Way back before headphones became a multi-billion dollar industry, the options available for people to buy were rather meager. You mostly had earbuds, a selection of on-ears (predominantly Sennheiser) and professional monitor headphones, and never the thrice should meet.

In the past, people were perhaps afraid of professional headphones. They were ugly, had ridiculously long cables and were harder to find than consumer models. As good as they are, the $199 Beyerdynamic DT 770 Studio does little to overcome that stereotyping -- they're quite industrial looking, have a three-meter long cable and are only available from the Guitar Center (and other online music stores). All of this is a shame, because the Beyerdynamics are actually more suited to everyday use than the company's own, consumer-focused version of the DT-770 Pro.

While other fantastic monitor headphones have crossed over to the mainstream -- Audio Technica's ATH-M50X being the prime example -- the DT 770 Studio remains firmly in the pro category. The DT 770 Studio is an 80 ohm variant of the DT 770 Pro which itself comes in a number of different flavors, including the aforementioned 32 ohm (easier to power) personal version which is also $199. That 32-ohm model also has different ear pads. They're faux leather and a bit of step down from the softer, more comfortable velour pads on this model.   

The DT 770 headphones make their professional-use origins known, from the rigid plastic cups to the padded headband and snaking internal cables. The headphones feel solid, while also remaining lightweight and offering a luxurious fit. The earcups are a soft grey plush material which also adds a level of comfort.

The headphones offer an 80ohm impedence and a pair of 45mm drivers. The headphones are a closed design which means they are well-suited to their original audio monitoring purpose, but also offer decent isolation for on-the-go. That is if you can find somewhere to stow the three-meter (10ft), non-removable cable.

I used the headphones for a number of weeks as my main headphone and thoroughly enjoyed them. Whether I plugged them into an iFi iDac or Cowon Plenue 1 player the DT 770s always gave a balanced performance.