As I've just started my audiophile journey, I wanted my first setup to be the best "affordable" startup kit I could put together, and so the research began. After reading different reviews on this site (thank everyone!), I kept getting pulled back to the beyerdynamic headphones as a great candidate for my first kit. Almost all reviewers had the same opinion that the sound signature was U or V shaped (scooped mids), and that is generally the way I tend to EQ my music on whatever source I'm listening to, so it just made sense that they would be mine. (oh yes, they would be mine)

Then the shopping begins... Looking at what I considered to be the affordable options, there's the DT 770, DT 880, DT 990, and the different impedance options. And that lead to some additional research, reading reviews on the closed, partly open, and fully open options, and whether or not I wanted to get an external DAC / amp for the kit. (hint: I did) With that in mind, the DT 770 Pros were the cans that kept calling out to me for the sub-bass and clear treble, and I liked the idea of the fully contained closed environment which I believe helps hear the detail even better. The higher impedance 250 ohm version made sense to me as well given my experience with loud speakers, where higher impedance drivers pushed by decent power often sounds more dynamic and alive to me.

So, I ordered my DT 770 Pro headphones paired with the iFi Zen DAC v2 from a very well known online retailer (not going to promote them here, they don't need it), and impatiently awaited arrival of my very own entry level audiophile headphone kit. When they arrived, the unboxing and setup probably took about 2 minutes, and I immediately started listening to my old progressive standards like Pink Floyd, Tool, Genesis (the good stuff with Peter Gabriel), A Perfect Circle, Kate Bush, and so on. The sound was crisp and detailed in the upper mids and trebel with a good amount of detail I hadn't heard before, and the low end was actually very surprising. In a couple of songs, I could almost imagine the sub-bass vibrating my floor and I had to take the headphones off to see if I left my speakers on. (hint: I didn't)

Ok, so they rock, but do they jazz? The next test for me was to play some of my favorite jazz artists (piano and guitar) to see if I can get more detail from what is already mostly very detailed and "airy" jazz compositions. Pat Metheny, Kevin Eubanks, Acoustic Alchemy, Joe Sample, etc. Again, everything sounded better than I had heard before with more detail, more dynamics and clarity, and I began to really notice the soundstage at this point too. It seemed in no uncertain terms that these cans were just meant for my ears, and that assumption was not met with disappointment as I carried on.

Of course, now that I began really picking up on the soundstage, I had to go back to my progressive / alternative standards to give them another listen, and yep, there it was. Those certain "extras" in Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, and Porcupine Tree songs seemed to come from different places in my office, but not only that, the instruments (especially drums) and vocals began to expand outside my immediate headspace as well the more I listened with intent. Maybe it's partially or mostly psychological, but it surprised me when I heard it because I really didn't expect headphones to give me that particular experience.

As for build quality, other than the fixed cable (coiled, which I like), I can't fault them at all. They aren't flashy or pretty colors, or anything fancy like that, and I didn't really want that anyway. They have a more practical design and are built to last, and apparently you can buy just about every replacement part online if / when you need them. Let's see that big company named after a fruit do that! (hint: they won't)

As many have already reported in reviews and threads on this site, comfort is key with these cans. When I first put them on, I didn't adjust the headband correctly for me, and they sat a bit low on my head. I was worried for all of about 5 minutes about the comfort level, given that they were new (not yet stretched) and they were sitting on a bad place on my upper jaw, not comfy at all. Then I had that (oh, duh!) moment when I pushed them up just a bit and adjusted the head band, and I let out a sigh of relief just knowing that me and these headphones were going to get along. They are relatively light weight and the velour ear pads feel amazing, so once they stretched a bit after a day or two I could almost forget I have them on.

And there you have my newbie / noob / newly initiated (re)view and perspective of the DT 770 Pro (250 ohm) headphones. Yes, I will be adding a more powerful amp to my setup (of course), and yes, I will be trying other headphones, but I really think I nailed my starter kit with these given my preferred music / sound signature. If you're thinking about checking them out, I can't recommend them enough, especially at the price.