Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro Review: Headphones that will appeal to professional users and not on-the-go audiophiles

German audio equipment manufacturer Beyerdynamic is a relatively new brand in India. With their DT 240 Pro headphones, they are trying to make a dent in a densely populated audio market. Priced at Rs 6,699 (down from launch price of Rs 7,499), the DT 240 Pro headphones are built to be used mainly as studio monitors.

The DT 240 Pro comes with a detachable cable made of heavy duty material and earcups that are somewhat excessively padded.

The hallmarks of a good headphone are if they can tick off the following boxes:

• Affordable price
• Above average audio quality
• Design and how compact they are
• Comfort

Straight out of the box, one gets everything they want from professional headphones. You get the DT 240 Pro headphones, a pouch for storing them, a 6.3mm stereo pin adapter. Beyerdynamic believes this simple approach is the way forward and will cater to those in search of a balanced audio-profile.

The DT 240’s on the one hand, provide a pretty good balance. They leak out very little noise - if someone is listening then others can’t hear unless they are extremely close - but on the other hand, they are sweat heavy. Which is a problem in places like Delhi where the humidity is over 90% for most of the summer. The DT 240 Pro’s aren’t exactly small either, which makes carrying them a pain at times.

What immediately sets the DT 240 Pro’s apart is the fact that each of the two earpads houses a 2.5mm input jack. It is up to the user to decide which side he/she wants to plug in the cable, a choice that is rarely given to headphone users out there. Also, as a bonus, the ear pads can be folded flat for storage.

The cable that is detachable has a coiled design, ala landline telephones. This makes sure the wire doesn’t get tangled, as we are all used to.

That the DT 240 Pro’s from Beyerdynamic deliver on audio quality isn’t surprising. What is surprising is that they have the most balanced audio profile out there in this price range. Most headphones in this price range have balanced audio profiles, but the fact that you can go from listening to Iron Maiden to Coke Studio without having any leakage of audio is a definite positive.

The one major downside to these headphones is that those rocking out to heavy metal or bass-heavy tunes may be disappointed. You don’t get the feedback and the reverberation of those many thumps. At high volumes, one can completely isolate the outside sound, but at lower volumes, one can hear a fair bit of the conversations going on. These headphones should have gotten active noise-cancellation, but they haven’t. Maybe in the next model.

Even after dropping a couple of times, the DT 240 Pro’s remain unfazed. They are sturdy and the build quality is excellent. The problem though is that the outer covering of the earpads - the outer plastic area - is prone to a lot of scratches. The DT 240 Pro’s won’t be looking new even after just two months of usage.