Brandon SchockToday, we’ll be reviewing the entry-level addition to the Beyerdynamic DT series – the DT 240 Pros.
The DT series consists of some of the most popular headphones choices in the professional market to date, leaving the DT 240s with some fairly big shoes to fill. Do they live up to their namesake?
Our verdict on the DT 240 Pro
The Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pros are a perfectly fine set of headphones. Despite some issues with comfortability, these are easily one of the best options in their price range.
Their frequency response is nominally flat, and they’re incredibly durable. For the price, there isn’t much to complain about.
Check availability and current price: SweetwaterAmazonPower and frequency response
The Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pros have a reported frequency response of 5 Hz – 35 kHz. Overall, the headphones have a fairly bright sound signature, although the low bass has a slight emphasis.
We found that the bottom of the low end was rather muddy to our ears. The low end is good enough for most tracks, and we can’t imagine that the average music listener will be deterred by this – but for the engineers reading, know that the low end is a bit uncontrolled and inaccurate.
However, this muddiness doesn’t bleed into the upper registers, and the midrange is nominally flat.
Around 3 kHz, we begin to see some inconsistencies, starting with a few -5 dB dips before a high resonance boost around 9 – 10 kHz.
Again, your average listener won’t be perturbed by such things, but this sort of performance doesn’t yield any sort of high promises when it comes to mixing and mastering.
Build quality
The ear cups are made of metal while the rest is primarily made of dense plastic. Overall, the DT 240 Pros feel extremely durable for a budget pair of headphones. They’re also incredibly light, so much so that we could barely feel them on our head during listening sessions.
The ear cups are a bit small, and probably won’t be fairly comfortable for most ears. The ear cups swivel 90 degrees, and both sides have an 1/8″ jack to connect the audio cable to. The headband is also covered in pleather which is fairly comfortable.
Comfortability
Like we said, the ear cups are fairly small and may bend and compress the average ear lobe. This makes these headphones a bit uncomfortable, especially for longer running sessions.
The DT 240 Pros also clamp rather hard over the head. For those of you who wear glasses this discomfort might be amplified even further.
The pleather headband and lightweight design may make up for this in some ways, but they still feel like a budget pair of headphones.
Stability
We wouldn’t recommend these for jogging or working out. While the headband is fairly tight, they won’t hold up for anything more intense than walking or lying around the house.
Noise cancellation and isolation
The noise cancellation here is better than one might expect – making these headphones rather ideal for casual listening on your commute to work.
The lower rumbles of trains and cars may cut through whatever tune you’re listening to, but you’ll be happily cut off from hearing any conversations or chatter in your vicinity.
Accessories
The Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pros come with a soft carrying pouch, a 1/8″ – 1/4″ adapter, and a coiled audio cable.
This is standard fare for the most part, and we don’t have much of a critique to add.
Compared to other headphones
Here are a few alternative options to consider in comparison to the DT 240 Pros.
Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro vs. Audio-Technica ATH-M40x
Most people would prefer the DT 240s over the M40x. The M40x has no padding on the headband and can get rather uncomfortable.
Also, the DT 240 Pros sound a bit more colorful and engaging.
Check out our Audio-Technica ATH-M40x review
Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro vs. Sony MDR-7506
The DT 240s sound better on a wider variety of genres than the Sonys do. The MDR-7506s, on the other hand, sound better for hip-hop and pop – so take that as you will.
Check out our Sony MDR-7506 review
Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro vs. Sennheiser HD 280 Pro
The HD 280s have a lot more energy in the sub frequencies than the DT 240s do. They’re also a bit bulkier, which can be favorable for those of you with slightly larger ears.
Still, the DT 240s are much more flexible and sound better on a larger variety of genres.
Check out our Sennheiser HD 280 Pro review
For more great options, see our recommendations for the best budget studio headphones and the best mixing headphones.
Who are the DT 240 Pros best suited for?
The Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pros are best suited for casual listening.
As far as mixing and mastering is concerned, there is an argument to be made that these headphones can be useful in such situations, but overall we wouldn’t recommend them as your main references.
- Lightweight.
- Colorful sound signature.
- Affordable.
- Small ear cups and tight clamping headband = not very comfortable.
