Beyerdynamic’s new Custom Street headphone is available for a nice ‘n easy $149.  While it’s definitely on the cheaper side of Beyerdynamic’s pricing strategy, the Custom Street should not be written off as just a cheaper alternative to pricier models, but should be considered as a more portable contender with its own pros and cons.

You don’t have to look very hard to see the immediate differences between the Custom Street and its big brother, the Custom One Pro.  The box itself is a bit more diminutive, and the packaging more pared-down.  Inside a cardboard sleeve, there’s a half-clamshell-like case that zips open to reveal a compact whisper of its larger predecessor.  There’s a removable audio cable in the case, measuring  1.3 meters (or just over 4′ 3”), and featuring a mic and single-button remote.  There are also some decals inside the box that you can attach to the cups of the Custom Street.

The headband is plastic with aluminum extenders, and a small patch of pleather at the very top.  The smallish, on-ear cups swivel about 120 degrees, and they feature some rather comfortable pleather pads.  There’s an audio jack on either earcup, so you can wear the cable on the left or the right depending on your personal preference.  There are also two lilliputian switches that allow the wearer to adjust bass.

The audio cable seems robust and unlikely to fail on me.

On my head, the Custom Street is surprisingly comfortable for an on-ear model…once I have the positioning figured out.  There’s moderate pressure for minimal leaking of sound, but it’s not uncomfortable or anything – I’m just aware of the headphone sitting on my ears.

The sound of this headphone is decent.  It’s not as robust as more expensive Beyerdynamic models, but it easily approaches the level of the Custom One Pro.  Of course, this is with the bass turned down.  Once added to the mix, this feature tends to drown out male vocals.  But throw on some instrumental stuff (“Green Onions” by Booker T and the M.G.’s comes to mind), and you’ll get some luscious bass in there that does a lot for these headphones.

The mid range is about as present as it is on any Beyerdynamic model under $500, and the highs aren’t particularly detailed.  Its got the standard frequency range of 20-20,000 hertz, and an impedance of 38 ohms.  As a result, it may not seem as dynamic (or even as harsh) as the Custom One Pro, but it certainly is more forgiving for lower-quality recordings, or for listeners who don’t need TONS of volume.

It might not be for everyone – if you’re looking for that full sized headphone to draw attention to yourself as you strut around campus listening to Fetty Wap, cop something else.  If you’re more of the type to get something more compact, and more tuned to a wider array of listening material (of varying recording quality, too), then this is the headphone for you.  And as a bonus, it’ll also cost you less.

Think you’re down with these headphones?

Check out more options at the Beyerdynamic Store at Audio46.com!