By aspect — in detail
Tonality
Contested · 9 srcSources split on how far from neutral it sits. One camp — including the unsmoothed measurements and the lab that scored it lowest — reads a bassy, sharp tuning that is not a flat studio reference. The other hears a mild, likeable 'smile curve' that is easy to live with and easy to correct. Both are describing the same shape; they disagree about whether its size is a problem. Everyone agrees it is not ruler-flat, and nearly everyone agrees it takes EQ well.
Measured
Every source that measured it describes the same shape: a bass lift, a dip around 200 Hz that detaches the bass from the mids, slightly recessed upper mids and a treble lift. Sound On Sound calls it a 'smile curve' a shade more pronounced than the open DT 1990 PRO MKII; PC Gamer and a Head-Fi owner independently land on 'V-shaped.' Because the driver is now 30 Ω, tonality also shifts with the source: DIY-Audio-Heaven measured the balance changing substantially off higher-output-resistance amps and recommends staying under 10 Ω.
⚠ vs. listeners — The graphs do not disagree — the verdicts do. 'Near-neutral with improved timbre' and 'not neutral, bassy and sharp' are the same curve judged against different reference points: a listener's idea of a musical closed-back versus a flat mixing tool.
Where it splits
A mild, likeable V — characterful rather than wrong, and trivially corrected with EQ.64%
“there’s something very likeable about the sound of both models just as they are”
Sound On Sound (Sam Inglis)
Not a neutral studio tuning — bassy and sharp, and dependent on what you plug it into.36%
“An overall rather expensive but nicely made, sturdy and sensitive (not very closed) studio headphone with a bassy sound with a sharp sound that is easy to drive but output resistance dependent.”
DIY-Audio-Heaven (solderdude)
The most surprising split in the review, because it is not really about taste. Half the sources hear an elevated, thick, slightly bloated low end sitting behind a 200 Hz dip; the other half hear it as restrained, textured and specifically not elevated. The measurements explain why both are right: bass level on this headphone swings substantially with seal, so glasses, hair, pad choice and how it sits on your head change the answer — and a high-output-impedance source makes it boomier still. Extension and control are agreed: it goes deep and stays clean.
Measured
Bass extension is excellent and distortion is low — an improvement on the original, per DIY-Audio-Heaven, and headphonecheck notes the low frequencies stay well-differentiated without resonances despite the closed design. SoundGuys' chart shows a bass bump with a strong cut-out just past 200 Hz. Crucially, DIY-Audio-Heaven's seal sweeps found that 'The bass levels are (as expected) varying substantially depending on the seal,' with glasses-wearers getting a more balanced result than a perfect seal — and concluded this is exactly why published opinions on the same headphone range from huge bass to bass-shy.
⚠ vs. listeners — The camps are not contradicting each other so much as measuring different fits. Seal, pad set and source output impedance each move the low end by a lot, which is a rare case of a disagreement with a concrete fix: get a good seal, try both pad sets, and drive it from a low-impedance output.
Where it splits
Controlled and well-defined — deep and textured, but not an elevated bass shelf.63%
“The mid-bass is well-defined and textured, though not elevated.”
eCoustics (W. Jennings)
Elevated and thick — impressive quantity, but bloated rather than realistic.37%
“Bass is elevated in an impressive way but does not sound realistic (a bit bloated).”
DIY-Audio-Heaven (solderdude)
Two compatible readings that pull in opposite directions. In character the midrange is widely called clean, lively and open, with good clarity — measurably better than the original through 1–5 kHz. In level it sits back, because the bass and treble sit forward: the upper mids are the quiet part of the smile curve, which one lab heard as slightly boxy and hard on higher-pitched voices. Owners describe the same thing as a dipped mid. Reviewers who came from the original consistently say the odd, weird midrange of the 2016 model is gone.
“The mids themselves are dynamic and have good clarity.”
