasonably flat and balanced design, being perfect for strings and orchestral players that, in fairness, cover a wide swathe of frequencies. The DT 73 IE offer moderate low end and mids, with a little hype in the top end to accentuate string articulation, plucking and focus. I found the DT 73 IE served me well for critical listening because of their balanced response, though the low end is not quite as pronounced and focused as in the DT 70 IE.

All four beyerdynamic models feature TESLA.11 driver system, and supremely clean and clear with just 0.02% THD. Something to note is that the DT IE series are loud, with max SPL 137 dB; the -39dB of sound insulation assisting to further focus the volume. The IEMs connect to the cable via a gold-plated MMCX connector, serving to both preserve audio quality as well as withstand the rigours of the stage and the road (or the studio!)

These IEMs respond from 5 – 40kHz, the dynamic transducer and TESLA.11 driver working in conjunction to provide balanced, dynamic sound across a massive frequency range.

Best of all, the DT IEM range makes an increasingly accessible piece of technology even more accessible. In-ear monitors are increasingly affordable, though the additional gear to make it work for you isn’t always so simple; yet here are beyerdynamic producing a range of monitors tuned perfectly for you, whatever you do. Designed with hundreds of MRI ear moulds in mind, the DT IEMs provide a perfect fit for comfort as well as total isolation to both protect your hearing as well as help to provide perfect sound.

This range is a huge step forward, so much so you won’t know how you lived without them. Customised sound to help you perform, mix or record at your best; further customisable via eight sets of eartips depending on your preference. The DT IEM are some of the latest innovations from a company at the top of their game, ear to the ground and providing tools to help musicians to help them do what they do best.

For more info and local beyerdynamic enquiries, keep reading at beyerdynamic Australia.