Beyerdynamic DT270 Pro Review: Their BEST closed back headphone

If you have spent any time looking into closed back headphones, you already know the reality of the situation: competent closed backs are hard to come by. Most of them just are not that great.

Today we are looking at the Beyerdynamic DT 270 Pro. It comes in at 150 dollars, it is unassuming, and believe it or not, it is actually one of Beyerdynamic's better sounding headphones.

When you first take the DT 270 Pro out of the box, the first thing you notice is how small it is. The entire chassis is super barebones and minimalistic, which I actually prefer. It even features full cup swivel, something that even some of their higher end models omit. But this small footprint is a double edged sword. The pad opening is small and round, but my ears are not small, and human ears (typically) are not round. If you have larger ears, or even just average sized earlobes, these pads are invariably going to smush them into the side of your head. It essentially functions as a semi on ear headphone. If you have a smaller head and ears, you might find this incredibly comfortable, but for me, the long term wearability is a genuine frustration.

To give you a broad strokes perspective on the sound, the DT 270 Pro is a V-shaped headphone. If you think of something like a Sennheiser HD 550 or HD 600 as offering a natural presentation of your music, this isn't going for that. Listening to this is like taking an image and cranking up the vividness or contrast slider; it gives you a much more bombastic, intense picture of the music. 

DT 270 Pro has tons of bass, and to balance out that ridiculous amount of low end, it has plenty of treble. But importantly, the treble is not outright unlistenable or fatiguing like some of Beyerdynamic's older models. There is a forward character in the upper mids that can make certain vocal recordings sit right on the edge of being a bit too shouty, but the colorations are not egregious, just noticeable.

Where this sound signature works beautifully is with electronic music, instrumental rock like Polyphia, and modern jazz like GoGo Penguin. It only really starts to show cracks with upright double bass, which can sound bloated, or highly vocal centric acoustic tracks.

Compared to Beyerdynamic's other closed backs like the DT770 or DT700 Pro X, the DT270 Pro is just a far more coherently integrated sound signature without the lean, disconnected midrange those older models suffer from. 

If you are in the pro market looking for a reference tool for mixing or video editing, the AKG K371 remains the better choice because it provides a much fairer characterization of the music, though it does suffer from build and comfort issues (though this is typical of most closed-back studio headphones in its price range). However, the DT270 Pro offers richer mid bass and excitement, making it more fun for pure enjoyment.

Personally, if I had to choose a closed back around this range, my preferences would still direct me towards thethe warmer, more natural tuning of the FiiO FT1, even if its a bit too dark for me. It has a similarly exciting bass presentation, but it has bigger earpad openings and the darker treble is probably a bit safer for a wider variety of music.

That said, there are people out there who find natural tunings boring. So if you are that person, the DT 270 Pro may well be the embellished, exciting alternative option in this price range that you're looking for.

All in all, this is a fine headphone that actually makes some level of sense for a decent chunk of consumers out there, and I certainly don't hate it. For that reason, I give the DT 270 Pro a 5.5 out of 10 for sound quality, which is the highest rating I have given a Beyerdynamic headphone. If you're shopping at this price for a closed back, can handle the pad smallness, and you want an intense, potentially quite fun listen, this is one to put on your radar.