DIY-Audio-Heaven (solderdude)
“the highs are overemphasized a bit, while the upper mids are comparatively quieter — leading to a slightly boxy sound”
SoundGuys (Christian Thomas)
Measured
The upper mids are the recessed region of the tuning — Sound On Sound heard the open sibling as a shade mid-recessed and the 1770 as a more pronounced smile; SoundGuys traced boxiness and off-sounding high vocals to the same dip and found a low shelf cut plus a boost around 240 Hz alleviated it. Against the original, DIY-Audio-Heaven measured the MKII with more clarity through 1–5 kHz.
The headline argument, and unusually it is a disagreement between measurements rather than just between ears. Two outlets report that the 8–9 kHz spike Beyerdynamic has been criticised for is reduced on the MKII and that nothing reads as peaky; the unsmoothed measurements still find classic sharp 'Beyer treble' with a resonance around 8 kHz and call it too much for music. Listeners split the same way, and owners split with them — one calls the top end relaxed and chill, another too bright. Both camps agree the treble is at least forward of neutral, and that EQ settles it.
Measured
eCoustics reports that 'The DT 1770 MKII has toned down the treble slightly. While still a bit forward of neutral, it no longer has the prominent 8-9kHz spike that has been criticized in past models,' and headphonecheck measured that 'Compared to its predecessor, the DT 1770 Pro MKII’s high-frequency response has been reduced and the sound is softer around 8 kHz.' DIY-Audio-Heaven's unsmoothed plots nonetheless show resonances around 8 kHz and read the treble as sharp; the pleather pads add a further ~4 dB peak over the velours. Treble extension to 20 kHz is agreed to be excellent.
⚠ vs. listeners — The likeliest reconciliation is on DIY-Audio-Heaven's own page: it applies no smoothing, and states that most measurement sites smooth plots in a way that 'irons flat' sharp peaks. A narrow resonance can therefore be genuinely smaller than the original's and still show up — and still be audible — as a sharp edge. Which verdict you get also depends on the pads: the leatherette set measures a hotter, coarser top end than the velours.
Where it splits
Tamed versus the original — forward of neutral but no longer peaky, and not fatiguing.64%
“Attractive, non‑fatiguing sound.”
Sound On Sound (Sam Inglis)
Still hot — elevated and sharp, adding an edge to cymbals and voices, and too much for music.36%
“Treble is elevated and sharp accentuating drum hits, cymbals and certain instruments as well as giving some sharpness to voices.”
DIY-Audio-Heaven (solderdude)
Soundstage
Moderate · 7 srcGenerally rated good for a closed-back, with a real split on scale rather than quality. Music and gaming reviewers describe an out-of-head presentation with genuine depth — unusual for a sealed design. Studio-leaning listeners and one outlet's own cons list call the stage merely realistic and somewhat limited, and one owner found it plain strange. Nobody calls it congested.
“It’s a closed-back headphone where almost none sounds like it’s coming from inside your head, and that’s a big feat.”
Major HiFi (Alex Schiffer)
“The soundstage with this version in my head what is a bit strange.”
Thomann owner review (Bart Waterman / Soundwizard)
Measured
eCoustics rates the stage realistic but lists 'Stage size somewhat limited' as a con; SoundGuys' MDAQS immersiveness score of 4.5 was its highest sub-score, and Head-Fi owners call staging very good for a closed back. Worth noting that the measured cable crosstalk below artificially widens the stereo image, so some of the perceived width is not the acoustics.
Most sources call placement excellent — pinpoint enough that a gaming outlet rated competitive positional accuracy as a standout. One lab dissented sharply, finding localisation fell apart on panned content, and measured the cause: high channel crosstalk. A second, independent lab measured the same defect and traced it to the 3-pin mini-XLR's shared return wire, which is far worse on the supplied coiled cable than the straight one. This is the most actionable finding in the review — the split may literally be which cable each reviewer plugged in.
