The Beyerdynamic T70: More Tesla Goodness

According to what’s being said on the world wide web, the T70 is Beyerdynamic’s replacement of the closed DT770 with Tesla technology ( fully metal sound transducers, …) and even a baby T1. Beyerdynamic on the other hand made it very clear it is not their goal to replace the DT770 in any way, this just is the next logic step for them having the Tesla Technology in house.

 

Two different versions of this headphone are available, the 32ohm T70 P(ortable) which has a shorter cable and the 250ohm version for use at home. The build quality of the closed T70 (each with a serial number inside the headband) is just what you’re used to from Beyer and more. It has a three-layer paint job, a skin-friendly headband and ear pads made of micro velour. The pads are different from the velour pads of the DT-series but they actually give a very nice fit and seal, the gel that’s inside really does its job. The drivers are closer to your ear and the driver cloth slightly touches your ears but not in a discomforting way at all.

SOUND IMPRESSIONS

I had to get used to the specific sound of the T70 in the beginning but this is one of those headphones that grows on you the more you listen to it. Compared to an open headphone the soundstage isn’t huge but for a closed headphone it’s reasonably good. In exchange the well isolating T70 gives you a lovely balance and a very detailed sound while not being over analytical. The Beyer’s home sound signature is present of course but it is in a non-fatiguing way. Very well layered and crystal-clear sounding is one way to describe it. Instrumental separation is great and it is an overall quality sound.

I can’t deny, as said above, it is a brighter sounding headphone but I don’t mean that in a bad way. I find the mids and the bass to be presented in a whole better way as say with a DT990. Bass quality with the T70 is excellent, it’s very detailed and deep. Don’t mistake this t70 for a basshead headphone, therefore it’s missing some punch or “oompf”. You should look at it as a headphone with bass quality and not quantity. The mids in my opinion could have been a little bit more present, but in all honestly they are very nice. The highs are still the T70’s strongest point. Very clear, precise and detailed without ever sounding harsh. Eventually it all comes down to personal preference but overall it just sounds like “quality” to me.

My girlfriend likes me to use the T70 at all times because it isolates that well yet I prefer using it especially while listening to jazz, classical and vocally strong music like Melody Gardot, Nigel Kennedy and Lisa Ekdahl. I feel they are best for those musical styles but I also enjoyed the T70’s very much while listening to Elvis Presley, Lykke Li, Bob Marley and popular music like LMFAO’s “Sexy and I know it”, Gotye’s “Somebody that I used to know” and Rihanna’s “Man Down”. These aren’t my favorite headphones for rock music though, the guitars just don’t sound right to me. Big exception to that is the latest Primus album “Green Naugahyde”which absolutely rocks with the Beyer T70.

AMPLIFIER PAIRINGS

As I like a warmer kind of sound I prefered using the Beyerdynamic T70 with an OTL tube amp that just added that bit of warmth and bass. On the other side it sounds less warm of course with a solid state amplifier but it gets a bit faster. In general I think most fans of the brand will prefer listening to it on a solid state amplifier. Beyerdynamic itself claims the T70 proves its power when connected at home to a Hi-Fi system and I have to agree to that, it even sounds good straight out of my laptop but I do find the T70 to deliver so much more when using a dedicated headphone amplifier. And you don’t even need a big expensive desktop amp, it sounded very nice as well on the smaller JustAudio AHA-120.

END WORDS

Overall Beyerdynamic made a very good closed headphone. It is very addictive and it definitely delivers an enjoyable sound (keep in mind the Beyerdynamic sound signature is still present). The T70 does like quality recordings and higher bitrate mp3’s because it it isn’t that forgiving. Of course there are other more fun sounding and more forgiving headphones on the market like the Audio-Technica M50 in example but they hardly are at the same sound level as the T70. The price however might be higher than you expect, not that the T70 isn’t worth it but being priced at 449€ or $597.45  Excl. tax & shipping, they do are targeting the more audiophile crowd.

