beyerdynamic DT 240 PRO monitoring headphone

The best way I can sum up the Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro is that it's a well-built, pseudo-circumaural headphone with an overall neutral sound signature with a slight bit of extra bass and it sounds way better than I'd expect for the price. Too fit may be an issue for many people.The fit and comfort really is my biggest issue with these headphones. The earcups are a lot smaller than any other circumaural headphones I've ever owned and it took me some practice to get my ears centered in them in such a way that the earpads touch my pinnae as little as possible and the outer parts of the earpads contact my head. I should note that my ears are on the smaller side (for a guy) though they do stick out a bit. I'd rate the clamping force of the earcups as medium, being a bit lower than the Sennheiser HD600 and maybe a tad bit higher than the (Austrian-made) AKG K 271 Studio. Combining the clamping force with a proper fit helps keep the padded headband from putting too much pressure on the top of my head, something I'm very sensitive to. I can wear them for a couple of hours but I'm definitely relieved to take them off.Build quality seems solid. The headband has a metal band running through it and the yokes and earcups appear to be metal. I'm not sure if the hardware connecting the headband to the yokes is also metal so this may be a potential weak point. The padding on the headband does not appear to be replaceable. The earpads do appear to be replaceable based on the fact that they can be easily rotated on the earcups, though I have not tried to take them off and I'm not sure Beyerdynamic sells them. The cable is partially coiled with a 1/8" termination with included screw-on 1/4" adapter and plugs into the headphones on either earcup with a 3/32" stereo plug. They are closed-back headphones that both provide some noise isolation and reduces sound leakage, though neither aspect seem especially notable to me (e.g. the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x do much better at noise isolation).I use these almost entirely for just listening to music at home. I tend to like a slightly dark to neutral sound signature and am extremely sensitive to sibilance. My hearing is a bit worse than average for a person in their mid-30s and I doubt I can really hear anything above roughly 14KHz, so please keep that in mind. My music consists of mostly electronic (synthpop, industrial, EBM, and related genres) with some rock and pop and a little bit of classical (mostly chamber music).The DT 240 Pro seem to have an overall neutral sound signature to my ears. There is a slight boost in the lower bass region, especially below 100Hz, that adds a little bit of fun. The bass on these cans gets surprisingly deep and likely easily hits 40Hz and lower. Midrange is neither recessed nor prominent and seems relatively flat until near the lower treble. There is a noticeable dip from roughly 4KHz to close to 10KHz that may bother some people and be a boon to others. On one hand, the dip takes a bit of the "energy" and may give a slightly strange tonal balance to music. On the other hand, the dip is in the sibilant region of the treble and is very helpful to those of us that are sensitive to sibilant sounds. This can make poorly-mastered music, compression artifacts, and sibilant vocalists less bothersome to listen to. At around 10KHz and above the treble is fully present, maybe with a slight boost that works well with the slight boost in the bass region. As a whole, I think neutral is the best description for the sound signature and nothing sounds especially exaggerated.The soundstage and detail on these headphones really surprised me for something in this price range. The soundstage is surprisingly wide and even has some depth. Side-to-side imaging is quite good and is decent front-to-back, though maybe not quite good enough for something like gaming. The level of detail on these cans seems at least similar to what I remember of the Austrian-made AKG K 271 Studio (that I had owned for over 10 years) and easily surpasses the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x I used to have. The way I judge detail is in how much texture I can hear in elements like synthesizers (e.g. variants of the Access Virus) and string instruments (e.g. cellos and pianos), and these cans exceeded my expectations.These cans are easy to drive and sound fine directly out of sources such as a Google Pixel 3a, Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (be sure to turn off "sound enhancements" and use dedicated mode on your music player!), and the Apple lightning headphone adapter from an iPhone 7 Plus. They do respond to amplification from even modest amps like the FiiO A3 with a slightly larger soundstage, improved detail retrieval, and better control and depth in the bass region. An amp enhances some aspects of the DT 240 Pro but it does not change their overall character.I really do think the Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro are a bargain in terms of sound quality for the price, if they fit you comfortably and the earpads can get a seal. Their overall neutral sound signature should at least be inoffensive to most people, though it is also not particularly exciting. The dip in the lower treble is probably the most polarizing aspect of the sound signature, with some people really not liking it while those that are sensitive to sibilant sounds might very much like it. These cans should definitely be on your shopping list if you are looking for headphones that actually sound good that are under a hundred dollars.

