What Hi-Fi? Verdict
Another pair of strong headphones from Beyerdynamic. If you’re after a smooth, weighty sound, these will do nicely.
Pros
- +
Weighty sound
- +
Smooth presentation
- +
Plenty of detail
Cons
- -
Tough competition
- -
Needs more punch and agility
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We expect great things from Beyerdynamic – the company has won countless Awards from us. And now we have the DX 160 iEs. And they’re good.
Performance
There’s plenty of detail and texture to instruments and vocals alike. The presentation is smooth too – a boon for long-term listening. Tonal balance leans slightly towards the low end for a full, weighty sound. It never gets too much though, and the midrange and treble are never threatened.
The only issue here is the competition, namely the (cheaper) Sony MDR-EX650APs. They don’t have the Beyerdynamics’ weight, but are more agile and punchy.
Build and design
These buds are well made and come with a flat cable, which helps minimise tangles. There’s no in-line remote, but a split in the cable lets you add the bundled Y-shaped splitter, so someone else can plug in and share your tunes.
Verdict
We really like the DX 160 iEs – but the competition out there is rather fierce.
