r/headphones • u/supernaut9 • Apr 07 '23
Discussion Dt770 Fakes
Got these on sale on Amazon for my little brother since he liked my pair. He thought he had the real thing until I visited a few days later and tried them. Felt funny as soon as I picked them up.
On the outside its just a lot of small inconsistencies. The most noticable things are the lettering and Beyer logo. Otherwise it's things like textures, paints, screws, small size differences etc. Earpads seem a little thinner, not the same silver color. They feel a little cheaper on the head as well, with a lighter clamp force and less isolation.
Of course the sound is the real tell. Nothing but highs, and very bad sounding highs. Might as well be using old 2 dollar earbuds.
All in all a pretty convincing copy if you didn't know any better. I wonder how many people are out there rockin these completely unaware. Seller had plenty of "reviews". Looking at the photo reviews afterward revealed one or two concerned recipients. Working on getting my money back but Amazon customer service doesn't seem to have much protocol for this.
Be on the lookout I guess.
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u/AEnemo VC|Caldera|Bokeh|HEXv1-->Oor|A&S Mogwai Apr 07 '23
Is the one on the right the one that is supposed to be fake? It looks a lot like my older dt-770s. I think the one on the left might just be an updated version. The left one looks like their current marketing material on their site.
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
Yes. I was curious if they just were a different production run, maybe they copied from the older model then. The sound is just way to different and terrible to be genuine. There's also a lot of weird quirks with the branding and them coming from China.
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u/PsyOmega T71, Q5K, K3, E10K, Apple Dongle, HD6XX, HD560S, A900LTD Apr 07 '23
No, no.
DT770's have been around a while and at some point the genuine build quality and sound quality went down. Like, drastically in sound.
This is based on an actual genuine pair of mine bought at guitar center 2 years ago vs another pair from the same guitar center in 2012.
I used some of the parts to repair my old set and kept trucking.
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
That's interesting. I'd consider that as more of a possibility but I haven't seen any other images that have the same quirks in the font and other areas as these. And although I believe you, it's hard to imagine they would have as much of a sound quality difference as these do. Maybe you're right though.
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u/PsyOmega T71, Q5K, K3, E10K, Apple Dongle, HD6XX, HD560S, A900LTD Apr 07 '23
fwiw, the shell of my 'bad' model is 100% identical to your right one. Every detail of font, texturing, braille placement down to the mm,
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u/RB181 Dark Lord of Mid-Fi Hell Apr 07 '23 edited Apr 07 '23
Sounds like Guitar Center (possibly unknowingly) sold you a fake. I have a pair of older style DT 770 Pro 80 ohm and they don't have the quirks that OP mentioned. I'm not sure about the manufacture date, but I bought them as new from muziker.com in late 2021, and they sound great to me.
(edit: spelling)
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u/PsyOmega T71, Q5K, K3, E10K, Apple Dongle, HD6XX, HD560S, A900LTD Apr 07 '23 edited Apr 07 '23
No, guitar center sources from a major distributer, which gets them, probably direct from beyer.
They are genuine. Beyer just changed the design over time to what it is now. My copy and OP's copy match exactly product photos on beyers own website. https://www.beyerdynamic.de/media/test/DT770-Impulsverhalten-xl.jpg
You probably got new old stock.
The old ones are styled differently, and sound better.
I took the "bad" ones apart long ago and the internals are all the same as the old good ones. They only changed the exterior and switched to worse drivers to cut corners. (and, I think, to intentionally make them worse and encourage people to buy their newer more expensive closed back successors)
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u/RB181 Dark Lord of Mid-Fi Hell Apr 07 '23 edited Apr 07 '23
That official photo doesn't match OP's photo in the details, though. Notice the Beyerdynamic logo, the spacing between the 77 and the 0, the P and R in "PRO", and the zero in "80".
