Customer Reviews

beyerdynamic DT 235 Headphone - Black

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Quick summary:
Pros
-Great sound out of the box
-Very minimal sound leakage/bleeding
-Great job of blocking out external sounds
-Very comfortable
-Lighweight
-Not too bulky
-Long cord connected on one side of headphones

Con
-Ears can get slighly warm after exteneded period of time.


First, I just want to make a note that I'm one of those consumers who does thorough research on a product before I purchase it. And when it comes to anything audio or video related, I'm extra picky. With that being said, here's my review.

In searching for a set of headphones, my main focus was on of course sound quality but also on comfort, ipod compatibility/portability, and sound isolation/leakage, all at a reasonable price. These headphones definitely delivered in all those aspects. The sound quality is amazing. Though I've never owned a pair of closed, over the ear, headphones before, I can't compare these to others. But being what I consider an intermediate audiophile I can say that these do sound great, to me. From other reviews I read on headphones, a lot of them were mentioning a break in period for headphones to bring them to their full potential. I only had these for two days so far and they already sound great out of the box. So I look forward to seeing if the break in period enhances the sound quality further (I'll give an update on the results). The highs are clear and crisp, the mids are solid, and a good amount of bass is delivered. I listen to a variety of music so I made sure to test these headphones in each genre, and they did justice. They are well balanced overall without exceling in one area. So if you're looking for something heavy or light on bass, these aren't for you. The only slight con on the sound is that it does sound slightly muffled. But this is obviously going to be expected, to some extent, with closed headphones. That's with me being really critical though, having the "perfect" headphones in mind. That slight con is easily overlooked though.

Since I'm a full time student, I wanted headphones that didn't bother anyone in a library or study lab setting, but at the same time blocked external sounds in noiser environments. These did just that, blocking more so than bleeding. You pretty much have to turn the sound all the way up in order for someone else a few feet from you to hear clearly. At 1/2-2/3 volume on my ipod, very slight sounds were heard but definitely nothing that would be disruptive. Again that's if someone is within a few feet of you. The sound isolation is also great. At about the same volume of the leakage test, I had my wife talk to me to see if I could hear her. Though I could slightly hear her muffled voice, I couldn't understand what she was saying. In sacrificing my ears for a brief time, I turned the volume all the way up and had her talk to me again. Nothing! I saw her lips move but no sound. Usually with standard headphones, even if you turn the volume all the way up you can still hear external sounds. Even though I probably will never listen to music that loud it's nice to know that the ability is there.

With comfort being another characteristic I focused on, I wanted to make sure the closed headphones I bought could be worn for more than an hour at a time, though this won't always be the case. Other reviews for other closed headphones talked about them being too tight or hurting when people wore them. So I wanted to make sure that wasn't the case. These are not tight at all, but at the same time they do a good job of staying on my head. The ear pads are a soft velvet-like material, not leather or rubber, and they cover my whole ear. I'm assuming this is the obvious reason why my ears get slightly warm when I wear them. I have to shift the headphones slightly to the front to get my ears a breather from time to time, haha. It's not totally uncomfortable, but it is noticeable, for me at least. The inner strap is a piece of leather with a strip of nylon running through it. It actually stretches so it "auto-adjusts" to your head. The ear pads are somewhat loose also, allowing free rotational movement, to some degree. It kind of has that about-to-break-off feeling. But I'm assuming this is also intended as "auto-adjust" for people with varying head shapes.

Another thing I was looking for, that I didn't think about, was ipod/mp3 player compatibility. With some higher end headphones, I guess you need an amp to use them to their full potential, from what I read. Others suck up battery life. These avoid both of those worries, so far in regards to the battery aspect. I actually found these on another website that listed these under that specific category, then came to Amazon and found them here. These even come with a jack adapter to go from the standard 3.5mm (ipod, mp3 players, etc.) jack to the 6.35mm counterpart (home theater systems, DJ equipment, etc).

The overall matieral is a seemingly sturdy plastic, making the headphones very lighweight. The cord is close to, if not, 8 feet long from the tip of the jack to the headphone! I think that's long enough for anyone, haha. The overall size is acceptable and reasonable for these headphones. I actually thought they were going to be bulkier/bigger, which is a plus. They have a very sleek yet simple look to them so you don't have to worry about looking funny when you wear these, if that is a concern.

Overall, these headphones greatly, if not somewhat, exceed their value. I would definitely recommend these to any of you looking for headphones with the same criteria I had. You will not be disappointed, unless you get a defective set. In which case these have a two year warranty from the manufacturer. I know this was a long review but I think those that research products in a similiar manner will appreciate this. Thanks for hearing me out. I'll post an update sometime in the future on the consistency of the sound quality.

At this price point, these might be my favorite headphones. Great sound, good comfort. I'm not sure why they don't get more attention than they do. I use them all the time, and have many other pairs to choose from. The only potential drawback is that they have a rather long cord, which does not bother me and is not a deal-breaker, but I feel like I have to say something in the nature of constructive criticism. Of course, if you are using them from your computer, that would be a plus. They have made a real beyerdynamic fan out of me.

Bothered by in-your-ear headphones, but need the isolation - this is the headphone for you. The sound is exceptional, and amazing for one at such a low price. The sound is good as my old Grado SR6O, a touch more analytical, and they feel better made. The sound is clear, and detailed without being harsh, or too grainy at the extreme high end. Bass is tight, and it is there to fill out the sound, but not as an event in itself. These phones are good enough to inform you of the shortcoming of your music source, so if you are not using wav, loss-less, or high rate MP3 the sound may not be wonderful, or as full.