I’d like to thank Beyerdynamic Europe (Germany) for sending us a sample even when it was hard to keep up with production due to popular worldwide demand (they are all manufactured in Germany). All the technical data of the T70 can be found on Beyerdynamic’s website where you can also purchase it directly from them. Oh, and they are not available in Manufaktur just yet…

 

Gear used: Beyerdynamic T70 & DT990, Audio-GD NF3, Violectric V100, JustAudio AHA-120, Lafigaro 339, Dell Laptop

4.3/5 - (17 votes)
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Lieven is living in Europe and he's the leader of the gang. He's running Headfonia as a side project next to his full time day job in Digital Marketing & Consultancy. He's a big fan of tube amps and custom inear monitors and has published hundreds of product reviews over the years.

79 Comments

  • Reply November 23, 2011

    GettCouped

    Heard these at the NY Head-fi meet, where Beyer was in attendance. One thing that is for sure, is that these headphones are VERY unforgiving! High quality source only please.

    • Reply November 23, 2011

      Lieven V

      But that also means that they sound great when you do use a quality source 🙂

  • Reply November 23, 2011

    madriz

    Baby T1 huh? But I still don’t like the fact that the driver cloth will be touching my ear as I’m having that problem with my DT880. Well, I guess having tried T1 spoiled me that much.

    • Reply November 23, 2011

      Lieven V

      I suppose that depends on your ears as well. I noticed it especially in the beginning but as I said in the review it isn’t really annoying and you forget about it/don’t feel it anymore.

  • Reply November 23, 2011

    jendol

    I am not fan for T1, but your description of its bass quality makes me want to try this HP, hopefully it’ll available in Indonesia soon

  • Reply November 23, 2011

    Tash

    Hi Mike – Do you have any idea how this compares to the T5p, which I think I have also seen described as “a baby T1”?

    • Reply November 23, 2011

      Lieven V

      Mike hasn’t listened to the T70 yet and I haven’t listened to the T5p yet, so unfortunately neither of us can really answer you. sorry

  • Reply November 23, 2011

    Fernalive

    You use for review the 32ohm versio or 250Ohm?I think that the sound can be a quite diferent between the two headfones.

    • Reply November 23, 2011

      Lieven V

      We reviewed the T70, so logically that makes it the 250ohm version. Didn’t I mention “T70” enough? 😀

  • Reply November 23, 2011

    coolbreeze

    Hi Lieven,

    How is this T70 compared to DT880Pro/600?
    Someday when I want to have an upgrade, I’d love something with better imaging / positioning (which is the strong point of DT880), better separation, with the same or not too much narrower sound stage, and a little bit sweeter mid (if possible). Is the T70 what I’m looking for?

    Thanks.

    • Reply November 23, 2011

      guest

      I am curious about this too.  I dont’ think it’s a quite fair comparison since one’s open and one’s closed, but I am not 100% happy with 880 and won’t mind going closed cans.

      • Reply November 24, 2011

        Lieven V

        I agree, and unfortunately I don’t own the DT880. sorry

  • Reply November 24, 2011

    Christopher

    i’m wondering if my RSA SR71B would be able to drive the 250Ohm version adequately!? anyone have any insights on that?
    can’t really install an amp in the office, so it’s portable or nothing for me 🙂

    • Reply November 24, 2011

      Headfonia Mike

      Yes Christopher, should be able to drive it, even more than adequately.

      • Reply November 24, 2011

        Christopher

         thanks Mike! all very informative as usual 🙂

        • Reply November 24, 2011

          Mike Ting

          You’re welcome, Christopher 🙂

  • Reply November 24, 2011

    Joe Coquelle Di Lecce

    Do you feel the HP-P1 will be enough for the 250 ohm? (or it will be the RSA SR71B)

    Thank you for reviewing this!

  • Reply December 1, 2011

    Samuel Pélissier

    Lieven V, from your experience of the T70, would you weither recommend a T70p or a MDR Z1000 for a portable use?Thanks in advance.

    • Reply December 1, 2011

      Mike

      Hi Samuel,
      I haven’t yet heard the T70, but I think it’s designed for home/studio use. The Z1000 should make for a better portable headphone.

      • Reply December 1, 2011

        Samuel Pélissier

        Thank you very much Mike, but I was wondering for the portable version (32 Ohm) of the T70, the T70P.

        Thanks in advance.

        • Reply December 1, 2011

          Mike

          I see.. again I’ve never heard the T70p, but the form factor and the size of the housing really is not practical for a portable.

          • Reply December 3, 2011

            Samuel Pélissier

            Thank you for your advice Mike!