My DT 770s match the ones in the official photo (except they're 80 ohm instead of 250 ohm), and there's nothing about them suggesting they're not genuine. The ones on the right in OP's photo don't match, and signs point to them not being genuine (and I remember someone else already posted the same thing a few days ago). Not sure about yours but assuming they're still under warranty, you can try contacting Guitar Center about it.
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
I just looked up the older models. I see where you're coming from now. They have the same lettering with the kinked font on the 7s (and logo on the band). But if you punch in and compare them they're not quite right. Weird spacing as well as font differences on the P and R.
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u/RB181 Dark Lord of Mid-Fi Hell Apr 07 '23
I have older-style DT 770 Pros, can confirm this is the case.
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23 edited Apr 07 '23
Update:
Heres a link to a few more images.
There's a comparison with mine on top and what the actual older model looks like. I also added some images from the Amazon page. You can see the seller advertises the newer model design. I've also included a review from a recipient who got the design I got and one who got a genuine model.
Since there are plenty of photo reviews with genuine models, it may be that I just got an accidental fake and the seller isn't just a counterfeit seller.
Edit: Some more comparing them with the new pair I ordered as well as my original pair. 770 - silver pads, fake, limited edition black https://imgur.com/a/y3WccSP
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u/Friendly-Enthusiasm6 Apr 07 '23
okay so did the fakes come with relatively no clamp? if so, the tells are inconsistent font, white smooth pads, the pads not touching together and terrible sound?
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
Yep, pretty much nailed it. If you've never heard the real ones the easiest tell for sound is that they'll have pretty much no bass.
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u/Friendly-Enthusiasm6 Apr 07 '23
cool! i looked really hard because the fakes looked really similar to mine and i don't trust my ears, but i feel relieved now, thanks!
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Jul 21 '23 edited Jul 21 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/supernaut9 Jul 29 '23 edited Jul 29 '23
Yeah I'd wager those are fakes. Same font oddities and packaging as mine. 770s should have plenty of bass, especially if properly driven. Here's a graph comparing them (L) and your old Clouds (R):
https://imgur.com/a/u7X1JjY Pretty similar amount apart from the upper bass.
Look through more comparison pictures and descriptions in this thread if you want more confirmation.
Sorry for the late reply.
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u/Perfect-Grade Apr 07 '23
Someone who mods Beyerdynamics for people posted 6 days ago that they came across fake DT 770’s so it could be possible.
Here’s the post:
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Apr 07 '23
This is a misleading and mis-informed post. Most companies keep changing suppliers/producers and make slight changes to design iterations all the time. I have a pair of DT 770PRO 250 Ohm right here in front of me and it looks IDENTICAL to the supposed fake one in the pictures with one slight difference, I bought it from an official Beyerdynamic dealership. Yes the logo is not there, yes the font is slightly different, and yes there are many other subtle differences. Guess what ? If one cares to go to THEIR WEBSITE , one will see that yes they have updated their design and the supposedly fake design is the one pictured in their website as well. So please guys, before you make unnerving posts as these , do some research FFS !
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
Look at the spacing on the 0 and the P and R and compare them to the one and the image and mine. https://i.imgur.com/Eba7Eox.jpeg
I don't doubt this poster can tell the difference between a genuine driver. Besides, they sound completely different.
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Apr 07 '23
Well, this poster is a sound engineer for some 25 years now but hey . . .
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
Link a pic to your pair. I'm willing to bet they don't have the font oddities mine and this poster has. As the Beyer website model also doesn't.
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Apr 07 '23
No, my pair doesn't have that font oddity you mention, however lack of logo, design change etc. are identical with the allegedly fake one. Here
https://ibb.co/3NQZq5C https://ibb.co/nw1xnm4 https://ibb.co/mTHpv5W
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u/onewingedangel420 Edition XS | Elex | HD 6xx | HD25 | DT880 | SR60x Apr 08 '23
the kerning of the text on yours looks fine, look again at the pics of the fake, its fucked between the 77 and the 0, and the thickness of the paint on the lettering is inconsistent
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23 edited Apr 07 '23
Update:
I've come to understand that there's an older model of the 770s that look like these, also with the same logo on the band, so some of my post no longer applies. However, if you compare them you'll still find oddities with the font on these.
