Over-Ear Headphones · owner-verdict comparison

DT 770 Pro vs Grado SR80x: what real owners say

Real owners rate these about evenly: 55% of 197 DT 770 Pro owners recommend it, vs 60% of 55 for the Grado SR80x.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

DT 770 Pro

55%of 197 owners recommend
55% recommend · 20% neutral · 25% don't
Owners praise
  • Exceptionally comfortable for long sessions, with soft velour pads that owners say let them wear the headphones for hours (some cite 15-hour days) without fatigue
  • Built to last for years of daily use, with many owners reporting the same pair still going strong after 3, 9, even 13-15 years
  • Punchy, full bass with a balanced V-shaped signature that many describe as fuller and better-tuned than rival closed-backs
Owners complain about
  • Sharp, peaky treble (the well-known 'Beyer treble') that many find harsh, sibilant, or fatiguing, sometimes causing headaches after 10-15 minutes
  • Plastic components (headband sliders, hinges, earcup connectors) that crack or break over time, sometimes worsened by heat and humidity
  • Tight clamping fit and small earcups that some owners find uncomfortable, causing jaw soreness or head squeezing within an hour of wearing
Full owner report →

Grado SR80x

60%of 55 owners recommend
60% recommend · 18% neutral · 22% don't
Owners praise
  • Punchy, dynamic, "fun" sound signature that owners describe as energetic and addictive rather than flat or clinical
  • Excellent entry point into higher-end audio for the price, with many owners keeping their pair for a decade or more
  • Clean, airy sound with surprising clarity and detail retrieval for a budget open-back can
Owners complain about
  • Glued-together build (drivers, gimbals, rodblocks, headband) that owners view as flimsy, breaks over time, and often requires DIY hot-glue or aftermarket-part repairs
  • Bright, treble-forward tuning that a meaningful minority finds fatiguing or outright harsh on longer listening sessions
  • Stiff, thick, unwieldy stock cable that's awkward to manage and a recurring standalone complaint
Full owner report →

Which should you buy?

Get the DT 770 Pro if
  • ✓Gamers and FPS players wanting wide, precise soundstage in a closed-back set
  • ✓Home studio mixers/producers who value detail and don't mind a bright signature
  • ✓Long-session listeners who prioritize all-day comfort and light clamp
  • ✓Buyers on a budget wanting durable, repairable headphones that last a decade-plus
Skip it if
  • Treble-sensitive listeners; harsh, sibilant highs cause fatigue or headaches
  • Anyone needing a detachable cable, since the fixed cable often frays or breaks
Get the Grado SR80x if
  • ✓First-time audiophiles wanting an affordable, exciting-sounding upgrade from stock earbuds
  • ✓Listeners who love an energetic, forward, treble-tilted sound signature
  • ✓Home/desk listeners who don't need isolation or a lightweight on-the-go cable
  • ✓Tinkerers open to swapping pads or modding to fine-tune comfort and bass
Skip it if
  • Anyone sensitive to bright, fatiguing treble on long listening sessions
  • Buyers wanting a durable build, since the glued drivers and stiff cable feel fragile and cheap

What DT 770 Pro owners say

“i'd say go for the Beyerdynamics since their only drawback is their harsh upper register of the frequency and nothing else. For the money, you can't beat them!”
— chrissb34 on Reddit
“dt 770 100% and hyperx quadcast microphone! Best combo ever and "cheap"”
— NervousNobody666 on Reddit
“The long term durability of these headphones seems to really depend on the climate where you live. When I moved to Florida the humidity and/or heat really caused them to start deteriorating fast.”
— Lord_swarley on Reddit

What Grado SR80x owners say

“SR80x (120€ new) was my first audiophile headphone over two years ago. They were so good that within a week I returned them to upgrade to SR225x”
— Hunter-97-G on Reddit
“Grado SR80s were my first decent pair of headphones too, and I still love them - still have them and listen to them something like 15 years later.”
— srmd22 on Reddit
“Using chinese components. And a lot of glue... You'd think with all that American Engineering, we could not use Glue, and instead use... maybe screws?”
— KaosC57 on Reddit

DT 770 Pro vs Grado SR80x: frequently asked questions

Is the DT 770 Pro or the Grado SR80x better?

Real owners rate these about evenly: 55% of 197 DT 770 Pro owners recommend it, vs 60% of 55 for the Grado SR80x.

Who should get the DT 770 Pro?

Owners point the DT 770 Pro at gamers and FPS players wanting wide, precise soundstage in a closed-back set, and home studio mixers/producers who value detail and don't mind a bright signature.

Who should get the Grado SR80x?

Owners point the Grado SR80x at first-time audiophiles wanting an affordable, exciting-sounding upgrade from stock earbuds, and listeners who love an energetic, forward, treble-tilted sound signature.

What do owners complain about?

The most-cited downside of the DT 770 Pro is sharp, peaky treble (the well-known 'Beyer treble') that many find harsh, sibilant, or fatiguing, sometimes causing headaches after 10-15 minutes. For the Grado SR80x, it's glued-together build (drivers, gimbals, rodblocks, headband) that owners view as flimsy, breaks over time, and often requires DIY hot-glue or aftermarket-part repairs.