            • Reply December 3, 2011

              Mike

              You’re welcome, Samuel. 🙂

  • Reply December 7, 2011

    JRK

    You should put spaces in 32ohm because the the o looks like a zero, and I read the impedances as 320 and 2500 respectively and then wondered what Beyer was smoking :p

    • Reply December 10, 2011

      Mike

      Thanks, JRK.

    • Reply December 10, 2011

      Lieven V

      Do you mean like this?  “320 hm”
      😉

  • Reply December 10, 2011

    Daniel H.

    I’ve recently acquired the T70’s, and use them with my 2Stepdance from Meier Audio – it is an awesome sound combination! 

    I traded them with my old Grado RS-1’s (strange, I know!), and I don’t feel they do a bad job at rock at all. I like many genres of rock, including thrash and progressive rock, and I feel that the T70’s, although not as great as the RS-1’s, do a very good job of presenting everything.

    I do like the amount of bass that the T70’s have, because it is extremely clean and detailed – overall a good pair of headphones!

    • Reply December 10, 2011

      Mike

      Thanks for sharing, Daniel.

      The T1 which is the bigger Tesla headphones do very well with Rock and Progressive. I would imagine the T70 to follow some of the T1’s traits.

  • Reply December 22, 2011

    tash

    Hi Lieven,

    Are you able to comment on how the T70 compares to the Sony Z1000 please?

    Thanks

    • Reply December 22, 2011

      Lieven V

      Hi Tash, that’s been asked already. Mike replied:

      I haven’t yet heard the T70, but I think it’s designed for
      home/studio use. The Z1000 should make for a better portable headphone.

      thats’s al we can say about the Z1000 in regards to the T70 I’m afraid

      • Reply December 23, 2011

        Tash

        Thanks – but I was hoping for a comparison of the sound!  I am hoping the Z1000 is the answer….

        I am trying to choose a closed set of cans that doesn’t leak out sound to use at work (desk/office based).  I have a decent desktop amp so driving pretty much any headphones shouldn’t be an issue.  Portability isn’t a key concern but I don’t particularly want a set of headphones that is huge on the head either (simply because my office colleagues already think I’m a headphone nut and putting on a truly massive set of cans will just draw even more attention to myself)!  As I said though, this is a secondary concern.

        I am looking for something with good clarity and extension in both treble and bass with a fairly even/smooth frequency balance and decent PRaT.  I mostly listen to vocal based music (indie, accoustic and some rock) but do also stray into classical and jazz on occasion and even dance/trance/house/electro.  I therefore need a good all rounder!

        I currently use a set of B&W P5s.  These are fun to listen to and cope well with poor quality/low bit rates.  However, I find them a bit slow and the mid bass hump is too warm and fuzzy for a lot of tracks.  I would therefore like to upgrade these to something with better clarity, a slightly less warm sound signature (not too cold/lifeless though!)  and a bit more speed. 

        In terms of open backed comparisons – I love my HD650 (with the foam removed from inside cups and behind drivers to improve the treble clarity/presence) but something a little less rolled off on the highs would be even better.  I also find them a bit too laid back for anything rhythm based.

        I also love my Grado PS1000s.  The PRaT of these headphones is outstanding, as is the clarity, soundstage and realism of the sound, particularly on live tracks.  The only downside is that the treble can be a little harsh for poorly mastered tracks.

        I also have a set of UM Miracle IEMs, which are fantastic in terms of their frequency balance.  However, I can’t really use them at work because they take too long to extract if someone comes over to speak to me!  If I had a criticism of these, its that they’re also a little too laid back for me on most tracks.

        I find my HE-6 too lean sounding and quite sibilant.  Something with more bass, more present mids, and a less sibilant treble would be better for me.

        I didn’t like the LCD-2s:  The sound stage just seemed way too narrow to me and I felt as though I was listening to music in a tunnel!  Overall, I think I much prefer dynamic drivers to orthos.

        My current short list is probably:
        Z1000
        T70
        T5p
        AH-D7000 (I think these might have been perfect on the sound signature/quality side of things but I think I have had to rule them out on the basis they leak too much sound out) 

        Any comments/suggestions on all this…?!  Help would be really appreciated.

