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I think it's safe to say that everyone loves a good deal. Regardless, the audiophile, music, and recording worlds are expensive lifestyles. At the same time, informed consumers are always going to find products that deliver way more than what they're going for. In my mind, the best closed back headphones when looking at price-to-quality ration come from Beyerdynamic. Many artists, engineers, audiophiles, and studio professionals have used the DT770 Pro (MSRP $169) for various uses. This means that the new DT770 Pro X LE (MSRP $199) has to not only stand alone as a product, but also has to compete with Beyerdynamic's legendary product line. Let's find out how the stack up against one another in the DT770 Pro vs. DT770 Pro X LE comparison review.
What's in the Box
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Look and Feel - DT770 Pro vs. DT770 Pro X LE Comparison Review
The first thing you notice when you put on the DT770 Pro X LE is how comfortable and plushy they feel. Beyerdynamic has done a fantastic job of improving comfort in their design. The metal headband is more flexible, the leather cover is softer, the earpads are softer, and the edges feel more beveled. The regular DT770 Pro isn't uncomfortable, but the earpads feel thin when comparing them to the Limited Edition. The Pro X LE weighs in at 300G and the Pro comes in at 280G on my scale. The difference is unnoticeable. I don't have much to say about the looks because the main difference is a painted centennial logo on the headband. There's subtle differences in styling but mentioning them are trivial. Simply put, the improved comfort is well worth the increased price.
Design
The most discernible difference we see between the Pro and Pro X LE is the driver. The Pro X LE borrows it's STELLAR.45 speaker from the DT700 Pro X. At 48 Ω and 98dB/mw, the DT770 Pro X LE is pretty sensitive. You'll be able to use them straight out of the 3.5mm port on your phone or laptop. At the same time, a little more power extends the bass nicely. The regular Pro edition comes in at 32 Ω and 96dB/mw. Same can be said for powering these, but they are going to be very slightly harder to drive. Anyone using a dongle DAC will not have any problems with sound quality. The addition of a mini-XLR detachable cable now means that you'll be able to replace or upgrade the DT770 cable. I won't say much aside from the fact that this is a huge improvement when comparing both.
This isn't necessarily a criticism because the DT770 Pro X LE are great at what they do. I just really liked the fact that the DT770 Pro comes in a variety of resistances. This means that people using powerful DACs/amps will be able to choose a resistence (32Ω, 80Ω, 250Ω) which works well with their gear's power output. This makes the DT770 Pro an excellent studio tool for recording. Because I'm comparing a similar resistance/sensitivity I cannot know Beyerdynamic on this front. I also understand that a driver redesign would probably increase the price of these headphones significantly more. Just be sure that if you're using them with a DAC or outboard amp to keep the volume low at first and increase the volume till it's comfortable.
Soundstage
Both of these soundstages are decent for a closed back headphone. I wouldn't say that they have the insane width of a of the Dan Clark E3 but they are holographic and a little further than shoulder width in their soundstage. Between the Pro and Pro X LE, I mainly heard a difference in the verticality of the staging. Width and stereo imaging are both similar from them though. A quick comparison using a Youtube headphone test showed me how much more vertical the Pro X LE could get. There's a discernible transition in the height of the sound. In the same vein, I get more tuned texture when listening to sounds from behind the stereo image. Other than this, both headphones felt very localized in their portrayal of stereo information.
Listening Impressions - DT770 Pro vs. DT770 Pro X LE Comparison Review
Lows
Tonally, the Pro X LE is going to be tuned with more of a 'V-shape' frequency response than the very nuetral DT770 Pro. In terms of bass, the first 'V' stroke is more subtle than it is on the treble side. The lows to my ears are getting increased by around 4-6 dB. This means that it's not perfectly flat, but there's a subtle warmness added to the sound signature. It isn't a very bass heavy headphone. There's enough to hear kick drums and bass guitar extend a little more in the mix. It's not big enough to overtake the soundscape. What's more identifiable is the added sub-bass, which gives them a little more thud in higher volumes.
In a listening context, even fans of neutral headphones will enjoy the slightly boosted bass because it isn't that dramatic of a 'V' shape on the lows. In a recording context, it may be a little more difficult hearing 'mid' sounds. With the way the lows and highs are tuned, I could see drummers and bass guitarists really enjoying the DT770 Pro X LE in a recording situation. Drummers utilize the entire frequency spectrum because their kicks provide deep low end while the cymbals add shimmering high-end. This makes them the perfect tool for these professionals.
The DT770 Pro on the other hand is much flatter in it's bass respond. They will distort much earlier before they start 'thudding' in the same way the Pro X LE will. This isn't necessarily a bad thing for those that enjoy neutral headphones. Regardless, the added sub-bass of the DT770 Pro X LE is very nice in a lot of settings. It's still neutral enough that they're extremely versatile.
Mids
The tuning of the mids don't feel very dissimilar to me but where they sit in the mix is totally different. Because of the flatter tuning of the DT770 Pro, there's a lot more room for the midrange frequencies to pop through. The boosted highs and lows of the DT770 Pro X LE mean that it's going to be harder getting the same focus from the mids. While using the Pro X LE, I got more of a supplemented mid sound which brings higher low and high mids into the sonic picture. They aren't muddy or crisp, they just sit right in the middle between there. This means that the Pro X LE is still neutral in it's mid volume, it just sits behind the lows and highs of the tuning.
The DT770 Pro on the other hand is flat all around. This gives you a good amount of mid volume without the sound of sonic supplementation. Voices, guitars, and synths all come through with great focus and clarity. Although saturated sounds don't have the same grit, they also don't have the same supplemented sharpness that the Pro X LE has. I feel a slight bump in the 600-800 hZ range, which brings out slightly more depth here. As a fan of flatter responses, I appreciate the way that the mids are presented in the Pro.
Highs
My least favorite aspect of the DT770 Pro X LE is how bright the highs can be. This isn't typically a problem, but bright mixes can become sibilant if you're listening at a high volume. This was most apparent to me when I listened to "Born to Land Hard" by Cold As Life. The cymbals flashed all over the mix at times. Cold As Truth is a band that has mastered it's use of feedback, but it was too much for me on a bright pair of cans like this. I have to admit that I'm sensitive to highs, and I'm not a huge fan of overly bright headphones. Objectively, these are much sharper and airier than the regular DT770 pros.
The DT770 Pro is much flatter in the treble range. These really aren't overtly bright, but there's enough character to give sounds their shape. I will say that because of how flat they sit, you won't get the same bright focus from these as you will from the Pro X LE. Your preference in sound signature will inform which ones you'd like more.
Summary
The new addition of the DT770 Pro X LE has made some notable upgrades in their comfort, design, soundstage, and tuning. A huge upgrade that makes the limited edition much more durable in the long run is the fact that you can replace the detachable mini-XLR. This alone is worth the $30 price increase. At the same time, if you're sensitive to highs or are looking for perfectly flat headphones, these aren't going to fit the bill. At the same time, if you just need a durable pair of headphones for quick recordings, these are a great option.
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