I think my DT 770 Pro (80 ohm) sounds wrong…

Submitted by Anx_DB t3_yf2cyf in headphones

Just today I got my brand new DT770 pro I wanted to replace my Corsair void elite with them but the audio sounds way worse! I bought them because all of the positive feedback and reviews that painted it to be the gold standard for audio and studio use

Yet, my mids are muddy and unpleasant and my highs are harsh and just plain bad The lows are amazing and detailed but the rest is just bad (contrary to all the reviews)

(it’s worth mentioning, I plugged it straight to my DESKTOP pc)

So here are my questions Is a 5 year old (but great) pc even enough to drive them?

And Does not driving them well can even result in poor audio quality?

Should I try to buy an amp/dac combo? Will it improve the sound quality?

I would really appreciate any help as I am very new to the audio scene and I’m REALLY rooting for this headphones

EDIT: after using an external sound card and tweaking the EQ the headphones sounds GREAT! (Thanks everyone for your suggestions) But I’ve decided to sell them after all due to not being comfortable on my head

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blargh4 t1_iu1cao9 wrote

It's normal that new headphones will sound weird if your ears are very used to some other set. I'm guessing the Corsair has kind of a muddy low-end focused tuning, based on my general experience with gaming headsets, so a bright set of cans might be quite jarring. But if you listen to your DT770s for a while, your ears will likely habituate to their sound, and then your headset may start to sound weird and tubby/muddy to you. I'd give them some time.

Or maybe bright headphones just aren't for you. I personally prefer a more laid back sound too. They can almost certainly be tamed with EQ.

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Anx_DB OP t1_iu1djfu wrote

>i was kind of prepared for getting used to a new sound stage
and knew it would take some getting used to
but what i currently hear sounds like a cheap ali express headsets that's just no studio or any audio enthusiast would ever use

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blargh4 t1_iu1fx7g wrote

Well, it's possible. Headphones are easy to counterfeit so if you perhaps got them from some 3rd party Amazon seller or whatever, they could very well be fake.

​

The thing with headphones is that since they basically create a tiny room with your ear (a physical audio filter) as the main piece of furniture within, your individual ears have a significant effect on how you perceive headphones, so what works well for other people may very well be unpleasant for you (which is why I personally do not buy HPs I haven't heard or wouldn't be able to easily return/resell without taking a loss). I personally really don't get along with headphones that produce excess response around 5-6KHz or so, which is where the DT770 seems to have a sizable peak, so like many headphones that a lot of other people like, I suspect I'd personally find DT770s intolerably shrill.

But pretty much all headphones can also be greatly improved by EQ, so I suggest installing EqualizerAPO and trying to tame the offending frequency response peak before writing them off, they could very well transform into terrific headphones for you. Of course, you can't use EQ with every source, so maybe they're just a bad fit for you. Oratory1990's presets are usually a good starting point: https://www.dropbox.com/s/npqrz9dqdda292x/Beyerdynamic%20DT770%20%28new%20earpads%29.pdf?dl=0

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Anx_DB OP t1_iu1jv02 wrote

so some EQ did help quite a bit (Thanks btw)

but its still kind of harsh talking to people in discord for example...

about them being fake.. I really don't think that would be possible.. I bout them on a audio store in Paris that has multiple store locations in all of France and has over 1K google reviews with mostly 4-5 stars

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ww_abuser t1_iu33ycj wrote

I tried the 770's and had the same experience. I only liked the bass extension. I tried 35 headphones and these were the most BLAND.

BLAND is the word I would use to describe them.

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szakee t1_iu1a88l wrote

every one of the thousands of reviews clearly say about the treble on the DTxx0

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Anx_DB OP t1_iu1cowr wrote

it did, but the sound i get is unbearable... NOT something any studio would ever use
it sounds like a bad ali express pair of headphones which makes me think something is very wrong

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imsolowdown t1_iu1lqld wrote

Sounds like a dt770 :)

I own one and you do get used to it after a few hours, but it's much better with EQ. I never want to use one without EQ again after trying that.