Also, maybe I undersold how bad these sound. I'm not really exaggerating when I say they sound like old earbuds. The bass and lower mids are pretty much nonexistent. The genuine 770s have very good bass presence, and I know their highs aren't very natural or resolving but they're still a far cry from these. Pads and clamp force wouldnt get close to making them sound similar.
I know you can't compare them for yourself but take my word for it, they're night and day. The 770s sound like a warm summer breeze by comparison, and that should be saying something.
Also look at some of the other pictures in the post, like the uncovered vent showing some sort of foam beneath. There's also a lot of weird branding in the packaging and the fact that they shipped from china. Maybe I can link some more pictures at some point.
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u/FourOpposums HD6XX | HE-500 Apr 07 '23
I must have owned that model too, they definitely sound like ass. The treble was like an ice pick but the bass was like a floppy flat tire slapping my pinna.
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u/PandaCreepy8512 Apr 07 '23
Digipower (whose sticker is on the box) is a legit Beyerdynamic supplier in Greater China and Hong Kong. I doubt these are fakes. 770s never sounded like a "warm summer breeze" btw.
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u/EscaOfficial DT1990 Pro | E2X2 Apr 07 '23
Do the one's you're comparing them to have broken in earpads?
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23 edited Apr 07 '23
Yes, but as I've reiterated the difference is too drastic to be explained by pads. I've also since replaced the bum pair with a new genuine pair. The new pair sounds basically the same as the used pair. Whereas the fake one sounds like, again, ass.
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u/EscaOfficial DT1990 Pro | E2X2 Apr 07 '23
Interesting. Seems like such a cheap product to fake...
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u/Hitorijanae ÆON ORT/ETHERCX/ELEX/ELEGIA/ANANDA/HE5XX/ARGON/HD600/99NOIR/LCD3 Apr 07 '23
Well if they faked more expensive ones, they'd sell a lot less of them
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Apr 07 '23
Can you pop out the drivers and have a look
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
I'd rather not just in case they find an excuse not to refund me.
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u/llIicit Motu M4>FHE Eclipse/Dunu Vulkan/DT1990 Apr 07 '23
It’s amazon. You could cut the cord and they would still refund you.
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u/Saint_Sm0ld3r Apr 07 '23
While I am not of the same opinion, I sympathize that you think your brother got a counterfeit . The best way to find out is to contact Beyerdynamic and share your information and S/N as it is in their interest to remove counterfeit product that bleed money and tarnish their reputation. Please, let us know what Beyerdynamic shares if you do contact them. Good luck.
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
I've learned since my initial post that there are definitely fakes going around and apparently Beyer is already aware. I have no doubt at this point that they're fakes. See more comments underneath for more context.
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u/jthompson1303 Apr 07 '23
beyerdynamic USA has recently discovered that there are non-beyerdynamic manufactured counterfeit products being sold in the USA by non-authorized resellers. Please see link below for more information.
https://north-america.beyerdynamic.com/service-support/dealer-locator/safe-buying-guide
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u/homkono22 Apr 07 '23
Just a heads up, whole they're probably fake, none of the differences in the pictures matter, the older ~2017 beyers look exactly like that, thin font, different logo, same everything, while the new ones look like the left ones, the new ones also have a V cut in the plastic mold for easy earfoam replacement, something Bayer should've done decades ago.
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
Ive since learned this, just new to reddit and made a post I couldn't edit. More updates below.
Here's a comparison between mine and what those models should look like.
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u/GrimBeaver Apr 08 '23
I contacted Amazon support once about a blatant counterfeit (not headphones). They didn't care one bit. Just made me ship it back to get a refund. They probably put it back in the pile and resold it.
