Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus Test

Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus Headphones Review

Threading the needle

Information technology's no cloak-and-dagger that I dearest Beyerdynamic's DT 770 Pro headphones. But they are well-nigh as "studio" every bit headphones come up, with a tank-similar build that isn't fifty-fifty shut to the most fashionable.

In the concluding five years, Beyerdynamic has launched two different successors to the classic DT770'due south: The DT 1770, and the Custom 1 Pro.

The 1770 is a luxurious take on the 770s with a high-end price tag to match…whereas the Custom One Pro tries to marry the best aspects of consumer and pro headphones together into a yet-affordable production.

I've never seen any pair of headphones that balances these two sides of the money better.

OVERVIEW

The Custom One Pro has expanded into a whole line of headphones since its original launch five years agone. At present, you can get the Custom One Pro Plus, the Custom Studio, or the Custom Game, which are all unlike configurations of the aforementioned basic idea. All of these headphones typically retail in the range of $170, and prices seem to fluctuate frequently. I got my Custom 1 Pro Plus for almost $155.

The COP Plus, as I'll call it from now on, is a airtight-dorsum headphone with a detachable cable system, several user-customizable parts, and a user-customizable sound signature. It comes in black and white base colors…and Beyer sells a variety of different colors of headbands, ear pads, ear cup rings, and ear cup plates. All of these accessories come up in at reasonable prices for what you're getting, just like the headphones.

Why the "Plus" in the name? Well, this model as well features xvi extra ear cup face plates, and an additional cable with an inline remote and mic for phone use. The Game and Studio models don't include these detail extras, merely accept other extras of their own that I'll talk about a bit at the end of the review.

These bass sliders feel very durable and brand satisfying clicking sounds when yous adjust them. Hither, they're ready to Position 3.

Sound QUALITY

Earlier I attempt to evaluate the audio, I have to mention the four selectable audio signatures. They're one of many reasons these headphones have "Custom" in their proper name.

Each ear cup of the COP Plus has a small slider y'all can lock into four different spots. Beyer calls the positions "Low-cal Bass," "Linear," "Vibrant Bass," and "Heavy Bass," and those are skillful names.

They even published this measurement graph to evidence you the relative bass levels of each slider position.

ten decibels represents a doubling in the perceived loudness of a sound, so as you can see there'southward quite a range of bass variability here.

All iv positions handle the middle and high ranges rather well…a fiddling better than the DT770's do, in fact! The mid range is natural, with a bit less of the withdrawn/scooped quality that the 770's are infamous for.

In a previous DT770 review, I said that the treble "rings out like affections trumpets."

That doesn't really happen with the COP Plus at anything approaching the same caste of sharpness.

Now, the highs are still responsive and detailed, only they're dialed back in intensity. This is ameliorate and more pleasing for nigh listeners, and makes long listening sessions more enjoyable.

Bass tuning is totally up to you!

In slider Position 1, the COP Plus is a bass-calorie-free headphone. It'south still there a piffling flake…but nearly of the lower bass frequencies only go abroad. It'due south startling how much of a departure a slider covering some small-scale holes can make!

I don't really know who or what position 1 is for.

It sucks most of the fun and energy out of these headphones, and while information technology does provide the highest degree of isolation…the other positions isolate well enough that it's non that big of a bargain. I gauge if you actually wanted to focus in on the mids and highs in a recording, position 1 would exist good…only about folks should use i of the other three.

Position ii seems like it'd be adept for mixing/monitoring work or disquisitional listening, with enough bass response that yous can correctly level your mix for playback on other systems. It has a sound that mimics the "Audiophile neutrality" that a lot of people chase obsessively.

Position 3 is somewhere in the neighborhood of the original DT770's. Bass is elevated, velvety, deep, and good.

Position 4 pushes these all the mode upwards into basshead territory, only without doing whatsoever pregnant damage to the midrange. This is great! The bass maintains the refined, luxurious, deep character that Beyerdynamic headphones are known for…there'due south just more of it.