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wiggan1989 t1_iu1jnh5 wrote

I had the same issue you had. The sound was unbearable. Had to return them.

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Anx_DB OP t1_iu1kkdy wrote

sorry to hear... if ill be able to get them working good ill let you know
who knows maybe you'll like them again

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wiggan1989 t1_iu1l8kp wrote

It's fine. I got the Sundaras. I definitely prefer the signature of these.

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Zone15 t1_iu1wfna wrote

It might be worth trying some different pads on them. I have Dekoni Choice Leather on mine, it changed the sound for the better and was more comfortable due to the memory foam. The way any headphone seals to your head will drastically change the sound and maybe the stock pads just aren't for you. My DT770's sound great, they did sound a bit "shouty" at first, but the pad change helped that some then just getting used to them was a big difference. Now if I go back to my old HyperX Cloud Alphas, they just sound horrible and muddy.

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hurtyewh t1_iu5xcmf wrote

I think they sound muddy and harsh so no surprise there. When EQ'd to Harman they're pretty nice. Using even an Apple dongle is a good idea imo compared to the average mobo.

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TitualSacrifice t1_iu1jkax wrote

Everyone else seems to be ignoring the fact that you plugged 80 ohm headphones straight into your desktop. They’re not gonna sound good that way. Either get an amp (you don’t need a DAC) or trade the 80 ohm version for the 32 ohm version. I’ve been daily driving the 32 ohm version for like three years and I have yet to find a headphone that sounds better. I haven’t listened to the 80 ohm version personally but from what I hear online the treble is a little harsher than the 32 ohm version.

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Anx_DB OP t1_iu1kegw wrote

Unfortunately I can't trade my headphones back.. I bought them on a trip to France and I'm no longer in there :(

I am completely OK with buying an amp tho

but wait, so an amp would improve the audio quality?

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imsolowdown t1_iu1mb82 wrote

Don't listen to clueless idiots on Reddit who have no idea what they're talking about. Look for information online. Ohms is the impedance. The sensitivity is what you need to look at if you want to know how much energy is needed. Not the impedance.

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Gaurdian23 t1_iu2xid1 wrote

I lean with no, ignore the guy above you. Subjectively an amp can make it sound a bit different but no amp will objectively 'improve' the sound quality.

The Dt770 (80 ohms) can be powered off of the 3.5mm jack on my 4 year old mid-range phone, I highly doubt your desktop can't power it properly.

There are two possibilities for what is going on:

  1. Your not use to the sound, for some people it can take a month before they get use to a headphone. (I don't think this is the case)

Or

  1. Everyone's ears are different, which I mean literally. Your ear shape could be causing the headphones to sound horrible for you. That's ok, I'm sorry that you had to find this out the hard way - however now people should be able to recommend better headphones to try.

Since you can't trade your headphones back, you may want to sell them on r/AVExchange - you probably will loose a smidge of money (shipping) however you can get really good deals for other headphones there, so it should even out in the end. Since the Dt770's were too harsh for your ears I'd recommend the Rode NTH-100, Sony MDR-7506, or Sennheiser HD 280 Pro. None have the piercing treble and all are highly recommended around this price point. That said, it would help to get other people's opinions on this. To my ears the Dt 770's sound great but I tend to like bright headphones.

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TitualSacrifice t1_iu1lcfq wrote

The ohm count refers to the amount of energy that’s needed to power the headphones. Most phones and computers will output enough to power 32 ohm headphones no problem, but not beyond that. The reason your 80 ohm pair sounds bad is because they’re only being partially powered. An amp will power the headphones entirely, sort of like unlocking their full potential. So yeah, an amp will help them sound better because they’ll be fully supplied with energy.

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imsolowdown t1_iu1m19f wrote

The ohms is the impedance of the headphones. It has nothing to do with the amount of energy needed. 80 ohm is fine with anything, the worst that could happen is that it will sound quiet. It doesn't affect the sound quality.

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agustin142 t1_iu3k7td wrote

In my opinion with an amp they will sound a bit better, but not a big difference, if the highs sound piercing that wont change

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