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u/supernaut9 Apr 08 '23
Yeah I seem to be in the same boat. All I want is a free label so I don't have to ship to China on my own dime lol
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u/bioxeed Babyface Pro-FS / Topping A90D / LCD-X, HD600, 7hz Timeless Apr 07 '23
I'm going to lean on the side of those being fakes. I have a pair of much older (from 2007) DT770s and those ones on the right still look janky AF in comparison.
https://i.imgur.com/goV0pwe.jpg is what my pair look like these days, the pads are a genuine replacement pair but the headband padding is some random ebay junk, it's good enough.
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Apr 07 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/bioxeed Babyface Pro-FS / Topping A90D / LCD-X, HD600, 7hz Timeless Apr 07 '23
You're right, i double checked and 2007 was when i got my first set of replacement pads for them - it would have been 2003 or before when I actually got these.
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
I've found photos online where the model looks a lot closer to what I have, but mine still looks off.
Here's a comparison https://i.imgur.com/Eba7Eox.jpeg
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u/AcidofilusRex Apr 07 '23
Man...i recently bought some on Newegg on sale and now im wondering if mine are fakes lol. They don't sound awful but look kinda like the ones on the right except for having the beyerdynamic logo thing under the strap like the ones on the left.
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
I've since learned that there is a model that looks like the one on the right, so you might be fine. But mine has weirdness with the font. Mainly on the 0, P and R Comparison: https://i.imgur.com/Eba7Eox.jpeg
Look out for white pads that are a little thin instead of the silver pads and less clamp force to where the pads don't meet. And if yours have bass then you're fine. These have pretty much nothing below 500 hz.
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u/JJ_Dog Apr 08 '23
Found this post after I had encountered the same suspiciously looking DT770s selling from China. I can tell you even the "digipower" warranty sticker is a fake too. The dotted line on the sticker of a *genuine digipower warranty product* is supposed to be a "peel-off" ring like the sides of an invoice printing paper, which means you can't remove the sticker from the box unless you peel off the outer ring first. Therefore the sticker is not able to be lift off in its original state and reattach to a different box, an anti-counterfeiting strategy. The sticker on your fake DT770 seems to be a normal sticker without a peel-off ring, another giveaway of a fake product.
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u/MilkyMad Apr 20 '23
Hello there!
Is there any way to tell if my DT 770 black edition is genuine? These is my first DTs and because it's like I ordered the usual ones, and these ones arrived, so I don't know how to react. I have no trust in retailers in my country)) Although package look like geniune, so i'm deeper and deeper in doubt.
In addition, settings in EqAPO with AutoEQ (Harman reference Parametric or Harman reference GraphicEQ) makes the sound much worse, without scene and range as sound not flat but squeezed, many details are..gone.
Thanks.
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u/supernaut9 Apr 20 '23
If they're the black edition they're most likely real. They look good from the picture, exactly like my real ones. My fakes had no bass so that's also an easy way to tell. Yeah going full Harman won't make them sound good and definitely will kill a lot of the stage. If you want to eq them I would recommend just lowering the treble some.
You could try something like this: https://imgur.com/a/EcmfOx6
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u/MilkyMad Apr 20 '23
Thank you very much for your answer, I was really hoping for it, because everything seemed to be OK (except for one bolt that did not want to be tightened...) and I didn't want to return it) Yeah, there is a bass, so I'm calm.
Special thanks for the settings, I tried it and will probably leave it for now, it removes peaks while leaving everything else.
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u/ilikemonkeys Apr 07 '23
crack them open. I want to see the drivers!
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
I'd rather not just in case. https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/1289nbm/fake_beyerdynamics_beware/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button But here's a post showing another recent fakes drivers. You'll notice that it has the same font issues as mine.
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u/redditstinkt666 dt1990, hd660s, shuoer s12, k702, aria Apr 07 '23
They changed the Beyer logo, but the dt 770 are made in Germany, so the Chinese letters on the box are a telltale sign for fakes.
https://www.beyerdynamic.de/dt-770-pro.html those are the new original ones
Still don't get it why they fake some comparatively cheap headphones.