Playing around with the bass sliders is a tremendous amount of fun.

These adjustments allow the sound of these headphones to suit a very wide spectrum of tastes. If you're used to other consumer headphones, like Beats products, then positions three and four will offer the sort of thump you lot enjoy just with much more clarity.

If you prefer more neutral listening, position 2 has a great, counterbalanced sound.

And position i…besides exists? The sound is a bit defective, and I personally think that position 1 has the least overall utility.

The xvi ohm drivers are piece of cake to power with only about whatsoever device you could plug these into.

You simply can't go wrong with the sound here, and information technology'll adapt to appeal to near whatsoever taste.

Beyerdynamic includes 16 ear loving cup face up plates with the Custom One Pro Plus, and vi with the Custom Game.

ISOLATION/SOUNDSTAGE

The isolation of these headphones is exceptional, cheers in large part to their cushy leatherette pads I'll be gushing well-nigh more than below.

The dissimilar bass port positions do have a slight touch on on isolation. The more than bass ports y'all open, the less isolation the COP Plus has. It's non extremely noticeable, merely you practice lose a fiddling isolation performance, particularly in position 4. Nonetheless, fifty-fifty when they're all the way open, isolation is however in the top-tier of non-active-noise-cancelling closed back headphones.

They passed my loud coffee shop tests at the top of the class without issue, fifty-fifty with the ports open.

But similar the DT770's, soundstage here is quite wide and immersive for a closed back headphone. At times, information technology feels like I'one thousand running surround virtualization software fifty-fifty in plain former stereo.

I beloved these ear pads and then much. I like them more the pads on the DT770. Don't tell my 770's I told you lot that!

COMFORT

If I gave out points in my reviews, the COP Plus would earn all the points possible in the comfort category.

Similar other Beyerdynamic designs, the COP Plus perfectly balances its weight betwixt its cushy headband and big, soft ear pads. The headband makes a lot of contact across its whole width against my head, preventing whatever hotspots or long-term wearing discomfort.

I idea the ear pads here were going to exist the aforementioned ones used on the 32 Ohm version of the DT770'due south…but they're much better! The opening is nice and big in spite of its circular shape, with enough of room for most ears. If your ears practise impact the back of the opening, there's some soft foam in there.

The leatherette on the pads is soft and pleasant to the touch unlike the mucilaginous material on the 32 ohm 770's. It'southward second in softness only to the textile on the HyperX Cloud Alpha pads. The material does collect some sweat over time, but not as desperately as some other pairs I've worn. The foam padding inside the pads is costly and comfortable, and should grade nicely to your head.

I have a larger caput, and I can habiliment these with a few extra clicks of adjustment bachelor. In fact, I tin wear them a little less expanded than my DT770's thanks to the cushier padding, so that'south practiced news if you lot have a very big head.

Only the clamping force prevents these from disappearing on your head. They don't clamp excessively, but it is stiff plenty that they won't movement around on your head fifty-fifty if you wiggle it effectually while listening.

The COP Plus is one of the most comfy full-size headphones I've ever worn.

They're a worthy successor to Beyerdynamic's legacy of comfy headphones. The only headphones I've used that are more comfy are Bose's QuietComfort models, and the Sony MDR-1A.

The face plates are very easy to change out. The whole process took me merely a few minutes.

DESIGN/BUILD

The core pattern of the COP Plus is taken right from the DT770's. In fact, you lot could interchange several parts between the two headphones. The COP Plus's retain the metal ear forks, the jump steel headband, the aligning mechanisms, and the big round ear cups.

But and so the customization fun enters in!

Gone is the bowling seat/instrument case fabric used for the DT770 ear cups. Most people won't miss this…but uh, I like touching that plastic sometimes?

We all take our own quirks.

Anyway, here you get a nice matte composite plastic, with a band and faceplate mounted onto it. You can easily remove these rings with an included allen key, and and so popular off the faceplate.