Measured
DIY-Audio-Heaven measured the consequence of a 3-wire cable on a now-low-impedance driver: crosstalk of −36 dB with the straight cable and −27 dB with the coiled one, against −54 dB and −45 dB on the 250 Ω original — concluding that 'This means that stereo imaging is impacted when using the coiled cable.' SoundGuys independently measured crosstalk as high on both cables, worse on the coiled, and advises using the straight cable first.
⚠ vs. listeners — Two labs measured it; several listeners never heard it. That is consistent rather than contradictory — the effect is cable-dependent and material-dependent, so a reviewer on the straight cable listening to mostly centred mixes can reasonably report pinpoint imaging. If placement matters to you, use the straight cable, or a shorter low-resistance aftermarket one.
Where it splits
Pinpoint and well-separated — a standout for a closed-back, and a repeated gaming recommendation.80%
“Imaging on the DT 1770 MKII is excellent, with instruments well-separated and a realistic stage size that avoids gaps or overlaps.”
eCoustics (W. Jennings)
Localisation can go wonky — measured crosstalk smears placement on panned material.20%
“While the immersiveness was strong — localizability was very wonky for me, which stuck out in tracks that had content move from channel to channel, like pans and content meant for only one side.”
SoundGuys (Christian Thomas)
Broadly praised: a fast, low-distortion driver that surfaces texture and small cues, and a clear step up from the original in clarity. The asterisk is the familiar Beyer one — part of what registers as detail is the treble lift, and the source that measures most closely frames the same quality as the sound being made 'overly detailed' rather than more resolving.
“these headphones dig up audio details you didn't even know existed”
PC Gamer (Kizito Katawonga)
“This subtle detail is easy to miss on lesser headphones that lack the bass texture and clarity of the DT 1770 MKII.”
eCoustics (W. Jennings)
Measured
Rooted in a genuinely improved driver — DIY-Audio-Heaven measured lower distortion than the original, and Sound On Sound's spec check found 0.2% THD at 100 Hz and 0.1% or less higher up at 1 mW. Against that, DIY-Audio-Heaven attributes some of the impression to the elevated treble making the presentation 'overly detailed,' the same critique long levelled at the DT 1990.
A consistent strength. The new TESLA.45 driver is described as faster and better-controlled than the one it replaces, and reviewers repeatedly failed to make it distort or compress at high volume — which is also why it tolerates aggressive EQ. The one technical reservation comes from the impulse measurements, where damping is called mediocre with resonances ringing on.
“No matter what I played through the DT 1770 MKII, I couldn’t get it to distort or compress, even at high volumes.”
eCoustics (W. Jennings)
“the drivers seem to be able to avoid distortion issues quite well”
SoundGuys (Christian Thomas)
Measured
Distortion is low and measurably improved over the original (DIY-Audio-Heaven), and the published THD figures are strong for the class. The counterweight is time-domain: DIY-Audio-Heaven's impulse response shows considerable overshoot with resonances persisting, and judges damping as something that 'could be a lot better.' The headroom is real, though — every source that tried EQ found the driver took it.
Good for most people, with two consistent caveats. The large, deep velour pads, thickly padded band and even weight distribution let several reviewers wear it for hours without complaint, and owners coming from the original call the fit a clear improvement. But the clamp is firm by design and the ~377 g is not light: reviewers who noticed it noticed it after a couple of hours, especially with the leatherette pads. Glasses-wearers get mixed reports, and the internal headband wire can touch bald heads.
“I was able to wear these for hours without discomfort, and it didn’t matter which pads I used.”
SoundGuys (Christian Thomas)
“Clamping force is high (4.5-5N) and so is the weight (378 gram).”
DIY-Audio-Heaven (solderdude)
Measured
Weight is measured at 373–378 g depending on the rig (443 g with a cable). Clamp is firm on every measurement but the numbers differ with method: DIY-Audio-Heaven measured 4.5–5 N, headphonecheck 764.5 g averaged across large and small heads, and Beyerdynamic's own spec sheet quotes 6 N — which is why 'moderate' and 'high' are both said about it. The clamp can be reduced by bending the headband. Pads are 58 mm across and 26 mm deep, roomy enough for most ears.