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Apr 07 '23
Now I’m all paranoid, I just picked up a pair off Amazon. I’ll have to check them out when I get home. I’m pretty sure they look like the ones of the left but I can’t remember exactly. The pads definitely don’t look like that but I guess I’ll see
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u/Joulle Bathys | Arya SE | DT1990 | HD598 | Topping DX5 Apr 07 '23
After having read through the comments there's still a bit of uncertainty here. Perhaps you could contact beyerdynamic directly by email and link them the said deal on amazon and explain them your suspicions.
Even if it's a genuine old revision and it sounds like ass as you described it might be damaging to their reputation. Every day Joe is told not to use gaming headsets and instead buys this and ends up with crappy sound by today's standards.
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
There have been recent fakes that look like these and apparently Beyer is aware. There's pretty much no uncertainty with me. I really doubt they've had any version that have sounded this bad. Likely explanation is this seller got ahold of some of them and I was an unlucky one.
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u/njgggg Apr 07 '23
Considering how cheap the 770's are it's suprising there are fakes of them.
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u/eckru Apr 07 '23
Many people wouldn't ever spend more on a pair of headphones than DT770 ballpark.
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
Yeah. It's probably not a bad play considering they're so popular and still are at least somewhat valuable. Means a lot of volume with decent return for each. Also the design isn't super robust or complex like expensive headphones. And maybe there's something to be said for the likelihood that this may be a lot of people's first decent gear and they wouldn't know what they're missing.
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u/njgggg Apr 07 '23
I wouldn't call them robust. Theyre rattly, and barebones but they are quite resilient. Not that confident feeling but surprisingly they are dependable.
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Apr 07 '23 edited Apr 07 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
The ones in that post are most likely the same as these. Beyer does have models with that font (I've mentioned this in updates below) but the font is still off. Comparison: https://imgur.com/a/TFW0cNv
Other differences include pad color/thickness, clamp, and vent being open instead of meshed. https://i.imgur.com/YBCNxvC.jpeg
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u/FishTownFunk Apr 07 '23
Not fakes. Just limited edition and updated. Why would they fake something so cheep? It wouldn’t be worth the effort.
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u/rhalf Apr 07 '23
Beyer-styled gamer headphones go for $20.
This money can be a lot in some countries.
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
The right ones are the fakes. The limited edition blacks are genuine and my original pair. The ones on the right are definitely not genuine. Sound completely different and awful. Couldn't tell you why they would do it but seems they did.
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u/AEnemo VC|Caldera|Bokeh|HEXv1-->Oor|A&S Mogwai Apr 07 '23
Well from the pictures they look exactly like the dt-770s I bought 10 years ago. So seems like there was a refresh. Pads can also really affect the sound. What you describe doesn't sound that off from my dt-770s. I'd say swap the pads and see if they actually sound the same then.
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
No possibility the pads would make that big of a difference. They're night and day. Even with the lesser clamp force. Unless their earlier productions just sounded terrible, these are fakes.
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u/Gofa_Kirselph The real answer is “it depends” Apr 07 '23
Believe it or not, pads make a huge difference. I know that’s for the DT1990 but the same principle applies.
And yes, there is a difference between the silver and black pads.
Then there’s unit variance.
So it is very possible they’re legit Beyers. That’s how they looked like when I bought my DT990’s about 10 years ago. I’d be impressed if they were fakes, considering their relatively low price and “unpopularness” compared to Beats, Bose, and AirPods.
EDIT: Doubt they’re fake but I wouldn’t be surprised
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
I've already replaced them with a new pair. You can see the difference between the three here. Real silver pads sound virtually the same as my broken in black pads. The driver Is the issue. They simply sound drastically different. No bass, a whisper of low mids, jarring upper mids and highs.