  • Reply January 23, 2012

    Chris

    hey Mike, after reading Steve Guttenberg’s article on Home Theater Headphones I am interested in buying a second pair of headphones for DVD/Blu-ray. I was looking at the Sennheiser HD598, Audio Technica AD900 and Beyerdynamic DT880/DT990. what would you recommend?

    • Reply January 23, 2012

      Mike

      So this is for movies I suppose? I would recommend the HD650. 

      • Reply January 23, 2012

        Chris

        yes. anything cheaper? 

        • Reply January 23, 2012

          Mike

          How about the HD558?

          • Reply January 23, 2012

            Chris

            sounds good. thanks Mike! 🙂

  • Reply March 1, 2012

    Edward Cheung

    How would the T70 (or T70p) compare to the T5p? I was considering the T5p as my next purchase, but was also recommended the T70 (T70p) as well at my local store.

    • Reply March 1, 2012

      Mike

      Edward,
      I haven’t tried the T70/T70p yet, but the T5p is superb and I probably think that the T70 would not stand up to the higher up model. (Note that Lieven did this review).

      • Reply March 1, 2012

        Edward Cheung

        Thanks, Mike. Guy in the shop said a similar thing…but I wish I could just try the cans out somewhere! But no chance here in HK!! 

        • Reply March 2, 2012

          Mike

          I think you should be able to try out the cans in Jaben.

  • Reply April 20, 2012

    phillip sim

    Hey guys, 

  • Reply April 20, 2012

    phillip sim

    Hey guys, I’d like to know about your opinions on this headphone. Many regards this as the black sheep of the Beyerdynamic family, for being something overpriced and not delivering the satisfaction as compared to the other models, ie. dt770, 880, 990, 1350, and etc. I’m not entirely convinced so I’d like to ask you guys about that matter: Is this headphone worth for what it is? As in SQ (more importantly to me). Or is it just a failed marketing gimmick to promote the Tesla driver? How this headphone stands as compared to the other strong ones like dt770, 880, 990, or T1, T5p, and even its competitors, HD600, 650, and etc? Thanks guys. Just hope you guys enlight me on this matter. Thanks a lot.

    • Reply April 20, 2012

      L.

      The T70 is a closed headphone, please don’t compare it with the Sennheisers. This headphone is all about the Beyerdynamic soundsignature. It does perfectly what it was built for and you like that or you don’t. It is in no way a failed attempt, it has very good sound. But I would advise listening to it before purchasing it, you’ll love it or you’ll hate it.

      • Reply April 20, 2012

        phillip sim

        Thanks man. Have you have T70 with you now? Does the burn in really improve its SQ performance? (Stage, clarity, bass, etc).

        • Reply April 20, 2012

          L.

           Just a little, but no big changes. Maybe after a longer time with the pads changing you might get a slightly different sound, but don’t count on burn in to change the soundsignature. I still have the T70 yes, but I have to admit I harly ever use it as I love open headphones

          • Reply September 13, 2012

            Andre Sneed

            I know this was done 5 months ago but what are some of your favorite open cans?

            • Reply September 13, 2012

              L.

              The T70 is closed but my fav open cans are the HE500, HD650, LCD-2 and HE-400, in that order

              • Reply September 13, 2012

                jeremy Wu

                O.o You like the hd650 and the he-500 more than the lcd-2s?

                • Reply September 13, 2012

                  L.

                  I do, I have a love-hate relationship with the LCD-2. I generally only prefer it for rock

                  • Reply September 14, 2012

                    Nick Tam

                    You know what is a love hate relationship? All modern J-Pop recordings hate non-Japanese headphones… quite literally

                    • September 14, 2012

                      Mike

                      I actually thought the opposite. Modern Jpop recordings = treble. Japanese headphones = treble.

                      Treble + treble = 2 Trebles

                    • September 14, 2012

                      Nick Tam

                      Oh not all Japanese headphones are all that bright, but one thing I can say is that they aren’t that resolving to reveal how bad they’re actually recorded. I’m using the PRO700MK2… and the treble easily overpowers the bass. Remember how this pair of cans were marked “Monitoring”? You could probably guess why lol

                    • September 14, 2012

                      Mike

                      Nick,
                      You’re using the Pro700 Mk2 and the treble still overpowers the bass?