After going through the xvi included actress face plates, I decided on these black and white ones, which have Beyerdynamic'south proper noun on them, only without the E'south. I thought they were the perfect blend of cool and giddy.

The rest of the headphone is also easy to take apart, and you can replace almost every part on your own. The headband pad just pops off with velcro, and the ear pads are piece of cake to change out besides. These are uniform both with the broad range of Custom Ane headband pads and ear pads that Beyerdynamic sells, and besides the pads from the DT770.

Build is merely as solid and impressive every bit other Beyerdynamic products. They take an immediate experience of quality and heft that's almost unmatched in this price range.

Different the DT770's…the COP Plus has a detachable cable.

Give thanks. Goodness.

The cable inserts into the left ear cup, and uses a standard 3.5mm connector.

Thank. Goodness. Over again!

Although the included cables are keyed to lock into this port…the port is broad plenty that you could probably get a broad diverseness of third party cables to insert into it, without event.

COP Plus on the Left, DT 770'southward on the Right. The 770 cups balance fully affluent against each other, but the COP Plus cups only impact almost the bottom. This is a tiny stupid matter, and I bet most people wouldn't discover this.

The only design thing I don't similar here is that the default tilt of the ear loving cup gimbals has been tweaked, such that the ear cups don't rest fully flush confronting each other when the headphones are collapsed.

This is a small matter that's not even a real nitpick…and information technology's one of the simply negatives I can level against these headphones.

The rubber on the headphone terminate of the included cables is keyed to lock into the cup.

FEATURES/EXTRAS

I've already covered the bass sliders, the removable faceplates, and the removable headband pad and ear pads.

Aside from the 16 actress face plates and allen fundamental, you also get two cables in the box: a 1.5m straight cable, and a 1.2m directly cable with inline command button and microphone. The microphone sounds totally fine and should do perfectly for phone calls and other chat uses.

The but other extra in the box is a screw-on 6.3mm adapter that you lot tin can use with the i.5m cablevision. There'south no bag or case to speak of. That's okay, considering everything else you lot get…merely I'one thousand weirdly bummed that Beyerdynamic didn't include ane of their infamous nylon dust cover drawstring bags.

A NOTE ON OTHER MODELS

The Custom Game includes a dissimilar cable with a born high quality boom microphone, for game chat. It includes 6 different sets of face up plates that are different from the 16 included with the COP Plus. Information technology's otherwise more or less the aforementioned pair of headphones.

The nail mic cable is available for separate buy, if you want to use information technology with the other models.

The Custom Studio comes with the DT770 ear pads and headband pad, and 80 ohm drivers. It as well comes with a coiled cable. However, information technology still has the customizable bass and faceplate features... though information technology doesn't include any extra ear cup plates.

It might exist a proficient choice if you want something a footling more "studio-like" than the COP Plus.

Honestly, I'd purchase whichever model you could find for the cheapest.

The just big difference here that you can't overcome with optional extras is the fourscore ohm drivers in the Studio model. I've heard those sound a little closer to the DT770's, with slightly more strident highs…so depending on your tastes, yous might be amend off with the Game or One models.

Concluding THOUGHTS

These are so expert.

I've stuck to my DT770'southward and kind of ignored these because I didn't think they would exist that different.

Only the fun bass sliders, the cushy pads/splendid isolation, the smoother treble, the face plates, and the removable cable are all wonderful things to have.

And overall…these are probably a better buy for most people than the DT770's, especially when you consider that they're the same price.

That's really difficult for me to say since I love the DT770'southward and their goofy textured plastic then much. The Custom One Pro is similar those, but a little more than laid-dorsum, fun, and feature-packed.

Beyerdynamic has found the perfect blend between the rugged repairability and detailed sound of studio headphones, and the fun bass and bonus features of consumer headphones.

I can't think of some other pair of closed back headphones in the $150-$200 range that I'd be more quick to recommend.

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