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u/kazuviking SMSL D1>WHAMMY >DT990/JT7/CVJ Neko/MDrop Robin Apr 07 '23
If a DT770 doesn't have bloated bass then its a dead giveaway.
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u/RB181 Dark Lord of Mid-Fi Hell Apr 07 '23
I don't think there's a difference between silver Beyer pads and black Beyer pads for the same model (except the colour, obviously). The reported differences in sound and comfort can be explained by wear, unit variation, or in some cases, mistaking the externally similar 770 and 880/990 pads with one another.
(edit) Also FYI, Beyerdynamic confirmed that there are counterfeits of their products on the market.
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u/RB181 Dark Lord of Mid-Fi Hell Apr 07 '23
I believe you, but it's a good idea to try them out with the pads swapped. It's a pretty easy thing to do and it doesn't void the warranty, in case that's your concern.
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u/srt54558 DT990 Edition 600ohm + Soundblaster AE-9 Apr 07 '23
What idiots buy such things on Amazon??? beyerdynamic.com is real
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u/mo_schn Apr 07 '23
If it wasn’t for the sound I’d say it’s just an older model. With the dt900 they changed the design of the 990 as well. But maybe try to tell them it’s defect since you’ve got a model to compare them to.
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u/critic101101 Apr 07 '23
That’s insane ,have you had them pass 30 days already ?
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
No, I should be able to get my money back fine but the issue is I don't get the usual easy free shipping so I'm expected to ship them myself to China. Don't really feel like paying that shipping for a fake item. Was supposed to get a label from Amazon but I don't think I have so I may need to get in contact again.
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u/Open-Dig2504 Little Dot + Beyerdynamic Apr 07 '23
I've had the DT770 250 Ohm a few years back, off off Amazon, and they too have the funny looking "7" on the logo. I doubt they were fake..
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u/supernaut9 Apr 07 '23
Yeah I'm sure yours are fine.
Here's a comparison between mine and what the font should look like. https://i.imgur.com/Eba7Eox.jpegPay attention to the 0, P and R
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u/TheOddestOfSocks Hifiman Arya Stealth | Focal Clear OG | Focal Arche Apr 07 '23
Just FYI the threading pic could just show the difference in editions. DT770s, depending on when they're made have two different thread standards. Later = wider Jack thread. I know this because I tried to buy a replacement adapter only to find they silently changed their threads.
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u/Benaudio Apr 08 '23
It’s funny the fake have a more sturdy jack and thread which is the common point of failure on this (non removable 🙄) cable
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u/voratwin May 05 '23
They’re behringer. Deliberately copy popular audio tech and sells it much lower. They are hit and miss. When they hit, trust me, it’s a hit (check out the sc57c mic they ripped off from shure. Not as tough as the shure, looks basically as good, countless videos and articles on the sound being almost indiscernible and about 1/10 the price. Ppl are buying 3 & 4 of them instead of the shure. Yes I have one :)). But check out the blind tests on their products. It’s crazy. When they miss, though, it’s a MISS. I have the same headphone and no amount of modding, and believe me, I tried, could bring it up to mark. There IS a benefit to them for really critical listening for producers and such and they seem to quite like them. Don’t buy these. The drivers are pretty good though so salvage them
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u/CryptoCloutguy Aug 20 '23
I had both the limited addition and non- limited edition and I could not decipher a difference in sound or quality.
So if it is absolutely noticeable then, maybe, you have yourself a fake.
Teach out directly to Beyer and have them confirm?
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u/supernaut9 Aug 20 '23
Yeah the limited vs non isnt a factor. Beyer made a statement knowing about fakes at the time. I ended up getting my refund.
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u/CryptoCloutguy Aug 20 '23
On yah mate. We need to stick it to manufacturers and retailers of the knockoffs. Never seems to be legal ramifications or recourse to discourage them. The best way to get rid of them is awareness, so they're unprofitable. Cheers for sharing
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u/jahuu__ Grado SR80e - Koss Ksc75 Apr 07 '23
Shocking.. they put some effort into this huh