Build
Strong consensus · 9 srcThe one thing nobody argues about. A near-all-metal, spring-steel-framed, Heilbronn-built headphone with field-replaceable parts, a detachable mini-XLR cable, two pad sets, two cables and a case — repeatedly placed a clear step above the DT 770 and DT 700 PRO X, and repeatedly described as built like a tank. The knocks are specific and minor: the 3-pin connector rules out balanced cables, the headband padding is not separately replaceable, the cable is microphonic, and swapping pads can be a genuine fight.
“Build quality is high and the looks are premium as well. Definitely a step above the cheaper DT 770 and DT 700 PRO X.”
DIY-Audio-Heaven (solderdude)
“Heavy‑duty construction with lots of field‑replaceable parts.”
Sound On Sound (Sam Inglis)
Measured
Made in Germany, black anodised metal earcups, bolted and replaceable components, hard case, velour and leatherette pads, 3 m straight and 5 m coiled cables with a screw-on 6.3 mm adapter. Documented limitations: the mini-XLR is 3-pin, which eCoustics notes 'prevents use of balanced cables without modifying headphones' and which is also the root of the crosstalk finding above; the headband cushion must be replaced as a unit on the MKII where the DT 770's was separately swappable; and pad changes can go badly — Sound On Sound reports 'Having swapped the first one with no fuss at all, it took me nearly an hour to do my second earpad.'
Isolation
Strong consensus · 7 srcGood for a passive closed-back, and one of the model's real advantages over its open sibling. Sources consistently report that most ambient noise is cut, with the leatherette pads sealing better than the velours. The honest limit, from the measurements, is that the attenuation is in the higher frequencies — low-frequency rumble gets through, so this is not a substitute for noise cancelling on a plane or a train.
“Very comfy and not too much pressure on my head.”
Thomann owner review (Raikerer)
“The blockage of outside noises is decent for higher frequencies but low frequencies are not attenuated.”
DIY-Audio-Heaven (solderdude)
Measured
Beyerdynamic publishes a 25 dBA external-noise attenuation figure, which Sound On Sound singles out as an unusually meaningful spec to disclose. SoundGuys measured isolation as ranging from decent to good depending on pads, with the leatherette set blocking slightly more. Leakage outward is minimal at normal levels — a real advantage for tracking next to a microphone.
Genuinely split, and the split is about what you are buying. One camp weighs the made-in-Germany build, the field-replaceable parts and an unusually generous box — two pad sets, two long cables, a hard case — and calls it fair for a tool you keep for a decade. The other weighs the sound per dollar, notes that a DT 770 PRO X costs a fraction and that the tuning is one you should hear first, and rates value poorly. Street pricing is unusually scattered, which moves the argument depending on what you actually pay.
Measured
US MSRP is $599, but street pricing as of mid-2026 is unusually wide — Thomann lists it around $515 while B&H lists $699.99, and UK pricing runs £469–£549. SoundGuys scored value 4.0/10 against an overall 6.9; Amazon owners average 4.2 from 118 ratings and Thomann owners 4.6 from 14. Cross-shopped against Beyerdynamic's own DT 770 PRO X at roughly a third the price and the open DT 1990 PRO MKII at the same price, the case rests on the closed design, the build and the bundle.
Where it splits
Fair — a long-life studio tool with a bundle most rivals do not match.54%
“come with a much larger scope of delivery than many competing models, including interchangeable ear pads, two long cables and a carrying case”
headphonecheck.com (Carsten Kaiser)
Steep — the tuning is unusual enough at this price that you should audition before buying.46%
“most people should probably skip this one unless it’s available on sale or you’re specifically looking for a long-term booth dweller”
SoundGuys (Christian Thomas)
