Under The Radar (Part 1) Beyerdynamic DT-100 Dynamic Studio Headphone

From early this year, I have talk a lot about the multibit R2R DAC. This type of DAC give so much improvement in my audio system. I pretty happy with that, but I felt that I never talk about the headphones anymore. I often listen from my home stereo system and my headphones journey is somehow stop at the Sennheiser HD600 as my reference.

So I guess I make this post just for fun.

I will search again the headphones that under the radar for most people. The headphones that still available today, or maybe already discontinued, but for sure they should available in the used market. The headphones under my radar are should be affordable under US$150 and I wonder with this small money spent, will I get the treasure for good sounding headphones?

So, in this first post of the under the radar headphones review is goes to Beyerdynamic DT-100.

This ancient looking Beyerdynamic DT-100 is built like a tank.

It is heavy. It built from solid plastic and wrapped with high quality and thick leather. The DT-100 is 400 ohm version and this headphone is closed type dynamic driver. When wear it on your head, you will feel this headphone weight on you head. Tiring for sure although it is sit comfortable on my head. The earcup on each driver is big with the shape almost square and I don't have any issue for the fitment on my head. In other words, this headphone have a good fitment but too heavy.

This DT-100 is the most power demanding headphone I've ever experienced. You connect this headphone directly to any iPod or any other headphone out from the digital player, then chance this DT-100 can driven well with those internal digital player amplifier is perhaps almost impossible. You max out the volume and you got weak music presentation.

Maybe the 400 ohm is the reason for this headphone required big power to drive. So, to eliminate this power hungry problem, I connect this headphone only to the Bottlehead Crack amplifier and it is happily perform more optimal.

This DT-100 on my hand is the old version, I don't know if the new DT-100  is the same unit like this or not.

One thing I should appreciate is the quality of the leather. Let's say this headphone is already been around few decades ago. Perhaps this headphone, before going into on my hand is used in the WW2 for the air combat and the pilot wear this headphones really depends his life on the information through this headphone.

Sorry for my hallucination, because this headphones is just like an ancient piece of treasure.

Back to the leather quality, no sign of tear from the leather at all. Why today headphones manufacturer cannot source the good leather like this old Beyerdynamic did? 

Others unique design of this DT-100 is the square type connector. This is the proprietary connector for this Beyerdynamic headphones. I don't have any issue with this connector because it lock firmly on the headphones. This connector is also easy to open for re-cabling purpose.

I did re-cabling just because the original cable is already rusty. You can see the dirt in the photo bellow when I try to clean rust on the copper with the cloth.

I test this Beyerdynamic DT-100 headphone using PCM56 DAC and the Bottlehead Crack headphone amplifier.

The first thing I listen to this headphone, I experience a sweet and smooth vocal. It is a little forward presentation with slightly warm sounding characteristic. The vocal presentation is not the best clarity I have ever heard. It is like a curtain blocking the sound wave. Not totally open and reveal. But especially on it's price range, I can say the vocal presentation is good enough.

Anyway, this headphone cost US$70.

The high frequency in my opinion are extended and detail, just like others Beyerdynamic headphones sound characteristic. The high frequency presentation is smooth and well balanced. Not any sign of overshoot that makes sound harsh or piercing. It is still more enjoyable to listen in this DT-100 compares to the DT-880 and in my opinion this DT-100 high frequency is far better. But own preference about this result may vary.

The DT-100 bass region is not the best. I even don't think this mid to low frequency are all fully reveal. The dips in low frequency response feel in the range between 100 Hz to 200 Hz. The low frequency sound attenuate so much on that range before back up again bellow 100 Hz. This makes the music, especially on the low mid-range not fully presenting well with this DT-100.

Because this DT-100 is closed type headphones, I prepare myself for narrow sound-stage coming from this headphone. My guessing is correct. This studio monitor headphones presenting the music just like in the small stages. No complaining at all for closed back vintage headphones like this.

My final thought about this DT-100 is not for everyone. You probably should drive this headphone with sufficient power amplifier and almost no DAP internal amplifier can drive this headphone directly. Not very flexible for daily user in my opinion. It is heavy to carry around and the looks is very old-school headphones that not suitable for most people. You can using this headphone for desktop audio setup and stay there forever. The sound quality especially in the vocal, or the mid-range to high-range is smooth and detail. This, in my opinion is the strong point for the DT-100. But lacking information on the lower frequency deliver with this headphone is the minus point and for listener will not get the beat as their like to hear, nor the full dynamic of the music as well.

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