If you want to know what you might experience with the Beyerdynamic DT240 then go to Z Reviews on Youtube. His description and comparison to other more expensive headphones say way more with his advanced experience than I can ever say.What does he say, "they are tea-sipping headphones". (meaning kick back relax enjoy the music these deliver the sound that represents the music as it should be heard. "Why you don't hear about these is the low price".Build Quality: Can't say much, they don't feel cheap, they are lightweight, they should last.My experience, I haven't stopped smiling yet, every time I put the DT240s on, I wear them 4 to 6 hours a day. I DJ/Host online to live audience, and listen to music daily, I love them.They don't have noise cancellation, but they are excellent at noise isolation, meaning they fit over and on the ears, because they fit tight, you won't hear much outside noise. Everyone I live with would agree lol.Biggest Con: They fit tight, however after several weeks they finally feel comfortable.Need low-budget Headphones? You don't care if they are not $200 you are bang for buck type? These are a great option.Update Nov-2021I still feel the same, I can add they are sturdy, I have dropped them from desk to floor several times. I did buy and audio cable extension, the included cable was too short for my needs. I sit at my desk and watch movies, work on DJ prep, listen to Youtube. I can't hear anything but what I am listening to, the over ear or on ear depending on head/ear size works these are a great alternative to more costly noise cancelation.

I wanted a decent set of over-ear consumer headphones for under $100, for background music when I am reading or studying, or listening to music videos, with tolerable noise cancelling. Portability is not a necessity, so the right ear wire with the tight coil in the center section is fine & these do not tangle. Thankfully they are not y-split wires. So these Beyerdynamic DT 240 PRO seemed to be on several online audio reviewers "old faithful", tried-and-true list & they were about $70. The reviews warned these were "a little tight fitting, but comfortable with glasses, but were not for large ears". The plastic build feels sturdy enough & the metal headband & ear cups with vinyl leatherette over foam OK for the price, but the clamping is SO tight that in taking them off, the right one slipped out of my hand and smacked my glasses hard enough to put several scratches in the lens. The metal headband does adjust easily with a reassuring click on each side. BUT I have average size ears, & the cups fit VERY snugly, so much that they barely fit over my ears. Plus side, this made for good passive noise reduction as long as I am listening to something though I did not expect much for noise cancelling only. I can't hear someone talking directly to me 4 feet away when I am listening to music or a podcast, which is great! But after an hour, with the tight clamping & finding just the right perch for my glasses atop the ear cups, I am DONE, ready to give my ears, which hurt a bit, a break! I had hoped for two or three hours of tolerable comfort. That said, I was surprised to listen to some mid-60's music videos (like Small Faces, "Tin Soldier") that had thankfully not been re-mastered, & I heard "c'mon" & "let's go" from the band behind the vocals that I had not heard just listening through my desktop or laptop speakers which are not great. It was fun to hear the grittiness of the original video. Listening to music or vocals distinctly coming from one ear or the other, & some sound from both sides is exciting, as the phones are dissecting the sounds, which I really enjoy. The bass is deep & rich, but not thundering or booming, so if you just want a lot of loud thump-thump-thump look elsewhere. My disclaimer is that I am not an audiophile, dj, sound mixer or engineer, just a consumer, so I can't speak for the professionals, & I am sure some of my observations will be "well, duh" to you who are. But the sound quality is perfect for my listening needs, on par with my 23 + year old Denon system with Paradigm speakers. But with BIG "nyeh" on the comfort (too tight clamping, ear cups really small).