This is round two in this week’s look at some of beyerdynamic’s latest models, and what we have found ourselves to like about them. In our last article, we discussed their T51i on-ear headphones. Now we take a look at their Custom One Pro Plus headphones, an over the ear solution that really demands some attention.
What feels like a more general pitch to a very large market of music enthusiasts, as well as streaming video and more, the Custom One Pro Plus headphones seem to deliver a very powerful sound stage comparable to some of our favorite Sennheiser solutions that typically rest within the $200-$300 range. Since beyerdynamic’s pair falls around $199, we seem to have gotten off at a good start.
The exterior design of the headphones involve a plastic and aluminum mixture of parts, that make up a rather large body design. The cushions on each muff as well as the underside of the band that goes across the top of your head feature extremely comfortable padding that can be fully replaced if you find yourself wearing them out in the coming years of use. The cushions on the sides stretch over each muff and the cushion for the headband wraps around and holds tight with a thin layer of velcro.
The pair we have, is an all-black theme with the model name printed on the back of each muff, in both silver and red. There is also a mostly-white color option you could choose if an all-black theme isn’t your style. It has black accent going around each muff as well as the cables.
Bulkiness is a factor, albeit light in weight, so it wouldn’t be something you would buy if you are trying to keep things minimal. However, performance quickly outweighs bulkiness.
The highs and mids are mostly flat response, providing accurate vocals and instruments, although not as crisp as you would find with more expensive models. Of course, more expensive would mean far more than $200. These are actually a smooth hybrid between a pair of Sony Studio Monitor headphones and something like a pair of Sennheiser HD-series. Nice flat response on the highs and mids, but a happy/warm surprise to the mid-lows and below.
Speaking of lows, the lower frequencies (mid-lows and below) have a good deal of punch to them. They are warm and bassy, and this is where the comparison to some of the Sennheiser HD-series models comes into play. This makes for good pair of headphones for anything rock, club, hip-hop and equivalent. Also good for watching videos, but I would lean more towards music than anything, when it comes to their biggest strengths.
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The bass is rich, but not as much as something like Koss’ BT540i, and you can take it down a few notches using the sliders located on each muff. These sliders are more than noticeable, allowing you to easily feel for them without taking off the headphones, and can dial them in using 4 different options, allowing you to even take the lows nearly completely out.
It would have been nice to also have the crisp highs that the T51i headphones have to offer, but I am sure they have another pair standing by or already available that will accomplish this at a slightly higher price point.
These are great headphones for taking on the road with you and showing off to your friends with, or keeping them at home when you simply want to take a break and listen to your favorites. As mentioned, they are bulky, but you may find yourself being lost within them after a few minutes of listening (and they will get some attention around you). Since the attention part is there, it’s a good thing they also come with a level of customization, so that you can add a little bit of your own personality to them.
The backs of each muff can be unscrewed and removed so that you can insert custom plates in there with various designs to them. You can then screw the back section back on, which holds them in place. They actually come with a large selection of plates to choose from, preventing you from having to buy over-priced “optional” accessories on top of the headphones themselves. There are 16 designs in total–8 sets with an alternative design front and back. I say overpriced since they are simply cardboard, so if they treated them as a profit gold mine, it would have been a major disadvantage to their score. The backing that holds them in place is secured with 4 allen screws each, and the allen key is available inside the box as well.
They do provide a lot of isolation from outside noise, allowing you to focus on what you are listening to. Also, since they are a closed-back design and form a good seal around your ear, very little sound leaks out where others could hear (depending on your set volume, they mostly won’t hear anything at all).
There is no carrying case to go with these headphones, but they do come with two cord styles (one regular and one with a in-line remote for mobile device control and microphone for using them during incoming calls). There is also a 1/4-inch adapter that screws onto the regular cable (without remote), although the unit they sent us didn’t have one (it is listed both on the box and online as coming with one).
Our Conclusion
Bulky, yet powerful, these a great for a majority of listeners. A flat-like response for mids and highs and a rich deep warm delivery for the lows. These rest quite well within their $200 price range, and you can find them for a little less with the following button/link as well. As mentioned above, they are easily a hybrid of most of the benefits you get between a pair of Sony Studio Monitors and a pair of Sennheiser HD-series. I think between the three beyerdynamic pairs we are covering this week, this is my favorite.
| Buy from Amazon | |
Our Rating | Average Price* $199.99 |
*Average price is based on the time this article was published
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Specifications:
- Transducer type: Dynamic
- Operating principle: Closed
- Frequency response: 5 Hz – 35,000 Hz
- Nominal impedance: 16 ohms
- Nominal SPL: 96 dB
- SPL: 116 dB
- H.D: < 0.2%
- Power handling capacity: 100 mW
- Sound coupling to the ear: Circumaural
- Ambient noise attenuation: approx. 18 dBA
- Headband pressure: approx. 3.5 N
- Weight without cable: 290 g
- Length and type of cables: Single-sided cable
- 1 cable 1.5 m, detachable, (3-pole)
- 1 cable 1.3 m, detachable, with one-button remote control (4-pole CTIA standard)
- Connector: Gold-plated mini stereo jack plug (3.5 mm & 1/4″ screw adapter (6.35 mm) for the 1.5 m cable)
- Warranty: 2-year manufacturer warranty only when purchased from an authorized beyerdynamic dealer.
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