12 Apr Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X: The Headphones Producers Love

Posted at 13:39h in Exclusive, Exclusive, Gear-Tech, Review, Review by Elias Kollböck

▶ 5:17 Reading Time

I put on the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X and started playing “Kerala” by Bonobo. After thirty seconds, I stopped the song and started it again from the beginning. Not because something was off. Because I heard details that I had never picked up on after a hundred listens through other headphones. A shaker track on the left rear. A room echo that slowly builds up. That’s the moment you understand why open headphones exist.

DROP

▸ Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X: open over-ear, 48 Ohm, STELLAR.45 drivers, from 219 Euro
▸ Made in Germany. Handcrafted in Heilbronn. Not a marketing label, but a fact
▸ 48 Ohm: Works with smartphones, laptops, DACs. No headphone amplifier needed
▸ Frequency response: 5 to 40,000 Hz. Wider than most competitors
▸ Comparison: AKG K712 Pro (from 267 Euro, 62 Ohm) and Sennheiser HD 600 (from 294 Euro, 300 Ohm)

What “open” means for headphones

Open headphones have perforated earcups. Sound comes in, sound goes out. That sounds like a disadvantage, but it’s the opposite. Open construction creates a stage. Instruments don’t sit inside your head, but around you. A stage that closed headphones can’t physically reproduce. The price: zero isolation. Your seat neighbor on the train hears everything. Open headphones are for home use. For the moment when you really want to listen.

The DT 900 Pro X utilizes this openness better than most competitors in its price range. The STELLAR.45 drivers are Beyerdynamic’s latest development, introduced with the Pro-X series. They deliver a frequency response of 5 to 40,000 Hz. For comparison: human hearing ranges up to around 20,000 Hz. The additional bandwidth isn’t a gimmick. It ensures that the headphones work cleaner in the audible range because the diaphragm doesn’t operate at its limit.

48 Ohm: Why it Matters

The Sennheiser HD 600 has an impedance of 300 Ohms. This means it needs a headphone amplifier to play loudly and controlled. On a smartphone, it’s too quiet and sounds thin. The AKG K712 Pro has 62 Ohms. Better, but still not optimal with weak sources.

The DT 900 Pro X has 48 Ohms. That’s low enough for any device. Smartphone, laptop, audio interface, DAC. It plays loudly enough everywhere without losing control over the bass. You don’t need an additional amplifier. Plug it in directly and get started. For a product marketed as a studio headphone, that’s unusually flexible.

48 Ω

Impedance (HD 600: 300 Ohm)

5-40k

Hz Frequency Response

219€

Entry Price (Geizhals DE)

How it Sounds

Neutral, but not boring. That’s the shortest description. The DT 900 Pro X doesn’t color the sound. It doesn’t add bass or boost highs. What you hear is what’s in the recording. For some people, that’s a disappointment because they miss the bass boost of their consumer headphones. For everyone else, it’s a revelation.

The stage is wide. Wider than the HD 600, which is more present in the mids. The K712 Pro is even wider, but sounds slightly less focused in comparison. The DT 900 Pro X is right in between: wide enough to sound spatial, precise enough to clearly locate individual instruments.

Where it really shines: with complex material. Electronic music with many layers. Orchestral music with a large ensemble. Hip-hop productions with three different synth tracks running simultaneously. The DT 900 Pro X sorts it all out cleanly without becoming clinical.

The bass is there, but it doesn’t push to the front. A closed Beyerdynamic DT 770 has more pressure in the low bass. The DT 900 Pro X delivers a bass that decays more controlled and doesn’t obscure the mids. If you’re listening to techno and want physical pressure on your ears, an open headphone is generally the wrong choice. If you want to hear how the kick drum was produced, what overtones the hi-hat has, and how the synthesizer is positioned in the stereo panorama, then the DT 900 Pro X is just right.

The DT 900 Pro X doesn’t sound like a 220-Euro headphone. It sounds like a 400-Euro headphone that has cut its marketing budget.

Comparison: DT 900 Pro X vs. K712 Pro vs. HD 600

The AKG K712 Pro (from 267 Euro, 62 Ohm) sounds warmer. More bass foundation, wider stage. But less precise in the midrange. If you mainly listen to ambient or classical music, the K712 may be the more emotional choice. Downside: The cable is not detachable on the original model. And 62 Ohm is borderline with smartphones.

The Sennheiser HD 600 (from 294 Euro, 300 Ohm) is the legend. For over 25 years, the reference headphone for HiFi enthusiasts. Its strength: a natural, slightly warm midrange reproduction that makes voices sound three-dimensional. Its weakness: 300 Ohm means you need an amplifier. With a phone, it’s useless. And the price has risen significantly in recent years.

The DT 900 Pro X is the most pragmatic of the three. Not the warmest, not the widest, not the most emotional. But the most versatile. It works everywhere, sounds good everywhere, needs no accessories. If you want to buy a single open headphone that works with everything from smartphones to studio DACs, this is the answer.

For you if

You want an open headphone that works with any device
You prefer neutral sound that doesn’t add or subtract anything
You appreciate quality made in Germany that lasts for decades

Wait if

You prefer bass-heavy sound (then rather closed headphones)
You mainly listen on the go (open headphones don’t isolate)
You already own an HD 600 with amplifier (the upgrade isn’t worth it sonically)

♫ Reference Tracks – what the DT 900 can do

Songs that show what a good open headphone does with details.

Bonobo – Kerala Layers upon layers. Open headphones sort them out
Yosi Horikawa – Bubbles Field recordings that stand in the room. The perfect headphone test
Steely Dan – Aja Audiophile reference since 1977. The drum solo from minute 3
Billie Eilish – everything i wanted Sub-bass that you feel for the first time through open headphones

Q&A After the Show

Click on a question to expand the answer.

Do I need an amplifier for the DT 900 Pro X?

No. With 48 Ohm impedance and 100 dB sensitivity, the DT 900 Pro X is loud enough with any smartphone or laptop. A DAC like the iFi Zen DAC V2 improves the sound, but is not necessary. Unlike the Sennheiser HD 600 (300 Ohm), which sounds thin and quiet without an amplifier.

What’s the difference between the DT 900 Pro X and the DT 990 Pro?

The DT 990 Pro is the older model with 250 Ohm impedance and a V-shaped sound (emphasized highs and bass, reduced mids). The DT 900 Pro X has the new STELLAR.45 drivers, only 48 Ohm, a more neutral sound, and a detachable cable. If you don’t have either one yet, the DT 900 Pro X is the better choice.

Is the DT 900 Pro X suitable for music listening or just for studio use?

Both. The neutral sound makes it a studio tool, but this neutrality also makes it an excellent headphone for conscious music listening. You hear the music as the producer mixed it. Many users in HiFi forums prefer it over the HD 600 as an all-rounder.

How comfortable is the DT 900 Pro X during long sessions?

Very comfortable. The velour cushions are soft and breathable. The weight is around 345 grams, lighter than the K712 Pro. The clamping force is moderate. I wear it regularly for three to four hours at a time without pressure marks. Beyerdynamic offers replacement cushions as accessories if the original ones wear out after years.

Elias Kollboeck

Editorial Team IBS Publishing