I have owned all types of headphones since dealer threw in a cheap pair when dad bought our first and only 8-track player (google it).
Then, I was first in line when the Sony Walkman came out, my yellow device being the school's envy. I carried my headphones everywhere I went almost twenty years before the Ipod. I have since been on the quest of sound quality and portability.
For quality, my reference are my Sennheisers HD595.
For portability, the Sony MDR-ED21LP, my trusted earbuds that I throw in any pocket should I suddenly become in waiting mode.
The Beyerdynamic are comparable to the Sennheisers.
And at under $80, they are amazing.

It starts with the construction.

Like the Sennheiser, the velour pads passively isolate without getting your ears too hot. Daily metro commutes have become more relaxing given the excellent isolation and zero sound leakage. On the other hand, the velour pads do keep your ears warm (especially in this cold and snowy winter) and don't crack like leather. Quality construction and materials means no creaky parts and durability against the elements. I've actually worn these cans in the falling snow and freezing rain and neither finish nor sound has been affected.

Ah...the sound...

The sound, like the Sennheisers, is undisputably German Precision.
First, the soundstage opens up the space, accurately separates the instruments and wraps you in music. The highs are crisp, mids are clear but the precision is mostly felt in the bass. Bass is always there down to the lowest frequencies but never overwhelming the highs or mids or worse, by being the only music driver (heard that Dr. Dre?)
The DT 235s clearly make very efficient use of power and my HTC Android phone has no problem driving it. The DT 235s were designed for portable use.

The looks

As for looks, they are very low key, which is a plus. Not too big as around-the ear headphones. Better looking that the geeky Grados but not flashy like V-Moda, Dr.Dre or Bose crapware.

The bad

The only bad thing I can think of is the excessively-long cord which given its thickness, could feel a bit heavy to some users.

Now, if they could add a mic/remote/volume control on the sturdy cord, these headphones would never come off...

I needed a set of headphones primarily for listening in bed to drown out the audio from my wife's TV or snoring. I have a set of Sennheiser HD650's, which are awesome, but not so good for iPods and wearing in bed. The Beyerdynamic DT 235 is a great set of cans and here's why:
1. the sound quality is very good for listening with an iPod, which simply does not provide adequate signals for higher end headphones.
2. very comfortable. I really like the velour ear pads - they don't get sweaty like the plastic ones, and they are likely to last longer.
3. can shape: I don't understand round headphones. Ears are not round. Round cans put pressure on your ear and become uncomfortable after a while. These remain comfortable.
4. The price is great for what you get. Price often reflects build quality, and these phones feel pretty solid. The only part that feels a little cheap is the strap that contacts your head, but I have fallen asleep wearing these several times, and at some point I throw them off and there is no sign of wear and tear.
5. The cord is a real cord, not a flimsy wire.
6. The sound isolation is fair. Unless I really crank them up, I don't disturb anybody. And I don't have to play music loud to block out the competing sound of the TV in the room. If you need complete sound isolation, you might not be happy, but it is sufficient for my application.

Bottom line: these are great headphones at a great price. I prefer my Sennheisers that cost ten times as much for serious listening, but for iPods these are as good as any that I have heard. BTW, I tested a set of the B&W headphones before buying these. The B&W are built like no other headphone, but I did not find them particularly comfortable (I wear eyeglasses). The B&Ws sounded very good, but I wasn't blown away (spoiled by the HD650's I suppose).

In this price range I don't see too much point going into the specifics of these headphones, you can find technical reviews from people more experienced than me elsewhere anyway. However, I highly recommend these headphones; from a sound, comfort and aesthetic perspective I think they perform above their price. A couple of small qualms I've had are that the cable isn't detachable, as I prefer since you can replace it yourself if it breaks, and the sound leakage. The stress here is on small though; the cable feels solid anyway and the sound leakage is minimal (I wear these on the tube without complaint from others). Overall an excellent product, as one would expect from a company like Beyer., but I would recommend looking on other sites to save a bit of cash.

Bottom end is tight and well defined. Slight graininess in the extreme highs but definitely tolerable. Inner detail, depth and soundstage very good but a little thin in the mid - range. Frequency response appears linear with the exception of the above mentioned mid - range. One of the best I've heard at this price point.

I used to have some Beyerdynamic headphones ( DT880) and these are pretty close inn sound quality to them. The 880 are several hundred dollars. I think the bass/treble is top notch. Not bright or excess bass in the sound. Pretty much perfect, for closed headphones the soundstage is much better than most closed headphones which in the past I didnt like. I had to get closed headphones at work because I dont want to disturb others. A steal for 54 shipped.

These sound excellent out of the box, but I think they fit a bit too tight. The ear-cups are too big to be supra-aural but too small to be circumaural, making them just the slightest bit uncomfortable for my ears. Additionally, I wear glasses, and the headphones push against my head a bit too much for them to be comfortable. Mind you, this is all after about an hour or so of use.

They are smaller than I anticipated, but still not very portable.

Pros:
-Sound great
-Long cord (pro for me, maybe not for others)
-Comfortable for short periods of time

Cons:
-UGLY; you will look strange wearing these
-Uncomfortable after a relatively short time
-Not very portable

Good sound for my average ears. Long cord and looks and feels sturdy. My kids use it on their laptop and don't get irritated by it.
re-evaluation after 2 months: the headphone itself is fine still and the kids use it without complaining about weight, ear irritation or the sound quality. However, after 2 months the smallish plug gave out. Like other people's complaint, the plug has to be fiddled with to find sound. This company's warranty paper has no contact number. I changed the rating to 3 stars.
I looked for repair plug but nobody is selling this. Radio shack carries one but not for replacement purpose. I am going to try find this company and get a replacement. If I get a new set, I am going to get a adopter so the strain is not on the original plug.