                    • September 14, 2012

                      Nick Tam

                      I was referring to J-Pop specifically. With most J-Pop that doesn’t have the electronica backing the vocals, pretty much. Other mainstream J-Pop would usually have really low DR and extremely boosted bass.

              • Reply September 14, 2012

                Andre Sneed

                I recently purchased the HE-400 and I love them but the LCD-2 is def on the wish list but you prefer the HE-500 & HD650 more than the Audeze? Interesting. What is it about those two that you like over the LCD-2?

                • Reply September 14, 2012

                  L.

                  detail, soundstage, realism, overall compatibility. The LCD excels in Rock and maybe dance, but that last you can do on the HD650 too. The Senn really is a top class headphone

  • Reply September 21, 2012

    L.

    I can’t tell as I haven’t heard the SRH940, sorry

  • Reply September 21, 2012

    Mike

    Justin,
    Personally I can still listen and enjoy a lot of music with the SRH940, but not the T70. The T70 was quite difficult for me. It had an awful treble peak, a small closed soundstage, hollow mids, and a metallic tone.

    The SRH940 is forward, a bit bright, but overall still a fun headphone for music listening.

    • Reply September 24, 2012

      Justin Q.

      Thanks for sharing!

      Looking to upgrade from my SRH940 + Centrance DACport, perhaps considering to get a tube amp as well.

      • Reply September 28, 2012

        Mike

        Alright Justin. Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.

  • Reply December 29, 2012

    ryan

    Hey Lieven, you were saying that the T70 velour pads have gel padding inside. Does the T1 uses the same type of velour pads as the T70?

    • Reply December 29, 2012

      L.

      The T1 uses the “regular” velour pads, not these T70 pads afaik

  • Reply April 4, 2013

    Cheong Kit Ryan

    Hi there, would the Hifiman EF5 pair nicely with the T70p?

    • Reply April 5, 2013

      Mike

      I’ve never tried that combo, but I think it would help add warmth to the T70p.

  • Reply August 17, 2014

    SoundEskimoo

    Hi, which Tesla more suitable for mainstream music with enjoyable bass impact?
    Something like Kate Perry, One republic, Daft Punk, Calvin Harris, etc
    thanks

    • Reply August 17, 2014

      L.

      T51. Or maybe the T90 wit a tube amp if you like your V sound. or even the T1.

      • Reply August 20, 2014

        SoundEskimoo

        Thank you L

  • Reply October 31, 2014

    Tronco

    I was looking for a good, affordable, closed, over ear headphone for using at work. After reading this review I ended up buying the T70P. I bought it used for 200 bucks and for that price it is more than I could hope for. Good build quality as usual with Beyerdynamic, comfortable, good amount of detail, and good bass.

    I’m sure this is going to keep me happy for a long while.

    • Reply November 1, 2014

      Headfonia_L.

      Glad you like it but theis is a T70 review. the T70P has quite a different sound 🙂

      • Reply November 2, 2014

        Tronco

        My hearing is not very refined (yet) and I noticed that when a reviewer says “quite different” I usually can’t barely hear the difference. 🙂
        But jokes aside, I did notice it is not exactly the same HP. But from the spec sheet the only difference is the impedance so I guessed the difference shouldn’t be like day and night. But if I ever get a chance to compare both HPs I will come back an share my thoughts.
        For now I am very happy with the T70P and listening to music at work just got so much better!

        • Reply November 2, 2014

          dalethorn

          Earpads make a huge difference in sound, much more than impedance by itself. Most Beyer headphones have replaceable earpads, and I’ve experimented with different pads on several of their headphones. So if you’re ever curious about that, you might try different pads sometime.

          • Reply November 2, 2014

            Tronco

            I’ve never considered this before, but it’s a good idea. Earpads shouldn’t kill my budget. Thanks! Do you have any suggestions?

            • Reply November 3, 2014

              dalethorn

              If you want to try other earpads, first call Beyerdynamic – in the U.S. they’re in New Jersey. They can tell you which alternatives are available from them. I see some posts also on head-fi, one of which has photos of leather earpads one user added to his T70.

  • Reply August 31, 2023

    Marius

    “love it or hate it” i know they are not perfect at £500 price tag, but only this headphones will give you vinyl like sound balance when connected to laptop or mp3 player, for me they are special and unique . i also have T5 , but for mobile, or laptop use, only t70p give me the pleasure.

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