Beyerdynamic DT440 review

Before I start this review, I had:

- burned-in for more than 500 hours

- iTunes -> PCM2704 USB DAC

- no amplifier used

- all test musics are ALAC format

Technical Information

- transmission type: Wired

- Headphone design: Open

- Impedance: 32ohms

- Frequency response: 5~35000Hz

- Nominal sound pressure level: 95db

- Cable & plug: Straight cable with 3.5mm and 6.5mm adapter

- Net weight without packaging: 350g

The Beyerdynamic DT440 headphones is one of their entrance level of their HiFi grade headphones. The price of this headphones is around RM560. There are many other headphones are around this price like the Audio Technica AD500, Alessandro MS1i and Grado SR60i (If i'm not wrong). But in this review, there are no comparisons done.

Design & Comfort

I personally liked the design of this DT440, the top of the headphones are made of rubber like material while the other place is made of plastics. From the look and hands on of it, it feels very solid but it's quite heavy. You are able to turn both of the cans 90 degree so you can keep it easily. When I wear it on my head, I don't feel comfortable at all, it's heavy the top padding of this headphones doesn't really helps at all, it keeps pressing on my head. The clamping of this headphones are tight too, I need to let it clamp on my handphone box for a few days so that it could loosen it, unfortunately my plan doesn't really works it does loosen abit the tightness but after a few days not clamping, it becomes tight back. So as for comfort I will grade it as 4/10 but design wise I will grade it as 6/10.

Sound Quality

I would say this pair of headphones is more to the dark side. Soundstage is not that wide, it does sounds accurate, every instrument are produced on this headphones are just right. Somehow the instruments of every songs are moved more to the front, leaving the vocal abit back. The bass produced from this headphones are tight, slightly punchy. The mids and highs are somewhat average. Clarity wise - average, which could be good and bad at the same time, some of the musics contains some recording errors, lower clarity headphones like DT440 could hide this errors but this could also hide some instruments that are playing at a very low volume. This pair od headphones are good for almost all genre of musics, but if you prefer vocal over instruments, this might not be a suitable headphones for you.

Overall, I think this is not a bad headphones for a price of RM560, so far I haven't pair it with any amplifier yet, but I believe with a decent amplifier, the soundstage could be improved.