In this review, I’ll be taking a look at the entry-level addition to the Beyerdynamic’s DT series – the DT 240 Pro.
The DT series consists of some of the most popular headphones choices in the professional market to date, leaving the DT 240 Pro with some fairly big shoes to fill. Do they live up to their namesake?
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Final verdict on the DT 240 Pro
The DT 240 Pro are a perfectly fine set of budget studio 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.
What I like
- Nominally flat response.
- Lightweight yet durable.
- Great for casual listening.
- Affordable.
What I don’t like
- Not very comfortable.
- Somewhat inaccurate low end.
Power and frequency response
The Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro 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.
I found that the bottom of the low end was rather muddy to my ears. The low end is good enough for most tracks, and I 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 Pro feel extremely durable for a budget pair of headphones. They’re also incredibly lightweight, so much so that I could barely feel them on my 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-inch jack to connect the audio cable to. The headband is also covered in pleather which is fairly comfortable.
Comfortability
Like I 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 Pro 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
I 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 Pro come with a soft carrying pouch, a 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch adapter, and a coiled audio cable. This is standard fare for the most part, and I don’t have much of a critique to add.
Compared to other studio headphones
While the DT 240 Pro might be the perfect choice for anyone looking for a cheap pair of studio headphones, here are a few alternative options to consider.
Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro vs Audio-Technica ATH-M40x
The sound of the DT 240 Pro is a bit more colorful and engaging. But the ATH-M40x headphones are more comfortable, especially for longer sessions.
Read the full Audio-Technica ATH-M40x review
Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro vs Sony MDR-7506
The DT 240 Pro sound better on a wider variety of genres than the Sonys do. The MDR-7506, on the other hand, sound better for hip-hop and pop, so take that as you will.
Read the full Sony MDR-7506 review
Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro vs Sennheiser HD 280 Pro
The HD 280 Pro have a lot more energy in the sub frequencies than the Beyerdynamics do. They’re also a bit bulkier, which can be favorable for those of you with slightly larger ears. Still, the DT 240 Pro are much more flexible and sound better on a larger variety of genres.
Read the full Sennheiser HD 280 Pro review
Who are the Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro headphones best suited for?
The DT 240 Pro headphones are best suited for studio monitoring and 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 I wouldn’t recommend them as your main references.
Buy Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro at: Amazon