Why Beyerdynamic are still at it, after nearly 100 years

( Pictured: Beyerdynamic T1 gen3 Image Credit: europe.beyerdynamic.com)

Beyerdynamic are one of the most respected headphone manufacturers in the industry, and after creating the first dynamic headphones in the 1930s, the German engineers have not missed a beat. Their most popular "recent" models originate in the 1980s, and the handmade products that come out of their factory have not lost their charm. Their classic design prefers function over form, although still remaining comfortable. The metal forks holding the earcups to the headband are sturdy, and are one of the hallmarks of Beyerdynamic's design. With most of their headphones sporting velour pads and cushioning memory foam headbands, its no wonder that their products are found in home and production studios all over the world.

(Pictured: DT770 pro Image Credit: amazon.co.uk)

Beyerdynamic's success originates from the devout following they have accumulated over the years, as well as their outstanding customer support, as the individual parts are available to keep their headphones running, this enabling their products to last a lifetime. The main success story originates in 1985, with the company releasing the DT 770 studio headphones, a closed back set which would cement Beyerdynamic within the music production scene for years to come. These headphones would later be revised, creating products designed for mixing desks, home use and mobile phone use, as they began to come into existence. The frequency response of these headphones is their main standout feature, this being incredibly flat, with a slight peak at the top of the top end, creating an astounding balanced and detailed sound. This combined with the deep earcups makes the closed back legends sound surprisingly wide, which is uncommon for this style of headphone. The frequency response graph for the DT770's is shown below.

(Pictured: DT990 pro Image Credit: amazon.co.uk)

After the success of the DT 770's, another version of an old classic came into form, the DT990. these being an open back solution for mixing and mastering, providing an excellent sound stage for binaural and stereo imaging, landing these headphones an important role in the film industry, as music scores and additional effects were starting to become more and more complex. Additionally, the open back design allows for increased comfort, as there is room for air to circulate around the ears, supressing the stuffy feeling that some may experience when using over the ear headphones. The DT990's have a trick up their sleeve however, as the general consensus with open back headphones goes, as they tend to lack in the bass extension, going down the hz line beyond the range of human hearing, but Beyerdynamic must have had some sort of magic formula when they created the DT990, as the bass extension is solid down to the end of the spectrum, similar to its closed back cousin, the DT 770. This is shown in the frequency response graph shown below.

These two pairs of headphones are the reason Beyerdynamic is so important to the world of sound, as the technological marvels that were accomplished are so monumental. importantly, these masterpieces can be found for a reasonable price, ranging between £90 and £130 from online retailers or brick and mortar AV stores.

All graphs sourced from crinacle.com/graphs